The Convention Industry Is Turning Second-Tier Cities Into Top-Tier Destinations
Photo Credit: Rendering of the proposed New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland. Auckland Convention Bureau
Skift Take
Due to accelerating globalization, more cities than ever are competing to attract foreign corporate investment and talent. Therefore, city leaders are placing a higher value on convention centers to help develop their destinations' business brand.
Austin, Hamburg, Auckland, Medellin, Bangalore and many more cities with good international access are emerging as “new world cities,” and the convention industry is playing a growing role in their development.
That’s according to professor Greg Clark, chairman of the Business of Cities think tank in London. He outlined the trend at this year's International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) conference in Boston during his presentation: "The Role of Convention Centers as Instruments of City Development & Transition."
Clark asserts that the global financial crisis and the spread of digital connectivity worldwide have spurred a new era of mobility. Following the recession, multinational companies are much more agile and willing to invest in a wider spectrum of new destinations, based on an evolving set of criteria revolving around high levels of accessibility, talent, tolerance and technology.
“Since 2008 and the global financial crisis, there’s been a
