66th Edition of the UIA’s International Meetings Statistics Report

International meetings held by associations and organizations listed in the Yearbook of International Organizations are showing clear signs of recovery as the world adapts to a ‘post-Covid’ environment

The data for 2021 through 2024 in the chart below display this trend.

UIA’s data for these years will continue to increase in quantity, and the smaller number for 2024 should be understood in that context. Additional time is required for the data to stabilize, with higher numbers, before we can begin to describe the percentage change over 2020/2021 and the recovery. As noted in the Report, our editors have long experience to guide their estimates of the development of the data collection as they follow it in the next few years.

While 2022 data indicated that only-virtual and hybrid meetings were almost equal in number, the current data for 2023 and 2024 show us that hybrid events are now three times more numerous than those purely online, despite their effort and cost. Both the collected data and the announcements of future meetings from international associations show that meeting face to face remains a crucial element of conference activity.

The Report covers meetings of international associations around the world and compiles data drawn from the UIA database, the source of the International Congress Calendar and the Yearbook of International Organizations. Since 1960 the UIA has published an annual Report of statistics on meetings held in the preceding year, based on routine research and on more specific surveys undertaken by the UIA. The term ‘meetings’ in this context includes events organized and/or sponsored by international organizations, such as congresses, regional sessions, regular sittings or assemblies. Continuity in the definitions used allows comparison over time and indications of trends.

Remarkably, more than half a million meetings in the UIA database meet the criteria for inclusion in this Report. The number for 2024 is already significantly higher than the number for 2021, and it can be expected to grow further as research brings more information to light.

The annual Statistics Report is available in June, three months ahead of general release, to Associate Members as one of their many benefits: see Associate Membership.

The Report is now available to all! For more information on the 66th edition of the International Meetings Statistics Report and to order your copy, go to: https://uia.org/publications/meetings-stats

Joel Fischer has been part of the UIA’s editorial and Secretariat staff since 1996. He is co-editor of the Yearbook of International Organizations and the International Congress Calendar