Experts from 37 countries attend Meet Global MICE Congress in Moscow
Moscow summed up the results of the international congress Meet Global MICE Congress (MGMC). It was held from December 17 to 18 in the congress center of the World Trade Center and brought together more than 2,500 representatives of the industry, specialized authorities, associations, corporate clients, and organizers of business events, which is nearly twice as many as last year.
“Moscow is one of the key business travel centers for the Global South. Thanks to the tremendous work of Sergei Sobyanin, the city has gained strong competitive advantages that make it a global business capital, namely its comfortable urban environment and a high level of security. Moscow is the world’s second-largest urban economy. In addition, it offers an easy combination of business programs with new cultural experiences, allowing visitors to gain unique impressions — something that is also crucial for business travel,” said Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Moscow Government and Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
The capital signed 10 agreements with Russian regions to facilitate mutual growth of tourist flows. These include joint projects aimed at the development of business tourism, promotion of tourist offers through the Russpass digital service.
International level
Participants from Russian regions and 36 foreign countries traveled to Moscow for the congress, effectively doubling the event’s geographic reach. About 70 percent of attendees were top executives and other decision-makers, enabling partnership agreements to be concluded directly during the event.
Participants included Projeni Pather, Chair of the Association of African Exhibition Organizers; Tushar Kesharwani, Board Member of the India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB); Hosea Andreas Runkat, Chairman of the Indonesia Exhibition Companies Association; Dharmendra Jain, Founder of Kenya-based Actnable AI; Marcus Lee, CEO of China Travel Online; Mint Leong, President of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association; Ruqaya Cassim, Director of Business Tourism at Visit Qatar; and Dušan Borovčanin, former CEO of Expo 2027 in Serbia. Representatives of tourist authorities of Egypt, Jordan, the Maldives, Nepal, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan also attended the congress in the Russian capital.
Ephraim Balozi Mafuru, Director General of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), shared his impression of Moscow, describing it as a highly developed city. Having visited Europe, South America, and Asia, he noted that Moscow offers a combination of world-class venues capable of hosting various types of business events. According to him, this was evident in the organization of the congress itself — from the high-quality facilities to the speakers, all of which helped him feel “at home” while speaking.
The guests held more than 8,000 business meetings, which sought to establish new contacts, find clients and shape future event plans. B2B negotiations involved tourism operators (Grandrus, The Empire of Tourism), hotel representatives (Radisson, Metropol), cultural institutions (the State Historical Museum, Helikon-Opera), and attractions such as the Sun of Moscow Ferris wheel.
“Meet Global MICE Congress is the absolute leader among the industry events held in Russia. The MICE sector in Moscow is clearly developing — even without looking at specific figures. New hotels and venues are emerging, the level of restaurants and service is growing, transport logistics are improving, and a comfortable, diverse leisure program is being created. All of this meets a wide range of needs. In my view, it is crucial to actively share this information not only with Muscovites but also with other regions and countries,” said Lina Moskvina, Founder and CEO of MICE&more magazine.
Business sessions
The congress featured 15 business sessions across tracks such as Conferences and Exhibitions, Destinations and Associations, Global Trends and Analytics, Meetings and Intensives, Business, and Technology. During the plenary sessions, panel discussions, case-study sessions, presentations, speakers talks, and training workshops, participants explored the central theme of MGMC 2025 — Unity Through Open Diversity: New Opportunities for Global Growth.
Speakers raised issues such as the impact of personalization, gamification, hybridization, the experience economy, artificial intelligence and neurotechnology, on the MICE industry. They also paid attention to the multiplier effect of mega-events, the profile of a modern customer and service providers, the reflection of the national identity in the global exhibition industry, the formula for commercial success and promotion channels for business destinations, and outbound corporate events for Asian regions.
Elmira Vasilenkova, Deputy Head of Liga Puteshestviy, noted that the congress helped her establish contacts with potential partners and gain insights into possible collaborations with other regions and businesses. She specifically noted discussions on artificial intelligence and global industry trends as particularly valuable, emphasizing the importance of aligning one’s own industry perspective with that of major players and renowned experts.
Key participants of the Russian MICE industry included the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs, VDNKh, the National Association of Event Organizers, Global Russia MICE & Travel, the National Congress Bureau, AZIMUT, Ostrovok, and others.
Business exhibition
MGMC 2025 featured more than 130 exhibitors from the BRICS and Global South countries. These are MICE operators, associations, convention and exhibition bureaus, transportation companies, and hotels seeking access to fast-growing markets and increased brand recognition. In addition to Russian representatives, a significant portion of guests came from the Middle East (30 percent) and Southeast Asia (23 percent). Separate booths were dedicated to the Made in Moscow and Moscow Tea Party projects.
Anna Davidyan from Luxury Voyage (Armenia) said that although her company regularly attends international exhibitions, including in Europe, this was their first time at Meet Global MICE Congress — and they were highly impressed. The presence of real buyers was particularly important. The online system made it possible to schedule appointments in advance and provided visibility into participants. As a result, they held approximately 40–45 negotiations with representatives from India, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Belarus, and Russia.
The key participants in the Hosted Buyers program were guests from the Middle East (more than 27 percent), India (25 percent), and China (15 percent). Around 200 participants traveled to Moscow to discuss event-hosting opportunities, conduct B2B negotiations, and discover the city as a business and cultural destination.
Aziz Mirdzhalilov, Head of the Marketing Department at the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, emphasized that Moscow is not only an economic capital but also a major business platform supporting the development of the MICE industry. The committee participated in the congress with its own booth for the first time. According to Mr. Mirdzhalilov, the congress’s potential continues to grow given the significance of Moscow and Russia. He described Meet Global MICE Congress as a platform for cooperation, contract signing, and in-depth exchange of experience, highlighting the diversity of countries and companies represented at the exhibition. Companies from Uzbekistan also took part in the Hosted Buyers program.
The first Meet Global MICE Congress was held in Moscow in the autumn of 2023, becoming the largest international event in the field of business tourism in Russia. In December last year, the forum was held under the BRICS Edition banner, bringing together more than 1,300 business tourism representatives from the BRICS and Global South countries. Moscow became a platform for business dialog with 17 countries. The main theme was Global Challenges and Trends in the MICE Industry: Toward Sustainable Development Through the Experience and Knowledge of BRICS Countries, discussed across 13 business sessions.
The Moscow City Tourism Committee is creating a sustainable brand of the capital city as an important tourist destination not only in Russia, but also internationally. The countries and regions the largest number of visitors to Moscow come from are China, India, the CIS countries and the Middle East. To strengthen international ties, the Russian capital organizes business missions, presents tourism potential at industry exhibitions, and develops projects and events targeting international audiences.