ICERTIAS - Top 20 Best Buy Award: 2012 Worldwide MICE City and Country Rankings

    ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, December 21, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to the "ICERTIAS - Best Buy Award - Global MICE survey" for 2012, New York and the United States represent the top city and country, respectively, in regards to the price and quality ratio of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) services. The survey is based on the experience and opinions of 21,895 business executives from 94 countries worldwide.

The world's top business tourist destination cities include, after New York, London in second place, Singapore in third place, Paris in fourth place, and Chicago in fifth place.

The USA has a solid lead among the countries at the top of the list. According to the survey, other top business destinations include Germany in second place, Italy in third place, Spain in fourth place, and France in fifth place.

In the survey, respondents were asked the following question regarding their opinion of what cities were best suited for business: "Which city in the world in your experience and opinion, offers the best price-quality ratio in regards to MICE services, i.e. offering services related to business meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions for business people and companies."

The survey also asked respondents the following question on countries: "Which country in the world in your experience and opinion, offers the best price-quality ratio in regards to MICE services, i.e. offering services related to business meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions for business people and companies."

Each question in the survey was open-ended. Respondents were not provided with answers in any form and could type in the name of any city or country they felt had the best price-quality ratio of MICE services. The format was intended to gauge their opinion from a global sense, so any city or country in the world was an acceptable answer.

The first place title for the USA in both the country and city categories is impressive. It is also notable how European countries and cities have ranked in regards to MICE services, while Asia also shows evidence of becoming a significant and strong international MICE destination.

On the Best Buy Award list of the Top 20 MICE world cities, 11 metropolitan areas are located in Europe. These include London in second place, Paris in fourth, Frankfurt in sixth, Barcelona in ninth place, Moscow in twelfth, Geneva the thirteenth, and Cologne in fourteenth place. In addition, Dusseldorf placed in seventeenth, Berlin eighteenth, Vienna nineteenth, and Milan in twentieth place.

European cities were not the only ones to rank well on the list, in regards to number. There were also five Asian metropolitan cities on the list, including Singapore in third place, Hong Kong in eighth, Shanghai in eleventh, Tokyo in fifteenth, and Beijing in sixteenth place.

While New York is the first place city, four metropolitan areas represent North America: Chicago placed fifth, Toronto seventh, and Las Vegas in tenth place.

For the South American, African, and Australian-Pacific zone, however, there were no metropolitan areas entered by respondents on this ICERTIAS scale of Top 20 MICE Best Buy Award cities.

On the ICERTIAS Best Buy Award list of Top 20 MICE countries, the Eurasian continent dominates with fourteen countries. Eight of these are from Europe and include Germany in second, Italy in third, Spain in fourth, France in fifth, Great Britain in sixth, Switzerland in seventh, Austria in eleventh, and the Netherlands in eighteenth place. The five Asian countries on the list include China positioned in eighth, Japan in tenth, South Korea in fifteenth, Singapore in sixteenth, and India in twentieth place, while the Middle East is represented by the UAE in the twelfth positions and Qatar in fourteenth.

While the North-American continent is represented by the USA in the first and Canada in the ninth position, South America is represented only by Brazil, which placed seventeenth on the list.

Neither a single country from the African continent nor the Australia-Pacific region ranked on the ICERTIAS Best Buy Award list of the Top 20 MICE countries for the year 2012.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

In the ICERTIAS Best Buy Award Top 20 Global MICE survey, a total of 21,895 business executives, from 94 countries, participated. The number of countries selected was determined based on their total GDP, according to the latest data available. The goal of the survey was to reveal the opinions and attitudes of business people from the top 100 of the leading world economies. Six countries were eliminated from the survey due to technical reasons - i.e., technical inability to conduct the survey in these countries. These were Iran, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, Burma, and North Korea.

The survey was conducted from October 19 to December 3, 2012. Conducted only in English for all participating countries, the survey employed a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) methodology with an innovative (Deep Mind Awareness) technique of examination. Respondents were encouraged to think about their answer, take time with their replies, and not give the first answer that came to mind (top of mind). They were also asked to not specify which countries and cities they most frequently go on business trips (because those destinations are closest to where they work, or their company works in co-operation with the companies from that particular country, city, etc.). Instead, respondents were asked to think based on their personal experience and that of their colleagues, specifically the city or country they personally believe offers the best price-quality ratio for business people and companies regarding MICE services. Survey respondents were not allowed to specify cities and countries where they live and work most of the year (more than six months annually).

In regards to the country where they live and work most of the year, respondents are represented in the following ratio (expressed in absolute numbers - quotas determined in regards to the GDP): United States 4.309; China 3.229; Japan 1.270; India 1.263; Germany 890; Russia 681; Brazil 655; United Kingdom 654; France 633; Italy 528; Mexico 476; Korea South 444; Spain 402; Canada 399; Indonesia 321; Turkey 307; Australia 261; Taiwan 250; Poland 220; Argentina 205; Netherlands 200; Saudi Arabia 196; Thailand 172; South Africa 159; Egypt 148; Pakistan 139; Colombia 135; Malaysia 132; Nigeria 118; Belgium 118; Philippines 112; Sweden 110; Venezuela 107; Switzerland 101; Hong Kong 100; Austria 100; Ukraine 94; Singapore 90; Peru 86; Vietnam 86; Chile 85; Greece 84; Czech Republic 81; Bangladesh 81; Romania 76; Norway 76; Algeria 75; United Arab Emirates 73; Portugal 71; Israel 68; Kazakhstan 62; Denmark 59; Hungary 56; Finland 55; Ireland 53; Qatar 50; Morocco 47; Kuwait 44; Belarus 40; Iraq 39; Ecuador 36; Slovakia 36; New Zealand 35; Sri Lanka 33; Angola 33; Bulgaria 29; Tunisia 29; Uzbekistan 27; Ethiopia 27; Dominican Republic 27; Azerbaijan 27; Oman 24; Croatia 23; Serbia 22; Ghana 21; Guatemala 21; Kenya 20; Tanzania 19; Puerto Rico 18; Lithuania 17; Lebanon 17; Slovenia 17; Yemen 16; Costa Rica 16; Uruguay 15; Bolivia 15; Panama 15; Cameroon 13; Uganda 13; El Salvador 13; Turkmenistan 12; Luxembourg 12; Nepal 11; Libya 11.

Of the total number of respondents, 24% were women and 76% were men. Only persons older than 24 years of age could participate; of those, 9% were 25-29 years old, 31% were 30-39 years old, 52% were 40-59 years old, and 8% were older than 60.

To participate in the survey, respondents were required to have finished primary school. Of those involved in the ICERTIAS - Best Buy award - Global MICE survey, 28% completed high school, 27% completed an undergraduate degree (college degree; bachelor's degree; 3-4 year study), 41% completed a master's degree (4 - 5 year study), and 4% a doctoral degree (Ph.D).

In regards to the status of their position in the company/organization, 37% of respondents identified themselves as an Owner / Chairman / CEO / General Manager / Senior Partner / Managing Director; 11% a President / COO / Partner / Member of the board; 17% a Vice President / Director / CFO / CTO / CIO; 26% a Manager / Brand Manager / Supervisor; and 9% other managerial position.

In regards to the number of employees in the company or organization where they work, 15% of respondents stated 1 - 10 employees; 16% 11 - 50; 21% 51 - 100; 10% 101 - 250; 9% 251 - 500; and 8% with 501 - 1,000 employees. The survey also identified 7% of respondents in companies with 1,001 - 1,500 employees; 6% with 1,501 - 10,000; and 8% with over 10,000.

The Information and data presented in this report and announcement are for informational purposes only. This report is neither designed nor intended to be used for making investment decisions. ICERTIAS, as well as the distributor of the information from this report, cannot be in any way responsible for decisions or actions carried out based on the results of the survey, and/or the information contained in this document. The entire survey was conducted with special attention and effort to present results in a precise and transparent manner. However, ICERTIAS and/or its partners, managers, and/or its employees are not liable for the accuracy and/or credibility of the information presented here or in the survey.

This is the first Best Buy Award research of its kind, related to MICE destinations, that ICERTIAS conducted on a global scale and on an international level in accordance with the CAWI - DEEPMA method. Additional details and information regarding the ICERTIAS - Best Buy award - Global MICE survey are available from ICERTIAS - International Certification Association, Zurich, Switzerland. Please ask for Media dept: +41-43 508 1051; [email protected].

ICERTIAS - TOP "BEST BUY AWARD" MICE COUNTRIES
MICE = (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions).

1. USA = 21.6%
2. Germany = 13.3%
3. Italy = 7.9%
4. Spain = 6.4%
5. France = 5.7%
6. UK = 5.1%
7. Switzerland = 3.8%
8. China = 2.7%
9. Canada = 2.3%
10. Japan = 2.1%
11. Austria = 1.9%
12. UAE = 1.7%
13. Taiwan = 1.6%
14. Qatar = 1.4%
15. South Korea = 1.3%
16. Singapore = 1.1%
17. Brazil = 0.8%
18. Netherlands = 0.7%
19. Australia = 0.6%
20. India = 0.4%

8.2% = Rest
9.4% = Don't know

N=21,895; Respondents: Business people from 94 countries in the world
Survey conducted: October, November, December 2012

ICERTIAS - TOP "BEST BUY AWARD" MICE CITIES
MICE = (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions).

1. New York = 10.6%
2. London = 7.2%
3. Singapore = 5.8%
4. Paris = 5.6%
5. Chicago = 4.4%
6. Frankfurt = 3.2%
7. Toronto = 3.1%
8. Hong Kong = 2.8%
9. Barcelona = 2.6%
10. Las Vegas = 2.4%
11. Shanghai= 2.2%
12. Moscow = 1.7%
13. Geneva = 1.6%
14. Cologne = 1.3%
15. Tokyo = 1.2%
16. Beijing = 1.0%
17. Dusseldorf = 0.9%
18. Berlin = 0.7%
19. Vienna = 0.6%
20. Milan = 0.4%

Rest = 29.5%
Don't know = 11.2%

N=21,895; Respondents: Business people from 94 countries in the world
Survey conducted: October, November, December 2012

ABOUT ICERTIAS

ICERTIAS - International Certification Association is a private, politically independent organization based in Zurich, Switzerland. ICERTIAS (www.icertias.com) stimulates innovative ways of market testing and research at a local and at an international level. The organization is primarily focused on the global recognition and promotion of product quality and value. ICERTIAS also encourages international cooperation between current and new testing, research, and certification organizations and promotes collaborative development of testing, research, and certification tools across national borders. Operating from a consumer perspective, ICERTIAS educates local organizations to promote products and services tested to meet its high-quality standards, offer better value, and extend such quality to local and international markets. Internationally, ICERTIAS is now most known for its BestBuy Award (www.bestbuyaward.org) and QUDAL - Quality medal (www.qudal.com) research and certification systems.

ABOUT BEST BUY AWARD

Best Buy Award (www.bestbuyaward.org) is a continuous project for research and awarding products, services, and other subjects in local and international markets that offer the best price-quality ratio - exclusively based on the experience and opinions of consumers. On a global scale, the Best Buy Award project is conducted and supported by the Swiss organization ICERTIAS - International Certification Association based in Zurich, Switzerland. While conducting their researches for the Best Buy Award system, ICERTIAS cooperates with many independent local and international organizations, in turn encouraging cooperation related to raising awareness on the importance of the price-quality ratio at the local market and global level.

Copyright (C) 2012, ICERTIAS International Certification Association

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Best Buy Award - Global MICE survey
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