The international congress reaffirmed Moscow’s status as a global center of expertise in business tourism, bringing together professionals from 37 BRICS and Global South countries. The event welcomed nearly twice as many participants as last year — a total of 2,500 industry specialists. Its diverse program covered topics such as successful MICE destinations, the effectiveness of business events, the future of neurotechnologies and the experience economy, while also enabling a record number of business meetings.
Participants from 37 countries
Moscow hosted the concluding events of the international business tourism forum — the Meet Global MICE Congress (MGMC). Held on December 17–18, the congress brought together more than 2,500 industry professionals, representatives of relevant government bodies, associations, corporate clients, and business event organizers from different countries. This is almost double last year’s number and six times higher than the first forum.
Congress participants arrived in the capital from 37 foreign countries and Russian regions — twice as many as the year before. Around 70 percent of attendees were top executives and decision-makers, which created the opportunity to negotiate and establish partnerships directly during the event.
Among the participants were: Tushar Keisharvani, Board Member of the India Convention Promotion Bureau; Marcus Lee, CEO of China Travel Online; Rukayya Kassim, Head of Conferences and Conventions at Visit Qatar; Jose Andreas Runkat, Chairman of the Indonesia Exhibition Companies Association; Prodjeni Pater, Chairperson of the Association of African Exhibition Organizers; Dharmendra Jain, Founder of Kenya’s Actnable AI; Mint Leong, President of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association; and Dusan Borovchanin, former CEO of EXPO 2027 in Serbia. Representatives of the tourism authorities of Egypt, Jordan, the Maldives, Nepal, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan also attended.
Guests held more than 8,000 business meetings within the expo zone, aimed at building new connections, finding clients, and shaping event plans for future periods.
Two intensive days
For participants, 15 business sessions were organized across several thematic tracks: “Conferences and Exhibitions,” “Destinations and Associations,” “Global Trends and Analytics,” “Meetings and Intensives,” “Business,” and “Technologies.” Plenary sessions, panel discussions, case sessions, presentations, keynote speeches, and training programs helped to fully uncover the main theme of MGMC-2025 — “Unity through Open Diversity: New Opportunities for Global Growth.”
Speakers addressed the impact of personalization, gamification, hybridization, the experience economy, artificial intelligence and neurotechnologies on the MICE industry. They also focused on the multiplier effect of mega-events, the profile of today’s client and contractor, how national identity is reflected in the global exhibition industry, success formulas and promotion channels for business destinations, and outbound corporate events for Asian regions.
A platform for business
MGMC-2025 featured more than 130 exhibitors from BRICS and Global South countries, including MICE operators, associations, congress and exhibition bureaus, transport companies, and hotels seeking to enter growing markets and increase brand recognition. In addition to Russian participants, a large share of exhibitors came from the Middle East (30%) and Southeast Asia (23%).
Dedicated stands showcased the “Made in Moscow” and “Moscow Tea Ceremony” projects.
Key participants in the Hosted Buyers Program included representatives from the Middle East (over 27%), India (25%), and China (15%). In total, 200 industry professionals came to Moscow to explore opportunities for hosting events, hold B2B negotiations, and discover the city as both a business and cultural-entertainment destination.
The first Meet Global MICE Congress was held in Moscow in autumn 2023 and became the largest international event in the field of business tourism in Russia. Last December, the forum was held under the BRICS Edition format, bringing together more than 1,300 business tourism representatives from BRICS and Global South countries and enabling business dialogue with 17 nations. The main theme — “Global Challenges and Trends in the MICE Industry: Moving Towards Sustainable Development Through the Lens of BRICS Experience and Knowledge” — was discussed within 13 business sessions.
The Moscow City Tourism Committee continues to build a strong, sustainable brand for the capital as a key tourism destination not only in Russia, but also internationally. Moscow most frequently welcomes visitors from China, India, CIS countries, and the Middle East. To strengthen international ties, the city organizes business missions, presents its tourism potential at industry exhibitions, and develops projects and events tailored to both local and international travelers.
