The World’s Largest Organizer of Conferences Chooses Athens for its Annual Executive Meeting

Athens received a major vote of confidence from the KENES Group when the world’s largest Professional Congress Organizer chose the Greek capital to host its annual executive meeting from January 22 to 24. 

The group's global team is returning to Athens with the support of the This is Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau of the City of Athens.

The Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, met with the President of KENES Group to express his support: “It is our great honor to welcome to Athens the top meeting of the global leadership of Kenes. This vote of confidence certainly strengthens the place of Athens as a top destination for professional tourism, hosting a range of international scientific and commercial conferences, incentive trips, exhibitions, seminars and meetings. Athens has world-class facilities including hotels, state-of-the-art conference halls and exhibition spaces, as well as high-end travel services that support our commitment to the development of sustainable tourism. Athens will continue to invest in the business tourism sector, attracting major international conferences that strengthen the city's economy and intellectual capital.”

For his part, KENES Group President, Ori Lahav said: “We are very grateful for the strong partnership that we have with This is Athens-CVB. We want to thank their team for hosting our yearly Kenes Summit with company leaders joining from several locations, and to Mayor Haris Doukas for addressing the importance and impact of business events on the city and how to develop infrastructure that can support larger events.” 

Athens Rising in the Global MICE Industry
Ranked 8th globally, Athens is among the world’s most attractive destinations for events and meetings as determined by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
In 2022, the city hosted a total of 109 international conferences in which 40,000 visitors participated, leaving the city with revenues of 87 million euros.
According to a relevant report by ICCA, each delegate spends 2,162 euros during a stay in the city, an amount four times greater than a leisure visitor.

Kenes Group
Founded in Tel Aviv in 1965 and based in Geneva, Kenes Group is the world’s largest Professional Congress Organizers-PCO. The group has hosted more than 3,800 conferences in over 100 cities, serving more than 220,000 attendees each year.
 

This is Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau
This is Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau represents the city of Athens in the global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE) market. It is part of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, a public company created by the city of Athens to represent its international interests and establish Athens as a competitive destination for international tourism, investment, and talent. Its membership network represents more than 100 of the largest tourism enterprises in Athens. This is Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau supports sustainable practices and its members by providing training on the implementation of sustainable event planning processes and thus creating a culture of sustainable decision-making. This is Athens- CVB is a founding member of the Greek Meetings Alliance (GMA), a national coalition of MICE industry professionals that is developing a unified strategy and international platform for the Greek meetings and events industry. In 2022, This is Athens- CVB earned recognition as Europe’s Leading City Tourist Board at the World Travel Awards.