Lisbon is emerging as one of Europe’s top MICE destinations, due to its convenient location for both European and North American companies and its modern, architecturally stunning venues.

According to a recent report in traveldailynews.com, in 2008 and 2009, the city held the eight position in the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA)’s European ranking and expects to jump higher in the 2010 ranking.

In particular, business travellers have recognised Lisbon’s value to the MICE market with its modern infrastructures, good value, and proximity to the rest of Europe. In addition to the mild climate, the region has a welcoming population and great food.

Miguel Perestrello, Director, Portuguese National Tourist Office, said, “Portugal, and Lisbon in particular, is blessed with a mild year-round climate, plenty of sunshine, excellent food and wine and some of the finest congress and accommodation facilities anywhere in the world. It has all the right ingredients for a successful conference, meeting or incentive programme.” Lisbon has been chosen to host many prestigious events in recent years, further supporting the city’s reputation as an international business destination. The MICE industry accounts for 44 percent of tourism income in the capital city.

Recent large-scale business events held in Lisbon this year included the International Road Federation World Road Meeting and Fibre to the Home Council Europe Conference and the, both with 3,000 attendees. In the coming years, Lisbon will host the Annual Convention of Rotary International, with 40,000 attendees, and the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, with 18,000 attendees. The Atlantic Pavilion is Lisbon’s premier venue, as an exquisite high-tech space in the Park of Nations that can accommodate 16,000 people. The facility also offers an interior press centre and additional Tejo Hall.

Lisbon is part of Portugal’s larger MICE offering, which includes highly-ranked Porto, Algarve and Madeira. Portugal has long been regarded as a safe and reliable destination by MICE organisers and the country was ranked 9 in Europe and 15 in the world in 2008 by the European ICCA.

The Portuguese National Tourist Office runs an online database that helps consumers find tour operators with programmes to Portugal. Since 2003, the database has included private and public contacts for familiarisation trips, events and sending news about facilities and products in Portugal. This year the Tourist Office welcomes MICE organisers in the UK and suppliers in Portugal to register and network using the online database.

In:  Travel Website

Investing is a decision that must be carefully thought of. There are many factors and reasons you should take into consideration in such decision: access to markets, talent pool availability, implementation and running costs, just to name a few.

The city of Lisbon, a modern and cosmopolitan European capital, has exceptional conditions for locating your company and guarantee the success of your investments. Here you will find the 10 main advantages this ancient merchant town has to offer:

1. Lisbon is a privileged access platform to 500 million European consumers, offering modern transport and logistics infrastructures, such as up-to-date railroads and highways, proximity to the ports of Lisbon, Setúbal and Sines and the airport - ten minutes drive from the city's centre - offering low cost connections to multiple European and transcontinental destinations;

2. Lisbon has privileged business and cultural connections with the seven countries that share the Portuguese language, of which Angola, Brazil and Mozambique stand out due to their considerable dimension. It is the ideal location for companies who seek export and investment opportunities in those emerging markets with 250 million consumers. In the same way, Lisbon cultivates historical trade relationships with the Latin American markets, the United States and Canada, the Arab World and the region of Maghreb;

3. Lisbon has highly qualified, flexible, creative, multilingual and competitive human resources. The average hourly labor cost in Portugal is about half of that of the European Union average. It is also home to universities and researchers of outstanding quality, particularly in the health sector. It is the right place for setting-up research and development or service centres;

4. Being a capital, Lisbon gathers decision-making centres essential to business development, offers a modern network of technological and communication infrastructures, as well as a wide range of excellent quality product and service suppliers;

5. In Lisbon, social stability and active policies regarding entrepreneurship, innovation and cutting red-tape generate the ideal conditions for business implementation and growth;

6. Lisbon is at the centre of a region that generates 40% of the national GDP. Its 3 million consumers are open to innovation and to new products and services;

7. In Lisbon, people enjoy an unparalleled quality of life: a mild climate, an unique luminosity, hospitable people, several landscapes, and an original gastronomy with a Mediterranean flavour. It is the European capital with the highest number of golf courses and golden beaches, only 15 minutes away from the city's centre;

8. Lisbon is a touristic city per se, where invaluable historic heritage and cultural authenticity mix with the latest trends. It is one of the most seeked out cities to host business conferences and events, since it combines modern infrastructures with a diversified leisure offer at highly competitive costs;

9. Lisbon is a hip and modern city with constant activity - 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Concerts, festivals, exhibitions, sports events and entertainment are a permanent reality;

10. Lisbon offers a wide river front and privileged access to the Atlantic, being a confluence port of massive cruises and navigation routes. It is the capital of the European country with the largest exclusive economic zone and it is here that the European Maritime Safety Agency is located.

Come visit us and evaluate yourself the enormous potential of Lisbon.