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.