Uruguay is positioned as a regional reference for events and meetings

Uruguay will host more than 246 meetings in 2018. The country is ranked 48 in the ICCA World Ranking, and in the ranking of cities in the Americas, Montevideo is ranked 16, while Punta del Este is located at 43, going up nine places.
The country has diversified infrastructure and quality for the celebration of congresses, as well as a wide range of complementary activities, both in natural environments and in the city.
The short distances between the main destinations, security, accessibility, services and technology, connectivity, stability and above all, the quality of life, are part of the attractions that allow the capture of these events. These resources are added to the tax benefits that, like the VAT exemption for the contracting of rooms and related services, place the country as a reference in the celebration of congresses.
At the same time, financial support is granted to associations or organizers of events that propose Uruguay as a venue for international congresses.
According to primary data in 2018, 246 meetings or events are planned in the national territory, of which 54 are international, 39 regional and 153 national, values ​​above those handled during the first half of 2017, before the end of the period. At the end of 2018 the Ministry of Tourism expects figures higher than last year.
In 2017, 209 events were presented throughout the country, among which 60 were international, 53 regional, and 96 national.

Main destinations
Montevideo, Colonia and Maldonado, are positioned with first level infrastructures, with a capacity of up to 4,000 people.
In the case of the Uruguayan capital, it has the nearby Carrasco International Airport, as well as quality infrastructure, presence of the main hotel chains and cultural attractions. For its part, Colonia del Sacramento, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, boasts a historical and cultural charm, as well as tranquility and a strong infrastructure, which make it an interesting option just 170 kilometers from Montevideo and 50 minutes from Buenos Aires. Aires by ferry.
Finally, Maldonado combines the glamor and sophistication of Punta del Este with the beauty and mysticism of the mountains, located 130 kilometers from the capital. Since July 24, 2016, Maldonado also has the Punta del Este Convention Center, a modern congress center with capacity for 2,600 seated people, the largest in the country, and equipped with all the appropriate services for the celebration of events.
In addition to this infrastructure, for which important events have already been confirmed during 2017 and 2018, the country is working on the construction of Antel Arena in Montevideo. Scheduled for the second semester of 2018, it has been designed as a high-tech multifunctional platform, which can receive cultural and sports events to congresses and conventions for 12,000 participants. After this initiative is the largest telecommunications company in the country, Antel.
In this line, in 2012 the Ministry of Tourism became a member of the International Association of Congresses and Conventions (ICCA) and presents the destination in recognized international specialized fairs such as IMEX (Frankfurt) and IBTM (Barcelona), as well as regional fairs such as FIEXPO (Uruguay).

ICCA Ranking 2017
The country is ranked 48th in the Annual World Ranking of the International Association of Congresses and Conventions 2017 (ICCA), and in the ranking of cities in the Americas, Montevideo is ranked 16th with 40 meetings, and Punta del Este, in 43 with 14 meetings, this last one ascending 9 places with respect to 2016. The organism considers only the international congresses, the events that imply rotation of headquarters and at least 50 registered people participate.