Maastricht, 25 January 2022 – MECC Maastricht’s brand-new conference centre has won the top national award for Best Conference Location for 2021. Trade magazine Meetings presents the annual Meeting Awards to the best meeting and event venues in the Netherlands. For more than three decades, MECC Maastricht has been the trusted venue for many international conferences, exhibitions and events. MECC Maastricht’s renovated conference centre was completed last June after undergoing a major upgrade and expansion.
The award
The Meeting Awards is an annual initiative launched by trade magazine Meetings and consists of four audience prizes divided into the categories ‘Best Meeting Location’, ‘Best Event Location’, ‘Best Training Location’ and ‘Best Conference Location’. Today, MECC Maastricht was announced as the winner of the award for ‘Best Conference Location of the Year’, presented by Theo Müller-Köningskrämer, Meetings’ account director and Linda Reijs, Meetings’ editor-in-chief.
Upgrade and expansion of the conference centre
Part of a broader investment plan that had already begun several years earlier, the comprehensive upgrade and expansion of the MECC Maastricht conference centre, the beating economic heart of Limburg, started in 2019. This revitalisation was necessary for the conference venue to continue to compete with national and international facilities as a conference destination, and to keep meeting the high demands of international conference organisers and participants. Completed last June, the upgrade and expansion will lead to more international conferences and events and a larger spin-off effect for the city of Maastricht and the surrounding area. The annual economic value will rise from an estimated €70 million to €80 million. Maastricht’s image as a conference city will also be further enhanced. Finally, this development will provide a boost to the local development of the Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus.
“Winning this award feels like the icing on the cake. We are extremely proud of our new conference centre and the possibilities we can offer. We have been receiving rave reviews recently for our renovated conference centre from several international event organisers. It’s a great feeling to see these positive reactions from our clients get confirmed today with the national “Best Conference Location” award,” says Frank Mimpen, Commercial Director of MECC Maastricht.
Limburg wins big
MECC Maastricht isn’t the only one celebrating today. Of the four national audience awards, three of them went to locations in Limburg. In addition to MECC Maastricht winning ‘Best Conference Location’, Kasteelhoeve de Grote Hegge has been named ‘Best Training Location’ and Château St. Gerlach won ‘Best Meeting Location’.
