The Palais des congrès de Montréal and Tourisme Montréal say 2025 was a very positive year for business tourism.
The 477 events held in the metropolis drew more than 1 million visitors and generated an estimated $438 million in economic spinoffs for Montréal and Québec, explained the organizations.
“Business tourism is one of the most effective levers in generating lasting benefits for Québec. The 2025 results confirm the relevance of focussing on high-impact events that contribute to the economy, innovation and the international promotion of Montréal,” said Emmanuelle Legault, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
“The Palais des congrès, in close collaboration with Tourisme Montréal, plays a vital role in this dynamic to attract events that strengthen our competitiveness and create real value for Québec society as a whole.”
Increased value of the events held
In 2025, business tourism in Montréal stood out for the increased value of the events held, said the organizations.
Despite a slightly lower number of events than in 2024 (63 fewer events), the economic spinoffs increased by $43 million. This points to better positioning of events with greater economic impact for Québec, they said.
Tourisme Montréal said it played a key role in attracting and supporting these business events by providing assistance to the organization of more than 230 conferences across the metropolis–at the Palais, in hotels, and at universities. This work, led with associations and local partners, helped position the metropolis as a gathering place for specialists, particularly in key strategic sectors of Québec.
The Palais des congrès de Montréal said it alone hosted 281 events in 2025, generating an estimated $277 million in economic spinoffs. With some 940,000 participants and visitors, the Palais is host to most of the participation (92%) and economic value (63%) of the business events held in the metropolis.
“In a complex and uncertain global geopolitical context, we’re particularly proud of our performance in 2025. It testifies to the capacity of our sales teams to attract major events and position Montréal as a destination of choice for high-impact conferences,” said Mylène Gagnon, Vice-President, Sales and Convention Services, Tourisme Montréal.
“Beyond the economic results, Tourisme Montréal pursued the deployment of meaningful initiatives, such as impact projects seeking to measure the real social and economic benefits of certain conferences. These actions, combined with our responsible tourism initiatives bolster our ecosystem and confirm the role of business tourism as a lever in ensuring Montréal’s lasting influence.”
High-impact events
Several major international gatherings marked 2025, in particular the annual conferences of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (4,200 participants and $4.4 million in economic spinoffs) and the American Society for Engineering Education (3,800 participants and $4 million), noted the organizations.
Beyond the numbers, some events had a social dimension addressing today’s pressing societal challenges. These included the STI & HIV World Congress (1,500 delegates), and the National Conference on Ending Homelessness (2,350 participants), for which the Palais provided its spaces for free, they said.
Confirmed international leadership
“The Montréal research community’s commitment continues to play a central role in attracting intellectually powerful international conferences, making business tourism a lever for the development of the Québec economy,” they shared.
“In 2025, Montréal maintained its standing as the top destination in North America for hosting international association conferences, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), for the ninth consecutive year. And for the eighth year in the row, the city ranked first in the Americas, according to the International Union of Associations (IUA).”
Promising horizons for 2026
The organizations said everything points to continuity for 2026.
“Several major international events are planned, in particular the Salon international de l’alimentation (20,000 participants and $14 million in economic spinoffs), the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (6,000 participants and $8 million) and the Goldschmidt Conference on geochemistry (4,500 participants and $5.8 million),” they said.
“The vitality of Montréal’s business events industry will continue to be based on its attraction of major international conferences and on the solidity of the local market. Recurring structuring gatherings, such as the Journées dentaires internationales du Québec, which annually attract some 12,000 participants and generate $15 million in economic spinoffs, and ALL IN, the largest artificial intelligence event in Canada, organized by Scale AI (6,000 anticipated participant in 2026), clearly illustrate this balance between international promotion and deep local roots.”
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