Introduction to BCD Meetings & Events’ Congress Hub for Latin America
BCD Meetings & Events, a global company specializing in meetings and events management, has launched the Congress Hub for Latin America, a groundbreaking initiative that positions the region, especially Mexico, as a hub for executing conferences, particularly in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Mexico’s Dominance in Hosting Pharmaceutical Conferences
“Mexico sets the standard for the rest of the region,” said Mari Carmen Ramírez, Commercial Director for Latin America at BCD Meetings & Events, in an interview with El Economista. “The service provided in Mexico is a differentiator that few countries can match; we are a very strong player on a global level.”
Cancún and Los Cabos continue to be star destinations, while conferences are also being held in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Puebla. The combination of established beach and sun destinations with business-infrastructure cities offers a comprehensive portfolio to host international pharmaceutical conferences.
Growth in Mexico’s Capacity for Large Conferences
“The country has grown exponentially in its ability to host large conferences, with the emergence of destinations beyond the traditional ones,” said Eva Isla, Country Manager at BCD Mexico in an interview. “Monterrey has seen an impressive rise; the state has invested heavily in this area. I’ve also seen new players like Acapulco, which is attracting significant conferences, and Mérida has become a key player.”
Infrastructure and Human Value
The destinations have the infrastructure to accommodate events. “Our teams are trained to handle any event hiccups, ensuring attendees arrive and the event takes place,” said Ramírez, emphasizing that this ensures the economic impact of a conference isn’t compromised by logistical issues.
“We’ve grown significantly as an industry to accommodate these needs,” she added. “But beyond the facilities, the human value stands out as a differentiator. The service we provide in Mexico is something few countries can match.”
The success is attributed to a collective effort, “I believe the effort is being made at a national level, and we’re achieving it,” said Isla. “This unified vision is crucial to present Mexico to the world as a reliable and high-capacity destination.”
Benefits for Local Value Chain
By centralizing the management of numerous international conferences and the thousands of attendees they bring, this initiative ensures a more stable and predictable resource flow for the extensive local value chain. This translates into direct benefits for hotels, restaurants, transportation services, tour operators, and logistics teams across all host destinations.
BCD remains open to future collaborations, expecting to join forces to further boost the project’s projection.
Expansion of BCD Meetings & Events’ Client Base
The launch of the Congress Hub for Latin America responds to the sector’s growth. “We attend to 300 clients in life sciences worldwide, more than any other meetings and events agency globally,” said Ashley Williams of BCD Meetings & Events. “90% of the 20 leading global pharmaceutical companies are our clients.”
They manage approximately 30,000 meetings and events specifically for this vertical and support around 300 conferences annually, mobilizing nearly 55,000 healthcare professionals worldwide.
