Milano has always been Italy's gateway to Europe and the world. Its population of about 1.5 million swells to 3 million during weekday hours making Milano one of the engines of the European economy since the Economic Miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, driven by its trade fair organization, Fiera Milano, which has become a dominant player in the European trade events market with all kinds of industry exhibits, professional conferences and corporate conventions.
Choosing to visit the city and deciding to organize an event in Milano today means immersing yourself in a place that has the energy and dynamism of a global city on a human scale, while enjoying the Italian lifestyle based on art, design, food and culture.
Milano is the gateway to Italy. It has three international airports (Linate, Malpensa, Orio al Serio), three major railway stations (Centrale, Garibaldi, Cadorna), and sits at the intersection of two major highway corridors crisscrossing the EU north-south and east-west, while Paris, Zurich, Frankfurt and Munich all in easy reach by car and fast train.
For your trade fair, scientific congress or corporate convention, Milano provides world-class facilities and health protocols in a fertile business environment and a stimulating cosmopolitan setting, characterized by urban renewal, cultural diversity and environmental sustainability.
Over the last ten years Milano has undergone a profound transformation, building new urban districts, two new subway lines, and the two new skylines of Porta Nuova and City Life.
International capital is also investing in the urban regeneration of the city’s formerly industrial neighborhoods, the city has a large financial industry and a blossoming fintech sector.
Another development driver is the city’s knowledge economy, thanks to its four international universities (Bocconi, Bicocca, Cattolica, Politecnico) and 200,000 university students, of which 10% come from abroad.
Milano is the city of style and luxury, where business and leisure, sports and culture can be reconciled as in no other city around the globe.
From Scala to Brera, from Duomo to San Siro, Milano has everything that art, food and entertainment can offer to stimulate the senses and the mind.
It is no coincidence that Milano is also among the first cities in the world for liveability, ranking fifth among the 48 destinations in the Global Power City Index 2022.
The green slant makes the city increasingly pedestrian - and cyclist- friendly (300km of bicycle lanes), while a very efficient public transportation system based on five subway lines, historic and modern trams, electric buses, and bike, car, and scooter sharing makes it easy and convenient to traverse the city (most destinations are reachable in less than 30minutes as Milano is compact).
Milano is the right destination for organizing large-scale events which are as successful as they are environmentally sustainable. In recent years, the city has been experiencing a profound urban renewal aimed at achieving a better quality of life in an innovative city, committing itself to a path of sustainability that fully involves all the actors in the tourism and events industry.
In 2022, as the first and only destination in Italy, Milano joined the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) network, which includes over 100 destinations around the world, and in 2023 it was ranked among the Top 40 in the GDS Index. Watch Milano’s sustainability and inclusion performance.
In the same year, it approved the Charter of Commitments for Sustainability, the city's sustainability policy for tourism, which will soon be followed by the Plan for Milano as a Sustainable Destination and, in the near future, an impact and legacy strategy to assess and enlarge the benefits for the locally territory and the community which tourism and events can generate.
In view of the major events that will see Milano as a host city, especially the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics and the 2027 UEFA Champions League Final, we are building a path capable of improving both the sustainability of the destination and the development of the tourism supply chain with particular attention to the growth of the certified companies in the HoReCa industry, with special events and advanced training for operators across the entire sector.
Consider Milano as the destination for your international event or congress: the YesMilano Convention Bureau provides customized assistance to all professional buyers and prospective event organizers.