A meeting of venue and convention bureau staff is on target to attract 1,000 delegates - as the association market continues to thrive.

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is holding its annual congress in Leipzig, Germany 22-26 October, and has already registered 995 delegates for the event.It will be the first time the event has attracted a four-figure total. The previous record was 982 delegates for the 2009 ICCA Congress in Florence, Italy.

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk said: “Germany has one of our largest and most active national groups of member companies and organisations, and the surrounding northern European region also has strong ICCA membership."

He added: "It’s also a great location for bringing in delegates from the emerging economies of Eastern Europe and Russia, and is easily connected to the wider world."

ICCA is also on track to recruit a record number of new members this year, which, it says, reflects growth in the international association market. The organisation expects to have processed 90 applicants by the end of the year.