The number of international conferences being held in Liverpool has increased four-fold in the past year, rising from six to 26, figures have revealed. The number of international delegates increased from 2,800 last year to a total of 9,280 expected this year.

The latest conference win for the region is the 15th International Handbell Symposium, which  will take place between 31 July and 4 August at ACC Liverpool, bringing 450 handbell ringers from Australasia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, USA, and the UK.

Events which have already taken place this year include the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, which saw 3,000 attendees from 125 countries, and BBC Worldwide Showcase, where 640 international TV buyers attended the world’s largest international television market hosted by a single distributor.

Recent figures released by Visit Britain estimate that 101,000 overseas visitors stayed in Liverpool for business in 2011. It is now the fifth most visited city in the UK by overseas guests – behind London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham.

Carol O’Reilly, Liverpool Convention Bureau manager, said: “These figures are extremely encouraging and reflect how Liverpool is increasingly earning a reputation as an international destination for high-profile conferences and events.

“This is thanks to a number of factors including our connectivity to Europe through our network of airports, major roads and rail travel.”

Destination Liverpool will be exhibiting on Visit England Stand F340 at IMEX 2012 from 22 to 24 May at Messe Frankfurt.

Pictured: The Liverpool skyline