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Lugano, the ideal destination for your event

A first class destination, Lugano is a unique city.

Located at the centre of Europe and connected with international destinations through an efficient transport network, Lugano is a people-friendly city that fully expresses the world-famous Swiss Quality: a high quality of life, political and economic stability, security and professionalism, combined with a tradition in hospitality, international openness and a multilingual culture.

Lugano is situated in Ticino, the only Swiss Canton that unites the legendary Alpine landscape with warm Mediterranean colours. Ticino boasts a lust vegetation, gentle mountains and lakes, but also a historical and artistic heritage (with three UNESCO sites) and a strong cultural dynamism. The whole region full of surprises, with a wide variety of scenic hiking trails and sports activities. An area to explore with Ticino Ticket, the official ticket that allows you to travel free of charge throughout the Canton by public transport.

Lugano is an ideal meeting place: an efficient city with a charming pedestrianised historical centre and ambitious modern architecture, it is surrounded by greenery and is favoured by Lake Lugano which ensures a year-round mild climate. Since 2015, Lugano is the safest city in Switzerland: National statistics show that Lugano has the lowest crime rates among the main Swiss cities. Lugano is a business city. While the city is Switzerland's third largest financial centre, the whole region is home to many international companies' headquarters, ranging from multinational corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises - all participating fruitfully in a dialogue with local institutions on Ticino's development. 

Lugano is in step with the times. In line with the quintessentially Swiss sensitivity to the environment, it encourages sustainable mobility through a reliable public transport system and a widespread Bike Sharing service. Since 2019 an Energy City, Lugano has fulfilled more than 50% of the required goals towards a more sustainable future. At the same time, it keeps up with other crucial challenges. On one hand, new technologies: thanks to Lugano Living Lab the city promotes the interaction between citizens, public administration, research centres and companies to develop innovative technological solutions and services that meet the needs of its citizens. On the other, the city planning project of the Tourist-Congress Centre, intended to redesign large areas of the city.

Today Lugano is a city with a rich cultural offer and a busy calendar of events, in all seasons. Your event couldn't take place anywhere else. 

Credits: Enrico Boggia

Credits: Enrico Boggia

© Davide Adamoli

© Davide Adamoli

Credits: Enrico Boggia

Credits: Enrico Boggia

Credits: Milo Zanecchia

Credits: Milo Zanecchia

Qualities of Lugano

  • Schweizer QualitätSwiss quality
  • Mehrsprachigkeit und internationales ProfilMultilingualism and international profile
  • Wirtschaftliche und politische StabilitätEconomic and political stability
  • Zentrale Lage im Herzen EuropasCentral position in Europe
  • Beste VerbindungenExcellent connections
  • Eine Region voller ÜberraschungenA region full of surprises
  • Eine menschengerechte StadtPeople-friendly city
  • Zentrum für Forschung, Entwicklung und InnovationResearch, Development and Innovation Centre
  • Mildes Klima das ganze Jahr hindurchYear-round mild climate
  • Die sicherste Stadt der SchweizSafest city in Switzerland

Discover Lugano in the promotional video

Credits: Lugano Region

Facts and figures

  • 600+

    Events organised at Lugano Convention & Exhibition in 2019

  • 500'000+

    Visitors to Lugano Convention & Exhibition venues in 2019

  • 128

    National and international congresses organised in Lugano between 2015 and 2019

  • Top 10

    Swiss city for international congresses

  • 21

    Employees at your service in the six Lugano Convention & Exhibition venues

  • 63’494

    Population of Lugano

    Source: Federal Statistical Office
  • 6’800

    Beds in Lugano Region

    Source: Lugano Region
  • 488'045

    Worldwide visitors to Lugano in 2019

    Source: O-Tur
Meeting e incentive-14, LAC Lugano © Milo Zanecchia 2019

Credits: Milo Zanecchia

Lugano, city of events

Thanks to its fortunate position between the North and the South of Europe, Lugano has a centuries-long tradition of hosting national and international events, that dates back to 1513 with the establishment of the Swiss Livestock Fair, but also the Lugano Swiss Fair in 1937 and even the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956.

Today Lugano not only hosts numerous high-profile public events. It also is an established congress centre that figures among the ten most important Swiss cities, hosting on average 25 congresses per year. An extraordinary milestone achieved thanks to strong relations between local public and private institutions, such as the Luganese Tourist Office (Lugano Region), local companies, associations, universities and research centres. A dense network of synergic collaborations that makes Lugano a city appreciated by organisers and visitors alike.

Tourist-Congress Centre

Lugano never stops. Given the importance of the congress sector for the city's economy, and in response to the increasing growth of congress activity worldwide, Lugano has devised a public-private partnership model to develop and manage a new Tourist-Congress Centre. The future Tourist-Congress Centre will occupy the strategic area of Campo Marzio Nord and will have a modular and flexible structure of high urban and architectural quality, so as to organically fit into the landscape and existing neighbourhoods.
The new centre represents a strong contribution to the development of Lugano. It will complement other functional centres that are either in project phase, such as the Sports, Scientific and Medical-Technical centres, or already existing, like the Cultural centre (LAC).

Full details
Parco San Michele, Lugano © Milo Zanecchia 2017

Credits: Milo Zanecchia

Sustainable Lugano

Lugano embodies the typically Swiss sensitivity towards environmental sustainability.

Since 1999 the Federal Constitution includes a sustainable development model that integrates the economy, society and the environment (Art. 2, Art. 73). This is reflected in the 2050 Energy Strategy, a policy adopted by the Federal Council that has triggered a transformation of the Swiss energy supply system by expanding the already widely used renewable energies (water, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass). Thanks to the conformation of its territory, in fact, Switzerland has ideal conditions for the use of hydropower, which today counts for about 57% and is the main indigenous source of renewable energy (Ticino produces about 10% of the national hydropower). Switzerland is also a recycling champion: 94% of used glass, 92% of aluminium packaging, 81% of paper and 83% of PET are disposed of at collection points and recycled. Switzernald is a country that loves biodiversity. It protects local flora and fauna with strict laws, so that 30% of the territory is consistently covered by forests. 

Lugano views the environment as a top priority: one of the main municipal Lines of Development (2018-2028) is in fact the promotion of environmental sustainability. Lugano has a widespread public transport service and a PubliBike Bike Sharing circuit that extends throughout the Region. Excellent local production in the wine and food sector is encouraged, as well as local businesses. Lugano is at the same time the most populous city of the Region, and is located in the most densely wooded Canton at Federal level (52%) -  each inhabitant enjoys 0,42 hectares of forest, almost three times more than the national average. Lugano is already a privileged city with its parks, gardens, flowerbeds and tree-lined avenues, totalling 18.8 km² of urban greenery. The city is engaged in important projects to enhance and increase green areas within the city perimeter, such as the long-term Lugano Al Verde project and the municipal greenhouses providing plants and flowers planted throughout the city. These efforts and long-term commitments led in December 2019 to the important recognition of Energy City, joining other municipalities that have been exemplary in adopting at least 50% of possible goals in energy-related policies in strategic areas such as development and territorial planning, supply and disposal, and mobility. An encouraging starting point towards an evermore sustainable Lugano.
 

Credits: Enrico Boggia

Credits: Enrico Boggia

Organise your event

Lugano is the ideal location for any public or private event. All Lugano Convention & Exhibition venues can be used for different types of events, they are all located in the city centre and are well connected by the public transport system. Each structure offers unique features that can be customised according to your needs.

Credits: Eventmore SA

Credits: Eventmore SA

Credits: Eventmore SA

Credits: Eventmore SA

Organise your event
Lungolago di Lugano-2 © Enrico Boggia

Credits: Enrico Boggia

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