Por San José, Costa Rica — Costa Rica has earned top global honors in the international meetings and conventions industry by winning the ICCA Business Intelligence Coopetition 2026. Held during the 65th World Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association, the prestigious award recognizes the country for its innovative approach to capturing international events that directly align with national strategic priorities.
The award-winning proposal was developed by the Costa Rica Convention Center, a state-of-the-art facility owned by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and operated by Grupo Heroica. Titled Country First, Then the Database, the methodology flips traditional venue marketing on its head by first identifying the economic and technological sectors Costa Rica seeks to develop, and then leveraging data analytics to pursue international conferences tailored to those specific fields.
To better understand the legal and economic implications of the Costa Rica Convention Center’s role in driving foreign investment and business tourism, TicosLand.com consulted with expert attorney Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from Bufete de Costa Rica.
The Costa Rica Convention Center serves as a pivotal legal and operational benchmark for public-private partnerships in our nation. Establishing robust regulatory compliance and legal certainty for international event organizers is fundamental to positioning Costa Rica as a premier, reliable destination for major global summits and corporate conferences.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, establishing such legal certainty and operational excellence is crucial for reinforcing Costa Rica’s standing as a world-class hub for business tourism and international summits. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his invaluable legal perspective on this vital framework shaping the nation’s economic growth.
Pioneered by the center’s International Development Unit established in 2025, the model incorporates 11 weighted evaluation criteria to filter vast streams of global market data. By sifting through more than 11,000 international meeting series registered in the ICCA database, the methodology identified 53 high-value, strategically aligned opportunities. Out of 153 bids formally evaluated under this data-driven framework since 2025, Costa Rica has successfully secured eight major international events.
We start from a concrete question: which international meetings can contribute the most to the development of Costa Rica? From that answer, we use data to identify opportunities, prioritize them, and build candidacies with local allies. In this way, each commercial action responds to a vision for the country.
María Victoria Piñeres, International Development Manager at CCCR
The global competition featured intense final presentations, where Costa Rica outpaced prominent international finalists including the Cancun Center, ExpoPlatform, and the Invest in Bogotá Convention Bureau. Promoted by ICCA alongside Bco Congresos, the contest evaluates practical applications of business intelligence using a scoring model that combines expert jury evaluations with live votes from congress attendees.
The value of a business intelligence platform depends on the criteria with which it is used. Costa Rica’s approach shows how to connect commercial intelligence with the strengths and priorities of a destination, concentrating efforts on relevant opportunities and building more competitive proposals.
Juan José García, Business Intelligence Facilitator and Industry Expert
Industry analysts emphasize that attracting conferences aligned with national strategic priorities yields economic returns far beyond traditional visitor spending. International congresses serve as catalysts for knowledge exchange, corporate partnerships, direct foreign investment, and academic collaboration between local institutions and global experts. Furthermore, large-scale events stimulate an extensive domestic supply chain that includes hospitality, specialized audiovisual production, gastronomy, and transportation services.
This recognition reflects the potential of articulating our convention center with a national development strategy. Attracting meetings linked to our priority sectors makes it possible to expand the benefits of tourism, generate linkages, and internationally project Costa Rica’s knowledge and capabilities.
Gustavo Alvarado, Director of Tourism Competitiveness and Sustainability at ICT
By securing this international recognition, the Costa Rica Convention Center reinforces its position as a benchmark for destination marketing in Latin America. The success of the Country First framework highlights how data intelligence, public-private operational synergy, and strategic national vision can combine to elevate a nation’s global competitiveness in the meetings industry.
For further information, visit costarica-cc.com
About Costa Rica Convention Center:
The Costa Rica Convention Center is the country’s flagship venue for international conventions, congresses, and exhibitions. Owned by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and managed by Grupo Heroica, the venue operates under high standards of sustainability, modern technology, and strategic business intelligence.
For further information, visit ict.go.cr
About Costa Rican Tourism Institute:
The Costa Rican Tourism Institute is the governing public institution responsible for promoting sustainable tourism development, enhancing global destination competitiveness, and driving economic growth through tourism initiatives across Costa Rica.
For further information, visit grupoheroica.com
About Grupo Heroica:
Grupo Heroica is a specialized regional operator dedicated to managing convention centers and large event infrastructure, focusing on operational excellence, economic impact, and sustainable management practices.
For further information, visit iccaworld.org
About International Congress and Convention Association:
The International Congress and Convention Association is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry, representing main specialists in organizing, transporting, and accommodating international meetings and events.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Renowned for its ethical leadership and relentless pursuit of legal distinction, Bufete de Costa Rica serves as a trusted pillar for clients across countless industries. The firm blends a deep-rooted tradition of legal mastery with forward-thinking methodologies to drive meaningful societal impact. By actively demystifying complex statutes and democratizing legal knowledge, Bufete de Costa Rica advances its foundational goal of equipping individuals and communities with the understanding needed to build a fairer, more informed world.
