Istanbul Convention&Exhibition Centre - ICEC

What Istanbul Convention&Exhibition Centre - ICEC does

Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) operates Turkey's flagship convention and exhibition venue in Istanbul's Harbiye district, within walking distance of nearly 10,000 hotel rooms and offering Bosphorus-view spaces. The venue comprises two purpose-built facilities: the Main Building anchored by the 1,900-seat Asım Kocabıyık Anadolu Oditoryumu (with 32-language simultaneous translation, Dolby Digital Surround, and orchestra pit) plus modular meeting rooms (Marmara, Dolmabahçe, Topkapı, Levent, Barbaros, Fatih), and the Rumeli Fair & Exhibition Hall providing 7,000 m² of column-free, divisible multi-purpose space. Supporting the physical venues is a technology stack including fiber-optic and digital audio-visual infrastructure and the Verus Yazılım Magix suite of 16+ event-management applications (AppMagix, LeadMagix, VoteMagix, AskMagix, ScanMagix, TVMagix, AbstractMagix, QuizMagix, E-Poster, KiosksMagix, FloorPlanMagix, WorldMapMagix, MailMagix, GameMagix), complemented by biometric RFID access control from Meyer Grup.

ICEC generates revenue primarily through direct venue rental for congresses, trade fairs, exhibitions, corporate meetings, weddings, banquets, gala dinners, and concerts, with ancillary revenue from in-house F&B operations (Madera Istanbul open-flame Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine, Cream&Sugar Cafe, DEKK street food, Eggstation) and digital event solutions. Pricing is quote-based per event and is not publicly disclosed; the venue acquired 154 events in 2023 and has publicly targeted 230+ events in the current year. The customer base is diverse, spanning international and national congress associations, trade fair organizers, corporate event planners, government summits, and cultural institutions.

The legal operator is UKTAŞ (Uluslararası Kongre Sarayı Tesisleri İşletmeciliği Ticaret A.Ş.), a joint stock company established in 1993 with 142 partners spanning public sector (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism) and private tourism bodies (TURSAB, TURSAV). Operating under a public-private partnership model, ICEC holds industry memberships in AIPC, ICC, TUROB, and the Istanbul Convention Bureau, and has recently pursued sustainability certifications including the Turkish Zero Waste Certificate (2026) and ISO 14064-1:2018-compliant carbon footprint reporting (2025), with GSTC MICE Venue Criteria certification in progress. Cumulative operating history includes over 2,000 congresses, 1,500+ fairs, and 15 million visitors since 1994, with sustained annual throughput of 500,000+ visitors.

Name

Istanbul Convention&Exhibition Centre - ICEC

Legal name

UKTAŞ Uluslararası Kongre Sarayı Tesisleri İşletmeciliği Ticaret A.Ş.

Website

https://icec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) operates Turkey's flagship convention venue in Harbiye, Istanbul, hosting international congresses, trade fairs, exhibitions, corporate meetings, and cultural events across its 1,900-seat Main Building auditorium and 7,000 m² Rumeli Exhibition Hall, with integrated F&B, AV, and digital event solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention & Exhibition Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Convention venue rental
• Exhibition center hosting
• Corporate event services
• Banquet and gala catering
• Stage technology services

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental and Event Hosting: ICEC generates revenue primarily through renting its extensive venue spaces — including the Asım Kocabıyık Anadolu Oditoryumu (1,900 seats), Rumeli Salonu (7,000 m² across two floors), and multiple meeting rooms and banquet halls — for congresses, conferences, fairs, exhibitions, weddings, gala dinners, concerts, and corporate events. Additional revenue is derived from ancillary services including stage technology provision, food and beverage catering (operated through in-house brands Madera Istanbul, Cream&Sugar Cafe, DEKK, and Eggstation), and digital solutions provided via Verus Yazılım.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICEC operates a convention and exhibition campus in Istanbul's Congress Valley, renting out the Main Building (1,900-seat auditorium and meeting rooms) and Rumeli Hall (7,000 m²) for congresses, fairs, corporate meetings, cultural events, and banquets. The center bundles venue space with stage technology, digital event solutions delivered through partner Verus Yazılım, and on-site F&B/catering services as an integrated event-hosting package.

Product overview

Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) is a premier convention and exhibition venue operating since 1949 (rebranded as ICEC in 1996). The facility operates a platform-plus-services architecture centered on two main venues—the Main Building and the Rumeli Fair & Exhibition Hall—offering flexible spaces for congresses, meetings, fairs, exhibitions, weddings, gala dinners, and cultural events. Supporting the core venues, ICEC provides integrated Stage Technologies (sound, lighting, visual with fiber optic and digital systems), Digital Solutions (event apps, lead retrieval, voting, Q&A, session tracking, closed-circuit TV, abstract management, live interaction, e-posters, kiosks, floor plans, and marketing tools via Verus Yazılım), and Food & Beverage Services (catering under Madera Istanbul, Cream&Sugar Cafe, DEKK, and Eggstation brands). Sustainability initiatives including Zero Waste Certification and carbon reduction programs, along with industry memberships (AIPC, ICC, TUROB), round out the service portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Building Venue Rental Rental of ICEC's Main Building, featuring a 1,900-seat auditorium and 11 meeting rooms, for congresses, corporate meetings, cultural events and large-scale plenary sessions.
• Rumeli Hall Venue Rental Rental of the 7,000 m² Rumeli Hall for trade fairs, exhibitions, banquets and large-scale events that require flexible floor space.
• Stage Technology Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 62% reduction in carbon intensity per participant in 2025 compared to 2024, even with increased visitor numbers
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature17 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Verus Yazılım Hizmetleri A.Ş.coreTechnology or IntegrationVerus Yazılım is the digital infrastructure and technology provider for Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar, delivering innovative solutions and services for event operations before, during, and after events using state-of-the-art technologies. Verus provides a suite of digital event management tools branded under the Magix series (AppMagix, LeadMagix, VoteMagix, AskMagix, ScanMagix, TVMagix, AbstractMagix, QuizMagix, E-Poster, KiosksMagix, FloorPlanMagix, WorldMapMagix, MailMagix, GameMagix) that support attendee engagement, data collection, and event administration.
• AIPC (International Association of Convention Centers)minorOthersICEC holds membership in AIPC, a global network of convention center professionals that sets standards and provides benchmarking for the industry.
• ICC (International Congress Centre)minorOthersICEC holds membership in ICC, the International Congress Centre organization, supporting its international congress operations and standards.
• TUROB (Tourism Investors Association)minorOthersICEC maintains membership in TUROB, Turkey's Tourism Investors Association, supporting its tourism and hospitality industry connections.
• Istanbul Convention BureauminorOthersICEC partners with the Istanbul Convention Bureau to promote Istanbul as a global congress and meetings destination.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RAI Amsterdam: Dutch convention and exhibition center with comparable venue rental, congress hosting, and event technology services for international clients.
• Dubai World Trade Centre: Middle East's leading convention and exhibition campus, comparable to ICEC as a regional MICE hub targeting international congresses and exhibitions.
• ExCeL London: One of Europe's largest convention and exhibition venues, comparable in scale and service model to ICEC but operating in a more mature Western European market with global brand recognition.
• Fira de Barcelona: Major Spanish convention and exhibition complex offering comparable event services including congress hosting, trade fairs, and exhibitions across multiple venues.
• IFEMA Madrid: Spain's leading trade fair institution operating comparable exhibition halls and congress venues with similar international event services.
• Koelnmesse (Cologne Trade Fair): Major German trade fair and convention operator with comparable exhibition halls and congress facilities targeting international trade audiences.

Regional players

• Singapore EXPO: Asia-based convention and exhibition venue with similar event hosting capabilities targeting international congresses, though serving the Asia-Pacific market rather than EMEA.
• Congresium Ankara: Turkey's capital convention venue in Ankara, competing for national and regional congresses within Turkey that could otherwise be hosted at ICEC.

Direct peers

• Haliç Congress Center: A newer Istanbul convention venue directly competing with ICEC for mid-size congresses and corporate events, located on the Golden Horn.
• Istanbul Expo Center (CNR): Istanbul's largest exhibition venue operated by CNR Holding, directly competing with ICEC for trade fairs, exhibitions, and large-scale congresses in Istanbul's broader events market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lutfikirdaricec
• Facebookfacebook.com/istanbullutfikirdar.icec

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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