Istanbul CVB

What Istanbul CVB does

Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) is a non-profit destination marketing organization founded in 1997 and headquartered within the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce building in Fatih, Istanbul. ICVB operates as the official coordinating body for Istanbul's meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector, serving international meeting planners, professional congress organizers (PCOs), association executives, and corporate event planners seeking Istanbul as a congress destination. The bureau provides venue sourcing, accommodation booking assistance, transportation coordination, and pre/post tour arrangements, functioning as a single point of contact between international event organizers and Istanbul's tourism ecosystem.

ICVB's product portfolio includes a congress calendar (online searchable database of upcoming events), an iPad mobile application launched in June 2021, an Event Planners Toolkit of downloadable planning resources, and annually updated Visitors Guides and Meeting Planners Guides. The underlying technology is a conventional web-based platform with digital resource distribution. ICVB also operates a curated member directory covering convention and exhibition centers, unusual venues, accommodation providers, PCOs/DMCs, restaurants, and support services, which serves as both a sales channel and a content resource.

The organization generates revenue primarily through membership fees from tourism industry stakeholders and service charges for matchmaking and coordination between event planners and local service providers. Its go-to-market approach combines direct outreach to enterprise event planners, self-serve digital resources for mid-market users, and participation in international MICE trade shows. ICVB is led by President Şekib Avdagiç (in role since 1997) and operates with approximately 11 employees. The bureau is institutionally backed by strategic partnerships with TUGEV (Turkey Tourism Investors Association), the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, and Turkish Airlines. No funding rounds, parent company, or public ownership are disclosed.

Name

Istanbul CVB

Legal name

Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau

Website

https://icvb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Istanbul CVB is a non-profit destination marketing organization founded in 1997 that promotes Istanbul as a global congress and meetings destination, serving international meeting planners, PCOs, and association executives with venue sourcing, logistics coordination, and a curated member directory of local tourism providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing & Convention Bureau Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Convention Campus & District Operators (Integrated Venue Districts) (THAHAAAL), Destination & Venue Reservation Systems (DMO/MICE) (THALADAI)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention services
• Meeting planning
• MICE tourism
• Event coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: ICVB operates as a membership-based organization serving tourism industry stakeholders including convention centers, venues, hotels, PCOs, DMCs, and restaurants. Revenue is generated through membership fees and service charges for matchmaking and coordination services between event planners and service providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICVB is a non-profit destination marketing organization that promotes Istanbul as an international congress and meeting destination. It serves as the official coordinating body between international meeting planners, PCOs/DMCs, and Istanbul's tourism industry, providing venue sourcing, accommodation coordination, logistics support, site inspections, and pre/post tour arrangements. The bureau maintains a curated member directory of convention centers, hotels, unusual venues, restaurants, and support services, and offers digital resources including an iPad application, event planners toolkit, and congress calendar.

Product overview

Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) operates as a destination marketing organization offering a portfolio of services and resources for meeting planners and congress organizers. The portfolio includes an iPad mobile application, downloadable guides (Visitors Guide, Meeting Planners Guide), an Event Planners Toolkit, and a Congress Calendar listing supported and upcoming events. ICVB also provides access to a directory of member services including convention centers, unusual venues, accommodation, PCO/DMCs, restaurants, and support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Convention & Event Coordination Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• TUGEV (Türkiye Turizm Yatırımcıları Derneği / Turkey Tourism Investors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTUGEV is Turkey's tourism investors association and a key organizational partner of ICVB. The partnership provides institutional support and connects ICVB with major tourism investment stakeholders in Turkey, strengthening Istanbul's positioning as a premier MICE destination.
• Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICVB is housed within the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce building, providing physical co-location and institutional partnership. ITO supports ICVB's mission to promote Istanbul's business tourism sector and provides access to the broader business community.
• Turkish AirlinesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTurkish Airlines serves as a key airline partner for Istanbul's MICE industry, offering extensive global connectivity through Istanbul Airport. ICVB highlights this partnership in its destination marketing materials as a key differentiator for international attendees.
• ICVB Member Venues and Service ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorICVB's membership network includes convention & exhibition centers, unusual venues, accommodation providers, PCOs, DMCs, restaurants, and support services. These members benefit from referral leads generated by ICVB's destination marketing activities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• London Convention Bureau: Visit London's events arm promoting London as a global business events destination. Comparable destination-marketing mission, hosted-buyer programs, and ICCA-aligned congress support for international associations.
• Vienna Convention Bureau: City-level convention bureau within the Vienna Tourist Board promoting Vienna as an international meetings destination. Comparable in services (venue directory, planner support, member network) and historical positioning as a leading congress city.
• Singapore Tourism Board (MICE): National tourism body with a dedicated MICE arm promoting Singapore as an international meetings destination. Comparable in mission, structure (government-backed DMO) and target customer (international association and corporate planners).
• Dubai Business Events (DMO of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism): Dubai's official convention bureau promoting Dubai as a global MICE destination. Directly comparable as a city-level DMO providing venue sourcing, hosted-buyer programs, and bid support competing for the same international congresses as ICVB.
• Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau: Tokyo's official DMO for international MICE events, supporting congress bids and business tourism. Comparable in mission, ICCA membership, and service portfolio targeting international meeting planners and associations.
• Barcelona Convention Bureau: City-level convention bureau operating under Turisme de Barcelona to attract international congresses and events to Barcelona. Closely comparable in scope, services offered (venue directory, planner support, member network) and customer base.
• Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB): National bureau under the Ministry of Tourism promoting Malaysia as a MICE destination across Asia. Comparable as a non-profit/government-backed DMO providing bid support, fam trips and delegate marketing.
• Korea Tourism Organization - MICE Bureau: Korea's national MICE promotion body offering bid support, incentive programs and hosted-buyer activities. Directly comparable in operating model, customer base (international associations and corporate planners), and conference support services.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Tourism + Conventions: Larger, broader tourism and conventions body for New York City covering leisure and business events. Comparable MICE function but operates with significantly larger budget, headcount and event portfolio than ICVB.

Others

• IMEX Group (IMEX Frankfurt / IMEX America): Operator of the leading international trade shows for the meetings and events industry. Not a competing DMO, but the primary industry venue where ICVB physically markets Istanbul and meets hosted buyers, making it a key ecosystem enabler.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/istanbul_cvb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjydSSx8m7drgBCij9IgKRw
• Facebookfacebook.com/IstanbulCVB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/istanbulcvb
• Instagraminstagram.com/cvbistanbul

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 →

Frequently asked questions about Istanbul CVB