The Plaza Mayor convention center -- owned by the city of Medellin -- reported this month that total events rose to 734 in 2018, up from 539 in 2017 and 480 in 2016.

Of that total, 38 events were international (up from 29 in 2017), 68 were national and 628 local, according to conventional center officials.

Having dramatically expanded its available space three years ago, Plaza Mayor additionally now offers a renovated conference/convention platform featuring “4k” high-definition video technology including “16:10” video screens that generate ultra-high-quality images for conference presentations, the center noted.

Among numerous upcoming events in 2019, Plaza Mayor will host the annual Colombiatex de las Américas textile-industry congress, the “Expofitness” show, the “”Expoinmobiliaria” real-estate industry show, the World Cities Forum (Foro Mundial de Ciudades) the International Avocado Industry Congress, the International Congress on Workplace Accident Prevention, the Colombiamoda international fashion-industry show, the semi-annual FISE electric-power industry conference, the Organization of American States Assembly and the Agrofuturo agricultural industry congress.

Plaza Mayor now receives about 1 million visitors annually and expects to continue growing, thanks to infrastructure upgrades including the soon-to-be-completed expansion of the Yellow Pavilion, according to the center.

The center also recently inked an “alliance” deal with Bogota’s main “Corferias” convention center to share events such as “Expopet 2019,” and also signed deals with IFEMA-Feria de Madrid in Spain and the KOELNMESSE convention organizer in Germany, enabling greater international participation in events held in Medellin.

Over the past 11 years, Medellin has seen 547% growth in international events, while in 2018 alone, such events brought an extra US$47.8 million in revenues to the city, according the city’s Secretary of Economic Development.