Mexico City is growing in stature as a site for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (M.I.C.E.) market, in part because the city is making events tourism a priority.

“They are designating 300 million pesos [about $24 million] of the budget this year for meetings tourism promotion,” said Margo Lee Shetterly, president of Mexico Meetings Network, a comprehensive guide for English-speaking meeting planners who want to plan an event in Mexico. “I think the general positive trend in the city’s position for international meetings, plus the additional focus and promotion budget, bode well for the number of events the city will attract in coming years.”

In January, Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera signed a Declaration of the Importance of Tourism, a formal pledge elevating tourism to one of his administration’s top priorities. “Over the last several decades, tourism has become an essential and strategic part of Mexico City’s growth and a key driver of the well-being of our residents,” said Mancera.

The city jumped from 64th in 2007 to 39th in 2011 in the International Congress and Convention Association rankings. This change reflects the quality of meetings held in the city. Last November, major business and policy makers from the G20 countries came to Mexico City for the G20 Trade and Investment Promotion Summit. In 2011, some 1,200 participants from chambers of commerce and other business groups in more than 100 countries met in Mexico City for the 7th World Chambers Congress. And Expo Bancomer Santa Fe hosted the 2010 Global Business Summit for the Environment here.

In 2012, Mexico City attracted 12.5 million national and international visitors. Tourism has a $4.4 billion annual impact on the city. Overall, meetings and incentives tourism is worth $18.1 billion to Mexico and represent 1.4 percent of the national gross domestic product.

MEXICO CITY IS HOME TO three world-class convention centers. “All three have good multifunctional spaces,” said Shetterly. “Whether you’re staying in the Santa Fe area in the west part of the city or near the World Trade Center in the south part of the city, all the activities outside of meetings are accessible.”

The International Exhibition and Convention Center/World Trade Center is located about seven miles from the airport, with more than 8,000 3- to 5-star hotel rooms within a three-mile radius. The center can host groups of five to 7,500 people with its modular design. Its Axtel Business Center has three VIP rooms for small meetings and special occasions. The World Trade Center includes the convention center, a cultural center, parking facilities, a multiscreen cinema, a shopping center and a revolving 45th-floor luxury restaurant. The facility is considered “green” because of its sustainability program and offers recommendations for hosting environmentally responsible events.

The dramatically shaped Expo Bancomer Santa Fe is located in the Santa Fe sector of Mexico City, a fast-growing area home to many corporate headquarters, along with 15 hotels offering 2,400 guestrooms. The center is specifically designed to hold expos and trade shows, with nearly 350,000 square feet of exhibit space on a single floor. The space is divided into three halls, each measuring about 235 by 500 feet. Additionally, there are 16 meeting rooms totaling 60,000 square feet, plus outdoor exhibition space.

Between those two venues is the Centro Banamex Convention and Exhibition Center. With plenty of flexible space, the center hosts everything from large-scale international shows to small, local exhibitions. There are four exhibit halls totaling 365,000 square feet and 25 meeting rooms. The center’s “Ecolaborate” program helps its partners, suppliers, clients and visitors host environmentally friendly events. As part of the Las Americas Complex, Banamex also offers entertainment options: restaurants, the Las Americas racetrack, the kids’ theme park Granja Las Americas, a Sports Book and Royal Yak game halls.

Many upscale hotels have meeting facilities and are geared to handle incentive groups. The Four Seasons Hotel Mexico, D.F.; the JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City; and the Hilton Mexico City Reforma are just a few of the city’s high-end properties. There’s an extensive list of hotels and meeting venues on the Mexico Meetings Network website, which also has articles, profiles and listings of Mexico’s destinations, venues and meetings infrastructure. The site’s Mexico City Meetings toolkit provides promotional text and images to help planners maximize event attendance.

MEXICO CITY IS a meeting planner’s dream. The city is easy to reach on flights arriving from 60 cities in 25 countries around the globe. Major carriers fly into Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), about three miles from city center. The city has some 50,000 hotel rooms; 3,500 restaurants; and 17 convention and meeting centers.

A blend of historic preservation and contemporary city life earned Mexico City a place among the Top Destinations on the Rise – World in the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2012 survey. It’s a sophisticated city with more places to explore, museums to visit, restaurants and nightlife than meeting-goers could ever cover.

Delegates can head to any of four UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, and the nearby pyramids at the Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan. Among its 150 museums are the Museo Frida Kahlo, the Museo Nacional Antropología and the Museo Nacional de Arte.

Half-day excursions can be arranged to explore historic sections of the city such as the Coyoacán neighborhood or visit Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s house. A visit to the massive Plaza de la Constitución, called the Zócalo by locals, should include a tour of the adjacent ruins of the ceremonial center of Aztec Tenochtitlán, known as the Templo Mayor. Full-day trips can head to the Xochimilco National Park, once an Aztec capital, with its network of canals and floating gardens.

Mexico City has a large bike-sharing program, so visitors can pick up a bicycle at one station, go for a ride to explore the city and drop the bike off at a different station.