15 Facts About Meetings and Conventions — Today and Tomorrow

15 FactsAbout Meetings and Conventions —

Today and TomorrowFrom PCMA Convene’s 2012 Meetings Industry Forecast and 2012 Meetings Market Survey

Christopher Durso | Executive EditorPCMA Convene, The Magazine of the

Professional Convention Management Association

1.368 hotels with a total of 40,070 rooms

are projected to open in the United States this year.

In 2009, 1,316 hotels with a total of 147,498 rooms opened.

SOURCE: Lodging Econometrics

2. Top 5 U.S. Lodging MarketsBased on Occupancy (2011):

Oahu Island 80.7%New York City 79.5%San Francisco 79.2%Miami 77.0%Los Angeles 73.5%

SOURCE: STR

3. 60.5% of attendees at meetings held in hotel-based conference centers are locally based.

SOURCE: PKF Consulting

4. A total of $704 billion was spent on travel within and to the United States in 2010, producing $186 billion in payroll and $113 billion in tax receipts.

SOURCE: U.S. Travel Association

5. Top 5 U.S. Airports Based on Total Passengers (May 2011):Atlanta 3.97 millionChicago O’Hare 2.62 millionDallas/Ft. Worth 2.29 millionDenver 2.18 millionLos Angeles 2.10 million

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

6. Average Airfare (2010):Domestic International $231 $1,795

SOURCE: American Express Business Travel Monitor

7. Top 5 International Meeting Destinations:

SOURCE: Union of International Associations (UIA)

8. Top 5 Sites for Health-Care Meetings:

SOURCE: Health Care Exhibitors Association (HCEA)

9. Total Number of Association Meetings:2007: 9,0362008: 9,6102009: 9,2552010: 9,120

SOURCE: International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

10. Top 5 Subjects for International Meetings:

SOURCE: International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

11. 31% of planners organize more than 20 meetings a year.

SOURCE: PCMA Convene 2012 Meetings Market Survey

12. $1.27 million / $6.77 millionAverage size of an organization’s meetings budget vs. its total budget in 2011 (compared to $1.24 million / $6.93 million in 2010)


13. 4,164Average attendance at an organization’s largest meeting in 2011 (down from 4,409 in 2010)

SOURCE: PCMA Convene Meetings Market Survey

14. $3.4 millionAverage value of an organization’s largest meeting to its host destination in 2011 (same as in 2010)


15. 107,321 square feetAverage size of an organization’s largest exhibition (down from 110,995 square feet in 2010)
