Knowland by Cendyn has released December monthly data findings on top locations selected by meeting planners.
Among the destinations, the St. Louis, Mo./Illinois market ranked first with year-over-year growth of 125.8 percent. Nashville came in second with growth at 28 percent. The report highlighted Louisville, Ky., as a notable market to watch, as it led secondary markets with 135.6 percent year-over-year growth and topped the secondary market list for the eighth time in 2024.
No single event explained the large growth numbers for St. Louis. The top four accounts—including HavenHouse, Arcadian Infracom, Crisis Prevention Institute and the Train Shed—accounted for almost nine percent of the total, with nearly 11 percent of events from social, military, educational, religious and fraternal clients instead of corporate accounts. St. Louis averaged 2,112 total square feet with an estimated group size of 97. The total square footage used for the top 25 markets was 3,045, with an estimated group size of 121.
- St. Louis, Mo.//Ill. (125.8 percent) – Charity/Non-Profit/Social Services, Wedding, Healthcare, Social - Sports, Construction
- Nashville, Tenn. (28 percent) – Healthcare, Technology, Manufacturing, Consulting, Financial/Banking
- Atlanta (26.9 percent) – Education, Charity/Non-Profit/Social Services, Healthcare, Technology, Wedding
- Anaheim-Santa Ana, Calif. (21.4 percent) – Technology, Education, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Legal
- Denver (16.8 percent) – Technology, Charity/Non-Profit/Social Services, Consulting, Healthcare, Education
Secondary Markets
Louisville, Ky. hosted the Women’s Final Four College Volleyball tournament (setting attendance records) and was primarily responsible for the increase in events. Louisville topped the secondary market for the eighth time in 2024, reporting 135.6 percent growth and averaging 4,700 square feet and an estimated group size of 154.
Secondary markets saw a slight increase over the top 25 markets, with total square footage used at 3,052 and an estimated group size of 122. The five high-growth secondary markets and top industries were:
- Louisville, Ky./Ind. (135.6 percent) – National Association, Education, Food/Beverage, State Association, Manufacturing
- Wisconsin South (67.6 percent) – State Association, Automotive, Social - Sports, Wedding, Manufacturing
- Savannah, Ga. (54.6 percent) – Manufacturing, Healthcare, Charity/Non-Profit/Social Services, National Association, Technology
- Long Island, N.Y. (47.5 percent) – Training/Education, Religious, Wedding, Healthcare, Manufacturing
- Jacksonville, Fla. (42.4 percent) – Wedding, Charity/Non-Profit/Social Services, National Association, Consulting, Education