According to the latets data from Knowland, Chicago experienced the highest volume for meetings and events, together with 8.6 percent year-over-year growth. Washington, D.C., and Phoenix were also top performers, with double-digit growth at 13.5 and 10.7 percent, respectively.
Overall, the volume of U.S. meetings and events increased by a modest 5.6 percent, as expected, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. This data is sourced from Knowland’s sales intelligence platform and designed to help hoteliers protect their revenue base.
Chicago took the lead in conventions and meetings volume during November, sustained by the national associations and educational as top industry drivers. The Chicago market’s average attendance was 106, and the average meeting space used was 2,642 square feet.
November 2023 event volume grew 5.6 percent over November 2022.
By event volume, Chicago ranked highest in the top 25 U.S. markets with national association meetings, followed by education industry events. The following four markets—Washington D.C., Phoenix, Dallas and Orlando—rounded out the top five volume markets.
Below is additional insight into the top drivers for these markets
- Chicago: National association, education, wedding, healthcare and technology.
- Washington D.C.: national association, education, charity/non-profit, technology and travel.
- Phoenix: National association, wedding, technology, charity/non-profit and financial/banking.
- Dallas: Healthcare, technology, national association, training/education and transportation.
- Orlando: National association, technology, insurance, education and training/education.
Top markets outside the top 25 (by event percentage growth) are Colorado Springs, Colo.; Memphis, Tenn.; Lexington, Ky.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Maui Island, Hawaii were the top overall U.S. markets by year-over-year growth in meetings and events.