Meetings are back on the upswing as we head into Fall
The number of U.S. meetings and events increased 6.1% compared to the prior week. Summer is one of those down times for the meetings industry, so it is good to see an upswing. This time of year will be up and down for the next few weeks as school returns across the country. Again, upward growth trends are expected to return after Labor Day.
The average number of attendees for the week was 76, while the average square footage used was 1,634 per event and square feet used per person was steady at 22.
The corporate market segment regained its dominant position with 60.1% of overall meetings business for the week. The the top five segments for the week were: National Association, Healthcare, Training/Education, Technology, and Education.
Markets with the highest week over week variance for number of meetings were Boston, Washington DC, Anaheim – Santa Ana, Chicago, and Atlanta . For this week, Boston had the highest average square feet per person at 25 while Boston the lowest square feet per person at only 18.
| Market | Average Group Size | Average Sq Ft Used |
| Boston, MA | 72 | 1,768 |
| Washington, DC | 71 | 1,260 |
| Anaheim – Santa Ana, CA | 77 | 1,435 |
| Chicago, IL | 63 | 1,350 |
| Atlanta, GA | 93 | 1,896 |
These numbers and markets change weekly based on market dynamics and social trends.
Knowland tracks the weekly event activity across 113 markets globally and is expanding coverage regularly.