Back to school causes a dip, San Francisco has highest week-over-week growth
For the week ending September 2, 2023, the number of U.S. meetings and events decreased 19.5% compared to the prior week. The industry slowed as many families headed back to school and people started to celebrate the Labor Day holiday early. Corporate events continue to dominate share volume with 58.8% of meetings and events, with Education driving the dominant industry share at 26.6% for the week, followed by the National Association segment at 23.0%, for the top five segments.
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The average number of attendees for the week was 71 (compared to 76 last week), while the average square footage used was 1,500 (compared to 1,636) per event, and square feet used per person held at 21.
The top five segments for the week were: Education, National Association, Technology, Healthcare and Training/Education.
San Francisco took the top growth spot with an increase of 32% week over week. The top growth market movers and shakers were: San Francisco, Cleveland, Anaheim, St. Louis, and Washington State.
| Market | Average Group Size | Average Sq Ft Used |
| San Francisco, CA | 48 | 865 |
| Cleveland, OH | 38 | 800 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA | 68 | 1,235 |
| St. Louis, MO | 93 | 2,005 |
| Washington State | 61 | 989 |
These numbers and markets change weekly based on market dynamics and social trends.
Knowland tracks the weekly event activity across 166 U.S. markets with more globally and is expanding coverage regularly.