Knowland by Cendyn has shared December monthly data findings regarding the top locations selected by meeting planners. The company announced St. Louis, MO ranked first in the top 25 markets with year-over-year (YoY) growth at 125.8 percent. Nashville came in second with growth at 28 percent. However, the bigger story is Louisville, KY, which led in secondary markets with 135.6 percent YoY growth and topped the secondary market list for the eighth time in 2024.
Top Five Markets by YoY Growth in Event Volume
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 9 percent of the total, with nearly 11 percent of events from SMERF instead of corporate accounts. St. Louis averaged 2,112 total square feet with an estimated group size of 97. The total square feet used for the top 25 markets was 3,045, with an estimated group size of 121. Below is additional insight into the top industry drivers for these markets:
- St. Louis, MO (125.8 percent) – Charity/non-profit/social services, wedding, healthcare, social - sports, construction
- Nashville, TN (28 percent) – Health care, technology, manufacturing, consulting, financial/banking
- Atlanta, GA (26.9 percent) – Education, charity/non-profit/social services, health care, technology, wedding
- Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA (21.4 percent) – Technology, education, manufacturing, health care, legal
- Denver, CO (16.8 percent) – Technology, charity/non-profit/social services, consulting, health care, education
Top Five Secondary Markets by YoY Growth in Event Volume
Louisville 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, experiencing 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 feet used at 3,052 and an estimated group size of 122. The five high-growth secondary markets and top industries were:
- Louisville, KY (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, health care, charity/non-profit/social services, national association, technology
- Long Island, NY (47.5 percent) – Training/education, religious, wedding, healthcare, manufacturing
- Jacksonville, FL (42.4 percent) – Wedding, charity/non-profit/social services, national association, consulting, education
For more information, visit www.knowland.com.
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