Knowland has reported that the St. Louis, MO market led the top 25 markets in March for meetings and events growth with 24.3 percent year-over-year growth. Las Vegas came in second with 20.9 percent growth. National association and education groups led in four of the five top markets.
Overall year-over-year event volume growth for the industry was at -8.1 percent. The average space used for meetings in the Top 25 markets was 3,526 square feet, while secondary markets were slightly less at 3,181 sq. ft. Average attendees were 124 in the Top 25, while secondary markets averaged 119 attendees.
Top Five Markets by YOY Growth in Event Eolume
Sports paid off for St. Louis in March as it ranked highest in the Top 25 U.S. markets with an average space use of 3,979 square feet for 158 average attendees. Social/sports and national association events were key drivers, including events such as the Missouri Valley Conference for Men’s Basketball, the Mid-American Open Chess tournament, the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), and the Hockey National Championships. Below is additional insight into the top industry drivers for these markets:
- St. Louis, MO-IL (+24.3 percent): Social-sports, national association, education, charity/non-profit/social services, healthcare.
- Las Vegas (+20.9 percent): Education, technology, national association, wedding, training/education.
- Oahu Island, HI (+4.9 percent): Education, financial/banking, national association, travel, wedding.
- Nashville, TN (+3.4 percent): National association, technology, healthcare, financial/banking, manufacturing.
- Seattle (+11.5 percent): National association, charity/non-profit/social services, education, technology, healthcare.
Top Five Secondary Markets by YOY Growth in Event Volume
Associations and Education were the leading industries for the secondary markets last month, based on year-over-year growth. These five high-growth secondary markets and their corresponding top industries were:
- Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC (+45.54 percent) – Consulting
- Colorado Springs, CO (+37.29 percent) – Training/education
- Louisville, KY (+35.68 percent) – Charity/non-profit/social services
- Lexington, KY (+31.40 percent) – Construction
- Rhode Island (+26.55 percent) – Charity/non-profit/social
For more information, visit www.knowland.com.
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