New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas are the top North American markets that meeting planners intend to use in the next two years, according to STR‘s 2019 DestinationMAP, a comprehensive study of meeting planners and the meetings market in North America.
New York City tops the list with 23 percent of the vote. “We’re very pleased that New York City continues to be recognized as the number one destination by the meeting and corporate planning community,” says Jerry Cito, executive vice president convention development, NYC & Company. “We look forward to welcoming more corporate groups, associations, and third parties to experience the vibrant and unparalleled energy of the five boroughs and to discover the many new developments including the Javits Center’s long anticipated expansion, debuting on Manhattan’s West Side in 2021.”
Following New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas, the other most common destinations that meeting planners plan to use in the next two years are Orlando and Washington D.C.
“All five markets are particularly popular in what we define as the largest meeting size segment, 1,000+ attendees, along with Atlanta, Dallas, and Austin,” said Chris Klauda, STR’s senior director, market insights. “New to the list of 42 markets evaluated is Puerto Rico. While not in the list of top destinations, a notable four percent of the 1,000 meeting planners surveyed plan to hold a meeting in Puerto Rico in the next two years.”
Other key findings include London being selected by more than one in four planners as an international meeting destination they will use in the next three years followed by Paris.
Safety, cleanliness, value, and accessibility remain the most important considerations for the majority of meeting planners when selecting a meeting site. Louisville, Austin, Denver, and Nashville showed the greatest year-over-year increase in group hotel demand.
For more information, contact STR, and for further insight into top meetings destinations, click here and here.
