Global Meetings Industry Day Spotlights Why “Meetings Matter” in the Queen City
Leaders Gather to Highlight the Economic and Societal Value of In-Person Meetings
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 30, 2023) – Today is Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) and over 200 statewide industry professionals gathered in Charlotte to participate in educational sessions and illustrate the importance of the meetings industry. The Meetings Mean Business Coalition’s 2023 theme for GMID is “Meetings Matter,” and today meeting and event professionals, hoteliers, hospitality representatives, business owners and suppliers came together to advocate for and showcase the value of business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, citywide conferences and conventions. Promoted by the U.S. Travel Association, GMID is intended to highlight the many benefits of in-person meetings and events.
“Meetings and conventions contribute greatly to the success of Charlotte’s $6 billion visitor economy,” said Tom Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “Following a few challenging years for the industry, it’s promising to see the continued upward trend in meeting planner activity and group bookings.”
According to a February 2023 survey from Northstar Meetings Group, 34 percent of meeting planners are actively sourcing future events and 38 percent are booking new live events, up from 24 percent and 25 percent, respectively from January 2022. More than 700 requests for group-related proposals were received in the Charlotte market in January and February 2023, compared to just 425 total RFPs during the same time period in 2022.
The industry-wide forecast for Charlotte shows 2023 and 2024 will outpace 2019 levels in the city’s overall hotel demand. Over the next 18 months (Q2 2023 – Q3 2024), collectively CRVA-related group business is 26% ahead of pre-COVID pace. The Charlotte Convention Center will host more than 40 large conventions, meetings and events in 2023, including the Shriners International Imperial Session July 2-6, with an expected attendance of more than 5,000 and the 104th American Legion National Convention August 25-31 with close to 10,000 anticipated.
In FY22, recovery continued in the Charlotte market, with conventions, meetings and events generating $229.4 million in overall economic impact including $131.2 million in direct visitor spending and $7.4 million in Mecklenburg County taxes. Specific details include:
- As event volume began to rebound and improve from pandemic levels, meetings and events generated nearly 338,000 hotel room night stays.
- The recent $127 million expansion of the Charlotte Convention Center has produced 15 new large group bookings that could not have previously been hosted. The expansion has also allowed two mid-sized events to happen in the building simultaneously.
- 16 of the top 20 total room nights sold in Charlotte history occurred in 2022. Several record-breaking nights took place around large group events such as the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity 83rd Grand Conclave, July 22-23 and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 2022 National Convention, November 4-5.
Last year, meetings and events generated nearly $100 billion in travel spending in the U.S. directly supporting 600,000 American jobs.
About Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA)
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) works to deliver experiences that uniquely enrich the lives of our visitors and residents. Through leadership in destination development, marketing and venue management expertise, the CRVA leads efforts to maximize the region’s economic potential through visitor spending, creating jobs and opportunities for the community. Brands supported by the CRVA include the Charlotte Convention Center, Spectrum Center, Bojangles Coliseum, Ovens Auditorium, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Regional Film Commission and Visit Charlotte in conjunction with the region’s destination marketing brand. For more information, visit crva.com.
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