When it comes to planning out-of-town meetings and events, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles are the top destination cities for planners. That was just one of the findings of the recent survey BizBash sent out to readers in the United States and Canada. Some 38 percent of respondents said they have planned or are considering planning events or meetings in or around New York City; 34 percent plan in Chicago and 32 percent in Los Angeles. (Not far behind the top three were Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and Miami.)
In terms of types of venues, downtown hotels are more popular than convention centers, bars, or performance spaces, with 73 percent of respondents using the properties near a city's central business district for meetings and events. Restaurants came in second with 62 percent and independent or raw event spaces third with 54 percent. Interestingly, planners also prefer museums and cultural centers to outdoor spaces, educational institutions, and activity venues (like bowling alleys, golf courses, and race tracks).
Are meetings and events getting smaller? About 57 percent of respondents said their events or meetings have between 101 and 250 attendees, while 54 percent plan gatherings with 50 attendees or fewer.
The survey was sent to BizBash readers—corporate event or meeting planners, those who work for an event or meeting planning company, or individuals that own an independent event or meeting planning company—in the United States and Canada. The survey received 869 responses, and the answers outlined above were to questions that invited respondents to check all that applied.
