Meeting Trends for 2011 – An MPI Educational Session Synopsis

Two weeks ago, Laura attended an informational Educational Program put on by MPI New England at the Back Bay Harvard Club.  Speakers Beth Stehley of the GBVCB and Jessica Grace of the U.S. Travel Association engaged local MPI members with a discussion of the current and future state of the local and U.S. Travel and Tourism industry.

And what did we get out of it?  Well to start with, some good news!  Beth Stehley filled us in – last year was a great year for meetings in Boston and the outlook is optimistic for 2011.  The occupancy rate in Boston increased by an estimated six percent from 2009 to 2010.  And proof that Boston remains high on the travel list – in some instances throughout the year, hotels were at 100% occupancy with 100% of guests visiting Boston for leisure.  Have you ever wondered from what industries Boston gets it’s business from?  Associations (33%), Third-Parties (30%), Education (11%), Government (9%), Scientific/Engineering (9%), Technology (5%) and International Clients (3%) – Boston is the #1 international meeting destination in the U.S.!

Jessica Grace then spoke of the importance of face-to-face meetings and the efforts of the U.S. Travel Association to maintain the U.S. as a destination for those meetings.  Through several travel initiatives, Jessica discussed why travel matters, international visitation and the process affiliated with travel.

Thank you so much to both speakers for sharing their wisdom with us!  Based on their predictions, we’re looking forward to a year filled with meetings, events and incentives.