Knowland: U.S. meetings and events continue to rise

March U.S. group meetings volume increased 42.5% over the previous month, according to data provided by Knowland.

While corporate continues to lead the way from a segmentation perspective, there were multiple large sports tournaments, home shows, bridal expos and mid-size association events throughout the month.

  • The average number of attendees in March was 61, compared to 131 in March 2020.
  • The average space used in March was 2,512 sq. ft., while meetings in March 2020 averaged 2,104 sq. ft.
  • The top five growth markets in March were Austin, TX; Chicago; Nashville, TN; San Antonio; and San Diego.
  • Corporate meetings produced most of the activity accounting for 60.7% of total meetings for the month.

“March pace picked up dramatically and growth was realized across primary, secondary and tertiary markets,” said Kristi White, VP of product management, Knowland. “The number of attendees increased this month—while still only about half the attendees compared to this time last year, it’s a significant increase over the past several months. Groups are still required to use more meeting space for fewer attendees, and this will likely continue for a while. But the good news is meetings are happening and each month we continue to see additional growth.”