FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2009

CONTACT: Jennifer Palcher-Silliman (404) 252-3663

ATLANTA — The average professional attendance for all reported U.S. healthcare meetings in 2008 increased 1.4 percent from 2007, according to the findings of the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association’s (HCEA’s) 2009 State of the Industry Report and Market Trend Watch.

Healthcare conventions represent nearly a quarter of the entire convention market, and HCEA’s latest industry report analyzes over 24,000 healthcare meetings reported over the last 12 years to identify a number of medical meeting and exhibit marketing trends.

Comparing averages in 2007 to 2008, the number of reported exhibits increased 2.4 percent, while exhibit hall net square footage decreased 1.8 percent, the first reported decrease in 12 years.

The HCEA report also found some interesting trends in meeting attendance comparing U.S. healthcare meetings that are national or state in scope.  From 2007 to 2008, national meeting professional attendance increased 5.3 percent on average, while state meetings reported a 3.8 percent decline.

“The convention marketing mix remains vitally important to overall strategic marketing objectives, even through the changes of the past year,” says Eric Allen, HCEA Executive Vice President.  “This data illustrates that healthcare meetings provide numerous opportunities for both large and small healthcare exhibitors.”

The full report features 12-year trend analyses on overall healthcare convention attendance and exhibit trends, destination trends, the top 20 2008 healthcare meeting locations, exhibit hall space costs, trend comparisons by meeting size and scope, and insights into the impacts of globalization and global attendance at U.S.-based medical meetings.

For more information on the report findings, visit www.hcea.org for updated details.
HCEA is the only association solely dedicated to improving the effectiveness of all conventions, meetings and exhibitions for the healthcare industry.  HCEA represents organizations involved in healthcare exhibitions and conventions.