American Express says Asia will see strongest meeting growth
The American Express Meetings & Events 2013 Global Meetings Forecast out this week projects that Asia Pacific, with its strong economy will see the strongest growth in spending and number of meetings.
The report says that North America, experience economic uncertainty, will see no growth but no significant decline (flat) and Europe will experience decline as it faces political instability and a continuing currency crisis. Central/South America is also seen to be experiencing slight declines, especially in spending.
The findings are based on a comprehensive survey, extensive meetings and events data, and in-depth interviews of meetings professionals – including planners, buyers and hotel suppliers from around the world – conducted by American Express Meetings & Events.
The report also says that meeting planners across the board are looking toward more local destinations and continuing to seek ways to reduce spend.
Destinations in the number one slot of meeting popularity are: Orlando (North America), London (Europe), Shanghai (Asia) and the Riviera Maya/Cancun/Quintana Roo (Central/South America)
Other trends that are strong globally are an increased emphasis on finding hotels with a higher perceived security presence in the face of global political instability and a continued emphasis on social media as a key component of meetings and meeting planning.
For a full description of the study go to: www.americanexpress.com/meetingsandevents for more information on the report.
Gretchen Kelly
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