Spring Should Provide Tell-Tale Signs for Conference Recovery

Data show that the return of normal convention center seasonality is building, albeit incrementally, and that it won’t be until spring 2023 for the industry and those who analyze it are ready to proclaim pre-pandemic attendance has returned, according to Placer.ai.

“This year’s regular seasonal patterns are much more pronounced – another positive indicator for the in-person convention industry,” Placer.ai’s Convention Center Index issued last week suggests.

Convention center foot traffic was strongest in February through April, with the peak coming in April, perhaps because of Omicron strains earlier this year.

There was fewer traffic in May, but it picked up again in June and July.

Placer.ai also reported that company’s looking to trim travel costs from their budgets has slowed the recovery.

Not Just Corporate Event Traffic That is Improving

Meetings market intelligence data firm Knowland also sees a recovery coming.

It found that attendance began improving at the beginning of the second quarter, outperforming its forecasts by 25 percent.

“We have seen that continue as we stepped into July. Month over month, the recovery is well over 80 percent,” Kristi White, its chief product officer said in a release in late August. “This is not just corporate events but events on the whole.”

That is the key to full recovery, White added. “Employers need to get their people back in the same room together to keep them motivated and engaged to prevent this from happening to them.”