IMEX and ICCA show positive the resilience of the association meeting market

A clear majority reported or anticipated increased or stable delegate attendances, with an only slightly less optimistic viewpoint on sponsorship and exhibition revenue.  Associations are planning to retain their large and small meeting programmes (and no 2009 event cancellations were reported), but it´s clear that they are getting tougher: far more are planning to select better value destinations, to renegotiate existing contracts with venues and accommodation providers, and to cut budgets in all operational areas.

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk commented: “We´ve consistently claimed that international association meetings are the most resilient and recession-proof sector in our industry and these results provide great evidence to support this view.  They´re certainly not immune from the downturn, with 70% indicating that they had suffered some negative impact, but the detailed positive results demonstrate the sense of including international associations in any long-term strategic business mix.”