Atlanta finished strong in 2011 by booking eight large meetings in the fourth quarter. These events account for 111,599 additional hotel rooms bookings and will bring an estimated 54,000 people to the city.
“We finished the year on a high note on the sales side and Atlanta is positioned for another strong year in 2012,” said William Pate, president and CEO of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Two medical meetings headline Atlanta’s fourth quarter successes. The American Medical Association will return to Atlanta in 2015 and 2020 for their Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates. Each meeting will bring 4,000 members to the city.
In 2017, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology will hold its Annual Meeting in Atlanta. The show is expected to bring 8,000 attendees to the world’s premier gathering of allergy and immunology experts.
Other bookings include the American Society for Industrial Security, which will be back in Atlanta in 2022. ASIS International, already booked for 2014, brings 20,000 attendees to experience the latest security technology, products and services to secure organizations’ people, property and data.
The American Coatings Show will come to Atlanta for the first time in 2014. The 12,000 person show was started in 2008 and has quickly become the leading North American industry show and conference for the paint and coatings industry.
Specialty Graphic Imaging Association Expo will bring 12,000 attendees in November 2015. The show is the North American gateway to the global imaging marketplace and the only place to see the industry’s most innovative imaging developments.
GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo returns to Atlanta in 2015. The National Glass Association partners with the American Architectural Manufacturers Association, Glass Association of North America, Insulating Glass Manufactures Alliance and the Bath Enclosures Manufacturers Association to put on the 6,000 person show. GlassBuild America is the gathering place for the entire glass, window and door industries in North America.
With 8,000 in estimated attendance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host the Brownfields 2013 Conference in Atlanta. The Brownfields conference provides training, research and technical assistance to communities cleaning up contaminated property.
In 2011, Atlanta hosted 16 citywide conventions, above the city’s historical average. Next year, the city will improve on last year’s success by hosting 19 events with more than 5,000 peak room nights.
“We start off 2012 with a lot of momentum,” said Pate. “Ten of the year’s top 25 shows are in the first quarter. In addition, we anticipate tradeshow attendance to continue to strengthen as we move forward.”
