The hospitality industry in the Pittsburgh region is reaping benefits from the Marcellus Shale boom in Western Pennsylvania. Case in point is the number of meetings and conventions planned there by energy-related industries. In addition, other technology-related conferences holding conventions in the city are experiencing attendance boosts because of the resources available to offer energy-related sessions relevant to their fields.
From the Marcellus Shale industry alone, VisitPittsburgh has hosted 13 conferences since 2009 and has an additional seven conferences booked through 2014 for an estimated direct spending total of $35.5 million.
Pittsburgh hosting the HART Energy Publishing DUG East Conference and Exhibition at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from Nov. 13-15. Prior to the conference, the estimated attendance was 3,000, with more than 300 exhibitors, the highest attendance of the eight total that HART has held in Pittsburgh since 2009.
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) exceeded their early attendance estimates, with 5,900 attending its annual conference in October at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The conference could prove to be one of Pittsburgh’s largest conferences of the year and could have been the largest gathering in AIChE history if not for the impact of Hurricane Sandy on travel plans.
“The energy-related resources available in the region allowed us to increase the number of technical sessions offered, Pittsburgh’s geographic proximity to universities helped to draw more student delegates, and, finally, Pittsburgh’s reputation as a world-class destination, were all contributing factors to the success of the convention and key factors in our decision to hold it here,” said Jeff Wood, meetings director, AIChE.
It is estimated that AIChE conference-goers spent more than $8 million during their time in Pittsburgh.
In addition to AIChE, VisitPittsburgh’s convention sales team booked several conferences in 2012 that benefitted from the strong energy sector in the region, including the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania, the American Wind Energy Association and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
“We expect the energy sector and related industries to continue to be strong convention customers for the foreseeable future,” said Craig Davis, president and CEO, VisitPittsburgh. “The region’s strength and resources in Marcellus shale, coal, research, green technologies and the engineering fields, coupled with our great convention facilities and services, continue to generate demand for meetings in Pittsburgh that strengthen our local economy.”
