Growth continues into the week before the long holiday weekend with Chicago in the lead
For the week ending November 18, 2023, the number of U.S. meetings and events increased 7.4% compared to the prior week, as the U.S. readies for the start of the holiday season to come. Chicago leads in week-over-week growth, while Austin had the largest average group size and space used. Corporate events dominate share volume at 63.8% of meetings and events, with National Association driving the dominant industry share at 27.1% for the week, followed by the Education segment at 25.2%, for the top five segments.
The average number of attendees for the week was 83 ( compared to 81 for the previous week), while the average square footage used was 1,900 per event (compared to 1,854 for the previous week), and square feet used per person was 23.
The top five segments for the week were: National Association, Education, Technology, Charity/Non-Profit/Social Services, and Healthcare.
The full list of top growth market movers and shakers were: Chicago, Washington DC, Orlando, Boston and Austin.
| Market | Average Group Size | Average Sq Ft Used |
| Chicago, IL | 65 | 1,350 |
| Washington DC-MD-VA | 85 | 1,975 |
| Orlando, FL | 85 | 2,059 |
| Boston, MA | 65 | 1,568 |
| Austin, TX | 93 | 2,524 |
These numbers and markets change weekly based on market dynamics and social trends.
Knowland tracks the weekly event activity across 166 U.S. markets with more globally and is expanding coverage regularly.