Despite the recession, a majority of international association meetings have reported strong attendance at their gatherings this year, and only a slight drop in sponsorship and exhibition revenue, according to a survey of 120 association executives by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) in association with IMEX, Regent Exhibitions' annual international meetings exhibition in Frankfurt.

More than half of survey respondents reported having significantly higher attendance (9.3 percent), slightly higher attendance (15.5 percent) or flat attendance (37.1 percent) at 2009 events compared with 2008. And while nearly a third of respondents (32 percent) reported slightly lower revenue, only 14.4 percent reported having "significantly lower" financial support from sponsorship and exhibition revenue. No respondents reported canceling events this year.

"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," ICCA CEO Martin Sirk said in a statement. "They're certainly not immune from the downturn, with 70 percent 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."

Although the outlook for international association meetings remains strong compared to the outlook for other types of meetings, organizers are still planning a pullback for 2010, the survey suggests. Because while most intend to retain their large and small meeting programs, many associations report having plans to select better value destinations, renegotiate existing contracts with venues and make budget cuts in all operational areas.

"International associations regard their meetings as an absolutely critical part of their organizations' strategies," said IMEX Marketing Director Carina Bauer, "and it's clear they're going to continue to invest strongly in meetings, which is good news for all of us." This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy