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Convention Industry Council Today Launched Research Effort to Measure the Economic significance of Meetings in the United States
April 1, 2010

Alexandria, VA—The Convention Industry Council (CIC) today issued a comprehensive survey to meeting planners which will develop data necessary to determine the economic significance that meetings represent and to produce a basis for ongoing benchmarking and analysis of the meetings sector. The study is being conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the survey is being sent to planner members of CIC’s member organizations.

An alliance of eleven of CIC’s thirty-two member organizations is funding the study in order to provide the industry with government recognized statistics that quantify the economic contribution of the meetings sector to jobs, taxes and the national economy. Part of the project will include efforts to extend the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s efforts to track meeting activity through a system of national accounts.

"This is the most comprehensive study to ever be undertaken for the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry,” says Deborah Sexton, 2010 CIC Chair and President and CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), one of the organizations that is funding the research. “The results of this study, along with the recently launched “Face Time” messaging campaign, will provide the data and tell the story about the economic, business and human value of face-to-face meetings and events. I urge everyone who receives the survey to fill it out and be part of this vital industry initiative.”

Those planners who complete the survey will receive an executive summary of the results as well as the option to have their name and organization’s name listed in the acknowledgement.

The CIC member organizations funding the study include:

ASAE & the Center for Association Leadership
Destination & Travel Foundation
MPI Foundation
PCMA Education Foundation
Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME)
American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA)
Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP)
International Special Events Society (ISES)
Exhibition Industry Foundation
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U.S. Travel Association

For more information on CIC, its members or the Face Time. It Matters campaign, go to www.conventionindustry.org

About ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is a membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in 50 countries around the world. The Center for Association Leadership is the premier provider of learning, knowledge and future-oriented research for the association profession. Together, ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association community. For more information about ASAE & The Center, visit www.asaecenter.org.

About CIC
The Convention Industry Council’s 32 member organizations represent more than 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. CIC facilitates the exchange of information develops programs to promote professionalism within the industry and educates the public on its profound economic impact. CIC’s programs include the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program, the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) initiative, the Hall of Leaders and numerous industry resource projects.