Convention and meeting delegates attending events in Vancouver in 2010 are expected to spend $94 million during their stay in the city.
According to figures provided to BIV by Tourism Vancouver, spending done by the 20,000 Olympic delegates who were in town last February and March represent about half, or $46.5 million, of the revenue forecast to flow into Vancouver from 23 “citywide” meetings.
The next largest meeting booked in 2010 as determined by dollars spent by delegates was the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual general meeting, which occurred over four days in May. The 7,000 attendees of that meeting spent roughly $6 million while in Vancouver.
The third largest meeting – based on delegate spending – is the American College of Chest Physicians’ annual scientific assembly and exhibition. Those 6,000 delegates are expected to spend about $4.7 million in Vancouver during the six-day event in October and November.
Tourism Vancouver figures include all spending by delegates during their stay – excluding airfare or business generated in Vancouver down the road from the conference. Direct spending by delegates is also based on where delegates originate from and the total number of hotel room nights booked while here.
While the Pediatric Academic Societies’ meeting was the next largest meeting by delegate spending, there are larger meetings, based on the number of attendees, booked in Vancouver in 2010.
Tourism Vancouver lists the Vancouver Marathon as having 12,000 delegates, but those delegates spent just $266,000 in the city on the day of the run. The third largest meeting – based on number of delegates – was the Globe Foundation’s GLOBE Conference last March. The 10,000 GLOBE delegates spent $656,000 during the three-day event.
The 23 “citywide” meetings so far booked to take place in Vancouver this year are classified together by Tourism Vancouver because they each have 1,000 or more out-of-town attendees.