The Annual Meetings of National Associations and the Inference for Convention Marketing

Abstract

This study examined the characteristics of national associations' annual meetings in addition to the venue selection decision. Data were collected from randomly selected associations out of the National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States Directory of 1998 through self-administered surveys. The findings are two-tiered. The first finding is a descriptive analysis of the survey data that provides a profile of the annual meeting market of national associations. The second tier draws inferences from the data about relationships between the scale of events and the other characteristics of the events. Implications of the results of this study may help convention center marketing managers to market more effectively.

Key Words:

• Annual meeting
• national association
• venue selection