Convention Sales and Marketing Activities Study
At a glance
- 180 destination organizations and convention centers surveyed on sales, marketing and services practices.
- Combined spending exceeded one-third of a billion dollars on meetings and conventions marketplace activities.
- Data broken down by destination market tiers, covering online activities, attendance support and convention services.
- Study provides benchmarking resource for budgeting, planning and programme design across destination sectors.
What the report covers
The 2013 Convention Sales and Marketing Activities Study by Destinations International examined convention sales and marketing practices across 180 destination organizations and convention centres globally. The research quantified spending patterns, programme strategies, online and digital activities, attendance support mechanisms, and onsite convention services. Published in 2013, the study provides a comprehensive snapshot of how destination organizations allocated resources and structured their meetings and conventions operations during that period.
Key findings
The study surveyed 180 destination organizations and convention centers collectively reporting spending exceeding one-third of a billion dollars annually on sales, marketing and services within the meetings and conventions sector. This substantial aggregate spend reflects the significance of conventions and business events as a revenue driver for destination economies.
The research examined sales and marketing programme practices segmented by destination market tiers, enabling comparative analysis across different sizes and maturity levels of destination organizations. This tiered approach allowed participants to benchmark their strategies and spending against peer organizations operating in similar market contexts.
The study captured a snapshot of digital and online marketing activities alongside traditional attendance marketing support and onsite convention services. This dual focus reflects the transition period in which destination marketing organizations were integrating digital channels into conventional convention sales approaches.
The report served as a resource for destination organization leaders responsible for budgeting, planning and designing meetings and conventions sales and marketing programmes. The benchmarking data enabled informed decision-making on resource allocation and competitive positioning within the conventions marketplace.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Destination organizations and convention centers surveyed | 180 |
| Combined annual spending on sales, marketing and services | More than one-third of a billion dollars |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
The study provides benchmarking data segmented by market tier, enabling destination organizations to compare sales, marketing and convention services strategies with peers. Understanding industry spending patterns and programme practices informed budgeting decisions and competitive positioning in the meetings and conventions marketplace.
Hotels & hospitality
Convention centre data and destination organization spending patterns reveal the scale of investment in driving meetings and conventions demand. Hotels benefit from visibility into destination marketing expenditure and convention services provision, supporting rate negotiations and sales strategy alignment with DMO priorities.
Travel tech & distribution
The snapshot of digital and online marketing activities adoption across 180 organizations indicates the market opportunity for convention sales technology and distribution platforms. Understanding destination organization spending levels and digital maturity informed product development and sales strategy targeting.
Methodology and limits
The study surveyed 180 destination organizations and convention centers regarding their convention sales, marketing and services practices in 2013. Data collection covered spending volumes, programme strategies, digital activities, attendance support and onsite services. Results were segmented by destination market tiers to enable peer comparison. The source text provides headline figures only; the full report PDF contains detailed breakdowns and comparative analysis by tier.
Official source
The report is © Destinations International. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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