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National meeting treasure : the Philadelphia story
CMW CONTINUES ITS PROFILE OF SELECTED US MEETINGS DESTINATIONS AND FINDS THAT LIFE SCIENCES ARE BIG FOR PHILADELPHIA , A CITY FAST TRACKING ITS MEETINGS OFFER
P hiladelphia ’ s recovery in the meetings and conventions space post-Covid has been very strong . In 2023 , Philadelphia welcomed 550,000 meetings and events attendees and they spent $ 261m locally , generating an economic impact of $ 380m for the city .
This August , the Alzheimer ’ s Association International Conference ( AAIC ) came to town , the largest international meeting dedicated to advancing dementia science and clinical practice . This year ’ s conference broke attendance records , with delegates coming from 93 countries .
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau ’ s unique business division , PHL Life Sciences , promotes the destination internationally for life sciences events and in 2027 it has won BIO , the Biotechnology Innovation Organisation ’ s annual international convention for a fifth time .
The Pennsylvania Convention Center
( PCC ) is one of many city venues that used the pandemic downtime to make significant capital investments , including $ 30m in improvements to its energy efficiency . There are now more than 14,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the PCC .
The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown , the city ’ s largest hotel and one of two hotels connected to the convention centre , has undergone significant upgrades , with new technology and all rooms refurbished .
If we examine one case study , the aforementioned 2024 Alzheimer ’ s Association International Conference ( AAIC ), which was hosted at the PCC , 28 July through 1 August , organisers report more than 8,500 researchers , clinicians and dementia professionals attended , with an additional 4,500 joining virtually .
PHLCVB says that Philadelphia ’ s location on the East Coast , accessibility by transit ( with Philadelphia International Airport as an American
Airlines East Coast hub ), affordability , and its position as a centre for life sciences , all helped take the AAIC attendance way above initial projections .
With increased educational sessions and the biggest exhibition in AAIC ’ s history , organisers utilised hotels and venue spaces throughout the city ’ s downtown and beyond . More than 20 hotel properties were involved , from the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown , to boutique sites like the Canopy by Hilton .
AAIC hosted major reception-style events at The Franklin Institute and The Fillmore Philadelphia .
International initiatives Over the last 10 years , Philadelphia has hosted an increasing number of major international events , from the 2015 World Meeting of Families and Papal Visit to WWE ’ s 2024 WrestleMania , which drew attendees from more than 60 countries . And the city will once again be on the global stage in 2026 as it hosts six FIFA World Cup matches .
Sustainability As customers prioritise environmentally friendly vendors and venues , sustainability lies at the heart of the PCC ’ s $ 30m improvement project and the Events Industry Council has recognised the venue with its Sustainable Event Standards gold certification for venues .
In 2023 , for the fourth year in a row , the facility received its certification for the Global Biorisk Advisory Council Accreditation and reports cutting its annual landfill waste by 47 % and increased construction and demolition waste recycling by 55 %.
The PCC recently opened an onsite training centre for staff . It is an outgrowth of the centre ’ s Hospitality Industry Advancement Trust ( HIAT ), a partnership between PCC management and labour organisations and the only joint training initiative of its kind in the US . n
ISSUE 132 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 21