Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas hosted Super Bowl LVIII this year. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Allegiant Stadium
According to meetings and events data provider Knowland, Las Vegas saw a 22.2 percent increase in meetings volume from June 2023 to June 2024, the highest among the top-tier markets in the United States over that period. The city's events averaged 8,297 square feet and 282 attendees.
St. Louis came in second with a 12 percent rise, followed by Nashville (up 6.8 percent), Orlando (up 2.8 percent) and Tampa–St. Petersburg (up 2.2 percent).
Knowland noted that a flurry of meetings related to the National Hockey League draft, which was held in May at the Sphere in Las Vegas, helped bring sports entertainment into the top five industry segments pulling in event volume. The city has a host of sports venues that offer a large range of meeting spaces for groups.
"The uptick in sports-tourism events we're seeing in Knowland data reflects a fundamental human desire — to connect and share experiences,” said Jeff Bzdawka, the company's CEO. "Post-pandemic, people aren't just craving travel, they're craving connections built around shared passions. This trend presents a tremendous opportunity for destinations to leverage the power of sports tourism to attract and engage attendees, ultimately driving significant economic benefits and growth for meetings and events business."
Also adding to the Nevada gaming city's volume were national association meetings, technology events, and training and education sessions. St. Louis can thank national association, social sports, financial and banking, and charity/nonprofit/social services events for its increase. Nashville's top segments were consulting and health-care meetings, and Orlando's were technology and national association gatherings.
Secondary markets gain significant ground
Seeing some remarkable growth were the top five secondary cities in Knowland's report. Louisville, Ky., welcomed a 72.73 year-over-year increase, followed by Madison, Wis. (63.23 percent). Also showing notable increases were Sacramento, Calif. (33.01 percent); Pittsburgh (29.23 percent); and Norfolk–Virginia Beach, Va. (23.7 percent).
The top segment driving the huge increase in Louisville and Madison was financial and banking meetings.