Meeting Professionals International (MPI; www.mpiweb.org), the largest association for the meetings profession with 20,242 members in 67 chapters and clubs across the USA, Canada, Europe and other countries throughout the world, calculates the meeting and events industry’s worth at $122.3 billion and growing.  (Source:  Press release www.mpiweb.org)

Currently, the figure for the value of the meetings and events industry in Canada is not calculated separately and is included in the tourism industry statistics. However the following meeting and event industry statistics for British Columbia and Vancouver, and the Canadian Meeting Industry 2006 White Paper will give a sense of the industry’s economic value.

“Each year, an estimated 1.42 million visitors attend meetings and conventions in BC, leaving behind over $570 million in expenditures.  These expenditures spread into practically every sector of the economy and every region of the province.”

“Tourism is already one of the largest industries in the world – and meetings and conventions are among the highest per capita revenue generators in the industry.” ⁽¹⁾

1. "BC’s Meetings & Convention Business” backgrounder to National Meetings Industry Week, April 2001 created by the BC Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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