THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN area ranked first in the top 25 markets with 125.8 percent year-over-year meeting and events growth in December, followed by Nashville, Tennessee, with 28 percent growth, according to data from Knowland by Cendyn. Louisville, Kentucky, led secondary markets with 135.6 percent year-over-year growth, topping the list for the eighth time in 2024.
No single event drove St. Louis’s growth, the report said. The top four accounts—HavenHouse, Arcadian Infracom, Crisis Prevention Institute, and the Train Shed—contributed nearly 9 percent, while SMERF events accounted for almost 11 percent, surpassing corporate accounts.
St. Louis averaged 2,112 square feet with a group size of 97, while the top 25 markets averaged 3,045 square feet with a group size of 121.
Top growth drivers in the top five markets were:
- Louis (125.8 percent) – Charity/non-profit/social services, wedding, healthcare, social – sports, construction
- Nashville (28 percent) – Healthcare, technology, manufacturing, consulting, financial/banking
- Atlanta (26.9 percent) – Education, charity/non-profit/social services, healthcare, technology, wedding
- Anaheim-Santa Ana, California (21.4 percent) – Technology, education, manufacturing, healthcare, legal
- Denver (16.8 percent) – Technology, charity/non-profit/social services, consulting, healthcare, education
Louisville leads secondary market
Louisville hosted the Women’s Final Four College Volleyball tournament, setting attendance records and driving the increase in events. The city topped the secondary market for the eighth time in 2024, with 135.6 percent growth, averaging 4,700 square feet and a group size of 154. Secondary markets saw a slight increase over the top 25 markets, with 3,052 square feet used and a group size of 122.
The five high-growth secondary markets and top industries were:
- Louisville (135.6 percent) – National association, education, food/beverage, state association, manufacturing
- Wisconsin South (67.6 percent) – State association, automotive, social – sports, wedding, manufacturing
- Savannah (54.6 percent percent) – Manufacturing, healthcare, charity/non-profit/social services, national association, technology
- Long Island, New York (47.5 percent) – Training/education, religious, wedding, healthcare, manufacturing
- Jacksonville, Florida (42.4 percent) – Wedding, charity/non-profit/social services, national association, consulting, education
Cendyn reported that Anaheim-Santa Ana, California, led the top 25 markets in November with 17.5 percent year-over-year growth, followed by Atlanta at 13.7 percent.
