LAKE CHARLES, La. (March 29, 2023) — Visit Lake Charles is championing that “Meetings Matter” on Global Meetings Industry Day, an international day of advocacy held on Thursday, March 30, to showcase the essential nature and incredible value created by business meetings, trade shows, conferences and conventions.
This year’s theme, “Meetings Matter,” highlights the numerous benefits of in-person meetings such as economic growth, deeper business connections and the sharing of knowledge and ideas that positively impact the community.
Meetings are a key driver of the economy and workforce, playing a critical role in fueling other industries. In 2022, professional events drove nearly $100 billion in travel spending nationwide, accounting for 38% of all business travel spending. That spending directly supports 600,000 American jobs and helps power small and local businesses.
In Southwest Louisiana, meetings are essential in stimulating the region’s economy and bringing in new visitors who stay in hotels, eat in local restaurants and shop in local stores.
“We are fortunate to have highly desirable venues in our destination for meeting planners from across the state and region to choose from. We know that bringing people together to discuss innovative ideas moves every industry forward, and that is why meetings matter,” said Taylor Beard Stanley, vice president of sales at Visit Lake Charles.
In 2022, the sales team was involved with over 90 events hosted in Southwest Louisiana through working to fulfill the needs of clients with finding venues, hotel rooms for group bookings, or securing business for the area through a competitive process. A few of the highlights from last year include the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, Louisiana Travel Summit, and the World LNG & Gas Summit: Americas Series. This year continues to produce a significant number of events including the 6th UL System Conference, Travel Unity Southeast Summit, the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association, and the Louisiana Correctional Association.
On March 30, follow Visit Lake Charles on LinkedIn to see how meetings impact Southwest Louisiana and share the Global Meetings Industry Day Visit Lake Charles video using the hashtags #MeetingsMatter and #GMID2023.
