Cvent

I've been seeing more and more articles that point to a recovery in the meetings industry. Check out this quick recap:

• HOTELS interviewed David C. Marr, senior vice president of brand management in North America for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, on the chain's outlook for 2010. "If I had to sum it up, I’d say we’re in a better place today than we thought we’d be, with all signs pointing to a recovery, albeit a slow recovery. We saw our first signs of life this summer, with leisure travel coming back first, and occupancies at or near pre-crisis levels...As business continues to stabilize and improve, we’ll see more meetings booked in the year for the year."

• A recent survey by ICCA and IMEX asked association meetings executives about this year's events, and more than half reported a steady increase in attendance. In regards to what they see ahead for their 2010 events, only 16 percent predicted a decline in attendance while 39 percent were optimistic about seeing more delegates next year.

• The U.S. Travel Association has announced a projected increase in 2010 leisure travel by two percent, business travel by 2.5 percent, and international inbound travel by three percent. As a result, the industry will add nearly 90,000 American jobs.