The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) joined industry colleagues across the country in celebrating Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on April 11 (Thursday).
“Meetings and conventions generate a remarkable $24 billion in local business sales annually with a workforce and supply chain that reaches into every LA neighborhood, including hundreds of small and diverse-owned businesses who depend on these events for their livelihoods,” said Adam Burke, Los Angeles Tourism’s President & CEO. “From the family-owned catering company in Leimert Park to the florist in Boyle Heights, event planner in Westlake, countless Downtown restaurants, and so much more, hundreds of thousands of Angelenos across the region work in careers that directly support professional meetings.”
To highlight the importance of the vital sector to national economy, Los Angeles Tourism sponsored Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI’s) eighth-annual global broadcast, bringing together leaders from around the world for a 12-hour virtual event to discuss best practices and ensure that meetings and events are delivered responsibly, equitably, and sustainably. In addition, Los Angeles Tourism participated in a series of GMID events in partnership with customers and planners across the country, including in Newport Beach, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Arlington, TX; Chicago, IL; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; and Washington, D.C.
This year’s celebration of GMID came as the City of Angels prepares to host a number of major travel industry events, including U.S. Travel Association’s IPW in May, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ 2024 Expo! Expo! In December, and the American Society of Association Executives’ 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo next year.
Notably, Los Angeles will welcome back IPW – the U.S. travel industry’s largest international inbound travel trade show – for the first time in over a decade. With projected, record-setting attendance of more than 5,000 global travel buyers, sellers, and media from around the world, IPW represents a significant milestone in LA’s economic recovery, showcasing all the significant investment that’s been made in local infrastructure and an abundance of new, world-class attractions. Each annual IPW has historically generated more than $5.5 billion in future travel to the United States, making it one of the most important events in the travel and tourism sector.
As the world’s entertainment capital, Los Angeles is always “red carpet ready,” allowing event planners to become producers and bring their creative vision to life. With an unprecedented decade of global sporting events coming to LA, planners and attendees also have the opportunity to experience the host venues that will soon be on the world stage including the brand-new Intuit Dome (host of NBA All-Star 26), SoFi Stadium (host of the FIFA World Cup 26 and the opening ceremony of the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games), and iconic venues like Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, BMO Stadium, and Rose Bowl Stadium.
“Meetings not only build strong relationships, but they also drive business and provide long-lasting benefits to the communities in which they are held,” said Darren Green, Chief Sales Officer, Los Angeles Tourism. “As stewards of the Los Angeles community, we believe that exploring our diverse neighborhoods and attractions is hugely important for meeting attendees to fully immerse themselves in the destination. At Los Angeles Tourism, we strive to provide experiences that are uniquely LA while incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives into each meeting’s agenda to ensure that these events have a lasting, positive impact on our community.”
Over the past year, Los Angeles Tourism has doubled down on its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility through programming focused on workforce development, paid apprenticeships, supplier diversity, and ongoing partnerships with the Los Angeles Career Academy, Skid Row Running Club, L.A. Works, Feet First LA, and more. As a global leader in sustainability, Los Angeles Tourism is also proud to be the first urban destination in the United States to join the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), recently completing GSTC’s comprehensive destination sustainability assessment, which is tied directly to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As just two recent programming examples, the Los Angeles Career Academy – launched in 2021 by the Los Angeles City Tourism Department (CTD) – brings LA-area high school students together to participate in citywide conventions at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This immersive experience gives students the unique opportunity to learn about professional meetings and events while gaining valuable insights into a variety of industries, including medical, technology, and entertainment.
“We are thankful to the City of Los Angeles and the LA Convention Center for introducing us to the LACC Career Academy,” said Sara Haywood, Assistant Vice President of Conference & Events, National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “Through this innovative program, which exposes young people from underserved areas of LA to a variety of career possibilities, we were able to connect with ten students from Nava College Preparatory Academy. The students met with several of our members serving in all different sectors of the mental health and substance use disorder field. Students told us this opportunity inspired them to consider career paths they had not previously considered.”
Los Angeles Tourism has created opportunities for meeting planners and attendees to understand and help support the needs of unhoused Angelenos while focusing on team building and wellness. Through its partnership with the Skid Row Running Club, Los Angeles Tourism recently connected Urban Land Institute with the organization to add an optional run with the Skid Row Running Club to their meeting agenda. Captured in the inspirational, award-winning documentary “Skid Row Marathon,” Skid Row Running Club has helped countless Angelenos transition out of homelessness while sponsoring them to compete in marathons around the world.
