Trends Affecting the Convention Industry in the 21st Century

Competition among international convention destinations has increased dramatically in the past decade due to the heavy investment in infrastructure, marketing, and human resources, fuelled by the desire to reap the industry's significant economic benefits. This article details the major trends that are expected to shape the convention industry in two key markets-the United Kingdom and Australia-in the next five years. Using the Delphi technique, the study establishes principal business, social, technology, and political trends, discusses their impacts and highlights similarities and differences in the study results from the U.K. and Australia. (C) 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.