Atlanta Becomes Major Draw for Medical-related Meetings

February 24, 2013

With more than 65 medical groups selecting Atlanta last year as the site for future meetings, representing the largest number of rooms booked in the city for this segment since 2008, the destination quickly is becoming the go-to place for medical-related meetings.

Many of these meetings have never been held in Atlanta or are returning for the first time in more than a decade, according to Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau officials.



For the first time since 1999, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo will return to Atlanta in 2014 and 2022.



New to Atlanta’s medical meetings’ lineup are two larger events that have never met in the city.

The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) will bring more than 4,000 of the world’s top researchers in HIV/AIDS to Atlanta this March.

In addition, approximately 9,000 attendees will gather for the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) Annual Meeting and OTO Expo in 2018 to assess research for disorders of the ear, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck.

“Atlanta’s large medical community and reputation as a leading research hub attracts medical meetings to Atlanta,” said William Pate, ACVB’s president and CEO.

He added, “The accessibility of the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal and variety of flexible meeting space also enhances Atlanta’s offering for these meetings.”

Atlanta is a draw because of a high density of not only hospital and medical research centers, but also other major health-related institutions call the city home.

More than 50 hospitals and several university research centers call Atlanta home, including Emory University, Georgia Tech University, Georgia State University and University of Georgia.

The American Cancer Society headquarters are located downtown, as well as the third-best pediatric hospital in the United States, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

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