In 2023, Visit Jacksonville worked with 193 groups who hosted a meeting, conference, sporting event or convention in Jacksonville, amounting to 93,141 room nights and more than $34 million of economic impact.
The numbers represent a 55% increase in the number of rooms and nearly a $15 million increase in economic impact compared with 2022 statistics, according to Visit Jacksonville, the convention and visitors bureau for Jacksonville and the Beaches.
Visit Jacksonville shared the numbers as part of Global Meetings Industry Day on April 11, a day of advocacy focused on the economic impact that business meetings, trade shows, conferences and conventions bring to communities.
“As the travel market continues to stabilize, it is more important than ever to continue to focus on bringing meetings and conventions to Jacksonville,” Michael Corrigan, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, said in an April 10 news release.
There is a program that the public can participate in to help promote business and leisure tourism, he said.
Bring It Home Jax encourages community leaders to partner with Visit Jacksonville to bring the meetings and conferences they attend in other cities to Jacksonville.
“Most people who work for a business organization in Jacksonville travel outside of the city to attend meetings, trainings or conferences, or as individuals they might belong to a professional or hobby organization who hosts group events. Why not host that meeting or conference in Jacksonville to support the local economy and show everyone what makes this city so great?” Corrigan said.
Jacksonville has multiple venue options for meetings and convention groups.
The Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center recently underwent renovations throughout its 265,000 square feet of space. Downtown hotels, EverBank Stadium, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and Daily’s Place in the Sports Complex are available to accommodate groups of all sizes.
Visit Jacksonville also promotes meeting spaces at the Jacksonville Main Library & Conference Center, The Beaches Museum & History Park, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Florida Theatre and Ritz Theatre & Museum.
Staff at the organization assist with planning and coordinating meetings and conventions by partnering with event and meeting planners. Services are available at no charge to businesses and organizations hosting meetings or conferences in the area, enabling costs that could be spent on planning to be spent instead in the community, Visit Jacksonville said.
Go to visitjacksonville.com/meetings/bring-it-home/ to learn more about Bring It Home Jax.