Obviously, the meetings and exhibition industry is a major contributor to
the economic vitality of the national and state and local economies and also
serves as a vehicle for marketing efforts, adult education, and the dissemination
of industry and professional information. Given the magnitude of the
spending that this industry generates, it is not surprising that the number of
convention facilities and the amount of exhibition space continues to grow.
For convention center proponents, the justification of gaining even a fraction
of a percent of this huge market is enough to mobilize the necessary local and
non-local resources to build and expand facilities.