Philadelphia’s Event Industry Outlook for 2024 and Beyond: Q&A with John McNichol, President and CEO, PCCA and Tony Hodgins, General Manager ASM Global

Another year has come and gone and what a wonderful year for events it has been!

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s event schedule significantly recovered from the effects of the pandemic, and we welcomed over 140 events and approximately 862,000 guests through our doors.

This success was due in no small part to the strong collaborative efforts of our industry partners, as well as the commitment and hard work of our dedicated team.

So, now that the events industry has made a recovery in Philadelphia, what’s next?

We chatted with President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA), John McNichol, and General Manager with ASM Global at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Tony Hodgins, to get their thoughts on the industry outlook for 2024 and beyond, particularly as the city gears up for 2026, a major year for events in Philadelphia.

 

 

Q: 2023 was a great year for events. Could you talk about what 2024 looks like for events in Philadelphia and as the City prepares for the 250^th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026?

 

John McNichol: We are very fortunate that in Philadelphia, the event industry has made such a strong rebound following the pandemic. At the Convention Center, we enjoyed seeing the return of major events, some of which had not met in person for three years, and having our halls filled with our customers and guests.

In 2024, we expect this momentum to continue, as we have a high volume of meetings and conventions booked at the Center. Major events include the Modern Language Association Annual Convention with 7,000 attendees over a 4-day period in January; American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting with 16,000 attendees in April; American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting with 16,000 attendees and AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration with 22,000 attendees, both in October; and Greenbuild Conference and Expo with 22,000 attendees in November.

These events, we have determined, will return us to our pre-pandemic business levels.

Looking beyond 2024, leading into 2026, our bookings are already very strong and we are very excited to welcome major events such as the National Council for Mental Wellbeing with 5,500 attendees over a 4-day period in May 2025; the American Library Association with an estimated 12,000 attendees over a 6-day period in June 2025;  the American Economic Association Annual Convention in January 2026 with 12,500 attendees; the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in February 2026 with 6,500 attendees; the Risk and Insurance Management Society Annual Conference in May 2026 with 12,000 attendees; and the National Athletic Trainers Association in July 2026 with 14,000 attendees. 

 

 

In 2026, the Center will also be hosting events surrounding the Major League Baseball All Star Game, which is expected to attract more than 50,000 attendees in July; and notably, in January 2026, we will welcome 3,500 members of the Professional Convention Management Association for the PCMA’s Convening Leaders event. This is significant because PCMA is the leading global professional organization representing management of business events, conferences and conventions. In other words, those attendees are key decision-makers in selecting venues for the event industry and we believe this event will help boost future bookings for many years to come.

As you know, 2026 will be a phenomenal year for the city, as we celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the United States in the birthplace of our nation and it is clear that the excitement surrounding the City’s role in hosting America250 events, as well as the World Cup, is having an undeniable positive impact on bookings of major events.

 

Q: How is the Pennsylvania Convention Center preparing for this expected high volume of meetings and events from 2024 to 2026?

 

Tony Hodgins: Well first, let me say how excited I am for these next couple of years leading up to 2026. This is a pivotal moment for Philadelphia’s events industry, and it is a key time for us to show the world what we can do and why we are a venue of choice among meeting planners.

At the Pennsylvania Convention Center, providing outstanding customer service and creating memorable experiences are our main priorities and we are constantly thinking about ways to raise the bar to maintain our position as an industry leader.

One program that is a major source of pride for our team is the Hospitality Industry Advancement Trust (HIAT) Fund, which is an innovative and collaborative effort between the Center’s management and our show labor partners. The fund is designed to support enhanced training opportunities for the labor workforce that focus on three categories: safety, skills, and smiles.

 

 

Together, our PCCA/ASM Global team and our labor partners are working with a shared commitment to delivering the best possible experience to our customers. Through this program, we are ensuring that the personnel who work in the Pennsylvania Convention Center have the necessary tools, skills, and resources to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.

Additionally, the PCCA has made, and continues to make, significant investments in building enhancements to provide our customers with state-of-the-art technological infrastructure and innovative solutions that prioritize their health, safety, and comfort while they are at the Center.

Most recently, we completed a major upgrade of our Wi-Fi system to the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology. This investment will significantly enhance the digital connectivity experience for our guests. Having access to a reliable internet connection has become an absolute necessity for event attendees and with this upgrade, our facility now has more Wi-Fi access points to accommodate more users and our guests can enjoy increased speed and bandwidth for smoother streaming, faster downloads, and an overall enhanced digital experience.

Our food and beverage partner, Aramark, who shares our vision for customer service excellence, also recently completed upgrades to the facility’s concessions stands and menu offerings to enhance our guests’ culinary experience while at the Center.

As a premier facility, we always strive to be the best at what we do, and our team is ready to welcome the millions of guests that we expect over these next few years with our usual service excellence and professionalism.

 

Q: What effect will this pivotal period have on the future growth of the industry and the development of the Philadelphia region?

 

John McNichol: As Tony mentioned, all eyes will be on Philadelphia in 2026, and the national and global attention on Philadelphia in the lead up to and during that year will have a tremendous, long-term positive impact on our ability to attract future meetings and advance the hospitality industry as a whole.

2026 will provide a unique, unparalleled opportunity to showcase our wonderful city and Commonwealth and all that we have to offer to visitors. We saw some of that benefit when the City of Philadelphia hosted the World Meeting of Families and Papal Visit in 2015 and the 2016 Democratic National Convention, but I expect that 2026 will have a far greater impact than either of those events combined.

The meetings, conventions, trade shows, and other events that we host at the Center attract attendees from across the nation and the world to the Greater Philadelphia area. Those event attendees inject new spending into the regional economy by bringing business to our hotels, restaurants, historical and cultural attractions, and numerous other establishments, making the Pennsylvania Convention Center the largest economic driver of the region’s hospitality industry.

As we mentioned, the Center’s event schedule for the next couple of years is already very busy, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our marketing partner, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), as well as the internal sales staff of our facility manager, ASM Global. This in turn means that our city’s hotels, restaurants, shops, and other establishments will also be very busy, resulting in a significant economic impact for the region.

I anticipate that these next couple of years will solidify Philadelphia’s position as a premier convention and events destination and I am excited for the many opportunities that will come for our great city.

 

 

Q: What new initiatives does the Pennsylvania Convention Center have planned to build on this momentum and continue to position the Center as a venue of choice beyond 2026?

 

Tony Hodgins: The Pennsylvania Convention Center is serious about the role it plays in building Philadelphia’s economy and because of this, we continuously work on enhancing our facility and service offerings to ensure that we remain a premier facility of choice.

One way in which we achieve this goal is by reimagining the way in which we do events and the spaces that we have to offer, to better meet our customers’ needs. We have recently started construction of a new board room facility, which will provide additional meeting room options for our meeting planners, as well as attract more corporate customers who would be able to utilize the space, and its state-of-the-art amenities, for their smaller, VIP meetings.

Another element that will always continue to be a deciding factor for meeting planners when selecting a venue is technology. With our recent Wi-Fi upgrades and our steadfast focus on ensuring that we are equipped with the most cutting-edge technology, the Pennsylvania Convention Center is well-positioned to meet the increasing demands of our customers.

Additionally, our focus on sustainability and our ability to expertly host green events are also key components of our operations which are highly regarded by our customers. As we move into the new year, and beyond, we will continue to build on sustainability initiatives to be able to welcome and fully support the growing number of sustainable events that are expected in the next few years.

At the end of the day, our overall goal is to make our customers happy and to provide them with a memorable experience that will encourage them to bring their business back to Philadelphia and to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

This is what will ensure we remain one of the world’s most desirable event destinations and venue for years to come.

 

 

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