LOS ANGELES TOURISM  MARKS RECORDS WITH  RECENT AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

-    Show is Largest Medical Convention in City’s History and Second Largest Overall Citywide Convention
-    Sets Record for Most Medical Citywide Conventions in a Year

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (November 19, 2012) — The recent American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference (AHA), held Nov. 3 - 7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, was one for the Los Angeles record books.  AHA, with approximately 20,000 cardiovascular medical professionals from five continents, was the destination’s largest-ever medical convention and the second largest citywide convention overall.

In addition, the show solidified 2012 as a record year for medical conventions for Los Angeles with four shows including American Association for Clinical Chemistry, American Academy of Periodontology, American Nurses Association and AHA.  Together, the shows accounted for approximately 56,000 attendees, 96,000 total room nights and $126 million in estimated economic impact.

“Medical conventions are among the most coveted in the industry and LA is honored to earn the confidence of such an important show as AHA’s Scientific Sessions.  The ongoing developments around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles, especially the addition of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles and L.A. LIVE, and our position as a major international gateway, are making Los Angeles even more attractive to medical groups of all sizes,” said Mark Liberman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism). 

Fifty percent of AHA attendees at the Los Angeles show hailed from international destinations and stayed at more than 41 hotels in Los Angeles including properties in Downtown, Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Pasadena and around Los Angeles Airport LAX.  Events took place at several venues including Dodger Stadium, ESPN Zone at L.A. LIVE and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Downtown Los Angeles.

This was the first time that AHA hosted Scientific Sessions in Los Angeles.  Previously, AHA held its 2011 International Stroke Conference, with 5,000 attendees, in LA in February, 2011, and has committed to bringing back the International Stroke Conference to LA in 2016 and 2020.

Los Angeles is earning a growing reputation for being the west coast’s premier city for meetings and conventions with the capability to host large gatherings that require thousands of hotel rooms, sprawling venues with an enormous amount of square footage, and first-class restaurants and entertainment where attendees can spend their free time. LA is the third largest lodging market in the U.S. with nearly 100,000 guest rooms and suites making it attractive to meetings professionals charged with executing large conventions.

The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is a private, nonprofit business association whose primary mission is to market and promote Los Angeles as the premier site for meetings, conventions and leisure travel.  The organization is recognized as the city’s official tourism marketing organization. For more information, visit the official visitor information Web site of Los Angeles at www.discoverLosAngeles.com