GROUP BUSINESS REBOUNDING

Hotels are reporting a rebound in business from group customers, a key segment that includes companies, associations, sports teams, religious groups, social organizations and the military. The U.S. Travel Association forecasts a 7 percent increase in meeting and convention spending this year, to $90.7 billion. That follows a 15 percent decline in 2009, when organizations canceled meetings, sent fewer employees to trade shows and insisted on bare-minimum amenities. Hotels and convention bureaus responded with aggressive deals and packages, such as providing free coffee breaks or discounts on audiovisual equipment. Groups are responding now, spurring an optimistic mood in the meeting planning and convention industry. (USA Today; Travel Advance, Aug. 17)