From All Over About 15 percent of attendees at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ annual meeting are international.

Follow the Money Being mindful of cultural differences is about more than playing nice; it’s about dollars and cents. In the post–Sept. 11, post-recession economy, the highest growth potential for U.S.-based organizations and planners is the international audience. The top five overseas- traveler growth markets through 2017 (as forecast by the U.S. Travel Association) are China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina, and Taiwan. Understanding how to improve the experience for attendees from those emerg- ing economies is key to future growth.

Martin Sirk

‘The mistake that I often see is that the international visitors are not exactly ghettoized, but they might be separated in their own track.’

Being aware of cultural differences may be just as important for meetings held outside the United States. According to the Interna- tional Congress and Convention Association (ICCA, iccaworld.com), both the total number of international meetings and the number of meetings in non-European cities are on the rise. Beijing, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, and Seoul all cracked the top 20 list of cities with the most meetings in 2012, according to ICCA. So whether an international event is held in the United States or overseas, it’s likely that organizers will be welcoming attendees from a variety of countries and navigating customs that may differ from their own.