The Midwinter Meeting Attracted More Than 20,000 Attendees to Chicago’s McCormick Place and Generated Nearly $28 Million in Economic Impact
Signaling a growing trend of convention revival in 2023, the Chicago Dental Society’s Midwinter Meeting, one of the largest scientific dental meetings in the country, experienced a 28 percent increase in attendance at this year’s event.
Held at McCormick Place West from February 23 to 25, the event, which has been hosted annually in Chicago for the last 158 years, attracted more than 20,700 registrants, generating an estimated $28 million in economic impact for Chicago.
“We are thrilled by the impressive turnout at this year’s Midwinter Meeting,” said 2023 CDS President Dr. Michael Durbin. “While last year was incredibly special, as it was the first time back in person since 2020, there was still a lot of caution about gathering in person. This year’s meeting signaled we are getting back to normal and presented a valuable opportunity for us to gather as a profession in the most productive and enjoyable way possible.”
Attendance wasn’t the only key metric that was up over the last few years. The number of lecturers, continuing education courses and exhibitors that participate in the event all increased over last year. Most notably, there were 517 exhibiting companies demonstrating the latest products, services and dental innovations this year, an increase over last year’s number of 445.
Overall, these figures reveal a broader trend. Convention travelers are returning in increasing numbers to downtown Chicago, providing a boost to the hospitality industry, which is still down overall as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
