Do you ever wonder how CHEST decides where to have its annual meeting? It’s a science! We know that venue is an important consideration for busy clinicians who are trying to decide whether to invest time and money in attending a national meeting. Evaluation of criteria that determine the attractiveness of a given location for a national meeting is a job for professionals! At CHEST, we are very fortunate to work with Heather Nash, CMP, who is the senior director, meetings and training center operations, along with her talented meetings team in choosing a top-notch destination for the CHEST Annual Meeting.

The site selection of an annual meeting is a very important decision an association makes for its members. There is a variety of factors considered in making this decision, and the site selection process begins approximately 5-7 years in advance. Why so early, you might ask. The size of the CHEST Annual Meeting is the answer! Our annual meeting requires a significant amount of meeting, exhibits, ballroom, and public foyer space. Additionally, the host city needs a minimum of 3,000 hotel rooms in the vicinity of the Convention Center. What this means is that the CHEST Annual Meeting does not fit into all convention centers and cities within the United States and Canada. Plus, other important criteria that are also considered are cost, travel, weather, and the amenities that a destination offers.

The site selection process starts with each destination’s Convention and Visitors Bureau that is presented with a Request for Proposal, which includes a list of all the CHEST Annual Meeting specifications, requirements, and preferred dates. Based on those specifications, each city will compile a proposal of its full offerings, including meeting space, hotels, air and ground transportation, weather, cost, and key amenities of the destination. The puzzle that each city goes through is to determine whether the destination has all of the requirements needed by CHEST and to submit a complete proposal. It’s fierce competition out there, which is why the process must start 5-7 years prior. The last step is to compile a site selection report that outlines, in order of priority, all components that CHEST needs to create a short list of locations and propose a final decision.

Why is the convention center size so important? The CHEST Meeting Director must determine whether a certain venue and city can accommodate the CHEST Annual Meeting. A few key factors that are reviewed include exhibit space; a minimum of 300,000+ gross square feet, 30+ flexible size meeting rooms that can accommodate 75-400 people each for educational sessions, opening keynote session space for 2,500 people, a Simulation Center space, not to mention the additional needs for registration, self-study stations, games, and other e-learning opportunities. More often than not, the largest convention centers that attract CHEST fall into a category that we refer to as first-tier cities (i.e., Chicago, New Orleans, Toronto, Boston, and Los Angeles). The second category of cities that have smaller convention centers but still may be an option for CHEST are second-tier cities (i.e., Montreal, Austin, Honolulu, and Atlanta).

Of course, there are the other aspects of an annual meeting that are very important to clinicians, guests, and attendees. How easy is it to get a flight at a reasonable cost? How close are the hotels and what are the room rates of the official meeting hotels? Can I walk to the convention center or do we need to get on a bus? Can I walk to a restaurant after a full day of sessions? These are just a few questions we receive often by our CHEST Help Team representatives. We track these types of questions so that when we engage a prospective destination, these questions are answered in the final proposal and site selection report.

The CHEST Annual Meeting 2016 will be held in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles was confirmed as the location in 2011, based upon the improved infrastructure in the downtown Los Angeles area and the renovations made within the Los Angeles Convention Center. The infrastructure mentioned is an area called L.A. LIVE, which is the sports and entertainment district that surrounds the STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater, JW Marriott, and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The campus features sports and music venues, nightclubs, restaurants, a bowling alley, the GRAMMY museum, and movie theaters. L.A. LIVE is the premier destination for live entertainment in downtown Los Angeles and very walkable! We hope you have learned a little bit about the process we adhere to in the site selection process of the CHEST Annual Meeting, and we look forward to welcoming you in October.

See you in Los Angeles!

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: Location, location, location!