Los Angeles Hosts Its Largest Medical Meeting

November 24, 2012

The recent American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference (AHA), held Nov. 3-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, broke a record as the largest medical meeting ever held in the city.

AHA attracted approximately 20,000 cardiovascular medical professionals from five continents and also was the second largest citywide convention overall in Los Angeles.

This year was a record year overall 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,” said Mark Liberman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism). 

He added, “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.”

Fifty percent of AHA attendees at the Los Angeles show were 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, such as 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 L.A. in February 2011 and has committed to bringing back the International Stroke Conference to the cityin 2016 and 2020.

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