2007 RSNA meeting sets attendance record

More than ever, the annual RSNA meeting at Chicago's McCormick Place was the place to be during the week after Thanksgiving for people associated with the practice and business of radiology.

Big crowds combined with a huge technical exhibit and a voluminous array of scientific presentations backed up RSNA's claim that its conference has become the world's largest international medical meeting. The 2007 event set an attendance record with 62,251 meeting-goers, an increase of 1% from the previous record set in 2006.

Steve Drew, RSNA assistant executive director for scientific assembly and informatics, credited the increase to the growth of professional registrations from outside North America. Registration in that category rose 7% to 8792 in 2007.

"The currency exchange rate and a modest increase of available hotel rooms are plausible reasons for the favorable increment," Drew said in a release.

Participation was nearly evenly balanced between the professional and the business sectors of radiology. The RSNA reported that 28,364 physicians, physicists, administrators, technologists, and students attended. That total increased 2% in 2007 compared with the previous year. Exhibitor registration in 2007 totaled 28,056, nearly the same number as 2006. Guest registration totaling 6081 accounted the rest of the attendance.

The RSNA estimated that the meeting generated nearly $128 million for Chicago hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. More than 2300 scientific papers and posters and nearly 1500 educational exhibits were presented. The technical exhibit covered more than 535,000 square feet, according to the release.