The Chicago Dental Society (CDS) Midwinter Meeting is the most historic and one of the largest dental conferences in the country. The 159th Midwinter Meeting took place February 22 to 24, 2024, at McCormick Place West, attracted more than 21,000 attendees, and generated an estimated $26.6 million in economic impact for Chicago. The annual event continues to grow in size and yield attendee and exhibitor satisfaction in a post-pandemic environment.
“The energy of the 2024 Midwinter Meeting was outstanding, which is a real testament to the passion the CDS volunteers and staff have when organizing an incredible show year after year,” said CDS CEO, Heather Nash, CMP, CAE. “There were more than 560 exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall this year, up from last year, over 230 scientific sessions and a great mix of networking events that brought students and early career dentists together, like the new Yoga for Midwinter Mindfulness, Sips, Suds & Sales, and the new Podcast Lounge that was bustling with interviews.”
In the dental industry, the Midwinter Meeting is often described as the kick-off to the year, and the three-day conference for dental professionals is regarded as the most respected scientific dental meeting in the industry and the largest dental meeting in North America. The Midwinter Meeting provides attendees with unmatched access to hundreds of companies showcasing and debuting the latest products and innovations to see and test, hundreds of continuing education opportunities to help stay current on the best practices and latest techniques as well as career-building networking events. Midwinter Meeting attendees include dentists, hygienists, assistants, office personnel, residents, laboratory technicians and dental students from all around the world. The 2024 event attracted attendees from 49 U.S. states and 68 different countries.
From 2022 to 2023, attendance at the Midwinter Meeting surged, increasing 27% year over year. From 2023 to 2024, attendance continued to climb another 1% to 21,135 attendees. Choose Chicago, the City of Chicago’s tourism agency, reported an estimated economic impact of more than $26.6 million from the 2024 Midwinter Meeting.
Preliminary results from the post-event survey are quickly quantifying the event’s success. On a scale from one to 10, more than 50% of respondents have indicated a 10 when asked if they would recommend the Midwinter Meeting to a colleague or friend.