ON THE HEELS OF SUCCESSFUL 2015 CONVENTION, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) ANNOUNCES RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA IN 2019

PHILADELPHIA, PA…November 25, 2015…Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations around the world, will return to Philadelphia in 2019. Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau's (PHLCVB) president & CEO, Jack Ferguson will make the official announcement later today at the PHLCVB's Annual Luncheon on November 25, with more than 1,200 hospitality professionals gathered. The convention is the largest, most influential biotech meeting in the world and most recently convened in Philadelphia in June. 

According to BIO, the 2015 convention in Philadelphia was a tremendous success drawing 15,858 industry leaders from 69 countries and 47 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This year's convention also hosted 29,279 partnering meetings, a new record for the event.

“BIO 2015 was a resounding success, making Philadelphia a natural choice for hosting future conventions. From the region's incredibly engaged and thriving life sciences community, to the attendee and exhibitor experience at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and the exceptional support of city and state leaders, Philadelphia was the perfect backdrop for this year's convention,” said Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of BIO. “We are looking forward to returning to the city of Philadelphia in 2019.”

The highly coveted convention which takes place annually in June is expected to fill over 27,000 total hotel room nights and generate more than $41 million in economic impact for the Philadelphia region. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware have consistently ranked among the top 10 life sciences clusters and collectively generate 15 percent of the region's economic activity, contributing to Philadelphia's appeal as a host city for the BIO convention.

“Prior to 2015, BIO was last held in Philadelphia in 2005. After a 10-year hiatus, their decision to rebook Philadelphia for two years within mere months of hosting one of their most successful conventions here speaks volumes about their experience and solidifies Philadelphia's standing as a major player within the global convention industry,” said Jack Ferguson.

“This year, we were proud to host the most significant biotechnology meeting in the world which brought leaders in industry, government and academia to the Pennsylvania Convention Center to consider biotechnology's potential,” said John McNichol, President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.   “This meeting was expertly managed by our facility operator SMG and BIO left a tremendous impact on our regional economy. We look forward to reaching new heights when BIO returns to the Convention Center in 2019.”

The announcement will be just one highlight of the PHLCVB annual luncheon which has become a staple on calendars of the region's hospitality industry who's who. The non-traditional affair, which is a reception-style event conducive to networking, will also honor the accomplished career of PHLCVB President & CEO Jack Ferguson who is set to retire in December 2015.

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Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), www.discoverPHL.com , a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia globally, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets. The PHLCVB incorporates the short code PHL, an open source graphic identifier for the City of Philadelphia into the Convention & Visitors Bureau brand identity. The graphic identifier and other assets for use by public, private and non-profit organizations can be found at www.PHLpartners.com.