The latest survey of special event business at hotels and resorts shows a confident market. This year's survey of hotel/resort readers--the sixth annual edition--shows that that 43 percent of respondents expect to stage more special events this year than they did in 2006, and 60 percent expect a stronger year in 2008 than 2007.

Many hotels predict a strong market from business clients. Special Events readers report that business events make up 60 percent of their event business today, up from 43 percent in 2002. While social events were the salvation of the hotel business in the wake of 9/11, business events have shown a strong rebound. In 2002, hotel readers told us that business events made up just 43 percent of their total event business.

Further, just over half of respondents said this year that "staging business events" will be their greatest opportunity for growth, while 46 percent said the same for "staging social events."

The survey appears in the November issue of Special Events; to see it, click here.

Photo by iStockphoto.com/(c) Andrew Prohorov