This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Visit Salt Lake said it has won the bid to host the 2015 annual meeting for the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, or SETAC.
Scheduled for November 2015 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, the citywide convention is poised to attract at least 2,500 people, who are projected to generate more than $2.3 million in direct spending during their stay.
SETAC is a worldwide professional society focused on the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems. The society provides a forum where scientists, managers and other professionals exchange information and ideas for the development and use of multidisciplinary scientific principles and practices leading to sustainable environmental quality.
In securing the bid for the SETAC meeting, Salt Lake beat out Denver, Phoenix and San Diego. One of the key factors in the SETAC board's decision was because of Salt Lake City's commitment to sustainable environmental practices, such as installing one of the nation's largest rooftop solar arrays atop the Salt Palace, said Chris Peterson, VSL's director of convention sales.
Based on surveys of convention delegates in the past, the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research estimates the average delegate spends $923 while attending a convention in Salt Lake.