American Express Meetings & Events projected a slight year-over-year increase in 2015 meetings spending for North American organizations,

with such spending forecast to rise 0.3 percent. However, the meetings management company projected a 0.2 percent decline in per-meeting spending among North American organizations. Amex M&E also projected group air rates in 2015 to rise 2 percent globally year over year, followed by a 2.3 percent increase in 2016. The company based its projection on a July-September survey of 537 meeting professionals throughout the world, as well as "proprietary American Express Meetings & Events data sources, licensed third-party data and industry information, as well as interviews with industry leaders."