Average spending per meeting this year will rise nearly 5 percent from 2010 levels

, according to a Meeting Professionals International October-November survey of about 250 meeting planners. Including corporate, association, government, third-party and independent meeting planners, survey respondents indicated that 2011 per-meeting spending would average about $197,000, up from about $188,000 last year. The survey also determined that the average number of meetings planned by respondent organizations this year would be 196, up from 182 in 2010.