Stephanie Turner, the senior vice president of convention sales and strategies at New Orleans & Co., the city's tourism marketing agency, spends her days selling New Orleans as a meeting and convention destination for associations and corporations around the globe.

Sometimes, her team members are planning a small doctors’ gathering a few months in advance. Other times, they are clearing calendars for a 20,000-person event 15 years from now.

It's a job that's getting more challenging.

In October, Turner attended the annual IMEX gathering in Las Vegas, an annual meet-up for the global meetings and events industries, where buyers and sellers network and plan upcoming events.

Turner said the big takeaway from the event is: The meetings industry is more competitive than ever, raising the st

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