Meeting professionals are nothing if not optimistic. Here are some of the latest numbers from Meeting Professionals International (MPI).

In its most recent Web poll, MPI discovered that about 70 percent of respondents are projecting to hold the same or greater number of meetings in 2003 (based on 216 votes). Those polled about their current state of employment also seemed to be smiling: Almost 60 percent kept the same job in the last year, while 17 percent changed jobs—but only because they wanted to. Most surprising, perhaps: Only 12 percent reported that they are unemployed—down from 40 percent in early June (504 polled).