Number of new jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry created in October: 23,000
Percent that RevPar (revenues per available hotel room) is expected to increase in the U.S. in 2004: 4.9%
Number of dollars U.S. hoteliers are expected to spend to renovate their properties in 2004: $3 billion
Seconds it takes to check in using Starwood Hotels' self-service kiosks: 45
Total number of MPI chapters, including the most recent to open in France: 61
Percent of MPI industry professionals who say that meeting budgets and revenues will increase in 2004: 50%
Sources (left to right): U.S. Labor Department; PricewaterhouseCoopers (items 2 and 3); Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide; Meeting Professionals International (items 5 and 6)