The nation’s meeting planners, the folks who help put together big tradeshows and conferences, have grown increasingly pessimistic about the industry’s health over the past six months.

A February survey by Atlanta-based PKF Hospitality Research found that 80 percent of the planners expect the industry’s woes to worsen over the next 18 months. That’s up from about 30 percent in August of last year.

In addition, a majority of the 120 planners surveyed said meetings are cutting back on food and beverage spending, one of the most profitable areas in hospitality.

PKF president Mark Woodworth said he wasn’t surprised given the continued cuts in employment and belt tightening. He said the results might have been less dramatic if the mid-August survey were done a month later.

“There was an immediate shock to the system that happened in September,” he said.

The numbers align with challenges metro Atlanta’s $11.4 billion hospitality industry is facing. Business is down 16.4 percent so far this year and Georgia World Congress Center officials said this is a bad year.

Other PKF findings: attendance is down, conventions are cutting back on the use of audio/visual equipment and the length of meetings. A majority of the meeting planners said it was more important or critical that a convention result in a return on investment.