Sep. 29--Propelled by convenience and national pride, a growing number of top professional organizations have scrapped out-of-town convention plans in favor of New York. 

Citing a slowdown in reservations and a rise in cancellations since the terrorist attacks, the Magazine Publishers of America and the American Society of Magazine Editors cancelled arrangements for next month at an Arizona resort and instead will meet at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. 

"It was getting very challenging for editors and publishers to be out of town during all this breaking news," said Nina Link, president and CEO of the magazine publishers group. "We were doing extremely well with reservations, but it certainly slowed down. A lot of the weeklies also started to cancel." 

In addition, the American Society of Travel Agents said it dropped plans to hold its 71st World Travel Congress in Seville, Spain, in November and will move the four-day event to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

The group is committed to reserving a minimum of 2,000 New York hotel rooms, according to NYC & Company, the city's convention and visitors bureau. 

"Mayor Giuliani said that he encourages people from all over the country who want to help to come to New York and spend money," Richard Copland, president of the travel agents' group, said in a statement. "ASTA is taking that message to heart." 

An NYC & Company official said the bureau was working with a number of groups about relocating their long-planned gatherings to New York. 

Among those that have already made the move are the American Federation of State and County Municipalities, with 1,200 members, coming in November; the American Society of Association Executives, booking 50 hotel rooms for November, and the French Society of Travel Agents, 300 rooms for January. 

The American Magazine Conference, scheduled Oct. 21 to 23, typically draws about 600 publishers, editors and other industry players. 

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