Top U.S. Meeting Destinations: Orlando Makes It 5 in a Row

Orlando must be doing something right. For the fifth consecutive year and the seventh time since the list started, the city lands at No. 1 on Cvent's Top Meeting Destinations in the U.S. In fact, the top three remain unchanged on the 2019 list, with Las Vegas again coming in second and Chicago in third. George Aguel, Visit Orlando's CEO and president, calls the ranking a "remarkable achievement" and promises that the city will continue to invest. “With the expansion of the Orange County Convention Center, new airport terminal, and additional hotels, attractions, and venues opening over the next few years, our destination is focused on sustaining Orlando's leadership position in the meetings industry," he says.

Regional Winners Keep Their Runs Going, Too

Many international lists saw repeat winners as well. London continues its reign over the list of Top Meeting Destinations in Europe; Singapore again comes out on top in Asia; and Dubai stays at No. 1 in the Middle East and Africa. A new city tops the Caribbean and Latin America list, however, as Nassau, Bahamas, moves into No. 1 spot. Playa del Carmen, Mexico, lands at No. 2, while last year's winner, Cancun, Mexico, drops to third. In addition, increased sourcing volume allowed for a new regional list this year, covering Australia and Oceania, which were previously combined with Asia. Sydney is the inaugural winner, with Australian cities taking seven of the top 10 spots.

Several New Entries Join Proven Leaders

The lists were compiled by analyzing 2018 meeting and event booking activity through Cvent's sourcing sites, including the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN), which saw more than $16 billion of group business sourced last year. Hotels are ranked based on various performance criteria, including unique RFPs received and awarded room nights. “Business events add $1.5 trillion to the global GDP and because of this positive economic impact, the cities featured in this year's Top Meeting Destinations lists have put significant time and resources into attracting more group business to their locales," says Chris McAndrews, vice president of marketing for Cvent Hospitality Cloud. “While the top destinations in each region have not changed significantly year-over-year, cities such as Napa, California; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Beirut, Lebanon, are new to their respective lists and have positioned themselves as top cities to host meetings and events."

See the Complete Lists

Browse all the regional lists here, including additional segments that call out destinations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.