Orlando has retained its position as the No. 1 meeting destination in North America, according to a new list by Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider.
Orlando was followed by Nashville, San Diego, Las Vegas and Chicago in the Top 5. Other Florida cities among the Top 50 were Miami (12), Fort Lauderdale (19), Kissimmee (22), Tampa (24), Aventura (43), Boca Raton (47) and Naples (50).
Hyatt Regency Orlando is the top-ranked Florida meeting hotel on the Cvent list, coming in No. 14 overall. The award-winning resort is directly connected to the Orange County Convention Center by three overhead walkways. It offers 1,641 guest rooms and 315,000 square feet of recently renovated meeting space, making it the brand’s largest convention hotel in the United States. Outdoor features include two huge pools, a waterslide, cascading waterfall and private cabanas.
Grant Hyatt Nashville topped the list. Other Florida properties making Cvent’s Top 50 list were: JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort (17), JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes (19), Hilton Orlando (22), Fontainebleau Miami Beach (29), Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando (31), Tampa Marriott Water Street (33), JW Marriott Tampa Water Street (34), The Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood Curio Collection By Hilton (36), Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center (42), and Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando (43).
“We’re thrilled to be the number one city on this year’s Cvent Top Meeting Destinations list,” said Casandra Matej, President and CEO of Visit Orlando. “With a state-of-the-art convention center, an abundance of hotel rooms, ease of accessibility, award-winning dining and world-class entertainment, Orlando offers everything meeting planners need to create memorable experiences for their attendees.”
Cvent’s lists – broken out regionally by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa – were compiled based on sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network, one of the world’s largest venue-sourcing platforms.
This is the first time Cvent has published the annual lists since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the meetings and events industry in early 2020. Orlando was the top meeting destination in 2019, the previous list published by Cvent.
“The critical role the meetings and events industry plays in bolstering local economies worldwide was never more apparent than when that business disappeared overnight during the pandemic,” said Stacey Fontenot, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Cvent. “Fortunately, destinations and hotels alike have seen a dramatic comeback from pandemic lows as they benefitted from the pent-up demand for in-person experiences.”
