Cities with the largest convention centers and most hotels aren’t always the best cities for conferences. In the latest survey by SmartAsset, a New York City-based personal finance technology company, The Best Cities for Conferences in 2016 take into account such factors as hotel room rates, meal costs, distance from airports, violent crime, and concentration of dining and entertainment establishments.
The big winner is San Antonio, which is No. 1 in the SmartAsset rankings for the second-straight year. Texas dominated the Top 10, with El Paso at No. 2, Austin at No. 4 and Irving at No. 5.
SmartAsset cited San Antonio’s number of large event spaces, including the 65,000-seat Alamodome, as one of the key reasons for being the top city for conferences. Other factors include warm weather and the fact it’s an “inexpensive place to visit.”
Breaking up Texas’ stranglehold on the top five positions, San Diego checks in at No. 3. The study reveals that San Diego has 255 hotels, with the average cost per night for a hotel room at $147, which is more than $100 less than a guest room in New York City.
Traditional meeting powerhouses were still among the SmartAsset’s Top 25 Best Cities for Conferences. Orlando ranked No. 7, Las Vegas was No. 10, Phoenix was No. 15, and New York and Los Angeles tied for No. 18.
Smart Meetings is thrilled that several of the places we have recently visited made the cut. Columbus, Ohio, ranks No. 6, with a higher concentration of dining and entertainment options than San Diego or Orlando. Boise, Idaho, is No. 11, getting high marks for affordability and safety.
Madison, Wisconsin, is No. 20, reflecting an often overlooked city that has a lot going for it, including the very active and respected Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“This confirms and validates what so many of our satisfied customers have expressed to us, that Madison is a great place to meet and host events,” says Deb Archer, president and CEO of the CVB. “The nuts and bolts of winning a bid very much focuses on the attributes they considered.”
Top 25 Best Cities for Conferences
1. San Antonio
2. El Paso, Texas
3. San Diego
4. Austin, Texas
5. Irving, Texas
6. Columbus, Ohio,
7. Orlando
8. Albuquerque, New Mexico
9. Charlotte, North Carolina
10. Las Vegas
11. Boise, Idaho
12. Atlanta
13. Virginia Beach, Virginia
13. Omaha, Nebraska
15. Phoenix
16. Honolulu, Hawaii
17. Tampa, Florida
18. New York City
18. Los Angeles
20. Madison, Wisconsin
21. Colorado Springs, Colorado
22. Lincoln, Nebraska
23. Richmond, Virginia
23. Louisville, Kentucky
23. Reno, Nevada
23. Tempe, Arizona
