The rebirth of many major American cities is paying dividends to the meetings and events industry, as once-empty, and sometimes dilapidated, urban areas have come back to life full of inventive restaurants and entertainment offerings for attendees.
To mangle the words of author Gertrude Stein, “There is some ‘there there.’”
Cities throughout the U.S., including Los Angeles, Honolulu, Indianapolis, and Kansas City, Mo., are transforming somewhat forgotten downtown cores into entertainment and dining draws that are a perfect fit for meetings, the pursuit of which one can argue are driving the development.
In the East, Baltimore has embarked on an ambitious $11 billion downtown redevelopment with a goal of catapulting it higher up on the list of desirable convention destinations.
In essence, what’s good for the leisure traveler is becoming essential for the attendee.
Our “City Life” story explores this 21st century phenomenon.
There’s a town coming to a town near you!
