Religious groups tend to congregate in family-friendly destinations that have an ample supply of affordable entertainment, according to Rev. Harry Schmidt, executive director of the Religious Conference Management Association. “Because of increasing prices in airfare, they’re also looking for destinations that a large number of their constituents can drive to,” he says.
Among the most popular destinations for religious groups, according to Schmidt, are Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix and Oklahoma City. The following four, however, also are major contenders:
Atlanta
Religious meetings accounted for roughly 6 percent of total conventions in the city last year, drawing more than 100,000 attendees, according to Mark Vaughan, executive vice president and chief sales officer for the Atlanta CVB.
“The city’s strong base of religious institutions combined with world-class hotels, restaurants, meeting facilities and attractions position Atlanta as a religious meetings hub,” he says. “Atlanta’s position at the apex of three major interstates is a competitive advantage for this type of group, too.”
Louisville
Religious groups love Louisville because it’s within a day’s drive of nearly half the U.S. population, according to Susan Dallas, communications manager at the Louisville CVB.
“Louisville’s reputation for providing excellent facilities, attractive rates and our hallmark Southern hospitality have helped attract and appeal to the religious market,” she says.
Downtown attractions such as the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory have helped the city attract groups like the United Pentecostal Church International, Dallas adds. The group’s 2011 annual meeting there attracted nearly 12,000 attendees.
Raleigh
“Raleigh is absolutely a top religious meeting destination,” says Greater Raleigh CVB Director of Sales Jana Rae Oliver, adding that groups like the Christian Congregation of Jehova’s Witnesses and the North Carolina Methodists—both of which met recently in Raleigh—are especially attracted to the city’s convenient I-95 location, which is central to regional attendees up and down the East Coast.
“We are at the epicenter of diversity in religions because of the multicultural nature of our area,” she says.
Tampa
The Republican National Convention may be taking place in Tampa this summer, but religious meetings take place there year-round, according to Travis Claytor, communications manager for Tampa Bay & Company, the city’s CVB.
In fact, Tampa has a dedicated sales rep who serves religious groups.
“We have been blessed to host groups such as the Gospel Music Workshop’s National Convention in 2003 and again in 2011, and we will welcome the United Methodist Church Quadrenniel Conference,” he says. “And RCMA has chosen to have its annual convention here in Tampa three times—more than any other destination.”
