MPI's European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) kicked off February 22 in Istanbul, an iconic city that straddles Europe and Asia and has served as a crossroads of civilizations and culture after rising to prominence as Constantinople, an imperial capital of the Roman Empire founded by emperor Constantine the Great.

The Super Bowl LIX host city New Orleans is a destination tailor-made for the spotlight, adding its signature brand of revelry, culture and cuisine to an undertaking that has become the quintessential U.S. cultural statement to the world.

From alluring international destinations to tours of some up-and-coming U.S. locales, Meetings Today editors were lucky enough to experience some of the best of what the industry has to offer through their travels.

Few destinations have shaped the course of history more than Spain’s eight-province Andalucía region. As my recent press trip to Sevilla and Granada with Meliá Hotels International revealed, the present is one of lightness, ease and indelible impressions, including a singular history of meetings and events.

I had the opportunity to experience Marriott’s Convention & Resort Network’s Summer in the City event July 10-12 in Chicago, and it’s easy to see why they’ve managed to take what used to be connecting at Cubs game and turn it into a nationwide meetings industry networking tour.

I only had 24 hours to spend in Seattle as a speaker at this year’s CEMA Summit. Here’s how I experienced all the destination has to offer despite my busy conference schedule.  

New Orleans’s infrastructure and 26,000-plus hotel rooms may literally make it a city “Built to Host,” but its distinct culture gives the Big Easy a welcoming spirit with an uplifting creative atmosphere that’s unlike anywhere else. 

Discover why outdoor havens in Western Montana, including  Missoula, Kalispell and Whitefish, might be the perfect fit for your small- to mid-size corporate meeting, incentive or retreat program.

In a Dallas Metroplex filled with worthy competitors for the meetings and conventions group dollar, Arlington has developed a giant conventions, sports and entertainment district that spills over with major attractions that will electrify groups of any stripe.

For three years in a row, Vienna, Austria, has been named the world’s most livable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and its culture, infrastructure and numerous meeting facilities also make it the perfect place for a group to call home.