Home Destinations Exclusive: Insiders’ Guide to the 2026 Cvent Rankings

Exclusive: Insiders’ Guide to the 2026 Cvent Rankings

July 14, 2026

Planners and destinations alike avidly greet Cvent’s annual list of top meeting destinations and hotels each year. Here’s some insights behind this year’s numbers.

Meeting and event planners eagerly await the unveiling of the annual destination and property rankings from Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events and hospitality technology provider. The annual lists, which cover North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America & Caribbean, also include top meeting venues in North America and UK, as well as top meeting vendors.

Prevue recently caught up with Alex Platia, Senior Director, Product Marketing with Cvent, to learn more about the rankings, which are derived from global sourcing and request-for-proposal (RFP) activity through Cvent’s sourcing platforms in the previous year, including the Cvent Supplier Network.

Prevue: What overall trends do these data suggest in terms of destinations?
Alex Platia: The 2026 rankings support the industry’s continued preference for destinations that combine proven and scalable meetings infrastructure with distinctive attendee experiences. Across regions, the top-performing cities are places able to accommodate accessibility, offer a range of hotels, possess convention capacity, and have a compelling local culture.

This year specifically, we also saw a dual trend emerge with established gateway cities regaining momentum alongside high-growth emerging markets continuing to gain market share. In North America, for example, New York City made one of the biggest jumps in the rankings, while Nashville and Austin continued their upward trajectory, reflecting planners’ interest in destinations that deliver both scale and authenticity. More broadly, the rankings demonstrate a strong return to face-to-face meetings and events. The data behind this year’s lists came from more than $20 billion in sourcing activity through Cvent platforms, underscoring the strategic importance of audience engagement across in-person events.

Prevue: What overall trends do these suggest for meeting hotels and other venues?
Platia: This year’s hotels list highlights an increasing planner preference for properties that can support large, complex events while still providing exceptional service and responsiveness to attendees and event professionals alike. Large convention-oriented hotels and resort campuses performed particularly well, as seen in the strong showing from Gaylord properties and major Las Vegas resorts in the North American rankings.

On the venues front, this year’s rankings indicate growing demand for unique and experiential spaces. Several of the highest-ranked meeting venues are nontraditional locations that help organizations create memorable attendee experiences, suggesting that planners are looking beyond standard meeting rooms or stages, and are incorporating more dynamic environments into their event strategies. It reflects a clear shift: Planners are increasingly evaluating destinations not just on hotel inventory or convention capacity, but on the full portfolio of unique experiences a city can offer. Nashville’s continued climb is a fitting example of a destination that excels on both fronts.

Prevue: How important are technology and innovation to the venues and destinations that place highly on the list?
Platia: Technology and innovation are increasingly critical differentiators. The rankings themselves are based not only on demand, but also on factors like response rates, bid rates, conversion performance and overall engagement with planners through Cvent’s sourcing ecosystem. Properties and destinations that make it easy to source, evaluate and book business continue to perform well on Cvent’s annual lists. Beyond the rankings methodology, the broader industry continues to prioritize digital tools, data and AI-enabled decision-making.

A key — and often underestimated — part of that equation is content quality. Properties that invest in rich, accurate and immersive content on venue profiles are better positioned to attract and convert planner interest. That means more than just a property description and a few photos. Leading properties are leveraging tools like interactive floor plans, 3D virtual tours and detailed room diagrams to give planners the ability to truly visualize their event before a single site visit takes place.

As planners face increasing pressure to demonstrate event ROI, they are gravitating toward suppliers that combine strong in-person experiences with sophisticated technology for planning, communication, and event execution. The success of top-ranked destinations and venues reflects their ability to meet planners’ digital and onsite needs.

Prevue: What are the most interesting and/or key differences in destination and hotel choices between the different regions included in the research?
Platia: One notable finding is the stability of top performers across several international regions. London retained the top spot in Europe for the fourth consecutive year; Singapore remained the leading destination in Asia Pacific and Dubai continued to lead the Middle East rankings. These markets benefit from strong global connectivity and mature meetings infrastructure.

North America, by contrast, showed more movement within the rankings, particularly with the rise of Nashville, Austin and New York City. These shifts demonstrate planners’ growing focus on and evaluation of a given destination’s meeting capabilities, attendee appeal and larger visitor experience.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, resort-oriented destinations such as Cancun/Riviera Maya continued to perform strongly, reflecting the ongoing appeal of locations that can support meetings, incentives and leisure travel within the same trip.

Prevue: Are there any notable differences from previous years’ results?
Platia: The most notable change is the momentum seen in several emerging and resurgent destinations. In North America, New York City’s four-position leap into the Top 10 was one of the most significant year-over-year shifts, while Nashville moved into the No. 3 position, and Austin continued to climb.

On the hotel side, JW Marriott Austin rose four spots to claim the No. 1 position in North America, reflecting both the property’s performance and Austin’s growing influence as a meetings destination.

At the same time, many global leaders maintained their rankings, signaling that destinations with strong infrastructure, supplier partnerships and consistent execution track record continue to perform well year over year.

Prevue: Do these rankings reflect any larger trends in the industry right now?
Platia: Yes, Cvent’s rankings mirror several larger industry trends. First, they reinforce the ongoing strength of events as a business growth driver, with organizations continuing to increase events spend and prioritize engagement-first experiences for their audiences. Cvent’s data showed record sourcing volume, and industry forecasts indicate both event activity and meetings investment are expected to grow in the short and long term.

Second, planners are becoming more selective and are prioritizing destinations and venues that have proven success in delivering measurable outcomes, operational reliability and standout event experiences. The success of convention-focused hotels, major destination hubs and experiential venues all points to a market that values both efficiency and impact.

Finally, the rankings reflect a broader evolution in the meetings industry toward data-driven sourcing, stronger technology adoption, and experiences that justify travel. With that in mind, the destinations and venues rising to the top are understandably those that successfully combine all three.