While annual conventions and expositions have long been a staple of the business world, the corporate retreat has made a resurgence in the 21st century as a means of team morale building and brainstorming. These American cities offer destinations for every corporate budget, showcasing internationally-renowned landmarks and world-class luxury hotels.
San Diego
San Diego is California’s second-largest city. Known as the “Birthplace of California,” the city is a major economic and cultural center for the southern California region, home to the University of California and its affiliated USCD Medical Center, a leading biotechnology facility. It is known for its year-round temperate climate and expansive deep-water harbor, which serves as a popular hub for boating and water sports and is flanked by miles of beautiful beachfront. Major tourist attractions in San Diego include the world-renowned San Diego Zoo, massive oasis Balboa Park, and museums related to the region’s naval history.
The 2.6-million-square-foot San Diego Convention Center provides convenient access to more than 11,000 world-class hotel rooms and is located adjacent to the hip Gaslamp Quarter neighborhood, home to a wide variety of nightlife venues, and annual festivals.
Orlando
Orlando is the Southern United States’ sixth most-populous urban region. Orlando is nicknamed “The City Beautiful” and is best known for its massive theme park resorts, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, which attract more than 68 million annual visitors to the region. The Gamma- level global city is one of America’s busiest conference cities, home to the seven-million-square-foot Orange County Convention Center, the second-largest convention center in the nation.
Resort hotels abound, including the themed luxury hotels of the Walt Disney World Resort, which recreate the splendor of major world attractions such as seaside boardwalks, national parks, and Hollywood creative studios.
Denver
Denver is Colorado’s capital city and blends Old West charm with modern culture and a high sense of livability, ranked as the United States’ best place to live by U.S. News and World Report. The Mile High City is located within the South Platte River Valley and offers spectacular surrounding views of the Rocky Mountains’ Front Range. Denver boasts cultural attractions such as the Denver Art Museum and the historic Larimer Square, which showcases 19th-century architecture.
Nashville
Nashville is Tennessee’s state capital and most populous city, home to a population of more than 1.9 million residents throughout its metropolitan region. Nashville is historically known as a major center of American country music, home to famous attractions such as the legendary Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Ryman Auditorium. Its recent urban revitalization has landed it on National Geographic Traveller UK’s 2018 Cool List for its burgeoning food scene, noted in top publications such as Food & Wine and Condé Nast Traveler.
Conference facilities are offered at the 2.1-million-square-foot downtown Music City Center or the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, which is located less than 10 minutes from Nashville International Airport and showcases nine acres of lush indoor gardens and waterways.
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is one of the America's great metropolises, known as the "Horse Show Capital of the World" for its rich cowboy heritage and culture.
The diverse modern city is a great choice for unique corporate retreats with a focus on outdoor adventure, offering opportunities for team-building experiences aboard riversport rafts within the city's Boathouse District, including motivational sessions available with former Olympic athletes. The city's beautiful Myriad Botanical Gardens facility is a perfect choice for elegant corporate events, including gala fundraisers, holiday receptions, and corporate board meetings, able to host up to 400 guests in a lavish natural environment.
A wide variety of fine dining options are offered throughout the city, along with ample arts and cultural attractions for corporate groups to explore.
Atlanta
Atlanta is Georgia’s most populous city and major cultural center. The diverse, vibrant city, which is known as the “city in a forest” for its tree-lined topography and numerous urban parks, experienced a world-class revival in the late 20th century after its hosting of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games. Hotels and venues such as the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, and the 1.4-million-square-foot Georgia World Congress Center are located in the heart of the city’s downtown and provide convenient access to major attractions such as the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Ballet, and Zoo Atlanta.
Austin
Austin is Texas’ state capital and is best known for its thriving, eclectic live music scene, which has earned the city the nickname “The Live Music Capital of the World.” As the United States’ fastest-growing major city, the metropolis is home to a regional population of more than two million people and has been named Forbes’ top “City of the Future.” The 246,000-square-foot Austin Convention Center is conveniently located near top downtown hotels such as the Hilton Austin, JW Marriott Austin, and Fairmont Austin and more than 200 unique and award-winning restaurants within the city’s downtown region. Nearby, hip neighborhoods such as the Sixth Street district are home to trendy bars, boutique shops, and annual special events such as the South by Southwest music and innovation festival, while districts such as South Congress and Hyde Park showcase the local charm exemplified by the city’s “Keep Austin Weird” slogan.
Boston
Boston is one of the United States’ oldest cities, founded in 1630 by English Puritanical settlers. Today, the metropolis is Massachusetts’ capital city and is home to more than 4.8 million people throughout its statistical region, making it the 10th-largest urban area in the country.As a leader in education, business, and innovation, the city is world-renowned for its top universities, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Historic attractions abound in Boston including the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail walking tour, which showcases American Revolution sites such as the Faneuil Hall marketplace. Three convention centers are offered within the city’s downtown district, including the state-of-the-art Boston Convention and Exhibit Center, which offers the fastest airport-to-convention-center commute in the country and has been named as the Professional Convention Management Association’s top high-tech convention facility.
Chicago
Chicago is the United States’ third most populous city, home to more than 10 million people throughout its greater urban region, and is internationally renowned as the birthplace of the steel-framed skyscraper in the early 20th century. The metropolis was ranked as the seventh most-influential world city on the 2017 Global Cities Index and as the top American city for business by Site Selection magazine. Chicago's 2.6-million-square-foot McCormick Place is consistently ranked as the nation’s top convention center, located within easy walking distance from more than 33,000 downtown hotel rooms, and its O’Hare International Airport remains one of the largest airport hubs in the world today. Beyond business, the Windy City is also home to a large number of cultural attractions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Navy Pier shopping and entertainment complex, and the international landmarks of the Magnificent Mile upscale district.
Columbus
Columbus is Ohio’s most populous city and the United States’ 14th-largest, offering a diverse economy and serving as the international headquarters for top corporations and brands such as Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Wendy’s, White Castle, and Red Roof Inn. As one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing cities, the metropolis has been ranked as one of Money Magazine’s best American big cities and has received an A grade from Forbes as one of the country’s top business cities. The Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus offers 410,000 square feet of exhibit space and the state’s largest meeting room, located within easy walking distance of more than 3,800 downtown hotel rooms and major attractions such as the Short North Arts District and the North Market. Other top Columbus attractions include the COSI Science Center, the Columbus Museum of Art, and German Village, which showcases restored 19th-century settler homes.
Dallas
Dallas is one of the United States’ fastest-growing cities and forms the core of the American South’s largest metropolitan area, home to an urban population of more than 1.3 million. The beta+ ranked city is home to the international headquarters of Fortune 500 corporations such as ExxonMobil, AT&T, and American Airlines and boasts the largest light rail transit system in the nation. It is easily accessible from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which provides more non-stop flight connections than any other American airport. Dallas' Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas has been ranked as one of Trade Show Executive magazine’s top convention centers and offers adjoining access to the Omni Dallas Hotel. More than 80,000 hotel rooms are offered throughout the city.
Omaha
Over 3,000 hotel rooms, a diverse choice of restaurants and entertainment options make downtown Omaha a great destination for a corporate retreat. Omaha is a thriving, modern city with almost a million inhabitants along the Missouri River who are proud of its warm Midwestern hospitality. The city is known for its pioneer history and is a stop on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. One of the country’s most renowned zoos, the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, is known for its conservation work, big cat space, indoor jungle, desert habitats, and rainforest.
The Old Market is a downtown neighborhood with many restaurants and art galleries. The Joslyn Art Museum is Nebraska’s major fine arts museum, located in a beautiful 1931 Art Deco building.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a bustling resort city located within Nevada’s Mojave Desert, consistently ranked as one of the world’s top tourist destinations for its famed four-mile Strip boulevard. As a global hospitality industry leader, the city is home to more AAA Five Diamond-rated hotels than any other international city, including landmarks such as the renowned MGM Grand, Bellagio, and Caesars Palace resorts. The city is known as the “Entertainment Capital of the World” for its nightlife attractions, including dozens of 24-hour casinos and themed hotels showcasing elaborate replicas of world landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Venetian Grand Canal, and Egyptian pyramids.
The 1.9-million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center is the world’s largest single-story convention center, hosting a variety of major international conferences and trade shows.
Convention and meeting facilities are also offered at a number of mega-hotels, including the 2.1-million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the largest privately-owned convention facility in the world.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the county seat of Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous county, and is second in population as an urban metropolis only to New York City.
The city is known as the “City of Angels,” a nod to its Spanish etymology and heritage, and is best known internationally as the home of the iconic Hollywood neighborhood, the center of American film and television and home of famed studios such as Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers. As Southern California’s financial, commercial, and cultural center, Los Angeles is among the top 10 international cities on the Global Cities Index and the Global Economic Power Index, producing the world’s third-largest gross metropolitan product after Tokyo and New York City. 770,000 square feet of exhibit space is offered at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which is easily accessible from Los Angeles International, Hollywood Burbank, and LA/Ontario International Airports.
Major attractions include Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, which is home to the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a large concentration of historic and modern celebrity mansions.
Miami
Miami is Southeastern Florida’s largest port city and is home to a population of more than 5.5 million residents, making it the United States’ seventh most-populous major city.
As a major financial, commercial, and cultural city, the metropolis has been ranked as an Alpha- world city by the World Cities Study Group, renowned for its large concentration of international banks and corporations.
The city has been ranked as America’s cleanest city for its vast urban natural spaces, high-quality public utilities, and citywide environmental sustainability initiatives. Its port is known as the “Cruise Capital of the World” and its downtown metropolitan region is the second most-visited tourist region in the Eastern United States after New York City, home to a wide variety of museums, performing arts centers, nightlife venues, and annual festivals such as the Calle Ocho Festival and Carnaval Miami. The Miami Beach Convention Center offers more than 1.2 million square feet of exhibit and meeting space, providing convenient access to Miami Beach attractions such as the Art Deco Historic District and the prestigious South Beach neighborhood.
