Orlando might be the top U.S. choice for hosting meetings, but it doesn’t have to be O-Town or bust. There are other cities not commonly considered for meetings and events that might work in your organization’s favor.

But how do you choose from so many unknown destinations? Well, that’s where we come in. Based on GroupSync data and our own travel experiences, the team at Groups360 has selected five cities to shine a spotlight on to get you thinking beyond the destination status quo.

What matters when sourcing a city?
While we will encourage you to think outside the box when picking a host city for your next event, let’s also acknowledge there is a box. A group travel or event planner’s must-have search criteria typically includes:

1. Easy air travel
2. Convention center and meeting room capacity
3. Entertainment opportunities
4. Public transportation

If you know your needs for the above but are stumped when it comes to the destination, the below list offers some guidance. GroupSync’s AI will also make city recommendations suited to your preferences and search criteria.

Our top 5 destinations to consider for meetings and events

Anaheim, CA

We can all agree the hotspot San Diego is beautiful this time of year—no matter which season you’re reading this. Yet take a mostly coastline drive north, and you’ll be in Anaheim in less than two hours.

It’s got theme parks, sure. Plenty of them. (Insider tip: Opt for hotels close to the Anaheim Convention Center if you plan to wear your mouse ears, as they’re still a short drive from the parks while being on the more economical end.)

The Anaheim Resort, which contains the convention center, is your one-stop shop. Disneyland. Meeting space. Hotel rooms. Restaurants. Shops. Hosting more than 25 million visitors a year, it’s still being developed and built out.

Your outdoors-loving group will still enjoy California’s beauty while bonding, as Anaheim GardenWalk is considered an “eatertainment” destination. Its venues accommodate groups from large to small, at 3,300 capacity down to 60.

Don’t miss it: Bringing Fido along? No judgment. Anaheim has dozens of pet-friendly hotel accommodations, and some parks even offer daytime boarding.

Start here: Visit Anaheim

Fort Myers, FL

Fort Myers is so intent on increasing its event capacity exposure that its Conference Services team partners with meeting planners for some of the heavy lifting. That includes touring and inspecting facilities, meeting with local suppliers, and convention registration assistance, all of which is especially helpful for part-time planners.

Lee County also offers grants and incentives to companies booking meetings that are held by a specific date.

You might be here for work, but don’t miss the opportunity to recharge at the beach. A short drive away, Sanibel Island’s beaches are known for their shelling, a meditative and relaxing hobby. There’s even a name for those seen taking part in the practice: the Sanibel Stoop.

In the evening, walk around the downtown core’s River District before showtime at the Florida Repertory Theater, which the Wall Street Journal called “one of America’s Top Repertory Companies.”

Don’t miss it: If you’re here for the weather, get the full outdoor experience by chartering a boat at one of 20 marinas.

Start here: Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau

Myrtle Beach, SC

There’s a preconception about Myrtle Beach that isn’t wrong:

✓ Sandy beaches
✓ Golf courses
✓ Seafood
✓ Hotels galore (425, at last count)
✓ Tourism ($7 billion in annual economic impact)

Yet it’s an ideal conference, trade show, and meeting choice, too. The Myrtle Beach Convention Center—welcoming more than 14 million visitors each year—is connected to the Sheraton and steps away from the beach (which, let’s be honest, remains the main draw).

To take advantage of that ocean breeze, opt for the Events Plaza. The hotel and convention center’s concessionaire provide all food and beverage services, meaning one less vendor for you to book.

Don’t miss it: Visit Myrtle Beach and the Champion Autism Network partner to train staff at hotels and restaurants so they’re autism-aware and experiences are sensory-friendly. The Myrtle Beach International Airport even has a quiet room for decompressing before or after a flight.

Start here: Visit Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

San Antonio, TX

While Austin’s been keeping it weird, San Antonio’s been keeping it beautiful. USAToday called the city’s 15-mile River Walk one of the country’s 10 most attractive sights—and luckily the 1.6 million-square-foot Henry B. González Convention Center sits right on it.

Yet the River Walk isn’t the only gem. There’s LEGOLAND Discovery Center, the Carver Community Cultural Center, and a steady stream of events celebrating the city’s diversity. Book a shoulder stay at one of the hundreds of hotels for extra exploration time.

As for selling your higher-ups on San Antonio, the city’s made it easy to present on the meeting and event destination: Find B-roll, descriptive text, floor plans, and more on its website.

Don’t miss it: As the seventh-biggest city in the United States, San Antonio covers its bases for visitors to easily navigate—by double-decker bus, plane, boat, bike, foot, and public transit.

Start here: Visit San Antonio and Visit San Antonio – Meetings

Savannah, GA

While Atlanta is a perennial favorite due to its plethora of hotel rooms and reasonable average room rate, the very fact that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the country’s busiest airport is a deterrent. It might feel efficient to fly your team into this major hub, but after navigating through the nearly 200 gates among thousands of fellow travelers, don’t forget you still have post-airport traffic to contend with.

Why Savannah? First, it’s downright charming with its Spanish moss-draped parks, riverboat cruises, and architectural tours. It’s also extremely walkable, due to the city’s grid.

Before you let loose for playtime, though, consider the Savannah Convention Center’s impressive stats:

● A 330,000 sq. ft. complex
● Divisible exhibit space of 100,000 sq. ft.
● 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
● A 25,000 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom
● 367-seat auditorium

Don’t miss it: The convention center defines its sustainability practices, and choosing a lesser-known location like Savannah shows you’re already considering your impact.

Start here: Visit Savannah

Bonus Destination

Omaha, NE

Omaha, named after a Native American Tribe, means “Those going against the wind or current.” That’s what you’d be doing by planning a meeting in this unexpected event destination—a city that claims to have invented the Reuben sandwich, cake mix, and TV dinners.

Here’s why we love it:

1. Flight ease: nonstop service to 30 busy airports
2. Convention center: CHI Health Center Omaha (346,000 sq. ft.) is 4 miles from the airport
3. Rooms galore: 15,000+ throughout metro
4. Transportation: taxis, rideshares, hotel shuttle service, rental vehicles, motorcoaches, and pedicabs

Don’t miss it: Also unexpected when it comes to Omaha? Its zoo—known as one of the best in the United States—is home to the continent’s largest indoor rainforest. The zoo’s millions of annual visitors can vouch for it.

Start here: Visit Omaha

Reinvigorate your experience by choosing a unique city

Group travel and event planners can burn out on only having the same handful of options. Opting for a unique city can bring some much-needed change as well as give attendees an experience to look forward to.

While GroupSync will always provide you with alternative destination ideas based on your travel and event requirements, be on the lookout for future blog articles offering up additional recommendations.

Looking for ways to minimize your company’s environmental impact when hosting events, meetings, or groups? Of course you are. Group travel might raise concerns when sustainability is a company priority, but sustainable event planning is still achievable, even if attendees must travel from several cities to reach your event.

We’ve entered a new era of group travel, and travel’s effect on climate change can’t be ignored. While it’s difficult to be 100% sustainable, there are still ways to make a small impact and highlight the importance of sustainable practices.

What is sustainable travel?

Sustainability is promoting and undoing harmful human impact on the natural environment, including an economic, social, and supply chain perspective. Earth-friendly travel is the effort to minimize all-round impact, often focused on lowering carbon emissions.

For businesses, the desire to embrace this worldview can conflict with cost containment: Sustainability often comes with a higher price tag, particularly as travel prices rise.

Create more sustainable group travel practices

Environmentally-minded organizations, group travel organizers and event planners grow closer to sustainable travel practices simply by booking hotels smarter. A shift in perspective — such as choosing a lesser-known location, patronizing local businesses during travel, and actively reducing waste at your event — contributes to a positive impact.

Here are four tips to get started:

1. Put on your walking shoes

Cut down on fuel use and greenhouse gasses from driving to and from your selected venue by booking hotels within walking distance.

With GroupSync Marketplace, you can achieve exactly that: Filter your search by address and proximity so results meet this criteria. Searching, sourcing, and booking for a solution matching your needs, budgets, and amenities has never been easier.

A walking commute is also the best way to get to know the city you’re visiting, making you more likely to duck into a local bagel shop and put money back into the community.

“[Shopping locally] allows for a more circular economy, which affects other sustainability factors like cultural protection, local sourcing, and so on,” said Jaclyn Yost, founder and CEO of ecomadic, an online green travel magazine.

When walking is a challenge, comfort doesn’t have to sacrifice sustainability: Many cities’ public transportation systems make it easier to get from A to B, though unfamiliar attendees could be transportation-shy. Research and share how to use public transport so your group feels comfortable. Or, you might also plan ahead so your group has a clear carpool plan.

“Event planners should make sure to consider ADA and accessibility needs when planning their event to be truly sustainable,” said Hazel Horvath, founder and CEO of Ecolytics, which works with businesses to assess and improve their environmental impact.

Bonus point: If carbon-intensive air travel isn’t a must—say you’re traveling within Europe—opt for the train. Pluses of railway travel include site-seeing opportunities, group socializing, work time, and rest.

2. Book hotels with onsite amenities

Event planners can make it ultra-easy for attendees by booking a meeting space and accommodations at the same venue to reduce the need to travel. Beyond a commute, though, consider a hotel’s additional offerings, accounting for every beat of a guest’s experience:

Transportation:
Does it have an airport shuttle?
Can you rent bikes or does it provide bike storage?
Are there electric vehicle recharging stations?
Will it subsidize public transportation passes?

Temperature regulation:
Does its meeting rooms have digital thermostats?
Are there occupancy sensors to control temperature and lights?

Housekeeping:
Does it track water usage and have a conservation practice?
Are there water bottle refill stations?
Do guest rooms have bulk shampoo dispensers?

Bonus point: A hotel’s amenities can go beyond a one-off experience. Hotels that are really embracing these efforts think long-term, like vegetable gardens, beekeeping, timed landscaping water systems, green infrastructure, monthly beach cleanups, and donating extra food. These hotels are growing from a “me” responsibility (a single guest’s stay) to a “we” responsibility (contributing to the community at large).

3. Reduce waste

Once working with a venue that has the same Earth-first approach, planners need to think through their own event supplies: name tags, signs, and the many paper products that are often trashed afterward.

Not only can you move to suppliers that make the green choice their standard, you can reduce plastic use, single-use signage, plastic straws, and more. Some small shifts that have a big impact:

● Event signage listing the date → Signs with generic branding (can be reused)
● Mandatory attendance → Optional attendance (incorporating virtual attendance)
● Swag bag with useless items → Canvas swag bag with metal straw, reusable water bottle, a natural fiber bento box, ballcap made from recycled fabric, biodegradable ballpoint pen, etc. (More ideas can be found here.)

Bonus point: Make sustainability part of your meeting or event’s program. Point out what efforts have been taken—here are the recycling bins, these are compostable forks, this is why we’re using a QR code instead of printed materials—so the conversation is encouraged to continue.

4. Push hotels on their sustainability policy

Hotels that have incorporated sustainable practices are likely already touting their efforts. Some, like Marriott International, are being recognized for their commitment.

Yet organizations and companies say they feel held back by their inability to determine the authenticity of sustainability claims. The commonly used term “greenwashing” is when a company misleads consumers about its environmental efforts.

A hotel’s sustainable practices may not be entirely altruistic, of course. Just think about when the hotel industry moved to let guests skip new towels each day. This saves water, sure, yet it also lowers a hotel’s laundry costs.

Ask hotels to be specific about how they incorporate sustainable practices, and request a copy of their environmental policy. When communicating with hotels via a GroupSync RFP, questions to ask include:

1. Do you use renewable energy sources?
2. What steps have you taken to reduce your carbon footprint?
3. Are you able to work with me to make my event carbon neutral?
4. Our event will include some paper and plastic products. How can we reduce on-site waste and make recycling and composting easier?

Bonus point: Research a hotel’s third-party certifications to see how success is measured, as not all are created equal, Horvath said. She recommended looking at how many metrics are tracked and how claims are verified to start with.

Small steps toward social responsibility make a difference

The hard-hit travel and tourism industry is still recovering from 2020 losses of $4.5 trillion GDP and 62 million jobs, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s economic and trends report. Yet, the sector remains focused on rebuilding better than before, prioritizing climate and environmental issues “not only on ethical grounds, but also because the travellers of tomorrow will demand it.”

Sustainability is both fashionable and here to stay, and being eco-friendly can feel next to impossible when planning for group travel and events. Yet there are small, minimally intrusive ways to make a lasting impact on the planet. Every little bit helps. Just like how hotels’ sustainability efforts are a win-win for them, so, too, is an organization’s work toward greener travel operations.