All of this is conducted against a backdrop of 24/7 entertainment, gaming and endless nightlife — the “lost weekend” cliché for which this Sin City is also known. Needless to say, association meetings and conferences are a big business in Las Vegas.

As above, so below? Not so. The dark stuffiness of the casino experience — where there are no windows or clocks — makes it easy for planners to forget two of Atlantic City’s most persistent realities: its abundance of waterways, and its myriad venues for offering spectacular views thereof.

Colorado, a vast and beautiful state highlighted by the Rocky Mountains and featuring numerous individual destinations large and small, has become popular with meeting planners who want to escape a typical urban setting and enjoy spectacular scenery.

Small and large groups that repeatedly return to the Crescent City have a different kind of good time every time. That’s because New Orleans has everything planners need.

Texas is a big state with big options for planners. North, east, south or west, there’s a city that will welcome your group with Texas-sized warmth and hospitality.

When planners think of meeting in Nevada, they typically think Las Vegas. Yet, Reno-Tahoe — at the edge of the towering Sierra Nevada — offers its own brand of inspiration and should be on every planner’s Nevada go-to list.

These days, a happy, new reality is trumping old perceptions. Atlantic City is once again becoming a genuine player in the meetings game.

When you consider destinations for business travel, Orlando would have to be among the most appealing. Certainly the city is no stranger to kudos from a variety of sources. It’s been named AAA’s top domestic summer destination, as well as one of Travelocity’s “coolest places to go in 2018 for family travel.” But regardless of the time of year and even when association travel doesn’t include family, Orlando remains a top destination.

Some planners who see their annual events rapidly growing are finding it’s worth stepping it up a bit.

One surefire solution to sagging attendance is to choose a popular vacation destination that will appeal to the whole family.