Every night in Indianapolis at Monument Circle, there is a themed light and orchestral music presentation.

As Conference Event Director for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and founder of Civic Noise, Jennifer Sellers-Dimitrov can certainly appreciate trying to stand out in a crowded field. She represents music halls, clubs and other sites unaffiliated with corporate giants. “We’re small businesses,” says Sellers-Dimitrov, underscoring the point.

Yet, these venues can represent big business for cities across the globe. The acts draw attendees who dine nearby and patronize local shops. Music can provide a tourism boom for that night.

In that regard, there’s much in common between Sellers-Dimitrov’s group of entrepreneurs and convention and visitors bureaus representing destinations that can be caught in the shadow of some of the country’s largest and most visited cities.

“Associations are increasingly looking for destinations that offer the amenities of a major city without the complexity or cost that can come with one,” says Leslie Johnson, Visit Milwaukee’s vice president of sales and event experience. “Milwaukee, WI, fits that sweet spot: world-class venues and hotels, a walkable downtown and a community that truly rallies around its visitors.”

That kinship played at least some role in why NIVA felt so at home in Milwaukee this summer, and why the team at Visit Milwaukee and the local music community made such an active push to attract the group who only began convening together a few years ago. The association and destination seem made for each other.

To bring the point home, independent (but not necessarily small) venues often create an atmosphere and experience that a larger, more impersonal site can’t match. The same can be said of so-called second-tier destinations like Milwaukee, which oozes as much authenticity as it does cheese curds and brews.

The National Independent Venue Association held their conference this year in Milwaukee, WI, including this event at the Pabst Theater.

Affordability Without Sacrifice

Small-town charm can have a big impact on a meeting. Destinations that are truly walkable and affordable can make attendees’ stay easy to enjoy. Without the hustle-and-bustle of a metropolis to fray nerves, association members can stay in the moment and engage with their peers to network, talk shop and reunite after an extended time apart.

It’s little wonder that an increasing number of event planners are taking a break from top-tier cities to meet in destinations that may not be home to the country’s largest airports but have unrivaled amenities and experiences.

Lisa Dyson, conference director for the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), says mid-sized destinations like Fort Worth, TX, “can be a more affordable option without sacrificing quality.”

According to the American Express 2026 Meetings & Events Forecast, 30% of planners are seeking to reduce costs of their events. This push comes as F&B and AV prices continue to increase due to challenges related to inflation, the supply chain and tariffs.

Further making the case for smaller markets, 38% of planners say cost is a key factor in destination and venue selection, one percentage higher than ease-of-travel, the second most common consideration.

Planners needn’t fret if they don’t have access to the likes of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport or Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to Freeman’s 2025 Experience Trends Report.

Easy airlift is a priority among only 39% of attendees, while 49% of planners consider it a top factor for registration, one of several disconnects noted between event organizers and participants in the study.

The Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association held an event at the Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honky tonk, in Fort Worth, TX.

Seeking Authentic Experiences

Younger attendees, especially Generation Z, are seeking opportunities to network or learn and are less impressed by razzle-dazzle.

As a case in point, Mark Bice, CMP Fellow, Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association, notes Fort Worth is the first destination to which the group has made a repeat visit.

He thinks of Fort Worth as “authentic Texas.” Honky-tonk music and dancing, and the famed cattle Stockyards, are just some of the popular activities for meeting attendees.

Attendees were surprised by all the destination had to offer when they first met there in 2017 and were eager for a repeat visit in April 2025. “We didn’t take advantage of the city as much back then as we did now,” he says.

Bice organized a night out at Billy Bob’s, a famous venue, and an off-site board dinner at The Stockyards.

With about 700 attendees, the group — the only association in the world that certifies vision therapists — kept its meetings onsite at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel. Bice is among the planners who enjoys Fort Worth so much that he hopes developers add new properties for meetings and events.

When the $701 million Fort Worth Convention Center expansion project is completed, there may be further demand for more hotels.

Dyson says SIAM enjoyed a smooth experience within the convention center during their conference despite the construction. The city and crew pushed the loudest of the work to times that would not conflict with keynote addresses, she says.

Given that it is a group of mathematicians, SIAM is naturally numbers conscious. Dyson says Fort Worth was an ideal location for the event that typically draws about 2,000 attendees, many of whom arrive from international destinations.

This year’s conference was originally scheduled for 2021 but was rescheduled due to the pandemic. That gave Dyson and company a front-row seat to Fort Worth’s upgrades.

“I was impressed with what I saw,” says Dyson. “They are definitely going in the right direction with the changes they are making to the convention center.”

The 86,000 sf Boise Centre has 13 hotels with a total of 1,600 guestrooms and over 100 restaurants and breweries nearby.

Also headed in the right direction is Boise, ID, which is positioned to match attendees’ expectations for a true experience. Its vibrant community and quirky-yet-warm hospitality draw favorable comparisons to Austin, TX’s bustling capital.

Boise, which hosted the American Association for State and Local History in 2023 and will host the Association of Idaho Cities next year, is not nearly as big as Austin, but that plays to its strengths. The downtown, which is replete with unique venues like Jack’s Urban Meeting Place, The Egyptian Theatre, The Basque Museum & Cultural Center and Treefort Music Hall, is as walkable as it is welcoming.

Associations are likely to utilize Boise Centre, with 86,000 sf of meeting space, for education and large gatherings of up to 1,600 attendees. There are 13 hotels steps from Boise Centre, adding to the convenience.

Be sure to plan in free time for biking, hiking or golf in this outdoor-friendly destination. After working up a sweat, the group can relax at one or more of the city’s 100 restaurants and breweries.

Cincinnati’s downtown convention center, currently named the Duke Energy Convention Center, is undergoing a $264 million development and is slated to reopen in January 2026.

Building for the Future

First-hand impressions can’t be overstated, says Shaun Yates, vice president of convention sales and services at Visit Oklahoma City. Once he has a planner in town for a site visit, Yates has all the confidence in the world that the meeting in question is coming to town.

“It is so important for us to welcome guests for site visits, so they have the ability to experience the city,” he says. “With unique districts, a modern streetcar and a vibrant culinary scene, people are blown away by all OKC has to offer.”

Like Fort Worth, Oklahoma City is undergoing a transformation. Top selling points include a 500,000-sf convention center and a 605-room Omni headquarters hotel, as well as the recent debut of OG&E Coliseum, a 216,000-sf venue with flexible seating for up to 8,000 at OKC Fair Park.

Glen Abshere, executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals, which is part of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA), credits the development for enhancing CCOSA’s attendance. This year’s event drew a record 1,700 school administrators from elementary through high school and directors of special services, up from about 1,000 at the end of last decade. “When Oklahoma City began to build the new Oklahoma City Convention Center, we knew we had to move into that space,” Abshere says.

The conference is held right after school dismisses for the school year and before administrators take their summer vacations. Oklahoma City is the most accessible in-state destination for the event, he says.

Abshere also appreciates that the city has been able to keep up with the association’s growing demands. “As our conference has grown, so has the need for hotel accommodations and access to restaurants that are within walking distance,” he says, noting Bricktown (an entertainment district) is a short distance from the convention center.

Oklahoma City will surely remain in the spotlight for events. It will also gain exposure from hosting canoe slalom at its Whitewater Center and softball at Devon Park during the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which will be held primarily in Los Angeles, CA.

Oklahoma City, OK has plenty of meeting space, including at the 500,000 sf convention center, and has a streetcar to connect to downtown destinations with ease.

Cincinnati, OH, should win a medal for its efforts to attract associations. Its game-changing Convention District is set to open next year, and show off the rewards for investing more than $800 million into Duke Energy Convention Center, the new Marriott headquarters hotel and the new Elm Street Plaza. The Marriott will be connected to Duke via skybridge and have 62,000 sf of meeting space and a more than 17,000-sf terrace, as well as 700 guestrooms. It is expected to be complete by 2028.

The refreshed convention center, which is planned to reopen by the beginning of next year, will feature modernized meeting rooms, upgraded ballrooms and a renovated exhibit hall and pre-function space. It will have 750,000 sf of space overall, with 200,000 sf of exhibition space. It is slated to accommodate 75% of the existing convention, conference and meetings market in the country. In addition, a new rooftop terrace on the second level will provide views of Cincinnati’s downtown skyline. Major improvements are being made to building systems and technology to make the facility more energy efficient.

All of the meetings-based construction times with redevelopment that has already transformed the downtown area from the Banks Entertainment District along the Ohio River to Fountain Square and up to our Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, with more development still ongoing.

It’s easy to see why Cincinnati sees itself as a city of the future. The present looks good, too, with the American Association for State and Local History and the National Business Education Association meeting there this year.

The Indianapolis Convention Center is a perfect fit for large conventions, such as Gen Con, which last year had about 71,000 attendees.

‘Seven Minutes to Everything’

For a mid-sized city, Milwaukee has an oversized place in the country’s pop culture and events landscape.

It was the setting for “Happy Days” and “Laverne and Shirley,” and where the late, great Bob Uecker rose to fame as a sportscaster with a sharp wit. Two professional sports teams, Major League Baseball’s Brewers and the National Basketball Association’s Bucks, play there. Milwaukee scored a rare double play this decade by hosting the 2020 Democratic National Convention and 2024 Republican National Convention.

The DNC was severely impacted by the pandemic, but the RNC drew 50,000 attendees. Much of the event was held at the Fiserv Forum, while the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena, Baird Center and numerous hotels, restaurants and event venues around the city hosted convention-related events, meetings and dinners. It generated a total economic impact of $321.5 million.

Nevertheless, Visit Milwaukee and the region’s hospitality community have not grown too big for their proverbial britches, Sellers-Dimitrov says. The CVB made a concerted effort to make NIVA feel welcomed, including launching a welcome activation at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

“Hosting both national political conventions and high-profile association meetings has shown the country that Milwaukee can deliver on the biggest stage, but we never lose the personal touch,” says Johnson. “That balance of scale and service is what keeps associations coming back.”

The conference has grown to 1,400 attendees but is relatively new. After decades of venue operators feeling like they were on their own islands, they decided to launch the event a few years ago. It’s rotated between medium-sized and large destinations with rich music history. Cleveland hosted the inaugural conference, and was followed by Washington, D.C. and New Orleans before landing in Milwaukee. The 2026 event has been awarded to Minneapolis, hometown of the iconic singer Prince.

Milwaukee’s size and venues made it a natural fit, says Sellers-Dimitrov. Most of the summer conference this year was held at Miller High Life Theatre and the historic Turner Hall Ballroom, both of which are operated by Pabst Theater Group, an example of the independent operators the conference attracts.

Highlights of the event included:

• Live performances every night at venues including Cactus Club, Falcon Bowl, X-Ray Arcade, Shank Hall, The Cooperage and The Rave/Eagle’s Club.
• A keynote conversation with Jim James of “My Morning Jacket.”
• An appearance by comedian, musician and venue owner Hannibal Buress.

Release of the first-ever “State of Live Economic Impact Report,” which revealed that independent venues, festivals and promoters generated $86.2 billion in direct GDP impact last year, surpassing the contributions of the beer, gaming and airline industries.

Sellers-Dimitrov notes that conference-goers appreciated the close proximity to restaurants and retail outlets. “As one of our colleagues said, it’s seven minutes to everything no matter where you are,” she says.

Walkability was built into the master plan when the Indiana Convention Center first opened in 1972 and has been a trait that’s led Indianapolis to be ranked about the country’s top convention cities. As is often the case, Indianapolis was ahead of the times, creating a convention campus decades before other destinations started marketing similar designs.

Eleven downtown hotels are connected to The Indiana Convention Center via skywalks, and an incoming 38-story 800-room Signia by Hilton Indianapolis will make it 12 by next year. The design not only safeguards against inclement weather, but adds a layer of convenience that is responsible for attracting major conventions and sporting events. Indianapolis, in fact, became the only city to host the entire NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2021, which used the setup to create a “bubble” for safety concerns during the pandemic.

The destination is so respected that 250 executives from the industry’s leading trade shows met there this year for the The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) annual Leadership Conference.

Part of the appeal is the array of hotels overall, including a JW Marriott and Omni Resort.

A sixth expansion is underway on the convention center, adding 143,500 sf of new space, including a 50,000-sf ballroom — the largest in Indiana — next year.

For all of its connectivity, Indy is known for thinking outside the box. It was the first Super Bowl host city to include a fan festival before the big game. That Hoosier Hospitality is now standard practice for the massive event.

The home of the Indy 500 never stands still. Notable projects include:

• The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has reopened after an $89 million transformation.
• The Georgia Street corridor, connecting the Indiana Convention Center to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, is being reimagined into a more pedestrian- and event-friendly space.
• The Shinola Hotel is set to debut in 2027 alongside a 4,000-capacity Live Nation music venue.
• Indy’s historic City Market is also undergoing a $175 million revitalization to enhance its accessibility and vibrancy.

The 300,000-sf Spokane Convention Center has three ballrooms, 41 meeting and breakout rooms, outdoor areas and a performing arts center.

Building Relationships

Time seems to move slower in small communities. The rush to grab a subway train or Uber in the rain doesn’t tend to exist. You can take the time to see the sights and know the people.

Such pleasantness extends into business as well. Loreal Lance, chief of staff for The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) based in Washington D.C., first met Denise Bosmans, the senior director of national accounts for Visit Spokane in Washington state, at an industry event a few years ago. Now, they speak more than once per quarter.

Yes, Lance, the buyer, and Bosmans, the seller, are on opposite sides of the table. But, the relationship has never felt transactional, Lance says. In fact, their friendship endured despite Spokane’s place as a runner-up to the association’s conference this year. “She didn’t let that become an issue,” says Lance. “The relationship with Denise has just flourished. She’s so easy to work with and knows exactly what we need.”

The CTAA Board of Directors kept Spokane in mind when plotting out its next trip out west. Lance let out an extra-large smile when Spokane recently got the call that their 2028 event would be held there. She finds it rewarding to see the years-long dialogue turn into a chance to work together, but she also sees the destination as the right fit for the organization and event.

About 1,200 federal, state and local transportation operators from primarily rural U.S. communities gather at CTAA’s event. Many see it as their chance to see other parts of the country, and extend their stay and bring their family for a vacation.

Spokane’s hospitality is sure to win members over, Lance predicts. “It’s really important to me that we go where we are wanted,” she says.

While the association does fluctuate between first-tier and mid-sized destinations, Lance says the smaller towns are more manageable for attendees. Restaurants are in close proximity to hotels and convention centers. Likewise, the conference is the big fish in town rather than one of several events occurring concurrently in a large venue.

They are also more affordable, notes Lance. CTAA hosts one group lunch but otherwise allows attendees to explore the host cities for meals, which enhances their experience and also helps the association shift dollars to other parts of the conference. It can be easier to find family- and budget-friendly places to eat outside the country’s largest cities, Lance says.

Even luxury hotels like the Davenport Grand Hotel, a hotel the association will use as a headquarters property, are significantly more affordable than more famed hotels in larger cities.

The Davenport Grand Hotel and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Spokane City Center, the other hotel CTAA is using, are conveniently connected via skybridge to Spokane Convention Center.

The case study with Spokane is among the reasons CTAA is rethinking its convention process. The organization currently moves between East (Atlantic City in 2027), Central (Omaha, Nebraska in 2026 and Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2029), and West (Spokane) to meet members where they are.

But starting in 2030, the board will place greater emphasis on experience over geography, which Lance predicts will open the door to more mid-sized markets. AC&F