The selection in 2026 includes 149 destinations. This unique, in-depth, independent evaluation system is based on the Meeting Experience Index of destinations, which comprises an analysis of over 75 qualitative criteria. The methodology goes beyond classic comparisons that focus solely on the number of events hosted at destinations, also evaluating and contrasting their maximum capacities, resilience, and the actual needs of event organisers.
Commenting on the selection, Gorazd Čad said, “Our assessment is not merely a benchmarking exercise, but first and foremost a strategic development tool designed to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of individual destinations. It provides destinations with an independent, professional external perspective on their overall offering and actively encourages continuous improvement, innovation, and the pursuit of the highest standards of excellence. As a systematic, long-term framework, the methodology enables consistent monitoring of progress across individual evaluation criteria over time and meaningful comparison with international best practices. Destinations adopt our methodology because they are committed to building their visibility, quality, and competitiveness — and because they aspire to become or remain globally competitive.”
XL MEETING DESTINATIONS
Destinations that can host more than 2,000 congress attendees (40 evaluated destinations in 2026)
Winner: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, final score: 4.820
Copenhagen is a meeting destination that consistently reshapes how events are conceived and delivered. While the term Meetovation is no longer used formally, its principles remain embedded in the city’s event culture, with a strong focus on content, authenticity and participant experience. Copenhagen is also a global leader in sustainability, from architecture and local food to responsible event practices.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Copenhagen’s ability to embed sustainability and innovation into everyday destination management, reinforcing its position as the best XL Meeting Destination 2025.
2nd place: VIENNA, Austria, final score: 4.790
Vienna is a meeting destination built around the needs of event attendees and planners. As a future-oriented smart city, it offers excellent accessibility, efficient public transport, green spaces, and a strong focus on sustainability. Seamless travel, including fast airport connections, remains a key advantage. Vienna’s well-structured governance model, meeting subsidies, and transparent reporting underpin its long-term success.
Benchmarking insight: Destinations should look to Vienna as a model of how strategic governance, data-driven management and consistent branding can sustain leadership in international rankings.
3rd place: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, final score: 4.770
Amsterdam is a mature meeting destination offering excellent connectivity, diverse venues and strong international accessibility. Supported by the Amsterdam Convention Bureau, the city provides structured planning assistance in close cooperation with key industry partners. Amsterdam increasingly prioritises meetings with long-term value, focusing on sustainability, inclusiveness, and alignment with local knowledge sectors, positioning the city as a stable and future-oriented meetings hub.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Amsterdam’s coordinated destination management and its focus on impact-driven events supported by strong partnerships.
L MEETING DESTINATIONS
Destinations that can host up to 2,000 congress attendees (32 evaluated destinations in 2026)
Winner: KRAKOW, Poland, final score: 4.560
Kraków is a growing meeting destination with a strong cultural and academic profile and steadily improving infrastructure. The city has recorded significant growth in business meetings, hosting thousands of group events with increasing international participation. This development is supported by established venues such as ICE Kraków and EXPO Kraków, as well as an expanding network of hotels and conference facilities. Kraków also ranks among the most improved destinations in global sustainability benchmarks, underlining its commitment to responsible meetings.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Kraków’s balanced combination of infrastructure development, academic partnerships and sustainability-focused destination management.
2nd place: LJUBLJANA, Slovenia, final score: 4.550
Ljubljana is an inspiring city whose strength lies in its compactness, access to nature and diverse experiences shaped by landscape and heritage. The town enables event participants to experience Slovenia both within the city centre and beyond, making it ideal for responsible, sustainable events. Ljubljana delivers the standards of a leading meeting destination in a boutique, personalised format, supported by a clear vision from the Ljubljana Convention Bureau.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Ljubljana’s integration of nature, walkability and focused destination management.
3rd place: PORTO, Portugal, final score: 4.540
Porto is a well-connected and culturally vibrant meeting destination with a steadily growing international profile. The city combines strong heritage with modern meeting infrastructure, offering a range of flexible venues and a compact, easily accessible urban layout supported by an international airport. Porto’s credibility as a meetings destination is further reinforced by hosting major global events, including the ICCA Congress, which significantly accelerates visibility and industry trust.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Porto’s strategic use of flagship events to strengthen global positioning while integrating local culture and sustainable urban development.
M MEETING DESTINATIONS
Destinations that can host up to 1,200 congress attendees (31 evaluated destinations)
Winner: PORTOROSE, SLOVENIA final score: 4.390
Portorož remains one of the leading Adriatic meeting destinations, building on a long congress tradition and established infrastructure. In recent years, the destination has gained renewed momentum through targeted investments and better integration of venues across the wider Piran–Portorož area, including the activation of Monfort as a distinctive event venue. Stronger destination connectivity, upgraded hotel offerings, and improved stakeholder collaboration support its competitiveness in a demanding regional market.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Portorož’s ability to revitalise legacy infrastructure through diversification, venue repositioning and closer destination-wide cooperation.
2nd place: DUBROVNIK, Croatia, final score: 4.347
Dubrovnik remains one of the most iconic meeting destinations in the Adriatic. Rooted in the legacy of the Republic of Ragusa, the city’s identity is defined by independence, resilience and timeless charm. Ongoing investments, including hotel renovations, improved air connectivity and the Pelješac Bridge, further strengthen its competitiveness. Dubrovnik continues to be the region’s flagship destination and a natural reference point for international event organisers.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Dubrovnik’s ability to combine strong heritage, continuous infrastructure investment and global brand recognition into a long-term competitive advantage.
3rd place: OPATIJA, Croatia, final score: 4.260
Opatija is widely recognised as one of the most concentrated and refined meeting destinations in the region. Few destinations offer such a diverse portfolio of high-quality hotels and meeting venues within a compact coastal setting. Its historic elegance is increasingly complemented by new investments in hotel renovations, upgraded conference facilities and enhanced destination infrastructure. The presence of boutique properties at both ends of the Riviera further strengthens Opatija’s exclusive character.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Opatija’s ability to combine heritage, compactness, and sustained investment to remain relevant in a competitive meetings landscape.
S MEETING DESTINATIONS
Destinations that can host up to 600 congress attendees (31 evaluated destinations)
Winner: KITZBÜHEL, Austria, final score: 4.230
Kitzbühel is a high-quality small-meetings and incentive destination, known for its alpine setting, safety, and premium hospitality. The destination is particularly well-suited for executive meetings, incentives and focused conferences that value privacy, authenticity and strong experiential content. A compact selection of high-end hotels and distinctive venues is complemented by professional local support and a strong incentive profile.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Kitzbühel’s ability to position itself clearly as a premium, experience-driven meetings destination rather than competing on scale.
2nd place: ZAKOPANE, Poland, final score: 4.220
Zakopane is a well-established small meetings and incentive destination, distinguished by its strong natural and cultural identity at the foothills of the Tatra Mountains. The destination is particularly suitable for incentive programmes, team meetings and smaller conferences that benefit from outdoor activities and authentic local experiences. Zakopane offers a solid meeting infrastructure supported by a professional hospitality base and high safety standards.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Zakopane’s ability to leverage strong natural assets and cultural authenticity to create competitive, experience-driven meeting offers.
3rd place: ZELL AM SEE, Austria final score: 4.190
Zell am See–Kaprun is a well-positioned small meetings and incentive destination, defined by its alpine setting, strong sustainability credentials and high quality of life. The destination is particularly suitable for incentive programmes, executive meetings and smaller conferences that benefit from nature-based experiences and year-round outdoor activities. Professional local services and a clear focus on responsible tourism support a compact meetings infrastructure.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Zell am See–Kaprun’s integration of sustainability, natural experiences, and precise positioning within the small-meetings segment.
BEST IN NEW EUROPE
The finest meeting destinations in New Europe
Winner: PRAGUE, Czech Republic, final score: 4.750
Prague is frequently cited as a benchmark example of a convention bureau operating successfully through a public–private partnership model. Since launching its strategic transformation in 2008, the Prague Convention Bureau has evolved into a compact, highly professional team that has helped reposition the city on the international meetings map. Today, Prague competes confidently with leading European destinations and consistently ranks among the top ten in the XL category. A diverse meeting offer, strong creative agencies, and a well-managed destination image support its long-term competitiveness.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Prague’s long-term commitment to public–private cooperation, focused destination branding and consistent investment in professional convention bureau leadership.
2nd place: ATHENS, Greece, final score: 4.620
Athens has solidified its position as a significant global meeting destination, recently entering the top 10 worldwide in the ICCA congress rankings and ranking 7th in Europe, reflecting sustained growth and international visibility. The city combines ancient heritage with modern infrastructure, supported by a diverse portfolio of venues, strong hotel capacity and excellent air connectivity. Significant urban regeneration, including large-scale projects and future conference hubs, continues to expand Athens’ meetings offer.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Athens’ ability to integrate heritage, large-scale infrastructure investment and strategic destination marketing to attract global association meetings.
2nd place: BUDAPEST, Hungary, final score: 4.620
Budapest continues to strengthen its position as a dynamic regional meeting destination, combining historic character with modern infrastructure and strong international accessibility. The city offers a broad portfolio of venues, from landmark convention centres to boutique spaces, supported by a diverse hotel landscape and direct flight connections. Recent strategic efforts by local destination partners have focused on enhancing planner support, improving sustainability practices and expanding incentive-oriented programmes.
Benchmarking insight: Other destinations can learn from Budapest’s ability to balance heritage appeal with contemporary meetings infrastructure and coordinated destination-level initiatives that attract both association and corporate events.
3rd place: WARSAW, POLAND, final score: 4.610
Warsaw exemplifies the rapid transformation of a modern meeting destination. The city’s dynamic skyline reflects profound economic and social change, mirrored in a fast-growing meetings industry supported by new hotels and diverse event venues. Warsaw stands out for the creativity and production quality of its event agencies, among the strongest in Europe. Strong destination management and the Warsaw Convention Bureau’s proactive role further enhance its competitiveness.
Benchmarking insight: Destinations can learn from Warsaw’s ability to combine rapid infrastructure development, creative event production and coordinated destination governance.
About the Meetings Star Award
The Meetings Star, an independent and transparent evaluation of the quality of event destinations, hotels, and special venues, has been setting quality standards in the events industry for 16 years. It is one of the handful of accolades founded on rigorous and objective criteria and standards. That is one of the reasons the award and certificate of quality have been enjoying an enviable reputation among event planners.
To learn more about the competition, visit https://meetings-star.eu/.
