AURORA RISES TWENTY-THREE POINTS IN RANK AS A TOP 50 U.S. MEETING DESTINATION BY CVENT SINCE 2017

AURORA, Co. – July 18, 2019 – Aurora, Colorado has been ranked number 33 on Cvent’s list of Top 50 Meeting Destinations in the United States for 2019. This a nine-point increase from last year’s ranking and a 23-point increase from 2017.

“We are honored to be ranked among the 50 outstanding meetings destinations in the country by Cvent,” said Bruce Dalton, Visit Aurora President & CEO. “Our team, Board of Directors, every vendor, and hotel property we work with have played a key role in helping us advance our status as a premier meetings destination in just two years.”

Aurora’s rank increase is the largest jump among all the destinations on the list. The city also ranked higher than other top-tier destinations, including Fort Worth, TX, Louisville, KY, Portland OR, St. Louis, MO, and Kansas City, MO.

“New properties, such as Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, award-winning restaurants, and aggressive economic development have played a significant role in shaping our destination,” said Dalton. The Gaylord Rockies, which opened in December 2018, is estimated to generate more than $7 billion of economic activity for the State of Colorado with more than 80 percent of guests expected to be new visitors to Colorado according to pre-opening booked business reports.

However, this is only one factor that affected Aurora’s rankings according to Chris McAndrews, Vice President of Marketing for Cvent Hospitality Cloud. “The city continues to focus on increasing tourism, and these additional marketing and sales efforts are reflected in their rise in rank over the last two years. Our Top Meeting Destinations list has become much more dynamic over the years as more cities look to tap into the booming meetings and events industry, and Aurora’s rise to number 33 is a great example of how those efforts can pay off for a destination,” said McAndrews.

Effective January 1, 2019, Aurora's City Council approved a Destination Marketing Improvement Fee to fund additional sales and marketing efforts by Visit Aurora, the official convention and visitor's bureau.

“With our expanded influence and resources, Visit Aurora will continue to provide the top-level service and amenities our clients have come to expect and enjoy," said Rick Crandall, Visit Aurora Chairman. “We are doing our part to put Aurora on the map, and we’re here to stay.”

To view the full list of the Top 50 Meeting Destinations in the U.S., click here.