Your organization is planning a small conference, and you need a great location to host it that’ll be affordable while still creating a memorable experience for your attendees. We know that choosing a location and venue isn’t easy when there are so many options available and not all of them fit your needs.
Just like we created a list of the 25 best event management software tools for 2025, we’ve created this guide to the best cities for small events to assist in the planning process.
Whether you're planning intimate business gatherings or seeking locations that can eventually scale up to accommodate large scale events, these cities offer flexible options.
What Is The Best City To Hold A Conference?
While choosing the best cities for conferences, we considered affordability, travel accommodations, walkability to and from venues, local attractions, and the atmosphere of each city. The best locations for team meetings and small conferences that we’ll discuss in this article are:
- Indianapolis, IN
- San Antonio, TX
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Columbus, OH
- Raleigh, NC
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Kansas City, MO
- Savannah, GA
- Albuquerque, NM
We’ll discuss why these are some of the best U.S. cities for business meetings and small association and nonprofit conferences in more detail later on to help you decide.
Event planners will find these destinations ideal for hosting impactful gatherings while staying within budget.
What City Has The Most Conferences?
Chicago, Illinois, is frequently listed as one of the locations that has the most conferences and conventions because it’s home to the largest convention center in North America, McCormick Place.
Las Vegas, Orlando, and Atlanta are also popular cities for conferences because of their large-scale venues and bustling city life.
With over 2.6 million square feet of exhibit available at McCormick Place, it's a prime example of scale and capacity.
While these are some of the best corporate meeting locations, they aren’t necessarily the best fit for smaller conferences. The venues in these locations are often more expensive due to their size and popularity, and these cities can be too busy for organizations looking to host a smaller gathering. That’s why these didn’t make our list for the best cities for small conferences.
Top 10 Best Cities For Hosting Smaller Conferences
Now, here’s our list of the 10 best cities for small conferences.
1. Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis stands out as one of the best locations for team meetings. The popular Indiana Convention Center is located here, which connects 12 hotels through an accessible Skywalk. It has tons of meeting and conference rooms available to reserve year-round in varying sizes to accommodate different needs, including smaller conferences.
Indianapolis is also a great choice when you’re seeking budget-friendly meeting destinations. Accommodations such as hotel rooms are pretty affordable here, with hotels connected to the Indiana Convention Center averaging $130 to $175 per night during most times of the year.
2. San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is a great city when you want to make your small conference feel like a memorable experience.
One of the locations in San Antonio that makes it stand out as one of the best cities for conferences is the River Walk District. There are many locations along the beautiful San Antonio River Walk that you can reserve for conferences, such as the Henry B. González Convention Center, with many spaces available for cozy, close-quarters events.
Texas is also a great choice since it usually stays warmer year-round, so the weather can be less of a factor during the colder months of the year.
3. Salt Lake City, Utah
When you’re looking for a location that’s a little smaller that still has great venues for conferences, Salt Lake City is a great choice with a population of just over 200,000.
One of the most popular places to host a conference here is at the Salt Palace Convention Center. It offers many spaces you can reserve, large and small, to accommodate your meeting’s needs.
Plus, it’s another great option when you want cheap places to host a conference, with accommodations such as hotel rooms being pretty affordable. On average, hotels near the Salt Palace range from about $100 to $150 per night during most times of the year.
From intimate boardrooms to flexible meeting space configurations, Salt Lake City provides versatility for every type of gathering.
4. Columbus, Ohio
In downtown Columbus, you’ll find the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which is a great option for smaller meetings with lots of options for breakout sessions. Plus, the area offers some fun options for your attendees to explore, such as the North Arts District with unique shops and galleries throughout.
5. Raleigh, North Carolina
Downtown Raleigh offers several cozy venues to host small conferences. Some great options with conference spaces are the Raleigh Marriott City Center, the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, and the Residence Inn in Downtown Raleigh.
It’s a very historic area with some great museums, architecture, and natural science centers that your guests will enjoy exploring during their time here.
6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Want some great riverfront options? Pittsburgh offers several beautiful and small riverside conference spaces. Some top options are the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and Nova Place, with several sizes and types of meeting spaces available to reserve.
Its reputation for hosting successful business events continues to grow thanks to its affordability and accessibility.
7. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is a city that’s full of character with a revitalized downtown area that’s been renovated for modern needs, with some historic touches remaining throughout.
A great option to host your conference here is the Pfister Hotel. It’s a historical conference venue in downtown Milwaukee that accommodates small meetings of 250 attendees or fewer. It offers a unique European-inspired design throughout, with crystal chandeliers and marble accents.
As one of the country's hidden gems, Milwaukee also offers easy access for domestic and international attendees alike.
8. Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City is another one of the top meeting destinations because it offers a centralized place for meetings. One of the big benefits is having the Kansas City International Airport right in the city. It’s a major transportation hub that allows easy in and out for attendees coming from different locations.
There are also some great small venues for conferences in the city, such as The Venue in Leawood or the Brick & Mirth Event Space, that are easy to drive to.
The city's major hub status makes it a strategic choice for meetings that require nationwide connectivity.
9. Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is a great city full of historical charm and southern hospitality. The Historic District is a good place for small conferences since it offers many great venues within walking distance of hotels and popular attractions. The Kimpton Brice Hotel is a great option for small meetings in the Historic District, which has indoor and outdoor spaces available to reserve.
10. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque offers a quiet atmosphere with stunning natural landscapes, making for a nice option to host your small conference. The Albuquerque Convention Center is a popular venue within walking distance of many local hotels that has several rooms you can reserve for small events. Its world class venues offer a surprising range of amenities for gatherings of any size.
How To Host A Small Conference
Here’s a quick event planning checklist as you’re preparing to host a small conference:
- Define your objectives and success metrics
- Set a budget and target headcount
- Pick the date of the conference
- Choose the city you’ll host it in
- Select a venue
- Plan your event agenda
- Select and confirm speakers
- Build a project timeline and assign team members to tasks
- Set up a registration system
- Plan logistics for the venue, travel, resources, and accommodations
- Book room blocks and transportation options
- Assess risk and compliance needs
- Create an event marketing plan and timeline
- Create an on-site plan and execute it on the day of the event
- Send thank you notes and review the event’s performance after it ends
These cities also offer rich options for entertainment venues and networking events to enhance attendee engagement outside the main sessions.
As you’re working through each stage of event planning and management, you need the right software to organize the details. Eventscribe is a great event management system that can help.
How Eventscribe Can Help As You’re Planning A Small Conference
At Cadmium, our goal is to provide associations and nonprofits with the video, learning, and event technology they need to make a positive impact on their members. Eventscribe, our task-based event management system, is built to organize and execute each stage of event planning. That includes:
- Creating an event website and mobile app
- Setting up a smooth registration system
- Managing logistics
- Coordinating speakers and presentations
- Transforming attendee engagement
- Tracking data and analytics
- And more
Eventscribe is built with the tools to help you achieve great results for any event type and location.
Click here to learn more about how it can make a difference for you.
