Sponsored content
Philadelphia delivers!
Proven performance meets authentic experience in one of America’ s most accessible meeting destinations.
A s one of the United States’
most historic and accessible major cities, Philadelphia’ s successful showing as host of January’ s PCMA Convening Leaders cemented the city’ s reputation to more than 4,000 attendees not only to the capabilities of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, but also the destination’ s many customisable event elements and welcoming nature.
“ In welcoming PCMA Convening Leaders, our primary goal was to showcase how Philadelphia can deliver citywide events,” said Jamie Huckleberry, director of destination services for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau( PHLCVB).“ The city can accommodate events of any size, with diverse venues, award-winning restaurants and authentic experiences
that can be tailor-made for all, and that was illustrated through the number of unique offsites and highly customisable activations attendees experienced during Convening Leaders.”
Here’ s how the Pennsylvania Convention Center and PHLCVB wove these elements into a memorable Convening Leaders programme, and how meeting professionals can leverage all that Philadelphia offers for their 2026 meetings and beyond.
Where convenience meets connectivity Philadelphia’ s citywide cred was gained through its accessibility and convenient hotel package with more than 30 hotels within a 10-minute walk of the convention centre, a facility that tops out at more than 1 million total square feet.
Twelve primary convention hotels, totaling more than 9,000 room nights, were included in the Convening Leaders hotel block. Attendees were well positioned to explore the city on foot, as Philadelphia is an eminently walkable destination, having been named the‘ Most Walkable City to Visit’ for three consecutive years( 2023-2025) by USA Today 10 Best.
The PHLCVB curated an experience unlike any other by incorporating the city’ s character into events and leveraging the capabilities and location of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the walkability of downtown, the city’ s robust hotel package, and unique off-site venues, creating an enhanced attendee experience.
The Philadelphia arrival experience PCMA Convening Leaders attendees were welcomed to Philadelphia from the moment they arrived with a citywide welcome experience showcasing the many ways groups can customise their presence across the city.
Philadelphia International Airport( PHL), offering more than 700 nonstop flights to over 120 destinations worldwide and located just 25 minutes from Center City, served as a first stop for many. As attendees arrived to Philadelphia, high-impact digital signage in primary passenger routes created a warm welcome from the moment they landed.
Additional citywide touchpoints greeted attendees at every turn, including a massive 51-foot banner displayed on the historic City Hall in the heart of downtown. Large format video boards illuminated the city’ s main commercial corridor. Customised
34 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 141