The 100,000-square-foot Grand Plaza is the Anaheim Convention Center’s front porch, offering plenty of breezy, palm tree–studded outdoor space for al fresco events.
Anaheim isn’t just accessible, it’s evolving. New meeting venues, refreshed experiences, and expanding hotel options are giving meeting professionals more flexibility and more reasons to book their next big event in Anaheim early to ensure they capitalize on what’s coming next.
Visit Anaheim, the official destination marketing organization for Anaheim and Garden Grove, just announced it will host a lineup of five major, high-profile meetings and events over the next five years. Here’s a closer look at those upcoming events, the venues hosting them, and what it all means one of the nation’s premier destinations for meetings and conferences.
On the Calendar
Collectively, the events headed to Anaheim in the coming years will bring more than 20,000 meeting planners, industry leaders, and decision-makers to the city. But they represent far more than just attendance numbers, said Ronnie Collins, Visit Anaheim’s chief sales officer.
“These events are a vote of confidence in Anaheim’s long-term vision, infrastructure, and ability to deliver at scale,” Collins said. “Welcoming this caliber of industry events positions Anaheim at the center of the meetings industry conversation for years to come.”
Easy access to Disney California Adventure Park — home of the Incredicoaster, the longest inverting roller coaster in the world — is just one of many perks of meeting in Anaheim.
Major industry events convening in Anaheim through 2030 include:
- 2026 — ConferenceDirect CDX brings together association planners with ConferenceDirect associates and industry partners for two and a half days of education and networking
- 2027 — Connect Marketplace, a premier annual event where event professionals, meeting planners, and suppliers connect, network, and secure business deals
- 2028 — A confidential signature event for a globally-recognized industry leader
- 2029 — MPI’s World Education Congress, the organization’s flagship global conference brings together event professionals for education, networking, and industry innovation
- 2030 — IPW, the leading international travel trade show in the U.S., connects global buyers and media with American destinations, hotels, and tourism brands
Sneak Peek
ConferenceDirect will kick off the lineup this coming September at The Westin Anaheim Resort. They will also be among the first to reap the benefits of key downtown infrastructure enhancements completed during the initial development phase of OCVIBE, Anaheim’s reimagined 100-acre downtown entertainment and sports district.
Capping off this series of all-star industry events is IPW, which will take over the Anaheim Convention Center June 1–5, 2030. At that time, the vision for OCVIBE will have come fully to fruition, featuring new properties, a full network of serene park space and riverfront vistas surrounding Honda Center, and a broad selection of eclectic dining options and immersive nightlife experiences.
The 1,574-room Hilton Anaheim, the largest hotel in Orange County, sits adjacent the Anaheim Convention Center and only one block away from Disneyland Resort.
The Big Picture
Hosting more than 20,000 meeting planners who represent the decision-makers behind future conventions and incentive programs through 2030 is expected to create a powerful multiplier effect for Anaheim. Think: an increase in future bookings, repeat visitation, and sustained economic impact for the destination.
These events will also generate significant hotel demand, citywide economic activity, and exposure to Anaheim’s evolving meetings ecosystem, including emerging developments like OCVIBE, which are reshaping the destination’s live-entertainment and hospitality landscape.
“These organizations are choosing Anaheim not only for what it offers today, but for what’s coming next,” said Mike Waterman, president and CEO, Visit Anaheim. “As Anaheim enters a decade defined by global events and transformational growth, these meetings place the destination front and center with the industry leaders who will shape future demand.”
For more information on hosting your next event in Anaheim, visit visitanaheim.org/meetings.
