For planners, these cities deliver global level experiences with less congestion, compelling local culture, and powerful stories to tell around climate action and inclusion.
Why Secondary Cities Now
FAST FACTS
Venue & Lodging: Secondary cities typically offer 20–40% lower costs for hotels and meeting spaces compared to major hubs like NYC, LA, or Chicago.
Easier navigation: Compact layouts mean shorter travel times between venues, hotels, and restaurants, improving attendee experience.
Green infrastructure: Secondary cities often pilot innovative green tech and certifications (like LEED venues or zero-waste facilities) as part of urban revitalization.
Urban development and convention investment cycles mean many midsized cities are unveiling new or upgraded venues, hotels, and transit links between 2025 and 2027, directly benefiting 2026 events.
Buyers and attendees increasingly expect sustainable operations and inclusive design, pushing destinations to pursue green building certifications, low carbon operations, and robust accessibility standards for conferences.
Porto: Compact Atlantic Innovation Hub
Porto is hosting multiple sustainability focusedd conferences in 2025–2026, including forums on energy, environment, and circular economy themes, signaling strong local expertise and venue readiness for green meetings.
Major congress venues such as Porto Business School and waterfront centers like Alfândega Congress Center offer modern facilities near airport, rail, and metro connections, combining walkability with efficient regional access for delegates.
Seoul: High-tech Sustainable Metropolis
Seoul is a frequent host of sustainability and environmental conferences through 2025–2026, including events on waste management, renewable energy, and environmental sciences, underscoring its role as a leading innovation center in Asia.
Citywide initiatives highlighted at global urban congresses emphasize sustainable mobility, nature-based solutions, and circular systems, giving meetings a built-in narrative around climate resilience and inclusive urban futures.
Vancouver: Double LEED Convention Pioneer
The Vancouver Convention Centre West is the first convention center in the world to achieve double LEED Platinum certification for both construction and ongoing operations, with strategies focused on conservation, biodiversity, and waste reduction.
Features such as a six acre living roof with hundreds of thousands of plants, onsite blackwater treatment, seawater heating and cooling, and accessible waterfront promenades make Vancouver a showcase for regenerative, attendee friendly design.
Ljubljana: Walkable Green Capital
Ljubljana will host the Urban Future “better cities” event in 2026, a flagship gathering for city change makers that chose the Slovenian capital because of its strong emphasis on sustainable mobility and human scale public space.
As a compact European capital that has prioritized pedestrianization and green corridors, Ljubljana gives planners short transfer times, walkable hotel to venue routes, and a clear sustainability narrative for urban focused events.
Oulu: Northern Innovation and Citizen Science
Oulu is set to host the European Citizen Science Association Conference in 2026, part of a broader program linked to its European Capital of Culture year, which brings upgraded cultural venues and international attention.
The city’s strength in digital technology and research, combined with a smaller, easy to navigate urban core, offers an appealing mix of advanced conference infrastructure community driven sustainability projects, and uniquely northern experiences for delegates.
Accessibility, Inclusion, and the 2026 Attendee Experience
Event industry initiatives such as accessibility and inclusive travel conferences highlight rising expectations that destinations offer barrier free venues, assistive technologies, and clear accessibility information for attendees.
By combining efficient transport, compact city layouts, green certified venues, and inclusive planning frameworks, these secondary cities allow organizers to deliver high impact, future ready meetings that align with corporate ESG goals and attendee values in 2026 and beyond.
References:
- Time Out Media. “World’s Best Cities 2026 Report.” 2025. Accessed January 2026.
- Exhibit City News. “Global venues expand, invest, and recalibrate for 2026 and beyond.” 2026.
- Smart Meetings. “4 EcoConscious Convention Centers for Your Next Green Meeting.” 2020.
- TravelAbility. “TravelAbility Summit: Accessible Destinations for Everyone.” 2021.
- All Conference Alert. “International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality (ICTH).” 2024.
- International Conference Alerts. “Sustainability Conferences in Porto 2025–2026.” Accessed January 2026.
- ICEER. “International Conference on Energy and Environment Research (ICEER 2026) – Porto, Portugal.” 2025.
- EurOMA Sustainability Forum. “The 13th EurOMA Forum.” 2025.
- RE+ Events. “RE+ Portugal.” 2025.
- Metropolis. “Metropolis 40th Anniversary Seoul Congress 2025 – Seoul, Republic of Korea.” 2025.
- Conference Index. “Sustainability Conferences in Republic of Korea 2025/2026/2027.” 2024.
- Global Green Growth Institute. “Global Green Growth Week (GGGWeek) 2025.” 2025.
- IFWY – International Forum for Wellbeing in Younger Generations. “Final Conference – Share Your Solutions.” 2024.
- UBC Equity & Inclusion Office. “Accessible and Inclusive Event Planning.” 2019 (used for inclusive event best practice framing)
- Canada Green Building Council. “Vancouver Convention Centre – West (LEED Case Study).” 2024.
- Greenroofs.com. “Featured Project: Vancouver Convention Centre West/Expansion Project.” 2022.
- TSNN – Trade Show News Network. “Vancouver Convention Centre Goes Double Platinum.” 2025.
- LMN Architects. “Vancouver Convention Centre West.” 2025.
- Kongres Magazine. “Ljubljana to host Urban Future 2026.” 2025.
- Urban Future. “UF26 Ljubljana FAQs.” 2025.
- Whoosh. “Urban Future Congress 2026 – Ljubljana.” 2020.
- European Citizen Science Association. “ECSA Conferences – ECSA 2026 in Oulu, Finland.” 2022.
- Time Machine Organization. “European Citizen Science Community at ECSA 2026 (Oulu, Finland).” 2025.
- OSA – Open Science Austria. “ECSA 2026 Conference (European Citizen Science Association).” 2025.
- J. Shay Events. “Best US Cities for Conferences in 2026.” 2025 (used for general trends on midsized cities and meetings).
- TSNN. “Convention Center Briefs: Orlando, Phoenix, and San Antonio Convention Centers Launch Expansion Projects.” 2025 (used for general convention center investment trends).
- Continual Engine. “List of Accessibility Conferences, Events and Webinars in 2025.” 2025 (used for accessibility expectations and trends).
