You are holding our 16th annual - and largest ever - Meeting Sites and Cities directory. When it started out in the early '90s as Affordable Sites & Cities (and grew into Association Sites & Cities), the directory's emphasis was on budget-friendly destinations and venues for association meetings.

Things have changed. With 94 destinations and venues, this directory not only covers the full spectrum of a meeting budget (from third-tier to first-class), but spans the world, dropping in on Europe, the Pacific Rim, and even Qatar. Managing Editor Peggy Swisher and I have been putting this directory together for the past five years, and we've noticed a shift in focus. The square footage of exhibit halls and ballrooms, the number of hotel rooms, the airport access … sure, it's all here. But taken collectively, the "messaging" in this directory points to a larger transformation that is taking place in the meetings industry.

What struck Peggy (who worked directly with Convene contributing editors Julie Ritzer Ross and Ginny Phillips to put this mammoth issue together) is how cities have invested billions of dollars to make their destinations more visitor-friendly; to create a real sense of place for attendees, with pedestrian-friendly downtowns with attractions, retail, and dining near convention centers. "The meetings industry is really impacting cities in a way that benefits the community at large," she said. That often includes taking the lead in green initiatives, another strong focus in this issue.

There's a better understanding of meeting planners' - and attendees' - needs when it comes to technology. CVBs are retooling their Web sites, "so planners feel like they're physically in the convention center or hotel and can see a 360-degree view of the meeting rooms or take a virtual tour," Peggy added. "And hotels are providing Wi-Fi in the lobby so attendees can feel 'connected' without going to the bar."

Editing the profiles in this directory gave Convene Executive Editor Christopher Durso an appreciation of "the sheer scope of this industry. Not just geographically, but in terms of professions, crafts, disciplines - we span many worlds. We're travel and leisure, food and beverage, hospitality and service, education and development, speaking and listening, places and people. We're art and science."

We threw another subject into the mix: history. For a light-hearted look at how far this industry has come, turn to p. 15. And don't miss our fun facts, which open each section.