Welcome to our special section — highlighting notable convention centers as well as convention and visitors bureaus and tourist boards — containing essential information for association meeting planners.

Many of the featured CVBs, centers, and tourist boards are also winners, by the vote of our readership, of our coveted Inner Circle Award for 2005 (see listing below). Readers of Association Meetings magazine chose these winners based on their high level of service, flexible function space, and the quality of food and beverage.

Check out pages 65 through 105 for a look at some of what's new with our highlighted CVBs, tourist boards, and convention centers.

CVBs and Tourist Boards

Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association

Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau

Daytona Beach (Fla.) Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Greater Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Convention & Visitors Bureau

Jamaica Tourist Board

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Orlando/Orange County (Fla.) Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.

Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Puerto Rico Convention Bureau

Rosemont (Ill.) Convention Bureau

San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau

Tampa Bay (Fla.) Convention & Visitors Bureau

Tourism Toronto/Toronto Convention & Visitors Association

Convention Centers

COBO Conference/Exhibition Center, Detroit

George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston

Hawai'i Convention Center, Honolulu

Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hampton, Va.

Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center, Louisville

Las Vegas Convention Center

McCormick Place, Chicago

Oncenter Complex: Convention Center, War Memorial, Civic Center Theaters, Syracuse, N.Y.

Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.

Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, Calif.

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington

Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City

San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, Calif.

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Wildwoods, NJ Convention Center