In 2004, convention and visitors bureaus got more bucks for their bang.

CVB budgets increased an average of 3.1 percent last year, according to the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau's 14th Annual Competitive Analysis Report.

Topping the list was the LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY with an annual budget of $147 million — by far the largest in the country — followed not so closely by the ORLANDO/ORANGE COUNTY (FLA.) CVB with a budget of $41 million.

The rest of the list of the 15 destinations with the largest CVB budgets looks like this:

3. RENO, NEV. ($36 million)

4. HAWAII VCB ($27 million)

5. TORONTO ($23 million)

6. LOS ANGELES ($20 million)

7. ATLANTA ($17 million)

8. KISSIMMEE, FLA. ($16 million)

9. SAN FRANCISCO ($14.7 million)

10. MIAMI ($14.6 million)

11. NEW YORK CITY ($14.6 million)

12. CHICAGO $14.5 million

13. MONTRÉAL ($14.3 million)

14. SAN ANTONIO ($14 million)

15. PHILADELPHIA ($13 million)

The CCTB sent surveys to 111 bureaus in the United States and Canada; 77 responded, including 74 that had replied the year before. Among those polled, 48 bureaus reported budget increases in 2004, while 23 saw budgets decrease from the previous year. The others indicated no change in their budgets. Only those 74 CVBs that responded last year are included in the year-to-year comparisons.

A closer look at the numbers shows larger budget increases among smaller bureaus: Those with budgets below $2.5 million saw an average 16 percent increase. Bureaus with budgets between $4.9 million and $2.5 million reported an average decrease of 3.3 percent, while CVBs with budgets of more than $5 million experienced increases of about 3.2 percent.

Chicago is No. 1 on the list of cities with the most convention center exhibit space, with 2.2 million square feet in McCormick Place. Orlando is next with 2 million square feet in the Orange County Convention Center, and Las Vegas is third with 1.9 million square feet in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Atlanta is next with 1.3 million square feet, followed by New Orleans (1.1 million) and the Sands Exposition and Convention Center in Las Vegas (1 million).

Finally, Las Vegas has the most hotel rooms of any city in the country, with 130,382 in its metropolitan area. Orlando (111,687), Los Angeles (107,712), Chicago (100,497), and Atlanta (92,030) round out the top five.