Fifth consecutive Best of Meetings Today recognition and second consecutive Stella Award highlight destination’s continued strength in the meetings market.

Destination Ann Arbor has earned two national meetings industry honors, receiving a 2026 Best of Meetings Today Award for the fifth consecutive year and a 2026 Silver Stella Award from Northstar Meetings Group.

Destination Ann Arbor was again recognized among the Best MidAmerica CVBs/DMOs by Meetings Today. The annual awards recognize leading meeting facilities and destination marketing organizations, with destinations evaluated based on the overall service they provide to meeting and event professionals.  The recognition extends Destination Ann Arbor’s winning streak to 2022.

Destination Ann Arbor also received a Silver Stella Award in the Best CVB/DMO (Regional), Midwest category from Northstar Meetings Group. The Silver recognition builds on Destination Ann Arbor’s Bronze Stella Award in 2025. In its winner profile, Northstar highlighted Destination Ann Arbor’s personalized planning services, accessibility resources and ability to connect meeting planners with meaningful local experiences.

“To be recognized by two respected meetings industry organizations in the same year is meaningful,” said Sarah Miller, President and CEO of Destination Ann Arbor. “These honors reflect the dedication of our entire team and our commitment to creating an exceptional experience for meeting professionals and the groups they bring to our community.”

The Meetings Today recognition is particularly notable because it represents five consecutive years of recognition in the MidAmerica category. Meetings Today annually polls its audience of meeting professionals and reviews destinations and properties for its Best Of awards.

“Successful meetings are built on relationships, responsiveness and an understanding of what each group is trying to accomplish,” said Al Snow, Director of Sales and Service for Destination Ann Arbor. “We also benefit from offering meeting professionals a welcoming, inclusive destination that is easy to explore and offers memorable experiences beyond the meeting room. These recognitions are especially rewarding because they reflect the level of service our team strives to deliver every day.”

In 2025, Destination Ann Arbor’s sales team secured meetings expected to generate more than 50,000 future hotel room nights in Washtenaw County, representing an estimated $24.4 million in economic impact. The figures underscore the importance of meetings and group business to the local hospitality economy.

That momentum will continue into 2027, with Destination Ann Arbor helping secure several significant meetings and conferences for Washtenaw County, including the Women in Travel Summit and Michigan Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Annual Education Conference. Longtime clients are also continuing to invest in the destination, including the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers, which recently extended its annual training program at Washtenaw Community College for another 10 years.

“Great destinations don’t happen by accident. They are built through collaboration, vision and exceptional service,” said Dominic Smart, General Manager of the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest and a member of Destination Ann Arbor’s Executive Committee. “Destination Ann Arbor’s sales and services team helps unite our hospitality community around a common goal: delivering remarkable experiences for meeting professionals and their attendees. Together, we are not only winning business for Washtenaw County, we are strengthening our local economy, elevating our destination and creating opportunities that benefit the entire community.”

The recognitions come as Destination Ann Arbor continues to promote the Ann Arbor area to meeting professionals nationally, including through its participation in IMEX America, one of the meetings and events industry’s largest annual gatherings.

About Destination Ann Arbor

Destination Ann Arbor is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to elevate economic vitality and connect our communities through the power of travel. Destination Ann Arbor serves as the destination marketing organization for Washtenaw County and its communities.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Chad Wiebesick
Director of Media Relations & Special Projects
Destination Ann Arbor
734-995-7281
cwiebesick@annarbor.org