Toronto retained its position as the top convention bureau and best overall convention city in Canada by North American meeting planners according to the industry-standard 2008 Watkins Research Group Meeting and Convention Planners Survey.

"Competition for high-value meeting business is more global than ever," said David Whitaker, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto.

"Meeting planners recognize that Toronto is well-positioned as an international meeting place and the city's untold story is gaining wider profile."

In the survey of more than 600 influential U.S. meeting planners, the study also showed that meeting and convention planners rate Toronto number one in Canada for its well-suited hotels and easy accessibility around the city - both key factors when considering the city for a meeting or convention.

Toronto's meeting and convention business continued to grow in 2007 as Tourism Toronto's sales programs extended deeper into the Canadian, U.S. and international markets.