Naples
The third-largest city in Italy (after Rome and Milan), Naples is an introduction to the drier, hotter south of the Italian peninsula; as well as to pizza, wine, gelato, espresso, and sun worship. The city—known as Napoli in Italian—has a beautiful downtown area around its port much favored by tourists, while its UNESCO center is the largest historic center in Europe, with a history dating back more than 2,500 years. Pompeii and Herculaneum are in close proximity, just like Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. As Italy's most important port and one of its most important business centers, Naples offers event venues that cater to a diversity of groups.
The main airport is Naples International (NAP), which is four miles northeast of the city center and has service to all points in Europe and some extra-Europe direct flights. Most of the North American connections are from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO), which is just 1 hour away from Naples.
Surprisingly, there are no huge convention venues in Naples, but there are several mid-size expo, event, and congress centers. Perhaps top of the list—for its bayside location mostly—is Terminal Napoli, which i…