The convention industry has a strong impact on the economies of host destinations but knowledge of its structural and territorial characteristics is lacking. This paper has investigated relevant aspects of the integration between tourism, convention and local resources not well explored in the literature. In this context, using diagonal cluster theory we have built a profile of the local market conditions favouring the convention industry and detected factors that create opportunities for local development. Furthermore, the study contributes to the debate on CLS analysis and local tourism development, exploring the potential use of cluster theory for the Italian convention sector. The study raises a number of important issues related to the structural and territorial characteristics of the convention system in Italy.