Small Market Meetings October 2016 by The Group Travel Leader, Inc.

m T g e h n i r B o t he tBEACH Improving Your RFPs Akron, Ohio Illinois Meeting Guide O

-299=/ 3==?/= ?VcjVgn 8K7"8gZVi^kZ 6[iZg =djgh :kZcih BZZi^c\h dc >haVcYh =ZVgiaVcYh BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

BVn ;jcYgV^h^c\ :kZcih ;Vb^an 9Zhi^cVi^dch @VchVh BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

HZeiZbWZg HBB 8dc[ZgZcXZ EgZk^Zl >hhjZ 8K7"BVcV\^c\ GZjc^dch 8Va^[dgc^V BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

;ZWgjVgn ;jcYgV^h^c\ :kZcih Hedgih BZZi^c\h Hdji]Zgc BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

?jcZ 8K7" BZZi^c\h dc V 7jY\Zi BZZi^c\h Vi HiViZ$CVi^dcVa EVg`h B^Y"6iaVci^X BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

DXidWZg H>ccdkVi^dc ^c :m]^W^i^c\ BZZi^c\h Vi i]Z 7ZVX] 6g`VchVh BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

BVgX] K>E$:mZXji^kZ BZZi^c\h ;Vaa 9Zhi^cVi^dch D]^d BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

?jcZ 8K7" BZZi^c\h dc V 7jY\Zi BZZi^c\h Vi HiViZ$CVi^dcVa EVg`h B^Y"6iaVci^X BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

CdkZbWZg HBB 8dc[ZgZcXZ 8dkZgV\Z >hhjZ 8K7"KdajciZZg^c\ @ZcijX`n BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

6eg^a GZa^\^djh BZZi^c\h BZZi^c\h Vi I]ZbZ EVg`h 8Vgda^cVh BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

?jan Jh^c\ IZX]cdad\n ^c BZZi^c\h 8dckZci^dc 8ZciZgh >aa^cd^h BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

9ZXZbWZg HBB8 6ccjVa 9^gZXidgn ^hhjZ BZZi^c\h Vi BjhZjbh BdjciV^c BZZi^c\ <j^YZ

=/6/-> C9?< =3D/ 699:9 K6AJ:/ ZY ^ ^c ^c ddjjgg YY^^\\^îVVa ZZYYî i]VVii ^^hh ZZb bVV^âZ âZ cii]] iidd VVYYYY^îi^^dccVVaa NNdjg djjgg VVYY ^hh VVahhdd ^c ^ccXa XaajY Y^îi^^ddcc i] jjYYZY aZYY ZZVVXX]] b bddcci] ô Nd XVaa a^^cc``ZZYYY i ddccaa^^cZZ ggZZVVYYZZZgh ghh VVccYY nndj djgg VVYY ^^hh VjjiiddbVi^ djg b bVVii^XV Vaaann a^c` iidd nnddjjgg l lZWWhh^îiZZ#

&$+ EV\Z '#*« m )#*« '!(%% cZi idiVa [dg ( VYh &$( EV\Z *« m )#*« (!)*% cZi idiVa [dg ( VYh &$' EV\Z -« m )#*« )!**% cZi idiVa [dg ( VYh ;jaa EV\Z ,#*« m .#'*« +!%%% cZi idiVa [dg ( VYh

l^âaa ggZZXXZZ^^kZ kZ nndj ddjg jg dl ddlc lcc 6YkZ 6YkkZZgii^hZg 6Y ^hZZgghh EVV\\ZZ ^c ^h ^^cc ddjjgg ddccaâa^cZ ^ccZZ aaZZVVYY \ZZcZZggVVii^^ddcc eegdd\\ggVb Vb! ! H^ HîiZZK K^^hh^îi l l]]^X ^X]] ô NNddjj l ^^ccXXaajjYYZZhh XXddcciiVVXi ^ dc VVccYY aadd\\dd! aa^c`h ^cc``hh iidd nnddjjgg [ dd``! i l^^îi i ggZZhi hi eeVV\\ZZhh!! ee]]ddiidh Xi ^^cc[ddggb bVVi^^dc [[VVXXXZW ZZWWdd `!! iil iiiZZgg VVccYY ee^cciZ dh cYY îi^ccZZggVg Djjg b D bZZZZii^^cc\\ eeaaVVcccZZgh VVc Z c ZZb bVVââ n ndj db n iZK K^^^h^ h^ VVccY Vg^Z ^Zhh## Djg gh XXVc ndjj YY^^gggZX ZZXiiaann [[ggdb b nnddjjg HH^îZ hîi EV EV\\ZZ

l^^i] A Zg A AA^c ^c`` l i]] AAdd\\dd ddcc l ll ll l#hhb bVVaaaab bVVgg``Zi Zib bZZZi ZZii^cc\\h#X #Xddb b ô ;;ggZZZZ EEVVggiiccZg dccann! cd 9^hX hXaaVV^b bZZgg "" EEVVXX``VV\\ZZ G GVViiZZhh VkV VVkkVV^^aaVVWWaZZ [[ddg c dgg cZl ccZl l ^^cchhZg hZZggii^^dc ^dc dchh dc !! cd cdii kV cdi kkVa^ Vaa^^Y ^Y Y dc dc V Vcn Vccnn eegZZkk^^ddjjh jhhaann eeaaVVXXZZYY Y ô 9^ ^dc ddggYYZZgghh# ^^cchZ chhZZggii^dc ^d

G6I: IDI6A >C8AJ9:H ( 69 >CH:GI>DCH

-98>+-> ?= 8Vaa dg :bV^a @Zaan id hZXjgZ ndjg heVXZ @Zaan5\gdjeigVkZaaZVYZg#Xdb -++"(*+"*&'lll#hbVaabVg`ZibZZi^c\h#Xdb

Courtesy Outer Banks CVB

Volume 17

Issue 10

October 2016

Crafting Better RFPs

These tips will help you get attention from meeting suppliers.

........................

Meetings at the Beach Coastal destinations add fun and sun to meeting agendas.

................

All About Akron This northeast Ohio city continues to innovate.

................................................

Courtesy Montgomery Co. CVB

Memorable Maryland Montgomery County is a Mid-Atlantic classic.

.............................................

Rancho de los Caballeros is a true Southwestern retreat.

.....................

Illinois Meeting Guide Get to know Illinoisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; suburban destinations and unique venues.

......

On the cover:

For Sales Call

The sun sets over the Atlantic coast at Cape Cod. Photo by John Greim

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS is published monthly by Pioneer Publishing, Inc., 301 E. High St., Lexington, KY 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified meeting planners who plan meetings for groups of five to 500. All other meeting industry suppliers, including hotels, conference centers, convention centers, destinations, transportation companies, restaurants and other meeting industry-related companies may subscribe by sending a check for $39 for one year to: Small Market Meetings, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (866) 356-5128 (toll-free) or (859) 225-1452. Fax: (859) 253-0499. Copyright SMALL MARKET MEETINGS, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

Kelly Tyner

MAC T. LACY PUBLISHER/PARTNER maclacy@grouptravelleader.com

BRIAN JEWELL EDITOR brianj@grouptravelleader.com

HERBERT SPARROW EXECUTIVE EDITOR/PARTNER hsparrow@grouptravelleader.com

DAVID BROWN ART DIRECTOR production@smallmarketmeetings.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

A Cowboy Classic

Courtesy Rancho de los Caballeros

866-356-5128 kelly@grouptravelleader.com

STACEY BOWMAN ELIZA MYERS ACCOUNT MANAGER ONLINE EDITOR sales@smallmarketmeetings.com CHRISTINE CLOUGH COPY EDITOR KELLY TYNER ACCOUNT MANAGER RENA BAER sales@smallmarketmeetings.com PROOFREADER

Home of scenic hwy 98 & 30a Miramar Beach Seascape Sandestin Dune Allen Gulf Place Santa Rosa Beach Blue Mountain Grayton Beach WaterColor Seaside Seagrove Watersound Seacrest Alys Beach Rosemary Beach Inlet Beach

visit south walton.com

A retreat,

for those who don t. ,

Between the sugar-white sand and pristine turquoise water, you ll find a host of versatile venues, luxury accommodations and everything you need to plan a perfect meeting.

Adventures on the Gorge Opens Small-Group Meeting Center

Courtesy Adventures on the Gorge

The new Lookout Post conference center sits on the rim of West Virginia’s New River Gorge. FAYETTEVILLE, West Virginia — Adventures on the Gorge (AOTG) has opened the Lookout Post, a boutique conference center perched on the rim of the New River Gorge. The new conference center opens the door for business- and leisure-oriented groups that want to combine meetings with whitewater rafting, rock climbing, aerial adventures and other team-building activities. “The Lookout Post is a key component in our master plan as we continue our efforts to become an unequaled adventure resort,” said

Dave Hartvigsen, CEO of Adventures on the Gorge, which offers a combination of outdoor activities, accommodations and other guest services. “People talk about balancing work with pleasure, but we believe that an active lifestyle is not only good for the individual but is good for business. Healthy and engaged business owners and employees are more productive, respectful and caring of each other and their communities. And they’re just plain happier with their lives.” Overlooking southern West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River, the Lookout Post, when combined with the AOTG’s existing restaurant and event facility, Smokey’s on the Gorge, creates more than 5,000 square feet of multi-use space. The conference center’s flexible design allows for up to five meeting rooms; it can accommodate a maximum of 200 people theater-style. “The resort has also developed two outstanding and complementary venues as part of its master plan that altogether create an indoor/outdoor complex unmatched in West Virginia for the combination of scenery,

facilities and services,” said Hartvigsen. “The resort’s pool directly overlooks the New River Gorge as does the new outdoor deck that is connected to the Lookout Post and Smokey’s through a series of interesting, linked walkways. It’s an incredible overall complex that is introducing countless people to wild and wonderful West Virginia.” AOTG traces its history to multiple whitewater rafting outfitters that helped develop the industry in West Virginia. The company’s current iteration was created in 2008 when those outfitters combined operations and began expanding adventure options and building new facilities. The resort offers a mix of accommodations and restaurants as well as numerous adventure experiences including whitewater rafting on two of the country’s most spectacular rivers, ziplining, an aerial adventure park, BridgeWalk, kayaking, mountain biking, stand-up paddle boarding, hiking, caving and rock climbing. The resort also has shops that sell clothing, gifts and gear. www.adventuresonthegorge.com

Where are you staying? Stay at Washington D.C.’s non-profit hotel The National 4-H Conference Center is the Washington D.C. area’s nonprofit hotel and conference center. The conference center will make your event not only an easy event to plan but a great event to attend • 246 sleeping rooms • 41,000 square feet of flexible meeting rooms • Catering packages and other dining options are available • Complimentary parking & Wi-Fi • Conveniently accessible to Washington, D.C.’s three airports and just minutes from the monuments and memorials

PLAN YOUR VISIT WITH US: SALESINFO@4HCENTER.ORG 800.368.7432 | 4HCENTER.ORG

Industry News

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

New Hotel and Meeting Property to Open in Norfolk NORFOLK, Virginia — Next to the Elizabeth River at the corner of Granby and Main streets, the Main is set to become Norfolk’s newest combination hotel, restaurant and meeting space in March. The 21-story building will join downtown’s skyline of modern and historic buildings. A 100-foot-tall atrium will be the property’s focal point, blending the city’s urban core with a contemporary interior. Its Exchange at the Main will offer up to 39 meeting rooms in 42,000 square feet of hightech and high-design meeting space. The Exchange will also include a collaboration room and two boardrooms. At 18,500 square feet, the Main Ballroom will be the largest ballroom in Virginia, accommodating 1,200 seated guests. The 30-room Hilton Norfolk The Main will have its lobby on the building’s second floor with 20 floors of guest rooms above. Eleven suites on the hotel’s top floors will have views of the city and the Elizabeth River. The Main will have three distinct dining options: Saltine, Varia and Grain, each located on a different level and offering food and drink at different price points. www.themainnorfolk.com

Courtesy the Main

The new 21-story hotel, the Main, will bring more than 42,000 square feet of meeting space to Norfolk.

Kentucky International Convention Center Expansion Underway LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Louisville’s downtown convention center has closed as its $207 million expansion and renovation begins. The project will expand exhibit hall and ballroom space in the Kentucky International Convention Center’s existing footprint. Studies show that the additional convention space, along with more than 1,500 new hotel rooms, is likely to attract up to 25 percent more convention business when the project is completed in summer 2018. The expansion is one aspect of Louisville’s current transformation. Some $1 billion is being invested in projects including a 600room Omni Louisville Hotel, more bourbon distilleries and attractions and other projects. Louisville’s largest convention venue, the Kentucky Exposition Center, adjacent to the airport, is open for business as the downtown convention center is expanded. www.transformationlouisville.com.

Courtesy Louisville CVB

Louisville’s Kentucky International Convention Center is undergoing a $207 million expansion and renovation.

October 2016

A new hotel concept brings school spirit to hospitality and meetings By Vickie Mitchell

n the way to northern Michigan in mid-September for vacation, we decided to make an overnight stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, west of Detroit, home to the University of Michigan. Fall weekends can be a no-go for hotel rooms during football season in the home of a football powerhouse like Michigan, but luckily, we came through on a Sunday, and the Michigan fans were mostly gone. We stayed in a remake of an old hotel in downtown now called the Graduate Ann Arbor. A transformation of the 204-room Dahlmann Campus Inn, Graduate Ann Arbor opened in April, the sixth in a small chain of hotels that are riffs on the local college, its traditions, teams, students and alumni. Graduate Hotels’ founder has said that college towns struck him as good markets for hotels. For one, he said, most suffer from a dearth of interesting hotels. And college towns don’t just draw sports fans, students and alumni, he pointed out. All kinds of travelers enjoy the abundant arts, culture and lively food scene college towns offer. What interested me is that the six cities in which Graduate Hotels have opened and the four cities in which it plans to open are all small markets. Graduate Hotels are open in Ann Arbor; Tempe, Arizona; Athens, Georgia; Oxford, Mississippi; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Madison, Wisconsin; and are planned in Lincoln, Nebraska; Richmond, Virginia; Durham, North Carolina; and Berkeley, California. Like other travelers, business and leisure, I was won over by a hotel stay that felt far more authentic than most. I’m not a Michigan grad, but I was charmed by the Graduate Ann Arbor’s many nods to the university. Our guest room key cards were replicas of student IDs of two Michigan alums — Gilda Radner and Iggy Pop. Maize and blue, Michigan’s school colors, were used tastefully for everything from pillows to the plaid throws on beds. Decorative bed pillows looked like the front of a cheerleader’s letter sweater — white knit with a big blue M. Little touches added fun — the cabinet that disguised the coffee station in our room looked like a card catalog. The desk and

MeetingPoint

chair seemed from a vintage classroom. In the lobby, chalkboards are scribbled with notes and scientific formula (The Athens hotel’s chalkboards include the scientific formula for sweet tea.) It was all charming without being cheesy. Each Graduate Hotels is different, partly because each school has a different personality and traditions but also because all are remodels of existing hotels or motels, chosen not for their size or style but for their location adjacent to campus. So in one town, the Graduate is a remodeled Red Roof Inn; in another, it is a historic building. Not all have meeting space, but each does have communal, fun features: rooftop bars, Ping Pong and foosball tables, fire pits. Of the three Graduate hotels that do have meeting space, Ann Arbor’s is the most dedicated and sizeable. It has three ballroom/meeting rooms, and the largest, at 3,300 square feet, adjoins a roomy terrace. There’s also a 24-person boardroom and several 10-person boardrooms. I kept thinking how much fun it would be to have a small meeting there. As you waited for an elevator to go to meetings on the mezzanine, you could study photos of campus life. In the evening, you could gather with peers at a 40-foot-long communal table in the lobby or sit in wicker chairs on a covered patio next to the bar. On breaks, you could walk a few paces and be on campus, feeling like a student again. At dinner, groups could stroll as little as one block or as many as 10 to find a good local restaurant or take in a concert or other special event on campus. By soaking up the Graduate Ann Arbor’s collegiate and collegial atmosphere and taking advantage of its proximity to town and gown, meeting-goers would walk away enlivened by the spirit of one of America’s best college towns.

Vickie Mitchell is the former editor of Small Market Meetings. If you have ideas for future columns, contact her at vickie@smallmarketmeetings.com.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Building Better RFPs Meeting pros share their tips for getting the best response to your bid specs By Vickie Mitchell arolyn Browning teaches seminars about creating better requests for proposals (RFPs). It is a hot topic, largely because meeting planners are increasingly frustrated by the lack of response their RFPs receive. The primary reason, she says, is the volume of requests suppliers receive. “There’s been a 300-percent increase in RFPs in the past five years,” said Browning, owner of MEETing Needs. “Suppliers have less time to devote to each RFP, and they have to prioritize.” RFPs that get the best response provide lots of detail about the meeting, its purpose, its budget, its needs, its attendees and its past history. “In my mind, there’s no such thing as too much information,” said David Berkoski, national accounts director for the Boston Park Plaza. Berkoski would rather skim a long RFP than make the follow-up calls that a skimpy one requires. “Planners need to become more savvy in terms of giving all the right information at the outset,” said Browning. “It is still a seller’s market, and we as planners are at a disadvantage. We have to make sure what we are asking for is what people want.”

October 2016

Here are pointers and tips from Browning, Berkoski and their peers.

Supply More Than the Basics About the Basics Guest rooms, meeting space and food and beverage are primary building blocks of an RFP, but planners must be as detailed as possible about each area. Guest room needs must be broken down by night, and numbers should be realistic, based on history, not wishful thinking. Meeting space requirements must also be specific. “Sometimes planners will say, ‘We need eight breakouts, but they won’t say on what days or what times,” said Melissa Evans, sales manager of the Springfield, Missouri, CVB. Don’t forget that meal functions require space. “If they are having two group dinners and four lunches for 200 people, they will also need space for that,” said Evans. A group’s food and beverage expenditure carries a lot of weight. For example, hotels typically aren’t enthused about groups that use a lot of meeting space and few guest rooms. However, if those groups spend

a lot on food and beverage, they are more attractive to suppliers. And, planners should remember that food and beverage expenditures go beyond planned meals. “The savvy planner will say, ‘Hey, my group loves to go to the hotel bar after the meeting and they spend a lot of money [at the bar],” said Browning.

Fear Not: Always Share Your Budget Planners often aren’t forthcoming with budgets. They believe “if you tell me what the budget is, you will charge me that much,” said Berkoski. But budgets are essential in determining if a piece of business should be pursued. Berkoski’s hotel sometimes receives RFPs that require a room rate of $200 or less. His property’s rate is $289. He typically calls planners to let them know before he goes any further with their RFP. If a group can’t budge on its room rate “then neither of us have to waste time on the RFP,” he said. When planners don’t include their budget, suppliers might develop a proposal that is far beyond the meeting’s financial means. Had the supplier known the budget, he could have crafted the bid differently or declined to bid.

Supply Your Deadlines and Deciders Planners who require quick turnarounds on RFPs will probably get fewer responses. “A 24-hour turnaround on bigger hotels is not realistic,” said Evans. “At the CVB, I would like at least a week to reach out to hotels. If someone says they need a response by tomorrow, a lot of people won’t be able to respond.” Sarah DeGuire, director of sales at the Ramada Plaza and Oasis Convention Center in Springfield, agrees. “Planner expectations are a little high on turnaround,” she said. “If we can have a week for an event that is six months or a year out, it gives us the chance to look at the entire event and put our best foot forward.” Suppliers also like to know when a decision will be made and who will make the decision. “Will you be making the decision in a week by committee or will it take two months?” said Browning.

Flexibility Can Be a Big Advantage Flexibility in dates can be a huge business advantage, said DeGuire, and planners should be clear in their RFP if dates are flexible. “If someone can shift a week earlier or later or even one or two days, it can open all kinds of opportunities.” Hotel space, Browning said, is “like a puzzle, the more flexibility you have, the more you can fit into their space. But if your dates are set in stone, let them know up front.”

Managing Meetings

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“The more information the planner can share the better. Often planners keep history close to the chest but that is not in their best interest.” Tell All About Your Past Don’t make venues or CVBs dig into your past meetings. Provide several years’ worth of history about the meeting — where it was held, attendance, room pick up, food and beverage, ancillary expenditures, audiovisual and technological requirements. “The more information the planner can share the better,” said Browning. “Often planners keep history close to the chest, but that is not in their best interest.”

Limit Your List of Concessions The recession gave planners power when it came to getting concessions, and many got in the habit of asking for a lot. Even in a seller’s market, some continue to do so. “I’ve seen and heard horror stories about laundry lists 20 to 30 items long of concessions,” said Browning. “Suppliers will look at that and say, ‘Wow, this is not worth it to me.’” Instead, prioritize extras and make it clear which are deal breakers. “Tell us your hot buttons,” said Berkoski. “Be specific about what you really need.”

Don’t Send Too Many RFPs Online RFP systems make it easier to send more RFPs, and that’s not

October 2016

always a good thing. Suppliers notice when an RFP has been blasted to 50 properties and are less likely to respond. Browning recommends narrowing RFP distribution to the five to 10 properties that make the most sense.

Take a Look at Technology Needs When IACC polled planners, it learned that in the next three to five years, they expect bandwidth to be the No. 1 factor for choosing a conference venue, according to Mark Cooper, the conference center association’s CEO. IACC’s finding makes it clear that meeting planners must communicate their technology needs in RFPs. To not do so, Cooper points out, could result in thousands of dollars of unplanned expenditures if a meeting venue is under-equipped for a conference’s technology needs. An estimator tool can help a planner determine those needs. “We provide a bandwidth estimator online,” said Cooper. “It is simple to use and will tell you want you need to ask the venue in general if you are using multiple types of technology — apps, audience participation, live streaming.” Planners can also ask technology and audio-visual suppliers to provide a rundown of their requirements, which could then be included in the RFP.

The Call of the Coast

Beach destinations pack plenty of appeal for meeting attendees Courtesy Galveston CVB

By Dan Dickson

eeting attendees may grow tired of gatherings staged in crowded, busy cities where everyone rushes to get to and engage in their meetings. That’s why many planners are taking a break from big city or bland meeting destinations by taking everyone back to the beach. These beach communities offer all the amenities delegates may need to do business as well as providing a beautiful setting for after-hours enjoyment.

Galveston Island, Texas Galveston Island boasts not one but two convention centers, and both are located at resorts. Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort is located on legendary Seawall Boulevard. It has a columnfree exhibition hall, a grand ballroom, various breakout rooms and impressive pre-function space. The resort features 700 guest rooms. Moody Gardens Convention Center has 103,000 square feet of combined meeting space. Telescopic seating is available for up to 5,000 people. There is a covered garage on the property and 418 guest rooms for meeting attendees. There are numerous other hotels with meeting spaces in the area and some other unusual venues as well. After work is wrapped up, visitors can enjoy the 32 miles of beaches at Galveston. They also explore the excellent restaurants, downtown

Meeting Ideas

The Galveston area has two major convention centers and 32 miles of beaches.

shops, antique stores, art galleries and other types of entertainment. In addition, Galveston has so much interesting history that it is hard to decide where to start exploring. The local convention and visitors bureau recommends what are known as the Broadway Beauties. They are 1895 Moody Mansion, 1892 Bishop’s Palace and 1859 Ashton Villa. All are examples of the lives of Galveston’s posh society members from the mid-19th century to the early-20th century. One of the best historic theaters in the nation can be found here in the Grand 1894 Opera House. The Port of Galveston’s ties to shipping are portrayed at the Texas Seaport Museum and on the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa. The infamous 1900 hurricane that killed 6,000 residents is explored in the showing of the documentary “The Great Storm.” Visitors often take tours of the harbor. There are also museums dedicated to offshore drilling and railroads. www.galveston.com

South Walton, Florida When you meet at South Walton, Florida, located along the state’s panhandle and the Gulf of Mexico, you have access to great meeting facilities, and your attendees get to enjoy 26 miles of sugar-white beaches spread among 16 distinct beach communities. South Walton is simply an ecological wonder. More than 40 percent of the area is preserved state land.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy Visit South Walton

Courtesy Long Beach CVB

Sugar-white sands are the calling card of South Walton beach and the Florida Panhandle.

The elegant Queen Mary is one of the most popular meeting venues in Long Beach.

South Walton offers full-service resorts, hotels or beach cottages as sites for meetings. The venues cater to groups as large as 1,600. Events, banquets, board meetings, classroom-type training sessions can be handled. Not only is the service highly professional, but the natural beauty of the area is sure to inspire meeting attendees to greater heights. The largest block of conference and meeting venues in South Walton can be found in Sandestin, where the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort offers 65,000 square feet of meeting facilities. Also nearby and ideal for meetings are LeCiel, Baytowne Conference Center and Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa, to name just a few of the choices. Other communities in the area have slightly smaller facilities but can likewise meet any planner’s needs. The region has two convenient airports that serve it: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Northwest Florida Regional Airport. When the day’s work is done, meeting delegates can enjoy the beach life, do some shopping, play a round of challenging golf, savor awardwinning dining, wander around numerous art galleries or do a little “ecosploring.” www.visitsouthwalton.com

space for meetings, exhibitions or events if they book the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. The planner’s needs should be met when they choose from either the grand ballroom, any of the 34 meeting rooms, several large exhibit halls, a theater and an arena. In addition, there are many other unusual meeting venues around the area that can be booked. For fun, visitors love to tour the legendary Queen Mary, the historic ocean liner and World War II troop ship. There are behind-the-scenes guided tours available, and people can shop or enjoy a lavish meal onboard and even spend the night in the ship’s hotel. And yes, the ship has some of the most unique meeting spaces in Southern California. The Aquarium of the Pacific is the fourth-most-visited aquarium in the nation. It provides a deep-sea adventure with more than 50 exhibits and 11,000 fascinating animals on site. Downtown Long Beach and East Village Arts District are two stops visitors should make for dining, shopping and special events. The Village is full of one-of-a-kind, independent shops. Another interesting stop is the Museum of Latin American Art. Long Beach is also the springboard for dozens of the iconic attractions found in Southern California. So after a meeting is concluded in Long Beach, attendees will find that attractions like Disneyland and Universal Studios are not too far away to visit. www.visitlongbeach.com

Long Beach, California Centrally located between Los Angeles and Orange County, Long Beach is sophisticated and charming yet functional for any type of professional gathering. Blessed with a picturesque harbor, this oceanside community is simply a remarkable place to meet. A meeting planner can expect to find up to 400,000 square feet of

October 2016

Cape Cod, Massachusetts Cape Cod is situated at the southeast corner of Massachusetts and is made up of 15 charming towns and satellite villages with many hug-

ging the rugged Atlantic coastline. The area is steeped in history, culture and the arts, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much to do by land or sea. The numbers speak for themselves: 83 museums, 475 galleries, 115 miles of public beaches, 106 miles of bike paths, 42 golf courses and so on. Meeting spaces are available in every corner of Cape Cod. Corporations, government agencies, associations, reunion participants, sports teams and many types of groups find places to do business or hold an event. Planners book meeting rooms located at fine hotels, motels, cozy inns and resorts and also restaurants, historic buildings, museums, railroad cars and even on golf courses. There are also 19,000 guest rooms of every description in the region, so meeting and event planners need not worry about accommodations for their troops. There are plenty of activities for visitors to Cape Cod. Much of it dealing with water. Anything a person can think up that has to do with water is available including boating, surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, deep sea fishing and much more. Hiking is quite common. There are sanctuaries and conservation lands to explore. The first oceanfront national park in the U.S., comprising 44,000 acres, is Cape Cod National Seashore. Cape Cod has eight working lighthouses, making it one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost destinations for lighthouse buffs. For history buffs, there have been more than 3,000 documented shipwrecks around the Cape over the past 200 years. The arts and culture are a big part of Cape life and include galleries, fairs, concert halls, music venues, museums and more. www.capecodchamber.org Courtesy Cape Cod COC

The Cape Cod area has eight historic lighthouses.

Meeting Ideas

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Outer Banks, North Carolina Like Cape Cod, the Outer Banks draws people to the Atlantic Ocean and all of its shoreline splendor. Its barrier islands separate the ocean and the mainland. It is where the first English settlers landed and also where the Wright Brothers tested their first heavier-than-air flying machine. There are so many options for meeting planners to consider that they are urged to connect with the Official Outer Banks Group Planner to look over choices for meeting venues and accommodations and stuff to do. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau arranges site inspections of meeting facilities, all the promotional materials a person could want and information about attractions and special discounts. Conferences, board retreats, business strategy sessions, training, reunions and incentive trips are regularly held in the Outer Banks, and when the work of the day ends, the abundant menu of outdoor activities will give attendees some great coastal experiences to enjoy. Visitors will enjoy three National Park Service sites, including the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first National Seashore and the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tallest brick lighthouse at Cape Hatteras. There are five lighthouses to view and three of them can be climbed at certain times of the year. Shipwrecks have produced a treasure trove of artifacts and remarkable stories of tragedy and survival. Visitors can explore the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waters using a standup paddleboard or kayak, or by taking a coastal tour by boat. Fishing in all its forms is popular. Some have visited Jockeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ridge State Park and scampered or tumbled down the largest natural living sand dune on the East Coast. Others have been on horseback and meandered along the coastline. www.outerbanks.org

Courtesy Outer Banks CVB

Visitors enjoy a horseback ride on the beaches of North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scenic Outer Banks.

A meeting location that feels like a vacation,

any time of year With welcoming weather year-round and plenty to do, Wilmington is more than D JUHDW VSRW IRU PHHWLQJV Îş LWÎżV D GHVWLQDWLRQ <RXÎżOO îżĄQG WKH ODUJHVW FRQYHQWLRQ FHQWHU RQ WKH 1& FRDVW VHW DORQJ RXU 5LYHUZDON ZKLOH EHDFKHV EHFNRQ QHDUE\ %RRN RII VHDVRQ IRU WKH EHVW VDYLQJV DQG VHH ZKHUH WKH ZDWHU WDNHV \RX

NCCoastalMeetingsGroups.com | 800.650.9064

MEET RUBBER CITY Akron, Ohio, hio, is a hub of indus try and innova tion By Dan Dickson

The Akron Art Museum offers a variety of rental venues and group activities.

Destination Showcase

“At the end of the day, we’re more affordable and accessible, and those things factor into a meeting planner’s budget and where they will spend their money. You get a lot more for your investment in Greater Akron”

utomobiles are synonymous with Detroit; steel with Pittsburgh. this past summer. In order for Cleveland to land the RNC, Akron had In Akron, Ohio, the nickname “Rubber City” stuck a century to chip in its share of hotel rooms to help accommodate those who ago as the city became a hub for tire manufacturing. And that attended the convention. designation is just fine with this northeast Ohio city, which clings to Sporting events are important to the market, and the has launched its industrial heritage as it forges an exciting a sports alliance to help draw more sporting future. events. The Sports Alliance of Greater Akron Akron, population 197,000, is the largest city has begun talks with a number of sports orgain Summit County. About 30 miles from downnizations that might want to book their event town Cleveland, it is part of the Great Lakes in Akron. Among the annual events draw region. large crowds to the city are the World Golf “We realize that being adjacent to Cleveland to Championships Bridgestone Invitational golf the north and Canton to the south provides tournament and the All-American Soap Box some wonderful opportunities when we proDerby. mote our assets along that Interstate 77 corridor,” Interstates 76 and 77 serve the city, which also said Jim Mahon, vice president of marketing and falls between two significant airports: Cleveland brand management for the Greater Akron/ Hopkins International Airport and the smaller Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It is but efficient Akron-Canton Airport. “If any never an instance where we lose our identity.” business needs to get done in our area, obviThe famous Ohio and Erie Canal, a precursor ously, affordable airfares are an attractive to the nation’s railroad system, passes through option,” said Mahon. Downtown Akron Akron. Major producers of rubber and tires “At the end of the day, we’re more affordable were once based here — Goodrich, Firestone and and accessible, and those things factor into a All p photos courtesy y Akron Summit CVB General Tire — but a number of those plants meeting planner’s budget and where they will have closed, although Akron remains the world spend their money,” he said. “You get a lot more headquarters for tire giant Goodyear. for your investment in Greater Akron.” LOCATION Today, Akron might also be called the City of Northeast Ohio Invention, known worldwide as a center for Major Meeting Sites polymer research and development. Polymers The John S. Knight Convention Center and ACCESS are molecular building blocks for the developother related sites in the area are managed by Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, ment of everything from plastics to rubber, the CVB. Akron-Canton Airport, I-76, I-77, I-277 and have thousands of uses. More than 35,000 “It helps us citywide when we need to use people in the area work in polymer industries. multiple properties around our city,” said MAJOR MEETING SPACES The Institute of Polymer Engineering at the Mahon. “The whole footprint of the convention John S. Knight Convention Center, University of Akron is an academic leader in center is about 123,000 square feet with 40,000 Greystone Hall, the study of polymers. square feet of exhibit space. If you use the adjaStan Hywet Hall and Gardens Akron is home to Inventure Place, an interaccent, contiguous ballrooms, that ramps up the HOTEL ROOMS tive museum of invention, and the National space by another 15,000 square feet.” 70 hotels and 5,700 rooms Inventors Hall of Fame. Akron has been desigAn interesting fact about the convention cennated an All-America City three times by the ter is that it opened debt-free, which many OFFSITE VENUES National Civic League, which honors 10 cities other cities wish they could say about their Cuyahoga Valley National Park, each year, and earned a City Livability award, convention facilities. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, given to 10 mayors and their cities by the U.S. The Knight Center, opened since 1994, is Hale Farm and Village Conference of Mayors. staffed by a team of experienced professionals. CONTACT INFO “The combined number of years of service at Greater Akron-Summit Convention and the convention center is 279 years,” he said. “The Modern Pursuits Visitors Bureau whole operating team came here together in Several major events have been held in the 800-245-4254 1994. Many of them are still on staff. We want region recently, including the Republican www.visitakron-summit.org people who enter as guests to leave as friends.” National Convention, held in nearby Cleveland

Akron, Ohio

October 2016

Akron Civic Theater is the city’s home for the cultural arts.

Greystone Hall, one of the most beautiful structures in downtown Akron, was originally constructed by and for the Freemasons. Near the convention center, the seven-story building is 101 years old. “I can tell you they spared no expense when they built this place back then,” said Mahon. “Today it is still stunning and majestic.” Some events in the modern Knight Center can also use the nearby hall for banquets, meetings and other events. “It is a win-win situation and lets the group grow its event.”

Off-Site Venues Fourteen full-service hotels in the downtown area offer meeting spaces of their own and are considered “next in line in size” to the Knight Center, according to Mahon. For a change of pace, some planners opt to have meetings at the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, located on 70 acres in Akron. One of the largest homes in the country, Hywet Hall was completed 99 years ago for F.A. Seiberling, founder of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Another meeting venue that’s always on the move is the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which runs through nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “A lot of our meeting planners use the train as a meeting venue for board retreats,” said Mahon.

Destination Showcase

Akron’s meeting strength is regional events. It typically hosts about 180 events a year, many for more than one day. “There are very few dark days here at the John. S. Knight Convention Center,” said Mahon.

Off-Hours Entertainment Cuyahoga Valley National Park straddles the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland. It is Ohio’s only national park and one of the top 10 most visited in the nation. Lucky are the area residents who can enjoy a national park that is so close to an urban area. Many hop on a bike and pedal from downtown Akron right into the 33,000acre park. The Ohio and Erie Canal’s Towpath Trail is a restored portion of the original towpath that is great for hiking, running and biking. The Canal Exploration Center displays the area’s 19th-century waterway history. For those who enjoy thundering and misty waterfalls, the park’s Brandywine Falls delivers. Visitors can board the scenic railroad at, among other places, the Northside Station right behind the new Courtyard Akron Downtown. Akron celebrates the arts through the Ohio Ballet, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Akron Civic Theater and the Thomas Performing

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Akron visitors enjoy excursions on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

Photo credit: Bruno Vega

With more than 2.5 million travelers visiting Peru’s 11 World Heritage Sites each year, it comes as no surprise that the country’s $168 million annual tourism revenue is on the rise. That’s why in 2011, Tourism Cares selected Peru for a sustainable tourism initiative that engaged peers from both the North American and Peruvian tourism industries to make an impact through volunteering and distributing $80,000 in grant funding.

THIS LLAMA IS VALUED AT $168 MILLION.

Join a growing roster of industry-leading companies committed to preserving the places we love and depend on.

Visit TourismCares.org to see how your company can help make global sustainable tourism a reality.

Akron has a history of industrial innovation.

Arts Hall, where the schedule includes Broadway plays and national and international stars. The Akron Art Museum has a fine collection of modern art in a “stunning building that was tripled in size 10 years ago,” said Mahon. Baseball lovers will enjoy the new state-of-the-art Canal Park on Main Street, home of the Akron RubberDucks, a AA-level affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Other sports teams to follow are the Akron Racers professional softball team and the the University of Akron Zips football and basketball teams.. The Akron Zoo reminds guests of the wonders of the animal kingdom and nature around the world. The Loral Airlock, the enormous hangar where Goodyear once built its famous blimps, is one of the world’s largest buildings without any supports. Twenty-two stories high, it is so large that four football games could be played there at once, and rain showers have been known to develop spontaneously inside. Among Akron’s other tourist attractions are Hale Farm and Village, a reconstructed village from the 1850s that depicts the westward movement through Ohio; the American Toy Marble Museum; and the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Akron home of Dr. Bob (Dr. Robert Smith), who, with stockbroker Bill Wilson, founded AA in 1935.

Stan Hywet Hall is one of the largest homes ever built in the United States.

Destination Showcase

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

LET’S START PLANNING JOHN S. KNIGHT CENTER | AKRON, OH

15 Minutes Away From CAK

Staff Is 87% Friendlier Than The Other Guys

8 Out Of 10 Visitors Rate Food “Excellent”

40 Minutes Away From CLE

99% Chance Of A Successful Event*

(the other 2 think it’s “Really Good”)

JOHN S. KNIGHT CENTER

123,000 Square Feet For Convening, Collaborating, Dining and Even Dancing. 279 Combined Years Of Employee Service

79 Steps To Some Great Guacamole

Whether it’s a one-night event or week-long conference, our professional staff at the John S. Knight Center is here to ensure a top-notch experience both inside and out. Call 330.374.8900, 800.245.4254 or visit johnsknightcenter.org for information and to reserve your space. AKRON, OH

* 1% accounts for the unlikely event of a volcanic eruption

Maryland Prime By Mark Rowh

Photos courtesy Visit Montgomery

The patio at Pony Express in Potomac

The Bolger Center Hotel offers 432 guest rooms, 75 meeting rooms and abundant green space.

M O N T G O M E R Y COUNTY, MARYLAND

ome smaller markets become known as the hub of the surrounding rural region. Others make the most of their proximity to a major metropolitan area. Such is the case for Maryland’s Montgomery County. Located just outside of the nation’s capital, Montgomery County offers easy access to Washington and its attractions, but it also has its own venues and attractions. “Planners will be pleased with the diversity of amenities,” said Kelly Groff, president/CEO of Visit Montgomery. “And the proximity to Washington is a big asset. I don’t think people realize just how close we are.” The county is served by the Washington Metro’s Red Line, which gives visitors a convenient alternative to driving into the city. The Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center, war memorials, other national monuments, the White House and U.S. Capitol are all nearby. Formed in 1776 and named after a Revolutionary War general, Montgomery County’s best-known towns and cities include Rockville, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Gaithersburg and Germantown. The county is home to 1.8 million people as well as headquarters for 18 federal agencies. With its above-average standard of living, the area has built and maintained a forward-looking, welcoming environment that attracts some 7 million tourists each year. The area has a wealth of accommodations and meeting facilities, including 10,000 hotel rooms. “We can accommodate conferences of any size,” Groff said. A combination of urban and rural features appeals to a variety of visitors, according to Groff. About a third of the county’s 450 square miles is zoned for agriculture. “Attractive farming areas are complemented by heritage sites,” she said. “And there are great biking opportunities.” Groff said that fall and spring are especially popular times for visitors. She also noted that a progressive outlook is the norm. “I’ve been here 20 years and everything continues to evolve,” she said. “In the process, the area has benefited from good planning.”

LOCATION Central Maryland, adjacent to Washington, D.C. ACCESS Baltimore/Washington, Reagan National and Washington Dulles airports; interstates 95, 495 and 270; Washington Metro; Amtrak MAJOR MEETING SPACES Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center; Universities at Shady Grove Conference Center; National 4-H Conference Center HOTEL ROOMS 10,000 OFF-SITE VENUES Strathmore Music Center, Pearlstone Center, Smokey Glen Farm, High Point Farm CONTACT INFO Visit Montgomery 877-789-6904 www.visitmontgomery.com

Destination Showcase

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy KRR Photography

Strathmore Music Center is one of Montgomery Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most elegant venues.

Visitors enjoy an open house at Denizens Brewing Co.

Major Event Space

Hotel Options

The 436-room Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center has 13 meeting rooms with 50,000 square feet of space. A large ballroom can accommodate up to 3,000. The property operates as a public-private partnership. The conference center at the Universities at Shady Grove can accommodate up to 500 guests. Including its complex of academic buildings, the campus has more than 300,000 square feet of meeting space available. Much of it is classroom space, but there is also an 8,700-squarefoot ballroom, a 305-seat auditorium and breakout rooms. The National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase has 40,000 square feet of meeting space in up to 41 rooms, as well as hotel accommodations.

Located on 80 acres, the Bolger Center Hotel in Potomac offers 432 guest rooms and 75 meeting rooms that encompass 70,000 square feet. Facilities include two ballrooms of 7,130 and 3,040 square feet respectively, a 2,150-square-foot terrace and a 1,500-square-foot executive conference room. The 407-room Bethesda Marriott offers 27 meeting rooms with 18,500 square feet of space. The 315-room Hilton Rockville Hotel and Executive Meeting Center has 20,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space. In addition to its grand ballroom, the meeting center has 14 partition-free conference rooms.

Country-Style Options

Change-of-Pace Venues

Smokey Glen Farm, on 30 acres near Gaithersburg, handles groups from 50 to 6,000. A dining pavilion and options for covered and open seating are available. Guests have access to softball fields, volleyball courts, a miniature golf course and a hiking and mountain bike trail. The expansive High Point Farm, just north of Germantown, accommodates from 10 to 10,000 guests and features six event sites of five to eight acres each. Guests enjoy pavilions, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and basketball courts. Corporate groups can book athletic packages and a designated recreational team-building area.

Along with hosting concerts, the Strathmore Music Center in North Bethesda handles conferences and corporate events. The center has concert seating for up to 1,976; an attractive lobby with a six-story glass wall has banquet seating for 250 or reception space for 300. Other event space includes a lounge with seating for 92, a terrace and a 2,300-square-foot rehearsal room. A turn-of-the-century Georgian mansion that can accommodate 120 to 200 is also available. The Pearlstone Center, on 160 acres in Reisterstown, offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space in 10 conference rooms. The retreat-style setting accommodates groups of up to 300.

October 2016

Meetings the Cowboy Way By Kristy Alpert

ife seems simpler in the high Sonoran Desert. Lengthy sunsets are complimentary pre-dinner entertainment and paint an idyllic picture of desert life. The sound of riding boots releasing from stirrups and pressing into the dusty earth marks the countdown until suppertime at Rancho de los Caballeros, a resort that has been family-owned and operated since 1948. The 20,000acre Wickenburg ranch, 75 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, is a welcome escape from city life and presents the carefree spirit of the desert with authenticity and a distinguished approach. For more than 70 years, family and friends have gathered at the ranch, but it wasn’t until the 1990s, when the property opened its first meeting spaces, that it began to draw conferences, incentives, small meetings and events. The ranch offers 9,000 square feet of meeting space and allows groups to use its

Hospitality Showcase

Photos courtesy Rancho de los Caballeros

expansive grounds for adventurous team-building activities, weddings, campfire dinners and more. The property’s 79 guest rooms range from Southwestern-theme ranch rooms to the sumptuous Maricopa suites. WiFi is complimentary in all guest rooms and meeting spaces, and many of the rooms can be booked in sections so groups can be more connected during a visit. Beyond meetings, guests can ride horses, shoot skeet or golf at the ranch’s Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin golf course. Groups can learn to work together through cowboy games and team penning, as teams compete to be the first to herd three steers into a pen. Whether it’s to capture a grand moment in the desert or to renew a group’s sense of camaraderie, Rancho de los Caballeros is a fantastic choice for small meetings under the Arizona sun.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Meeting Space

Dining

Rancho de los Caballeros has three venues for meetings, each with its own breakout and variable spaces. The Palo Verde Conference Center has six meeting spaces, including the 3,200-square-foot Sonoran Room for groups of up to 275. The main lodge and dining areas include the Dallas Room for 25 guests, the main dining room for 80 guests, the West Room for up to 45 guests, the Cooper Room for up to 35 guests and the Maguire Room for up to 18 guests. Outdoors, groups can meet on the pool patio or the covered patio, for up to 84 and 50 guests, respectively. For larger outdoor events, there’s the South Lawn. The Los Caballeros Golf Club has five meeting spaces, including the Members’ Room for 125 guests, the Birdie and Bogey Rooms, for 48 guests each, the Club Bar for 14 guests and the Club Patio for up to 50 guests.

Whether a group dines inside or out, the ranch has venues and dining options to please all tastes. At the main lodge, groups can start the day with a breakfast of homemade granola, fresh baked biscuits and a buffet of breakfast staples. The lodge also has buffet-style lunches and dinners. Plated, upscale meals and passed appetizers can be arranged for receptions and cocktail hours. The ranch shines at creating curated outdoor dining experiences for guests with campfire cookouts in the South Yucca Flats. Alcohol is allowed in all venues.

Rancho de los Caballeros Location Wickenburg, Arizona Size 79 rooms Meeting Space 9,000 square feet Access Open mid-October through mid-May; located 75 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Contact Info 800-684-5030 www.ranchodeloscaballeros.com

Extras Rancho de los Caballeros makes it easy and affordable for meeting groups to stay and gather at the hotel by offering complimentary meeting space with all group block rentals. Wireless internet is complimentary in the meeting rooms and guest rooms, and the rental menu consists of the usual microphones, flipcharts, dance floors and podiums. After hours, groups can book hay wagons and a cookout site in the South Yucca Flats and have a cowboy balladeer serenade dinner guests around the campfire.

October 2016

Left: The Sonoran Room is available for meal functions or classroom sessions.

Right: The ranch staff hosts a cookout for a meeting group.

Opposite page: Guided trail rides are among the most popular downtime activities at Rancho de los Caballeros.

On the Grounds From gathering around the grand fireplace in the saloon for a round of signature Los Cab margaritas to sneaking away to a soothing hot stone massage at the spa, guests can make their experience as intimate or social as they please. In keeping with its history as a ranch, the resort has a corral, 100 horses in its stable and numerous trails for guided horseback riding or jeep adventures. But there’s also an award-winning golf course and a launch pad for hot-air balloon rides. Team building activities are a favorite for groups that want to play some authentic cowboy games or test their skills at penning a steer.

The Gem of Hot

By Kristy Alpert

hen Verna Cook Garvan first set foot on her family’s land near Hot Springs, Arkansas, few would have guessed that the treeless landscape would become one of America’s lushest woodland gardens. Garvan’s family had purchased the land along the shores of Lake Hamilton in the early 1920s. It was barren because it had been used for logging. Garvan immediately fell in love with the property, but it wasn’t until she inherited it from her father in 1934 that things really began to take root. Under Garvan’s guidance, the grounds grew into an expansive oasis of soaring pine trees, more than 160 varieties of azaleas, and colorful local flora. Garvan hand-selected and placed each plant in its rightful spot in the garden until 1993, when she donated the more than 210 acres to the University of Arkansas’ Department of Landscape Architecture through the University of Arkansas Foundation. After seven years of planning and fundraising, construction began on the gardens in 2000, and the grand opening was held on April 13, 2002. The university kept Garvan’s vision for beauty and education in mind when it decided to open the garden to the public, and today the garden offers a serene perspective on the region’s historic growth. Home to more than 128 species of ornamental and native shrubs and wild flowers and an expansive Asian garden, the gardens can also be a venue for meeting groups and small events in five variable meeting

Venue Showcase

Photos courtesy Garvan Woodland Gardens.

Left: Anthony Chapel welcomes guests with stunning architecture and views of the surrounding woodlands. Right: Beautiful flowerbeds fill the wooded areas around the meeting venues at Garvan Woodland Gardens.

spaces. Indoor and outdoor spaces are available. Meeting and event spaces at Garvan Woodland Gardens are built right into the gardens, with an organic ambiance that makes them feel as though they are part of the nature that surrounds them. Impressive bridges, unique architecture and attention to detail make for a stunning backdrop for low-key yet spectacular events and meetings.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

t Springs

Meeting Space Because of its numerous options, meeting in or around the gardens is a breeze. The Magnolia Room’s wall of windows look out onto the gardens and make the room ideal for organic indoor meetings and events of 120 guests or less, while the Garvan Pavilion, for up to 120 guests, and the Evans Celebration Garden, for up to 100 guests, are

perfect places to meet outdoors. For ceremonies, performances and memorials, the Anthony Chapel seats 180 guests and is a favorite venue with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Lake Hamilton and the adjacent Millsap Bride’s Hall, a cozy reception area for 60 that also has a small-scale serving kitchen.

Catering The garden’s onsite Chipmunk Cafe, operated by independent vendor Classic Creation Catering, is a concession-style dining option with outdoor seating. Its menu features fresh-made gourmet sandwiches, wraps, salads, snacks and desserts and a wide selection of beverages. All meals are made fresh to order, and

groups of 10 or more can preorder boxed lunches. For other dining needs except for wedding cake and punch, planners choose from a list of preferred caterers, and alcohol is allowed if it is purchased and supplied by an insured caterer with a liquor license.

Before and After Events

Garvan Woodland Gardens LOCATION

Event and meeting groups are welcome to explore the gardens in their free time. The event staff offers docent-guided tours for an additional fee with reservations or groups can take self-guided tours. Educational events and concerts are held at the garden throughout the year, and there is

always something fun and exciting going on in nearby Hot Springs. Guests who stay in town can hop over to historic Bathhouse Row, take a ride on the Belle Riverboat, relax and unwind at a day spa or spend the day hiking, boating, golfing or shopping.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

TYPE OF VENUE Off-site, Garden

CAPACITY 180+

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS The Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa

CONTACT INFO 501-262-9300 www.garvangardens.org

October 2016

Extras Aside from being home to one of the most iconic wedding chapels in America, designed by architects Maurice Jennings and David McKee, Garvan Woodland Gardens also has a boat dock on the lake, which is one of the many stops along the guided golf-cart tours

that roll regularly through the gardens. For guests looking to bring home a piece of the gardens, a lovely onsite gift shop is stocked with gardening books, scenic postcards and pictures of the gardens, as well as decor for all seasons and holidays.

Consider These Sites in Suburban Illinois Courtesy Chicago’s North Shore CVB

By Rachel Carter

ig cities’ subu rbs often get a bad rap as sleepy towns and bedroom com mu n it ies. But the suburbs of Chicago and the many cities that circle the Illinois side of St. Louis offer planners easy access and free parking, lower hotel rates and lessexpensive meeting venues, all while delivering big-city amenities and firstclass services.

The Bahá’í House of Worship overlooks the Lake Michigan shore in Wilmette.

Joliet, Illinois Forty miles southwest of Chicago is Joliet, Illinois’ fourth-largest city. With wineries and breweries, restaurants and boutiques, a riverfront casino and more, the city of 150,000 offers groups “plenty to do,” said Daniel Jacobsen, sales manager for the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau. Joliet sits at the junction of interstates 80, 55 and 355, but its most famous highway is Route 66. The CVB provides a step-on guide for a Route 66 driving tour that highlights many iconic stops along the Mother Road, including the 1926 Rialto Square Theatre and the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate, both of which are available for events and tours. The Route 66 Visitors Center at the Joliet Area Historical Museum is a modern, glass-enclosed area that can seat up to 60 people at round tables or accommodate 125 for receptions. It opens to a fountain garden. Planners can use the museum’s rooftop terrace for 150-person seated meal or a 350-person cocktail hour. The Clarion Hotel and Convention Center has 14,150 square feet of event space, including a ballroom, and Harrah’s Joliet, next to the Des Plaines River downtown, has more than 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Thirteen miles north of Joliet, the Bolingbrook Golf Club is the area’s largest venue and can accommodate 800-person events. The Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Bolingbrook has 4,000 square feet of meeting space and recently refreshed its 145 guest rooms. www.heritagecorridorcvb.com

Illinois Meeting Guide

Aurora, Illinois Aurora, Illinois, is the last stop on the BNSF Metra line out of Chicago, but its remote location doesn’t take away from its urban appeal. With 200,000 residents, Aurora is the state’s second-largest city and has “a lot of great history and a lot of new development,” said Pete Garlock, director of sales for the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Metra line terminates at Two Brothers Roundhouse, one of Aurora’s most unusual event venues. The limestone facility was built in 1856 to service, store and turn around locomotives. Today, it houses Two Brothers Artisan Brewing and its restaurant. The historic circular building surrounds a courtyard with a central gazebo and houses a variety of event spaces for groups of 25 to 600 people. Next door, the 98-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites can accommodate conferences for 50 people. Both sit across the street from RiverEdge Park, a 30-acre park and 8,500-person concert venue on the Fox River, where groups can use the stage, gather on the rooftop deck or spread out across the park. The Paramount Theatre is another popular downtown venue. Inside, the theater can seat about 1,850, and the Grand Gallery is an ornate lobby and mezzanine that’s ideal for 450-person events. At the North Island Center across the street, groups of 350 can reserve the Meyer Ballroom, which can also be divided into three smaller rooms, and the Copley Theatre, which seats 173 people. www.enjoyaurora.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Collinsville and Edwardsville, Illinois While Collinsville and Edwardsville sit on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, they’re actually closer to downtown St. Louis than some of the city’s western edges in Missouri. “It’s an easy commute; we’re just a 15- to 20-minute drive from downtown,” said Dan Krankeola, president/ CEO of ILLINOISouth Tourism. “We’re not city, we’re not rural, we’re more urban with a lot of facilities and restaurants and shops.” Collinsville isn’t the largest of the many suburbs that ring St. Louis’ eastern side, but it does have some of the area’s largest meeting space. The Gateway Center has 50,000 square feet of flexible event space, including a 20,400-square-foot exhibit hall that can be halved and a 19,700-square-foot ballroom that can be divided into four smaller ballrooms. The nearby full-service, 236room DoubleTree by Hilton has more than 7,600 square feet of flexible function space. Groups shouldn’t miss Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, a 2,200-acre area that preserves the remains of a sophisticated prehistoric native settlement. There, the interpretive center houses exhibits, a re-created village and a theater that shows an orientation film. The center also has event space for 50-person meetings as well as reception options, Krankeola said. Also in Madison County, 10 miles north of Collinsville, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus

has several venues. SIUE’s conference and catering services can handle planning, budgeting, room setup, registration and more for events of six to 800 people. www.illinoisouth.org

O’Fallon and Belleville, Illinois Eighteen miles east of downtown St. Louis, the city of O’Fallon isn’t St. Clair County’s largest community (Belleville is), but it’s seeing some big developments. The 20,000-square-foot Regency Conference Center is adjacent to a 128-room Hilton Garden Inn, but developers also plan to build another hotel next to the Regency, Krankeola said. The city will also be home to the new McKendree Metro Rec Plex, a full-service sports and event complex slated to open in December. In addition to two NHLsize ice rinks and an aquatic center with a 10-lane pool, the center will have several rooms for private events, company retreats and even group workouts. The facility can host conventions, presentations and special events because “they’ll be able to convert the ice rink to a solid floor,” Krankeola said. In Belleville, groups can gather at one of Bellecourt Banquet Center’s two locations: Bellecourt Place, with two dining rooms for 25 to 150 guests, or Bellecourt Manor, with 10,000 square feet of meeting space that can seat up to 350 people. The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is an outdoor shrine and 200-acre

ZZZ YLVLWHâ&#x17E; QJKDPLO FRP

Courtesy IllinoiSouth Tourism

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fallonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regency Conference Center offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

retreat with a 78-room hotel, a restaurant and a 10,000-square-foot banquet and event center. In nearby Fairview Heights, the 119-room Four Points by Sheraton has nearly 10,000 square feet of flexible function space in 11 meeting rooms, the largest an 8,500-square-foot ballroom. www.illinoisouth.org

Evanston, Illinois Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North Shore communities hug Lake Michigan just north of the city, and the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty and Cape Cod-like feeling often surprise visitors who may expect heavy-industry ports and piers. Evanston, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago on the lakefront, is the largest North Shore city and home to the renowned Northwestern University. On campus, groups can meet in several facilities, including any of the 14 meeting rooms at Norris University Center. Downtown, the 269-room Hilton Orrington/Evanston has more than 26,000 square feet of event space, including an IACC-certified conference center on the ninth floor and additional event space on the second floor. The 178-room Hilton Garden Inn Chicago North Shore has more than 5,000 square feet of function space, and the Holiday Inn Chicago North-Evanston offers another 6,380 square feet. Groups can enjoy the scenic drive on Sheridan Road, which follows the curves of Lake Michigan, and stop at sites along the way. The BahĂĄâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ă House of Worship is one of only seven BahĂĄâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ă temples in the world and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Like all BahĂĄâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ă temples, it has nine sides, and its snow-white dome rises above groomed gardens. Docent-led tours of the temple are free. Farther south on Sheridan Road, the 1873 Grosse Point Lighthouse is open seasonally for tours, and the 1894 lakefront mansion of former U.S. Vice President Charles Gates Dawes offers group tours and can accommodate seated meals for 70 or receptions for 150 guests. www.visitchicagonorthshore.com

Illinois Meeting Guide

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

SMALL MARKET

MEETINGS DESERVE

BIG INCENTIVES

chicagonorthwest.com/3000incentive

Contact Tina Gruman for all the BIG details! 847.278.3447 tgruman@chicagonorthwest.com

Only in Illinois Courtesy Caterpillar Visitor Center

By Rachel Carter

t almost any conference venue, planners can count on Wi-Fi and air walls and audiovisual components. But they and their attendees can’t always tour two private floors of a historic mansion, stand next to a mining truck’s 14-foot-tall tires, learn how to make stained glass or take a cruise down the Mississippi River.

Massive machines make for a unique banquet backdrop at Peoria’s Caterpillar Visitor Center and Museum.

These one-of-a-kind Illinois venues provide all the amenities meetings need and deliver plenty of surprising delights.

Caterpillar Visitor Center and Museum Peoria At the Caterpillar Visitor Center and Museum in Peoria, Illinois, guests watch a short film in the 797 Theater — located in the bed of a Cat 797F Mining Truck — where the seats rumble with the action on the screen. When the movie is over, visitors go downstairs and “stand in front of the mining truck and see how big it is — it’s two and a half stories tall,” said Susan Morton, Caterpillar guest relations manager. The visitor center opened in October 2012 on the banks of the Illinois River and houses a museum as well as function space. In addition to the 62-seat theater, groups of up to 104 can use the dining room and connected balconies for meals or seated events. The adjacent classroom accommodates 50 people, and a 16-person conference room is ideal for board meetings. An outdoor plaza with a lawn and an amphitheater could host “really cool events,” Morton said. Up to 200 people can roam among Caterpillar equipment on the museum’s show floor during a reception. The center changes out the equipment every June and, for the first time, in June 2017, it will put all of its historic Caterpillar equipment on display. Attendees can tour the museum at their leisure, or the center can arrange team-building scavenger hunts.

Illinois Meeting Guide

It will also set up competitions at five simulator stations to see who can best operate an excavator or crawler (track-type) tractor — and who drives the bulldozer off the road. www.caterpillar.com/en/company/visitorscenter.html

Celebration Belle Moline In Moline, Illinois, there’s a moving venue that delivers ever-changing views — and maybe even a glimpse of bald eagles. It’s the Celebration Belle, the largest non-gaming riverboat on the Upper Mississippi River, with room for 750 passengers on four decks. Two are enclosed and climate-controlled and two are outdoor observation decks, so planners have several options for on-board events, and “there’s always a good view, no matter where you’re sitting,” said Susan Yarolem, sales and marketing manager for Celebration River Cruises. The ship can handle receptions for 750 people or banquets for 500 with 250 people on each of the enclosed decks including a stage and dance floor. The full-service boat features five bars, and all food is prepared on board in two galleys. The third deck wraps around the ship, and the fourth deck is open; both have outdoor seating. Both the lunch and sightseeing cruises include narration by the captain as the ship travels past Rock Island Arsenal to Lock and Dam No. 15, the largest roller dam

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

in the world. The two-hour captain’s dinner cruise includes live entertainment and usually the paddlewheeler’s signature dish. “We’re known for prime rib; it’s probably the best on the Mississippi,” Yarolem said. Themed cruises, such as Fall Foliage, Big Band or Kickin’ It Country cruises, are popular for social outings, and the Celebration Belle also offers all-day cruises to Dubuque, Iowa, with three full meals, live music and captain’s narration. www.celebrationbelle.com

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts Mount Vernon At Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mount Vernon, Illinois, meeting attendees can gather for a general session then wander through the sculpture park during their breaks or take a jewelry-making or stained-glass art class after lunch. The center expanded in 2008, adding a 3,450-squarefoot special event venue that can seat 240 for dinner or accommodate 300 for a meeting or concert. Glass walls provide views of the connecting patio and outdoors as well as into an adjacent corridor where art is displayed. Two houses on the 90-acre site are also available for events. The Schweinfurth House, with indoor space and a patio, can accommodate receptions for 150 people or meals for up to 80. Next door to the museum, the

Mitchell House has “huge windows” and is best for meals or meetings for 40 or fewer, said Sarah Lou Bicknell, director of sales and historian. When groups aren’t doing business, they can have a little fun. Docents will lead group tours or guided walks of the Goldman-Kuenz Sculpture Park and its 73 largescale, outdoor art pieces. It is one of the most extensive sculpture parks in the Midwest. The center also offers team-building scavenger hunts and group art classes, such as “Wine and Watercolor” and “Clay and Cocktails.” www.cedarhurst.org

Ewing Cultural Center Bloomington When Hazle Ewing died in 1969, she donated the 6.5acre Bloomington, Illinois, estate that she and her husband built in 1929, including the house and gardens, to the Illinois State University Foundation. That means the mansion was only ever occupied by “one family, one generation,” said Toni Tucker, Ewing Cultural Center director. Today, the castle-like mansion hosts meetings, retreats and receptions. Groups of 150 can use the entire first floor for mix-and-mingle events or have breakout sessions in the living room, library, dining room, foyer and loggia. The Gold Room is the home’s largest conference space and can accommodate 80 people in a theaterstyle setup.

Have a marvelous

meeting

on the

Mississippi!

#visitquad cities Write something... Susan Had an outstanding meeting in the Quad Cities. Great location on the river, and there was a lot to do. The meeting space and hotel rooms were outstanding. Service went above and beyond my expectations. Friday at 6:45 pm • Like John What’s their largest meeting space and hotel? Saturday at 8:54 am • Like Susan Largest space is 117,000 sq. ft. and there is a 514-room hotel. Check it out for your conference – budget friendly! Two hours ago • Like

Comment • Like • Suggest to Friends Lynn Hunt is ready to help you plan your meeting marvels on the Mississippi. Call her at 1-800-747-7800, ext. 823 or email her at lhunt@visitquadcities.com.

October 2016

When your meeting overlooks footballís greatest legend.

Courtesy Ewing Cultural Center

The house and gardens at Bloomington’s Ewing Cultural Center are available for private events. Groups often use the surrounding Genevieve Green Gardens for receptions or breakout sessions, or simply stroll there during breaks, Tucker said. A local charity recently set up a tent on the lawn for a 200-person fundraiser. Next to the mansion is the third piece of the cultural center, the Ewing Theatre. The 430seat, open-air theater is home to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and available for events and presentations. Group can tour the gardens on their own or make arrangements for private tours of the 44-room Norman-style home. The upper two floors house the family’s original furniture and art, so they’re closed to all except during pre-arranged tours, when visitors “would be able to see things that were not open to the public,” Tucker said. ewingmanor.illinoisstate.edu

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Springfield

From a prestigious university to bountiful farmland, Champaign County delivers an Outside of Ordinary meeting experience.

SCHEDULE A SITE VISIT TODAY TO RECEIVE AN ILLINI T- SHIRT! LEAHL@VISITCHAMPAIGNCOUNTY.ORG 800.369.6151 | VISITCHAMPAIGNCOUNTY.ORG

No visit to Illinois should overlook a chance to pay homage to its most-famous resident, Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is a two-building complex in Springfield, Illinois, where planners can choose function spaces and experiences “a la carte,” said Britta Brackney, facilities rental and promotions manager. “Every event can be unique because the client can decide what to include,” she said. The Lincoln Atrium, Lincoln Reception Room and Reception Gallery are three spaces that can be used for receptions, banquets or meetings, but the library’s 250-person multi-purpose room “is really our conference facility,” Brackney said. Smaller groups can also use the classroom, conference room or computer lab. The museum can host groups of 500 for standing receptions or seated dinners for 300. The museum plaza is the center rotunda, which is several stories tall and bracketed by a replica of Lincoln’s boyhood cabin on one side and a replica White House on the other. Each is an entrance to exhibits about Lincoln’s pre-presidential years and his time as president, both of which planners can use for their events. The museum’s two 250-seat theaters “are really popular,” Brackney said. “Lincoln’s Eyes” is a special effects program that gives a 4-D overview of his life, and “Ghosts of the Library” uses holographs. Planners can have a historian speak or bring in an actor to portray historic re-enactments about the Civil War and the night Lincoln was shot. www.illinois.gov/alplm

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Enjoy Authentic and Unique Off-Site Venues

Botanica, The Wichita Gardens

Host Your Event in 200,000 Square Feet of Meeting Space

Explore Old Town with the Complimentary Q-Line Shuttle

Fly into a State-of-the-Art Airport Only Minutes from Downtown

Visit Wichita For Your Next Meeting • Brick-lined entertainment district for after-hours fun • Spacious convention center with attached Hyatt Regency • All conveniently located in downtown Wichita

It’s time to explore your options. It’s time to explore Wichita.

VisitWichita.com 800.288.9424