Small Market Meetings April 2019 by The Group Travel Leader, Inc.

SUSTAINABILITY 101 | RELIGIOUS RETREAT CENTERS | TEXAS MEETING GUIDE APRIL 2019

a n o t y a D h c a Be

REDISCOVERING

Your meeting will be so

you’ll be tempted to wear the cheesehead home!

We’ll see you

September 24-26

at the Small Market Meetings Conference Sign up now for pre and post FAMs! Call Beth to reserve your spot 888.867.3342

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ON THE COVER: The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum is a Daytona Beach landmark. Photo by Joanne Montenegro.

INSIDE VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 4

IDEAS Religious Retreat Venues

CITY Daytona Beach, Florida

VENUE Buffalo Trace Distillery

MEETING GUIDE Texas

D E PA R T M E N T S

INSIGHTS 6Five Places to

Convene Green

8 PROFILE Amy Boeck

10 MANAGING Sustainable Meeting Practices

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 in small and medium size towns and cities. All other meeting industry suppliers 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.

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Courtesy The Woodlands Resort

CUSTOM CONTENT

GRANDER

MEETINGS HAPPEN AT THE GRAND WAYNE CONVENTION CENTER BY VICKIE MITCHELL

lthough Marcy McKinley has been with the Grand Wayne Convention Center in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 12 years, the lack of staff turnover there makes her relatively new. Many of her coworkers have 20 or more years of service. “You come and you never leave,” laughs the director of sales and marketing. Such a wealth of institutional knowledge is quite an asset, especially considering that 80 percent of the more than 315 events held at Grand Wayne Convention Center in a year have been there before.

GUEST EXPERIENCE MANAGER ADDS LOCAL TOUCHES

For example, two years ago, the Grand Wayne added a guest experience manager, a position seldom found at convention centers. “The manager makes sure you have everything you need to have a good experience in Fort Wayne - not just in the building, but outside of it, too,” says McKinley. Adding elements of Fort Wayne could range from having an interpreter from the historic Old Fort do a demonstration to having a night out at the minor-league ballpark. Sometimes the guest experience manager simply makes recommendations as a hotel concierge might. She’s been called upon to create nooks stocked with cards and puzzles where attendees can unwind. For a national SCRABBLE® competition, she arranged for a giant-size, 12foot x 12-foot SCRABBLE® board with tiles for guests to enjoy during their downtime. Guest hosts are another unique customer

service feature. These part-time employees, often retired professionals, position themselves near escalators or outside meeting rooms to answer questions, give directions, resolve problems and provide another layer of security. Walkie-talkies in hand, they can radio appropriate staff. Dressed in green sport coats, they are easy to spot when planners need assistance.

GRAND WAYNE HAS GOOD CONNECTIONS

The Grand Wayne Convention Center opened in 1985, and an extensive renovation in 2006 added much sparkle. The attractive two-story center has an easy-to-navigate floor plan, and its physical connections make it especially appealing. At one end, the center is connected to the 246-room Hilton Fort Wayne. The historic Embassy Theatre, the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory and the 249-room Courtyard by Marriott, all across the street, are also linked by skybridges, to the Center. Later this year, a 136-room Hampton Inn & Suites will open next to the Courtyard; its rooftop bar will overlook Parkview Field, home to the award-winning Fort Wayne Tin Caps Class A Minor league baseball team. Downtown Fort Wayne, already a selling point with nearly 40 restaurants and pubs, will become even more so as a boutique hotel opens next year and the first phase of an extensive riverfront development with outdoor venues and boating is completed this summer.

PLANNERS APPRECIATE AFFORDABILITY

The Grand Wayne Convention Center also works to be efficient, flexible and affordable. Each meeting space is equipped

with its own climate and lighting controls. The convention center is fully carpeted, including the 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a feature that has saved exhibitors thousands of dollars through the years. Other cost savings result from complimentary equipment, including podiums, staging, tables and chairs, easels, skirted registration tables and pencils and notepads in every room. There are no drayage fees, and the wireless Internet service, which handles up to 5,000 simultaneous users, is free. The center also recently upgraded to brighter, more efficient LED lighting.

THE GRAND WAYNE “SELLS ITSELF”

When planners tour the Grand Wayne Convention Center and meet its staff, they understand why so many groups return. “When they visit, the Grand Wayne sells itself,” said McKinley.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Grand Wayne Convention Center Grandwayne.com 260-426-4100 Marcy McKinley, director of sales and marketing

marcym@grandwayne.com

INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

SMALL AND SUSTAINABLE

n much of the U.S., April brings spring, making it a fine time for green meetings. With Earth Day celebrated on April 22, meeting planners might consider using sustainable convention centers. A number of convention venues have attained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and many are in second-tier and smaller convention cities. Here are five sustainable convention centers in smaller cities. By the way: With the upcoming 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2020, look for ways to get meeting attendees involved in the monthlong Great Global Cleanup. About 100 million people are expected to participate.

Here Are Five Places To Convene Green

Portland: A West Coast LEED-er

Everyone looks to the Oregon Convention Center in Portland for green meeting ideas, and no wonder. It is one of two centers in the country to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Always innovating, the center has found an unusual new purpose for 10 tons of carpet that is being replaced during a $39 million renovation. The carpet will absorb toxins in the Puget Sound. Each year, the center donates about 40,000 pounds of food and, because of low-flow plumbing, saves 1.2 million gallons of water. Its many community partnerships mean there’s always someone who can use leftover decor, construction materials and swag. Meeting there requires adhering to some rules — such as no helium balloons and only recyclable signage — which are all outlined in a downloadable guide. www.oregoncc.org

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Virginia Beach: Saving Resources

The Virginia Beach Convention Center demonstrates that sustainability pays off in many ways. The center is architecturally arresting, from its shimmering glass front to its soaring prefunction area. About a mile from the beach, the center was the first in the country to earn LEED Gold certification. It recycles just about anything — paper, cardboard, metal, glass, plastic and cooking oil — these are just a start. Styrofoam is banned, and water stations minimize the use of plastic bottles. The center buys local produce and has an on-site garden. Across the street, the Virginia Beach Sports Center is being built using LEED guidelines. It is expected that when it opens in late 2020, the sports center will sometimes work in tandem with the convention center when it hosts large athletic competitions. www.visitvirginiabeach.com/convention-center

Fort Lauderdale: Beauty at the Beach

Most convention centers are plunked in a concrete landscape, bordered by sidewalks, plazas and parking lots. Not the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 17 acres, next to the Intracoastal Waterway. Its bucolic setting has inspired sustainability efforts. The center irrigates native plants with a water-saving microdrip system. Energy-efficient lighting not only saves money but also creates less heat in an already hot climate. Also impressive are the center’s recycling efforts. In 10 years, its recycling rate climbed from 8 percent to more than 78 percent. www.ftlauderdalecc.com

Madison: A Water Saver

Long before green became more than a color, Frank Lloyd Wright designed sustainable buildings. The Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, is among his designs. Although it wasn’t built until 59 years after Wright drew the plans in 1938, its design is timeless; its position on Lake Monona, reflective. Working with the University of Wisconsin’s We Conserve program, the center diverts 20 tons of food waste from landfills each year. Like other sustainable venues, Monona Terrace keeps finding ways to be greener. By upgrading bathroom fixtures and installing an industrial-style dishwasher, it brought water use 46 percent below LEED’s benchmark. www.mononaterrace.com

April 2019

Las Cruses: Preservation in the Desert

In an environment as punishing as the desert, resources are precious, so from the start, the Las Cruces Convention Center in southern New Mexico set out to be sustainable. It saved trees on its site instead of uprooting them and used native plants that need no watering to landscape. It uses multiple energy sources, including wind and solar. A local market is the center’s composting partner; sophisticated systems monitor and control indoor temperatures and lighting. Its careful use of resources earned the Las Cruces Convention Center Gold LEED status shortly after it opened in 2011. Now, the small convention center, which borders the New Mexico State campus, is expanding by 30 percent, doubling breakout rooms so it can better compete for statewide conventions. www.meetinlascruces.com

AMY BOEK LOVES INTRODUCING MEETING GROUPS TO THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF AMELIA ISLAND. Photos courtesy Amelia Island CVB

CONFERENCE

MEETING LEADERS AMY BOEK

“Florida beach beauty plus Southern hospitality”

BY MOLLY PHILLIPS

t might seem that holding a meeting on a Florida island is a recipe for distraction — just imagine trying to focus on spreadsheets or earnings reports while the sun beats down outside your window on the grey sands of the Atlantic coast. Gulls fly overhead, and scents of perfectly seasoned low country boil waft in from the next room. But these signature touches and vacation-vibe offerings are exactly what Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau CMO Amy Boek believes take business events from good to great.

Boek’s own enchantment with the island she calls home came through in every answer she gave during a March phone interview. From kayaking on the weekends to meeting friends and family for dinner at mom-and-pop seafood spots in the old

downtown, the lifestyle Boek described sounded postcard-perfect. It’s no wonder she’s been so successful at selling the destination to meeting planners and tourists alike for the past 15 years. Born and raised in Kentucky and a graduate of Murray State University, Boek said she always dreamed of living near the sea. As part of her coursework in public relations and marketing during college, she completed an internship on Amelia Island. When a job opened up after she graduated to work in real-estate marketing for the Amelia Island Plantation, one of the island’s premier resorts and property groups, she jumped at the chance to leave the Bluegrass for the beach. Boek later transferred to the resort side of the business. During her tenure, the hotel was purchased by Omni Hotels and underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. “The resort had always been beautiful, but it was amazing to see the transformation from what it was into what it always had the potential of being,” she said. “It was very cool to get to be a part of that evolution.” Boek stayed at the resort for 10 years before transitioning to the destination side of the table as director of marketing at the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2014. She was later promoted to her current position as chief marketing officer.

“We don’t have a convention center on the island, so we work directly with the various properties when it comes to bookings and organizing events,” said Boek. “It definitely played to my advantage to come from the hotel side. When you’ve always worked on the DMO side, there are logistical and operational things that hotels are thinking about that you might not readily understand.” As CMO of a “lean and nimble” team of five full-time employees, Boek does everything from spearheading the island’s new augmented reality marketing to meeting with local businesses and hotel properties in order to help them maximize tourism profits. “Florida beach beauty plus Southern hospitality” is her go-to description of the island’s appeal to prospective visitors. “You have a lot at your fingertips in a small destination,” she said. “While you have a significant number of hotel rooms and venues that can host large events, everything on the island is within a 13-mile radius. It’s very easy to get to and to get around.” Meeting attendees also have an easy time getting to the destination; Jacksonville International Airport is less than 30 minutes away. “You can be checked in and on the beach within an hour of landing,” said Boek.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME

Amy Boek

TITLE

Chief Marketing Officer

ORGANIZATION

Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau

LOCATION Amelia Island, Florida

BIRTHPLACE Paducah, Kentucky

EDUCATION B.S. in public relations and marketing from Murray State University

CAREER HISTORY Boek previously served as director of marketing for the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and marketing manager for the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort.

TIPS FROM AMY BOEK

• Use the CVB or the DMO in the market; by going directly to the property, you can miss out on some of the expertise that the CVB can provide. • Keep an open mind. Instead of going to the thing that’s the most convenient, think about what would be the most memorable and engaging experience for your organization. • Think outside of the box. Whether you’re a meeting planner or on the destination side, always ask, “How can I innovate?” Find a niche and deliver the unexpected. April 2019

MANAGING

Sustainability Starts Here

YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THESE GREEN PRACTICES AT MEETINGS OF ANY SIZE

BY RACHEL CARTER

or planners new to organizing green meetings or who want to start adding sustainable elements to their events, the message is simple: Start small but start somewhere. Sustainable meetings are complex. Planners often think it’s too much work and stop before they even start, said Nancy Zavada, founder and president of MeetGreen. “They don’t consider it a journey,” she said. But if they pick one thing and try to do it well, “it makes it so much more approachable to go to your stakeholders with future sustainability efforts,” said Chance Thompson, senior manager, sustainability and public relations for SMG at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

“Pick one thing, do it, and do it well. From there, add on to it and keep going. It shouldn’t be a burden; it should be what creative solutions you come up with, and then collect data and show your attendees what you’re doing on their behalf.”

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Choosing a destination is the most important way to start. Knowing where attendees will be coming from can help narrow down destinations so you can choose one that most people can reach by driving — maybe even carpooling — to reduce emissions from flying. It’s also important to look for cities that have mass transit from the airport to the venue. When selecting a site, look for one in a walkable area so attendees can walk to restaurants, stores and attractions without having to rent a car or get a cab. “The more you can eliminate the need for vehicles to be used, the better,” said Courtney Lohmann, director of culture for PRA South Florida and chair of the Events Industry Council Sustainability Committee. Planners can also give attendees local transit passes. For one recent event, Visit Salt Lake worked with the Utah Transit Authority to have kiosks at the airport to give attendees passes to ride the light rail to downtown, Thompson said. Planners should also look at the city’s infrastructure for waste collection, recycling and composting and choose a community that has a robust program. Transit, walkability and recycling: “Those three things are going to reduce your carbon footprint right from the start and make a big difference,” Zavada said.

Nancy Zavada FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT MeetGreen Experience: 41 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“Communication is key. Tell the group why the meal may be different or how the food has been sourced. Make the sustainability plan a part of their overall experience at your event. The more they experience sustainability, the more they will engage in it and become a part of the solution.”

BEYOND THE BUILDING Choosing a LEED-certified facility is a great way to cut energy and water use, but LEED facilities aren’t always available — or affordable. “You do not need the LEED facility to make a big impact,” Lohmann said. In the past, much of the focus has been on holding events at LEED buildings, but shifting efforts to the operational side of things can allow planners to do even more. Some venues have their own in-house sustainability programs and initiatives. The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, for example, has its own donation program. The center works with over 80 nonprofit, faith-based and art organizations to donate and reuse materials left over from events, Thompson said. “Leave it behind, let us compile it, and our staff and crew can find a home for it,” he said. Planners can also look for lodging that uses LED lighting, has low-flow toilets and encourages guests to reuse linens.

FOOD WASTE

Courtney Lohmann DIRECTOR OF CULTURE PRA South Florida Experience: 19 years

April 2019

In the United States, food waste is estimated to be 30 percent to 40 percent of the food supply — the equivalent of 133 billion pounds and $161 billion of food a year. And it’s not just food that goes to the landfill; it’s the energy, resources and emissions that went into growing, harvesting and shipping it. If planners have to pick one area of focus, Thompson recommends food waste because it’s relatively easy and because it can save money. To start, planners should rethink the old industry standard of ordering 1.5 times the amount of food they anticipate needing. Lowering that to 1.25 or less will immediately reduce waste. Planners who work for an organization can also look at past events to analyze the group’s food needs and historic consumption. Opting for at least one meatless meal and trying to source local ingredients also cuts down on carbon emissions. If planners usually preset salads for a formal dinner, Lohmann suggests presetting only 80 percent of the seats. Not presetting water, tea or coffee cups reduces water waste. Rather than automatically refilling the buffet, have attendees notify staff if they want more of a particular item. Doing so ensures that food stays properly heated or cooled and that it is not contaminated so it can be donated after the event.

MANAGING

Planners should work with partners or venues that have a vetted donation partner authorized to handle and serve donated food. The fear of liability issues when donating food is really a nonissue, Thompson said. A “clean plate challenge” encourages attendees to take only what they’ll eat. When they’re done eating, they go to a scraping station and get a reward if their plate is clean.

MANAGING MATERIALS Waste management is really materials management, Thompson said, and “it’s my favorite realm.” That’s because it’s so broad and allows planners to be creative. It can range from items directly under the planner’s control, such as registration materials, lanyards and giveaways, to larger partnerships with exhibitors to donate their exhibit materials. When the Salt Palace hosted a carpet and flooring trade show in 2017, it worked with the producer to reuse thousands of carpet samples from the event. The convention center tapped a local artist who turned 4,200 carpet samples into a 20-foot-tall mosaic of Utah’s first female senator and the first female state senator in the U.S.

Eliminating individual plastic water bottles cuts waste and saves money. Instead, set up water stations with glasses. Using event apps helps reduce paper, “but the trouble is, people are starting to think you cut out plastic water bottles and paper, and you’re done,” Zavada said. Eradicating single-use plastics like straws and service ware is important and can give the event a more elegant feel. Giveaways are another area planners need to rethink. Attendees don’t need — and often don’t want — a lot of the swag that gets foisted on them. For one event, attendees could choose between a conference bag or an extra drink ticket on the registration form, “and sure enough, the drink tickets won out,” Zavada said. If there will be a promotional item, try to make it elegant, relevant and long-lasting, like a glass water bottle or a reusable cotton bag. Signage is another big area to tackle. Foam board is the industry standard, but “we’ve got to get rid of it,” Thompson said. It’s not recyclable, and it’s difficult to donate or repurpose. He recommends transitioning to Falcon Board or honeycomb board for fully recyclable paper-based signage.

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IDEAS Courtesy Pearlstone

TIME OUT These religious retreat centers are ideal for faith-based meetings

BY RACHEL CARTER

ometimes, the key to advancing is to take a retreat. Religious retreats allow people to get away from the daily grind and pursue spiritual experiences. Some retreat centers allow participants to do that while walking through the woods, working the land or watching wildlife. Some centers help people connect by cutting out distractions, and others use activities to bring people together. These professional retreat centers can accommodate large groups with hundreds of beds, massive meeting spaces and full-service, high-level dining.

April 2019

YMCA OF THE ROCKIES

ESTES PARK, COLORADO “There is no place where we have been where we can more clearly see the majesty of God and His creation in so many different ways” — that’s what a recent YMCA of the Rockies guest wrote in a thankyou note after staying at the Estes Park Center. YMCA of the Rockies includes two retreat centers: Snow Mountain Ranch in Vail and the Estes Park Center, near the mountain town of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Estes Park is the larger of the two, with nine lodges, 553 rooms and about 1,700 fixed beds. For bigger youth groups, the center can add youth mattresses on the floor, increasing the number of beds to over 2,000, said Arlyn Crowfoot, group sales director. Longhouse is a 22,000-square-foot gymnasium that can seat 2,600 and accommodate concerts, trade shows and sporting events. The 11,520-square-foot Assembly Hall can seat 1,300 or be broken into three smaller meeting spaces. Ruesch Auditorium is an 800-seat theater with three breakout rooms and two separate lobbies. The center has about 50 other meeting rooms that can hold anywhere from a dozen to 400 attendees, he said. Faith-based groups often use the amphitheater

Above: Maryland’s Pearlstone retreat center has 11 meeting spaces and will open its fifth lodge this fall.

IDEAS and fire ring, and youth groups flock to mini golf and disc golf, basketball, volleyball and tennis. In the winter, guests can play in the snow or play indoors with a climbing wall, a craft center and archery in the roller rink. During the autumn rut season, the most “boisterous” guests are the elk that battle to out-bugle each other. “It gets pretty interesting,” Crowfoot said. www.ymcarockies.org

BILLY GRAHAM TRAINING CENTER AT THE COVE

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth Graham, dreamed of creating a place of retreat and reflection, and they found it when they visited a 1,200-acre property in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association bought the property in 1972 and approved the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove in 1987. “Mrs. Graham, part of her vision for the Cove was she wanted a place where hospitality is a ministry,” said Eric Wilkes, director of operations. Today, the training center produces 70 to 80 of its own inhouse events that attract some 20,000 guests. The center also leases out its facilities to groups with the same ministry philosophy and purpose, which brings in another 10,000 or so guests each year. Individuals can also visit independently to tour the Chatlos Memorial Chapel, which serves as the Cove’s visitor center. In the training center’s main auditorium, 458 fixed theater

seats face a wall of windows that provide a mountain backdrop, and an adjoining deck works well for social gatherings. A 119seat auditorium and about 14 additional meeting rooms provide groups other gathering areas. The center has 127 inn rooms, six suites and five private cabins, but it can accommodate larger groups because a variety of national hotels sit just outside the Cove’s gates at the Interstate 40 exit. The Cove is purposefully designed to provide an environment free from distractions. No TVs, radios or newspapers are in guest rooms, although the center does have Wi-Fi. Instead, guests can watch for wildlife on walking trails, hike to an observation deck overlooking the property or enjoy fellowship around a fire pit while making s’mores. www.thecove.org

PEARLSTONE

REISTERSTOWN, MARYLAND At Pearlstone, a retreat and conference center in Reisterstown, Maryland, guests can work on the organic farm or watch sheep graze in the orchard; and soon, they will be able to pick their own blueberries and strawberries or stroll through the new vineyard. “Our whole intent is to provide a backdrop for these spiritual and personal connections with each other and with the land,” said Rachel Feldman, director of business development. A recent master plan of the 180-acre campus calls for updating facilities and building new ones, such as transforming small

Courtesy YMCA of the Rockies

Courtesy The Cove

Courtesy Heartland Conference Retreat Center

Clockwise from left: Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove; YMCA of the Rockies; a zip line at Heartland Conference Retreat Center

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

pavilions in the woods into three-season bunkhouses, revamping the high ropes course and building a new amphitheater overlooking the lake. Crews will break ground on a fifth lodge this fall, adding up to 24 single-occupancy rooms and raising the center’s maximum overnight group size from 300 to about 400. In the lodges, each sleeping room faces the “fertile crescent,” so guests can look onto the hillside where “all our baby fruit trees are growing and see the sheep grazing in the orchard,” Feldman said. Pearlstone’s main center has 11 meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 300 participants. At 2,000 square feet, Jubilee is the largest space, with a west-facing deck that delivers views of the property. A favorite venue is the Orchard room where floor-to-ceiling windows “look right out on a lot of the area that we farm,” she said. Pearlstone has over 10 acres of certified organic farmland that supplies the kitchen with fresh produce and serves as an outdoor classroom for group lessons on a wide variety of subjects from the Torah to environmental sustainability. www.pearlstonecenter.org

HEARTLAND CONFERENCE RETREAT CENTER

MARENGO, OHIO The Heartland Conference Retreat Center opened in 2001, and the 360-acre center about 40 miles north of Columbus, Ohio, hosts all of the Ohio Ministry Network’s summer camps. Designed with youth groups in mind, Heartland has just over 700 beds, primarily bunk-style beds in three dorm buildings. Hickory Lodge can sleep another 72 people, also in bunk beds, and Beechnut Lodge has 12 hotel-type rooms that work well for board or couples retreats. For groups of 100 or more, the Oakwood Center is the main venue, where the multipurpose room can accommodate up to 700 people. For smaller groups, each dorm building has its own lobby — all have been recently refreshed — that serves as meeting space. Heartland is also launching a capital campaign that “will give us a more regional reach and allow us to host groups even from surrounding states,” said Lonnie Thompson, senior director of marketing and guest services. A new multipurpose building will provide space for events, indoor recreation or overflow dining, as well as six flexible breakout rooms for up to 60 people each. Heartland hopes to break ground this August and complete construction by the end of 2020, Thompson said. Groups often use Heartland’s low ropes course or two-level high ropes course with three zip lines and climbing wall, or participate in slingshot paintball and archery. Heartland’s Compass program provides groups with inhouse team building and leadership training. www.heartlandretreat.com

April 2019

IDEAS

TEXAS 4-H CONFERENCE CENTER

BROWNWOOD, TEXAS The Texas 4-H Conference Center sits on a plateau overlooking Lake Brownwood in the geographic heart of Texas. Opened in 1975, the full-service center is owned by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and the 78-acre conference and retreat center operates year-round. The Leadership Lodge has 24 private rooms, each with two full-size beds; 10 dormitories offer a total of 260 twin-size beds. Lakeside Pavilion provides another 24 twin-size beds as well as communal space that includes a covered patio facing the lakeshore. The 3,000-square-foot auditorium has a stage and can seat 300 theater-style or 144 for banquets, and the recreation room offers 1,100 square feet of open meeting space. A variety of other meeting rooms and spaces are available, but perhaps the most unique is the 2,450-square-foot covered patio adjacent to the outdoor cooking area. The patio, which has open walls in the spring and greenhouse-style walls in place during the winter, can seat 160 for meals. Groups can kayak and canoe on the lake or swim in the pool, tackle the ropes course or get in some target practice at the shooting ranges. The center also has basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. texas4hcenter.tamu.edu

YMCA OF THE ROCKIES IN COLORADO

Courtesy YMCA of the Rockies

MEETING SPACES

DEGRAY LAKE RESORT STATE PARK

VACATION VIEWS

#ARStateParks

Choose from five Arkansas State Park lodges that offer first-class accommodations in the most scenic settings in the state. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a private getaway or corporate retreat, we can help personalize your experience.

888-AT-PARKS â&#x20AC;˘ LodgesofArkansas.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EXPERIENCE THE COVE. LEAVE INSPIRED. Plan to hold your group’s next ministry event or conference at The Cove in Asheville, N.C. Discover the mountain retreat founded by Billy Graham where exceptional service, distinctive meeting spaces, and first-class accommodations provide the ideal atmosphere for your group. 458-Seat and 119-Seat Auditoriums • 14 Additional Meeting and Breakout Rooms • 127 Inn Rooms • 6 Suites • 5 Private Cabins • Complete Audio and Visual Capabilities • 24-Hour Complimentary Beverages • Chef-Prepared Buffet • Dedicated Event Planners VISIT THECOVE.ORG/GUEST-GROUPS OR CALL 828-771-4800 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

April 2019

A MINISTRY OF BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” —PSALM 37:23, NKJV

@thecovenc

a n o t y a D Beach

REBORN

Ocean Center Daytona Beach was expanded in 2009 and has more than 205,000 square feet of meeting space. By Jeff Crumbley, courtesy Volusia Co.

CITY

DAYTONA BEACH AT A GLANCE

More than $2 billion in development is making over this Florida favorite

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

Florida Fun Coast mecca for motorsports, watersports and simple relaxation, Daytona Beach is known for its 23 miles of hard-packed beach that has welcomed motor vehicles for pleasure jaunts and racing for more than 50 years. In 1948, Bill France founded NASCAR; he built the Daytona International Speedway in 1959. Now, some 8 million visitors a year convene in the city’s ever-burgeoning meetings facilities, marvel at its attractions and play in its waters and on its championship golf courses.

LOCATION: Florida’s Atlantic coast, 95 miles south of Jacksonville ACCESS: At the junction of interstates 95 and 4; Daytona Beach International Airport HOTEL ROOMS: 12,000 CONTACT INFO: Daytona Beach Area CVB 386-255-0415 www.daytonabeach.com OCEAN CENTER DAYTONA BEACH CONVENTION COMPLEX BUILT: 1985, expanded in 2009 EXHIBIT SPACE: 205,000 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 32 breakout rooms, decks, patios MEETING HOTELS Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort GUESTROOMS: 744 MEETING SPACE: 60,000 square feet indoors, 25,000 square feet outdoors The Daytona, a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel GUESTROOMS: 144 MEETING SPACE: 10,000 square feet indoors, 10,000 square feet outdoors Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach GUESTROOMS: 200 MEETING SPACE: 10,000 square feet

WHO’S MEETING IN DAYTONA BEACH International Shriners Imperial Session: 2018, 2019 ATTENDEES: 8,000 International Ceramic Society ATTENDEES: 1,000 Fire Rescue East ATTENDEES: 2,000 April 2019

Destination Highlights

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Art at the Ocean Center

aytona’s silvery beach, sunshiny days and near-constant sea breezes have made it popular with vacationers for more than a century. The first hotel was built in 1874, and through the years, folks have come to frolic in the sand, sail across the ocean on a catamaran, go deep-sea fishing, shop, toast at seaside tiki bars and revel in a dinner of fresh-caught delights. Now, thanks to more than $2 billion in ongoing new development and hotel renovations citywide, this Atlantic Ocean-hugging spot is in the midst of a massive overhaul, adding more reasons for tourists and meetings to come. Host city for the U.S. headquarters for the Ladies Professional Golf Association and for NASCAR, Daytona Beach is among BizBash’s Top 25 Destinations for Small Meetings and one of Golf Digest’s Top 15 Places to Play in the U.S. Culture thrives here. The 26,000-square-foot Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, a 26,000-square-foot museum on the campus of the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of Arts and Sciences, houses the largest private collection of Florida oil and watercolor paintings in the world. “The first thing we hear from visitors who haven’t been here before or in a long time is, ‘I had no idea,’” said Linda McMahon, the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s director of group sales. “We have great hotels, meeting facilities and restaurants, plus the Atlantic beach. Attendees and their families can come early and stay late.” DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Daytona Beach Pier

By Jeff Crumbley, courtesy Volusia Co.

Major Meeting Spaces

he Ocean Center Daytona Beach Convention Complex, in the heart of the Daytona Beach resort area, lies 400 feet from the ocean, within an easy-to-walk two blocks of the center of town. The convention, entertainment and sports complex boasts a 12,000-square-foot Banquet Hall with seating for 850, a 42,000-squarefoot arena and 36,000 square feet of meeting rooms with 32 breakouts. Facility features include award-winning in-house catering, an art gallery and lots of outdoor light. “We give meeting planners tier-one-city service,” said McMahon. “And we’re one of the most affordable Florida beach destinations.” At the 744-room Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the largest convention hotel in Daytona Beach, 8,000 of the total 60,000 square feet of event space is oceanfront, much with floor-to-ceiling glass, and its largest space can hold 2,000 attendees. Its 60 suites include 30 beachfront cabana suites. “In late 2017, the property had a $25 million renovation of all public and meetings space,” said Kerry Mitruska, director of sales and marketing. “We’re directly across the street from the Ocean Center. A lot of large groups use our space plus the center’s 200,000 square feet.” The only beachfront Hard Rock in the nation, the four-star, boutique Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach has 200 rooms, music memorabilia from its corporate collection — the world’s largest — and plenty of outdoor, oceanfront venues. With Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal views, the Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center, a condo-style property renovated in 2018, has 318 rooms, from studios to suites, and 17,000 square feet of function space.

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Distinctive Venues

ust off a $400 million facelift to change the racetrack to a multiuse stadium, Daytona International Speedway, built in 1959 to replace motor sports on the beach, is pure fun. Its 140,000 square feet of meeting space, which can accommodate 75 to 700 guests, includes 75 luxury, track-view suites; the Daytona 500 Club in the infield; and Gatorade Victory Lane, where attendees can snap photos of race winners getting doused with champagne. Exciting team-building options include the Pit Crew Experience and the NASCAR Driving/Racing Experience. Participants can suit up, climb in with a professional driver and feel the speed, or slide into the window of a racecar and drive it themselves. “You cannot get in that car, zoom at 150 miles per hour around one of the most iconic tracks and not have a good time,” said Kelly Kinney, sales manager for marketing and conventions. Directly across the street, the $150 million One Daytona is a something-for-everyone complex with farm-to-table restaurants for a dinearound, shops, a movie theater, live entertainment in fountain-bedecked Victory Circle and 35,000-square-foot GameTime, event space for 700 and team building galore. Its Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery can host 20 to 500 for “intimate parties to blowout buyouts.” Groups can stay at The Daytona, a Marriott Autograph opening this spring, and at a new, 105-suite, upscale Fairfield Inn and Suites, designed as a model for the entire chain.

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

April 2019

A pit crew team-building experience Courtesy Daytona Beach Area CVB

AFTER THE MEETING

Daytona Club 500 Bar By ISC Photo

After the Meeting

n addition to fast cars, Daytona Beach embraces its history, waters and wildlife, and offers a plethora of fun things to do. Visitors to the 175-foot-tall Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, first lit in 1887, can climb 203 steps for magnificent views of the beach and the vast Atlantic Ocean. Groups of 25 can toast the full moon on an evening tour. Next door, the Marine Science Center is a storehouse of area ecology, including sea turtle and seabird rehab, and a huge aquarium. Locals dub Florida’s first luxury estate as “the house that hats built.” The High Victorian, 1886 Stetson Mansion was originally the winter retreat of hatmaker and philanthropist John B. Stetson, with guests such as President Grover Cleveland, the king and queen of England and Thomas Edison, who installed one of the world’s first home electric systems there. Though the home is privately owned, groups can book tours. At De Leon Springs State Park, naturally flowing water was used to turn first a sugar mill, then a Civil War-era gristmill. Today, the park features swimming, hiking, kayaking and canoeing on 22,000 acres of natural water and eco/ history boat tours to ogle manatees. Guests can make their own blueberry pancakes on tabletop griddles at the park’s Old Spanish Sugar Mill and Griddle House. A great break from a meeting room, the Daytona Beach Ale Trail provides sips at craft beer breweries, wine bars and distilleries. The Copper Bottom Brewery spices its Florida-crafted specialty swigs with bootlegger legends from Florida’s colorful past.

HOTEL

Elegance in the Rockies

BY KRISTY ALPERT

even is more than just a lucky number for the Hotel Elegante Conference and Event Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This recently renovated property is on seven acres just seven miles from the Colorado Springs Airport and the Garden of the Gods National Natural Monument. The scenic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains sets the stage for the grand experiences and cozy mountainside accommodations the hotel provides for its guests throughout its 500 rooms and suites. Each room comes equipped with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen HD TVs, as well as luxuries like plush 13-inch Simmons Beautyrest Pillowtop mattresses and Bath and Body Works bath amenities. Guests can choose from a variety of floor plans, including poolside suites that are perfect for families and loft suites that make en suite entertaining a breeze. The Premier Rooms allow access to the Premiere Level, where guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast each morning and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in the evening. Experiences on-site range from an outdoor pool and beach volleyball in the summer to a heated indoor pool and hot tub, as well as a dog park for small and large dogs. This hotel keeps an active schedule for families with a Fun Zone and a wading pool designed just for kids and a 24-hour fitness center with basketball, tennis and pickleball courts for adults. Running and walking paths make it easy to explore around the seven acres, and the hotel’s partnership with the Lotus Salon means those exploring feet don’t have to lack pampering. As the second-largest hotel in Colorado Springs, Hotel Elegante is set up to welcome groups of all sizes with more than 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Many groups choose to gather around the table at the hotel’s three on-site dining facilities: Rustler’s Country Café, Rawhide Sports Bar and the Sweet Tooth. This shop has become a must-visit for a morning Starbucks fix or to sample Colorado City Creamery’s famous ice cream flavors as a treat before a big meeting or event.

Photos courtesy Hotel Elegante

A COLORFUL BALLROOM BANQUET

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M E E T I N G S PAC E S

A CHILDREN’S AREA AT HOTEL ELEGANTE CAN ALSO BE USED FOR PRIVATE EVENTS.

The meeting spaces at the Hotel Elegante Conference and Event Center are spread throughout more than 50,000 square feet, where flexible floor plans allow for multiple room configurations to fit specific events. The Grand Ballroom is the largest space at the hotel, with 13,600 square feet and room for 2,000 guests; the Summit Ballroom’s 6,050 square feet features beautiful views of Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs with room for 800 guests. Other spaces include the Grand Ballroom Concourse for up to 320 guests, the Pikes Peak Ballroom for up to 500 guests, the Foothills Ballroom for up to 340 guests, the Garden for up to 300 guests, the Centennial and the Rampart for up to 150 guests each, the Gold Camp for up to 120 guests, the El Paso and the Fremont for up to 60 guests each, the Avondale and the Divide for up to 35 guests each, and a series of six other smaller meeting rooms and boardrooms with space for 10 to 100 guests.

C AT E R I N G All meals are served at the Hotel Elegante Conference and Event Center’s meeting spaces in a banquet style. Many former meetings guests have raved about the elaborate fruit and cheese displays and seafood selections within the resort’s raw bar. The catering staff at the hotel can handle any request, from simple coffee breaks to themed menus at receptions or military balls. Alcohol is available.

EXTRAS

HOTEL ELEGANTE LOCATION

Colorado Springs, Colorado

SIZE

500 guest rooms and suites

MEETING SPACE

More than 50,000 square feet

ACCESS

The resort offers free shuttle service to and from the Colorado Springs Airport.

CONTACT INFO

719-576-5900 www.hotelelegante.com

April 2019

Guests can take advantage of free airport shuttles to and from the hotel, as well as free Wi-Fi access throughout all the rooms and public spaces. The hotel allows pets, and many business travelers choose to bring their families due to the numerous activities and options that kids can enjoy throughout the property, from on-site playgrounds to organized sporting events. Each of the meeting spaces comes equipped with modern audiovisual facilities and equipment, and every meeting and event comes with comprehensive planning services. Packages are available to help customize and fine-tune events to make sure they hit the mark.

AFTER HOURS Downtime between events at the Hotel Elegante Conference and Event Center can be active or relaxed, where the indoor and outdoor pools can accommodate both travel styles. The fitness center and sports courts include the latest workout technology, as well as volleyball, basketball, tennis and pickleball courts. Spa treatments and shoeshine services provide a taste of luxury; karaoke nights bring an extra element of fun. At the hotel’s Champagne Sunday brunch or Friday-night seafood buffet, the selections rival the culinary offerings of many fine-dining establishments, from prime rib to fresh gulf shrimp.

VENUE

GROUPS MEETING AT BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY CAN HOLD MEALS INSIDE A MODERNIZED 1935 LOG CABIN.

All photos courtesy Buffalo Trace Distillery

A BOURBON COUNTRY LANDMARK

et on the well-worn path once followed by thousands of wooly beasts traveling from the grasslands of the Great Plains to the falls of the Ohio, the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, shares a name and a place in history alongside the trail where it resides. The bison were the first to make their mark on this slice of Kentucky, but it was the pioneering work of the early settlers and distillers of the city that would make Buffalo Trace a household name. The distillery’s roots date back to the early 1800s, when the first still was set up on the land, but it wasn’t until 1999 that the distillery’s flagship brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, first entered the market and brought this family-owned company to new heights. The product was an immediate success, and within a year the distillery was on the map, with visitors coming from around the world to discover the roots of their favorite bourbon. The Buffalo Trace Distillery earned its place as a National Historic Landmark in 2013 and continues on today as the oldest continuously operating distillery in America. Visitors today can get an inside look at

BY KRISTY ALPERT

the art of making bourbon and go behind the scenes while uncovering some of the distillery’s normal and paranormal features on the distillery’s range of tours. Guests of all ages are welcomed to participate in the Trace Tour and the Ghost Tour, while only guests 12 years or older are able to take part in the Hard Hat Tour, the National Landmark Tour and the Bourbon Barrel Tour. Aside from the creative events and multiple tasting options the distillery offers throughout the year, the building itself has become a fantastic spot for hosting private events and gatherings. Meeting groups can choose from any of three options at the distillery, ranging from a 1935 renovated log cabin to the intimate and exclusive Master Distiller’s Room. From reunions to receptions and private tastings to corporate outings, the distillery offers the chance to host polished events in a rustic setting.

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M E E T I N G S PA C E S With three separate spaces to gather, the Buffalo Trace Distillery provides intimate settings for groups of varying sizes. The Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse sits inside a 1935 log cabin that has been modernly restored with an upper level that seats up to 350 guests within 1,950 square feet. The Master Distiller’s Room is decidedly

A BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON DISPLAY ON AN ELMER T. LEE BARREL

more intimate. A wood-burning fireplace welcomes in groups of up to 14 guests within 250 square feet. The Single Oak Room in the George T. Stagg Gallery is located within the Visitor Center, where the room can divide into space for up to 75 guests in the Single Oak Room or up to 150 guests in the George T. Stagg Gallery.

C AT E R I N G The Buffalo Trace Distillery does not offer in-house catering, but the meetings and events contract does allow for outside caterers that have obtained the proper license and insurance to serve within Kentucky. Box lunches are available through the Firehouse Sandwich Shop, where juicy barbecue sandwiches

are prepared in an easy-to-grab lunch format with tasty sides and a chocolate bar. Alcohol is allowed, and the distillery does permit bar service at events, but each event planner is required to show proof of a licensed caterer and/or bartender before the event.

Whisky Magazine

2018

V E N U E FA C T S

DISTILLER of the Year

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY LOCATION

Frankfort, Kentucky

TYPE OF VENUE Off-site, distillery

CAPACITY

More than 350 guests

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS Capital Plaza Hotel www.capitalplazaky.com PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CONTACT INFO 502-696-5926 www.buffalotracedistillery.com

Host your next meeting surrounded by 200 years of spirit-making history at the world’s most award-winning distillery. Learn more and book your meeting at BuffaloTraceDistillery.com/Events @BUFFALOTRACEDISTILLERY

April 2019

@BUFFALOTRACE

113 GREAT BUFFALO TRACE, FRANKFORT, KY • 1-800-654-8471

AFTER EVENTS Every meeting and event held at the Buffalo Trace Distillery comes with a complimentary tour and tasting for all members of the meeting or event group. Tours can be personalized to fit a specific theme of the meeting, but no matter which tour planners choose, guests will go home with a greater understanding

and a deeper appreciation of this Kentucky gem. Tours take guests down the path of rolling bourbon barrels to see where the brand’s finest creations are stored to age until the bottles are ready to be filled, sealed, labeled and packaged — all by hand.

EXTRAS

A RUSTIC, ELEGANT EVENT AT BUFFALO TRACE

The event spaces each bring their own rustic character to the mix, but they also feature some updated amenities, like wireless internet, wireless projectors, built-in screens for presentations, and sound systems. Ambient lighting is available in the Master Distiller’s Room, and meeting groups of the Single Oak Room in the George T. Stagg Gallery

can enjoy the industrial chic beauty of a beamed ceiling set above the original hardwood floor of the building’s original 1880s structure. The Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse brings additional convenience to meetings with its own full-service catering kitchen, making catering a breeze for all sorts of events.

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Classic Texas

Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy La Posada Hotel

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

exas has always been big and bold, a blending of cultures based on who lived in the area when the Spanish first arrived and who owned the land moving forward. Texas was part of Mexico for 15 years and its own Republic from 1836 to 1845. To add a taste of old Texas to your next Lonestar State gathering, consider holding events and meetings in some of these historically significant sites across the state. MAGOFFIN HOME STATE HISTORIC SITE

El Paso The 19-room adobe Magoffin Home was built in 1875 by a man who held the post of El Paso’s mayor four times. Joseph Magoffin, the grandson of Irish immigrants who had a Spanish mother, held many jobs in Texas,

April 2019

LAREDO’S LA POSADA HOTEL OCCUPIES A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL BUILT IN 1916.

including justice of the peace, tax collector and vice president of a bank. What makes the home special is that there aren’t many old adobe homes left in the area from the late 1800s. When the Magoffin Home was built, “everything in El Paso was adobe,” said Jeff Harris, manager of the historic site. “The railroads arrived in 1881, and people stopped building in adobe. They started building with fired brick. Magoffin is one of the few homes that predate the railroad in El Paso. Having an adobe house museum is kind of odd. That is one of the fun, unique things about our place.” The Magoffin family lived in the home for more than 100 years. Groups can rent the home’s courtyard and two acres of property for events of 50 to 200 people. They also can rent the visitors center across the street for small group meetings. Group tours of the Magoffin Home and museum can be organized during planned events. The home, which became a museum in the 1970s, sits in a historic neighborhood and historic district in El Paso and is surrounded by 30 museums and “gorgeous desert landscape,” Harris said. www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites

Meetieng Guid

LA POSADA HOTEL

OPAL LAWRENCE HISTORICAL PARK Courtesy Opal Lawrence Historical Park

TEXAS

We Specialize in Small Market Meetings

Laredo The La Posada Hotel has a long history in one of the oldest cities in Texas. It was built around four historic buildings on San Agustin Plaza, which dates to the late 1700s when the king of Spain asked his nobles to explore and settle the area between Tampico, Mexico, and the San Antonio River in Texas. Don Tomas Sanchez founded Villa San Agustin de Laredo on the north bank of the Rio Grande River in 1755. La Posada was built on a site that served as the former town hall and jail and the first incarnation of Laredo High School. Those buildings were torn down in 1916, and the new high school was built. It also served as an elementary school but was converted to a hotel in 1961. The high school building serves as the main entrance to the hotel and houses the Zaragoza Grill, meeting rooms, the Phillip V Ballroom and the Tesoro Club. The hotel’s ballrooms once served as a 19th-century convent, and the Capitol of the Republic of the Rio Grande building dates back to the 1830s and houses a museum on the hotel grounds. The hotel’s steakhouse is in a former residence that was built in 1883. The hotel, with 206 rooms, has more than 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space that can be used for conventions, banquets, social events, weddings and receptions. It can host events for 10 to 400 people. www.laposada.com

HERITAGE VILLAGE AT CHESTNUT SQUARE

McKinney Heritage Village got its start because the Heritage Guild of Collin County wanted to save two historic homes from demolition back in 1973. The group raised money to purchase the two homes by hosting historic home tours in the area. The village now covers two city blocks and includes historic homes, a chapel, a schoolhouse, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a smokehouse, a reception house and gardens. “We have three tour houses indigenous to the property and another one on another block,” said Jaymie Pedigo, executive director of Heritage Village at Chestnut Square. The village also has two 1920s bungalows: one that serves as office space and one that is a reception hall. Many locations on the property can be rented for events. The chapel can seat 125 people, and the reception house can seat 72. The Dulaney House, which was built in 1916 and was one of the first homes saved on the property, has three rooms on the first floor that can be used for small dinner parties of about 40 people. An on-site coordinator helps groups set up events and plan the menus with off-site caterers. The courtyard seats up to 125 people for dinner, and the property has a lot of undeveloped space that can be used for outdoor barbecues and fun team-building activities. Heritage Village hosts numerous festivals and events throughout the year, and groups can set up private tours of the village or take a trolley tour of McKinney’s downtown historic district. www.chestnutsquare.org

OPAL LAWRENCE HISTORICAL PARK

VisitMcKinney.com/SMM 888-649-8499 28

Mesquite Opal Lawrence Historical Park sits on 13 acres in Mesquite. The three-story home, which was built in 1874 in Texas Prairie style, is in the same condition as when it was built. It has 14 rooms that were built before 1882 and a kitchen and tower that were added between 1886 and 1900. Outbuildings include a smokehouse, a brick-lined root cellar, a wash

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Meetieng Guid NATIONAL RANCHING HERITAGE CENTER

house, a large livestock barn and a mule barn. When Stephen Decatur Lawrence was building the home, it was outside Mesquite. “We think some of his style he brought from Tennessee when his father came here from Tennessee,” said Charlene Orr, manager of historic preservation for the city of Mesquite. “The barn, for instance; it is unique to have a plain livestock barn here.” The family lived on the property from 1874 until they donated part of it to the city of Mesquite in 1996. The furnishings in the home are original to the family, and visitors are invited to tour the historic property. The home is recognized as a Century Family Farm by the Texas Department of Agriculture. A nature trail runs behind the house and is used as an outdoor classroom through the Arbor Day Foundation. The historical park includes a small three-acre property in North Mesquite that has a Victorian farmhouse on it that is used for weddings and other events. The barn on the main property is rented out for receptions and lunches. It can hold between 60 and 100 people, depending on how it is set up. www.cityofmesquite.com

NATIONAL RANCHING HERITAGE CENTER

Courtesy National Ranching Heritage Center

Lubbock At Texas Tech University, the National Ranching Heritage Center is a 44,000-square-foot museum and a 19-acre historic park with 50 authentic ranching structures dating from 1780 to the 1950s. “Although there are ranches in every state of the nation, we assembled structures that were primarily chosen to represent the birth, growth and maturity of ranching in the region west of the Mississippi River, just as Colonial Williamsburg represents the nation’s history east of the river,” said Sue Hancock Jones, coordinator of outreach and communications for the center. The center, which gets about 64,000 visitors a year, is owned by Texas Tech University and the Ranching Heritage Association. Groups come to the center not only to learn more about the heritage of ranching in the area but also to host events. The site is famous for its chuck-wagon dinners, which can serve 150 people. The catering company uses metal Dutch ovens to make homemade biscuits in the ground, and the coffee is brewed over an open fire. Chuck-wagon breakfasts are also available. “Ranch people feel strongly about their history,” Jones said. “That’s why they support us like they do. There’s ranching everywhere. Cowboys are real. I run into them all the time.” www.depts.ttu.edu/nrhc

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PICTURE YOURSELF IN

MESQUITE

Spend a day or a weekend where real authentic Texas culture is thriving, a city that was declared the Rodeo Capital of Texas by the Governor. Enjoy the Texas traditions of rodeo and BBQ at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo Arena. This world-famous rodeo has evolved into a top-notch concert facility hosting thousands for acts like the Charlie Daniels Band, the Temptations, and Keith Sweat. The dedicated art enthusiast is sure to find something to spark their interest through a rotation of local artists at The Mesquite Art Center. If singing and acting are more your things, the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra or the Mesquite Community Theatre is sure to be a hit. The vibrant community of Mesquite is also a great place to enjoy the outdoors with over sixty parks that offer experiences for everyone. Stroll through the Paschall Park Butterfly trail, take archery lessons at the Westlake Archery Range, relax at the Opal Lawrence Historical

Visi tM

te T X esqui

.com

Park, the Mesquite Golf Club or take the family to KidsQuest at Debusk Park. The possibilities for outside exercise and fun are endless. Satisfy any craving from Tex-Mex to Greek with a variety of restaurants, including a few Zagat rated eateries. Enjoy shopping at Town East Mall or Downtown Mesquite. Check out at Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bowl Speedway, Celebration Station or XscapeDFW for a little more excitement. Give us 15 minutes, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give you an experience like no other.

Texas Today

A PATIO AT ROBARD’S STEAKHOUSE AT THE WOODLANDS RESORT OVERLOOKS THE ON-SITE GOLF COURSE.

Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy The Woodlands Resort

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

exas has a proud history, but its thriving modern cities and towns bring technology, innovation and energy to meetings in the Lone Star State. Here is a small sampling of event sites in Texas with a more contemporary flair. LLANO ESTACADO WINERY

Lubbock Llano Estacado Winery is the largest premium winery in Texas and the second-oldest winery in Lubbock. Founded in 1976 by a chemistry professor at Texas Tech University, the site is known for its 52 varieties of Spanish wines. The professor was curious if grapes could flourish in west Texas, which is predominantly known for its cotton. He started growing grapes in his backyard and would have his students make wine in class, said Stephanie Irvin, event manager at the winery.

He finally decided to open a winery, which runs tours every day except Monday, when the tasting room is closed. The winery has a couple of event spaces for meetings and conferences. A smaller conference room seats 16 people, but the lobby of the winery’s events center, which used to be the winery’s old tasting room, makes a lovely spot for cocktail parties. Groups of up to 250 people can be accommodated in the winery’s events center. “When we are having meetings and conferences here, people want a tasting and a tour,” said Irvin. “That’s our big selling point. There’s nothing better after a meeting than having a glass of wine or two. We offer those at a discounted rate.” There is a three-acre on-site estate vineyard where the winery experiments with different varieties of grapes. Most of the winery’s wines are made with Texas-grown grapes. The winery hosts lots of weddings, baby and bridal showers, and family reunions. It also hosts four big festivals throughout the year, where it tries to pair its wines with different types of food. www.llanowine.com

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WOODLANDS RESORT

Woodlands The Woodlands Resort is a natural oasis about 30 minutes from Houston. In the Texas Piney Woods and surrounded by 200 miles of nature trails, the resort and conference center, which is more than 40 years old, has much to offer event planners. The 402-room resort, which underwent a $60 million expansion in 2014, has 60,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space and 33 meeting rooms that can accommodate 600 to 750 attendees classroom-style or 1,400 attendees theater-style. When people are not attending workshops, cocktail parties or meals together, they have access to two championship golf courses, a tennis center, a spa, Forest Oasis: Lazy River and Waterpark, and four restaurants. The resort also offers creative breakout sessions for conference-goers, like iron chef cooking competitions and wellness programs. For the cooking challenges, teams work together to create signature dishes under the direction of the Woodlands Resort’s top chefs. The Pit Crew Challenge gives teams a chance to act as a NASCAR pit crew, finding the quickest and most efficient way to change the tires and make repairs on their vehicle. The Amazing Race-Style Customized Scavenger Hunt gives groups a chance to discover clues to the hunt using their smartphones’ GPS and includes activities such as biking, stand-up paddleboarding, pedal boat races, kayaking and running. “It is a destination in its own right based on what they have going on with the woodlands waterway and trails,” said Amanda Clark, media relations for the Woodlands Resort. “You are part of a smaller hub but have the opportunity to see nature and be by the water.” www.woodlandsresort.com

A HOLIDAY BANQUET AT LLANO ESTACADO WINERY Courtesy Llano Estacado Winery

HEARD NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

McKinney Organizations planning a corporate retreat in McKinney, Texas, should consider the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. The science discovery center, which opened in 1967, has a ropes course and a zip line that are perfect for team-building exercises. When the area wetlands are full of water, the museum also offers canoe courses. The founder, Bessie Heard, “had some money and wanted to use that money to support a certain vision she had for the future, of people being able to spend time in nature like it was before we had European settlement,” said Stephanie Jennings, marketing and communications director for the museum. With that in mind, the grounds of the 289-acre sanctuary are not manicured like other parks. The museum land includes wetlands with a boardwalk across it, bottomland forest and prairie. Animal exhibits include abandoned exotic pets that people illegally took from the wild, Texas birds and snakes. There also is a Native Texas Butterfly Garden and House and a Native Plant Garden. “It is a really beautiful area and people get to have another way to experience nature,” Jennings said. The museum has two large meeting halls with breakout rooms; banquet and reception halls with adjoining kitchens; and an outdoor terrace

HEARD NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM IN MCKINNEY Courtesy Heard Natural Science Museum

April 2019

Meetieng Guid perfect for dinners, weddings, corporate events and receptions. The 500-seat outdoor amphitheater is also available. Heard was a lifelong collector of natural things and nature-based art. It is her collection that makes up the bulk of the museum’s indoor displays. “Our major asset is the nature preserve, and we try to incorporate that into most, if not all, educational programs,” Jennings said. www.heardmuseum.org

EL PASO MUSEUM OF ART

El Paso The ultramodern El Paso Museum of Art was founded in 1959 because the city needed a place to house a significant art collection that was donated to the city by the Samuel Kress Foundation. The collection included works by Botticelli, Canaletto, van Dyck and other Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance masters. Over time, the collection grew to more than 7,000 works, including American and Mexican art. In 1988, the museum moved to its current location in the heart of El Paso’s Downtown Arts District. The museum is also home to an art school, which has three studio classrooms: one dedicated to ceramics, one to printmaking and painting, and one for other art mediums. Students of all ages can come to the museum to take art classes. The museum is also a great place to host events. The museum’s contemporary gallery can hold 500 people or 250 people seated. The lobby also plays host to many different events and performances, and there is a rentable auditorium as well. The museum’s mezzanine hosts many exhibitions and gallery openings. Groups that rent out space in the museum are free to explore the exhibits during their event. The museum is free and open to the public every day except Monday. www.epma.art

MESQUITE ARTS CENTER

Mesquite The city of Mesquite purchased an old hospital in 1995 and turned it into a performing arts complex. Half of the building was turned into the Mesquite Arts Center, which is home to the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, and the other half was developed into the Black Box Theater, home of the Mesquite Community Theatre. When those organizations are not using the space, conference planners use it for concerts, meetings, weddings and parties, fashion shows, trade shows and exhibits. The rehearsal hall, next to the concert hall, is a good location for meetings. The center recently upgraded the projection screen and projector in that. A library upstairs can accommodate about 40 people in a seminar-style meeting, but bridal parties have also used the space as the bridal changing room. A conference room in the building can accommodate about 15 people. Erica Guajardo, assistant manager of the Mesquite Arts Center, said the Mesquite Arts Center just upgraded its floors to look more modern and has also put more effort into making the gallery-driven hallways more contemporary. “Recently the galleries have been a once-a-month turnaround,” she said. “We will be doing quarterly exhibitions.” The chamber gallery will focus on local Mesquite artists; the main gallery will feature more high-end “contemporary, mind-blowing art that is going to grab your attention and is going to have a name associated with it.” www.cityofmesquite.com/158/arts-center

Courtesy El Paso Museum of Art

MESQUITE ARTS CENTER

Courtesy Mesquite Arts Center