Small Market Meetings April 2020

MANAGING EVENT TRANSPORTATION | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA | TEXAS MEETING GUIDE APRIL 2020

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A MINISTRY OF BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION

—PSALM 37:23, NKJV

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©2020 BGEA

ON THE COVER: Dating to 1869, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most historic sites in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo by Jann Huizenga.

INSIDE VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 4

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IDEAS Faith-Based Meeting Destinations

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CITY Sacramento, California

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Courtesy Visit Beloit

TOWN Beloit, Wisconsin

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MEETING GUIDE Texas

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS

Communicating in Crisis

8 CONFERENCE 14 MANAGING Small Market Event Meetings Summit Update

Transportation

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) 253-0503. 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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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

CRISIS AND COMMUNICATION

M

eeting planners are used to handling emergencies, with plans ready to download or pull off the shelves when hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, strikes, riots or

other upheavals arise.

Coronavirus, though, is a different sort of threat. Unlike the weather, its path seems unpredictable. Unlike a strike or a riot, it can’t be talked through and resolved.

No one knows what COVID-19 will look like six days, six weeks or six months from now.

With that in mind, here are things to consider as decisions are made about meetings and events going forward. Hopefully, the coronavirus epidemic will be shortlived. But it is best to prepare and keep a record of the process and procedures put in place. That way, when the next crisis arises — and it will — a sturdy framework will be there to guide you.

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Coronavirus provides a case study in dealing with disaster

Mine the minds.

Who in your circle can bring ideas, relevant information and leadership to the table during times of crisis and uncertainty? Your conference or convention committee is a good start, but you can add value and perspective by including others. When a conference or convention is on the horizon, add as many voices as possible from the host city via Skype or conference call: government leaders, local health department officials, well-informed convention bureau staff, convention center or conference hotel management, a CVB representative and suppliers. You should also seek input from in-house staff from areas that include communications, risk management and finance. CVB staff from host cities are great sources of information. They stay in the loop with community leaders during times of crisis, and their boots-on-ground perspective is hard to beat.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Keep communication flowing.

Identify valid sources of information.

This is not the time for Googling or using Twitter as your news pipeline, nor is a Facebook thread a reliable source. Create a list of trusted information outlets, and stick with them. Among mainstream media sources deemed reliable by Forbes.com are The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BBC, The Economist, The Associated Press and Reuters wire services, Politico, NPR and Time magazine. Given that COVID-19 is a fast-moving illness, major newspapers typically are best — and more thorough than TV stations for breaking news. The Washington Post, for example, has launched an online coronavirus newsletter with continual updates. Other news organizations have dropped pay walls to give readers access to news and information.

Also, websites of government agencies that oversee the nation’s and the world’s health, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC.gov — and the World Health Organization — who.int — have advisories, warnings and guidelines. State and local government agencies are working, too, to keep citizens informed.

If you go forward, step up precautions.

Depending on conference size, number of international participants and location, some meetings and events will probably go forward. If that is the case, safety precautions should be put in place to limit possible exposure. A CVB contact can supply you with local or state resources to guide you. The emergency planning team will also want to consider other changes. It might want to place seats farther apart during sessions, dispense with banquets and buffets, or cancel networking events like happy hours. Think about the extra supplies you might need throughout the meeting venue: tissues, disposable disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer. Plastic water bottles will be preferred over water pitchers at tables.

Ask about sanitizing procedures to ensure that meeting rooms and dining spaces are cleaned and disinfected frequently. Use CDC guidelines for hand washing, personal contact and other considerations. Create posters and flyers that can be placed throughout the venue and in guest rooms.

Put the focus on ways to be together without spreading germs. One recent event was kicked off with a demonstration of the different ways we can greet one another, without shaking hands or hugging.

April 2020

Daily meetings with your emergency response team are a good idea. You may need no more than a 10-minute update and check-in. And to keep email messages from getting lost in the shuffle, set up a dedicated Google group or Slack channel.

Connect with your meetings industry peers. How are they handling the situation? What insights do they offer? Twitter chats, Facebook groups, listservs, forums and other online industry groups can provide good advice and strategies.

Organizations that have canceled their meetings and events are another good resource. Barrons.com is keeping a running list of convention cancellations. There’s nothing wrong with modeling your response after one used by the organizers of South by Southwest, one of the first largescale conferences to cancel this year.

If you cancel, do it quickly and thoroughly.

Speaking of communications, the decision to cancel your conference should be communicated quickly and thoroughly, using as many media platforms as possible.

Before you make your announcement, develop a list of questions your audience will have, and write clear and complete answers. That list can become an FAQ page on the conference website, be sent with an email update to attendees and form the basis for talking points for those who will man the phones and field calls from conference attendees.

If the conference will be rescheduled or reoriented — for example, turned into an online event — hammer out the details and include that information with your cancellation announcement so your audience will have all the information needed to decide whether to opt for the alternative to the face-to-face conference.

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SMALL MARKET

MEETINGS SUMMIT This is our shout-out to the meeting planning industry, which will survive this massive interruption and return with vigor when it is over.

From the Publisher

MAC LACY, PUBLISHER

A

t press time, final decisions were being made about whether the Small Market Meetings Summit could be held in mid-May. I applaud the optimism that gives companies like The Group Travel Family and others across the country that urge to not cancel business for our hospitality industry. To that end, I have decided to publish much of the information we had for this issue with the caveat that all of us — magazine staff, conference staff and meetings industry readers of Small Market Meetings — recognize we are dealing with much uncertainty at this juncture in our industry.

Why do that? There are several reasons:

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Why look for something else to fill the pages we’ve allotted to this article? I’d rather devote this space to a great city, its CVB, and one of its great properties, just as we had planned.

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The Sheraton Panama City Golf and Spa Resort was badly damaged less than two years ago (as was much of the city) by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm. It has now been renovated and reopened, and its owners and employees deserve this space in this magazine regardless of the final decision made about our Summit. Take it from me: Every meeting planner reading this needs to check it out for a future meeting. When you do that, start with Visit Panama City Beach, the local convention and visitors bureau that facilitates meetings for the city.

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The hotel industry at large is being affected perhaps as much as any American industry in our economy by this virus and the travel restrictions it has necessitated. In that sense, the Sheraton Panama City Golf and Spa Resort represents thousands of great properties across the country.

As the publisher of this magazine, I have the unique ability to offer this wonderful property and the iconic city of Panama City Beach these few pages in this magazine. So let’s do it.

Meeting planners, like the many who read this magazine and who use smaller cities and sites across America, are also much affected by this health incident. That includes my partners, friends and associates at The Group Travel Family, who do such a superb job of planning conferences throughout the year. This is our shout-out to the meeting planning industry, which will survive this massive interruption and return with vigor when it is over.

One final thought: Panama City Beach in May? Count me in! If I can’t go this May, I’ll see everyone there next year!

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

SHERATON PANAMA CITY GOLF AND SPA RESORT

NEW SMM SUMMIT OFFERS

g n i t e e M e u q i t u Bo

PLANNING EXPERIENCE

T

BY DAN DICKSON

he Summit as envisioned by The Group Travel Family will begin with a registration period, always a good time for renewing old friendships and making new contacts. That will be followed in the evening by a pleasant outdoor reception for delegates. The following day will include a full session of business appointments, networking opportunities, educational speakers and mealtimes.

“We realize how important time is for everybody,” said Joe Cappuzzello, CEO of The Group Travel Family, the company that manages the Small Market Meetings Conference and is creating the Small Market Meetings Summit. “We want meeting planners to get everything done in a single day.”

The summit will feature a select group of 25 qualified meeting planners who will be paired with professionals from 25 destinations around the nation. Each of those destinations will have three representatives present.

“Ideally, they could be the CVB and a hotel and a conference center, or whatever combination of people the destination wants to send,” said Cappuzzello. “All three are selling the city together as a meeting destination.”

The group will sit down together in a pod setting, and instead of holding a six-minute meeting ordinarily found at the Small Market Meetings Conference, the meetings will be extended to 12 minutes, half of them conducted in the morning, the rest in the afternoon. “Everyone can do them and go home the same day,” Cappuzzello said.

Meeting planners who choose to attend the summit will not be eligible to attend the regular Small Market Meetings Conference during the same calendar year.

April 2020

All photos courtesy Visit PCB

A NOTE TO ALL READERS For the latest news on the status of the new Small Market Meetings Summit, call (800) 628-0993 or visit smmconf.com.

The 2020 Small Market Meetings Conference will be held as scheduled on October 4 – 6 in historic French Lick Springs, Indiana. For more information, or to register, use the phone number or website above.

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PANAMA CITY BEACH IS A DESTINATION KNOWN FOR SUNSHINE AND RECREATION.

JOE CAPPUZZELLO

THE POWER OF PODS The new condensed and concentrated format to be introduced for the Small Market Meetings Summit is a strategy many meeting planners have been requesting, according to Joe Cappuzzello, CEO of Group Travel Family, which is creating the event. For example, there will be no one-on-one meetings. Instead, pods of three representatives from each city or destination site will meet with each planner, and the appointments will be longer than they are at other meeting planner events.

Having three people in front of them selling the city at the same time helps meeting planners get more answers to questions and aids them in sorting out the myriad details they must handle in organizing an important meeting.

“It will give the meeting planner a much better understanding and more information about that city and what it has to offer,” said Cappuzzello. “The demand for this is out there. The theme of the summit is all of these second- and third-tier cities. Meeting planners are looking for them for their companies or associations to meet in. Case in point: If you meet in a small to midsize city, you likely will be treated differently, extra specially, than you would in one of the big cities where you would be a small fish in a big pond, almost swallowed up.”

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EDUCATION COMPONENT

The Small Market Meetings Conference is known for its lineup of excellent speakers who inspire or educate delegates. This new Small Market Meetings Summit being designed will also feature several professional speakers well-known to meetings industry attendees. Delegates will be able to enjoy personalities like Johnny Campbell, who addresses ROI issues, Jennifer Darling, who is a customer-relations authority, and Jim Spellos, whose technology discussions change each year as new meeting planning apps and web-driven resources come online.

AFTER THE SUMMIT

Given the new summit’s compressed format, there will not be time for sightseeing tours during the day-and-a-half gathering.

However, the local convention and visitors bureau has the option of organizing a postconference FAM tour of the area. Planners who choose to remain will get a great first-hand look at meeting facilities and venues for a future delegation of theirs to enjoy.

“The Summit will be the type of event that busy planners can make time for,” said Cappuzzello. “None of us has time to waste in today’s work environment and our new Summit will deliver value to meeting planners in a very compressed timeframe. Stay tuned for lots of additional information about the new Summit!”

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

PIER PARK

April 2020

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“It’s such an important role for a community to have, where businesses and tax dollars help fund tourism so that people can find these undiscovered gems.”

MEETING LEADERS SUSIE SANTO

G

BY REBECCA TREON

rowing up in Topeka, Kansas, as the youngest of three, Susie Santo always knew she was destined to experience life in a big city, and after graduating from college she took the plunge and moved to Los Angeles.

There, she worked at Universal Studios Hollywood for nearly two decades.

“It’s no surprise that I worked in a theme park for almost 20 years, and now I’ve been in the travel tourism industry for 25 years,” said Santo. “As a child, I loved theme parks, and I love to travel. Looking back at my career, it makes sense that getting visitors to come to a place and have incredible experiences was the path I chose. In Wichita, [Kansas], it’s actually quite similar in the sense that you want visitors to come experience all the wonderful things the destination has to offer.”

Over the course of her career, Santo has held a broad range of roles, including director of operations and director of sales at Universal Studios Hollywood. Concurrent to her role in sales, she was chairman of the board of the California Travel Industry Association.

“I really fell in love with the role of the destination marketing organization [DMO],” said Santo. “A lot of my colleagues from all over the state were involved in the California Travel Industry Association, so it was a great opportunity for me to learn from them what the challenges and opportunities were in marketing their city.”

Santo said it was that experience that made it easy to transition into her role of president and CEO of Visit Wichita. She moved back to

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Kansas to raise her young family closer to her parents and also to celebrate her love of her home state.

“It’s such an important role for a community to have, where businesses and tax dollars help fund tourism so that people can find these undiscovered gems,” Santo said. “There are so many things happening here that people don’t know about or, if they haven’t been here in a while, that have changed.”

Santo loves her community for many reasons, but she cites civic pride and robust community involvement coupled with sunshine 300 days a year, four seasons and its being a great place to raise a family as reasons she leaped at the chance to relocate.

Santo tries to bring meeting planners in to experience what Wichita has to offer.

“As a DMO, we provide outstanding service to those meeting planners beyond the four walls of a meeting place,” she said. “We have incredibly unique places for attendees to convene, whether that’s a meeting setting or a social setting for them to conduct business. We have an authentic country experience at Cowtown, the Tanganyika Wildlife Park that’s very interactive, and the zoo and a robust art scene. Plus, we have facilities for meetings, hotels with all the amenities but without the traffic of big cities.”

Santo stressed that planners should discard their preconceived notions about Wichita and give the city a second look. In the past decade, the city has added public art and a new baseball stadium without losing touch with its agricultural roots and civic pride.

“My family has been here for more than seven years,” she said, “and couldn’t be happier.”

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Susie Santo TITLE President and CEO ORGANIZATION Visit Wichita LOCATION Wichita, Kansas BIRTHPLACE Topeka, Kansas EDUCATION B.S. in business administration at the University of Kansas CAREER HISTORY • Director of Operations and Director of Sales at Universal Studios Hollywood, 2002-2012 • Chairman of the Board, California Travel Industry Association, 2008-2012 • President and CEO of Visit Wichita since 2012

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

TIPS FROM SUSIE SANTO

• Utilize a city's DMO. Organizations like Visit Wichita provide outstanding services such as site inspections, registration and more.

• Consider trying a new destination or revisit a city you haven't been to in a while. You may not be aware of the destination's distinct features and new aspects.

• Tap into the uniqueness of a host city. DMOs are experts in the unique experiences their city has to offer.

SUSIE SANTO ADDRESSES THE MEDIA DURING AN EVENT IN WICHITA.

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. CELEBRATE. ONE DESTINATION!

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262-789-0220 www.visitbrookfield.com April 2020

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MANAGING

People Movers

EXPERTS OFFER TRANSPORTATION TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT LARGE GATHERING

W

BY RACHEL CARTER

hen juggling what seems like a million moving pieces for an event, meeting planners might get focused on the venue or the catering or the speakers, and overlook — or underestimate — an equally important aspect: transportation.

Event transportation is, simultaneously, one of the least exciting and one of the most important aspects of planning meetings. It requires a lot of tedious logistics but, ultimately, it’s about the lives and safety of attendees.

“You have to dig into the nitty gritty, because transportation is one of the areas with the most risk in our business,” said Kimberly Hoffman, director of event services for Indianapolis-based Accent Indy, a DMC Network Company.

Planners must also decide what level of service they want for their events.

“Does the program warrant a DMC or service provider — somebody who is truly providing a service — or do you just want the bus to show up?” she asked.

These experts provide their tips, best practices and insight about how to handle transportation for events.

“A bad transportation experience can put a damper on your whole attendee experience. Remember the importance of transportation, of those logistics, and be willing to invest to make sure it’s done right.”

SAFETY AND SECURITY “The most important thing is safety,” said Eddie Stewart, owner and CEO of Nashville-based Stewart Transportation Services, a transportation coordination company that works mostly in the ground transportation industry. The company is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this year.

Planners should check operators’ records on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safer database. That U.S. Department of Transportation database shows whether operators have had accidents or other violations, and allows planners to evaluate their safety records and registration information.

Insurance is hugely important, and planners should ask to see the operator’s insurance certificate to make sure the policy is up to date, hasn’t been canceled and will be in effect when the event occurs.

Motorcoach operators are required to carry a minimum of $5 million in insurance, “but if you have a company that has $10 million or $15 million, you know they’re the real deal; you know they’re serious,” said Carol Mondello, general manager for

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Kimberly Hoffman DIRECTOR, EVENT SERVICES

Accent Indy, a DMC Network Company Experience: 10 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“Safety is the first and most important thing. There’s a tendency to go with who you know or go with a recommendation from the convention bureau. A lot of times in those cases, not enough tracking is done.”

Eddie Stewart CEO/OWNER

Stewart Transportation Services Experience: 35 years

April 2020

Massachusetts-based Ground Charters, a transportation broker that’s been doing business in the U.S. and Canada for 10 years.

Planners should also add their client as an additional insured on the vendor’s policy. It’s a simple process that provides an extra layer of protection, Stewart said.

SMOOTH RIDE Planners should consider several things to make sure that event transportation runs as smoothly as possible. For arrivals and departures, it’s helpful to include a transportation opt-in as part of attendee registration, Hoffman said. Running shuttles blindly from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is not efficient and is not the best way to get the most for your money.

“As much of a pain as it is to collect arrival and departure information, it just sets everybody up for success,” she said.

Planners should also ask if drivers are local. Local drivers know the area. If they run into construction or an accident, they know which routes aren’t safe — or even passable — for motorcoaches.

A DMC or service provider can also help with routing or help with boarding so the buses don’t overfill.

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft have found their place in the event industry but mostly on the attendee side.

Most of Accent Indy’s events still provide arrival and departure transportation for attendees, Hoffman said. Those that don’t probably never did, so ride-sharing has simply become another option for attendees.

“At the end of the day, it’s whether they want to provide a service,” she said.

However, planners should make accommodations for ride-sharing. Before, there was a taxi stand; now there’s a taxi stand and an Uber/Lyft area. Planners can have someone at the curb directing traffic; or now there are even antennas that can help direct ride-share drivers to the pickup area.

While some small and medium-size events may cut out paying for buses and shuttles to save money, there’s a misconception that ride-sharing is a “greener” option that reduces traffic.

“You’re putting more people in vehicles versus putting 55 people on a motorcoach,” Stewart said.

EQUIPMENT Planners may look at a vendor’s website and see pretty pictures of big, beautiful motorcoaches, but those may not be the buses they get.

Event organizers can ask about fleet age and maintenance and even communicate their expectations about the kind of buses they want for their event.

“I think it’s fair to ask for pictures of vehicles you’ll be getting and the exact vehicles you can expect that day,” Hoffman said.

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MANAGING Planners should also be aware — and wary — of subcontractors.

“Subrenting is a huge trend in the transportation industry, and it peeves us,” Hoffman said.

A vendor may take your business and then farm it out to a friendly competitor, “so you think you’re going to get this picture you see on a website of a beautiful motorcoach, but you end up getting this not-as-beautiful motorcoach from a competitor,” Stewart said.

Stewart Transportation requires its vendors to tell them if they subcontract and with whom, which allows the company to vet the subcontractor and its equipment.

It’s also smart to ask vendors whether they have equipment that complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act and their ability to accommodate attendees with disabilities, Stewart said.

The federal government began requiring seat belts on all new motorcoaches in November 2016, but existing buses were not required to be retrofitted with seat belts, so older vehicles likely won’t have them, Mondello noted.

Carol Mondello

Chri

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stns a l r t n l in, lv c l i me

GENERAL MANAGER Ground Charters Experience: 10 years

taiinl vne

Pictured: Holiday Inn Express & Janesville Conference Center

Janesville offers a variety of meeting spaces and a wide selection of hotels, restaurants and attractions including many affordable options that provide you with great value. Janesville is easily accessible - right off of I-39/90. Call the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau today at (800) 487-2757.

janesvillecvb.com · (800) 487-2757 · 

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

PRICING

“Pricing is a huge indicator, but really, you get what you pay for.”

LIVE

Budget is a big factor for any event, and transportation is a significant piece of any budget. Doing a request-for-proposal or getting quotes from a few operators will help secure a good rate. Most of the time, those rates will be within a similar range, Mondello said, but “if you get one that’s way cheaper than the others, do they have older vehicles, or are they taking care of them as they should?”

The best price is not always the best way to go, depending on the clients and the event requirements, Stewart said.

Accent Indy gets a lot of requests for minibuses because people think a smaller bus means a cheaper rate, and “that’s not at all the case,” Hoffman said.

Along with fleet availability, planners should factor in hourly minimums, which can be deceiving. Sometimes a 54-passenger motorcoach with a five-hour minimum will be cheaper than a 32-passenger minicoach with a three-hour minimum.

“Do the math and take the time to explore all your options in the market that you’ll be in,” Hoffman said.

Using a DMC, broker or service provider may save the client money because those companies have relationships with vendors and the buying power to get a better deal than going direct.

it up

Surreal Meetings.

Real Incentives.

April 2020

Sales@VisitLakeCharles.org VisitLakeCharles.org17

IDEAS

Courtesy Branson/Lakes Area CVB

CALLING THE FAITHFUL These cities are ideal hosts for faith-based meetings and events

BY RACHEL CARTER

R

eligious meetings can range from small retreats to sprawling, citywide conventions. And faith-based events cover the spectrum of attendees, whether they’re youth groups, families or older crowds.

These cities offer faith-centric groups affordability and easy access, along with entertainment, attractions and activities for attendees of all ages.

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BRANSON, MISSOURI

Branson, Missouri, is a mainstay for religious meetings and faith-based groups, mainly because of value: both monetary value and family values.

“I think it is probably the value that you find here in Branson and the location in the heartland where people do look for a destination that is closer to their values,” said Lynn Berry, director of communications for the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The 250,000-square-foot Branson Convention Center regularly welcomes faith-based events, as does Chateau on the Lake resort. The convention center hosts Phil Waldrep Ministries’ 5,000-person Women of Joy weekend and 4,000 teens for the Xtreme Winter Conference. Pure Joy holds its women’s conference at the 4,700-seat Mansion Theatre, and Kenneth Copeland Ministries brings the annual Branson Live Victory Campaign to Faith Life Church, which started as a theater building.

Silver Dollar City theme park hosts the Southern Gospel Picnic for two weeks in August and serves as the venue for Young Christians Weekend.

Above: Spring brings vibrant color to Big Cedar Lodge, a popular resort for faith-based meetings in Branson.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Faith-based groups take advantage of Branson’s family-friendly attractions and entertainment, which includes hundreds of stage shows. Sight and Sound Theatre’s “Noah” opened in March and will run through December.

At Shepherd of the Hills Adventure Park, groups can tour the historic cabin, go zip lining, tackle the ropes course, drive all-terrain vehicles and attend the nightly outdoor drama.

Table Rock Lake has 800 miles of shoreline with 100 cabin-, condo- and motel-type resorts that groups can rent for retreats. explorebranson.com

“I think they’re really attracted to us because we have this hometown feel, we’re Southern, and people just love coming to our community.”

— Ryan Shelley, Sevierville Convention Center

SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE

Sevierville, Tennessee’s location 13 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park and minutes to Dollywood have made it a popular destination for religious events, especially youth groups.

“I think they’re really attracted to us because we have this hometown feel, we’re Southern, and people just love coming to our community,” said Ryan Shelley, sales coordinator for the Sevierville Convention Center (pronounced “severe-ville”).

The lodge-style convention center has two exhibit halls with a total of more than 108,000 square feet of function space and a flexible 19,000-square-foot ballroom. Just outside the center’s doors are two city-owned 18-hole golf courses.

In February, the convention center hosted the three-day Tennessee Church of God Prayer Conference and welcomed the Tennessee District UPCI Ladies Conference for the first time; the latter has already booked again for 2021.

Summer is peak season for faith-based youth groups at the convention center, and they often stay

By Bruce McCamish, Photos courtesy Sevierville CVB

April 2020

Sevierville sites and activities, clockwise from left: Sevierville Convention Center; Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Resort; a golf outing

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IDEAS

at the connected Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Resort. The hotel has one indoor and two outdoor water parks and is building a new one across the street that will open this summer.

Youth groups and families often turn events into vacations, exploring the mountains; visiting Dollywood, RainForest Adventures Zoo and SevierAir Trampoline and Ninja Warrior Park; and shopping in downtown and at the outlet mall.

Smaller groups can also use the Sevierville Civic Center or the event center at the Ridge Outdoor Resort, which has a 500-capacity auditorium and other meeting rooms. visitsevierville.com

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

SUNSET OVER FORT WAYNE’S CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

By Dan Adams, courtesy Visit Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana, is practically encircled by major cities: Chicago; Indianapolis; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland and Detroit. But the northeastern Indiana city is an affordable alternative — and still a central location — that appeals

BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT Just Minutes from Philadelphia

80+

CONTACT US FOR DETAILS meet@valleyforge.org • meet.valleyforge.org 20

GROUP INCENTIVES AVAILABLE www.smallmarketmeetings.com

to religious groups, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches and the General Council of the Assemblies of God. The city is also headquarters for the Missionary Church.

Downtown Fort Wayne “is very connected and convenient,” said Kristen Guthrie, vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Fort Wayne.

Groups can meet at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, which has over 225,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 50,000-square-foot flexible Convention Hall and two ballrooms. The center connects to three full-service hotels; one, the Hampton Inn, opened just last year.

Across the street, the 1928 Embassy Theatre seats 2,471, and several downtown churches form a sort of network, with sanctuaries, theaters and function space that religious groups have used for their events.

THE LANDING IN FORT WAYNE

By Dan Adams, courtesy Visit Fort Wayne

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

MEETING SPACES vacation views

K PET IT JEA N STATE PAR

Pick up your free Passport at the nearest state park today

April 2020

Discover the possibilities at LodgesofArkansas.com

#ARStateParks

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IDEAS

WASHINGTON D.C. TEMPLE VISITORS CENTER IN MARYLAND’S MONTGOMERY COUNTY

The 13,000-seat Allen County War Memorial Coliseum arena has hosted events like Living Proof with Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer Live and Women of Faith.

Four blocks from the convention center, the new Promenade Park sits on the banks of the St. Marys River and offers a riverfront amphitheater, an event lawn with a bandshell and Promenade Park Pavilion, which can seat 150 for banquets and has garage-style doors that open up to river views. visitfortwayne.com

Courtesy Visit Montgomery, MD

V A I T T IN P G A

CADVENTURES A day in the Elgin area can be filled with things to do and see. Where else can you spend the morning admiring metal and glass sculptures along a river walk, the afternoon touring a brewery, and the evening listening to live music in one of the area's many entertainment venues?

Visit 22 www.ExploreElginArea.com or email Ryan@exploreelginarea.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

Just northwest of Washington, D.C., Maryland's Montgomery County is home to the cities of Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville and Bethesda.

For faith-based groups, such as Church of the Living God and the Northeast Regional Church Ushers Association, the suburban location offers affordable accommodations, easy access to three major international airports and day trips to monuments, memorials and museums lining the National Mall, as well as faith-based attractions like the Washington National Cathedral and the Museum of the Bible.

The county’s 68 hotels and meeting venues have nearly 10,000 guest rooms and more than 974,000 square feet of function space. The 455-room Bethesda North Marriott in Rockville has over 61,000 square feet of meeting space and just completed a $25 million renovation last summer. The DoubleTree by Hilton in Silver Spring has 20,000 square feet of function space, and the newly branded DoubleTree by Hilton Washington D.C. North/Gaithersburg is undergoing a $15 million renovation that will include all 301 guest rooms, the lobby, the restaurant and bar, and 16,000 square feet of meeting space. The Bolger Center conference hotel has 70,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting facilities.

The National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase has lodging for up to 800 guests and 40,000 square feet of meeting space. Rockwood Manor, the former National Girl Scout Camp, is a retreat with cabins, bunkhouses and lodges for up to 85 overnight guests and has six flexible meeting spaces for 80-person events. visitmontgomery.com

Good events make good memories and Grand Wayne Convention Center in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, is the perfect backdrop for your next event. >> See for yourself at grandwayne.com

Missy Eppley | Sales Manager

The Midwest’s Favorite Drive-To Destination!

Easy by Air via Fort Wayne International (FWA).

W H AT YO U’L L LO V E A B O U T T H I S P L AC E:

“For faith-based groups, it’s not just Christianity; you can incorporate and discover so many different beliefs here.”

• • • •

225,000 square feet • 18 carpeted, fully equipped event spaces 4500 theatre; 3100 banquet; 2900 classroom • 3 adjacent hotels & garage parking Easier event planning & guest navigation • In-house AV, catering, and event management 60+ walkable restaurants & boutiques • Save up to 15% versus comparable cities!

— David Carr, Tourism Santa Fe

April 2020

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IDEAS

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe, New Mexico’s faith communities range from formal religion to spiritual seekers. The region’s indigenous Pueblo Indian tribes still observe many of the same religious ceremonies today as they did when Spanish settlers arrived with Catholicism in the early 1600s.

“For faith-based groups, it’s not just Christianity; you can incorporate and discover so many different beliefs here,” said David Carr, director of sales for Tourism Santa Fe. San Miguel Chapel dates to the city’s founding in 1610, making it the oldest church in the continental U.S. In downtown, the 1878 Loretto Chapel houses the Miraculous Staircase, whose spiral construction confounds experts. Next door, the Inn and Spa at Loretto has 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.

La Fonda on the Plaza is the only hotel on Santa Fe’s historic plaza. The hotel has hosted events for Lutheran and Presbyterian groups, as well as the Knights of Columbus, in its 10 meeting spaces, which include the 6,560-square-foot ballroom and a terrace with an up-close view of the iconic 1886 St. Francis Cathedral.

Groups can arrange to attend sacred Pueblo Feast Days or be blessed by a leader of the Picuris Pueblo tribe at the Hotel Santa Fe. Spiritual Directors International will hold its annual conference in April in Santa Fe, and yoga retreats and meditation groups often gather at Upaya Institute and Zen Center.

Along the 56-mile High Road to Taos, which winds through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, groups can see several Spanish-style Roman Catholic churches in area villages. santafe.org

SOME PEOPLE SEE A PILE OF TOOLS. WE SEE A WAY TO HELP IMPROVE A DESTINATION IN NEED.

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Visit TourismCares.org. See the possibilities.

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Photos courtesy Tourism Santa Fe

Santa Fe sights, clockwise from left: Celebrating Indigenous People’s Day; San Miguel Mission Plaza; Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

BUSINESS Meets Adventure Where

WWW.VISITHENDERSON.COM 877.775.5252

April W W W2020 .VISITHENDERSON.COM

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CAPITAL

a i n r o f i l Ca Up-and-coming Sacramento offers modern meeting amenities with less hassle than larger California cities.

Courtesy Visit Sacramento

CITY

Sacramento beckons groups away from nearby metros

SACRAMENTO AT A GLANCE

t isn’t easy being Sacramento.

Sibling cities San Francisco and Los Angeles are widely known for their beauty and culture. But thanks to a little bit of gumption and natural resources galore, this charming California capital is carving out a reputation for world-class pleasures that will make meeting attendees flip, including a second-to-none cuisine scene that recently garnered its first Michelin star. And Sacramento provides plenty of other goodies, too, like outdoor activities that take advantage of its sublime Mediterranean climate, an upgraded state-ofthe-art convention center set to reopen this year and an accessible, relaxed atmosphere that makes everything that much more enjoyable.

HOTEL ROOMS: Approximately 16,000 hotel rooms in the greater Sacramento region and more than 2,000 rooms in the downtown core

I

BY JILL GLEESON

LOCATION: Northern California

ACCESS: Sacramento International Airport; Interstates 80, 50, 99 and 5; Amtrak California

CONTACT INFO: Visit Sacramento 916-808-7777 visitsacramento.com SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER BUILT: Now closed for a renovation and expansion, but slated to reopen at the end of 2020 EXHIBIT SPACE: 160,000 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 37 breakout rooms, a ballroom and an outdoor plaza MEETING HOTELS

DoubleTree by Hilton Sacramento GUEST ROOMS: 448 MEETING SPACE: 28,317 square feet Hyatt Regency Sacramento GUEST ROOMS: 505 MEETING SPACE: 27,000 square feet Hilton Sacramento Arden West GUEST ROOMS: 335 MEETING SPACE: 22,000 square feet Kimpton Sawyer Hotel GUEST ROOMS: 250 MEETING SPACE: 22,000 square feet

April 2020

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Destination Highlights

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ucked in at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers, with a history that hearkens back to California’s gold rush era, this capital city of about a half-million is a fast-growing metropolis with a small-town heart. Meeting attendees and their families will get a kick out of attractions like the Old Sacramento Waterfront, a 28-acre National Historic Landmark District and State Historic Park. Lined with wooden sidewalks and buildings from the city’s 19th-century boomtown days, it offers horse-drawn carriages, costumed re-enactors and other fun.

After stepping back in time, beer lovers might want to quench their thirst aboard the Sac Brew Boat or Brew Bike. Meeting attendees provide the pedal power while tippling a few cold ones, making for a great teambuilding exercise. The Brew Boat can take groups of up to 16, and the six Brew bikes combined can handle 90 people.

From October to April, basketball fans can catch the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center, which showcases the city’s “can-do spirit,” according to Kari Miskit, Visit Sacramento’s vice president of communications.

“There’s a commitment as a community to making people successful here, so we’re always looking for a way around challenges,” she said. “When we were going to lose our NBA team, there was a grassroots effort to keep it. And now, here they are, in a brand-new arena downtown. So there is a team of people in Sacramento who are excited to help make meetings successful and something memorable.”

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

California State Railroad Museum Courtesy Visit Sacramento

Golden 1 Center

Distinctive Venues

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By Marc Spears

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hough Sacramento has a spectacular array of more traditional convention and meeting spaces, this festive city isn’t lacking for gathering places with a little more whimsy. Train fans will go gaga for the Smithsonian-affiliate California State Railroad Museum in the Old Sacramento State Historic Park. The institution can accommodate 700 standing guests or 500 seated, and meeting planners are welcome to arrange for catered food and beverages, an after-hours tour or even a chartered train excursion, available to groups of 36 to 300.

California wine is famed around the world, and meeting attendees will appreciate a chance to discover why at Bogle Vineyards and Winery, a 15-minute drive from the city. The winery can host anywhere from six to 120 people in locations like the Vineyard Patio. Or planners can schedule festivities at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park.

Open-air events held inside the fort accommodate 300 people, or groups of 25 to 100 can enjoy a pioneer dinner.

“We take care of everything — tables, chairs, rentals, permits — so you can just show up and enjoy,” said Linsey Fredenburg Humes, executive director of Friends of Sutter's Fort. “Our volunteers join in the fun in historic dress to help provide tours of the fort, answer questions and do demonstrations.”

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

S

acramento is made for meetings, particularly with the November reopening of the Safe Credit Union Convention Center, part of the city’s visionary C3 Project, which includes the newly renovated Memorial Auditorium as well as the soon-to-debut Safe Credit Union Performing Arts Center. The convention center will boast an expanded 160,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a new 40,000-square-foot ballroom next to the existing 24,000-square-foot ballroom, according to Grace Nunez, media and communications specialist for the city of Sacramento. Featuring 37 breakout rooms and a new kitchen, it will also offer a 15,000-square-foot outdoor activities plaza where attendees can enjoy the fabled California sunshine.

“It’s our hope that anyone who visits the new Safe Credit Union Convention Center and Performing Arts District will have an experience beyond what most conventiongoers may expect,” Nunez said.

“Guests will be welcomed onto a complex that feels modern and luxurious. The new convention center is only steps from an energetic downtown and is intrinsically linked to arts, dining and entertainment.”

There are multiple hotels in the city that provide prime locations for conferences, like the DoubleTree by Hilton Sacramento, with 448 guest rooms, 28,317 square feet of meeting space, three dedicated ballrooms and a catering team. The 505-room Hyatt Regency Sacramento offers 27,000 square feet of meeting space with outdoor venues overlooking the State Capitol or city skyline. Next to the convention center, it offers a rooftop banquet room to wow attendees as well as an on-site audiovisual team to lend a hand when needed.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Hyatt Regency Sacramento

Courtesy Visit Sacramento

April 2020

AFTER HOURS

The Kitchen Restaurant

After the Meeting

Courtesy Selland Family Restaurants

S

acramento offers visitors a smorgasbord of activities, but there is one with which every visitor might want to start: eating. A pioneer in the farm-to-table food movement, the city was awarded its first Michelin star last year. It went to the Kitchen, part of a family restaurant group co-owned by Josh Nelson.

When asked what distinguishes the city’s food scene, Nelson said, “Variety. We grow about 125 different crops, and most of them you can get year-round. We’ve got two rivers, the largest piece of Class 1 soil in the world, and then you combine that with a Mediterranean climate. Sacramento and the surrounding region are suited to grow things year-round in ways that other places aren’t.”

The Kitchen welcomes groups of up to 10 if attendees would like to grab a meal together. Other gastrocentric pursuits in Sacramento include taking a three-hour walking food tour with Local Roots Food Tours and simply browsing the bounty at one of the city’s 40some farmers markets that operate in the warm-weather months.

Of course, a little exercise in between digging into all that great cuisine might not be a bad idea, and Sac Tour Company features biking, walking and running tours around themes like the city’s architecture, history and outdoor murals. Or adventurers might want to test their mettle on an American River whitewater rafting trip.

There are a number of local companies that take paddlers down sections from mild to wild, often with launching sites just 20 miles from the city.

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TOWN

r e v i R Rock

REINVENTION

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

A

lively hub of industry in the late 1800s, Beloit, Wisconsin, was home to a 1 million-square-foot ironworks that produced paper-manufacturing equipment. Today, 800,000 square feet of the old Beloit Ironworks has morphed into a complex of community businesses. Local visionaries continue to reinvent this city that hugs the banks of the Rock River.

“In the last few years, Beloit has had a renaissance,” said Matthew Bosen, director of sales and servicing for Visit Beloit. “A lot of new things have come in, a lot of renovation, a lot of development. And there’s still more coming.”

A key player in that growth is Geronimo Hospitality Group (GHG), which owns and operates a number of local hotels, restaurants and clubs.

Many center on meetings. Opened in 2014 across the river from the Ironworks complex, the company’s 54-room boutique Ironworks Hotel has 3,300 square feet of meeting space and is connected to Merrill and Houston’s Steak Joint. The eatery’s walls are covered with black-and-white-photos of old Beloit. Here, local patrons revel in ancestral pride, and visitors discover Beloit’s historical culture.

“Our owner’s passion is to transform this once-vibrant community into a city of the future while preserving its remarkable Industrial Age history,” said Jeff Whitman, COO of GHG. “It’s a heady goal.”

Across the street, the Ironworks’ sister property, the Goodwin Hotel, adds 34 boutique rooms and an upscale rooftop bar with exquisite views of downtown Beloit and the Rock River.

“If you’re looking for a sexy place to meet,” Whitman said, “this is it.”

On Beloit’s drawing board is a $405 million project now awaiting final approvals. Ho-Chunk Nation Casino Project is slated to include a conference center, two hotels, an indoor water park, a casino and dining.

“The casino project will be a real game-changer for us,” Bosen said. “The facility will offer convention center spaces, the area’s largest hotel and the casino and its amenities.”

The project could start as early as this spring.

“Planners will find much-larger-city things coming that they might not expect to see in a town of 37,000,” said Bosen. “But we’ll still have that small-city, hands-on hospitality and high level of service to make sure those meetings are successful.”

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A RENDERING OF THE UPCOMING BELOIT SNAPPERS STADIUM

Courtesy Visit Beloit

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Off-Site Venues

THE BELOIT CLUB, A PRIVATE EVENT VENUE

A repurposed power-generating station on the Rock River, the architecturally exquisite Beloit College Powerhouse opened in February. The $38 million, 120,000-square-foot venue can accommodate up to 200 people.

The area’s largest such space, the GHG-owned Eclipse Event Center, once a food court in a mall, has been converted to a 50,000-square-foot conference/expo space for up to 1,000 attendees, 700 for dinner.

Set in lovely, rolling countryside where Wisconsin and Illinois converge, the DC Estate Winery offers a mind-easing meeting break, with tours and tastings in its hacienda-style facility. Its 5,000 square feet of space includes an indoor patio for up to 300 sippers.

Batter Up

Beloit has been home to an Oakland Athletics affiliate, the Beloit Snappers, since 1982. Construction of a new 3,500-seat downtown ballpark is set to start this spring, with a projected 2021 opening. Each summer, 70 home games offer affordable group pricing and loads of fun.

“The stadium will be a new downtown activity,” said Whitman. “Attendees will be able to walk to it easily from their meeting location and downtown hotels.”

Courtesy Geronimo Hospitality

BELOIT WISCONSIN LOCATION

Southern Wisconsin

ACCESS

Interstates 39, 90 and 43; Chicago Rockford International Airport; Dane County Regional Airport; Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport; Chicago O’Hare International Airport

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Ironworks Hotel, Hotel Goodwin, Eclipse Event Center

HOTEL ROOMS 831

OFF-SITE VENUES

Eclipse Event Center, Beloit College Powerhouse, Beloit Club, DC Estate Winery, Ironworks Golf Lab

CONTACT INFO Visit Beloit 608-313-1366 visitbeloit.com

April 2020

Team Building Groups that book at any GHG property have access to meeting space, meals and golf packages at the company’s Beloit Club. Alongside its award-winning 18-hole course, the private club has a gorgeous 24,000-square-foot clubhouse with gathering spaces for four to 200.

An example is the Ironworks Golf Lab, a state-of-the-art indoor golf and entertainment facility that offers instruction and event space year-round.

Participants’ choices include playing 80-plus worldwide golf courses and/or 14 other games, including baseball, football and zombie dodgeball.

“It’s like a life-sized Wii, where you interact with a screen, using an actual bat and ball, golf clubs, etc.,” Whitman said.

Off-Duty Traditional Wisconsin-style supper clubs all guarantee an expansive cocktail selection, luscious dinner and, at many, live entertainment. The retro-style Butterfly Club serves surf and turf and after-dinner brandy Alexanders; locals adore Benedetti’s ambiance, with its original bar and cash register. They flock to its Friday-night fish fry.

For suds lovers, the Beloit and Beyond Beer Trail offers a lively way to sip craft beer at local pubs and breweries. Celebrating the Badger State’s rich foodie culture, Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar uses real Wisconsin cheese in its stuffed burgers, and CheezHead Brewing hosts private parties in its brewing area. Both are downtown.

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HOTEL

A Lodge and a Legacy

O

BY KRISTY ALPERT

pened by a man who needs no introduction, the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove is as inspirational and welcoming as the man who founded it.

Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth, first came to this Asheville property in the early 1970s, dreaming of one day providing a place of refuge for anyone looking to study the Bible alongside like-minded people in the peaceful hills of North Carolina.

Their dream was realized in 1987 when the center and hotel opened to offer year-round programming for believers to come and receive training on how to lead others to know God. Some of the world’s best Bible teachers have studied and taught at the training center, where tens of thousands of guests have stayed and prayed on the retreat grounds. Today the direction of the Cove is overseen by Billy Graham’s grandson, Will Graham, who is vice president and associate evangelist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.

The Cove is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on more than 1,200 acres of verdant woodlands and is only a short drive to downtown Asheville. The two inns — Pilgrim’s Inn and Shepherd’s Inn — at the Cove were designed and furnished with rustic elegance: 127 rooms, six suites and five private cabins provide comfortable accommodations to meeting groups. The inn’s 24-hour complimentary beverage service makes it possible for guests to get cozy during chilly mountain mornings with a hot cup of coffee and a blanket in a rocking chair on their private decks. Some rooms feature gas fireplaces and two queen beds for comfortable room-sharing options.

The lobbies throughout the resort are warm and inviting, but the Cove’s ample meeting space options are what provide the necessary platforms for fellowship, learning and growing together. Along with two auditoriums, there are 14 additional meeting rooms and breakout spaces available for meeting groups. Dedicated event planners work alongside groups to make sure all needs are met during, before and after events.

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

M E E T I N G S PAC E S The meeting spaces at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove are spread throughout the 1,200-acre property and equipped to host everything from board meetings to national conferences in a range of beautifully furnished spaces. There are two large auditoriums to accommodate a range of group sizes. One can host groups of up to 450 guests, and the other can host groups of up to 119 guests. Breakouts or smaller meetings are held in the Cove’s 14 additional meeting rooms with flexible floor plans, setup options and room dividers.

C AT E R I N G A team of professional chefs are at the helm of the catering kitchen inside the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, where meals are served buffet style in the dining room. Floor-to-ceiling windows add to the ambiance of the dining room, looking out on the Blue Ridge Mountains and offering a scenic viewpoint from every table in the space. The menu offers something for every palate, from vegetarian dishes and salads to quality meats and seafoods. The desserts served at the Cove are worthy of an indulgence, crafted by the on-site pastry chef. Alcohol is not allowed.

EXTRAS

A MOMENT OF REFLECTION OUTSIDE A CHAPEL AT THE COVE Photos courtesy Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove

HOTEL FACTS EXPLORING THE COVE’S 1,200-ACRE CAMPUS

LOCATION

Along with free parking and access to the business center, groups get complimentary high-speed wireless internet during their time at the Cove, as well as access to state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and qualified technicians. Beverages such as coffee, tea and soda are free for group guests 24/7, and many guests enjoy the Cove’s cappuccino bar and frozen yogurt station, where delicious soft-serve flavors are doled out in cones or cups in generous portions. The fire pit is another favorite amenity for many groups, where marshmallows and good company provide the entertainment for the evening.

Asheville, North Carolina

SIZE

127 rooms

MEETING SPACE

More than 70,000 square feet

ACCESS

Asheville Regional Airport

CONTACT INFO 828-298-2092 thecove.org

April 2020

E N T E R TA I N M E N T Before and after events, visitors are invited to tour the Billy Graham Conference Center at the Cove, where popular sites include the impressive Chatlos Memorial Chapel in the woods and the 1.5acre garden adjacent to the chapel known as Ruth’s Prayer Garden.

Guided tours are available for groups and typically last around one hour. They include a six-minute film, a Billy Graham exhibit and a visit inside the chapel and prayer room. Hiking trails surround the property, and many groups’ favorite hikes take them to the top of the mountain for a scenic overlook of the entire grounds. It’s a threemile hike back down.

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Lone Star Resorts

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Meetdieng Gui

Woodlands On 500 acres about 30 miles from Houston, the Woodlands Resort offers everything a meeting planner could want in a meeting location. With 60,000 square feet of meeting space, including 33 individual meeting rooms, a grand ballroom and many outdoor spaces, the

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Courtesy Woodlands Resort

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

he Lone Star State has more than its share of signature resorts.

Meeting planners who want to get out of the big city and experience what some smaller Texas towns have to offer should consider these properties that offer everything from meeting facilities to theme park attractions, golf, water parks, watersports and unique teambuilding activities.

WOODLANDS RESORT

NOT FAR FROM HOUSTON, THE WOODLANDS RESORT FEATURES FOUR RESTAURANTS, TWO GOLF COURSES AND 60,000 SQUARE FEET OF MEETING SPACE.

property also has 36 holes of golf, a world-class spa and a waterpark and lazy river.

Groups that book the resort have access to all the amenities and can enjoy the great outdoors by taking a bike ride through the East Texas Piney Woods or getting out on Lake Harrison with a kayak, a stand-up paddleboard or a paddleboat.

The resort has a lineup of team-building activities, including the Pit Crew Challenge, where teams work together to change the tires, make repairs and get their NASCAR race car back on the track; the Iron Chef Competition, which allows teams to fight for the Iron Chef title by creating an appetizer and an entree from available ingredients; and the Texas TreeVentures, a series of physical challenges on a three-level aerial adventure course.

With four restaurants to choose from, guests at the Woodlands Resort can select from dry-aged steaks, poolside eats, pizza and more. The Bistro offers casual dining with a lakeside view, and the Woodlands Dining Room is known for its extensive breakfast buffet, made-to-order omelets, fresh breads and pastries. woodlandsresort.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

MOODY GARDENS HOTEL, SPA AND CONVENTION CENTER

Galveston Galveston Island is a barrier island off the Texas Gulf Coast. Its beaches, nature and theme parks make it a great vacation spot. The Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center there is a destination in its own right. Meeting attendees take advantage of the rain forest area, the aquarium area, the 4D theater, the ropes course and zip line, the museum and outdoor activities such as paddle-wheel boats, said Jamie Weir, director of sales and marketing for the resort.

The resort has 60,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

Moody Gardens can host groups as large as 2,500 people. Many groups will take over the entire island and use the convention space at Moody Gardens.

Corporate groups will take advantage of the ropes course and zip line for team-building exercises. Scavenger hunts through the many attractions are also popular. The resort, with 433 guest rooms, sits on 242 acres and has many outdoor spaces for group activities like dinners, cocktail receptions and other events.

The city of Galveston has tons of shopping on the Strand and many types of cuisine. Nearby attractions include the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum, the Texas Seaport Museum, the Galveston Railroad Museum and the Bryan Museum. moodygardens.com

GALVESTON’S MOODY GARDENS

LAKEWAY RESORT AND SPA

Lakeway Set in Texas’ Hill Country overlooking Lake Travis, the Lakeway Resort and Spa is a boutique-style hotel with 168 rooms. It has more than 24,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space and 18 spaces for prefunctions, meetings, weddings and events for groups of 10 to 300.

“We are the only resort on Lake Travis,” said Lisa Crowell, regional director of sales and marketing for the resort. The lake is part of the Colorado River system and is big enough for visitors to get out and enjoy. The Lakeway Marina is close to the resort, so groups can hire party barges or host fishing tournaments there.

They also can rent Jet Skis and other water sports equipment.

For high-end executive trips, groups can book a sunset dinner cruise on one of the beautiful yachts in the marina. The marina also has event space.

“We provide every group with team-building ideas that are managed through companies such as Austin Detours or Groove Labs,” Crowell said. “They have everything from sailing regattas to salsa-making competitions. Being an independent property, we have a lot of ways to customize their experience.”

The resort’s catering department and executive chef offer a variety of menus for groups. The resort has three buildings. The original inn, built in 1963, is now the Travis Restaurant and the Colorado Ballroom. The resort was built in 1989, and the spa and fitness center building was built in 2006. lakewayresortandspa.com

Courtesy Moody Gardens

LAKEWAY RESORT & SPA Courtesy Lakeway Resort & Spa

April 2020

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Meetieng Guid

GAYLORD TEXAN RESORT AND CONVENTION CENTER

THE GAYLORD TEXAN IN GRAPEVINE

Courtesy Gaylord Texan

Grapevine The Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center isn’t just a major event venue; it’s a destination resort as well. With a water park, late-night venues, multiple restaurants and bars, and entertainment, meeting planners have numerous options when planning an event there. The convention center has 490,132 square feet of event space, with a maximum capacity of 10,000 people and 100 breakout rooms.

The resort has 1,814 lodge rooms.

Within every Gaylord resort, the “architecture and decor is regionally inspired,” said Martha Neibling, a spokesperson for the Gaylord Texan. The River Walk Atrium re-creates the feeling of the San Antonio River Walk, complete with koi and bridges. The resort also has an upscale steakhouse, an Italian restaurant and a sports bar with a beer garden patio.

The 10-acre Paradise Springs water park is on-property, making the Gaylord an excellent option if meeting attendees want to bring their families along for leisure-time fun. Groups can hold receptions poolside and even add live entertainment.

“When they build these hotels, there is so much flex space it really leaves the palette open to whatever event, big or small, fancy or casual, unique or standard you want it to be,” Neibling said. In-house catering takes care of all event details.

“As spectacular as the facilities are and as many amenities as there are for guests and meeting attendees, still, the No. 1 thing that makes us successful is the culture and our people,” Neibling said.

HYATT REGENCY LOST PINES RESORT AND SPA

Lost Pines On 405 acres 23 miles outside Austin, the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa offers many amenities that other resorts in the area do not, like guided horseback rides, trap shooting and archery classes. With direct access to the Lower Colorado River, the resort also provides several water activities, including kayaking and rafting trips, river float experiences and raft-building sessions for groups.

With more than 18 miles of trails that wend through the resort’s grounds, there are plenty of options for meeting attendees to get out and hike or bike in nature. The resort is a great place for health- and wellness-inspired activities. Its Spa Django features guided yoga and meditation classes, cardio sessions and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The Crooked River Water Park and Pool area offers a 1,000-foot lazy river, a swim-up bar, an adults-only pool and a waterslide suitable for kids.

The Hyatt has more than 60,000 square feet of indoor and 240,000 square feet of outdoor event space that includes the LBJ Pavilion and the Riverside Amphitheater. The Lost Pines Ballroom, which is 15,913 square feet, and the Baron’s Ballroom, which is 7,616 square feet, can host larger groups, and there are several midsize rooms and salons for smaller events. The amphitheater overlooks the Colorado River and is connected to the pavilion, which is a spacious, enclosed patio. Other outdoor venues include the Pecan Court and the Pecan Terrace, which are both located in a grove of pecan trees.

THE LBJ PAVILION AT HYATT REGENCY LOST PINES Courtesy Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

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April 2020

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AN OUTDOOR VENUE AT TEXAS A&M HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER OVERLOOKS KYLE FIELD.

Meetdieng Gui

College Town Texas

Courtesy Experience Bryan College Station

BRYAN AND COLLEGE STATION

C

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

ollege towns make great places to host meetings and conferences because of their many on-campus venues; their access to guest speakers; and the restaurants, bars and shopping districts that inevitably pop up around them. Here are a few of the best college towns in Texas.

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Texas A&M University is one of the largest universities in the country, with nearly 60,000 students. Founded in 1876 through a Texas land grant, the university dominates the small towns of Bryan and College Station. Bryan was there first and began to boom once the university began to take shape.

“It’s a very unusual small Texas town,” said Sophie Curtis, director of conventions at Experience Bryan College Station. “There is no downtown. It is not built on a square.

It was truly built around the Texas A&M campus.”

Because of Texas A&M, Bryan and College Station are major destinations in the state. The university attracts visitors from across the country for Aggie sporting events, like football and basketball games. With more than 6,000 guest rooms and 60 hotels in the area, Bryan-College Station is a great location for a meeting or conference. The Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center on campus has 250 guest rooms and 35,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The ballroom can host events of up to 1,000 people.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

The center also offers team-building events like laser tag, archery, a bike tour of the city and a derby car building challenge and race. The Embassy Suites by Hilton College Station and the Hilton College Station are both full-service conference hotels with 27,000 square feet of meeting space between them.

The courthouse and downtown area have undergone a revitalization. The area is now home to restaurants, bars, antique shops and an old-time movie house, the Queen Theatre. And visitors to the area should make a point of touring the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. experiencebcs.com

MUSICIANS PERFORMING IN SAN MARCOS

“It’s a very unusual small Texas town.

There is no downtown. It is not built on a square. It was truly built around the Texas A&M campus.”

— Sophie Curtis, Experience Bryan College Station.

SAN MARCOS

The home of Texas State University, San Marcos sits at the headwaters of the San Marcos River. Hundreds of natural springs bubble up in the center of town, feeding the river. Groups visiting the area love to take a glass-bottom boat tour of the springs and river. Meeting planners love San Marcos because it sits between San Antonio and Austin, two cities that are home to many corporate headquarters. Houston is about two and a half hours away.

“We make a triangle, a good meeting spot to bring people together,” said Denise Pardo, destination services manager for the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau. “We are pretty accessible. The conference center is right off Interstate 35. It is not a hassle to connect to major roads to get to us.”

Texas State University is a big draw for conferences and has a lot of meeting spaces on campus. The LBJ Student Center can accommodate groups of up to 300 in its main ballroom.

“Within that facility, they just completed a renovation and added several small meeting rooms,” said Pardo. “Another thing the university brings to us is quality of life. They have a really amazing performing arts department.”

The Performing Arts Center is a big cultural draw and a fantastic place to host a concert, event or speaking engagement. There are 36 hotels and 2,600 guest rooms in San Marcos. Its newest hotel, a Residence Inn by Marriott, is set to open this spring. It is adjacent to the Courtyard by Marriott, so the two will be great for groups looking for several rooms. The conference center can host groups of up to 1,300 people. toursanmarcos.com

Photos courtesy San Marcos CVB

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Courtesy San Marcos CVB

April 2020

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Meetieng Guid DOWNTOWN STEPHENVILLE

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY’S MEMORIAL STADIUM

STEPHENVILLE

Stephenville bills itself as the cowboy capital of the world and the birthplace of the waffle fry. Visitors to Stephenville like to tour Tarleton State University (TSU), see a rodeo or sample the town’s famous chicken fry.

“Tarleton is growing,” said Julie Smith, manager of the Stephenville Tourism and Visitor Bureau. “It is truly the lifeblood of our community, and we are growing with it. I’m so proud of how Tarleton has changed and grown.”

The university and Stephenville have worked together as partners for more than 100 years. When meetings and conferences come to town, attendees split their time between Tarleton event venues and the city’s hotel and conference facilities.

The university student center has a ballroom that can hold up to 500 people, as well as multiple small breakout rooms.

Across campus, there are numerous auditoriums and theaters that can host events for up to 725 people.

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

STEPHENVILLE’S HISTORIC ERATH COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Photos courtesy Stephenville TVB

Off campus, the Twisted J Ballroom and the City Limits facilities can hold groups of up to 500. A historic courtroom in Stephenville’s Erath County Courthouse can handle groups of up to 75.

The agricultural town has a rich dairy heritage. Its town mascot is a 50-year-old statue of a cow, and visitors to the area love to tour the TSU Southwest Regional Dairy Center, which has a state-of-the-art dairy carousel. The nearby artisan cheese farm and shop is a must-see, and Stephenville has a rich Texas music scene.

“It is neat for small meetings to come and have those rural experiences,” Smith said. stephenvilletx.gov

“Tarleton is growing. It is truly the lifeblood of our community, and we are growing with it. ” — Julie Smith, Stephenville Tourism and Visitor Bureau

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Meetieng Guid MCALLEN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

“Baylor is such a big driver of the community. You will see it represented all over in a small college town like this.”

Courtesy Visit McAllen

— Carla Pendergraft, Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau

MCALLEN

TEXAS

We Specialize in Small Market Meetings

McAllen is seven miles from the Mexican border. Because of that, the city relies on Mexican nationals to come across the border to do their shopping, host their meetings and conferences, and attend sporting events in the town’s extensive sports facilities.

McAllen is also home to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and South Texas College campuses, which have brought a young population and workforce to the area.

In 2013, the city opened a sports facility with nine multipurpose fields, which has become a major host of international soccer tournaments.

About a year ago, the city opened a baseball park with 11 baseball fields, and it also has become a major Texas destination for that sport.

The McAllen Convention Center has a 60,818-square-foot exhibit hall, a grand ballroom, two boardrooms and up to 16 breakout rooms for meetings and smaller events. About three years ago, four hotels opened adjacent to the convention center. Shopping and restaurants popped up around it, and now, the entire area is a destination called the District. The McAllen Performing Arts Center is also adjacent and can seat 1,800 people in the theater. Its common areas, lobby and multipurpose room can also be rented out for events.

The Quinta Mazatlan, a history museum and urban birding sanctuary, is an excellent off-site venue for smaller meetings or receptions. visitmcallen.com

VisitMcKinney.com/SMM 888-649-8499 42

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

WACO

On the Brazos River, Waco is home to Baylor University. Because of its location in the center of Texas, Waco is a convenient spot for meetings and conventions. Its two convention hotels, the Hilton Waco and the Courtyard by Marriott Waco, are within walking distance of the convention center, and the entire area is surrounded by restaurants, clubs and fun places to play darts or shuffleboard. The convention center has 144,000 square feet of meeting space.

Baylor’s sports teams attract many visitors to the area. One of the premier meeting places in town is the Baylor Club, which is in an enclosed part of McLane Stadium overlooking the downtown skyline, the river and the stadium. Many of the conventions held at Baylor spill over into the convention center and smaller venues throughout Waco.

“Baylor is such a big driver of the community,” said Carla Pendergraft, director of marketing for the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau. “You will see it represented all over in a small college town like this.”

Waco has 3,700 hotel rooms citywide, 500 additional hotel rooms under construction and 700 proposed. Groups meeting in the area should visit the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the Waco Mammoth National Monument and the Magnolia Market at the Silos, which was started by Chip and Joanna Gaines from the television show “Fixer Upper.” wacoheartoftexas.com

WACO’S MAGNOLIA MARKET

Courtesy Waco CVB

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