Small Market Meetings December 2019

MEETINGS AT CASINOS | LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO | CANYON OF THE EAGLES DECEMBER 2019

y a l P d n a t e e M AT ALABAMA’S GOLF RESORTS

WHERE NATURE AND BUSINESS MEET

Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville

Bass Reeves Statue, Fort Smith

Riverfront Park, Fort Smith

War Eagle Mill, Rogers

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INSIDE VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12

14

IDEAS Meetings at Casinos

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CITY Las Cruces, New Mexico

30 32

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS

Making Meetings Accessible

8 PROFILE Gina Gemberling

MANAGING 10Spouse Activities

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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By Tom Adkinson

TOWN Morehead, Kentucky

MEET. 55 HOTELS 110,000 SQ. FEET OF MEETING SPACE 5,200 HOTEL ROOMS

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6 GOLF COURSES A CIVIL WAR NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD 25 MILES OF LAKE SHORELINE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NISSAN PLANT TOURS AND MORE

STAY. 400+ RESTAURANTS ENDLESS SHOPPING 1 UNFORGETTABLE TRIP

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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

ACCESSIBILITY EXPLAINED

A

ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 61 million Americans have a disability. That means about a quarter of your meeting attendees are likely to have mobility, hearing, vision or other issues that disable them.

Visit Rochester, the CVB for Rochester, New York, has learned a lot about making meetings work for disabled attendees. Rochester is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, so the community understands the needs of the deaf or partially deaf better than most. It recently hosted a convention of the Hearing Loss Association. Rochester has also hosted the World Series of Beep Baseball, a competition for visually impaired players; the New York State Special Olympics; the American Council of the Blind Convention; and the Disabled Sports USA - Adapt 2 Achieve Conference.

Deidre Wetelainen, the CVB’s vice president of sales and services, advises those who plan for disabled attendees to realize that their perceptions are likely inaccurate. “Throw all your assumptions out the window,” she said.

Based on her experience, here are Wetelainen’s suggestions for making sure your events accommodate all sorts of disabilities.

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Employ these techniques to accommodate attendees of various disabilities

Enlist the experts.

Turn to experts for guidance. “You should not operate in a vacuum,” said Wetelainen. “We know we aren’t the experts, but we know who in Rochester to call.”

For example, the city’s Challenger Miracle Field is a pro at coordinating sports events for disabled athletics. The local chapter of the American Council of the Blind helped the CVB prepare for the group’s national convention. Such alliances benefit attendees. When the Council of the Blind convention came to Rochester, a local expert recommended that the convention center post oversized floor numbers on walls opposite elevator doors so visually impaired attendees would find it easy to identify which floor they were on.

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Walk the walk.

There’s much to be learned by walking through every site that a disabled meeting attendee will visit. A restaurant might say it is Americans With Disabilities Act compliant, but dining there might reveal that it has only one outdated Braille menu. The best way to be sure all sites are accessible and have equipment that is up to date and operational is to visit them — from hotels and convention facilities to off-site venues, Wetelainen said.

Keep in mind that standard meeting room setup won’t work for many disabled attendees. “Aisles need to be wide enough for those using canes, dogs, wheelchairs,” said Wetelainen. Lighting and sound must be considered. Will flashing lights trigger medical issues? Do sessions need to be recorded for the deaf and partially deaf? Is extra space needed at the front of the room for those in wheelchairs? Onstage, disabled speakers or presenters might require wheelchair access, adjustable-height podiums or stools if they can’t stand for long periods.

Attending a group’s meeting the year before it comes to town is essential. “It helps us understand the program and see what it looks like,” said Wetelainen. “We see what they are experiencing at other meetings so that we can get ahead of issues.”

Tackle transportation and other needs.

When a city hosts an organization of disabled attendees, like the Special Olympics, it puts pressure on local resources. For example, will the city have sufficient accessible airport shuttles? Planners should also make calls to public and private transportation services to ask about supplies of accessible vehicles. Street crossing signals and signage must be checked and local law enforcement contacted to make repairs to broken signals and to help plan safe and accessible walking routes. And what do you do when, in addition to human attendees, a large number of guide dogs or service animals attend a conference?

When the American Council of the Blind and its attendees brought 400 guide dogs to town, Visit Rochester worked with hotels, parks and city officials to provide safe, secure relief areas and with all venues to ensure guide dogs were accommodated.

Teach teams to be sensitive.

Weitelainen recommends that sensitivity training begin up to a year in advance for front-line hospitality workers — including staff at the airport, hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, off-site venues — and for volunteers. They’ll learn how to properly and respectfully assist someone who is disabled — for example, how to present a blind person with a bill or communicate with someone who is seated in a wheelchair.

The Rochester bureau has conducted several such trainings. Before the World Series of Beep Baseball, it organized training for hotel staff through the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

December 2019

Bolster your volunteer base.

Depending on the number of disabled attendees, you’ll need more volunteers than usual to assist visitors. At the airport, volunteers can help guests make their way from gates through baggage claim to hotel shuttles on arrival and do the same when they leave town, Wetelainen said. In the hotel and meeting facilities, volunteers can provide directions and guidance. If meeting room doors are heavy and hard to open, volunteers should be at the ready to open them for attendees with physical disabilities. When the American Council of the Blind met in Rochester, the CVB made sure volunteers were available to accompany speakers and others who had visual impairment and needed guidance.

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“What we hear from visitors is that they’re pleasantly surprised about how much there is to do and see and how nice our meeting facilities are.”

MEETING LEADERS GINA GEMBERLING

G

BY REBECCA TREON

ina Gemberling, vice president of sales and service at the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, got her start working in the hotel industry but quickly realized she wanted visitors to get a more robust view of the city, not just what the hotel had to offer.

“I was attracted to the CVB because you’re selling the whole destination,” said Gemberling. “Instead of one place, you have multiple options within the destination.”

Gemberling made the move to the CVB in Springfield, Illinois, in 1993, starting in a sales position. After 26 years there, she became the organization’s executive director.

“I worked my way up through just about every position there,” she said. She made the move to Little Rock just two years ago.

“One of the things I love most about my role is that you’re constantly meeting new people,” she said. “You could be meeting with a faith-based group one day and helping plan a sporting event the next — you’re always doing something different, and that keeps it interesting.”

Though the move represents a significant change, she’s enjoying learning all about her new hometown.

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“What I love about Little Rock is how the community has invested in itself,” she said. “What we hear from visitors is that they’re pleasantly surprised about how much there is to do and see and how nice our meeting facilities are.”

One of the greatest advantages Gemberling enjoys in Little Rock is that the CVB owns and operates the State House Convention Center and the Robinson Center, a performing arts and conference complex.

In most cities, the CVB and meeting facilities are separate entities.

“You don’t always have the chance to operate the facility,” she said. “Our operations team is right there in the same building, and it’s great to have that type of control.”

The CVB also operates an amphitheater and several small pavilions that dot the 11-block Riverfront Park. The area is bustling with activity and is known as the centerpiece of the downtown area.

Gemberling loves the diversity of activities for both visitors and residents alike that Little Rock has to offer.

“It’s been fun to learn about everything there is to do and see,” she said. “There are great options for not only visitors but for the community as well.”

The Riverfront Park area is home to the River Market, the unofficial cultural hub of the city. It features an indoor farmers market, several international restaurants and

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Gina Gemberling TITLE Vice President of Sales and Services ORGANIZATION Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau LOCATION Little Rock, Arkansas BIRTHPLACE Emden, Illinois EDUCATION Patricia Stevens College CAREER HISTORY Spent several years in the hotel industry and moved to the Springfield, Illinois, CVB in 1993. Accepted the position of vice president of sales and services for the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau in January 2018.

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boutiques. It’s also a popular place for live music — held in the pavilion, the park or the amphitheater — and is where the city’s festivals are held.

“Little Rock has a great food scene, too,” she said. “There are a ton of really nice locally owned places, and there are so many festivals and events in the downtown area [that] there’s always something to do and see.”

Though there are no doubt great challenges that come with relocating to a new city after being part of an organization for 26 years, Gemberling has a lot that she admires about her new home.

“What I love about Little Rock is how the community is so invested in the city,” she said.

GINA GEMBERLING

& Plan on meeting here

• Be sure to listen to the customer’s goals and objectives for the convention and be a true partner in making the convention a success by bringing in local resources to make the event in the destination a memorable one.

• Build relationships with your peers in other destinations to establish great resources and lifelong friendships.

• And most of all, enjoy the industry we work in

GINA GEMBERLING ENJOYS SHOWING OFF LITTLE ROCK ASSETS, SUCH AS THE JOSEPH TAYLOR ROBINSON MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM.

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MANAGING

Spouses Welcome

INCREASE ATTENDANCE WITH ACTIVITIES FOR SPOUSES AND GUESTS

C

BY RACHEL CARTER

rystal Lowe spent years going to conferences with her husband, sitting in her hotel room alone and bored while he was away at the meeting. So in 2008, she started Spousetivities, a company that plans and coordinates events for people traveling with conference attendees.

Before delving into how to put together a good spouse program, Lowe started with why conferences should offer a program for spouses. For years, companies have been touting how they support work/life balance or are a family-friendly company — and rightly so.

At the same time, companies have increasingly asked for more time from their employees. They expect employees to respond to emails after hours and ask them to travel to events and meetings. Many employees travel on weekends to be at an event Monday morning or even travel out of the country, which cuts into family time, time that “isn’t compensated in any way and most certainly can’t be recovered,” Lowe said. “Time lost is time lost.”

Organizations that offer a program for spouses or significant others can say, “Yes, we need your time and attention, so come to this conference or training, but this time, don’t leave the family behind.”

“It could mean the difference between retaining an employee and losing them to a competitor,” Lowe said.

For nonprofits or associations whose members usually pay their own way to attend a conference, offering a spouse program is an added incentive, said Jay Kaltenbach, services manager for the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“These can be done well for low costs, or they can be extremely luxurious.”

‘IT’S ALWAYS A PLUS.’ More organizations are offering spouse programs, and doing so seems to boost attendance.

“It’s always a plus; I’ve never had it be negative,” Kaltenbach said.

Though Lowe has heard from attendees that they went to a conference because they could take their spouse, many meetings are required by the company, so an employee has no choice but to attend. Rather than looking at how a program affects meeting attendance, companies should consider how spouse programs affect the meeting experience.

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Crystal Lowe FOUNDER AND CEO Spousetivities Experience: 11 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“I think it helps attendance. It’s almost a necessity. It’s kind of a missed opportunity to bring people to a unique destination and keep them holed up at the hotel.”

More often than hearing that someone attended a meeting because they could bring their spouse, Lowe hears “that their experience at an event was enhanced because of having this opportunity.”

For example, she recently returned from a tech conference in Europe. Several conference attendees told her it was the best conference they’d been to because they were able to be with their spouse at night and enjoy the destination together.

KEEP IT FRESH Spouse programs are becoming more common, but the activitities spouse programs offer need to be less common. To clarify: More organizations are adding spouse events, but the pressure is on to make those activities more intriguing.

Everybody’s schedule is so busy these days that people cherish their free time, said Whitney Kirkland, a partner with Florida-based Firebrand Event Productions.

“It is putting the burden on us to come up with something unique or different or with an unusual twist to make it that much more interesting,” he said. “We need to offer something they can’t just come in with their family on the following weekend and do.”

If planners pull from the same old playbook for spouse activities, a spouse program is no longer an incentive.

“When somebody is sitting at home in front of the program, we want them saying, ‘Wow, we want to check this out.’”

Putting together a good spouse program takes time and planning, Lowe said. First, planners must decide whether they’re going to make activities appropriate for children or offer an adult-focused activity each day in addition to a family activity for people with children. Alternatively, they could opt to offer child care during a spouse program.

Planners also must understand the destination: Is there a good public transit system? Is it a relatively safe city to walk or ride public transportation? Are there ample places to eat and drink? Are there hotels that offer enough space for families?

“There’s much research to be done to create a successful program,” Lowe said.

Kirkland said a key element is to offer a selection of activities that cover three main areas of interest: adventure, education and leisure. That could mean zip lining or cycling for the active group, an art gallery tour or a visit to a cultural district for those who want to learn something and maybe a boat cruise for the leisure crowd.

Whitney Kirkland PARTNER

Firebrand Event Productions Experience: 20 years

December 2019

HOW MUCH TO OFFER, HOW MUCH TO SPEND Both the amount of programming and the budget vary widely depending on the client, the event and the type of trip.

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MANAGING

Kirkland said a typical program is a half-day, usually a fourhour window. Some groups offer a spouse activity every day of the conference. Kaltenbach said shorter conferences often won’t have a spouse activity, but a three-day event typically adds at least one, often a lunch followed by an afternoon event.

As for budget, clients usually designate an amount per person for an activity, and Firebrand helps assemble a program that fits that budget, Kirkland said. Factors include transportation, staffing and stops along the way, but a reasonable minimum would be $75 to $100 per person per activity, he said. Less than that would probably mean an activity at the hotel, like a speaker or a fashion show.

Jay Kaltenbach

SERVICES MANAGER

Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau Experience: 10 years

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“Start early and contact the CVB far in advance. I run into it so often where [planners] get in contact with me about a spouse activity, but it could have been a lot more if they had called and started planning sooner.”

In Sioux Falls, many of the city’s most popular attractions are free, which makes it easy to put together spouse programs that are both effective and inexpensive, Kaltenbach said. Most spouse activities he recommends include a meal followed by a SculptureWalk tour in downtown or a trip to Falls Park.

Lowe has offered walking city tours that included lunch and a local guide for less than $50 per person. She has also offered exclusive access to wineries that included wine blending and pizza making, which was far more expensive.

“It’s really all about what kind of experiences you want to offer for your clients,” Lowe said.

So, who pays?

“There’s no right answer on this one,” she said.

Oftentimes the meeting or convention pays for the spouse program. In Sioux Fall, that usually means organizers pay for the meal. Firebrand’s incentive clients go to great lengths to thank not only the employee, but also the people supporting that employee, so the spouse program is all-inclusive.

In Lowe’s experience, she has found that if there’s no cost, people tend not to be dedicated to attending. Then again, a company may choose to make the program free as a perk to attendees, which circles back to the discussion of budget.

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IDEAS

Courtesy Golden Nugget Lake Charles

GAME ON Casino resorts offer attractive packages for meetings and events

BY RACHEL CARTER

C

asinos offer guests much more than gambling. They’re full-on resorts with spas, golf courses, pool complexes, nightclubs and live entertainment — the whole package for meeting planners and attendees.

Casino resorts also provide full packages for meetings. In addition to dedicated event space, these properites offer a slate of “off-site” meeting venues all on-site: private dining rooms, chic cabarets, comedy clubs, luxurious lounges and gamepacked arcades.

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GOLDEN NUGGET LAKE CHARLES HOTEL CASINO RESORT

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA The Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel Casino Resort in southwest Louisiana is a melding of two worlds, where Las Vegas glitz meets Southern heritage.

“It’s in a part of the country that is very rich in culture,” said executive director of sales Brett Forshag. “There’s a real soul here.”

The resort fronts Bayou Contraband, which connects to Lake Charles. On the private beach, guests can gather around fire pits, relax on beach chairs and play beach volleyball. The resort’s private marina allows groups to charter boats for catered cruises and on-the-water receptions.

The Golden Nugget has 1,100 guest rooms, an 18-hole golf course, a spa and a two-acre pool complex with an adult-only area, a swim-up bar, a lazy river and poolside gaming. The casino boasts over 1,600 slot machines and 72 table games, including poker, blackjack and craps.

Above: The Golden Nugget casino and resort is one of the most popular meeting venues in Lake Charles.

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Because it’s part of Landry’s Inc., “we’re a very foodcentric resort,” with over 10 dining options, Forshag said. The Chart House on the resort’s golf course overlooks the Interstate 210 bridge, delivering what locals say is the best view in the city.

The resort has over 30,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 18,000-square-foot Grand Event Center, where acts like Keith Sweat and the Doobie Brothers perform nearly every weekend. The center will also host the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing Finals on December 15.

Groups can change the atmosphere of their meetings by using various areas of the resort: private dinners at restaurants, events at the outdoor concert venue, crawfish boils or gumbo cook-offs. goldennugget.com/lake-charles

“It’s in a part of the country that is very rich in culture. There’s a real soul here.”

— Brett Forshag, Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel Casino Resort

By Ralph Notarro

December 2019

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA The new guitar at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, is meant to look like the one Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page played, but this one is 450 feet tall and houses over 600 guest rooms.

The guitar-shaped hotel tower opened October 24, and “it’s mobbed; the reception has been unbelievable,” said director of sales Mark Tascione. At night, lights outline the tower, and two light shows play on the guitar face every night.

The new addition is part of the Seminole Tribe’s $1.5 billion resort remodel and expansion. The project included the new Hard Rock Live, a 7,000-capacity entertainment venue that marked its grand opening with a concert by Maroon 5 on October 25.

The new pool complex includes a pool right in front of the guitar tower that’s about three football fields long and 10 feet deep. Groups can participate in watersports like relays and kayak races.

Photos courtesy Seminole Hard Rock

Seminole Hard Rock scenes, clockwise from left: The new guitar-shaped hotel tower; a retail corridor; the casino floor

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IDEAS

The Seminole Hard Rock now has 120,000 square feet of meeting space that includes a 38,000-squarefoot exhibit hall that doubles as a ballroom with chandeliers that can be lowered. The 7,600-squarefoot Terrace Ballroom connects to an outdoor patio that leads to an event lawn.

Planners bring meetings to the resort because “people like the music, they like the fun — there’s so many things to do here [and] it’s all under one roof,” Tascione said. “You never have to leave.”

The massive expansion project also included retail, restaurants and the 42,000-square-foot Rock Spa. The resort’s expanded casino now has over 3,000 slot machines and 190 table games. seminolehardrockhollywood.com

A GUEST SUITE AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO

Courtesy Seminole Hard Rock

GET LOST IN

TEAMWORK.

“People like the music, they like the fun — there’s so many things to do here [and] it’s all under one roof.

— Mark Tascione, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

Bring your next event to Greater Lima.

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MAKE YOUR NEXT MEETING AWE-INSPIRING COMING EARLY 2021 - 83,000 SQUARE FT CONFERENCE CENTER AND NEW HOTEL TOWER Harrah’s Cherokee is nestled at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which presents some of the most inspiring nature experiences in America.

The 21-story luxury hotel boasts 1,108 elegant guest rooms and suites with beautiful views.

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HARRAH’S CHEROKEE CASINO RESORT

When you meet at the gateway of culture and education.

CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino has come a long way in the 20 years since the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opened its facility in Cherokee, North Carolina, an hour’s drive west of Asheville, North Carolina.

When the casino opened in 1997, video poker was the only gaming option. Today, the resort has more than 1,100 guest rooms in three towers, nearly 33,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, several dining options and a casino with 4,000 slot machines, table games and a renowned World Series of Poker room.

And Harrah’s Cherokee is growing again.

The resort is in the midst of a $250 million expansion that will add a new hotel tower, a new conference center and a new parking garage.

The hotel tower is slated to house 725 guest rooms, including 70 suites, as well as a pool terrace and several dining options, one of which will be a full-service restaurant.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort offers a variety of gaming and meeting options surrounded by mountainous North Carolina scenery.

AREA

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Photos courtesy Harrah’s Cherokee

ASINO RESORT 18

JCJARCHITECTURE Hl9001.0l / 2019-0627 / © JCJ ARCHITECTURE

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LIVE it up

Meetings where benefits are real.

Real incentives to benefit from.

Sales@VisitLakeCharles.org VisitLakeCharles.org

IDEAS

The new two-story conference center will have 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space and will attach to the main casino by skybridge. The center will more than triple Harrah’s existing meeting space, which includes the flexible 13,000-squarefoot Council Fires Ballroom and the 3,000-person event center.

Harrah’s is also adding about 160,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and building a 2,000-space parking garage. The entire project is slated to be complete in early 2021.

In addition to gambling at the casino, groups can play in the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center, where they’ll find 24 bowling lanes, a large arcade and a sports bar. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee

MOHEGAN SUN

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT Mohegan Sun casino resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, is “independently owned by a family — and that family is the Mohegan Tribe,” said John Washko, vice president of expo and convention sales.

Chr

l ntrl s v l , n i lc i mei o s h i

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 20

Top: Event entertainment at a Mohegan Sun ballroom Bottom: Mohegan Sun’s Game On restaurant and arcade

tns a taiinl vne

Pictured: Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport

Photos courtesy Mohegan Sun

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The resort uses the tribe’s history and culture “as our North Star,” and that starts with the core values of the Spirit of Aquai: welcoming, mutual respect, providing service and building long-term relationships.

Mohegan Sun has 1,600 hotel rooms and 275,000 total square feet of meeting space. The resort opened the new 175,000-square-foot Earth Expo and Convention Center in June 2018. The center has 125,000 square feet of contiguous, column-free exhibit space and a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, as well as 15 additional meeting rooms and prefunction areas.

The center joins the existing Sky Convention Center, anchored by the 37,000-square-foot Uncas Ballroom that can be divided into 10 separate rooms. The resort also has the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena.

“We found that we usually ran out of meeting space before we ran out of guest rooms,” Washko said. “Now we have the ability to activate two groups at the same time in the two convention centers.”

In addition to the dedicated meeting space, groups have about 15 other venues options throughout the property, including three new ones that

December 2019

opened in the past year. Game On is an arcade with bowling, shuffleboard and karaoke, and Novelle is a chic nightspot. Comix Roadhouse is a Western-style bar with a mechanical bull that makes for an easy theme night. mohegansun.com

HO-CHUNK GAMING WISCONSIN DELLS

BARABOO, WISCONSIN Wisconsin Dells is known as the Waterpark Capital of the World, but the area also offers plenty of ways to play for adults.

The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin owns HoChunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells, a casino resort in the town of Baraboo, 13 miles south of the Dells.

The 302-guest-room resort has nearly 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The Lower Dells Ballroom and the Upper Dells Ballroom each measure 13,300 square feet, and both offer flexible layouts. The lower ballroom breaks into nine smaller rooms, and the upper ballroom can become five separate spaces.

21

IDEAS

The resort has five dining options, including Standrock Buffet and the Copper Oak Steak House and Lounge. The casino features over 1,300 slots and 20 table games, including blackjack, craps and roulette; live poker, off-track betting and bingo are also offered.

Meanwhile, the Ho-Chunk Nation is moving forward with a major expansion at its casino-only property in Madison, Wisconsin, that would add a hotel, a conference center and a heritage center.

Current plans for the 40-acre property include renovating the existing casino and adding nearly 90,000 square feet of gaming, building a five-story hotel with a spa and restaurant space, and constructing a 40,000-square-foot conference center.

The project must move through several regulatory approvals and would break ground in 2021 at the earliest. ho-chunkgaming.com/wisconsindells

BUSINESS Meets Adventure Where

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Photos courtesy Wisconsin Dells VCB

Clockwise from left: The hotel entrance at Ho-Chunk Gaming; Ho-Chunk’s meeting area; The casual Ho-Chunk Grill

“We found that we usually ran out of meeting space before we ran out of guest rooms. Now we have the ability to activate two groups at the same time in the two convention centers.”

— John Washko, Mohegan Sun

December 2019

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e r u P

NEW MEXICO

Las Cruces features New Mexico scenery and vibrant Native American culture.

Courtesy Visit Las Cruces

CITY

Las Cruces beckons meeting-goers to the Land of Enchantment

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BY TOM ADKINSON

as Cruces is far closer to El Paso, Texas, than to Albuquerque — 50 miles compared with 225 miles — but it pure New Mexico. This fast-growing city in the southeast corner of the state basks in the desert sun and dishes up stellar hospitality, reams of history and natural beauty in abundance. In addition, there’s an overlay of famous New Mexico green chile peppers served almost any way imaginable. How about green chile vodka, green chile beer or a green chile chocolate milkshake?

Las Cruces exudes the spirit of New Mexico so much that it has one of America’s most famous roadside attractions, a giant roadrunner, which is the state bird, just outside the city on Interstate 10.

LAS CRUCES AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: Southeast New Mexico ACCESS: Interstates 10 and 25, El Paso Airport HOTEL ROOMS: 3,500 CONTACT INFO: Visit Las Cruces 575-541-2444 lascrucescvb.org MEETING SPACES Las Cruces Convention Center BUILT: 2010; expanded in 2019 EXHIBIT SPACE: 17,245 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 13 breakout rooms New Mexico State University Conference Center EXHIBIT SPACE: 11,666 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 15 breakout rooms New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum EXHIBIT SPACE: 14,355 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 7 breakout rooms MEETING HOTELS

Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces GUEST ROOMS: 201 MEETING SPACE: 14,762 square feet Ramada Palms Hotel and Conference Center GUEST ROOMS: 113 MEETING SPACE: 8,000 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN LAS CRUCES New Mexico Municipal League ATTENDEES: 550 North American Colleges of Agriculture ATTENDEES: 600 International Alluvial Fans ATTENDEES: 300

December 2019

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Destination Highlights

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as Cruces is a gem in the Chihuahuan Desert. After millennia of habitation by indigenous peoples, the Spanish began roaming through the region in the 1500s. Today, Interstate 10 connects the city for east-west travelers, and Interstate 25 starts here and heads north to Albuquerque; Santa Fe and beyond.

While the region is growing — the city population is about 101,000 in a county of about 210,000 — it is just the right size to offer an array of facilities and attractions and still be easy and quick to navigate. Classic Southwestern architecture and muted shades of desert brown and gold are the setting for enjoying 325 days of sunshine a year.

Las Cruces spreads across the Mesilla Valley and is marked dramatically on its eastern edge by the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, established in 2019, whose jagged peaks hide miles of hiking trails, along with stories of Billy the Kid, Geronimo and the Butterfield Stage Trail. The peaks jut straight up from the valley floor to almost 9,000 feet. A dramatic view of the city, the valley and the mountains is from Picacho Peak — 4,959 feet — northwest of downtown.

New Mexico State University adds more vibrancy to city life, the arts scene is lively, and the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market turns a seven-block portion of downtown into a pedestrian party every Saturday.

“Our size is one of our advantages,” said Albert Herrera, convention sales manager for Visit Las Cruces. “We have history, culture, facilities and the outdoors all within reach.”

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DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument

Courtesy Visit Las Cruces

Chiles hanging to dry

San Albino Church in Mesilla

By Tom Adkinson

Courtesy Visit Las Cruces

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Distinctive Venues

Hotel Encanto

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as Cruces has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to off-site venues. Steeped longest in regional history is the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum on the outskirts of town, a 47-acre plot at the foot of the Organ Mountains. Livestock, barns, farm equipment and informative interpreters make the museum a memorable spot for a catered meal or a special ceremony. It has 14,000 square feet of exhibition space, along with a mercantile and a theater.

Right downtown is a trio of cultural institutions that can be used in a variety of fashions. They are the Las Cruces Museum of Art, the Museum of Nature and Science and the Branigan Cultural Center, all municipal facilities. Nearby is a city treasure, the Rio Grande Theatre, a movie palace built in 1926 that operated until 1997. A $2.2 million project brought it back to life in 2005, and it is available for special activities. It is the only two-story adobe theater in the U.S. and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

For some athletic memories, book the event space at the Stan Fulton Center, adjacent to Aggie Memorial Stadium at New Mexico State University. It overlooks the football field, and you can get your group’s name displayed in impressive stadium lights.

By Tom Adkinson

Meet

December 2019

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Major Meeting Spaces

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Las Cruces Convention Center

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he Las Cruces Convention Center is the biggest show in town for meeting space. It opened in 2010 and now has 17,245 square feet of meeting space after a 7,000-square-foot expansion completed in May 2019. It has a 9,000-square-foot ballroom and 13 breakout meeting rooms.

The New Mexico State University Conference Center hosts a wide variety of meetings, well beyond academic gatherings. It has almost 12,000 square feet of exhibit space and 15 breakout rooms. An interesting spot on campus is the Chile Pepper Institute in Gerald Thomas Hall. Learn all about New Mexico chiles and purchase some interesting — and tasty — souvenirs, including chile pepper seeds to try your luck back home. Nearby is the institute’s teaching garden, where guided tours are available.

The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is more than a special events venue and is able to host meetings in its 14,355 square feet of exhibit space and seven breakout rooms. On the hotel front, the 201-room Hotel Encanto has 14,355 square feet of meeting space and seven breakout rooms, plus a palm-shaded pool that is great for memorable meeting photographs.

Courtesy Visit Las Cruces

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After the Meeting

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f you don’t incorporate the historic community of Mesilla into your meeting schedule, definitely plan to spend time here afterward. Herrera recommends an in-meeting dine-around starting with a storyteller or a historian before your group disperses to restaurants such as La Posta, the Double Eagle, Café Felix and Andele.

Less than an hour northeast of Las Cruces is one of America’s most unusual sights: White Sands National Monument. This 275-acre spot is the world’s largest gypsum dune field, and its rolling ridgelines look like a scene from a science fiction movie. Hike, picnic, go sledding — yes, sledding on sand — or enjoy a sunset nature walk or a full-moon program with a National Park Service ranger.

Southern New Mexico is famous for its place in space exploration, and it will become even more famous as Virgin Galactic develops the first purpose-built commercial spaceport north of Las Cruces. Attractions to examine now include the White Sands Missile Range Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Two other experiences decidedly more down-to-earth are McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch, often called PistachioLand and home of “the world’s largest pistachio,” in Alamogordo and the multistop Mesilla Valley Wine Trail.

AFTER HOURS

White Sands National Monument

By Tom Adkinson

December 2019

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TOWN

n a i h c a l a App APPEAL T

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

ucked in the foothills of eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains, the town of Morehead is an appealing combination of well-preserved history, a highly acclaimed university, booming economic development, plenty of meeting space, small-town hospitality and myriad opportunities for attendees to immerse themselves in the outdoors.

A nationally accredited Main Street program, Downtown Morehead Inc. (DMI), has focused on the adaptive reuse of old buildings for the past five years. For example, on Morehead’s Main Street, a former movie theater is now a thriving bookstore and coffee shop, and old City Hall has become a small-business incubator space with upstairs apartments and a conference room for 25.

In the works is a $32 million downtown full-service hotel project to be built next to the Morehead Conference Center.

“A hotel with rooms and meeting space will change things downtown forever,” said Tony Pence, executive director of DMI. “Morehead’s a jewel no one knows yet, but they’re finding out.”

Near Main Street, what’s now Morehead State University (MSU) began as an indirect result of a notorious 1880s feud. The institution, named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best rural universities in the South for the past 16 years, recently added 80,000 square feet of meeting space.

Students at MSU’s Space Science Center, home to a radio telescope/deepspace tracking system that attracts scientists from all over the world, work directly with NASA. On weekdays and evenings, groups can rent the center’s state-of-the-art digital planetarium.

Antiquing abounds downtown, as do ethnic and downhome restaurants.

“We’re located in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest, with scenic views everywhere you look,” said Joy Brown, executive director of Morehead Tourism.

Morehead became the third official Kentucky Trail Town when it rerouted the 323-mile Sheltowee Trace Trail, the state’s longest, through the city’s heart along Main Street. Through-hikers can caffeinate at the Fuzzy Duck, dine at the All Seasons Café and take the 2.5-mile Historical Walking Tour of this 1856 city before continuing on to Tennessee.

Nearby, 8,000-acre Cave Run Lake has 200 miles of shoreline with a 100mile trail system for hikers, bikers and equestrians.

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MOREHEAD’S KENTUCKY FOLK ART CENTER

Photos courtesy Morehead Tourism

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Conference Center

In the heart of downtown, the Morehead Conference Center (MCC) is but a short stroll to the Kentucky Folk Art Center, Main Street shops and boutiques and more than a dozen eateries. Home to the Cave Run Symphony Orchestra, the multipurpose event facility boasts spaces from an 18,000-square-foot exhibit hall for trade shows to a 600-square-foot space for smaller gatherings.

“The center can hold 1,800 theater-style and 600 to 800 banquet-style,” said Jamie Breeze, MCC’s director. An 8,000-square-foot gallery, bright with natural light, welcomes receptions or breaks.

Specialty catered bar services include fine wine pairings, bourbon bars, nonalcoholic smoothies and organic tea bars with espresso and coffee.

Kentucky Folk Art Center

A MARINA AT CAVE RUN LAKE

MOREHEAD KENTUCKY LOCATION

In the Appalachian Mountain foothills of northeastern Kentucky

ACCESS

Interstate 64; U.S. 60; Bluegrass Airport, Lexington; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

MAJOR MEETING SPACES Morehead Conference Center

HOTEL ROOMS 338

OFF-SITE VENUES

Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead State University, Rowan County Arts Center, Innovation Launch Pad, Hampton Inn

CONTACT INFO

Morehead Tourism 855-270-8733 moreheadtourism.com

December 2019

Housed in the circa-1906 Union Grocery building, the Kentucky Folk Art Center (KFAC) showcases more than 1,400 pieces by self-taught Kentucky artists. At the core of this often-whimsical art lie the common man’s heartfelt courage and convictions.

KFAC’s 50-seat auditorium accommodates meetings, receptions and, the first Saturday in December, the center’s annual juried Appalachian Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair.

“Morehead is a seriously huge hub for music and art,” said Tammy Stone, administrative coordinator of KFAC, owned by MSU, as is the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music that preserves the commonwealth’s rich mountain musical heritage.

Off-Site Venues

On campus, MSU’s newly expanded student center has 10 meeting rooms, plus three ballrooms. The Claypool-Young Gallery hosts faculty and student exhibits and receptions.

On Main Street in the 1899 Rowan County Courthouse, the Rowan County Arts Center offers exhibits, workshops and plays, plus meeting and reception space.

The dream of three local homebrewers, the already-popular Sawstone Brewing Co. opened in a repurposed 1916 building in August. Groups of 15 to 20 attendees can take tours and tastings.

“Our food right now is locally sourced bar snacks and seasonal food trucks,” said owner/brewer Derek Caskey, “though a kitchen is in our future.”

Teambuilding Morehead’s proximity to the outdoors guarantees lots of teambuilding options.

Groups can pedal or paddle to breathtaking scenery with mountain bikes, kayaks and canoes, rentable at MSU’s Outdoor Adventures. This outfitter supplies gear, instruction and transportation. A high-and-low-ropes challenge course can accommodate up to 35. And there’s rock climbing an hour away at Red River Gorge.

Rife with rolling fairways, woods and natural hazards, Eagle Trace is a public 18-hole, 72-par course that offers golf packages and pro-led instruction.

Water-based teambuilding and recreation are available at Cave Run Lake, the Musky Capital of the South, where groups have access to superb fishing and boat rentals.

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VENUE

A BANQUET BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT AT THE VIRGINIA AIR AND SPACE CENTER

SHOOT FOR THE STARS

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he city of Hampton sits in the midst of one of the country’s most historic areas on the Virginia coast. But one of the city’s groundbreaking venues speaks the loudest of the city’s true impact in — and out of — this world. Hampton is the birthplace of the country’s air and space technology, and is the home of the Virginia Air and Space Center (VASC).

As the official visitor center for the NASA Langley Research Center, VASC serves as many visitors’ first step into the world of aerospace engineering. When the center opened in 1992, it offered more than 100 exhibits and an Imax theater with a five-story screen that showed documentaries. Today it stands as a testament to aerospace education and innovation by providing educational experiences for visitors through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

More than 100 years of flight are represented throughout the center’s exciting aviation exhibits, where visitors can see up close authentic aircraft dating back to 1936, get hands-on enter-

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BY KRISTY ALPERT

tainment through an interactive exploration gallery, view tons of genuine flight artifacts and go behind-the-scenes glimpses into the life of an astronaut. VASC is the only center in the world where visitors can view the Apollo 12 Command Module and the Orion PA-1 Test Vehicle and then get serenaded by the sounds of the sun while standing face-to-face with live images of the sun’s atmosphere.

Visitors of all ages are invited to get behind the controls of a space shuttle, program missions to Mars, take control as an air traffic controller and even peer inside a real World War II bomber. The original Imax theater was upgraded to include 3D capabilities and today is known as the Riverside 3D Digital Imax Theater.

The center strives to engage and inspire the public with interactive displays and exciting events, but the most memorable events that take place within the walls are the ones held for groups that choose to gather and commune within the four meeting spaces.

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M E E T I N G S PA C E S The Virginia Air and Space Center offers four venues for hosting small meetings. The Main Gallery is great for seated dinners, reunions and receptions for up to 2,000 guests, and the Aerospace Library, overlooking Hampton’s Historic Carousel, is geared toward more intimate dinners, smaller business meetings and teambuilding events for up to 100 guests. The Observa-

tion Deck is a good location to kick off an event with a cocktail reception for up to 200 guests beneath the covered deck, where views extend out onto the many waterways leading to the Chesapeake Bay. The five-story Imax Theater is suitable for lectures, presentations, or even grand-scale gaming experiences; it holds a maximum of 283 guests.

C AT E R I N G

APOLLO 12 COMMAND MODULE Photos courtesy VASC

V E N U E FA C T S

A GLAMOROUS WEDDING AT THE AIR AND SPACE CENTER

VIRGINIA AIR AND SPACE CENTER LOCATION

Hampton, Virginia

The meetings and events team at the Virginia Air and Space Center works exclusively with five catering companies that can each provide a variety of menu options to fit whatever theme the event takes. From formal holiday parties to vegan baby showers and even celebratory retirement ceremonies,

guests will leave satisfied with the delightful flavors from Virginia’s best caterers. Choose from plated dinners, boxed lunches or passed hors d’oeuvres, or create your own menu for your group. Alcohol is allowed and is served by whichever catering partner the client chooses.

EXTRAS In addition to offering groups access to state-of-the-art audiovisual technologies, including the screen in the Riverside 3D Digital Imax Theater, the meetings and events team at the Virginia Air and Space Center also provides access to rentals and can arrange a variety of extra experiences for groups.

Plan a visit to the Max Flight Simulator to test your group’s piloting skills in a 360-degree flight simulator that rolls, spins and loops in front of a grand 58-inch screen in the cockpit. Or treat your younger guests to goody bags with space ice cream, science kits and more from the on-site gift shop.

TYPE OF VENUE Off-site, museum

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

CAPACITY

2,000

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS

Hyatt Place Hampton Convention Center

CONTACT INFO

757-727-0900 vasc.org

December 2019

All meeting and event guests are free to roam the exhibit floor before and after events, where all of the interactive exhibits will remain on. While most groups decide to book DJs for the event to provide entertainment, the center itself provides a lively source of

entertainment with its signature atmosphere for exploration. No less than 21 full-size aircraft hang overhead as guests explore, and many other significant aircraft are set right inside the meeting spaces themselves, from Apollo XII to the full-size DC-9 passenger aircraft.

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VENUE

MARYLAND THEATRE

IMAX The Virginia Air and Space Center was one of the first places in the world to show Imax movies in a digital format, and the theater continues to lead the way with its innovative programming. Not only are meeting groups welcome to book the theater for presentations, seminars, gaming experiences and even private film screenings, but the

theater also offers a regular series of documentaries and films that are included in the price of admission for all guests. Grab a tub of freshly popped popcorn or snack — try the cranberry apple pecan salad or the roasted turkey sandwich with lemon aioli and sliced Gouda cheese — from the Cosmic Café before heading in to get the full experience.

AIRPLANES AND SPACECRAFT ADD UNIQUE AMBIANCE TO BANQUETS AND EVENTS AT THE VIRGINIA AIR AND SPACE CENTER.

AROUND TOWN Round out a trip to the Virginia Air and Space Center with a journey out on the town in Hampton. This historic city dates back to 1610, and visitors can get a full picture of the city’s history at the Hampton Visitor Center and History Museum or by walking through St. John’s Cemetery to see the original brick chapel of

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1610. Tons of quaint shops line the streets of Downtown Hampton, from locally owned coffee shops to Coastal Virginia’s first waterfront brewer, the Bull Island Brewing Company. Active groups can enjoy a stroll along the harbor to walk by the same waters once stalked by the famous pirate Blackbeard.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

H A M P T O N , VA EST. 1610

With a legacy of exceptional hospitality, Hampton delivers service motivated by our client’s success.

We are passionate hosts and have plenty of space—344,000 square feet to be exact, but that’s just at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Bring your convention to Hampton where your triumph is our inspiration.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HAMPTON'S VENUES AT VISITHAMPTON.COM OR BY EMAILING MICHELLE HERGENROTHER AT MICHELLE@HAMPTONCVB.COM

HOTEL

A Hill Country Escape

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BY KRISTY ALPERT

here’s a noticeable change in the air when you make the final turn in the windy road leading up to the Canyon of the Eagles in Burnet, Texas. It’s not a change in temperature nor a change in pressure, but there is a refreshing air of relaxation and peace surrounding this expansive resort.

Set among the rolling plains of Texas’ Hill Country on the banks of Lake Buchanan, the Canyon of the Eagles Nature Park and Resort invites guests into a world where modern amenities and little luxuries meet natural beauty and raw wilderness experiences. More than 940 acres of preserved land are a welcome sight for visitors who make the journey from other corners of the state; the resort is an hour from Austin, 90 minutes from San Antonio, 2.5 hours from Dallas and 3.5 hours from Houston.

All 61 guest rooms at the resort are eco-friendly, and sustainable amenities and linens have been chosen to help protect the resort’s natural landscape. Modern stained concrete floors set the stage for hardwood furnishings and cozy sitting areas, and a pair of rocking chairs await on the porch outside the room where guests can relax for a day and take in the sights, sounds and smells of nature.

Days are best spent outdoors at the resort; guests can kayak on the lake, cruise the canyon, hike to waterfalls or even venture out past sunset for a twilight hike with a guide. Often regarded as one of the best astronomic viewing sites in Texas, the resort sits on land that’s been designated as a dark-sky location and is home to the Eagle Eye Observatory. Programs start at dusk at the observatory, where qualified astronomers offer interactive stargazing experiences for guests and are available for private star parties.

Groups can also take advantage of the resort’s more than 5,000 square feet of function space, with indoor and outdoor meeting venues suitable for religious events, corporate outings, association gatherings, educational retreats, family reunions and more.

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KAYAK RENTALS

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

M E E T I N G S PAC E S Canyon of the Eagles offers more than 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The Live Oak Conference Center, for up to 300 guests, can be used as either one large ballroom or three 38-by19-foot soundproof sections. The Bluebonnet Room, for up to 150 guests, is a multifunction space for smaller gatherings with private indoor and outdoor entrances and a service bar for easy catering.

The outdoor meeting spaces shine at the resort: The circular Sunset Point, for up to 225 guests, overlooks Lake Buchanan; the Main Patio, for up to 150 guests, features a cozy fireplace; and the Overlook Deck, for up to 50 guests, offers the best sunset views.

C AT E R I N G The resort features a full-service restaurant and bar and can cater events with its extensive group buffet menus. Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated. Choose from a continental breakfast or a full breakfast for early meetings, grab a boxed lunch for on-the-go events, or book the Tailgater or Mediterranean menus for a rounded experience. Snack options include healthy choices or light nibbles.

Dinners can be served in any space, but are memorable when enjoyed in the Overlook Restaurant or on the Overlook Deck with a lake view.

Alcohol is available.

EXTRAS

A GUESTROOM PORCH AT CANYON OF THE EAGLES Photos courtesy Canyon of the Eagles

HOTEL FACTS LOCATION Burnet, Texas

SIZE

61 rooms

MEETING SPACE

More than 5,000 square feet

ACCESS

Located an hour from Austin, 90 minutes from San Antonio, 2.5 hours from Dallas, and 3.5 hours from Houston

CONTACT INFO

512-334-2070 canyonoftheeagles.com

December 2019

Take any event or meeting to the next level with on-site teambuilding activities or educational programs. The meetings and events staff at the resort can arrange for reptile shows, nature-themed arts and craft activities, or movies under the stars with s’mores and popcorn, or it can coordinate a range of challenges to promote teambuilding. Favorites include the marshmallow challenge, culinary competitions, resort scavenger hunts and simulations on the water, in the meeting room, in front of a roaring fire or while viewing the night sky. Active groups can book a guided tour on Lake Buchanan by kayak or pontoon boat, or take to the hiking trails around the resort on a guided nature walk.

AT T H E R E S O R T With more than 940 acres of lakefront property, there is no shortage of adventure while staying at Canyon of the Eagles. The resort sits on a nature park and offers guests access to 14 miles of groomed trails, 200 species of birds, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and a World-Wide Labyrinth Society-registered Seventh Circuit Labyrinth. Every day is a new experience, where guided canyon cruises or naturalist-led wildlife encounters fill the schedule, and nights are spent with a professional astronomer who conducts a dark-sky and twilight program at the resort’s own observatory.

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Alabama Golf Resorts

Meetdieng Gui

FIGHTING JOE AT THE SHOALS, FLORENCE

by Michael Clemmer

BY MAC LACY

Discover the meeting venues on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

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olf and meetings have always been complementary for me. Whether it’s an afternoon spent on the course with a client or a best-ball scramble with dozens of players, golf has been my go-to for building business relationships. The same can be said for many meeting planners across the country.

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In June, I joined about a dozen golf writers traveling on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. Meeting planners who have done business in Alabama know the story of this trail, which got its start in 1992. It was conceived by David G. Bronner to drive meeting and leisure business into the state to build wealth in the retirement system he manages for state employees.

Almost 30 years later, the Robert Trent Jones Trail has become perhaps Alabama’s best-known travel generator. As I discovered, it’s not just the golf courses that make an impression on visitors; it’s also the splendid resorts along the trail that accommodate golfers and nongolfers alike.

On our five-day trip, we visited courses and resorts in Huntsville, Florence and Auburn/Opelika and were able to enjoy other iconic Alabama destinations along the way. Muscle Shoals, Alabama’s storied recording capital; Pursell Farms, a family-owned golf and meetings resort in tiny Sylacauga; and downtown Auburn were all on our itinerary.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Meetieng Guid

HAMPTON COVE

MARRIOTT SHOALS HOTEL AND SPA, FLORENCE

Huntsville We began our golf at Hampton Cove’s River Course, one of three layouts on the site. This course is the only one of more than 30 courses on the trail with no bunkers, a tribute to early-day courses that had none. The multilevel clubhouse follows the design of all the trail clubhouses, with broad stairways on two or more sides leading up to the second-floor pro shop, bar and restaurant. I have played in or hosted best-ball events at three RTJ Trail courses, and the personnel in these clubhouses are adept at handling corporate outings.

I should note that these RTJ Trail courses are difficult for many players. They are characterized by elevated greens protected by deep bunkers that require very good iron play. Even from forward tees, hitting these greens consistently demands solid shot-making by a fairly good golfer. hamptoncove.com

THE SHOALS

Florence We spent two nights at Florence’s Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa, which sits on a bluff overlooking the Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River. The 199-room property features 40,000 square feet of meeting space, a highly rated spa and Alabama’s only rotating restaurant — 360 Degrees — which sits atop an adjacent tower. We were guests of Florence/Lauderdale Tourism and were treated to a meal at 360 Degrees on a clear summer evening. Recreational boaters were wrapping up their days on the lake beneath us.

We played the Fighting Joe course in Muscle Shoals, one of two courses on the property. I played with tourism bureau president Rob Carnegie, and we both had at least a few holes worth sharing a beer over. Most of the group went to the Marriott’s spa that afternoon, a 6,000-square-foot complex that offers four treatment rooms and seven stations for hair, manicure and pedicure services.

Selena Miller, the hotel’s sales and marketing director, had her shuttle run me into Florence to see the Rosenbaum House, a Frank Lloyd Wright home there. Jeff Ford, its director, greeted me and showed me the acclaimed yet affordable home Wright built for a young couple in 1939.

Later that afternoon, I crossed an item off my bucket list when we visited Fame Recording Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in legendary Muscle Shoals. We stood in or near rooms where musicians like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and the Rolling Stones recorded, and we finished off the evening with a spirited dinner on the terrace at Champy’s. I had fried everything — catfish, shrimp, you name it — in this local dining institution. For a music buff like me, this excursion was a must. I wouldn’t plan a meeting in Florence without offering a trip to Muscle Shoals. visitflorenceal.com

by Michael Clemmer

OUTDOOR DINING, INN AT PURSELL FARMS, SYLACAUGA

Courtesy Farm Links at Pursell Farms

December 2019

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Meetieng Guid

FARM LINKS AT PURSELL FARMS

Sylacauga Owner David Pursell greeted our group at his immaculate golf resort in tiny Sylacauga. I was paired with Pursell for our round, and we spent the day talking about this pristine property his family has created just an hour or so from Birmingham.

In addition to Farm Links, perennially rated as the best privately owned course in Alabama, the Pursell family has built numerous accommodations, including the 40-room Inn at Pursell Farms, where we stayed. This stately property offers elegant rooms, two restaurants and a pool room off the bar that is graced by the table once owned by family friend Jim Nabors, a Sylacauga native. Pursell shared with me how he and his wife visited Nabors’ home in Hawaii at his invitation, where he gave them artwork and the pool table for their resort.

Pursell took us to see two of his resort’s newest additions, Hamilton Place and The Barn, which create a venue for weddings that draws upscale clientele from Birmingham and beyond. The Spring House Spa sits nearby, and all are settled into a beautifully landscaped glen overlooking a small lake. Wedding parties typically make a weekend of it and plan a day of golf and spa activities before the ceremony.

After dinner in the resort’s Old Tom’s Pub, marketing director Tim Spanjer hosted a group of us outside at the inn’s large firepit.

Bourbon and cigars were the vices of choice for most on a beautiful evening overlooking Farm Links’ 18th hole. pursellfarms.com

GRAND NATIONAL

Auburn-Opelika We drove over to Auburn and played the Lakes Course at Grand National, site of the LPGA’s Symetra Tour’s Zimmer Biomet Championship held in May. After golf, we were treated to a spa visit at the 221-room Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National. The spa features eight treatment rooms and eight stations for hair, manicure and pedicure services.

We visited the Red Clay Brewery and the John Emerald Distillery in Opelika before joining the staff of the Auburn/Opelika CVB for dinner at The Hound, an iconic Auburn Tiger hangout. Auburn’s historic downtown features classic Southern architecture, and The Hound was buzzing, even though it was summer break.

We got up early and played Grand National’s Links Course on the last day of our trip. Grand National has three layouts and is one of the jewels of the RTJ Trail. And true to Bronner’s vision, many fans coming in for games against the Tigers arrive a day or two early to enjoy the resort and play its courses. golfalabama.org

AUBURN-OPELIKA MARRIOTT AT GRAND NATIONAL, OPELIKA

by Michael Clemmer

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T h i s

i s

y o u r

b r e a k o u t

s e s s i o n .

S P A

A T

M A R R I O T T

G R A N D

M e e t t h e c o o l e s t c o l l e g e t o w n i n t h e S o u t h . A n d h i s h i p o l d e r s i s t e r. aotourism.com

N A T I O N A L

2019 SMALL MARKET MEETINGS INDUSTRY DIRECTORY ALABAMA

AUBURN-OPELIKA TOURISM 714 E Glenn Avenue Auburn, AL 36830 Cindy Pugh cindy@aotourism.com aotourism.com

Who doesn’t wish they could go back to college? Plan your next meeting in the coolest college town in the South.

Auburn-Opelika is home to full-service, affordable meeting venues, a wide variety of accommodations, and endless opportunities to experience, explore, and relax.

ARKANSAS

ARKANSAS

EUREKA SPRINGS CAPC

121 E Van Buren, #B/P.O. Box 522 Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-7333 Karen Pryor, CTIS karen@eurekasprings.org eurekasprings.org

ILLINOIS

VISIT CHAMPAIGN COUNTY 17 E Taylor St. Champaign, IL 61820 217-351-4133 Caitlyn Floyd caitlynf@visitchampaigncounty.org visitchampaigncounty.org

NEBRASKA

LINCOLN CVB

1128 Lincoln Mall, Ste. 100 Lincoln, NE 68508 402-434-5344 Derek Feyerherm dfeyerherm@lincoln.org lincoln.org/meet

Life in this Victorian Village brings one surprise after another Around every corner you’ll find fine art, fine dining, shops to please all, historic architecture, unique lodging, spas to pamper and spoil you and events that attract guests, conferences, groups and tours year round. We aren’t just a meeting space; we’re a meeting PLACE. Extraordinary Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Home to the University of Illinois, Champaign County is an ideal choice for conferences, with more than 4,500 hotel rooms and over 240,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Our renowned Midwest Hospitality and collection of Outside of Ordinary experiences have made us the fastest growing city in Illinois.

Lincoln continues to be a top meeting destination in the Midwest, impressing planners for its affordability, options for entertainment, walkability and safety. New venues are continually opening, providing both traditional and unique spaces that will pique the interest of conference attendees.

Now is the time to experience Lincoln for yourself!

CALIFORNIA

KANSAS

NEVADA

MANHATTAN CVB

ARKANSAS STATE PARKS

GREATER ONTARIO CVB

1 Capitol Mall Little Rock, AR 72201 501-682-6921 Nioka McNabb nioka.mcnabb@arkansas.gov arkansasstateparks.com

2000 E. Convention Center Way Ontario, CA 91764 909-937-3000 Keith Kirsten kkirsten@ontariocc.org gocvb.org

Natural beauty and state-of-the-art facilities in Arkansas State Parks Lodges make them perfect meeting, retreat and conference venues. We have meeting rooms that can accommodate 20 to 200. Meeting amenities include projection and sound equipment, full-service catering, restaurant on side, overnight accommodations, beautiful views and curated activities.

Greater Ontario offers easy airport and freeway access leaving visitors with more time to meet, explore and connect in this vibrant Southern California region. Enjoy our awe-inspiring weather, breathtaking mountain or desert roads, Indian gaming casinos, world-class wineries and a shopper’s paradise!

Visit Manhattan provides expert care for meetings, conference, conventions, outdoor events and sports/tournament support. Manhattan boasts 15 hotels, 1,375 hotel rooms and a brilliant collection of attractions. Walkable amenities prevail in Downtown Manhattan amid a lively, college-spirited environment. Learn why Manhattan identifies vibrantly among the “Happiest Places in America.”

Near the action, far from ordinary. Just minutes away from one of the world’s most famous entertainment destinations, Henderson is the perfect spot for a family getaway or easy business trip. From shopping and culture to outdoor recreation and entertainment, Henderson is the safe, easily-accessible, and charming heart of Southern Nevada.

ARKANSAS

ILLINOIS

LOUISIANA

NEW MEXICO

ARKANSAS TOURISM

MEET CHICAGO NORTHWEST

1 Capitol Mall Little Rock, AR 72201 501-682-7777 Jessica Ledbetter, Group Sales Manager jessica.ledbetter@arkansas.gov arkansas.com

1933 N Meacham Rd., Suite 210 Schaumburg, IL 60173 847-490-1010 Heather Larson, CMP sales@chicagonorthwest.com chicagonorthwest.com

Arkansas’s central location allows for easy accessibility by car or plane, and our world-class venues will give meeting attendees something to talk about for years to come.

Our event spaces are as varied as our landscape and we have accommodations to fit groups of all sizes, from small meetings to national conventions.

We are your go-to experts on the Chicago Northwest region.

With over 60 hotels and 10,000 guest rooms, finding the right venue to host your event, meeting or convention is easy. 4 hours from anywhere in the continental U.S. and free parking everywhere gives your event an advantEDGE!

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501 Poyntz Ave. Manhattan, KS 66502 785-776-8829 Visit Manhattan cvb@manhattan.org visitmanhattanks.org

VISIT LAKE CHARLES

1205 N. Lakeshore Drive Lake Charles, LA 70601 337-436-9588 Taylor Beard Stanley tstanley@visitlakecharles.org visitlakecharles.org From meeting space with sweeping views of Lake Charles to resort properties or accommodations with flexible meeting space, Southwest Louisiana has a variety of venues with upscale or eclectic event space along with attractions and experiences steeped in culture and history. Contact Taylor Beard Stanley to learn more about the meeting incentive program.

VISIT HENDERSON

280 S. Water St. Henderson, NV 89015 702-267-2670 Ed Kirby edward.kirby@cityofhenderson.com visithendersonnv.com

VISIT LAS CRUCES

336 S. Main Street Las Cruces, NM 88001 575-541-2444 Albert Herrera alherrera@las-cruces.org lascrucescvb.org/ The Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau’s team of professionals are ready to assist you in all aspects of planning your Las Cruces meeting. We have over 3,000 hotel rooms and 190,000 square feet of meeting space to accommodate groups from 10-1,400 attendees, all within our conveniently compact city limits.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

2019 SMALL MARKET MEETINGS INDUSTRY DIRECTORY NORTH CAROLINA

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT

TENNESSEE

VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

RUTHERFORD COUNTY CVB

HAMPTON CVB

JANESVILLE AREA CVB

1919 Commerce Drive, Suite 290 Hampton, VA 2366 800-487-8778, 757-728-5337 Michelle Hergenrother michelle@hamptoncvb.com visithampton.com

20 S Main Street, Ste 11 Janesville, WI 53545 608-757-3171 Lori Johnson meetings@janesvillecvb.com janesvillecvb.com

A 56-acre mountain paradise, Harrah’s Cherokee indulges guests with a range of experiences from superb dining and entertainment to a luxurious 18,000-square-foot spa oasis. In early 2021, Harrah’s Cherokee will debut 83,000 square feet of flexible meeting space; all this in addition to Cherokee’s already existing one-of-a-kind venues set against a backdrop of spectacular mountain scenery.

The Rutherford County Convention & Visitors Bureau is ready to help you plan and execute a truly unique event.

The county offers 55 hotels and 5,200 rooms ranging from moderate to luxury, plus 110,000 total square feet of meeting space, and over 400 restaurants. Come discover Rutherford County!

The Hampton Roads Convention Center and Hampton Coliseum, centerpieces for meetings and events in Coastal Virginia, are located in a waterfront setting amid exciting dining, shopping, entertainment and accommodations, sure to leave every delegate inspired. Hampton’s team of professional meeting planners is eager to help you achieve success.

If you’re in search of memorable and affordable meeting spaces in a great location, look no further than Janesville, Wisconsin’s Great Outside! We are conveniently located directly off of I39/90 and less than one hour from Milwaukee, Madison and Rockford, IL, and less than 2 hours from Chicago, IL.

OHIO

TEXAS

777 Casino Dr. Cherokee, NC 28719 855-633-8238 Convention Sales Team meet@caesars.com caesarsmeansbusiness.com

VISIT GREATER LIMA

144 S Main St., Ste. 101 Lima, OH 45801 419-222-6075 Sharree Brenneman-Reehling sbrenneman@visitgreaterlima.com visitgreaterlima.com No matter what type of event, we offer a wide range of services to assist you. We are happy to offer our expertise to make your even the best it can be.

Located conveniently in Northwest Ohio with easy access to major state routes and I-75, Lima/Allen County is ready to welcome you. Big or small, we’re here to make your next event both memorable and successful.

December 2019

3050 Medical Center Pkwy Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-278-2014 Donna Klemnow dklempnow@rutherfordchamber.org visitrutherfordtn.com

DESTINATION EL PASO

One Civic Center Plaza El Paso, TX 79901 915-534-0692 Brooke Underwood bunderwood@destinationelpaso.com visitelpaso.com Downtown El Paso’s experiencing unprecedented growth!

With new bars and restaurants, an award-winning Triple-A ballpark/USL soccer field, and vintage streetcars, Downtown’s got something new nearly every day.

Plus, new hotels are underway, bringing 1,200+ rooms within walking distance of our convention center! Come experience the evolution.

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More than enough column-free space NOW THAT'S AN EDGE Whatever your vision, you’ll find the perfect space for it in Chicago Northwest. From amenity-rich meeting rooms to the 100,000 square foot Schaumburg Convention Center, which can handle the most elaborate trade show displays. Accessible. Affordable. Remarkably enjoyable. And so close to O’Hare and downtown Chicago.

Give yourself an edge at ChicagoNorthwest.com.

Over 1,000 Daily Direct Flights | 10,000+ Hotel Rooms | Over 400 Restaurants