Small Market Meetings February 2019

SMALL MARKET

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FEBRUARY 2019

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PICTURE YOURSELF IN

MESQUITE

Spend a day or a weekend where real authentic Texas culture is thriving, a city that was declared the Rodeo Capital of Texas by the Governor. Enjoy the Texas traditions of rodeo and BBQ at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo Arena. This world-famous rodeo has evolved into a top-notch concert facility hosting thousands for acts like the Charlie Daniels Band, the Temptations, and Keith Sweat.

The dedicated art enthusiast is sure to find something to spark their interest through a rotation of local artists at The Mesquite Art Center.

If singing and acting are more your things, the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra or the Mesquite Community Theatre is sure to be a hit.

The vibrant community of Mesquite is also a great place to enjoy the outdoors with over sixty parks that offer experiences for everyone.

Stroll through the Paschall Park Butterfly trail, take archery lessons at the Westlake Archery Range, relax at the Opal Lawrence Historical

Visi tM

X .co T e t i esqu

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Park, the Mesquite Golf Club or take the family to KidsQuest at Debusk Park. The possibilities for outside exercise and fun are endless.

Satisfy any craving from Tex-Mex to Greek with a variety of restaurants, including a few Zagat rated eateries. Enjoy shopping at Town East Mall or Downtown Mesquite. Check out at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Celebration Station or XscapeDFW for a little more excitement. Give us 15 minutes, and we’ll give you an experience like no other.

ON THE COVER: Virginia’s Capitol in Richmond is one of the most beautiful statehouses in the South.

INSIDE VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 2

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IDEAS Sports Meetings

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CITY Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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Courtesy Visit Bentonville

TOWN Yuma, Arizona

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MEETING GUIDE The South

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS Fostering

Collaboration

8 PROFILE David Bradley

10 MANAGING Hotel Amenities

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

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kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com

Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner

Brian Jewell Managing Editor

Daniel Jean-Louis Account Manager

Christine Clough Copy editor

Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner

Ashley Ricks Graphic designer

Kyle Anderson Account Manager

Rena Baer Proofreader

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CUSTOM CONTENT

SEAWORTHY MSC CRUISES SETS SAIL WITH AFFORDABLE, ENTICING CRUISES THAT MAKE

MEETING PLANNING EASY

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

W

hich sounds more enticing? A three-day meeting in a downtown hotel or a weeklong conference aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean?

If you lean toward the cruise, Wayne Peyreau agrees. As regional vice president, sales (U.S.A.) for MSC Cruises, he knows the upsides to taking business meetings and incentives out to sea.

“Whatever they could do on land, they could certainly do at sea and it could be more affordable,” he said. Not to mention easier to plan and more exciting.

AN UNCOMPLICATED WAY TO PLAN

For a meeting or event planner, a cruise is an uncomplicated way to organize an incentive, meeting or reunion.

“From the meeting planner’s perspective, cruising is self-contained. The stateroom is your hotel. Dining, meeting venues and entertainment are included,” said Peyreau.

Cruises also typically cater to a multigenerational crowd, with programs designed for everyone from small children to retirees.

AT SEA, PASSENGERS BOND

Being in a contained space also has upsides. Attendees bond on board, at dessert buffets, at an evening show or poolside.

They connect off-ship as they explore ports.

“Not everyone has the same interests, yet there’s so much to do onboard that you can do

one activity, and I can do something else and then we can connect for dinner,” said Peyreau.

PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR PRIVATE FUNCTIONS

When a group needs meeting and event spaces, MSC matches it to onboard spaces that fit its size and technical needs. Not every ship has dedicated meeting space, but there are many options for private functions, such as theaters and lounges.

AN INEXPENSIVE WAY TO TRAVEL IN STYLE

Ease, freedom and flexibility, combined with value, convince many meeting and event planners to try MSC. They tally the cost of a traditional meeting-- rooms, meeting space, meals, entertainment, and activities for families. When they compare the total to the cost of an MSC cruise, MSC wins! One call, does it all. “Where can you possibly go and have all that and then some?”

A GUARANTEED GROUP RATE MOTIVATES

Still, planners can be hesitant to try a cruise.

If they plan events for attendees who pay their own way, they might worry about getting sufficient bookings to qualify for group rates. MSC’s group rate guarantee reassures them.

“It gives our clients a comfort level,” said Peyreau. “To get our group rate, the minimum is eight state rooms, 16 guests, but if a planner markets the trip and doesn’t meet the minimum, we are not going to adjust that rate up.”

NEED HELP MARKETING? MSC OFFERS IT.

MSC also makes it easy for planners to market their meeting or event by supplying flyers, videos and other marketing pieces that can be customized.

MSC OFFERS MORE AS IT ENTERS NEW MARKET

While new to North America, MSC is already the number one cruise line in Europe, South America, Southern Africa, and the Gulf. The world’s largest privately owned cruise company, MSC sails the Caribbean from Miami and also offers cruises from New York.

As it strives to become a bigger name in North America, MSC is focusing on gaining planners’ confidence. “We are new to North America, so we are doing some things differently to encourage people to travel with us,” said Peyreau. “We want planners to say, ‘Look at what MSC is doing to help us plan and take cruises.’”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Wayne Peyreau 954-958-3283 www.msccruisesusa.com wayne.peyreau@msccruisesusa.com

INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

PUT YOUR HEADS TOGETHER

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f you want 12 board members or your production team to work better together, some prep work might be in order. We all collaborate best when we feel connected to, trust and understand those we collaborate with.

Jessie Shternshus helps teams be more collaborative. Over the past decade, she’s tested her ideas with Macy’s, GE, Crayola, the Mayo Clinic, Netflix, Capital One and other well-known corporations.

Shternshus is also co-author of “CTRLShift: 50 Games for 50 ****ing Days Like Today” and co-creator of a workshop called Walkshop.io.

Here are her tips for fostering collaboration.

To find out more about Jessie Shternshus and her company, The Improv Effect, visit www.improveffect.com.

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Five ways to foster collaboration

Create User’s Manuals

If you want to know how your coffeemaker works, you turn to the user’s manual. The same goes for members of a team. Before a team starts to work together, Shternshus has each person answer questions, usually about a half dozen, about themselves. Answers are shared with teammates one-to-one, as a group or virtually. The questions should give insight into someone’s personality and work style, such as “What are your pet peeves?” or “How do you best communicate?” According to Shternshus, these user’s manuals “break down barriers and help prevent people from making assumptions about how people are acting or communicating.” For example, if a teammate says she’s an introvert, everyone will realize her silence doesn't mean she is aloof or standoffish but that she needs to recharge.

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Tell Distinctive Stories

The best collaborations incorporate diverse perspectives. “A good collaborative team promotes diverse perspectives,” said Shternshus.

One way to discover what connects us and what makes us unique, she says, is to ask people to share something they have seen, done or heard that no one else has. For example, someone might share that they were born in the back of a cab. Such revelations can lead to lively discussions and laughter. They also can be deeply personal and serious, depending on the group and its purpose. As people share stories, they understand not only what makes each person unique but that they all share common human experiences. “The stronger the connections, the more you can accomplish,” Shternshus said.

Leave Your Comfort Zone

Shternshus is co-creator of Walkshop, a workshop that uses the outdoors, preferably a place where cellphone reception is bad or even nonexistent, as a collaborative space. “There is a real need to get people outside their everyday environment to connect in a deeper way,” said Shternshus. Familiar environments often reinforce habits that actually hold us back. “It might be something that worked in the past but doesn’t work now,” she said.

“Walkshop lets us unlearn by breaking out of the actual place where we go every day.” By breaking the routine, people see themselves and others in a different way.

Help Everyone Be Heard

Having collaborators tell stories in different ways can help everyone be heard. “Sitting in the board room around a table, often only the loudest voices are heard,” Shternshus said. “Change the way people contribute to the conversation.” By switching up the format and having people tell their story in different ways — verbally, written or through visual art or music — it is more likely everyone will be “heard,” Shternshus said. “People are paying attention to the quiet voices,” she said.

This year during Walkshop, Shternshus will try a new storytelling method called Story Stones. On walks or hikes, participants will pick up stones and draw an image on each. Everyone will put their stones in a pile, and each person will choose several. Using the illustrations as inspiration, they’ll create and tell a personal story. “They are creating a story based on other people’s contributions, and they are not getting to control the outcomes,” Shternshus said. It’s another way, through storytelling, to create those emotional bonds and help people be more collaborative.

February 2019

Share a Bonding Experience

Sharing an experience that’s outside the norm, whether it’s participating in Walkshop or going zip lining, pulls people together. “The neurons are firing; we’re paying attention to the present and connecting to people in a much different way,” said Shternshus.

“Everything is new and we are creating those stories and moments together. It’s a deep way to collaborate.” These days, people are being pulled in so many directions that they crave the deeper connections shared experiences can create, Shternshus said. “I think people are starting to wake up and say, ‘I need this for my heart.’”

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CONFERENCE

MEETING LEADERS DAVID BRADLEY DAVID BRADLEY PARTICIPATES IN A MARDI GRAS PARADE, A FAVORITE WINTER TRADITION IN SHREVEPORT.

“There’s something about the South. I have never seen the amount of volunteerism to make what we do happen. They come out of the woodwork.”

H

BY MOLLY PHILLIPS

ow does a New England boy born outside Boston in Woburn, Massachusetts, find himself as vice president of sales and service for a destination in Louisiana self-described as “where Cajun meets cowboy”?

“Let me give you a quote my father gave me,” said David Bradley in a phone interview in January. “It doesn’t matter what you do in life; make sure you know everyone around you.”

The maxim has proved to be the road to success for Bradley, who propelled himself with only a high school diploma to where he is today at the helm of sales for a historic Southern city.

“When I got into this business, all we had were phones connected to houses and businesses,” said Bradley. “Sales is a face-to-face business; it always has been, and it really always will be.”

Bradley got his start in the industry in 1976 when his older brother Jim became the CEO of Beacon Hospitality. He told Bradley to take a job, any job, at a hotel for a year, and if he could cut his teeth there, he’d find

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his way in the business. Bradley did just that, starting as a desk clerk at a Holiday Inn. He was then hired on to his brother’s company, where he spent seven years in sales. From there, he went on to work at various hotels in both sales and operations for over a decade.

The first opportunity Bradley took on the destination side of the table was at the convention and visitors bureau in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The new challenge was a welcome change, and the destination industry proved to be a great fit for Bradley’s combination of skills and relationship-focused personality.

After more than a decade in Valley Forge, Bradley moved south to the land of fried catfish, thick accents and hot summers: Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana. The twin cities, which sit on opposite banks of the Red River, hug the border of Texas in the northwestern part of the state. The area boasts a unique cocktail of flavors, influenced by the cattle country to the west, the Cajun lands to the south and the traditional Southern culture to the east.

Four years into his new role, there’s just one thing Bradley says he hasn’t quite adjusted to: “the heat of August.”

Otherwise, things are trending up and to the right for both Bradley and Shreveport-Bossier. Bradley reported that sales are

up 50 percent since he took the position.

“We know that if we do our jobs right, a lot of people get to work,” said Bradley. “So we want to do it right.”

One of the team’s biggest accomplishments since Bradley began his tenure was bringing the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Shreveport-Bossier — the first time both pageants had ever been held in the same city during the same year. Faced with a seemingly impossible task of putting the events together in nine weeks, Bradley was blown away by the support of the community.

“There’s something about the South,” he said. “I have never seen the amount of volunteerism to make what we do happen. They come out of the woodwork.”

Beyond his work life, Bradley has made himself at home among the area’s beautiful natural surroundings, where he likes to fish, bike and hike; enjoy the mesh of Southern and Cajun cuisine; and seek diversion in the cities’ richly storied past. When he’s not on his bike, you can find Bradley doing rounds at local estate sales and antique fairs, looking for interesting relics to buy and sell.

With famous visitors such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash in its history, you never know what treasures might turn up in Shreveport-Bossier.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME

David Bradley

TITLE

Vice President of Sales and Service

ORGANIZATION

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau

LOCATION Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana

BIRTHPLACE Woburn, Massachusetts

EDUCATION High school diploma

CAREER HISTORY • Started as a desk clerk after high school at the Holiday Inn in Summerville, Massachusetts, and worked his way up to the catering department.

• Left to work for other hotels independently for more than a decade, eventually becoming general manager of the Omni hotel in Philadelphia.

• Worked in sales at the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CVB. • Joined the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau as vice president of sales and service in January 2015.

TIPS FROM

DAVID BRADLEY • If you don’t have a mentor, find one.

• Be willing to learn other ways of doing things rather than the way you’ve always done them.

• Be honest and fair to everyone you deal with.

February 2019

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MANAGING

Accommodation Extras

SMART NEGOTIATING CAN BRING KEY CONCESSIONS FROM HOTEL PARTNERS

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BY RACHEL CARTER

verything is up for negotiation — that’s what any good contract expert says. And it’s no different when it comes to negotiating amenities with host hotels.

The best way for meeting planners to get what they want is to be upfront about it, and “then let them check off what they can’t provide,” said Melinda Burdette, director of events at Meeting Professionals International (MPI).

ASK FOR THE MOON The first step in negotiating hotel amenities shouldn’t be “rates, dates and space”; it should be the shoot-forthe-moon vision, said Kim Brooks-Martin, corporate director of sales strategy and development for Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), which has about 45 hotels in its portfolio.

Though the budget and the vision may not match, knowing the vision from the outset “helps us to understand how close we are or how far apart we are,” she said.

“It helps me get as close as possible.”

To get the right amenities, planners need to understand the purpose of their event, understand their group’s specific needs and be willing to share that information with the hotels, which can help sales managers drill down and negotiate details that will make the event a success.

“Some planners don’t want to let us know the budget upfront, but the more information we can get in advance, giving us that vote of confidence can help us help them,” said Richard Brooks, area director of sales and marketing for the Twin City Quarter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Sometimes planners will provide a list of concessions they want, yet the hotel sales team doesn’t know which are the must-have items or hot-button issues, he said.

Offering arbitrary cookie-cutter amenities doesn’t always enhance the event and can add costs both for the planner and for the hotel. For example, a check-in reception from 5 to 6 p.m. doesn’t add value when attendees will be arriving at all hours.

WI-FI AND AV Many hotels offer free Wi-Fi in their guest rooms and in their conference spaces, but many others don’t.

Planners can always ask for free or discounted Wi-Fi, but whether it’s complimentary or paid, they should always find out the upload and download speeds and make sure it will be sufficient, Burdette said.

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“If we both walk into the negotiation with only the negotiation in mind rather than the event, neither of us is likely to win.”

Kim Brooks-Martin CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF SALES STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT

Hospitality Ventures Management Group Experience: 34 years

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“The best kind of events are the ones where we work together from the very beginning to execute, whether it’s a four-hour program or a four-day program.”

Each attendee may have a smartphone, a tablet and a laptop online at the same time, especially younger groups, so large events may need to upgrade their bandwidth. Premium Wi-Fi may be needed for presentations that include streaming or video conferencing. Planners should ask if the hotel is willing to provide a complimentary upgrade, she said.

Audiovisual (AV) services can be a sticky spot, too. Kahler Hospitality Group, which has five properties that connect to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has a third-party preferred vendor for AV services, so they have no negotiating room. However, planners should ask for their entire AV wish list, then they can work on their pricing “because if you start with your must-haves, then you have no wiggle room or no room to negotiate,” said Jillian Dampier, Kahler senior sales manager.

Some planners really don’t like a hotel’s AV costs, Brooks-Martin said. But she recommended that planners not only look at the cost but also consider the overall benefit and value, such as having on-site technical help the day of the event, something they might not have if they go with an off-site vendor.

Organizations that do a lot of meetings, like MPI, may already have a contract or agreement in place with national AV companies that they can leverage on a local level for better rates, Burdette said.

Planners should also ask for complimentary hardwire drops if those will be needed for things like credit card transactions, and they should negotiate rigging, “which can be a budget-buster,” she said.

VIP AMENITIES

Richard Brooks AREA DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING

Twin City Quarter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Experience: 25 years February 2019

Understanding who the VIPs are and what they need can help a planner negotiate VIP amenities.

Kahler will typically offer upgrades, additional comps and welcome amenities for VIPs “because those are zero- or low-cost to the hotel, and those are easy to get approved,” Dampier said.

Whether it’s a large, one-time welcome gift or daily gifts staggered throughout the event, welcome amenities are an opportunity to wow VIPs with thoughtful moments, like a bottle of wine or their favorite snacks.

Kahler also often provides VIPs with vouchers to on-site restaurants or coffee shops.

It’s common for planners to negotiate room upgrades for VIPs, but they should also discuss what the VIP needs. A VIP who plans to have an informal meeting or likes to entertain after dinner may need a one-bedroom suite or could use a complimentary light bar setup.

At hotels that have concierge levels, planners can negotiate a certain number of concierge-level upgrades for their VIPs, Brooks said.

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MANAGING

LOW COST, BIG BENEFIT

When your attendees learn amongst the nation’s brightest students.

Some of the biggest wins in negotiating hotel amenities can come from the smallest details and come at the lowest cost.

Planners can ask for complimentary in-room delivery of the event’s newsletter or for access to the hotel’s dark channels for event messaging. Planners can negotiate complimentary easels, digital signage or storage; ask to provide bottled water for the guest rooms; and request free or discounted parking. The hotel might even be able to set up a special check-in line just for attendees.

Burdette also always tries to incorporate a food experience, such as having the chef give a presentation or provide back-of-house tours. She can also arrange tours of hotel properties to showcase LEED qualities or green initiatives, such as food composting and greenhouses.

“It’s best to be upfront about “It doesn’t cost anything more but really elevates the [what you want] in the conexperience,” she said. tract negotiations, but you can Inventory is another opportunity for an easy win. If certainly negotiate things as the hotel owns it, it can often the event gets closer as well. If offer it for free, such as linens, chair covers or uplightyou have an overwhelming ing — or even couches and response, you have a little armchairs that can be moved from common areas to meetmore leverage.” ing rooms for a lounge feel.

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Melinda Burdette DIRECTOR OF EVENTS

Meeting Professionals International Experience: Over 25 years 12

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IDEAS

THE AQUATICS FACILITIES AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY IN TEMPE HOST FREQUENT SWIMMING AND DIVING EVENTS. Courtesy Sun Devil Athletics

COMPETITION CENTRAL These destinations are optimized for sports events

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BY RACHEL CARTER

ports events are big business. Whether it’s 10 teams or 100, youth or collegiate tournaments, club or professional events, sports meetings showcase cities and fill up hotel rooms.

These cities cater to certain sports and have become premier destinations for soccer, swimming, softball, baseball, bowling and ice sports.

TEMPE, ARIZONA

In Tempe, Arizona, “triathlon is a huge market for us,” said James Tevault, director of sales for the Tempe Tourism Office. “But once you do triathlon,

February 2019

it also opens up the doors to those related markets, like swimming.”

Tempe is home to Tempe Town Lake, a manmade lake that stretches two miles along the dry Salt River. It’s in the middle of the city and surrounded by a network of trails, making it a major triathlon destination. The lake hosts two Ironman events every year, regularly welcomes USA Triathlon and recently held its first Major League Triathlon event.

That burgeoning triathlon market opened the door for Tempe Town Lake to welcome the 2018 USA Swimming Open Water National Championships, an event on which Tempe officials expect to bid for 2021 or 2022.

Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe is another major draw for swimming. Retired Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, trained at ASU’s Mona Plummer Aquatic Complex under Bob Bowman, ASU’s head swim coach.

Mona Plummer has two pools, a diving well and stadium seating for 2,000, which makes it great for swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming events.

ASU’s Sun Devil Fitness Complex offers another pool that works for smaller events or as overflow for

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IDEAS

meets at Mona Plummer. The Triathlon Business International Conference held clinics at the Sun Devil pool in January.

McClintock High School’s pool reopened in summer 2017 after a renovation that included a new competition pool that was made deeper and longer to accommodate diving and swim meets. www.tempetourism.com

BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS

Bentonville, Arkansas, enjoys international name recognition as the original hometown and current headquarters of Walmart, but it’s also known as a destination for softball and baseball.

The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) named the Memorial Park baseball/softball complex its National Sports Complex of the Year in 2017, “which is a really big accomplishment,” said Luke Charpentier, sports tourism manager for Visit Bentonville.

Memorial Park has five lighted baseball fields, four lighted softball fields and four T-ball fields that

M

BENTONVILLE’S MEMORIAL PARK HAS WON ACCOLADES AS ONE OF THE NATION’S BEST BASEBALL/SOFTBALL COMPLEXES. Courtesy Visit Bentonville

RE

M E E T I N G S PA C E T H A N A N Y H O T E L I N K E N T U C K Y

Better order more name badges.

With 53 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, an exhibit hall and 1,300 guest rooms, the Galt House can easily accommodate large groups and conferences. Start planning your next event at 14 galthouse.com/meetings.

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Start coasting... can be used as nine softball fields for larger tournaments. The city recently converted four diamonds to turf infields, and the remaining five will be turfed by February 2020.

Memorial Park is home to Midwest Sports Productions’ Bentonville National Championship 12U-16U fast-pitch softball tournament every summer, which draws about 100 teams “and is probably part of the reason we’ve gotten the USSSA Complex of the Year honor,” Charpentier said. But part of the reason is community, from grounds crews who work to ensure the fields are ready to volunteers who hold cookouts.

Memorial Park and Phillips Park, which has five lighted baseball fields and two softball/T-ball fields, host Bentonville’s biggest softball and baseball events, such as the USSSA June Jam baseball tournament.

The Tiger Athletic Complex’s softball field can seat about 500 and, for the past several years, has welcomed the NCAA Division II Great American Conference softball championship in May as well as the Alvy Early Memorial Classic, a Division II preseason tournament that draws about 30 teams in February. www.visitbentonville.com

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FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA

The name Fargo may conjure images of the movie or the television show — or of ice hockey. And Fargo, North Dakota, along with its sister cities of West Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, have a lot of ice to offer for winter sports.

Organizers will soon have 18 sheets of ice, all within a 15-minute drive, said Kali Mork, director of sports for the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The West Fargo School District recently built two new sheets of ice, bringing the city’s total to four.

Moorhead Youth Hockey is building a third rink at the Moorhead Mighty Ducks Youth Hockey Arena, so it will be the communities’ first and only threesheet facility when construction wraps up this fall.

The 5,000-seat Scheels Arena, which recently opened a second sheet, will host the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship West Regionals for the third time in March, as well as the state high school hockey tournament in February.

Youth hockey is huge; two of the cities’ three youth hockey associations generate about 14,000 roomnights, Mork said. The Fargo Youth Hockey Associ-

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February 2019

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IDEAS ation’s Squirt International tournament accounts for about half of those room-nights when more than 220 teams play over three weekends every February.

The 2018 Men’s and Women’s National Curling Championships was the fifth national championship Fargo hosted for USA Curling in seven years, some at Scheels Arena and some at F-M Curling Club’s sixsheet facility. Fargo will also once again welcome the USA Broomball National Championships in April. www.fargomoorhead.org

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN

Green Bay and the Packers: The two are inseparable and synonymous. Fans all around the world know Green Bay, Wisconsin, for its homegrown home team, but the city is also a bowling destination.

Wisconsin reportedly has the most bowling lanes per capita in the country, and Green Bay has the most lanes per capita in the state with about 180 total, said Joel Everts, sports sales manager for the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Over the past four years, Green Bay has welcomed “the biggest round of bowling events in quite a while,” he said.

In addition to state and regional tournaments, professional bowling keeps coming back to Green Bay. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) have both chosen the city for major events in recent years, among them the 2015 USBC Masters, Queens/Senior Queens, Senior Masters and Senior Championships, as well as the 2016 and 2017 PWBA Player’s Championships.

The city also welcomed the Midwest Women’s Bowling Tournament for five weekends of women’s bowling this past summer.

Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley is “the premier bowling facility that we’ve used for a lot of these events,” Everts said. “They’re an amazing partner.”

Ashwaubenon boasts 60 lanes on one level, along with ample parking, a great bar and can-do staff, he said.

This year will be another big one for bowling events but with availability for smaller tournaments, such as the Midwest Collegiate Tournament, the Wisconsin High School State Championship and the Wisconsin State Lutheran Bowlers. www.greenbay.com

Below left: Fargo has hosted five national championship events for USA Curling.

Right: Foley’s Sports Tourism Complex (top) and Green Bay’s Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley (bottom) host high-profile sports events.

Courtesy FMCVB

race into your next adventure

justin stine, meetings & sports sales manager 913.321.5800 | justin@ visitkansascityks.com visitkansasCitykS.com/ meetings

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

FOLEY, ALABAMA

When the Foley Sports Tourism Complex opened its doors and fields in 2017, it put Foley, Alabama, on the sports destinations map.

The sprawling complex boasts 16 grass multipurpose fields, one a lighted championship field with seating for up to 1,000. Next to the sports fields, the 90,000-square-foot Foley Event Center is a multiuse indoor facility that can have six basketball courts or 12 volleyball courts and can also accommodate indoor soccer, futsal, trade shows and more.

The on-site TownePlace Suites by Marriott at OWA offers 150 guest rooms for incoming tournaments, and the complex sits next to the Park at OWA amusement park and water park. Most of the city’s 11 hotels are within three miles of the sports complex, and the Tanger Outlets mall is half a mile away.

Soccer and volleyball are the city’s two largest sports markets, and the complex puts Foley on the map for both sports, said Don Dukemineer, deputy director of sports tourism for Foley Sports Tourism.

Last November alone, the venue welcomed the Alabama Soccer Association State Cup, the Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Championship, the NIRSA National Soccer Championships and the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship. www.foleysports.com

Courtesy Courtland William Richards

Courtesy United States Bowling Congress

February 2019

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n O llowed a H

GROUND

Groups meeting in Gettysburg can find inspiration during monument tours of Gettysburg National Military Park.

All photos courtesy Destination Gettysburg

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CITY

Gettysburg adds an air of history to meetings and events

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BY ELIZABETH HEY

ere’s more to Gettysburg than just a battlefield.

Positioned at the epicenter of Civil War history, Gettysburg also features opportunities for team building and authentic culinary and agricultural experiences. By bringing history to life and tying it into contemporary culture, Gettysburg attracts many visitors who return time and again.

According to Nicole Absher, sales manager for Destination Gettysburg, most visitors return and bring their friends and families because of the wide variety of offerings and the charming town.

GETTYSBURG AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: South central Pennsylvania ACCESS: Harrisburg International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport HOTEL ROOMS: 2,349 CONTACT INFO: Destination Gettysburg 717-338-3062 www.meetingettysburg.com GATEWAY GETTYSBURG COMPLEX EXHIBIT SPACE: 61,000 square feet at Wyndham Gettysburg; 1,500 square feet at Courtyard Marriott Gettysburg; 44,500 square feet at Gateway Theaters MEETING HOTELS

Gettysburg Hotel GUESTROOMS: 119 MEETING SPACE: 8,200 square feet Liberty Mountain Resort and Conference Center GUESTROOMS: 99 MEETING SPACE: 22,085 square feet Eisenhower Complex GUESTROOMS: 307 MEETING SPACE: 73,000 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN GETTYSBURG

American Association of Community Theatre ATTENDEES: 500 Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners ATTENDEES: 250

February 2019

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Destination Highlights

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Liberty Mountain Resort

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isitors can easily walk to restaurants, museums and tours that are all located within a two-mile radius of downtown Gettysburg. Locally owned boutiques sell a wide range of items that include handmade artisan crafts, clothing and quirky decor.

“Everything is super accessible and walkable, which visitors really appreciate,” said Absher. “The trolley system also operates downtown and offers regular routes to other locations too, such as the Gateway Gettysburg complex with its two hotels and meeting space.”

Gettysburg National Military Park comprises approximately 6,000 acres of preserved battlefield. The visitor center’s 12 galleries, the Cyclorama painting experience and the orientation film make the perfect introduction. A variety of battlefield tours offer different perspectives on the epic battle that took place there. Bus tours tend to be more comprehensive, while Segway, bicycle and horseback tours focus on specific sections of the battlefield.

“Groups can incorporate a leadership component that takes them around the battlefield and highlights the generals, their personalities and the decisions made by officers and then tie it all back to today’s work culture,” said Absher. “It’s a common misconception that the battle occurred only inside the national park. The whole town was actually overtaken, so there’s plentiful history throughout the city.”

Gettysburg’s culinary scene is fueled by the flourishing agriculture throughout Adams County. Apple orchards and vineyards paint the rolling hills, and family-owned fruit and farm markets dot the landscape. Agritourism experiences feature the area’s farms and vineyards, where groups can get a taste of the region’s cuisine.

A battlefield monument

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DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Distinctive Venues

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ettysburg’s restaurants range from historic taverns to modern craft kitchens and fine dining. Many cater to large groups and have space to bring in entertainment. Historic re-enactors that depict figures such as President Lincoln or General and Mrs. Lee will interact with their audiences.

Mason Dixon Distillery, a family-owned distillery and restaurant, serves scratch-made food and sources many ingredients from local farms. The Dobbin House Tavern intermingles modern fare with a Colonial atmosphere. Groups can have casual meals in the basement’s Spring House Tavern or a fine-dining experience upstairs. Seven rooms with varying ambiance are available, and the Abigail Ballroom seats 150 people for meals with the opportunity to explore the property.

For a more rural setting, Beech Springs Farm seamlessly blends the rustic nature of a working farm with contemporary amenities. Twenty miles southwest of Gettysburg, the farm makes a great location for a catered farm-to-table dinner or evening reception. The renovated 1867 Pennsylvania bank barn spans 3,200 square feet and features an oversized covered porch, a Bose sound system and separate dessert and beverage bars. The venue’s select caterer will design the menu to include the farm's vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and small fruits.

Guests can be surrounded by history at distinguished event spaces.

At the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, an after-hours reception allows access to the entire museum. The well-preserved and charming Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station offers indoor and outdoor reception areas, catering services and a convenient downtown location.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

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he Gateway Gettysburg complex, the city’s primary conference center, just off Route 15, contains the Wyndham Gettysburg and the Courtyard Marriot Gettysburg. Combined, they offer 62,000 square feet of meeting space, two restaurants and 400 guest rooms. In addition, the complex’s Gateway Theater seats 400 classroom-style and 200 for banquets.

In the heart of downtown, the Gettysburg Hotel lies within walking distance of restaurants, shops and tasting rooms. Large events, banquets and keynotes can be hosted in its elegant Grand Ballroom, which features an original hand-painted ceiling and 19th-century chandeliers.

The hotel offers 8,200 square feet of flexible meeting space, with additional space at the adjacent Majestic Theater and the Lincoln Train Station.

Outside the city, the 99-room Liberty Mountain Resort and Conference Center offers year-round activities, a spa, multiple dining options and 22,085 square feet of meeting space. In winter, groups can ski, snowboard, snow tube and use the golf simulator. In warmer months, they can hike, swim, golf and play volleyball and horseshoes on the property. Also outside of Gettysburg proper and now under renovation, the Eisenhower Complex ranks as one of the largest and most comprehensive meeting and conference centers in the region, with 73,000 square feet of meeting space and 307 guest rooms.

Perched on a scenic 63-acre ridgeline, the Lodges of Gettysburg is 10 minutes from downtown. Indoor and outdoor venues include waterfront event space and 6,500 square feet of meeting space. The 24 private lodges each sleep two to six guests, with 17 additional rooms.

“This unique property is ideal for close-knit executive retreats or team-building experiences,” said Absher.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

February 2019

Gettysburg Hotel

Adams County Pour Tour

AFTER THE MEETING

After the Meeting

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ttendees can easily hop between the city’s numerous museums. Many explain different aspects of the Battle of Gettysburg.

During spring, summer and fall, it’s not uncommon to encounter historians who help visitors better understand the Civil War from a soldier’s perspective.

Additionally, groups can explore the leadership of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The night before his famous speech, Lincoln put the finishing touches on the Gettysburg Address at the David Wills House, now a museum, where his room has been preserved. Eisenhower’s only private home can be toured on his farm at the Eisenhower National Historic Site, where he retreated during his presidency and afterward.

Many Adams County craft beverage-makers provide downtown tasting rooms for convenience.

But travelers who venture into the countryside are rewarded with scenic views and agritourism experiences that demonstrate what goes into creating craft beverages. The Adams County Pour Tour features 15 stops. Along the trail, participants receive passport stamps for each kind of beverage they sample.

West of Gettysburg, the Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve maintains 10 miles of trails that meander through mountain streams, ponds and woodlands.

In addition to the Carroll Valley Golf Course at Liberty Mountain Resort, notable golf courses include the Links at Gettysburg and the Quail Valley Golf Course. To the east, antique enthusiasts will want to explore New Oxford, where numerous shops and galleries have been part of the local community for decades.

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TOWN

YEAR-ROUND

a m Yu

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

Y

uma, Arizona, is the winter lettuce capital of the U.S., but agriculture isn’t its only claim to fame.

The sunny locale on the Colorado River, an easy drive from San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Tucson, Arizona, is worth a second look.

The home of two beautiful state parks — the Colorado River State Historic Park and Yuma Territorial Prison Museum and Park — Yuma attracts people from across the country who seek outdoor adventures during the icy winter months. With average high temperatures of between 70 and 90 degrees from October through May, visitors can canoe, kayak, swim, bike, rent dune buggies or ATVs, or play a round of golf at the local golf course.

“It’s our mission to get people to come off the interstate and see what Yuma has to offer,” said Leslie McClendon, group sales manager for Visit Yuma. “It is not just a drive-through, gas-up and eat destination. It really warrants the opportunity to come and stay a couple of nights,” she said.

The city of nearly 100,000 people is a great meeting destination with 4,000 hotel rooms and two major convention centers.

The restored riverfront and the area’s Wild West past add to Yuma’s allure.

Visitors can visit farms, sample food made with local produce and visit the two military bases nearby: the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground.

The city of Yuma has worked hard to create an entertainment district downtown with several local bars and restaurants, nightclubs, kitschy shops that feature locally made items and weekend festivals. The river is the focal point for much of the area’s outdoor activity, with three attractive swim beaches.

Visitors can travel upriver to Martinez Lake to try out boating, jet skiing or fishing. The lake is surrounded by the Imperial Wildlife Refuge, so the area attracts droves of anglers, nature lovers and bird-watchers.

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GROUPS CAN HOLD BANQUETS AND EVENTS AT THE YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON MUSEUM AND PARK. Photos courtesy Visit Yuma

THE COLORADO RIVER CUTS THROUGH A BEAUTIFUL DESERT LANDSCAPE IN YUMA.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Hotels

Yuma’s largest hotel and conference center is on the banks of the Colorado River. The Hilton Garden Inn Yuma Pivot Point is also nearby the downtown Yuma entertainment district. With 21,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space, the site is perfect for both large and small meetings and conventions. The main ballroom is 8,000 square feet with 16-foot ceilings and built-in audiovisual capabilities. It can hold up to 1,000 people or be divided into three separate rooms. The hotel’s boardroom can hold up to 275 guests and is great for small gatherings.

The Radisson, the Marriott, the Hampton Inn and Suites and the Holiday Inn also have hotels in Yuma. Most have meeting spaces that can accommodate events of 50 to 150 people.

Convention Center

The Yuma Civic Center plays host to many of Yuma’s private indoor events, including weddings, seminars, expos and workshops. Adjacent to Yuma’s championship 18-hole Desert Hills Golf Course, the Civic Center has plenty to offer conference planners, including 25,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space and 15 meeting rooms. Many conferences will include an outdoor mixer or a dinner on the terrace overlooking the golf course at sunset. The main meeting room can hold up to 1,500 people, or it can be divided into smaller spaces that hold between 100 and 250 people each.

YUMA ARIZONA LOCATION

Southwest corner of Arizona, near the California and Mexican borders

ACCESS

Interstate 8, state Highway 95, Yuma International Airport

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Hilton Garden Inn Yuma Pivot Point Hotel, Yuma Civic Center

HOTEL ROOMS 4,000 citywide

OFF-SITE VENUES

Colorado River State Historic Park, Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park

CONTACT INFO

Visit Yuma 800-293-0071 www.visityuma.com

February 2019

Off-site Venues

Tapping into Yuma’s agricultural past and present, conference planners can take attendees on a tour of a farm and then plan a meal cooked by farm families with locally grown produce. They also can plan events at Colorado River State Historic Park, the site of an old Army supply depot for forts across Arizona and the West. The venue can hold as many as 1,000 people, depending on the setup. Visit Yuma has used the site for barbecue hoedowns and outdoor concerts. An old storehouse on the property can be used for small indoor meetings. A section of the area’s original plank road with a Model T Ford on it, an Army Escort Wagon and an exhibit on the history of steamboats on the Colorado River greet visitors inside this 150-person venue.

Popular Attractions Conference planners seeking a taste of the Old West should look no further than the Yuma Territorial Prison Museum and Park, which makes a great outdoor venue and tour destination for fewer than 350 attendees. The prison operated between 1876 and 1909 and housed 3,069 of the West’s most hardened criminals. The historic site makes a superb sunset dinner venue because of its location on the river. Conference visitors can take advantage of staged gunfights and Civil War re-enactments, depending on the time of year they visit, or lock themselves in the Dark Cell, a precursor to today’s solitary confinement.

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The Capital South

SPRING BRINGS BEAUTIFUL FLORAL DISPLAYS TO THE KENTUCKY STATEHOUSE IN FRANKFORT.

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Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Frankfort Tourism Commission

BY KRISTY ALPERT

t should come as no surprise that capital cities across the United States are generally picked first for meetings and events; they’re the star athletes, the top performers and the focal points of their regions. Capitals are packed with venue options — both on- and off-site — unique activities and outstanding dining choices.

In Southern states, the capital is not only a hub of action but also the symbolic heartbeat for what makes the state tick. Southern capitals are among the most dynamic in the United States, and many are among the fastest-growing cities in America.

Choosing a capital city for a small meeting or event comes loaded with options. Here are some of the most exciting capital cities in the South for your next meeting or event.

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FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY

Kentucky’s capital city, Frankfort, is in the midst of a downtown redevelopment. The city's master plan includes building a brand-new state-of-the art convention center.

But the lack of a dedicated convention center has never slowed this vibrant city center, as Frankfort is home to a number of exciting venues in hotels, museums, restaurants, distilleries and more.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here,” said Robin Antenucci, executive director for the Frankfort Tourist Commission. “We do have a lot of unique spaces given our predicament; but in terms of a classic conference center, we are lacking. To have 800 to 1,000 people is sustainable here, especially since we’re a good central location and we’re affordable. The bourbon industry is hot right now, and we’re right in the heart of it. We have four distilleries in our area.”

The Kentucky River flows through this historic city, breathing life into the city’s many districts and providing a whole other realm of possibilities for groups looking to break from the typical urban setting with canoe trips or

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riverboat excursions. The historic Berry Hill Mansion sits on a gorgeous bluff overlooking the state Capitol — another venue available for meetings and events — where it not only acts as a memorable venue for groups but also offers self-guided tours.

The city is also home to a number of breweries and distilleries that give a delicious insight into the region’s brewing culture; they, too, offer memorable venues for events and gatherings. www.visitfrankfort.com

MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Jackson is full of soul: soulful music at its numerous stops along the Mississippi Blues Trail; passionate souls who have helped preserve the city’s charm and history over the years; and loads of amazing soul food at cafes, restaurants and upscale eateries throughout the city.

“I moved here, and that’s what I fell in love with,” said Kim Lewis, communication and destination development manager for Visit Jackson. “It wasn’t my first choice to move here, but it was my first choice to stay here. I’m from San Diego. I moved here, and then all the sudden, I just opened my eyes. Sometimes people don’t realize what they have in their own backyard, and it’s been amazing to see the city with new eyes.”

The city’s main meeting space is the ultramodern 330,000-square-foot Jackson Convention Complex, with its own theater, breakout rooms, spaces for concerts and more. Jackson is also home to three full-service hotels, each with its own meeting spaces. A brand-new Westin hotel recently opened, the brand’s first property in Mississippi, and that allowed for even more rental space throughout the city.

Just outside downtown, guests can book spaces at Providence Hill Farm, a 1,250-acre retreat with sporting clay ranges, fishing, trap ranges, rifle shooting, horse stalls and more. The Jackson Country Club is available for events and meetings when it’s not hosting the Sanderson Farms PGA Golf Championship each year. And a handful of local breweries and distilleries open their doors for family-style events and meetings year round. www.visitjackson.com

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Virginia coastline, Richmond has Colonial roots and urban appeal that add color to its meetings and events. Festivals are a regular occurrence in Richmond, where every

February 2019

Courtesy Visit Jackson

TAP INTO YOUR MEETING POTENTIAL Contact us for meeting options in historic venues, ballrooms, craft breweries, or along the river.

moDeRn SPiRit. Southern Soul.

770-640-3253 www.visitroswellga.com

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Meetieng Guid WATERFRONT RICHMOND

month, visitors and locals gather for the RVA First Friday art walk.

Richmond boasts numerous highly acclaimed restaurants and more than 30 breweries, and many open their doors for off-site events and meetings.

“There is always so much to do and choose from every weekend,” said Meghan Gearino, public relations coordinator for Richmond Region Tourism. “You can earn a prize by visiting five or more breweries on the Richmond Beer Trail map. Many of our local breweries are kid and dog friendly.”

Richmond is within roughly a day’s drive for half the U.S. population and has many meeting facilities and venue options to accommodate groups of all sizes. The Greater Richmond Convention Center, the largest in Virginia, comprises 700,000 square feet, and the popular Richmond Raceway Complex offers more than 150,000 square feet of exhibition and meetings space. Another favorite venue for meeting guests is the Main Street Station, which recently completed a $92 million renovation.

The region is home to more than 18,000 hotel rooms. The Richmond International Airport is just eight miles from downtown. www.visitrichmondva.com

CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA

A former frontier town, Charleston, West Virginia, has become a decidedly hip metropolis since its founding in 1788. Charleston Courtesy Richmond Region Tourism

Gatlinburg is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our quaint town is filled with everything a meeting planner needs for a successful event: beautiful well-equipped meeting facilities, a wide variety of sleeping accommodations, hundreds of shops and restaurants, along with attractions of every age interest. All in an accessible, walkable destination.

The Gatlinburg Convention Center The Gatlinburg Convention Center has 148,000 square feet of flexible meeting space that is comprised of exhibit halls, a ballroom, an auditorium, executive boardroom and 16 meeting rooms. The exhibit hall(s) has a total of 66,910 square feet and is divisible by three sections and is column free. The Tennessee Ballroom is 17,064 square feet and is divisible by four sections. The Mills Auditorium is 8,800 square feet and has a built-in stage.

Sleeping Accommodations Meetings in Gatlinburg are enhanced by the wide variety of accommodation options. Gatlinburg offers 10,000+ sleeping rooms (4,000+ in close proximity to the convention center), including full service and limited service hotels and motels, condominiums, chalets, cabins and campgrounds. No matter what your preference, Gatlinburg can accommodate your needs.

Group Attendee Activities Gatlinburg provides an extensive array of options for your meeting attendees. Team building activities and outdoor experiences such as snow skiing, ziplining, fishing, white water rafting, hiking, horseback riding and many additional options. The 18-hole Gatlinburg Golf Course is acclaimed as one of the most picturesque courses in America with breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

To experience extraordinary gatherings, call GCVB Sales Department 865-436-2392 | sales@gatlinburg.com | meetings.gatlinburg.com

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

today delights locals and visitors alike. The city’s quirky boutiques, progressive eateries and upscale art galleries are set amongst a backdrop of historic architecture.

Charleston’s innovative atmosphere has attracted young creatives who are transforming downtown districts with hip art galleries, vinyl-record stores, boutique shops and independent restaurants.

“I am a lifelong resident of the Charleston area and can’t imagine living anywhere else,” said Leslie Smithson, communications director for the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I never cease to be amazed by the talented people who call the area home. One of my favorite things to do is catch a live taping of Mountain Stage Radio Show. I always leave with a list of new music to download.”

Meeting groups enjoy walking the stalls at the Capitol Market, an upscale farmers market housed in a historic train depot, to sort through rows of fresh produce and shop for handmade items and delicious souvenirs.

The Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center recently added 146,000 square feet of space during its $100 million expansion and renovation, nearly doubling its footprint with state-of-the-art meeting rooms and an on-site kitchen and catering facility. There are more than 3,500 guest rooms throughout the city in all price ranges, many within walking distance of the convention center, the Charleston Town Center Mall and the dozens of restaurants and shops that make up the city. www.charlestonwv.com

CHARLESTON COLISEUM AND CONVENTION CENTER

Courtesy Charleston CVB

MEETING SPACES

DEGRAY LAKE RESORT STATE PARK

VACATION VIEWS

#ARStateParks

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

February 2019

888-AT-PARKS • LodgesofArkansas.com

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Southern Suburbs

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Meetdieng Gui

FESTIVAL ACADIENS ET CREOLES SHOWCASES THE CAJUN CULTURE OF LAFAYETTE. Courtesy Lafayette Travel

BY KRISTY ALPERT

t’s not just the easy commute to the city, the enjoyable pace of life and the countless conveniences that make Southern suburbs such desirable places for many meeting planners and eventgoers. Unlike larger cities, it’s the suburbs where visitors can find that authentic Southern charm and charisma in an environment that’s all at once affordable and upscale.

Suburban meetings and events often have all the same bells and whistles as more urban locations, with outstanding culinary offerings and local entertainment options. The beauty of meeting in the suburbs is that it often comes without the headache of worrying about parking, traffic jams and high hotel rates.

From a suburb often defined by its vibrant culture and even more vibrant cuisine to a Tennessee suburb with a music scene that’s giving Nashville a run for its money, here are some great Southern suburbs to consider for your next meeting or event.

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LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA

If a smile isn’t the first welcome visitors receive when they arrive in Lafayette, Louisiana, they must have missed the exit. Often referred to as the Happiest City in America, Lafayette is filled with people looking for a place to have a good time. The city is in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole country, and is the birthplace of Cajun zydeco music.

“One of the things I always like to point out is a lot of areas have great facilities, but when the meeting is over, that’s what differentiates towns,” said Ben Berthelot, president and CEO of the Lafayette Visitors and Convention Center. “Here in Lafayette, in the heart of Cajun and Creole country, people have the chance to be immersed in Cajun and Creole culture. There’s a Chili’s in every city in America, but there’s not a Charlie G’s, Café Vermillionville and Judice Inns. There’s only one of those in the world.”

Lafayette is home to three full-service hotels, but the

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main meeting facility is the Cajun Dome Convention Center. The center just underwent a $22 million renovation of its 72,000-squarefoot convention center and 13,500-seat arena. A brand new Rock ’n’ Bowl just opened in town with meeting space of its own, and Lafayette locals love the Blue Dog Café for its Sunday brunch and private meeting spaces.

It’s not a trip to Lafayette without taking part in a swamp tour on the Atchafalaya Basin or stopping in at the famous living-history museum, Vermillionville, for a journey back through time. www.lafayettetravel.com

WINTER PARK, FLORIDA

Just three miles outside Orlando, Florida, Winter Park was once the resort destination of choice for travelers looking to escape the harsh winters up north and trade them for the sunny, parklike setting of this Southern suburb. The resort town has grown over the years to include more than 70 parks, many that host a variety of events and celebrations throughout the year.

“We are currently building a new library and events center known as the Winter Park Canopy that will be open for meeting space in 2020,” said Clarissa Howard, director of communications for the city of Winter Park. “The building is designed by Sir David Adjaye, and we are excited about its grand opening next year.”

Winter Park is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of area theme parks. It’s known for Old World charm; brick-paved, tree-lined

streets; and world-class museums and shopping. Top venues owned by the city include the Winter Park Community Center, the Winter Park Country Club and the Winter Park Farmers Market.

Before and after meetings, guests can gaze at the world’s largest collection of Tiffany glass at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum, tour the estate homes by water on an open-air Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, play a round of golf at one of Florida’s historic golf trails or uncover the stories behind Czech-American sculptor Albin Polasek’s work at the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden. www.winterpark.org

BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA

Nestled along South Carolina’s scenic waterways on Port Royal Island, the historic town of Beaufort is rich in antebellum charm and loaded with Southern hospitality. Moss-draped live-oak trees and Civil War-era homes add to the appeal of this prime meeting location.

“People have done the Charleston and Savannah meeting locations. And both are fantastic,” said Robb Wells, president and CEO of the Greater Beaufort/Port Royal SC Convention and Visitors Bureau, “but Beaufort has a small-town feel, and you get a coastal vibe.

People also feel like it’s home. When people think of coastal South Carolina, in their heads they’re envisioning Beaufort. And when they come, they realize this is exactly what they hoped it would be.

It is oozing with charm.”

Mountains of fun for any agenda.

This destination can provide meeting space for 20 to 12,000 attendees, in conference rooms and theaters to the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. When the meeting adjourns, there are more ways to have fun than you can fit in any one trip.

Welcome to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where fun is the first order of business.

PigeonForgeMeeting.com Info@LeConteCenter.com PFT001503_Mrr_SmallMarketMtgs_8x4.5.indd 1

February 2019

1/11/19 10:29 AM

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Meetieng Guid Tabby Place is the top venue for meetings in town, with space to accommodate up to 350 people. One of the newer meeting venues in the city, having opened in 2016 inside the Beaufort Inn, Tabby Place offers indoor and outdoor meeting space with top-of-the-line amenities. The town also has traditional meeting spaces within a number of hotels, including the Holiday Inn and Suites in uptown Beaufort and the Hilton Garden Inn. A performing arts center at the University of South Carolina hosts the annual Beaufort International Film Festival and a range of other private events, meetings and traveling shows.

Wells and his team assist groups in organizing packages and activities before and after meetings and events; many people rave about the unique options in town.

“Whether you’re learning to crab or cast a shrimp net or just go out along with the dolphins, we’ve got your typical activities for a coastal community, and we have your not-so-typical, like how we have the only kazoo factory in America.” www.beaufortsc.org

A BEAUFORT LIGHTHOUSE

FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE

Despite Franklin, Tennessee’s independent identity as one of the most vibrant towns in the South, its proximity to downtown Nashville — less than 17 miles, with many hotels as close as six miles from the Nashville city lines — has earned it the nickname Nashville South.

Courtesy Greater Beaufort/Port Royal CVB

the right inspiration can make all the difference.

With so many options to choose from in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, it helps to get a birds-eye view of everything available to create a memorable experience for your group. Let our knowledgeable team help you plan the perfect meeting.

Contact us today to get started.

GSA689 Small Mkt Meetings Feb.indd 1

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GULF SHORES & ORANGE BEACH TOURISM Alabama’s White-Sand Beaches

GSOBmeetings.com | 1-888-421-8715

1/16/19 12:19 PM

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“One of the things that sets us apart is our downtown,” said Kathryn York, director of sales for Visit Franklin, Tennessee. “It’s rare that you would find such vibrant, lively restaurants, shops and music in a downtown as close to Nashville. It’s definitely more upscale and family-friendly here. Nashville is more mainstream, and here it’s more singer-songwriter. Among the restaurants, we only have six chains, so most are local owned. The feel to the area is definitely unique.”

The main meeting venue in town is the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs Conference Center, with 24,360 square feet of flexible meeting space. The Embassy Suites Cool Springs also has meeting space for up to 1,200 guests.

Off-site options include the Factory at Franklin, a group of 11 Depression-era buildings that have been renovated into a shopping, dining and entertainment venue. There, the Liberty Hall, a 14,000-square-foot venue; Jameson Hall, a venue with theater seating for up to 800 guests; and a little brick theater with 125 seats are favorite options for meeting groups. Between meetings, groups can take advantage of a range of shops, restaurants and artisan coffee shops.

Downtown is another great options before and after meetings.

Historic homes open for private dining, and the Franklin Theatre is the main act for a night out in this quaint suburb. www.meetfranklintn.com

PUMPKINFEST IN FRANKLIN

Courtesy Visit Franklin

February 2019

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GROUPS CAN HAVE ELEGANT GARDEN PARTIES AT THE HOME OF F. SCOTT AND ZELDA FITZGERALD IN MONTGOMERY.

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Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Fitzgerald Museum

BY KRISTY ALPERT

ith all due respect to Shawn Levy’s 2006 comedy “Night at the Museum,” it doesn’t take talking mummies or fossilized dinosaur chase scenes to bring excitement to a museum after hours. There’s something remarkable about spending an evening at a museum, especially during a corporate meeting or a long-anticipated reunion or grand event.

Not only can guests often explore the galleries and exhibits before and during events, but in the South, they can often do so with a deviled egg and a cool glass of chardonnay in hand. Southern museums are packed with potential for small meetings and events; many offer a sense of place and history, as well as amazing collections of art and artifacts.

At these Southern museums, some of the top in the country, an on-site event coordinator works with planners to bring their dreams to life with exciting themes, delicious cuisines, and even world-class

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Galas and Galleries

entertainment. From architecturally stunning art museums to a former writer’s home that now hosts writing circles and grand Gatsby-style events, here are some great options for your next Southern meeting or event.

SCOTT AND ZELDA FITZGERALD MUSEUM

Montgomery, Alabama Jazz Age writers F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were known not only for their prophetic prose but also for their wild love affair. The two fell in love while Zelda was living in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, and were married upon the publishing of Scott’s first novel, “This Side of Paradise.” The couple maintained a gypsy lifestyle, living in cities around New York, France, Italy, Minnesota and Alabama. Their home in Montgomery was the last home the Fitzgeralds lived in as a family and is the last of the four extant homes that survived their travels around the world.

The home has been preserved as a museum. There the couple’s artifacts and legacy remain to tell the tale of their

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romantic and often heartbreaking life together. The museum is 8,500 square feet in total, with more than an acre of lawn space.

The museum is a unique venue to Montgomery and offers a step back into the Jazz Age, with galleries that house several of Zelda Fitzgerald’s original paintings and personal belongings, first editions of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels and other ephemera from the late 1800s to the 1940s.

“We also have two Airbnb spaces that are great for one-on-one interviews,” said Sara Powell, executive director for the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum. “We’ve hosted student interviews on behalf of Princeton University and are known as a local option for traveling guests.”

The museum rents out the space for events and meetings and specializes in cocktail events and mixers, workshops and panel discussions. www.thefitzgeraldmuseum.org

MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM AND MARBLES IMAX

Raleigh, North Carolina Opened in 2007, the Marbles Kids Museum and Marbles Imax is a brainy nonprofit museum in Raleigh, North Carolina, that encourages kids and kids at heart to use their marbles as they discover the world within this two-story building. The museum was designed to be a hands-on and minds-on experience for children. Named after the wall that wraps around the building, filled with more than 1 mil-

A PROFESSIONAL EVENT AT MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM Courtesy Marbles Kids Museum

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Meetieng Guid lion marbles that light up at night, the museum includes more than 14 exhibits that encourage children to use their imagination to discover and learn about everything from music and art to agriculture and engineering.

“People are often surprised that they can host meetings or events here,” said Jamie Bockover, the museum’s senior event coordinator.. “That just gives us the chance to wow them.”

Meetings and events at the museum take place in the Zanzibar Room, 3,500 square feet; the Venture Hall, 4,000 square feet inside the Imax movie theater; Calypso, a beautiful room that features stained-glass windows in a building adjacent to the main museum, 1,668 square feet; or Curiosity Square, 4,080 square feet. Meeting planners are equipped with inhouse audiovisual options and tons of opportunities to provide a memorable experience for their guests through on-site entertainment, catering options and activities.

Along with access to the museum during regular operating hours, meeting groups at the museum also benefit from Marble’s convenient proximity to downtown Raleigh. A number of hotels, restaurants and shops are only a walk or a very short drive away. www.marbleskidsmuseum.org

SOUTHEASTERN RAILWAY MUSEUM

Duluth, Georgia Since 1970, visitors have flocked to the Southeastern Railway Museum to explore the fascinating legacy of transportation. The museum sits on 35 acres just outside of Atlanta in Duluth, Georgia, where more than 90 pieces of historic railroad equipment, buses and artifacts act as the centerpieces for this beloved museum.

“I have always been interested in history and, specifically, railroad history,” said Todd DeFeo, founder of the DeFeo Group and head of marketing for the Southeastern Railway Museum.

“One of my hobbies is taking photos, so I enjoy spending time at the museum taking pictures. But more than that, I appreciate the opportunity to talk with volunteers at the museum. The museum’s volunteers have an incredible amount of passion. It is infectious. Having a bad day at the museum is impossible.”

The museum has several spaces available for meetings, approximately 3,800 square feet overall, including a theater-style audiovisual room that holds approximately 30 guests, an exhibit hall that seats up to 100 guests, a party car that seats 40 guests and a diner car that also seats 40 guests. In addition to the indoor spaces, the museum offers outside areas where tents and tables can be assembled for events such as company picnics and breakout sessions.

Before and after events, guests are able to uncover the colorful history that railroads and transportation played in shaping both Atlanta and north Georgia. Many of the historic railroad cars and locomotives on display are open for guests to climb aboard and explore. Among the rail cars on display is the Superb, a Pullman Company-built private car that President Warren G. Harding used during his 1923 Voyage of Understanding. www.train-museum.org

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CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

Bentonville, Arkansas A nearby spring and the bridge construction that plays out through the building’s design inspired the name for this internationally celebrated museum. Designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, is as architecturally stunning as the works that line the halls. The Walton Family Foundation founded the museum in 2005 with a mission to provide a home to celebrate and honor the more than five centuries of American art that composes the collection as well as to celebrate the beauty of nature.

“It’s so delightful,” said Barbara Tillman, special events coordinator for the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. “It’s a surprise to drive in every morning. The beauty of our grounds is just stunning. I get to experience it every day, which I think is amazing.”

Along with a collection of more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material and nearly 1,500 objects spread throughout the collections, the museum features a series of walking trails that extend past sculpture gardens throughout the 120-acres of the park.

The museums meeting rooms are all used for different purposes, and the Great Hall acts as the ballroom for the venue; it is a very grand, very elegant space that can hold up to 450 guests. There is also a series of small boardrooms, and a beautiful library can act as a small meeting space with gorgeous views. All of the spaces include audiovisual components. www.crystalbridges.org

February 2019

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART Courtesy Crystal Bridges

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