Small Market Meetings February 2020

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ON THE COVER: Meeting attendees enjoy the view at a waterfront restaurant in Nags Head, North Carolina. Photo by Laura Zeid.

INSIDE VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 2

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IDEAS Meet at Sports Venues

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CITY Portland, Maine

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Courtesy South Sea Island Resort

TOWN Manhattan, Kansas

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MEETING GUIDE The South

D E PA R T M E N T S

INSIGHTS 10 PROFILE 6 Watch These Michael Websites

Krouse

12 MANAGING Improving Breakout Sessions

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS is published monthly by Pioneer Publishing, Inc., 301 E. High St., Lexington, KY 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified meeting planners who plan meetings in small and medium size towns and cities. All other meeting industry suppliers may subscribe by sending a check for $39 for one year to: Small Market Meetings, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (866) 356-5128 (toll-free) or (859) 253-0503. Fax: (859) 253-0499. Copyright SMALL MARKET MEETINGS, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

REGULAR READING

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he internet is a rich resource for meeting planners. Want to avoid triggering food allergies as you design menus for your next convention, learn about new tech tools or read more about how crowdsourcing can enrich meeting content?

There are websites and blogs for all that and more. Here are some great meetings industry sites that should be on every planner’s reading list.

Everyone Eats: Whetting Appetites for Inclusive Meals

Tracy Stuckrath of Thrive Meetings and Events — thrivemeetings.com — started her business 10 years ago “to make sure everyone with dietary needs had something to eat when they attended events.” In her newsletter and blog, she explores issues that might otherwise go ignored, like how nuts show up in unexpected places like wine that’s been aged in nut barrels or liqueurs with nut flavor enhancers. In her Drynuary post at the top of 2020, Stuckrath points out that even though alcohol is considered somewhat or very important to some three-quarters of meeting planners in a recent survey, more thought needs to be given to those who don’t drink or who might be battling dependency issues. She shares links to a previous post about how to make beverages more inclusive.

Stuckrath has big plans for this year; she is launching a podcast and a weekly video Q&A, and she just revamped her website.

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These blogs and websites should be on every meeting planner’s radar

Broad Strokes: All-Around Experts Offer Advice

Adrian Segar just hit the decade mark on his blog and business. He’s well known for his Conferences That Work blog, inspired by his book of the same name. Nearly every list of top meetings industry bloggers includes Segar. He writes about planning events that are relevant and memorable — not easy to accomplish, but Segar is generous with ideas and strategies. His blog topics are a mix: In one, he explores how to get science conferences out of their antiquated ways; another points to the importance of event crowdsourcing.

Velvet Chainsaw — velvetchainsaw.com — is another site that offers good, general guidance.

The consulting firm says it is out to raise the bar on face-to-face meetings, and its blogs, written by managing director Dave Lutz, cover a lot of evergreen issues. In the recent article “Top Tips for Preparing Speakers,” Lutz discusses how to use calls with speakers to delve deeper into expectations in terms of their presentation’s focus and purpose and ways to make their content more relevant and engaging for your audience.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Tech Talk: Gurus Dig in to Innovations

Going Greener: Sustainability in the Spotlight

Growing awareness of climate change issues will no doubt put a greater emphasis on sustainable meetings in coming years. For information about green meetings, there’s no better source than Meet Green — meetgreen.com. Meet Green works with organizations to integrate sustainable practices into their conventions and meetings. In addition to blog posts about sustainable holiday practices or ways that being more sustainable saves money, the blog includes a monthly MeetGreenChat where meeting professionals discuss how they’re planning more sustainable dinners or how weather issues tied to climate change have affected their meetings and events.

The Events Industry Council’s website also has a selection of articles and resources on sustainability — insights.eventscouncil.org/sustainability — including a how-to guide on shrinking an event’s carbon footprint.

February 2020

Corbin Ball — corbinball.com — published the last issue of his popular Tech Talk newsletter in the fall, but the rest of his business — a website, articles and speaking engagements — goes on. Ball was the original meeting and events tech guru; he started his company back in 1997. Many posts on his website are written by guest experts, and they include topics like “2019 Trade Show Trends That Exhibitors Need to Be Following to Maximize Customer Engagement,” or “Eight Effective Ways to Promote Your Event on Facebook.”

A writer who is newer to the meeting tech scene, Michelle Bruno, says her articles are unbiased, no-spin reviews of products. In one recent article posted on her site, eventtechbrief.com, Bruno explained how smart badges take the work out of networking by sending out visual signals so that people can quickly identify the people with whom they want to connect in a crowd. As they talk face to face, their badges are still at work, electronically exchanging contact information for lead tracking. Bruno also writes about event technology on her blog, Fork in the Road.

Alphabet Soup: Industry Associations Cover the Bases

Blogs and articles delivered by two major organizations for meeting professionals are worth checking out.

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) posts a blog at its main site as well as at planyourmeetings.com, an MPI effort to help support those who inadvertently land in meeting-planning roles. Although a lot of the content there is aimed at planning, such as “Five Common Event Planning Mistakes” or “15 Great Entertainment Ideas for Corporate Events,” a good number deal with personal development and workplace issues, like identifying the signs you are a workaholic or when to ask for a raise.

PCMA’s News Junkie aggregates meetings news from around the country and world, like an NBC News story about tech innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show or “Seven Hotel Trends” from hospitalitynet.org. PCMA also has downloadable industry reports, many done in partnership with hospitality giants like Marriott and Hilton.

These reports look at issues like room blocks, struggling trade shows, the future of meetings and salary issues facing event planners.

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SMALL MARKET

MEETINGS SUMMIT

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS SUMMIT OFFERS EDUCATION AND NETWORKING IN A SINGLE DAY PANAMA CITY BEACH’S PIER PARK

BAY POINT SHERATON

SHOPPING IN PANAMA CITY BEACH

Photos courtesy Visit PCB

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JOE CAPPUZZELLO

BY DAN DICKSON

he annual Small Market Meetings Conference will soon have a spin-off: a shorter, more condensed event called the Small Market Meetings Summit.

“We realize how important time is for everybody,” said Joe Cappuzzello, CEO of The Group Travel Family, the Ohio-based company that manages the Small Market Meetings Conference. “We want the meeting planners to get their marketplace meetings, education, meals and networking time done all in one day.”

And that’s what meeting planners will get if they attend the Small Market Meetings Summit scheduled for May 13-14 in Panama City Beach, Florida. The regular Small Market Meetings Conference takes place October 4-6 in French Lick, Indiana. Planners can choose to attend one gathering or the other but cannot attend both.

The new Small Market Meetings Summit will work this way: During business sessions, 25 qualified meeting planners will have appointments with “pods” of three people each; each pod will represent one of 25 different meetings destinations.

“Ideally, the trio could include a representative from the city’s convention and visitors bureau, a hotel and a conference center, or whatever combination of people the destination wants to send,” said Cappuzzello.

“All three are selling the city as a meetings destination at one time.”

There will be 25 appointments scheduled, about half in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. Instead of the usual

six-minute meetings used at the Small Market Meetings Conference, the summit will feature 12-minute sessions.

Sitting down with three destination representatives will save meeting planners time and help them get answers to many more questions.

“It will give the meeting planner a much better understanding and more information about that city and what it has to offer,” said Cappuzzello.

There will be an opening-night reception to kick off the summit, and then everything else will be completed the next day, including the speaker presentations.

“We expect to end the summit by late afternoon,” Cappuzzello said. “It is all a concentrated effort. They can go home the same day.”

Summit organizers believe there is a need for planners to be able to focus on the smaller markets where great meetings could take place.

“The theme of the conference and summit are these second- and third-tier cities,” said Cappuzzello. “Meeting planners are looking for them for company or association meetings. For example, if you meet in a smaller city like Green Bay, Wisconsin, you will be treated differently, extra specially, than you would in one of the big city destinations where you might only be a small fish in a big pond.”

Since the summit’s format is so compact, there will not be time for any large-group sightseeing in Panama City Beach. However, meeting planners can sign up for a FAM tour of the area to be held after the summit to get a more extensive look at this beach community and the Gulf Coast Panhandle region in general.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

February 2020

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MEETING LEADERS

“It’s how people know who you are — leadership is all about your relationships, and your employees will make or break you.”

MICHAEL KROUSE

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BY REBECCA TREON

ichael Krouse’s largerthan-life personality didn’t always come naturally.

“I was quite shy in high school,” said Krouse. “But once I got out there in the real world, I developed my personality and the style I’m known for.”

Krouse got his start in hospitality by driving tour buses to popular attractions around the Anaheim area, like Sea World and Disneyland.

“Because I was so good at giving tours I got promoted up to the sales and marketing department,” said Krouse, a native Angelino who has lived in Orange County since childhood.

While at first it was challenging to get his foot in the door, he eventually moved into the hotel side of the hospitality industry, where he was promoted to director of sales within six months. He went on to spend 25 years in senior sales management positions, overseeing multiple hotels and brands for companies like Hilton, where he was the regional director of sales and marketing. During his tenure, his customer service ratings consistently hit above the 95th percentile.

“For me, it’s all about service and guest experience,” he said. “I’m a unique guy, and people want to work for me because of that.”

Throughout his career, Krouse has made it a point to set an example as a leader by knowing each of the people working in his organization and some personal detail about them.

“It’s how people know who you are — leadership is all about your relationships, and your employees will make or break you,” Krouse said.

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His work at the Biltmore Hotel led him to work at the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. As senior vice president of sales and client services, he managed the meetings and convention sales, client services, research and membership departments for nine years, generating substantial gains in economic impact. During his term there, the department showed an overall net gain of $5.8 billion.

When he joined the team in Greater Ontario, Califorina, eight years ago, people were perplexed by the move from big-city Los Angeles to a small town, but Krouse switched roles to spend more time with his three adopted children.

“L.A. is massive and demanding, but Ontario presented something new,” he said.

“We worked on developing streams of funding for the CVB by making use of the arena and expanding the airport.”

In his current role, Krouse oversees the Ontario Convention Center; Toyota Arena, including food and beverage operations; and the California Welcome Center at Ontario Mills, where he directs business development, marketing and destination sales for conventions, meetings and events, and national and international visitors. He’s also the regional vice president of convention centers for ASM Global and oversees 12 convention centers and visitors bureaus.

“I’m known for being funny and direct,” said Krouse. “People know me because I’ve done the job they’re doing and will work alongside them. I’m leading by example and building leaders.”

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Michael Krouse TITLE President and CEO of the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau and Regional Vice President of Convention Centers West at ASM Global ORGANIZATION Greater Ontario CVB LOCATION Orange County, California BIRTHPLACE Los Angeles EDUCATION Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) CAREER HISTORY • 1990-2003 — Hilton Hotels Corporation • 2003-2012 — Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board • 2012-present — Greater Ontario CVB

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

THE ONTARIO CONVENTION CENTER HONORED KROUSE WITH A SIGN ON ITS MARQUEE AS PART OF A TRIBUTE CAMPAIGN. Courtesy Greater Ontario CVB

TIPS FROM

MICHAEL KROUSE • Let people be who they are. When I first started out, I had some people tell me I was too much, but if I hadn’t let my personality shine, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Don’t let people squelch who you are, because that’s what your gift is, and that’s what will make you a success.

• In a leadership role, you’re building leaders. Your employees are following your example. Hold them accountable for the duty that they have, but follow up to make sure they’re getting the additional coaching they need to be successful at the task they’re given.

Consider making your meetings in Lubbock more memorable

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• Never forget where you came from. I was promoted because I earned it, but the people I work with know I’m not above them; I’ve done their job at one point and will work alongside them.

Remember that the people doing the job are just as important as you are.

February 2020

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MANAGING

Revamping the Boring Breakout

EXPERT PLANNERS SHARE STRATEGIES TO MAKE THESE SESSIONS MORE MEANINGFUL

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BY RACHEL CARTER

o make breakout sessions better, you have to start with what makes them bad. They’re too long. The presentations are boring. There are too many of them, and too often, there’s not enough of a break between them.

Of course, that’s not always the case. There’s a time and a place and a need for the traditional-style breakout session. But there are many things planners can do to improve breakouts without breaking the budget.

HOT TOPICS

“Pull data from previous events to find out where they were, what they attended, what they liked.”

To make breakout sessions more engaging, planners should start with the topics. For ideas, ask company executives, the event committee and even past attendees what’s important and relevant to them. Planners can even track breakout attendance from a previous conference or other events to know which sessions were well attended and use that in planning future breakout topics.

But planners should think beyond the obvious industry-specific or business-only topics, said Jaime Smith, national business development director for Bartha, an event production company based in Columbus, Ohio. Ask your neighbor, the barista or the administrative assistant what’s relevant to them, what appeals to them, what concerns them, “because we’re all human,” Smith said. That could lead to topics like stress and time management, wellness and mindfulness, even grief support.

It’s also valuable to know your demographics and to take a more emotional approach to selecting topics, said Ann Luketic, who manages the execution and strategic design of Progressive Casualty Insurance Co.’s internal experiential events.

“We all have an opportunity to get education and training, but try to work in some kind of topic they’re passionate about,” she said.

Organizers should also try to save one or two breakout sessions, and select those session topics only a month or so before the event. Those “hot topic” sessions can then be dedicated to current issues — a new policy, a proposed tax, a shift in consumer behavior — that are affecting attendees MARKETING SPECIALIST and shaping the industry.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. “That way you’re not picking all your topics Experience: 25 years a year ago,” said Allison Beers, owner of Events North in Traverse City, Michigan.

Ann Luketic

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“With the topics, you’ve got to span the professional side of it as well as the personal side of it because it’s just not work-life balance — it’s all life.”

Planners can also better communicate session topics, both Luketic and Beers suggested. Write more complete descriptions or informative abstracts for each session, including the session’s goals or takeaways, and consider adding a tag about who would most benefit from the topic, such as “ideal for the budding executive.”

PEER-TO-PEER PRESENTATIONS

For general sessions and keynotes, “you want the inspirational, uplifting, motivational speaker,” Smith said. But for breakout session speakers and moderators, you want subject matter experts who are comfortable presenting or guiding a discussion.

Peer-to-peer presentations are becoming more common, and planners can often tap event attendees for those roles because they’re “the people on the ground who are doing it who can share their ups and downs,” Smith said.

Planners can also look for “industry doers” who are highly involved in an association or serve on relevant boards and committees. Watch for people engaged on social media, like those publishing interesting blogs on LinkedIn, and ask trusted resources or confidants to recommend speakers.

Beers suggested keeping a running list or business card library; if you see a dynamic speaker at one event, file the name away to tap for future meetings.

Planners can also set expectations. When putting out a call for speakers, provide a scope for each session, such as speaking for 30 minutes with 15 minutes of Q&A and providing attendees with some kind of take-home information.

“It helps the speaker know what you’re looking for,” Beers said. “Really, it will help attract the most dynamic speakers.”

And don’t be afraid to ask speakers to do more than one thing, she said.

“If they’re lecturing in the morning, maybe ask them to lead a roundtable in the afternoon or be a moderator,” she said. “They’ve invested their time; they’re already there.”

Luketic also insists that speakers provide their presentation a month ahead of time “to go over them DEVELOPMENT and make sure they’re clean and have that continuity.”

Jaime Smith NATIONAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR Bartha Experience: 19 years

February 2020

CHANGE THE SPACE Events tend to focus all their branding and budget on the entrance, the main room and

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MANAGING

the lobby, but when you get to the breakouts, “it’s this room with crammed-in tables and chairs; it’s flat,” Luketic said. “I know it’s costly, but try to make it just as exciting and engaging and visually appealing as the general session room.”

It always comes back to budget, but there are easy — and free — ways to improve both the ambiance and the experience. Create a playlist so attendees walk into a room filled with music rather than silence. Something as simple as bowls of M&Ms on the tables or a topic-related bingo game can get people interacting.

Changing the furniture to include beanbags or yoga balls can have a big effect, but even getting rid of the rounds and opting for a roundtable or campfire-style setup will enhance the dynamic.

Smith pointed to the Indiana Society of Association Executives’ annual meeting, where they recently started offering Peer-to-Peer Learning Labs. In a larger breakout room, chairs are arranged in smaller circles, each with a different topic and a moderator.

“When you walk in, you can choose your topic but then leave the session with notes on the other topics,” Smith said.

Instead of 16 small breakouts, she has also seen clients do five sessions that are more like “small keynotes,” each in a larger room with more ambiance and more audiovisual, like microphones or a Catchbox for Q&A. “It’s still a larger to-do, and there’s a cost to that, but it’s a unique way to change up the usual approach,” Smith said.

“Part of what keeps the best speakers coming to you is helping guide speakers about what you want. When you put out a call to speakers, ask them for their four outcomes. What will attendees walk away with?

What will they have a better understanding of?”

MAKE IT MEANINGFUL People who already do something are always excited to share it to help others, Smith said. That applies to choosing speakers and moderators who are enveloped in the topic, but also people who are willing to help with postsession follow-up so ideas don’t fall through the cracks.

Some speakers will give attendees a takeaway, like a summary sheet or a list of tips and tricks, or will send them the presentation by email. Planners can ask for speakers to provide that follow-up and can even formalize it in their contracts.

By being consistent in asking for that from every speaker, a planner can then corral the breakout session presentations, videos and notes after the conference and upload them to the event website, where attendees can access the information.

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Allison Beers OWNER

Events North Experience: 20 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

IDEAS

Courtesy Eagan CVB

GAME ON! Sports venues offer an exciting change of pace for meeting groups

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BY RACHEL CARTER

ou don’t have to be a professional athlete to take care of business on the playing field.

When planners choose sports venues and facilities for meetings and events, sports-related or not, “you get to use a venue in a different way than what it was made for, and you get to give attendees an experience they don’t get very often,” said Sue Hollenbeck, director of sports business for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Instead of sitting in the stands, attendees are on the arena floor for a banquet or on the stadium field for a reception. They can gather in high-end club

February 2020

lounges or repurposed locker rooms, take in sweeping views from high-up event spaces and even take a few swings in batting cages.

Plus, gathering in a sports facility gives planners the opportunity to incorporate experiences they couldn’t in a ballroom: whitewater rafting, driving on a racetrack or playing kickball on a baseball diamond.

Here are five cities where planners can take advantage of great sports venues for meetings and events.

Above: Meeting groups can hold events at Viking Lakes, the new Minnesota Vikings practice facility in Eagan.

EAGAN, MINNESOTA

U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is where the Minnesota Vikings play, but one could say that the city of Eagan 30 miles southeast is the team’s true home.

In Eagan, Viking Lakes is a multiuse development that is the headquarters and practice home for the Minnesota Vikings Football Club. The campus is anchored by the new 5,500-fixed-seat, multipurpose TCO Stadium, the TCO Performance Center and the Vikings Museum, and it will soon welcome the 320-room Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, slated to open this fall with 35,000 square feet of function space.

At TCO Stadium, groups can use the in-stadium patio or concourse deck, the kids’ field and the stadium plaza, which has artificial turf and can be set up

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IDEAS for events, said Kathy O’Connell, sales director for the Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Additional areas outside the stadium, such as the STEM Building Patio and Owner’s Deck, can be used for events.

At the Training Haus, a sports performance facility at Viking Lakes, a 50-person multipurpose meeting room overlooks the plaza, and an indoor turf area is available for private events, such as social hours or teambuilding, for 150 people. The center’s outdoor deck is also available for up to 75 guests.

“What’s really cool is some groups can actually learn a sport with some of the athletes.”

— Chelsy Offutt, Visit Colorado Springs

In October, the owners of the Vikings debuted their new e-sports franchise, the Minnesota Røkkr, which will be based in the STEM building at Viking Lakes. Team backers are constructing a nearly 11,000-square-foot headquarters and training facility, set to open in January. eaganmn.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

There are only three Olympic training centers in the U.S., and one is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center is one of the city’s marquee attractions, but with more than 10 meeting rooms and 65,000 square feet of meeting space, it also serves as an unforgettable meeting venue.

Groups can gather for banquets or receptions in a training gym with or without Olympic athletes practicing in the background. Organizers can schedule VIP tours, have an Olympian or a Paralympian give a presentation or join groups for lunch, or arrange for an athlete to provide a gymnastics, weightlifting or wrestling demonstration.

“What’s really cool is some groups can actually learn a sport with some of the athletes,” such as fenc-

Courtesy VisitCOS.com

Courtesy OKC CVB

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Courtesy OKC CVB

Clockwise from left: Oklahoma City’s Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark; Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs; rowing in Oklahoma City’s Boathouse District

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ing or wheelchair basketball, said Chelsy Offutt, director of communications for Visit Colorado Springs.

At UCHealth Park baseball stadium, groups can hold events on the field, use the 250-person banquet hall that overlooks the stadium or book the five-level, 500-person outdoor picnic terrace that’s on the first-base line, directly above the bullpen.

Pikes Peak International Raceway offers a variety of spaces, including classrooms and banquet facilities for more than 200, as well as over 15,000 square feet of enclosed garages. During a variety of driving experiences, attendees can compete head-to-head, race the clock and even ride along with a professional driver.

A new multipurpose downtown soccer stadium and Colorado College’s Robson Arena are both slated to open in 2021. visitcos.com

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City is synonymous with cowboys and rodeos and — rowing? In the Boathouse District on the banks of the Oklahoma River, three boathouses,

A CORPORATE GROUP AT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME’S ON-SITE STADIUM

Courtesy Visit Canton

BUSINESS Meets Adventure Where

WWW.VISITHENDERSON.COM 877.775.5252

February W W W . V 2020 ISITHENDERSON.COM

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IDEAS

a finish line tower and the McClendon Whitewater Center all offer meeting and event space, including an outdoor patio overlooking Riversport Rapids water park. Riversport Rapids offers groups behind-thescenes tours of the USRowing National High Performance Center, an official Olympic rowing training site, as well as teambuilding activities like whitewater rafting, dragon boating or rowing, and group pricing for its zip lines and 80-foot-high aerial course.

The 15,341-seat Chesapeake Energy Arena is home to the OKC Thunder, and in addition to the venue’s smaller event spaces, groups have also used the 34,000-squarefoot arena floor for events like gala dinners.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in the city’s canal-lined Bricktown district houses the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The stadium’s concourses can be used for large gatherings, and the field has been used for banquets. Decks, plazas and a picnic area offer outdoor event space, and smaller groups can gather in club lounges and even the clubhouse, where they can hit some balls in the batting cage.

The third and final phase of the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium renovation will be completed this spring.

The project added 4,000 permanent seats, bringing the total to 9,000, and an upper deck with a concourse “that gives you this beautiful and incredible view of downtown and the state Capitol,” Hollenbeck said. visitokc.com

CANTON, OHIO

The National Football League was born during a meeting on September 17, 1920, in Canton, Ohio, at the Hupmobile showroom of Ralph Hay, owner of the hometown Bulldogs. Today, the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village in Canton is an $899 million mixed-use development that is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium that opened in 2017. The 23,000-capacity stadium boasts 28,000 square feet of event space that includes suites, a club lounge and a 50-person VIP lounge, and “even the locker rooms can be converted and utilized,” said Tonja Marshall, executive vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Canton. The Sky Level Terrace sits atop the press box and offers panoramic views of the stadium for up to 250 guests. Just above the west

A BANQUET EVENT AT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN CANTON

meet in kansas city, ks!

913.321.5800 visitkansasCitykS.com

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Courtesy Visit Canton

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end zone, five open-air terraces can accommodate groups of 50 to 265 people.

Next door, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 3,200-square-foot event center can seat 240 for banquets, and the 2,000-square-foot Gold Jacket Lounge can accommodate 140 for seated meals.

At the Hall of Fame, organizers can have a Gold Jacket — a player who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame — speak at events or do a meet-andgreet. Groups can also schedule a docent-led insiders tour or a VIP behind-the-scenes tour that provides exclusive access to archives and can be customized to showcase their home team with memorabilia, documents and photos.

In downtown, the Canton Charge NBA G League team plays at the 5,000-seat Canton Memorial Civic Center, whose arena floor can be used for banquets and concerts. visitcanton.com

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA

Florida means sun, sand and spring training.

About 15 major league baseball teams hold their spring training in the Sunshine State, and the city of Clearwater has been the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies since 1947.

The Phillies train at Spectrum Field, a 7,300-fixedseat stadium that is also home to the minor league Clearwater Threshers. The stadium has party suites, club seating, group picnic areas and a tiki hut pavilion in left field. The media room and common areas on the concourse can be used for events, and the suites’ walls open to create a larger space for bigger groups, said Mike Lockwood, assistant director of Clearwater Parks and Recreation. Groups can also use the playing field for events or gatherings.

Next door, the Carpenter Complex is the Phillies’ minor league facility; its four baseball fields and a training building are available for meetings and private events. There, the batting cage area— a large, open AstroTurf area that can be set up with tables and chairs — has served as a meeting space in the past, and groups may even be able to do some batting practice there, depending on availability.

At the Clearwater Community Sailing Center on Clearwater Bay, the Carlisle Room and veranda offer water views for up to 130 guests. visitclearwaterflorida.com

February 2020

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e M t e e M

‘DOWN EAST’ The sun sets over city hall in downtown Portland, Maine.

By James Chatmas. All photos courtesy VisitPortland.com

CITY

PORTLAND AT A GLANCE

Portland, Maine, lends New England charm to meetings and events

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BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

aine is best captured in images: whitecapped waves crashing against a craggy seacoast; stolid, lonely lighthouses flashing perpetual warnings to vessels at sea; year-round, adrenaline-pumping outdoor activities; well-built clapboard houses with huge stacks of handhewn firewood; outfitter extraordinaire L.L. Bean; and fat, rosy lobsters still steaming, ready to crack into, dip in drawn butter and melt in the mouth.

As the Pine Tree State’s largest city, Portland has all the above, plus the amenities of a cosmopolitan city with an appealing, funky vibe. Its extensive selection of award-winning restaurants has garnered this harbor town kudos from People magazine as “Top Foodie City,” and Bon Appetit named Portland its Restaurant City of the Year.

Groups can enjoy Portland’s food and iconic Maine imagery when they meet in this seacoast city.

LOCATION: Southeast Maine on Casco Bay ACCESS: Interstate 95, Portland International Jetport, Amtrak’s Downeaster, the CAT ferry HOTEL ROOMS: 6,400 CONTACT INFO: Visit Portland 207-772-4994 visitportland.com CROSS INSURANCE ARENA

BUILT: 1977, renovated 2012 EXHIBIT SPACE: 30,000 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 17 breakout rooms MEETING HOTELS

Sheraton Sable Oaks GUEST ROOMS: 226 MEETING SPACE: 12,330 square feet Holiday Inn by the Bay GUEST ROOMS: 239 MEETING SPACE: 27,010 square feet Sebasco Harbor Resort GUEST ROOMS: 133 MEETING SPACE: 10,000 square feet Westin Portland Harborview GUEST ROOMS: 289 MEETING SPACE: 16,000 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN PORTLAND

Wanderful’s Women in Travel Summit ATTENDEES: 400+ New England Veterinary Medical Association ATTENDEES: 600 National Governor’s Association ATTENDEES: 600+

February 2020

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Destination Highlights

P

erched on a peninsula that juts into island-sprinkled Casco Bay, Portland has a compact, easily strolled downtown with close-knit neighborhoods, a working waterfront, impressive old and new architecture, and intriguing boutiques and galleries galore.

Minutes from the town center, Westbrook’s Performing Arts Center can seat 1,000 in its state-of-the-art theater.

“The arts thrive here,” said Robert Witkowski, director of media relations, Visit Portland. “There’s the symphony, opera, ballet, concerts and James Beard Award-winning chefs.”

Downtown Portland claims one of the country’s most successful revitalization efforts. It’s Old Port district is a combination of quaint, old, cobblestoned New England and contemporary craft beer, artisanal coffee and top-notch restaurants.

Formerly a 19th-century shipping and railroad center in West Portland, Thompson’s Point has morphed from a rundown industrial zone into a waterfront cultural, residential and commercial hub. The Point is now Portland’s top outdoor concert venue. Ongoing development plans in the area include a 148-room boutique hotel adjacent to existing Brick South, a beautifully restored former machine shop that now serves as a 34,000-square-foot event venue.

When not in sessions, delegates can absorb Maine’s flavor with a stroll on a sandy beach, paddle canoes in a salt marsh, snap selfies while eating a lobster roll at Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth and overnight at a variety of properties.

“Portland accommodations run the gamut from sophisticated urban lodgings and elegant coastal resorts to rustic lakeside retreats and charming historic inns,” said Kate McDonough, group marketing director for Visit Portland.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

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Portland Harbor Hotel

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse

By Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld

Major Meeting Spaces

T

hough Portland’s 155,000 square feet of downtown meeting space does not include a convention center, creativity has alleviated that issue.

“Small-Town Takeovers are an innovative, fun way we can accommodate groups over 500,” said Lynn Tillotson, CEO and president of Visit Portland. “Large groups can make Portland’s Arts District their own by utilizing larger conference hotels and Cross Insurance Arena [CIA], all within walking distance of each other.”

Home to the Maine Mariners pro ice hockey team, numerous sports events and high-attendance concerts, the arena has 30,000 square feet of flexible space that includes several lounges, one for groups of up to 200, with panoramic views of downtown, the Old Port and big water; a number of suites for smaller meetings; and a 1,500-seat floor capacity.

“We don’t have a set stage so we can turn nearly every room into exactly what an individual convention needs,” said Bill O’Malley, director of marketing for CIA. The city’s largest conference hotel, Holiday Inn by the Bay, is one of several near the arena and all downtown attractions. With views of Portland Harbor and the White Mountains, the inn is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar property modernization that includes meeting rooms for 10 to 1,200 attendees.

An hour north of Portland, Sebasco Harbor Resort stretches 550 acres along Casco Bay and is pure Maine, complete with a sleep-in lighthouse. Corporate groups of up to 250 can meet in bay-view rooms, relax on a cruise or bib up for a lobster bake. Teambuilding can include an oceanfront golf scramble.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Distinctive Venues

P

ortland’s variety of off-site venues highlight the personality of southern Maine.

Victoria Mansion, circa 1860, is the finest remaining example of an Italian Villa style in America. According to the elegant building’s curator, Arlene Palmer-Schwind, its remarkable interior wall paintings make it “a time capsule of a historic house museum.” Its Carriage House Meeting Room accommodates 30.

The gorgeously contemporary Congregation Bet Ha’am is an opendoor Jewish community facility. Two meeting spaces can each seat 180 theater-style or 300 combined, plus there is a library boardroom and a relaxing garden.

Tucked into 125 pine-forested acres, Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake has offered “Down East” hospitality since 1916 in beautifully appointed lakefront cottages and lodge rooms. Its conference center features state-ofthe-art technology and a warming fireplace. Besides resortwide wireless capacity, amenities include sailing, massages and lunch on a private island via 1947 Chris Craft.

For an economical winter experience, the New England Outdoor Center has spectacular mountain and lake views, 20 on-site cabins and a 135-seat restaurant. Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing are also available.

Adventure and teambuilding challenges await near Portland at L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School in Freeport, where attendees can learn a new sport, such as fly-fishing or snowshoeing, or compete with a ropes course, archery, sporting clays, etc.

Teams can compete in cooking challenges modeled after the TV series “Chopped” at the Fyood Kitchen — pronounced “feud.” And up to 60 corporate retreaters can negotiate a ropes course, zip lining and sea kayaks at Rippleffect on Cow Island.

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

L.L. Bean

By Chris Ricardo

February 2020

AFTER HOURS

Portland Lobster Company

After the Meeting

S

ailing is a popular activity in Maine, and visiting groups have choices in focus and vessel. For instance, Odyssey Whale Watch and Nature Cruises specializes in wildlife spotting — whales in their feeding grounds, porpoises, dolphins and sea turtles — as a naturalist explains the sea life. A smaller, 16-person boat offers seal watching and a trip to mid-19th-century Fort Georges on Casco Bay. Adventurous attendees and spouses can work their abs on a Portland Paddle tour in kayaks or on stand-up paddleboards (SUPs). Options include a paddle to the fort with a bag lunch and full-moon SUP tours.

Wine Wise Events pairs up to 45 guests with a sommelier on a 74-foot windjammer that sails the bay to ogle lighthouses, islands and coastal scenery while sipping fine wines. Wine and Oyster Cruises add fresh oysters shucked right on board.

Landlubbers can stick to the company’s Spirits and Cocktails Walks onshore.

For sampling local spirits with a designated driver, the Maine Brew Bus — “Driving You to Drink Local” — offers customized private tours of southern Maine’s breweries, wineries and distilleries. A walk with the company’s historian around Portland landmarks with stops at three legendary local breweries is also available.

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TOWN

KANSAS’

’ e l p p A e l t t i ‘L

BY TOM ADKINSON

F

olks in Manhattan, Kansas, don’t mind having the word “little” attached to their city’s name: They revel in being the “Little Apple,” in lighthearted contrast to that other Manhattan in New York. A delightful connection is that writer Damon Runyan was born in Manhattan, Kansas, before gaining fame writing short stories about the characters of Broadway and New York City.

The Midwestern Manhattan bustles with 54,000 residents — plus 22,000 more when you add Kansas State University, the first Morrill Act land-grant college. Its roots are in the flood of people that came after the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened former Indian land to settlement. One notable group put down roots here when its steamboat ran aground in the shallow Kansas River. They’d come far enough.

Manhattan is in the rolling Flint Hills in the eastern third of Kansas, different from the flat-as-a-pancake perception of the state. The region shelters remnants of the 170 million acres of tallgrass prairie that once covered much of North America. It is land better suited to ranching — and noteworthy meetings — than unending acres of wheatfields. It’s in a good spot: two hours from Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas; three from Omaha, Nebraska; and less than five from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“We have a delightfully walkable city that is vibrant and friendly and affords you a great perspective on the Flint Hills,” said Karen Hibbard, director of the Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Of particular note for understanding the region, Hibbard said, is the Flint Hills Discovery Center, which has 10,000 square feet dedicated to interactive exhibits and temporary exhibitions, plus a theater whose nature film makes your heart swell. The indoor spaces and prairie-inspired outdoor plazas are popular with meeting planners.

The Manhattan Conference Center, which is expanding this year, is the primary meeting facility. By year’s end, it will have grown from slightly less than 15,000 square feet to almost 27,000 square feet. It is connected to the Hilton Garden Inn, which is increasing its room count from 135 to 175, and is across a plaza from the Flint Hills Discovery Center and two blocks from the main downtown street, Poyntz Avenue.

“The Big Apple has a lot going for it, but the Little Apple has many of the same offerings, just on a smaller scale,” Hibbard said with a smile.

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TALLGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE

By Tom Adkinson

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Meeting Space

The big show in town is the Manhattan Conference Center, built in 2011 and expanding to almost 27,000 square feet later this year. It connects to the Hilton Garden Inn, which has 135 rooms and is adding 40 later this year.

Nearby are a Fairfield Inn, a Holiday Inn Express and a Candlewood Suites, for a total of 257 more rooms. Other meeting prospects include the Four Points

by Sheraton, with 197 rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space; the Holiday Inn at the Campus, with 113 rooms and 9,000 square feet of meeting space; and an upcoming Courtyard by Marriott in Aggieville, the restaurant/ bar/shopping district next to Kansas State University. More options are the K-State Student Union, especially in summer, and the K-State Alumni Center, which has banquet space for 450.

A GROUP HOLDS A RECEPTION IN ONE OF THE GALLERIES AT THE FLINT HILLS DISCOVERY CENTER.

MANHATTAN KANSAS

Courtesy Manhattan CVB

Getaways

By far, the Flint Hills Discovery Center is the most extensive spot for an off-site event. Its permanent and temporary exhibits provide interesting diversions while educating attendees about the Flint Hills, and it has multiple indoor and outdoor venues. A bonus: It’s an easy walk from multiple hotels.

Liquid Art Winery, which opened in 2016 and now offers 16 wines, has a hilltop location that provides panoramic views of Manhattan and the Flint Hills. The 1882-vintage Wareham Opera House can seat 550 for a presentation or 250 for a banquet, and the Columbian Theatre Museum and Art Center in nearby Wamego has six rare murals from the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and is available for rentals. Wamego’s Oz Museum displays the largest private collection of “Wizard of Oz” artifacts.

FLINT HILLS DISCOVERY CENTER

LOCATION

Northeast Kansas in the Flint Hills

ACCESS

Interstate 70, about 120 miles west of Kansas City, Kansas; Manhattan Regional Airport

HOTEL ROOMS 1,237

OFF-SITE VENUES

Flint Hills Discovery Center, Liquid Art Winery, Columbian Theatre Museum and Art Center

CONTACT INFO

Visit Manhattan 785-776-8829 visitmanhattanks.org

By Tom Adkinson

February 2020

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TOWN

n a t t a h Man

After-Meeting Destinations

The area’s marquee attraction — the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, a National Park Service/Nature Conservancy partnership — is an hour’s drive south. Visit to get a deep understanding of what America’s interior was once like, a sea of grass from Kansas to Indiana and from Texas to Canada.

Only 4% of 170,000 million acres remain as pure tallgrass prairie, mostly in the Flint Hills, and this spot protects and interprets about 11,000 acres.

Heading west, your target should be the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. A 14-month museum renovation was completed in mid-2019. This lovely campus also includes a visitor center, Eisenhower’s boyhood home and a statue of the only five-star general to become president. Before Abilene, consider stopping at Fort Riley for the museums of the 1st Infantry Division and the U.S. Cavalry; a two-year renovation of both museums is scheduled for mid-2020 completion. A cultural stop past Abilene is Lindsborg, called Little Sweden because of significant Swedish settlement in the 1800s. A third of today’s residents claim Swedish descent.

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EISENHOWER’S BOYHOOD HOME

EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

By H3 Photography

Photos by Tom Adkinson

SmallMarketMeetings May.qxp_Layout 1 1/21/20 8:38 AM Page 1

Manhaan MEET IN

Manhattan exceeds your expectations.

• Unique dining

• Exceptional meeting venues

• Walkable meeting destinations • Conference Center expansion

Oh Manhaan !

VISITMANHATTANKS.ORG

February 2020

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HOTEL

Michigan Grand

A

BY KRISTY ALPERT

fternoons at the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island don’t look too terribly different than they did when it first opened in the late 1800s. Men and women still arrive by horse-drawn carriage while the Grand Hotel Orchestra serenades groups dancing in the halls indoors. Soon diners will be dressing in their finest before feasting on decadent prime rib and roast chicken dinners and, later, retiring to the 660-foot grand front porch, the world’s largest, to sit in rocking chairs and watch the sun set below Lake Huron.

The hotel is on Mackinac Island off the coast of northern Michigan in the Straits of Mackinac. The only way to reach the island is by ferry from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, or by a charter or private aircraft. Once on the island, life slows to a stroll; streets there are used as sidewalks for walkers, bicyclers and even horse-drawn carriages, since motorized vehicles are not allowed on the island.

Guests of the hotel can either walk the short distance from the ferry docks to the Grand Hotel or hail a horse-drawn taxi for a nominal fee while their bags are transported from the ferry.

To call the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island an icon would be an understatement. The property has played host to five U.S. presidents over the years and has provided a stage for Mark Twain and performers like Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Lou Rawls and Madonna to entertain guests of the hotel. The hotel, first opened in 1887 as a summer retreat, is a National Historic Landmark, and it will be celebrating its 134th season this year from May 1 through November 2. Owned and operated by the same family for three generations, the Grand Hotel has managed to retain its Old World charm and white glove hospitality while still providing its guests with the most modern amenities and offerings.

The Wi-Fi is free and fast throughout the historic property, where more than 22,000 square feet of meeting space provides ample room for meeting groups and visitors looking to gather and celebrate within this 397-room hotel.

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BRIGHTON PAVILION AT THE GRAND HOTEL

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M E E T I N G S PAC E S There are more than 20 venue options at the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island, and most of the meeting rooms and public spaces are offered free of charge when the entire group is staying at the hotel.

The most popular options are the Theatre, which holds up to 1,000 guests; the Grand Pavilion, for up to 450 guests; the Terrace Room and the Brighton Pavilion, for up to 350 guests each; the Headquarters of the Capitol Club, for up to 100 guests; the Gerald R. Ford Conference Room and the Straits of Mackinac, for up to 50 guests each; and the Honorable Frank J. Kelley Conference Room, for up to 14 guests.

Many of the restaurants are available to rent, as are the East and West Front Porch, which can each accommodate up to 500 guests.

C AT E R I N G Most guests of the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island will enjoy the benefits of the Modified American Plan that includes a full breakfast and dinner daily, or the Full American Plan, which also includes a Grand Luncheon Buffet. Meeting and event guests will be treated to the exceptional menus from the hotel’s catering team. Catering options include the popular hourlong Grand Cocktail Reception with premium beverages and cold and hot hors d’oeuvres, but personal convention managers can help arrange any number of private dining experiences, from cookouts to afternoon tea service. Don’t leave without trying the hotel’s famous Grand Pecan Balls; more than 60,000 are consumed each season.

EXTRAS THE GRAND HOTEL ON MACKINAC ISLAND FEATURES THE WORLD'S LONGEST FRONT PORCH.

HOTEL FACTS LOCATION

Mackinac Island, Michigan

SIZE

397 rooms

MEETING SPACE

More than 22,000 square feet

ACCESS

Accessible only by a ferry from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace or by a charter or private aircraft

CONTACT INFO Photos courtesy The Grand Hotel

February 2020

906-847-3331 grandhotel.com

When hosting a meeting, the Grand Hotel offers many complimentary amenities for groups, including meeting and function space, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, audiovisual, Wi-Fi, music for private dinner banquets and a personal convention manager to help with all the details. Groups can select from a range of musical services, floral arrangements, welcome amenities for guests and even customizable turn-down services. Babysitting is offered in-room for hotel guests at $20 per hour, and the personal convention manager will help groups arrange transportation to and from the hotel and will help organize everything from group outings to on-site activities.

BEFORE AND AFTER No two of the 397 guest rooms are the same at the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island, where individuality extends from the rooms to the activities offered on-site. Guests can take carriage rides between the front nine and back nine at the Jewel Golf Course, or play a round of pickleball, visit the stables, take a carriage tour around the island and swim in the pool before or after meetings. The personal convention manager can also arrange customized experiences, such as history talks by resident historian Bob Tagatz, private boat tours, walking tours and movie-themed tours to see where scenes from “Somewhere in Time” and “This Time for Keeps” were filmed.

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VENUE

JANESVILLE’S ROTARY BOTANICAL GARDENS FEATURE 26 GARDEN STYLES ON 20 ACRES.

A LEGACY IN BLOOM

A

s visitors stroll along a zig-zagging bridge in the Japanese gardens at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin, the calm waters below reflect more than just the vibrant colors of the award-winning landscaping; they provide a simple yet symbolic tool that encourages visitors to reflect on their own paths as they journey through life.

With more than 20 acres containing 26 different garden styles, each teeming with growth and thriving in the continental Wisconsin climate, it’s hard to imagine that roughly three decades ago, the grounds were once filled with nothing more than sand and gravel. In 1988, this plot was covered in debris and used as storage for the Janesville Parks Department. It wasn’t until Robert Yahr, a retired orthodontist, took interest in the land that the roots of what would become the Rotary Botanical Gardens began to form.

With the help of the two Rotary Clubs in Janesville, countless volunteers and generous support and donations from locals, the Rotary Botanical Gardens opened to the public in 1991. More than 800 truck-

30

BY KRISTY ALPERT

loads of topsoil were hauled in to provide a fertile environment for the gardens to grow, and since its inception, the garden has nearly doubled in size and won countless awards for landscape design.

More than 100,000 visitors make their way through the gardens each year, where beautiful backdrops inspire memorable moments. Along with countless outdoor spaces — groups can rent out the entire 20 acres if they choose — the Rotary Botanical Gardens offers an indoor atrium for receptions and a large indoor meeting space that can be divided into four individual venues for meetings and small events. The garden regularly plays host to business meetings, retirement parties, training sessions, banquets, memorials, holiday parties and more. The serene setting provides a peaceful and beautiful place to gather while inspiring teambuilding and creativity among meeting and event attendees.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

M E E T I N G S PA C E S

A GAZEBO AND JAPANESE BRIDGE

The Rotary Botanical Gardens features one large space that can be divided into four smaller meeting rooms. The large room can seat up to 200 guests for banquets or more in a theater-style configuration. The venue also offers a large Atrium that is available for presentations, buffets, receptions and even expo-style

displays. Other options include a small boardroom with seating for 10 guests and two educational rooms for children’s events and gardening projects. Events can also take place among the 20 acres and 26 distinctive gardens, where the Sunken Garden, the Rose Garden and the Gazebo can each seat 250 people.

C AT E R I N G The events team at the Rotary Botanical Gardens provides a list of recommended caterers, but groups can select their own providing they comply with the garden’s local health department guidelines. Alcohol is available and offered solely by the licensed bartending staff at the Rotary Botanical Gardens.

The staff is equipped to offer beer, wine and hard liquor from the standard bar and can special order specific products and labels on request. Guests can enjoy their alcoholic drinks on the patio during events and even in the fenced-in gardens when they are reserved for a private event.

AFTER EVENTS All photos courtesy Rotary Botanical Gardens

V E N U E FA C T S THE GARDENS ENTRANCE

ROTARY BOTANICAL GARDENS

Meeting and events guests are given complimentary access to the full 20 acres and 26 distinctive gardens, but the garden team will also work with groups to provide entertainment of their choice during the rental period. The sky is the limit when it comes to finding ways to entertain guests at the gardens so long as nothing compromises the integrity

of the gardens. Before or after events, guests are free to tour the Gift Gallery, which acts as an art gallery of sorts, and features work by Marsha Mood. Mood’s photography spans the seasons at the Rotary Botanical Gardens and makes a great keepsake for guests to remember their garden experience long after returning home.

LOCATION

Janesville, Wisconsin

TYPE OF VENUE

EXTRAS

Off-site, botanical gardens

CAPACITY

More than 7,000 guests

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS Cobblestone Hotel and Suites, Janesville

CONTACT INFO

608-752-3885 rotarybotanicalgardens.org

February 2020

The events team at the Rotary Botanical Gardens will work with planners to customize layouts based on the group’s needs, offering options for handicapped-accessible meetings and events. Groups will have access to the garden’s sound systems and wireless microphones, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, projection screens, LCD projectors, dry

erase boards, flip charts and easels. Restroom facilities are conveniently located throughout the property, and guests booking the atrium will have access to breathtaking views of the gardens while enjoying use of the coatroom and gift shop. Groups will need to contract with a rental service to arrange for chairs, podiums and tables in the outdoor spaces.

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LITTLE ROCK’S RIVER MARKET DISTRICT HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF A DRAMATIC DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE.

I

Meetdieng Gui

The South, however, is graced by destinations that provide singular downtown amenities sure to keep meeting attendees engaged and energized. From little to large, here are a few of the region’s most unusual city centers.

The state capital of Little Rock, Arkansas, is blessed with a downtown district that is booming, according to Gina Gemberling, Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau vice president of sales and services.

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Courtesy Little Rock CVB

BY JILL GLEESON

t isn’t always easy to find city centers suitable for hosting meetings. After all, small towns sometimes lack the resources groups want, and the business districts of larger municipalities can feel like a concrete desert, with more office buildings than charm.

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

Downtown Down South

“The energy downtown is very much at a high,” she said, “with our hotel occupancy up tremendously. There are many factors that play into that, including the area’s infrastructure, with the Robinson Center, the DoubleTree and the Marriott located along the riverfront.

We also have the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden right outside the Marriott and the Statehouse Convention Center, along with Riverfront Park, which is a city park that wraps all the way down to the River Market District.”

If it sounds like an embarrassment of riches for a city of less than 200,000, these attractions are only part of downtown Little Rock’s appeal to small and midsize meetings. The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park boasts a stellar museum and a well-regarded restaurant, 42, overlooking the Arkansas River. It’s connected via a complimentary streetcar to the bustling River Market District that Gemberling says “offers everything from the duelling piano bars to ice cream shops, boutique shopping and souvenir shops.”

Little Rock offers plenty of other unique off-site venues for receptions and meals, like Heifer International. A global nonprofit working to end poverty, the organization hosts private gatherings at its urban farm and headquarters, and River Market’s Ottenheimer Market Hall

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

and the outdoor pavilions behind it can be rented for functions.

The downtown’s graceful pedestrian bridges can even be reserved for group gatherings. littlerockmeetings.com

A GROUP ACTIVITY AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN HAMPTON

HAMPTON, GEORGIA

With a population of less than 8,000, Hampton, Georgia, in Henry County, benefits from its proximity to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, less than a mile away. It boasts a wealth of distinctive conference facilities, like Club One, a 26,000-square-foot luxury venue high above the infield, as well as opportunities for adventures including a track tour, a NASCAR driving experience or a ride-along. Across from the track, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation hosts events in its hangar and books thrilling rides in the organization’s restored combat helicopters.

But meetings don’t have to leave Hampton’s Main Street to find charm, according to Laura Luker, Henry County Convention and Visitors Bureau director of tourism.

“It’s such a cute, vibrant downtown, with a really good mix of shops, restaurants and things to do, all in maybe three blocks,” she said. “It’s a really interesting, eclectic and artistic community.”

The town’s appeal has brought Hollywood calling — everyone’s favorite television show about zombies was filmed there, and the Walkin’ Dead Hampton Tour offers a fun look at the series’ downtown shooting sites. The business district provides good locations for receptions and meetings, too, thanks to Jailhouse Brewing Company’s new space, the Watchtower, which holds about 60 people. Hampton’s historic train depot, built in 1881, can also be rented for events. hamptonga.gov

Courtesy Atlanta Speedway

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA

Abingdon, Virginia, has much to recommend it, including more than 35 independently owned restaurants that are so good this county seat was voted as the country’s best small-town food scene by USA Today readers. With roots dating back to the mid1700s, Abingdon, which sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, is wonderfully historic, too. Downtown spots like the Tavern Restaurant, located in a building erected in 1779, and the Martha Washington Inn and Spa, once a Civil War hospital, give planners plenty of options for receptions and events.

Exceptional outdoor venues include the open-air Abingdon Farmers Market building and the Muster Grounds, where patriot militia gathered during the Revolutionary War and reenactments still take place. In the town center, the beautiful Barter Theatre, the nation’s oldest professional Equity stage, presents live entertainment and can also be booked for functions.

Meeting attendees who want to take in the fresh air and sunshine will be happy to find the trailhead for the celebrated 34.3mile Virginia Creeper Trail in Abingdon.

ABINGDON’S MARTHA WASHINGTON INN & SPA

By Sam Dean, courtesy Abingdon CVB

February 2020

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Meetieng Guid A DOUBLE-DECKER BUS TOUR OF OXFORD

“Groups can rent bikes in town and hire guides, too” said Monica Hall, Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau’s group sales manager. “We’ve got wonderful shopping and dining downtown, with a connection to the outdoors right there. It’s very special.” visitabingdonvirginia.com

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI

Courtesy Visit Oxford MS

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Even if Oxford, Mississippi, offered only its now-legendary culinary scene, which includes James Beard Award-winning chefs John Currence and Vishwesh Bhatt, it would make a great spot for meetings. But the town’s walkability is attractive, too, said Visit Oxford executive director Kinney Ferris.

“We’ve got three hotels that are really close to downtown, so you can park and walk to a wonderful restaurant or a fun place to shop,” she said. “You can also browse art in the galleries around the Square, and there’s great musical acts that come through because of the university.”

The University of Mississippi is home to Rowan Oak, Nobel Prize-winning writer William Faulkner’s estate, which is open for tours. Meeting planners can also charter a double-decker bus from the CVB for a guided look at Oxford and arrange for a reception or meal at James Beard Award nominee St. Leo, or the restaurant’s new lounge. With a well-designed lobby and a lovely rooftop bar, the Graduate Oxford hotel is a festive event site, as is the Grove, Ole Miss’ heralded 10-acre tailgating area.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Ferris said planners should be sure to leave time for their group to indulge in one of Oxford’s favorite pastimes.

“Get a seat on one of the balconies on the Square and have a drink, or a coffee at Square Books,” she said. “We do run at a slower pace, so that gives you an opportunity to just relax and take in the culture.” visitoxfordms.com

FLORENCE, ALABAMA

Part of an area known as the Shoals, the little town of Florence, Alabama, has been making some big noise, and that’s aside from the sound coming from the legendary recording studios surrounding it. That’s because, though the neighboring sites where everyone from the Rolling Stones to Aretha Franklin recorded are a tourist magnet, downtown Florence is a worthwhile destination on its own. Anchored by clothing designer Billy Reid’s flagship boutique and now boasting chef John Currence’s Big Bad Breakfast, Florence is one happening spot.

That’s probably thanks, at least in some measure, to its historic allure.

“Instead of tearing down these old buildings, people have been renovating them to create a kind of story within a story,” said Florence-Lauderdale tourism manager Randa Hovater. “The restaurant Odette used to be a shoe store, and we’ve got a jewelry store in what was an old bank — even Trowbridge’s has been downtown for 101 years now. There’s something really beautiful about that.”

Trowbridge’s is worth a visit for its orange-pineapple ice cream alone; live entertainment is on the bill at the historic Shoals Theatre; and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House is open for tours. Meanwhile, planners will want to check out the sleek and stylish Stricklin and GunRunner hotels, which offer boutique event spaces and accommodations. visitflorenceal.com

“Nack-A-Tish”

COCKTAILS AT ODETTE IN FLORENCE

• State of the art meeting facilities • National chain and independent hotels • Distinctive dining and unique shopping

By Chris Granger, courtesy Florence-Lauderdale Tourism

February 2020

800-259-1714 • www.Natchitoches.com 35

THE SANDERLING RESORT NEAR NAGS HEAD SITS ON SOME OF THE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF COASTLINE IN THE OUTER BANKS.

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Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy OuterBanks.org

BY JILL GLEESON

hether it’s the sea kissing sandy shores or a mighty river surging along bucolic banks, the water calls to us. Perhaps it’s because so much of our bodies is made up of water, or maybe it’s the opportunity for fun water affords in it and above it. Whatever the reason, water can soothe, inspire and energize, making a waterside locale a great place to host a meeting.

Nowhere is that truer than in the South, where warm temperatures and bright sunshine combine to make Adam’s ale even more appealing. When planning your next event, you might want to treat your attendees with a meeting in one of these waterfront cities.

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Meet on Southern Shores

NAGS HEAD, NORTH CAROLINA

With 12 miles of oceanfront and loads more shoreline mere minutes away, Nags Head, North Carolina, makes a spectacular setting for meetings.

“You have access to more than a hundred miles of beaches across four islands,” said Aaron Tuell, public relations manager for the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. “There are three national park sites and several other wildlife refuges and state parks that surround the Outer Banks villages, preserving the splendor and providing for recreation in the pristine coastal environment that’ll be the setting for your small to midsize gathering.”

If groups can tear themselves away from the sand and surf, the Outer Banks is filled with fantastic meeting venues. The luxe Sanderling Resort offers a wide variety of spaces, like the just-renovated Event House, with first- and second-floor facilities and an oceanside event lawn. In Nags Head, the Haven on the Banks, opening this year, will feature an event center that can seat 180 and cottage lodging.

As befitting such an iconic seaside destination, there are abundant ways to enjoy the water in Nags Head, including dolphin-watching

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tours and fishing from Jennette’s Pier. Instruction and gear are available for groups at the pier, and there’s a 3,500-square-foot banquet room there, too. Slightly further afield, attendees can grab some wheels from Outer Banks Jeep Rentals and take a spin on Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which borders Nags Head. outerbanks.org

RICHMOND’S RIVERFRONT CANAL WALK

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

For meeting attendees who love adventure, Richmond, Virginia, offers what no other Southern city can: Class IV whitewater right in the middle of town. The fast-flowing James River runs through Virginia’s capital, and companies like Riverside Outfitters can create customized group rafting tours as well as paddleboarding, kayaking and tubing trips. Meanwhile, history buffs will want to climb aboard a narrated cruise of Kanawha Canal, which was designed by George Washington, or visit the American Civil War Museum. Located along the riverfront, it’s available for receptions and small meetings.

“There are a lot of options here for a wide variety of people,” said Richmond region tourism director of convention and sports services Matt Robinette. “You could be the adventure traveler, the history traveler or the sophisticated traveler who’s looking for that luxury experience."

Speaking of luxury, Richmond’s opulent gem, the Jefferson, boasts 26,000 square feet for conferences in locations like the Rotunda. The Quirk Hotel specializes in smaller events, with 3,000 square feet of sleek, modern space, including a rooftop venue.

The Greater Richmond Convention Center is another option, with 36 meeting rooms in 80,000 square feet of meeting space. meetrichmondva.com

Courtesy Richmond Region Tourism

BILOXI LIGHTHOUSE

BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI

With a diverse assortment of conference spaces as well as opportunities for water adventures from mild to wild, Biloxi, Mississippi, on the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the South’s best for meetings, according to Milton Segarra, CEO of Coastal Mississippi.

“Meeting planners will discover a unique, versatile region with the perfect combination of amenities and activities to suit all needs,” he said, “along with a dedicated team of industry professionals at Coastal Mississippi who are eager to assist groups.”

Among the city’s more impressive venues is the 400,000-squarefoot Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, which offers four halls that can be combined or broken down into smaller rooms, three lobby areas and an exhibit hall. Another popular site for conferences is the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. It features three ballrooms that can be split into smaller areas, the 520-square-foot Oaks Boardroom and five other intimate spaces, for a total of 50,000 square feet.

Once the day’s work is done, Biloxi impresses with activities that get guests out on the gulf. The Biloxi Shrimping Trip takes visitors on an exciting and educational expedition to net shrimp and other sea life, and the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum ofBy Alex North, courtesy Coastal Mississippi

February 2020

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Meetieng Guid THE BATON ROUGE RIVERFRONT

fers sailings aboard its Biloxi oyster schooner replicas. Or attendees can board the Betsy Ann sternwheel paddleboat for a two-hour cruise through the Mississippi Sound and Back Bay. gulfcoast.org

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Bayou State’s energetic capital, benefits from its spectacular location on the banks of the mighty Mississippi, but that’s not all it offers meetings, according to Courtney Taylor, director of destination experience for Visit Baton Rouge.

“Here, your attendees will find an abundance of vibrant music, cuisine, collegiate spirit, history and culture,” she said. “Baton Rouge offers a walkable downtown with over 9,000 hotel rooms in the city, as well as over 225,000 square feet of meeting space and various opportunities for dining and attractions.”

In addition to the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center’s 20,000 square feet of event space, which is spread over more than a dozen individual rooms, the city also provides a number of waterside facilities. The Estuary at the Water campus sits on the Mississippi itself, affording attendees a stunning view from its deck, and Raising Cane’s River Center on the riverfront features an exhibit hall with more than 200,000 square feet.

Whether planners are looking for an unusual site for a function, or a unique downtime activity, the USS Kidd, a World War II Destroyer docked on the Mississippi, hosts events as well as group tours. Or Courtesy gumbogood.com

As the entertainment and convention centerpiece of Charleston, the newly renovated Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center offers a modern, state-of-the-art facility for your event: 13,500 seat spectator arena, 50,000 square-feet of exhibit space, 25 meeting and conference spaces, 25,000 square-foot ballroom, and 8,000 square-foot reception area overlooking the Elk River.

200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston, WV 25301 • (304) 345-1500 • chaswvccc.com

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culture-loving attendees could visit the Shaw Center for the Arts; get a great look at the water from its rooftop restaurant, Tsunami Sushi; and then take in some of Baton Rouge’s fantastic riverside art. visitbatonrouge.com

THE BEACH CLUB AT CHARLESTON

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Located on Charleston Harbor, beloved Charleston, South Carolina, features a wide range of impressive meeting facilities, like the recently restored Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel, a more-than160-year-old beauty with 10,000 square feet of conference space, including 11 rooms. In North Charleston, the Charleston Area Convention Center Campus provides 150,000 square feet for gatherings, and the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina in Mount Pleasant offers a waterside setting and 6,000 square feet of event space.

Of course, “America’s most European city” really shines thanks to its leisure-time attractions, making it “the ideal location for small meetings because of the unique mix of history, food, shopping, arts and culture that come together in a setting that allows for year-round enjoyment of the outdoors and our beaches,” said Doug Warner, Explore Charleston’s vice president of media and innovation development.

Waterside opportunities for fun are almost unlimited in this low country city and range from taking in the marine life at the South Carolina Aquarium to touring the infamous Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began. Attendees who would like to cruise the harbor can hop aboard the Schooner Pride, a three-masted tall ship. meetcharleston.com

Courtesy Explore Charleston

Our mountains

are pleased to meet you.

Once your meetings are complete, entertainment galore among the Great Smoky Mountains await.

The many meeting facilities in Pigeon Forge provide space for groups of all sizes all of which are conveniently situated mere minutes from hundreds of family-friendly activities, including shows, Dollywood, unique dining experiences, museums and so many more ways to make work fun.

PIGEONFORGEMEETING.COM INFO@LECONTECENTER.COM

PFT002266-013_Mrr_SmallMrktMeetings_8x4.5.indd 1

February 2020

1/14/20 9:23 AM

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THE RITZ-CARLTON REYNOLDS SITS ON LAKE OCONEE IN CENTRAL GEORGIA.

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Meetdieng Gui

Signature Southern Resorts

Courtesy Reynolds Lake Oconee

BY JILL GLEESON

f there is one thing the South is known for, it’s hospitality. The region greets visitors with open arms, ice-cold sweet tea and sun-dappled verandas perfect for everything from a business rendezvous to a short snooze.

Especially wonderful for meetings, Southern resorts sit ensconced within the land’s most spectacular locales, combining congenial atmosphere with natural beauty, unusual opportunities for postwork play and high-tech conference facilities that will get guests grinning. Whether meeting planners are looking for a place where attendees can find adventure, go golfing, bring the family or simply relax in some of the prettiest places on the planet, the following resorts have got it covered.

REYNOLDS LAKE OCONEE

Greensboro, Georgia Ranging over two counties, Reynolds Lake Oconee encompasses a 19,000-acre lake, six championship golf courses and a spectacular sporting facility with clay shooting and fishing on a 40-acre pond. The community’s event spaces are just as singular, like the 6,750-square-foot Sandy Creek

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Barn, a two-centuries-old structure that’s been upgraded to host receptions, dinners and meetings. The Rock House, with a private dock and room for up to 40 within its rustic-style, 900-square-foot interior, is another popular venue at Reynolds.

Groups can choose from a variety of conventional meeting spaces and less-traditional settings as well.

“We consider every space on-property a venue, and that includes our driving ranges at times,” said Christine Plazola, director of catering and event sales for Reynolds Lake Oconee.

“You name it and we will create something with it. That’s part of the fun — you never quite know what kind of experience you’re going to have, but it’s always going to be fantastic.”

Along with golf, fishing, boating and clay shooting, Plazola and her team can customize group kayaking, yoga, canoeing, biking and hiking adventures. Or attendees can head to the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee. Thanks to an arrangement with the hotel, the community’s guests are able “to utilize their fitness center for an additional cost, or book spa appointments and have it billed back to their rooms here,” Plazola said. reynoldslakeoconee.com

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ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE

Lansing, West Virginia Perched on the edge of the New River, one of the world’s oldest tributaries, Adventures on the Gorge specializes in “leading the world outdoors,” said director of sales Robin Hildebrand. “There isn’t a single adventure resort across the nation that offers all that we do, so we’re really in the driver’s seat as far as providing a unique meeting experience. Whitewater rafting is absolutely the best teambuilding method, and we’ve also opened up our aerial ropes course at night, which makes for a great exercise following dinner. Groups have used our paintball and laser tag facilities for teambuilding, as well.”

Speaking of facilities, Adventures on the Gorge provides a number of unique meeting venues centered around the Lookout Post Conference Center. The center can accommodate 200 people or be broken down into five smaller rooms and features an event deck overlooking the New River Gorge. The resort can host parties and dinners there; Hildebrand said she’s also brought in live entertainment in the evenings for groups, adding, “we pride ourselves on customizing small group meetings.”

But the can’t-miss experience for meeting attendees at Adventures on the Gorge remains rafting with the resort’s guides on the New and Gauley rivers, both renowned for their epic whitewater.

Depending on the season, stretches of the waterways range from mild Class I to wild Class V rapids, providing a great time for everyone in the group no matter their experience or skill level. adventuresonthegorge.com

WEST VIRGINIA’S ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE

Courtesy Adventures on the Gorge

10 REASONS TO MEET ON

T H E

NORTHSHORE

Choose Your Perfect Venue:

Location, unique facilities, a full-service sales department, and customized itineraries are just a few reasons to plan your meeting on Louisiana’s Northshore. See our website for more.

NEW - Covington Firehouse

Castine Center

NEW - Madisonville Library

Trinity Banquet Hall

NEW - Middendorf’s Slidell

Fuhrmann Auditorium

NEW - The Greystone

Annadele’s Plantation

We’re conveniently located at the intersections of I-10, I-59, and I-12, one hour from Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Coast casinos.

Southern Hotel

The Harbor Center

Contact Zondra at

February 2020

800-634-9443 OR

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM/10MEET

#L A Nor t hshore

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Meetieng Guid

SOUTH SEAS ISLAND RESORT

Captiva Island, Florida It’s all about surf, sand and sun at the South Seas Island Resort, a pristine paradise in the Gulf of Mexico. During off-hours, groups can relax with paddleboarding, kayaking, biking and more. The resort’s recreation staff can also help plan a variety of teambuilding exercises, from cooking challenges to scavenger hunts, beach Olympics and even an Amazing Race experience.

But there is even more that distinguishes the resort, said Verdell Ekberg, South Sea’s director of sales and marketing.

“South Seas Island Resort is set amongst a 330-acre wildlife preserve on the tip of Captiva Island, a remote yet still easily accessible barrier island off the coast of Fort Myers [Florida],” he said. “Due to its geography, South Seas is surrounded by water on both sides and is home to 250 species of seashells and 230 species of birds. Other wildlife that call South Seas home include dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, lizards, endless species of fish and more.”

With 31,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and 471 guest rooms, South Seas can host groups as small as 10 and as large as 500. Major venues include the 5,000-square-foot Captiva Ballroom, which can be broken down into two smaller ballrooms or several salons, and an 8,000-square-foot event lawn. southseas.com

DOLLYWOOD’S DREAMMORE RESORT AND SPA

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee The DreamMore Resort and Spa offers something no other can: the welcoming warmth of Dolly Parton’s personality. There are tributes to the music legend throughout the property — a portrait here, a wallful of album covers there — as well as plenty of comfy outdoor spots inspired by “Dolly’s childhood memories of sitting on her parents’ front porch and telling stories,” said Dollywood publicist Jennifer Webb.

Parton’s love of family is reflected in DreamMore’s Camp DW, which offers activities for kids, like bedtime stories and arts and crafts. Adults will find plenty to delight them as well, including indoor and outdoor pools and a full-service spa. The resort also provides guests with complimentary transportation to and from Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country, exclusive park entry and a TimeSaver pass for expedited access to attractions.

DreamMore features conference venues for groups of 10 to 170 people, including two 2,136-square-foot spaces that can be divided into three separate rooms and a 1,465-square-foot space that divides into two separate rooms. They’re lined with terraces and floor-toceiling windows boasting, Webb said, “really beautiful views of the Smoky Mountains. It’s a very serene atmosphere.”

Among the other outdoor spaces, she said, is the Covered Barn.

“It’s centered around a cozy fire pit and provides a rustic setting.” dollywood.com

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

meeting spaces

vacation views T STATE PAR K DEG RAY LAK E RES OR

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Discover the possibilities at LodgesofArkansas.com

#ARStateParks www.smallmarketmeetings.com

LAKE BARKLEY STATE RESORT PARK LODGE

Cadiz, Kentucky Barkley Lodge, set on the banks of the serene lake from which it takes its name, is a dream come true for meeting planners that want to provide their groups with a bucolic retreat. With 120 rooms and four suites, the structure was built using post-and-beam construction, with western cedar and Douglas fir. It contains more than three acres of windows, giving guests sweeping views of the water. But for an even more rustic stay, there are nine cottages and four cabins in the park, as well as a 78-site campground.

“It’s really peaceful here,” said Ashley Johnson, Lake Barkley State Resort Park sales representative. “And it’s great for conferences — we’ve got a little over 9,000 square feet of meeting facilities. Our convention center, which is next to the lodge, can hold up to 900.”

The options for team building around outdoor adventure are almost limitless. They include guided canoeing, hiking, biking, fishing and swimming, trapshooting and playing the park’s 18-hole golf course. The marina also rents everything from jet skis to pontoon boats, “so there isn’t really anything we can’t do for groups,” Johnson said. parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/lake-barkley

A MARINA AT LAKE BARKLEY STATE RESORT PARK

Courtesy Lake Barkley State Resort Park

From speakers to sunsets, let’s plan your unforgettable event

When planning your next meeting or event, think outside of the conference room.

St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra can provide you with a one-of-a-kind experience that’s guaranteed to give you and your attendees an event worth remembering. Our team of event specialists and complimentary planning services brings a personal touch that makes your event unique, stress-free, and easy to enjoy. From incredible cuisine and historical sights to world-class golf and beautiful beaches, let’s work together to create your unforgettable event.

Visit MyFloridaMeetings.com February 2020 or call 800-418-7529 ext. 2012 to learn more.

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Refrrh

your meeeng perspeccve

Ideally located on I-75, this 47,000 square foot complex has spacious and modern meeeng suites, a veranda overlooking a gorgeous cypress lake and Grand Hall that seats 650. Food and beverage service is in-house and our execuuve chef craas delighhul dining experiences. Our excepponal sta assists with menus, lodging and customized iineraries. cu

1 Meeeng Place | Valdosta GA 31601-7710 | 229.219.4405 info@valdostatourism.com | RainwaterConferenceCenter.com