Small Market Meetings January 2020

CITIES ON THE RISE | EL PASO, TEXAS | HEARTLAND MEETING GUIDE JANUARY 2020

n I g n i Plugg

IMPROVING EVENTS WITH BETTER A/V

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OUR TEAM GOES THE EXTRA MILE TO TAKE YOUR EVENT TO NEW HEIGHTS, AND OUR 300+ DAYS OF SUNSHINE MEAN THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO AFTER YOUR EVENT. COME SEE HOW EL PASO HELPS YOU GET MORE OUT OF TEXAS.

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CONTACT BROOKE UNDERWOOD: 915.534.0692 BUNDERWOOD@DESTINATIONELPASO.COM

INSIDE VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 1

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IDEAS Cities on the Rise

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CITY El Paso, Texas

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Courtesy Visit El Paso

TOWN Bellevue, Washington

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MEETING GUIDE America’s Heartland

D E PA R T M E N T S

8 INSIGHTS 10 PROFILE Show Your Stefan Attendees Some Love

Cattarin

12 MANAGING Making Sense of A/V

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.

TO ADVERTISE CALL KYLE ANDERSON 866-356-5128

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Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner

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Kelly Tyner VP, Sales & Marketing

Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner

Ashley Ricks Graphic Designer

Christine Clough Kyle Anderson Director of Advertising Sales Copy Editor

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A sheriff, a shriner, a cattleman, and an executive walk into a bar...

( There’s no punchline, we just host a lot of events. )

Kearney, where the Heartland gathers.

Every year Kearney hosts more than 1,350 events. Everything from the Shrine Bowl to conferences large and small, heck even half a million Sandhill Cranes make sure to meet in Kearney every year. You know why? Because Kearney has the best facilities between Denver and Omaha, experienced staff and wonderful volunteers that make sure every event that comes to town is taken care of.

If you’re looking for a host city for your next event make sure you look at Kearney.

WheretheHear tlandGathers.com

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JOIN US FOR A SITE VISIT IN GREATER ZION IN JUNE

H

ave you always wanted to visit the top meetings resort properties in Utah’s Greater Zion country?

Are you looking for ways to learn more about meeting possibilities in Greater Zion and have a great time doing it? Do you have a few days to see the Zion area firsthand in June? Would you like to spend a few days with the executive staff of Small Market Meetings magazine while you’re at it?

If so, we have just the opportunity for you.

The Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office is inviting up to 10 of our meeting planner readers to enjoy a four-day site inspection trip June 10-13. Qualified travel planners will be guests of the Greater Zion CTO staff and will enjoy visiting numerous resorts and attractions around the city.

The Greater Zion CTO will reimburse attendee airfare up to $400. And once participants get to Utah, all their expenses are covered.

“Join Small Market Meetings executive editor Herb Sparrow and Kyle Anderson, our direcKYLE ANDERSON tor of advertising sales, for this fun and educational site inspection trip to experience the best of Greater Zion’s meeting properties,” said publisher Mac Lacy.

“Herb and Kyle will accompany our Zion hosts on this trip and will be sharing their travel experiences with everyone in attendance.

“Herb and Kyle will be highlighting the trip in real time on social media, and Herb will write an article on this tour for publication in Small Market Meetings magazine,” said Lacy.

“Tour participants will have the opportunity to share their impressions and experiences about the Zion area with our staff and meet some wonderful hosts from the area. It’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved.”

All accommodations, sightseeing, transportation and meals are included once participants arrive in Utah.

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SITE INSPECTION ATTENDEES WILL ENJOY ST. GEORGE’S PICTURESQUE DOWNTOWN (TOP) AND WILL GET TO EXPLORE NEARBY ZION NATIONAL PARK (BOTTOM).

HERB SPARROW Photos courtesy Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office

This readership event and site inspection tour is limited to 10 qualified meeting planners. Applicants will complete a brief profile that will be used by Greater Zion CTO staff to select attendees.

To submit your profile and request a spot on this exciting trip, go to smallmarketmeetings.com/greater-zion-fam and fill out your profile online. To inquire by phone or to ask a question, call us toll-free at 866-356-5128 and ask for Kyle.

Registration for this complimentary site inspection trip in Greater Zion closes March 1, so don’t delay.

Join Herb, Kyle and the Greater Zion CTO for a wonderful trip June 10-13.

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January 2020

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WINTE R DEST INATIO NS | BOOK ING SP EAKERS | CHAM PAIGN, ILLINO IS JANU AR

Pluggin g In IMPR OV WITH ING EV BETT ENTS ER A /V

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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

SHOW YOUR ATTENDEES SOME LOVE

W

ith Valentine’s Day on the way, it’s good to think about ways to show attendees some love. An e-Valentine might be a start, but why limit your adoration to a single day in February? You can show appreciation in many ways, especially face-to-face at conferences.

These gestures will help your delegates feel valued

Make Gifts More Meaningful

Greet With Good Cheer

Tap into your inner hostess. Find ways to make people feel warmly welcomed; after all, they are probably tuckered out after a long flight or drive. Visit San Jose, the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau and other convention bureaus will supply teams of airport greeters who provide information about transportation, hotels and baggage claim and answer other questions. Take the welcome up a notch and have greeters hand new arrivals a bottle of cold water or, better yet, a branded stainless-steel water bottle — filled, of course. If the meeting’s in a sunny spot, give them a small tube of sunscreen. And don’t forget to work with the host city to hang welcome banners at the airport and around town. Conference attendees might also welcome a farewell desk in the hotel lobby to help them in case they need to store luggage, change a plane ticket or get a quick taxi ride to the airport so they won’t miss a flight.

As attendees depart, present them with a Save the Date magnet that features a photo of next year’s convention city and meeting dates.

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With everyone Marie Kondo-ing their households, it might be time to stop the swag. Instead of giving away pens, shopping bags, T-shirts and other tchotchkes, send attendees home empty-handed but full of the good cheer that comes from helping others. Try to make your charitable efforts connect to what your organization stands for. For example, if your group is concerned with environmental causes, build a forest by planting one tree for each attendee through a gift to the Arbor Day Foundation. Or give attendees the chance to designate who benefits from a gift in their honor by providing a choice of several organizations.

A religious conference could choose three local causes; for example, a group that fights hunger, a literacy program for kids and a jobs program for veterans. And, if your attendees would be crushed to go home empty-handed, be creative. How about a gift they could give to a child or grandchild? Or perhaps a local product, like candy, that would be easy for air travelers to transport and appreciated by all?

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Amp Up Networking

Make it easier for your attendees to network. After all, surveys tell us it is a top reason people attend meetings. Examine every aspect of your conference, and find ways to promote networking without adding “networking” events. Do you always seat people in rows? Try circles, where face-to-face conversations will be easier and more natural. Get people’s faces out of their phones during breaks by supplying some fun — invite a therapy dog organization to add some puppy love, or hire a local artist to do a public performance. Set up simple games like cornhole, or as the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has done for several clients, put out some puzzles or even Legos. Kalahari Resorts suggests having a gaming center that uses virtual reality or offering a sampling of local foods during break times.

Make Small Moments Special

Celebrate Your Audience’s Differences

Typically, a conference audience is a combination of new and old.

Think of ways to recognize both groups. Create some activities or events specifically for those who are attending your conference for the first time. Ask conference regulars who run, practice yoga or love coffee to invite others to join them on a run through a local park, a stretching session or a jaunt to a local coffee shop before or after the conference day. Use social media to promote small-group outings to museums, trivia nights or pub crawls. Make it fun and make it easy for newcomers to connect — if they don’t, they will be less likely to return.

And recognize those who return year after year. Have special tags made to show how many years they’ve attended. Invite these regulars to special events where they might have the ear of a speaker or give them an important supporting role, like serving as a keynote speaker’s liaison or presenting an award at a closing dinner.

January 2020

Add areas for relaxation and calm as attendees register or mill about between sessions. Contract with a company like The Active Workplace (theactiveworkplace.com), which can supply masseuses for chair massages or instructors for exercise or meditation sessions. Have a photo booth so friends and colleagues can snap a fun photo, which could also serve as their souvenir for the event. Almost every city has a photo booth vendor; check with the local CVB for ideas.

Find ways to carve out areas for casual conversation at your conference. Work with your meeting venue to create a coffeehouse, a tearoom or an ice cream parlor on-site, spots where people can savor their free moments.

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MEETING LEADERS

“Billings is learning to tell its story — and it’s just as viable and desirable as any of the other cities in the market.”

STEFAN CATTARIN

B

BY REBECCA TREON

orn in California and raised near Seattle, Stefan Cattarin never pictured himself living in small-town Montana. So when he proposed to his wife, a Billings native, he said there would have to be a clause in their marriage contract that they would never have to live there.

“But like any good Montana wife, she brought her guy home,” Cattarin said jokingly. While he makes light of his initial reluctance to live in Montana, the couple decided to move there for the quality of life Billings offers, from affordability and access to outdoor recreation to community safety and its being a great place to raise their four children.

When Cattarin and his family decided to relocate, his background wasn’t in tourism at all. He was a children’s ministry pastor at a nondenominational megachurch that held lots of events in the Seattle area. He went through a culinary arts program and worked in both front- and back-of-the-house positions.

“Moving to Billings without a job lined up was a leap of faith,” he said. “I was able to walk through that door and see what was waiting on the other side.”

Cattarin drew on his patchwork of experiences to land a position in the sales department of the Hilton Garden Inn, which, as it turned out, gave him a lot more than just sales experience. Within that space, Cattarin brought his food-and-beverage knowledge and natural gift for working with people to the meetings and events space, providing high-quality ex-

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periences to guests. His team there had what Cattarin described as “several unexpected successes” that elevated them to be one of the topranked events hotels in the country.

A new door opened when he found his position at the Billings Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We’re in an era where every destination has the ability to have leverage in the market and draw people in,” he said. “We’re selling an unfamiliar destination to grow tourism to our city and our state.”

He said when he’s talking to people considering holding a conference or other event in Billings, he’s not afraid to call out the elephant in the room: that Billings is smaller than some of the other cities event planners might be considering.

“I’ve been asked if we still use a horseand-buggy to get around and if we have Wi-Fi,” said Cattarin. “In fact, we have firstrate amenities here and unique adventure aspects that you can’t get in a big-box conference center.”

In addition to his job at the CVB and being dad to four, he serves on the advisory board for the MetraPark County Governed Event Expo and continues to be active in the children’s, men’s and marriage ministries at his church.

“Billings is learning to tell its story — and it’s just as viable and desirable as any of the other cities in the market,” Cattarin said. “I love the state. It’s a remarkable place to visit and live, and I want to be as dynamic and impactful to the community as I can.”

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Stefan Cattarin TITLE Meeting and Convention Sales Manager ORGANIZATION Visit Billings LOCATION Billings, Montana BIRTHPLACE Paradise, California EDUCATION Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) CAREER HISTORY • Children’s pastor (2002-2010) • Director of Sales, Hilton Garden Inn Billings (2010-2015) • Meeting and Convention Sales Manager, Visit Billings (2015-present)

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TIPS FROM

STEFAN CATTARIN • Montana is easier to get to than you think and has more to offer than you’d expect.

• Let CVBs help you by connecting you with the best your city has to offer.

• A simple smile or an encouraging word is more than enough to make a difference in the world today.

STEFAN CATTARIN AND HIS FAMILY ENJOY THE OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES SURROUNDING THEIR HOME IN BILLINGS.

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January 2020

11

MANAGING

A/V, Demystified

IMPROVE EVENT PRESENTATIONS — AND BUDGETS — WITH THESE STRATEGIES

L

BY RACHEL CARTER

et’s be honest: Most meeting planners aren’t comfortable with audiovisual.

“A/V is kind of like buying a used car,” said Eric Bracht, managing director of AVaStar and senior consultant, A/V operations for Maryland-based Electro-Media Design, an A/V consulting and design firm.

“You know you need it, but you don’t know much about it. You know it’s expensive, and you know the deal you get varies greatly depending on who you’re talking to.”

A/V can be a struggle for planners because they’re already dealing with a tsunami of details and because “A/V can be very confusing and very technical, and we’re not necessarily experts in it,” said Sally Mainprize, owner of Iron Peacock Events in Arlington, Texas. “It’s one of those things that if something goes wrong, it’s big when it goes wrong.”

We spoke with three A/V experts to get insights on how meeting planners can improve and streamline A/V at their events while keeping costs reasonable.

On when to seek bids: “Just wait until you have as much information as possible.

It will save a tremendous amount of stress and time and provide a great understanding of the budget.”

BEGIN NEAR THE END When it comes to A/V, some say the best place to begin is toward the end. Holding off for as long as possible to gather as much information as possible is better than forcing a request for proposal too early, said Stephen O’Connor, owner and CEO of Denver-based O’Design Productions and Consulting, which provides audiovisual productions, consulting and training.

By nailing down the itinerary, schedule, speakers and presentations, planners will have a more complete understanding of their A/V needs. It’s fine to have a couple holes in the big picture, but seeking bids too early means information gaps and unknowns, which create inefficiencies and complexities that can lead to higher costs.

O’Connor recommends having an A/V company on standby, ready for a quick turn with as much information as possible.

“The unknown is where things get confusing, frustrating and expensive,” he said. “That simple information is so important for an A/V company to be able to bid correctly.”

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Stephen O’Connor OWNER, CEO

O’Design Productions and Consulting Experience: Over 20 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

On the value of quality A/V: “It doesn’t matter if the meeting is small or if the speaker is high-level; the whole point of having people in a room is to sit, to listen, to learn, and if they can’t do those things, you’ve lost the whole point of being in the room.”

If a planner knows the sessions, sizes, strategies and speakers, it helps gauge A/V needs, Mainprize said. She tries to have A/V needs at least 90% pinned down before going to bid.

Knowing the room size and layout for a general session determines the proper size and number of screens. A campfire-style breakout may need no A/V. A session with fewer than 40 people may not need to be miked, unless the speaker is soft-spoken. Q&A means microphones for the audience, but will those be on stationary stands, or will runners need handheld mics?

“You need to understand the environment so you can understand how to get the proper A/V for the size and setting of the room,” Mainprize said.

EVERY EVENT IS CUSTOM When it comes to A/V, there is no checklist.

“You just can’t approach A/V thinking there’s a formula; there’s no formula,” O’Connor said. “It’s a custom build every single time.”

However, there are some common components. About 70% of most A/V needs are basic voice amplification and presentation setups, Bracht said.

“The business gets done in those smaller rooms where I have a presentation to show and you need to hear me,” he said.

Most speakers will have a visual presentation, which requires a screen, a projector and a laptop. Sessions with more than 60 attendees or in a room larger than 1,000 square feet need a microphone.

Larger general sessions go beyond the basics, but how far beyond depends on the event: multiple screens, staging with a podium, ambient lighting for the room, stage lighting for the presenter, even concert-style rigging.

CONTROLLING COSTS

Sally Mainprize OWNER, EVENT YODA Iron Peacock Events Experience: 23 years

January 2020

Just as there’s no formula for A/V needs, there’s no formula for A/V budgets.

“From meeting to meeting, it’s so very unique,” Mainprize said.

Some venues try to require events to use inhouse services or an exclusive provider.

“We’re not going to agree to only use in-house A/V services or to pay a penalty if we use somebody else,” Mainprize said. But she will agree to let the venue bid.

She recommends getting bids from the venue and from outside A/V providers. Once, a venue quoted her $21,000 for basic A/V for three rooms; she ended up going outside and paying $8,000.

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MANAGING

If planners have experience with their meeting, a good starting point for the budget is what they spent last time, Bracht said.

Otherwise, planners should work with a production partner, an A/V provider or somebody at the hotel to work out a budget.

Planners sometimes don’t understand the two or three or four things that have to happen to get to the one thing they want, Bracht said. If you want to have live video of the presenter showing on the screen in real time, you need a camera, and that means stage lighting, which means rigging. A consultant or an A/V partner can help planners understand those implications and help eliminate or reduce items to cut costs.

General sessions will usually require labor because lighting, staging, rigging and sound systems are almost never built in, Bracht said. To minimize costs, planners should allow ample setup and teardown time so they don’t end up paying for more crew or for overtime. Planners should also have 24-hour holds on their rooms, so they can set it and leave it.

Another expense that can surprise planners is the cost to run power because “those lighting and sound systems can’t simply be plugged into the wall,” Bracht said.

O’Connor recommends asking if the venue is a union facility and, specifically, if A/V labor is union or nonunion; hotel staff may be union, while A/V labor is not — or vice versa.

Planners should also ask the venue about when A/V staff will be available and determine when to have technicians on hand, such as during the keynote speaker or CEO’s presentation.

On handling A/V successfully: “The best way is to have some type of A/V-knowledgeable person on their team, whether that person works for them or they bring someone in, whether that’s a consultant or actual A/V production company they work with and trust.”

COMB THROUGH THE CONTRACT The contracting phase is key when it comes to A/V. Planners should carefully read the entire contract, not just the A/V section, because A/V can pop up anywhere, O’Connor said.

“It’s broken up into power and internet and loading docks,” he said. “There’s about 18 different ways a venue might charge for A/V.” Planners should carefully comb through the contract for little “Easter eggs” and clarify any vague verbiage. Recently, O’Connor saw where a venue added two words — “breakout rooms” — in a section, which would have required the event to use in-house A/V services for all breakout rooms, but “an outside A/V company won’t want to just do a general session for an event.”

Language such as “current loading dock rates will apply” means “the venue can charge you literally whatever they want to,” he said. O’Design saw one venue charge an A/V company $10,000 a day to be in the building because the contract didn’t specify pricing.

Planners are “greatly impacted by their contracts,” O’Connor said. “The contracts are the determining factor of what’s going to happen with A/V.”

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Eric Bracht SENIOR CONSULTANT, A/V OPERATIONS

Electro-Media Design Experience: Nearly 30 years

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IDEAS

Courtesy Arlington CVB

CITIES ON THE RISE The future is looking bright for these meeting destinations

A

BY RACHEL CARTER

rising tide lifts all boats, but what causes the tide to rise? Sometimes it starts with a single business that attracts other companies. Sometimes it’s investment in a new convention center or stadium.

Most times, it starts with local efforts to improve the economy.

With booming hotel development, thriving convention center expansions and brand-new attractions, these cities are on the rise as destinations, not only for businesses, tourists and residents but also for meetings and conventions.

January 2020

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

Ten years after AT&T Stadium opened, the entertainment district in Arlington, Texas, continues to grow. Across the street from the home of the Dallas Cowboys, visitors will find the Texas Live! entertainment complex; Globe Life Field, future home of the MLB’s Texas Rangers; and the Live! by Loews hotel that opened in August. Half a mile down the street is the Esports Stadium Arlington and Expo Center, which anchors the city’s convention district.

Put it all together, and “there are some great opportunities for folks to be engaged,” said Chad Enloe, vice president of sales for the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The 300-room Live! by Loews boasts 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The hotel “almost shares a back patio” with Texas Live!, a 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex with eight distinct venues, including a beer garden, private lounge spaces and a 5,000-capacity outdoor event pavilion, all available for private events.

Next door, construction is underway on the 40,000-seat Globe Life Field, a retractable-roof baseball stadium that will welcome concerts, sporting

Above: Esports Stadium Arlington has brought a steady flow of new business to this Texas Metroplex city.

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IDEAS events, conventions and meetings. The adjacent former stadium, Globe Life Park, is being reconfigured to host the XFL Dallas Renegades team.

In November 2018, the city unveiled its 100,000-square-foot dedicated Esports venue that makes up about half of the Arlington Convention Center, where up to 2,500 people can attend competitive gaming tournaments.

Though nothing has been announced, local officials expect additional hotel development in and around the entertainment district and convention campus. arlington.org

BOISE, IDAHO

When people arrive in Boise, Idaho, “they’re really surprised with all there is to do and all they can find,” said Carrie Westergard, executive director of the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Boise Centre’s multiphase expansion was completed in July 2017, taking the center from 50,000 square feet of event space to over 80,000 square feet. The expansion allows the city to welcome larger meeting and conventions, but the center’s “sweet spot” is using both spaces to host two

events at the same time.

Boise also went several years without a new hotel, but now “we’ve had four hotels built in the last three years,” Westergard said.

A Home2Suites by Hilton is slated to open late this year, and Residence Inn plans to build two hotels downtown, Westergard said. The 182room Red Lion Downtowner is also set to undergo a $10 million renovation and become a Delta

by Marriott property.

In addition to its growing food scene, Boise is gaining recognition for its burgeoning wine industry. The Telaya Wine Company overlooks the Boise River and is available for private events for 10 to 150 guests. Next door, the Riverside Hotel offers 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Coiled’s Garden City winery and its downtown tasting room are both available for events.

In downtown, groups can also walk from the convention center to the Basque Block, where they’ll find Basque restaurants, a market and a cultural museum. There, private events can close the street to feast on paella and enjoy Basque dance performances. boise.org

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, meetings hotels are undergoing a bit of a boom.

Three new downtown hotels have opened over the past year, all within walking distance of the DeVos Place Convention Center. An Embassy Suites by Hilton opened in April with 250 suites and six flexible meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 250 guests. The 130-room AC Hotel by Marriott opened in June in a restored 127-yearold building, and the 160-room Hyatt Place Hotel followed in September.

All the new hotel development has helped with peak room nights, but it has also “helped us with recognition because our inventory continues to grow,” said Mary Manier, director of sales for Experience Grand Rapids.

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The Amway Grand Plaza in downtown is wrapping up a renovation of all the guest rooms in the historic 1913 building and is now is the middle of a $40 million exterior renovation of its glass hotel tower, built in the early 1980s.

Also in downtown, construction is underway on a new Canopy by Hilton, set to open in spring or early summer with 155 guest rooms and 2,400 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is part of Studio Park, a new mixed-use development that opened a ninescreen movie theater in September and also features retail and restaurants. Crews are also building a new 13-story Marriott Residence Inn in downtown that will have 147 rooms.

“The businesses are here; now, the attractions, the hotels, the shopping are starting to catch up.”

— Jamie Koshofer, Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Meanwhile, a taskforce is examining the idea of building a publicly financed convention hotel and outdoor amphitheater and expects to issue a recommendation early this year. experiencegr.com

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

Huntsville is known as Rocket City, and the Alabama community is taking off as a meetings destination. The city is home to a NASA flight center, Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park and the FBI’s future $1 billion “second headquarters.”

“The businesses are here; now, the attractions, the hotels, the shopping are starting to catch up,” said Jamie Koshofer, vice president of conventions for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

New development means Huntsville will have several entertainment districts throughout town, with pockets of hotel rooms and unique experiences in various neighborhoods.

Courtesy Experience Grand Rapids

Courtesy Boise CVB

January 2020

Courtesy Experience Grand Rapids

Clockwise from left: vibrant downtown Boise; downtown Grand Rapids; DeVos Place Convention Center on the Grand River

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IDEAS

In downtown, the Von Braun Center is expanding, and the first phase includes the new 1,575-person-capacity Mars Music Hall, which opened January 3 with a concert by Jason Isbell. The restaurant and rooftop bar, Rhythm on Monroe, will open in February.

Future expansion plans include a new 35,000-square-foot multipurpose ballroom, 14,000 square feet of breakout space and a 15,000-squarefoot prefunction/lobby area. A hotel is planned for an empty lot across the street, though it hasn’t yet broken ground.

Across the street from Mars Music Hall, a 150-room Hampton Inn and Suites and neighboring 187-room Autograph by Marriott are slated to open in late 2021.

In the historic downtown square area, a Curio by Hilton should open at the end of the year with 117 rooms, and a new Hyatt House will have 145 rooms.

In the Town Madison development, the Rocket City Trash Pandas’ new baseball stadium, Toyota Field, will open April 15. There are plans for a Margaritaville hotel in the ballpark’s outfield, but a

Home2 Suites by Hilton is already open, and construction is starting on an 87-room Avid hotel. huntsville.org

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

The 612-room Omni Louisville Hotel opened in March 2018 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and connects to the newly renovated Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), which unveiled its $207 million renovation six months later.

And the new additions keep coming.

Two hotels opened this fall on Whiskey Row: Hotel Distil and Moxy Louisville Downtown, both Marriott properties and both down the street from the KICC and KFC Yum! Center.

Hotel Distil is a 205-room boutique property that’s all about bourbon heritage. Located on a site that once held a barrelhouse, the building incorporates an 1860s-era facade that was saved after a fire.

The hotel has 11,000 square feet of meeting space, an oak-fired steakhouse and an open-air rooftop bar with a retractable roof.

Clockwise from left: a whiskey bar at Hotel Distil in Louisville; Mars Music Hall at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center; a water feature at the Von Braun Center

Courtesy Louisville Tourism

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Though the 110-room Moxy doesn’t have any meeting space, it does have a 24/7 taco counter.

“Between the two of them, it’s 315 rooms added to our hotel inventory,” said Rosanne Mastin, marketing communications manager for Louisville Tourism. “That brings us to 6,000 total rooms downtown.”

Downtown is also welcoming new attractions. The first phase of the Waterfront Botanical Gardens debuted in October 2019 with the grand opening of the Graeser Family Education Center, a curving, glass-encased space surrounded by the Mary Lee Duthie Gardens.

Behind the botanical gardens, construction is underway on the 10,000-seat stadium that will open this spring and be home to the popular Louisville City FC of the United Soccer League and the new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team, Proof Louisville FC. The Roots 101 African-American History Museum is slated to open on Museum Row in time for Black History Month this February. gotolouisville.com

Courtesy Huntsville/Madison Co. CVB

Courtesy Huntsville/Madison Co. CVB

January 2020

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’ s a x Te tain n u o M WEST

El Paso blends classic Southwest heritage and culture with modern meeting amenities.

All photos courtesy Visit El Paso

n

CITY

EL PASO AT A GLANCE

El Paso offers scenery and amenities for modern meetings

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BY TOM ADKINSON

l Paso takes Texas icons — Stetson hats, cattle, wide-open spaces — and complements them with attractions and experiences distinct to this far corner of the Lone Star State. The El Paso additions include towering mountains inside the city limits, more than four centuries of colonial history, guided ATV rides through the desert and even the first wine-producing region in today’s United States.

Just how far west is El Paso? Far enough that it’s the only major Texas city on Mountain Time. It brands itself along with its neighbors in New Mexico and Juarez, Mexico, and offers much more than you may expect.

LOCATION: West Texas ACCESS: El Paso International Airport; Interstate 10 HOTEL ROOMS: 10,000 in 2020 CONTACT INFO: Visit El Paso 915-534-0600 visitelpaso.com EL PASO CONVENTION CENTER BUILT: 1964; primary renovation 2002-2004; aesthetics renovated 2015-2016 EXHIBIT SPACE: 80,000 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 17 breakouts MEETING HOTELS

Paso del Norte Hotel GUEST ROOMS: 350 MEETING SPACE: 33,000 square feet Wyndham El Paso GUEST ROOMS: 273 MEETING SPACE: 17,000 square feet Marriott El Paso GUEST ROOMS: 296 MEETING SPACE: 13,400 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN EL PASO

Texas Society of Architects ATTENDEES: 2,000 Health Occupations Students of America ATTENDEES: 600 International Jugglers’ Association ATTENDEES: 900 American Planning Association Texas Chapter ATTENDEES: 800

January 2020

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Destination Highlights

“E

l Paso is not your traditional Texas experience,” said Brooke Underwood, assistant general manager at Visit El Paso. “We are authentic in our own way and enjoy being the other part of Texas. We’re the cure for destination burnout.”

El Paso’s core is active, walkable and manageable for meeting attendees while being part of a bigger ecosystem.

Metropolitan El Paso has approximately 830,000 residents, more than a million if you toss in Las Cruces, New Mexico, only 40 miles away; and its joined-at-the-hip sibling, Juarez, has 1.8 million. It is the sixth-largest city in Texas, the 20th-largest city in the U.S. and the largest combined city on the U.S.-Mexico border. El Paso and Juarez thrive as one community, Underwood says.

El Paso fills the valley of the Rio Grande, with the towering Franklin Mountains to the north and the bustle of Juarez to the south. The University of Texas at El Paso enhances the city’s vibrancy, and there is novelty in a $97 million streetcar system that covers 4.8 miles with two interconnecting loops. The streetcars, restored from a system that faded in the 1970s, glide between 27 stops, including one at the El Paso Convention Center.

El Paso Museum of History

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Distinctive Venues

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DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Nightfall over downtown El Paso Photos courtesy Visit El Paso

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ractically every meeting attendee wants to get outdoors, and El Paso challenges planners to pick among venues. Multiple locations are within walking distance of convention hotels, and outdoorsy destinations are within a 30-minute drive.

Smack-dab downtown is Southwest University Park, the city’s stadium for the El Paso Chihuahuas AAA baseball team and the El Paso Locomotive, a United Soccer League team. It offers several venues of various capacities, including the delightfully named Wooftop Deck — you know, because of the Chihuahuas — and it’s even possible to secure the field to stage an activity such as a 5K run. Among the other downtown possibilities are the El Paso Art Museum, the El Paso History Museum and the Alcantar Sky Garden atop the impressive Plaza Theatre.

To enjoy cowboy culture, head to the Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch. It’s an authentic Southwestern restaurant at a working cattle ranch. Hay wagon rides beneath stark cliffs and a menagerie that includes bison, longhorns, horses and ostriches provide predinner diversions. Ranch locations have been used in movies starring David Carradine, Jack Nicholson and Chuck Norris.

Another enjoy-the-sunshine venue is Keystone Heritage Park and the El Paso Desert Botanical Garden. Just because you’re in a desert with barely 10 inches of rainfall and more than 315 sunny days annually doesn’t mean there’s not flora to see. An attraction here is the Chihuahuan Desert Experience, a one-mile walk that parallels the historic El Camino Real, the colonial route from Mexico City to Santa Fe trod by Native Americans, conquistadors, pioneers and soldiers.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

AFTER HOURS

A Stetson cowboy hat shaper

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ig meetings use the El Paso Convention Center, which offers 80,000 square feet of exhibit space and 17 breakout rooms. It is an easy walk to multiple hotels and is across the street from the art museum, the history museum and a children’s museum. The Plaza Theatre is a block away, and the historic San Jacinto Plaza, with its unexpected alligator sculpture fountain, is two blocks away.

“There has been a renaissance in the core of El Paso in the last four years,” Underwood said, drawing special attention to hotels. Conrad Hilton’s first high-rise hotel opened in El Paso in the 1930s, and it is reopening in early 2020 as the 130-room Plaza Hotel. Check out the views from La Perla, the rooftop lounge that was originally the penthouse suite. Nearby and also reopening in 2020 is the Hotel Paso del Norte, a Marriott Autograph Collection property. A $100 million renovation is transforming this El Paso landmark, built in 1912 with 195 rooms, into a 350-room meetings magnet with 33,000 square feet of meeting space. Underwood labels the Hotel Paso del Norte “a game changer for El Paso.”

Other meeting-friendly hotels include the Wyndham El Paso, with 273 rooms, 17,000 square feet of meeting space and a water park for family-oriented meetings, and the Marriott El Paso, with 296 rooms and 13,400 square feet of meeting space.

By Tom Adksinson

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

El Paso Convention and Performing Art Center

Courtesy Visit El Paso

January 2020

After the Meeting

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alking tours or open-air bus excursions with companies such as Tour Por Juarez showcase Juarez and remove any anxiety with itineraries that include strolling across the border on the Paso del Norte International Bridge, shopping in the bustling mercado, examining the Museum of the Revolution and admiring the architecture and solemnity of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, built from 1941 to 1957, and the adjacent Franciscan mission, founded in 1659. It’s almost obligatory to visit the Kentucky Bar, where margaritas are said to have been invented.

Perhaps the most unexpected post-meeting attraction in this desert setting is a wine trail, but Spanish colonists planted grapes here long before other Europeans were settling North America’s distant east coast. Highway 28 from El Paso to Mesilla, New Mexico, offers views of chile farms, cattle ranches and pecan groves, along with stops at Zin Valle Vineyards, the Sombra Antigua Winery and La Viña Winery.

Extending your stay in Texas can take you to Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the site of the four highest peaks in Texas. Stray into New Mexico to go deep underground at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, admire White Sands National Monument’s otherworldly scenes and go sledding down the sand dunes. More activity is just 15 minutes from the El Paso airport, where an adventure outfitter arranges ATV rides through the desert.

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TOWN

DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE OVERLOOKS MEYDENBAUER BAY PARK.

WATER’S EDGE IN

n o t g n i h s a W W

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

hat do you get when you combine gorgeous scenery, cutting-edge technology, intriguing meetings and events venues, forward-thinking city planners and an overall air of enthusiasm? Easy answer: Bellevue, Washington.

“We’re right at the edge of where water meets the mountains and in the Pacific Northwest,” said Brad Jones, executive director of Visit Bellevue Washington. “So we have breathtaking beauty and lots to see and do, with man-made and natural attractions. Three national parks are right beside us.”

Downtown to downtown, his city is nine miles east of Seattle. They share Puget Sound. Because of its location on 40-mile-long, six-mile-wide Lake Washington, Bellevue is known as the “Eastside.” With regard to meetings, the two work hand in hand. Planners visit both and decide which works better for their group. Bellevue brings a lot to that table, including competitive rates and the choice of having an event at a hotel property, a convention center or a combination of both.

The combined downtown meeting space of the Meydenbauer Convention Center and all meeting hotels within five blocks is a whopping 160,000 square feet, great for a gathering of up to 3,500 attendees. One of those properties is the 732-room Hyatt Regency Bellevue, with 70,000 square feet of meeting space that includes an 18,000-square-foot ballroom. The Hyatt is in the Bellevue Collection, the city’s shopping, dining and entertainment district, so attendees can walk to everything.

Vibrant, modern Bellevue is home to innovative global corporations such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, Expedia, Amazon and Pokemon — gaming is a big industry — and to giant locally based outfitter REI. “You’ll find an innovative, futuristic work spirit here that resonates throughout the city,” Jones said.

Development is exploding. In the next six years, a ticket of $10 billion is projected, led by the East Link Light Rail expansion that will connect Seattle to Bellevue, with a proposed 2023 opening. The public transportation system will facilitate connections between Sea-Tac Airport and Bellevue and its Technology Corridor. In addition multiple new hotels will be built in the next three years, among them the Pacific Northwest’s first Intercontinental Hotel, already being built.

“We have a long history of successful events,” said Jones. “Planners will find a remarkable number of industry professionals here that know what they’re doing and can accomplish any meeting goals set before them.”

KAYAKING ON LAKE WASHINGTON

Photos courtesy Visit Bellevue

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Convention Center

Conveniently downtown, the Meydenbauer Convention Center boasts 54,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, nine breakout rooms, an executive conference suite, a 200-capacity outdoor terrace and highly-praised catering. Menus feature local Pacific Northwest food, and the team includes a number of longtime service staff for comfortable continuity.

In addition to performing arts, the 410-seat Meydenbauer Theatre hosts corporate events on its stage, which can accommodate 150 for a reception or 100 for a seated meal.

“The theater is great for VIP groups because the room’s lighting and visuals make every guest feel like a star,” said Sara Waltemire, director of sales and events.

Innovative Off-Site Venues

By Manfred Seidler

BELLEVUE WASHINGTON LOCATION

Nine miles southeast of downtown Seattle

ACCESS

Interstates 90 and 405; Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; East Link Light Rail, expected to open in 2023

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Meydenbauer Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Hilton Bellevue, Westin Bellevue, Seattle Marriott Bellevue, Courtyard by Marriott Seattle Bellevue/Downtown

HOTEL ROOMS 5,566

OFF-SITE VENUES

Bellevue Arts Museum, Lucky Strike, KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Global Innovation Exchange

CONTACT INFO

Visit Bellevue Washington 877-425-2075 visitbellevuewa.com

January 2020

A global partnership begun in 2017 between the University of Washington, Beijing’s Tsinghua University and Microsoft — Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) — is a new model of experiential education and practice for students, executives and working professionals to become leaders in innovation. In Bellevue’s new 36-acre Spring District development, GIX features an incubator, classrooms and reception space for 150.

Billed by USA Today as “a bowling alley for the new millennium,” Lucky Strike is pure, rockin’ nightlife, with handcrafted cocktails, chef-driven cuisine, two dance floors, 16 bowling lanes, a spectacular game arcade and a reception capacity of 1,000.

Teambuilding In addition to the Bellevue Challenge Course and Zip Tour, teambuilding options include the Mox Boarding House, where gamers gather to show their moxie; an 18-hole tournament at the Rusty Putter putting course; and Uncork and Unwind at Novelty Hill-Januik Winery.

Perfect for teambuilding or entertaining spouses, independent retailer Whisk, in the charming Old Bellevue neighborhood, offers cooking classes on nearly any type of cuisine taught by a faculty of more than 15 chefs. The experience includes hands-on prep, cooking, small bites, wine and dinner.

“We can set up a teambuilding competition,” said Ann Perinchief, owner with her husband, Don. “But cooking together can be challenge enough.”

Outdoor Time Embracing nature a few blocks from downtown, Meydenbauer Bay Park reopened in March 2019. Additions include a swimming beach, outdoor classroom space and the REI Boathouse, which offers classes, outings and rentals for standup paddleboards, canoes, kayaks and pedal boats on Lake Washington.

An hour-and-a-half Argosy Cruise offers tours on that lovely lake with history narration and views of magnificent lakeside homes. Other choices are the Saturday Wine Cruise, the Puget Sound Locks Cruise and the Harbor Cruise. All include a full-service bar.

Groups can stay on terra firma on a docent-led walking tour of nationally recognized Bellevue Botanical Gardens, with suspension bridges, waterfalls and forests.

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OPENING IN APRIL, CARMEL’S HOTEL CARMICHAEL WILL EVOKE STYLES AND DECOR FROM DIFFERENT HISTORICAL ERAS.

Meetdieng Gui

T

Courtesy Hotel Carmichael

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

he booming economy has prompted many suburban areas across America’s Heartland to build hotels and conference centers to attract new business and visitors.

From Indiana and Illinois to Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, here is a taste of the exciting meeting venues scheduled to open in 2020.

HOTEL CARMICHAEL AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION

Carmel, Indiana The Hotel Carmichael Autograph Collection, set to open April 30, has been in the works for more than a decade. The city of Carmel wanted a meeting hotel to draw

26

New in the Heartland

visitors to the area. The $40 million project is being built by Marriott International in Carmel’s downtown area, next door to the Palladium, a popular music hall.

“This was all part of the original master plan that came up over 10 years ago,” said Jamie Hopwood, general manager for the Hotel Carmichael. “The city has been waiting for it. It is very exciting. To be at the heart of downtown Carmel during such an exciting and expansive time is superexciting.”

Evoking styles from different eras throughout history, the hotel adds a touch of class with chandeliers throughout, even in most of its guest rooms. The hotel can host groups of up to 265 people when it opens and has 122 hotel rooms, 12 of which are suites. The property has 5,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes its most popular room, the Porter Grand Ballroom, which overlooks Carmel’s city center. The Dresser Meeting Room has 1,061 square feet of space, and the property has two boardrooms.

If groups are looking for a more personal touch to their events, the Vivante French Eatery can seat 96 people inside and 70 on its outside patio. Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael has 158 seats.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

CANOPY BY HILTON GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN

Grand Rapids, Michigan Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids is being built in a mixed-use development called Studio Park downtown. The 155-room hotel will be connected to a high-end movie theater, restaurants, shopping and a music venue. Canopy is a new brand that is a joint partnership between Lodgco Hospitality and Hilton.

“Canopy itself is a special brand, such a new brand,” said Callie Cain, vice president of sales, marketing and revenue generation for Lodgco Hospitality. “We’re still trying to educate people about what our brand is, which is fun and very local.”

Guests who stay at Canopy will receive a local gift, and the property serves locally brewed beer, paying homage to Grand Rapids as a beer city. Event planners can take advantage of the hotel’s 2,400 square feet of meeting space. The largest space is 950 square feet on the second floor that overlooks Canopy Central, a cafe in the lower lobby. Its smaller meeting rooms are less traditional than those at other hotels.

“We don’t have a permanent boardroom, but it can be set up that way,” Cain said. “We also have modular seating that can be set up around a space, making it easier for groups to break out into workshops and breakouts.” The rooftop bar on the eighth floor looks out across downtown Grand Rapids and can be rented out for private functions.

The property is slated to open in June.

BROOKFIELD CONFERENCE CENTER

Brookfield, Wisconsin Designed on a nine-acre parcel with flexibility in mind, the Brookfield Conference Center will accommodate groups of all sizes. The center will feature an 18,000-square-foot main ballroom and a 6,000-square-foot junior ballroom that can be split into smaller configurations to serve a variety of layouts.

The conference center will be attached to the 168-room Hilton Garden Inn/Brookfield Milwaukee by a glass walkway, allowing seamless access to and from the two spaces. A state-of-the-art boardroom and a 9,000-square-foot outdoor garden will add to the conference center’s amenities, said Nancy Justman, president and CEO of Visit Brookfield.

Brookfield has 2,500 hotel rooms to fill every day, and “there’s only so much advertising we can do to bring people to Brookfield,” Justman said. That’s why the Brookfield Conference Center was born six years ago as a demand generator. A city official said the area had a lot of retail, restaurants, hotels, great parks and excellent schools.

The only thing it was missing was a large-scale meeting space.

“This really does complete us as a community,” Justman said.

In the past, Brookfield was unable to accommodate conferences that bring in a couple thousand people. This development, which will open in April, will do just that. It is at the south end of Brookfield’s main mall, what is being dubbed the Brookfield Square Entertainment District, which includes a new concept theater and an adult playground with bumper cars, bowling and laser tag.

CANOPY BY HILTON GRAND RAPIDS

Courtesy Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids

BROOKFIELD CONFERENCE CENTER

Courtesy Brookfield Conference Center

January 2020

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Meetieng Guid A RENDERING OF THE NEW SPACE AT I HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

Courtesy I Hotel and Conference Center

“It isn’t pure rectangle like you see in a lot of hotels; it is a flexible meeting space with floorto-ceiling windows that retract and open to an outer area that overlooks the lake that separates the Vikings facility and our hotel.”

— Brian Booth, Omni Hotels and Resorts

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

I HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

Champaign, Illinois The I Hotel and Conference Center opened in 2008 but has always been limited in the size of groups it could accommodate.

To remedy that, the hotel is adding an additional 32,500 square feet of space to its existing 38,000 square feet of meeting space.

The addition is expected to open in the fall.

Anne Olmstead, marketing manager for I Hotel, said the new addition is important because “the conference center loses out on 15 to 20 events a year that would draw more than 600 people.” The expansion means the hotel will be able “to better serve the demand of our University of Illinois campus and community while drawing in new business that we haven’t been able to host before,” she said.

Until this renovation, the I Hotel’s largest function space was 7,000 square feet, which had its limitations. Champaign is a vibrant city that is home to several large businesses whose annual meetings or conferences have had to be held elsewhere. The expansion means the I Hotel can more than accommodate these types of large events, in addition to expos that require a large footprint in one room versus being spread out throughout the existing facility, she said.

The expansion includes a 12,200-squarefoot exhibit hall that can accommodate up to 750 guests for a reception as well as seating for up to 1,200 guests theater style. It also can hold more than 60 vendor booths. The new addition will include two meeting rooms, a conference room and a staging kitchen.

Meetings meet Convenience

Complimentary services

Delightful dining

Team & social activities

Conveniently located directly off of I-94 between Milwaukee and Madison, we offer complimentary personalized services to help make your meeting a success. Additionally, our area offers:  More than 100,000 square feet of affordable, flexible meeting space  1,100 guestrooms with complimentary parking

THE WORK SITE AT THE EXPANDING ILLINOIS CONFERENCE CENTER

 Plenty of after-hours dining and entertainment options or your attendees

Learn more at visitwaukesha.org/meetings

Courtesy I Hotel and Conference Center

January 2020

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Meetieng Guid

OMNI VIKING LAKES HOTEL

Eagan, Minnesota The owners of the Minnesota Vikings started the Viking Lakes project a couple years ago as a way to bring in businesses and services needed by the football franchise. Earlier this year, MV Eagan Ventures, a real-estate arm of the Minnesota Vikings, named Omni Hotels and Resorts the operator of its 320room hotel, with 35,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space that is set to open in October.

The Viking Lakes project, when it is built out, will be “quite unique in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area because of its retail aspects,” said Brian Booth, corporate director of partnerships and sales programs for Omni Hotels and Resorts. “The draw is the Minnesota Vikings and the Twin City Orthopedics Performance Center.”

The Omni’s largest ballroom is 7,500 square feet and has an amphitheater feel to it.

“It isn’t pure rectangle like you see in a lot of hotels,” Booth said. “It is a flexible meeting space with floor-to-ceiling windows that retract and open to an outer area that overlooks the lake that separates the Vikings facility and our hotel.”

The hotel can accommodate groups of up to 600 people, depending on how they use the indoor and outdoor meeting facilities. For indoor-only meetings, the optimum number is 150 to 250 people.

The Omni will have a Nordic-themed spa and offer two-story hospitality suites on every other floor of the hotel that will be great for networking. The suites will feature fireplaces, small kitchen areas and floor-to-ceiling windows.

A RENDERING OF THE COMING OMNI VIKING LAKES HOTEL

When your networking events take you out to the farm for authentic, local flavors.

We’re expanding!

Home to the University of Illinois, Champaign County is an ideal choice for regional gatherings. Contact us to learn about expanded and new meeting space for your event.

Schedule a site visit today to receive an Outside of Ordinary gift!

800.369.6151 caitlynf@visitchampaigncounty.org

champaignmeets.com

Courtesy Omni Viking Lakes Hotel

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

There’s nothing quite like it.

FOX CITIES EXHIBITION CENTER Built into the hillside of a park in downtown Appleton, our Exhibition Center sets a new standard for modern, beautiful, and flexible event spaces. Thoughtfully designed to highlight our region’s storied history, the Center’s 38,000-square-foot interior is complemented by a 17,000-square-foot outdoor plaza. The possibilities are endless! It’s the perfect place to stage your original event experience.

January 2020

For more Originals stories visit FoxCities.org/originals, or contact Amy Rivera at arivera@foxcities.org to plan your original event.

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GROUPS CAN MEET IN TUDOR REVIVAL SPLENDOR AT STAN HYWET HALL AND GARDENS IN AKRON.

Meetdieng Gui

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Akron, Ohio On 70 acres of formal gardens, Stan Hywet Hall is a 65-room Tudor Revival manor house. The home was built in 1912 by F.A. Seiberling, one of the co-founders of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Now a historical museum, the beautiful property can also be rented out for corporate or social events.

The estate has two reception halls. One is in the basement and used to be a bowling alley. That space holds up to 200 guests. The oth-

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Courtesy Stan Hywet Hall

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

rom mansions to inns and an old courthouse, America’s Heartland has a lot to offer when it comes to historic meeting venues. Here are a few that would make a great location for a meeting, a cocktail hour, a company picnic or a dinner reception.

STAN HYWET HALL AND GARDENS

Historic Heartland Venues

er space is in the 10-car carriage house, where the chauffeur used to reside. In good weather, a three-season tent is attached to it, making it a good location for events of up to 125 people. A smaller meeting room in the carriage house can hold 12 people, and the facility provides projectors and laptops if needed.

Groups can incorporate the history of Stan Hywet Hall into their event by offering a 45-minute tour of the manor house. They can also walk the gardens and visit the conservatory, the greenhouse and the waterfall. The home is about 10 minutes from downtown Akron.

“We have all the original artifacts, clothing, artwork, everything how it was originally when the house was finished in 1912,” said Sara Crane, sales and catering manager for the property. Shortly after Seiberling passed away in 1955, his family donated the estate to the Akron community. stanhywet.org

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

HISTORIC PARK INN

Mason City, Iowa The Historic Park Inn is the last remaining Frank Lloyd Wright-designed and -built hotel in the world. Surprisingly, the hotel didn’t remain a hotel for long because of Wright’s designs, said Lindsey James, executive director for Visit Mason City.

When the property was built, around 1910, it had one public bathhouse. The hotel rooms didn’t have private bathrooms, so the guests had to pay for a shower. That was one of the many reasons it wasn’t popular as a hotel, she said. Eventually, the property became a “hodgepodge of mixed-use space,” she said. Walls were removed, ceilings were lowered and raised, and the brick walls of the bank that was attached to the hotel were removed to make way for retail spaces.

In 2011, the property underwent a $20 million restoration to turn it back into a 27-room hotel and to preserve the historic spaces. The bank was converted into a ballroom that can hold up to 170 people.

The property is now modernized, and each of its guest rooms is unique. No two rooms are alike, said James. Mason City is an architectural enthusiast’s dream, she said. Many of the developments in the city were designed by now-famous architects.

Group members that want to learn more about the building or Wright can have a local docent come and speak or take them on a guided architectural tour. stoneycreekhotels.com

OLD VANDERBURGH COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Evansville, Indiana In the 1800s, different county seats vied for political influence for their areas and businesses by building ornate government buildings. The Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, which was built 129 years ago, has been recognized nationally for its architecture, and although it hasn’t served as a government building since the late 1960s, people can take historical tours or host events there.

It was supposed to be demolished in the 1970s.

“Luckily, they couldn’t get the budget together for demolition,” said JoElle Baker Knight, marketing and outreach coordinator for the Old Courthouse Foundation. “That’s the only reason it was not torn down. Thankfully, times have changed, and historical preservation is much more important, preserving our past and also making it available for use for current and future generations.”

About a decade ago, one of the original courtrooms was restored as a dual ballroom space and can be rented out.

As part of Evansville’s bicentennial, money was raised to revamp the courthouse grounds with new landscaping, trees, walking paths and seating. The grounds can be used for outdoor events.

Other parts of the courthouse can be rented for special events; among the available spaces is a commissioner’s parlor, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace. It can hold up to 30 people, depending on what it is being used for. The courthouse ballroom is the space that gets rented out the most. Each side of the ballroom can hold 120 people seated at tables or 200 people for lectures. oldvanderburghcourthouse.com

MASON CITY’S HISTORIC PARK INN

Courtesy Historic Park Inn

OLD VANDERBURGH COUNTY COURTHOUSE Courtesy Old Courthouse Foundation

January 2020

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Meetieng Guid

A stone-covered pavilion allows groups to enjoy the outdoors and the tranquility of the setting or participate in teambuilding events as part of their meeting.

GROVE REDFIELD ESTATE Courtesy Grove Redfield Estate

This.

That

LITTLE BIT OF

LITTLE BIT OF

DUBUQUE

MORE THAN THE MEETING. MEETDUBUQUE .COM

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

GROVE REDFIELD ESTATE

Glenview, Illinois The Grove Redfield Estate was built in the Prairie style in 1929. The estate, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, sits on 150 acres of forest and parkland and resembles a northern European country house with cathedral ceilings, tiled fireplace, wood floors and leaded glass windows.

The home is used as event space, hosting groups of up to 125 people if the entire house and grounds are rented out. A stone-covered pavilion allows groups to enjoy the outdoors and the tranquility of the setting or participate in teambuilding events as part of their meeting. Corporations typically rent out the house for social events, cocktail hours or fundraisers.

Another building on the property, the Kennicott House, built in 1856, serves as a living-history museum, full of period furnishings. The building is not a rental facility, but groups that rent out the Grove Redfield Estate for events are welcome to take a break and tour the house, walk in the nature center or visit re-creations of the historic Grove Schoolhouse or a Pottawatomie longhouse.

“It is really unique. It is very serene and peaceful out here,” said Carol Di Lorenzo, rental coordinator for the estate.

The Grove sees close to 200,000 visitors a year through casual visitors, business meetings, private parties, weddings, school groups and college classes. glenviewparks.org/facilities-parks/redfield-estate/

With state-of-the-art convention space, world-class museums, and meeting-focused hotels Springfield, IL guarantees your group a legendary experience.

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Central Illinois location with over 4,000 guest rooms

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National historic sites and attractions offer a memorable experience

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BOS Convention Center adjacent to two downtown hotels with over 900 guest rooms

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Southeast corridor anchored by Crowne Plaza Convention Center with 1,300 rooms along the corridor

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A full menu of bureau services designed to make meetings (small or large) a success

ATE IL ST CAPI

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A BANQUET SETUP AT THE GROVE REDFIELD ESTATE Courtesy Grove Redfield Estate

January 2020

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Meetieng Guid

HORMEL HISTORIC HOME

Meet

Austin, Minnesota The founder of the Hormel Foods Corporation, George Hormel, purchased what is now the Hormel Historic Home in 1901. The home was built in 1871 in a red-brick Italianate style. Hormel and his wife, Lillian, extensively remodeled it by stuccoing the exterior and adding columns to raise the roofline.

After George retired in 1927, the Hormels donated the property and all its furnishings to the YWCA of Austin. It was in that group’s possession for 60 years before becoming a historic site in the 1990s. Events were held at the property as early as the 1930s and continue to this day.

In 2009, the carriage house was taken down to make way for a large event center with a commercial kitchen, which now hosts weddings, parties and corporate events for up to 200 people, said Holly Johnson, executive director for the Hormel Historic Home. Smaller groups of 40 to 50 people can host events in the historic part of the house.

All groups that rent the property can tour the home and grounds as they have breaks or as time allows, said Johnson. Many people come to the home to learn more about the Hormel family and the architecture of the house. And although it is a historic structure, it has been equipped with all of the latest technology, including audiovisual equipment and Wi-Fi. “I do consider it a small-town event center that is really a community resource,” Johnson said.

If groups have time, they can visit the Spam Museum, which is a block and a half away from the home and is operated by Hormel Foods. hormelhistorichome.org

HORMEL HISTORIC HOME

Come for the meeting...

Stay for the woods, wine, and the adventures in between.

Only Carbondale.

618-529-4451 carbondaletourism.org Courtesy Hormel Historic Home

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

January 2020

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THE SUN SETS OVER GRAND TRAVERSE BAY IN TRAVERSE CITY, ONE OF MICHIGAN’S MOST POPULAR TOURISM DESTINATIONS.

Meetdieng Gui

M

Perched on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan, with tropical green Caribbean-clear water and sugar sand beaches, Traverse City is a summertime playground, said Tori Piersante, vice president of sales for Traverse City Tourism.

“The Cherry Capital of the World” is also home to apple and peach orchards, vineyards and hops farms that fuel Michigan’s burgeoning craft beer industry.

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Courtesy Traverse City Tourism

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

any people only consider the coasts when looking for waterfront destinations. But because of its location on the Great Lakes and its rivers, America’s Heartland has plenty of fun waterfront destinations to visit. Here are some that make great locales for meetings.

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN

Heartland Waterfronts

Meeting planners that want to come to the area can choose from many options, several of them right on the water. The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, with 85,000 square feet of conference space, is the largest meeting hotel in the area. In total, Traverse City has 4,500 hotel rooms and 220,000 square feet of meeting space.

Groups can rent either a catamaran or a large wooden schooner for a regular sail or a specialty sail with entertainment and food.

There are many unique off-site venues where groups can host dinners or other events. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is a former state asylum that is now one of the largest redevelopment projects in the country. One of the renovated buildings is a half-mile long and is full of retail shops and excellent food.

If groups want teambuilding options, Traverse City offers everything from ropes courses, kayaking and biking to wine tastings and scavenger hunts through the city. traversecity.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN

Lake Geneva is a resort city on Lake Geneva in southeastern Wisconsin. The area used to be a playground for the rich, as evidenced by the great mansions that dot the shoreline, many of which make great off-site venues for meetings and conferences.

The largest meeting property on the lake is the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, with 14,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 7,500-square-foot ballroom. The Abbey Resort, with 10,000 square feet of meeting space, is another good option.

Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers dinner and cocktail cruises around the lake. The company has two boats that can seat up to 250 people. The Baker House mansion and the Maxwell Mansion, both built in the 1800s, are now boutique hotels that make excellent offsite venues. At the Maxwell Mansion, a group can take over the entire building. Food stations are set up throughout, and the parties can have different themes, like murder mystery or 1920s flapper.

“We have a lot of things that other places don’t have,” said Susan Smolarek, group sales manager for Visit Lake Geneva. “You can’t go to a city and have the types of things we offer here.” The area has a 150-seat magic theater with a Vegas-style show, the Dancing Horses Theatre, as well as teambuilding opportunities like zip-lining and cooking schools. And because of its location on the water, guests can do everything from walking the lakeshore path to learning stand-up paddleboarding. visitlakegeneva.com

STILLWATER, MINNESOTA

On the St. Croix River, Stillwater, Minnesota, is considered the birthplace of Minnesota. Only 30 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul and the Mall of America, the area caters to groups of up to 700 people.

Its downtown district, which is a block and a half off the water, is where all the event hotels, restaurants and shops are located.

There are 20 venues in town that range from an intimate executive conference room in a restored historic mansion to the JX Venue, a historic-shoe-factory-turned-event-venue that hosts groups of up to 700 in its third-floor event space.

Authentic paddle-wheel boats cruise the St. Croix River and make wonderful meeting venues. The boats can handle groups of as many as 600 for scenic cruises, dinner or cocktails. A private yacht can be rented for groups of fewer than 50 people.

“We don’t have huge hotels with conference centers,” said Christie Rosckes, marketing director for Discover Stillwater. “We are perfect for the creative meeting planner.”

The area is walkable, making it easy to host a meeting at the Water Street Inn, the Lora Hotel or the Hotel Crosby and then schedule a meal in one of the funky restaurants that call downtown Stillwater home.

Stillwater has 525 lodge rooms in town. It also offers many teambuilding opportunities, from historic trolley tours past mansions built by lumber barons in the 1800s to three different escape rooms, an ax-throwing bar and Segway tours. discoverstillwater.com

A BALLOON FLIGHT OVER LAKE GENEVA

Courtesy Visit Lake Geneva

RIVERFRONT DINING IN STILLWATER

Courtesy Discover Stillwater

January 2020

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Meetieng Guid BRANSON CONVENTION CENTER

“[Branson] is genuine. People are happy you are here. Tourism is how this area developed from the early 1900s.”

— Samantha Gutting, Explore Branson

Courtesy Branson CVB

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BRANSON, MISSOURI

When people think of Branson, they usually think of entertainment. The city has amazing theaters that offer every genre of music and Broadway-style shows. But Branson is also a popular outdoor destination, situated on three beautiful lakes, said Samantha Gutting, senior vice president and chief sales officer for Explore Branson.

Groups that plan events in Branson can rent a large showboat on Table Rock Lake for dinner and a show, or partake in other water activities, like kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, water skiing and jet skiing.

Chateau on the Lake is one of the largest hotels on the lake, with 300 guest rooms and 43,000 square feet of meeting space.

Big Cedar Lodge is a boutique resort on the lake that is a huge golf destination with a private marina and charter boats.

Branson can host groups of more than 5,000 people. The Branson Convention Center has 220,000 square feet of meeting space. It is connected to the 500-room Hilton Branson Convention Center. Both properties sit on Lake Taneycomo, a chilly lake with some of the world’s best trout fishing. Groups that visit the area can take fly-fishing lessons or take a jet boat ride around the lake to view eagles and other wildlife.

Teambuilding activities include rock climbing, as well as indoor and outdoor ropes courses. A new $53 million aquarium is opening this summer in the heart of the entertainment district.

People love Branson because “it is genuine,” Gutting said.

“People are happy you are here. Tourism is how this area developed from the early 1900s.” explorebranson.com

CHATEAU ON THE LAKE RESORT AND SPA

OPENING APRIL 2020 Conveniently located along I-94 between Milwaukee and Madison, the Brookfield Conference Center will be Southeast Wisconsin’s premier event destination.

Featuring on-site catering and beverage service, glass atrium with natural light, attached Hilton Garden Inn and ample free parking. The Connect Ballroom offers 18,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the Collaborate Ballroom offers 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and the Celebration Plaza offers 9,000 of beautiful outdoor green space.

Restrooms

Celebration Atrium

Connection to to Hilton Garden Inn

CONNECT A

Celebration Plaza

CONNECT B

Restrooms

CONNECT C

Connect A-1

Connect C-1

Connect A-2

Connect C-2

Collaborate A

Connect A-3

Connect C-3

Collaborate B

Collaborate C

Boardroom Offices

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. CELEBRATE. Courtesy Branson CVB

January 2020

262-789-0220 www.brookfieldconferencecenter.com

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Meetieng Guid

PUT-IN-BAY, OHIO

PUT-IN BAY ON LAKE ERIE

Courtesy Lake Erie Shores and Islands

Half of the fun of Put-in-Bay is the journey to get there. Whether it is by vehicle or passenger ferry or jet boat, the trip to South Bass Island is beautiful, said Amanda Smith Rasnick, director of group accounts for Lake Erie Shores and Islands.

The island is about a 20-minute boat ride from the mainland in Lake Erie. It is small but has a proud history. Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is a 352-foot-tall Doric column that can be seen from all over the island and the mainland. It commemorates the exploits of Oliver Hazard Perry and those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Meeting planners love to bring groups on tours or host meals on the lawn surrounding the monument.

“Everybody usually wants to take an opportunity to go to the top to get their photos. It is a beautiful vantage point from the top,” said Smith Rasnick.

There are plenty of hotels on the island that can accommodate groups, including the Put-in-Bay Resort and Conference Center, which can host groups of up to 400 people, and the Commodore Resort. The Niagara Event Center is the largest event space on the island, hosting groups of as many as 500 people.

Many groups just travel to Put-in-Bay for a meal or an off-site event “to get people out of the mainland convention spaces,” she said.

Several restaurants can accommodate large groups, including The Keys and The Boardwalk. A hop-on/hop-off tram tour allows groups to experience all the island has to offer, including two caves and a winery. shoresandislands.com

GET LOST IN

TEAMWORK. Bring your next event to Greater Lima.

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NIGHTFALL AT PUT-IN BAY Courtesy Lake Erie Shores and Islands

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