Small Market Meetings January 2022

BOOKING BETTER SPEAKERS | MEETINGS AT RESORTS | OKLAHOMA CITY JANUARY 2022

s ’ a c i r e m A artland He

WORK MEETS PLAY IN

THE MODERN FRONTIER

M eet in OKC. com Oklahoma City offers the whole package for meetings and conventions of all sizes. With 500,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space in a brand-new convention center, nearly 5,000 downtown hotel rooms, and easy access to an urban park and modern streetcar system, attendees will enjoy the perfect mix of work and play.

Plan a memorable event in the picturesque Shores & Islands Ohio! Enjoy exhilarating roller coasters, ferry rides to lovely islands, and revitalized downtowns with welcoming atmospheres. Whether you’re a first timer or a seasoned regular, experiences here stay in your heart for a lifetime. Find your Lake Erie Love at meetings.SHORESandISLANDS.com.

• Conference Support Grant up to $5000 • 8000+ Rooms • 615,000 sq. ft. Meeting Space

ON THE COVER: Fire and Ice Patio and Bar is a popular after-meeting gathering spot at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Photo courtesy Lake of the Ozarks CVB.

INSIDE VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 1

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IDEAS Meetings at Resorts

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CITY Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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Courtesy OKC CVB

TOWN Medora, North Dakota

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ONE-STOP DESTINATION Crowne Plaza Chandler

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS Cascading Effects

PROFILE 8Race Roberts

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10 MANAGING Booking

MEETING GUIDE America’s Heartland

Better Speakers

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

kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com

Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner

Brian Jewell VP & Managing Editor

Kelly Tyner VP, Sales & Marketing

Donia Simmons Creative Director

Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner

Ashley Ricks Graphic Designer

Kyle Anderson Director, Advertising Sales

Christine Clough Copy Editor

Sarah Sechrist Controller/Office Manager

Rena Baer Proofreader

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We finally get to use the giant scissors.

(We’re also opening a brand new conference center.)

Kearney, where the Heartland gathers.

When you have the best meeting and event facilities between Omaha and Denver, there’s only one thing to do...get even bigger and better. The region-leading Younes Campus has added an additional conference center and a brand-spanking-new hotel to go with it. Every year Kearney hosts more than 1,350 events (we all agree 2020 doesn’t count). Everything from large conferences to regional sporting events, as well as hundreds of smaller professional and educational meetings, all host their events in Kearney.

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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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

CASCADING EFFECTS

W

aterfalls draw a crowd.

Prehistoric people, Native Americans, French traders, pioneers: They’ve all been drawn to tumbling water, and so are we. Which makes these five cities, all with quite different downtowns enlivened by waterfalls, invigorating meeting destinations. Though small in size, each has found ways to make the most of their liquid assets.

Urban waterfalls draw meeting attendees to these destinations

It’s a short walk to waterfalls in Ithaca.

In Spokane, water is the sound of music.

It’s hard not to hear waterfalls in downtown Spokane, Washington’s convention district. The Spokane River’s upper and lower falls are upriver from its waterfront convention center and a half dozen major hotels, including the 375-room DoubleTree by Hilton, which is connected to the center. Other hotels include the Hotel Indigo, the historic Davenport and the refurbished Centennial and Ruby River hotels, formerly part of the Red Lion chain.

Along the river, Riverfront Park’s pathways and trails are outfitted with benches and overlooks for varied perspectives. Getting close to the falls can be an adventure, whether it’s a walk across a swinging suspension pedestrian bridge or a ride above the falls in six-person gondolas, a remnant of the 1974 World’s Fair. Adjacent to the park and a few blocks from the convention center, a new sports competition area is emerging with the opening of the Podium, a city-run, indoor athletic competition facilityand the December 2021 groundbreaking for a 5,000-seat soccer stadium. visitspokane.com

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Within 10 miles of Ithaca, New York, 150 waterfalls pour through gorges gouged eons ago by glaciers. Lucky for meeting attendees, three of them are within a short walk of downtown hotels. The best known and most popular is probably Cascadilla Falls, a series of nine waterfalls along a trail through a gorge that connects the Cornell University campus to downtown. But none are far from downtown, where new hotels built in the past few years huddle near the pedestrian mall, home to local restaurants and shops.

The newest, the Ithaca Marriott Downtown on the Commons, has 159 rooms and 3,000 square feet of meeting space. The 131-room Canopy by Hilton supplies free bikes for scooting around downtown.

Other options include the 170-room Hotel Ithaca, with 3,000 square feet of meeting space; the Hilton Garden Inn, also just off the Commons, with 104 rooms; and for high-endsmall meetings, the 13-room boutique Argos Inn, winner of multiple awards for historic preservation and LEED certified for those that want to go easier on the environment. visitithaca.com

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The Big Sioux tumbles through downtown Sioux Falls.

An ice sheet, not an abstract artist, created the jumble of pink quartzite slabs and boulders over which the Big Sioux River tumbles on its way through South Dakota’s largest city. Native Americans called the area Minnehaha — laughing waters — and it’s easy to see why they did. The falls are part of a city park on the edge of downtown, and visitors can easily walk over from the Hotel on Phillips, a 90-room boutique property in what was once a historic bank, or the riverfront Hilton Garden Inn, across the water from the Phillips, with 6,300 square feet of meeting space. The park offers its own entertainments, including the Arc of Dreams, a stainless-steel sculpture that bends over the river, and Levitt at the Falls, an outdoor pavilion where about 50 free concerts are held each year.

Downtown, where many old buildings are built of pink quartzite, visitors can get liquid refreshments at Covert Artisan Ales and the Glacial Lakes Distillery and Brew House and try new restaurants like Harvester Kitchen by Bryan, or see a movie at the State Theatre, a revitalized vaudeville-era showplace. experiencesiouxfalls.com

Greenville turned the seedy Reedy into a showplace.

Greenville is no doubt better off thanks to the devoted members of a local garden club that dug in and helped turn the seedy banks of the Reedy River into an Eden in downtown. The showstopper of this 32-acre linear park is Reedy River Falls, which can be viewed above from the Liberty Bridge, a curving suspension bridge designed by architect Miguel Rosales, or along the trails that follow the river as it wends through town.

There are a surprising number of downtown hotels, with major brands well represented: Marriott’s AC, Aloft, Residence Inn and Courtyard; Hilton’s Embassy Suites, Hampton and Homestead; a Hyatt Regency and a Hyatt Place; and the Westin Poinsett, winner of this year’s Best City Center Historic Hotel award from Historic Hotels of America. The hotels are outdone by a gob of restaurants — 110 in all downtown — surprising until you learn of the outsize number of Fortune 500 companies in the area. visitgreenvillesc.com

January 2022

Small falls draw crowds in Middlebury.

With its white church steeples, town green and red-brick storefronts, Middlebury, Vermont, is quintessential New England. The village of 9,000 takes it up a notch, though, with a waterfall right in the middle of town that draws crowds. They can stand on an arched, stone pedestrian bridge that’s a fantastic perch for watching daring kayakers run the 15-foot drop at Middlebury Falls or placid anglers reel in their catches from Otter Creek.

Being home to Middlebury College boosts the town’s cool quotient, with plenty of coffee shops, breweries and local restaurants.

Small meetings can gather at the Middlebury Inn, in business since the late 1800s; it has 71 guest rooms and a ballroom for up to 135 guests. Outside downtown on four acres, the Swift House Inn, once a governor’s mansion, is now a 20-room inn with a carriage-houseturned-conference-space. experiencemiddlebury.com

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“If you’re in a situation and you need something done, you jump in and do it. I wasn’t going to ask someone who I manage to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”

MEETING LEADERS RACE ROBERTS

R

BY REBECCA TREON

ace Roberts is Atlanta-born and -raised, a trait so uncommon that residents call these locals unicorns. If having that title implies powers of mythical proportions, well, Roberts doesn’t subscribe to that, though he will admit to having to work hospitality miracles over the course of his career.

But, he said, it’s less about miracle working and more about rolling up your shirtsleeves.

“I started off washing dishes as an intern, so the first day I’m there at 8 in the morning washing dishes and helping to clean the kitchen,” said Roberts. “When I moved on to hotels and had quiet moments at the front desk, I’d go back and see how I could help out in food-and-beverage because they’re always busy.”

With the encouragement of his family, Roberts got into a culinary program in high school. He initially considered going to Johnson and Wales to be a chef, loving the fast pace of the kitchen and the creativity it allowed him but knew ultimately his family life would suffer because of the long hours.

He opted for a degree at Georgia Southern University, where he majored in recreation with an emphasis in tourism and community leisure services and a minor in hotel management. The internship required for his degree gave him weeklong rotations through every role on the food-and-beverage team at the Emory Conference Center Hotel.

“The hotel invested a lot in their internship program; I learned a lot, and they did a

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fantastic job of educating and preparing me,” said Roberts. “It was incredible. I couldn’t have been more prepared for a transition from the school to the workforce. I went from doing dishes to doing inventory, and I worked as a prep cook, a line cook; I was a server, I learned how menus are created and how to work with the conference salespeople and what goes into making meetings.

They ended up offering me a job before I even finished my internship.”

At each stage of his career, Roberts has looked at how he can level up by learning a new skill. After completing a hotel management training program, he took a position as the Emory Conference Center Hotel’s assistant front desk manager.

“I thought, ‘This will be another great place to develop and grow,’” said Roberts.

“I had gotten to a point where if you’re in a situation and you need something done, you jump in and do it. I wasn’t going to ask someone who I manage to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”

Around the time Roberts was starting to feel the burn of long double shifts and time away from his then-fiancée, he accepted.

That was five years ago, and since then, Roberts’ circle has only expanded. But his work ethic hasn’t changed — he’s still willing to get the job done and do tasks with determination and gusto. In an era when so many positions remain vacant as the economy is still reeling from the pandemic, that’s a trait that makes Roberts a unicorn, indeed.

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Race Roberts TITLE Sales Manager ORGANIZATION Discover Dunwoody LOCATION Dunwoody, Georgia BIRTHPLACE Atlanta, Georgia EDUCATION Georgia Southern University, degree in recreation with an emphasis on tourism and community leisure CAREER HISTORY • Assistant front desk manager, Emory Conference Center Hotel • Sales manager at Discover Dunwoody

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

TIPS FROM

RACE ROBERTS • Don’t be afraid of the work. If you want to move your career forward or grow as a person, embrace the work needed to accomplish your goal.

• For CVBs: Work with your neighboring CVBs. If there is a group that cannot fit in my market but could fit in one of my neighbors’, I give the planner their contact information.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.

RACE ROBERTS, RIGHT, MEETS WITH MEETING PLANNERS AND SUPPLIERS DURING AN INDUSTRY EVENT.

Where

Meets

BUSINESS

ADVENTURE

January 2022

VISITHENDERSONNV.COM

702-267-2670

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MANAGING

Booking Better Speakers

INDUSTRY VETERANS OFFER TIPS ON FINDING KEYNOTERS AND PANELISTS

C

BY RENA BAER

hoosing a speaker for a group event can often elicit widely varied opinions. So rather than choosing a particular person, industry professionals suggest coming up with goals and criteria first.

Is the object of the session to entertain, to educate or to enlighten? What is the message you want to impart, and how and by whom is it best delivered? For example, it might be someone in the industry or a motivational speaker. Would a question-and-answer session in the second half be more productive or enjoyable?

Those are just some of the questions industry professionals suggest planners ask themselves before reaching out to a potential speaker through a CVB or a speakers bureau. We asked three industry veterans for some tips on booking better speakers for your events. Here’s what they had to say.

On preparing speakers: “Speakers need to understand what's going on at an event and craft the messaging accordingly.

But, they can't do that unless they get the full picture from the event coordinator.”

CONSIDER YOUR OBJECTIVES “Rather than saying, ‘I need a speaker,’ say, ‘Here are my event objectives, and here are the topics I think will support those objectives’ and ‘This is how much money I want to budget for that speaker,” said Brian Palmer, senior vice president of the National Speakers Bureau. “Then go out and find that speaker, having a vision of what you want and a basis for your selection. When you have a plan, your odds of the speaker accomplishing what you hope for go up.”

That plan could include helping breed cooperation among the group’s membership or imparting insights into a particular industry and its future.

“So, if it's a group of plumbing contractors, the topic might be new regulations, legislation or the way small businesses are going to be taxed in the future,” said Palmer. “Or, say, they're road construction; you know with the infrastructure bill, they're going to be dealing with a lot more government contracts. Maybe the speaker would address how road builders or bridge builders might more effectively operate their business in the future.

“Your speakers can get that specific and informative,” he said.

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Rich Gibbons PRESIDENT

SpeakInc Experience: 30 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

On the value of speakers: “Attendees of particular trade association meetings have to get permission from their employers to attend. So they're going to have to say, ‘I'm going to learn this new bit of information that will help us proceed, help us grow, help us earn our revenue.’”

UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE

Another consideration when choosing a speaker or deciding whether to have one is understanding the value a speaker can add to a meeting. Speakers, said Rich Gibbons, president of SpeakInc, set the tone, particularly among groups where these meetings are their only face-to-face contact.

“With organizations that are more virtual or more hybrid, the ethos of the organization is defined by in-person gatherings,” he said. “If you only see each other once or twice a year, that event is almost a stand-in for office talk.

“I think the speakers, to a great degree, help define the cadence and rhythm at the event,” he said. “There's an awful lot of gravity around that in-person time. And by extension, the speakers do a lot to define the subtext and the vibe.”

David Buckenberger, senior vice president of business development with the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, said a vast majority of events they work with are local trade associations that often use speakers in one of two ways.

“The speakers are in place either as an educational component for continuing education credits in a particular field, or they're there to drive interest, drive attendance and, ultimately, drive revenue,” he said.

For example, he said, a Michigan High School Football Coaches Association event coming in January is driven entirely on the quality, the number and the notoriety of the speakers they get.

“The vast majority of their people come to this event because of what they'll learn from these speakers,” said Buckenberger. “In this case, their speakers are all usually nationally known football coaches who are coming to do presentations on different things, like recruiting, offensive/defensive schemes and so forth. You could probably put that into any industry per se because they need subject matter that's going to be pertinent to their potential attendees.”

People want to leave an event feeling that they received value for their money, especially in times of austerity.

“Clearly, there are a lot of organizations, both trade association and corporate, that are minding their p’s and q’s right now,” said Gibbons.

“They're just being very judicious about how SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF they make meaningful investments. They want BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT to see a tangible return on that investment. And more often than not, it's pragmatic, hard-hitting Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau ways in which individual audience members can Experience: 10 years be better at what they do when they go back to their practice on Monday morning.”

David Buckenberger

January 2022

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MANAGING

PLANNING THE BUDGET When it comes to budgeting for a speaker, organizations have to be prepared to pay bigger money for bigger names. But big money does not always mean better speakers, said Palmer.

“There are some good speakers who charge close to $5,000, and there are some very, very mediocre speakers who charge $100,000,” he said. “But usually you can get some very good speakers who charge between just under $10,000 and $15,000. And there are all sorts of exceptions to that rule, as well. It’s not a sliding scale where the more the speaker costs, the better they are.”

Buckenberger said they often tap into Michigan State University and its pool of expertise.

“There's all sorts of departments and experts on a variety of topics,” he said. In addition, those speakers are local, which saves organizations money on travel, room and board. “But you still have to have the budget to pay for them and be able to show a return on investment; you need to have the right content for the audience.”

And although COVID continues to put some meetings on hiatus or move them to virtual platforms, the most successful speakers are those who can move between speaking to an audience they can see and speaking to one they can’t.

“A lot of speakers, start a program with their battery at 75%,” said Gibbons. “When they can see the audience thinking about their words or hear them laughing and there's a connection, their batteries fill to 100%.”

It becomes a challenge when they are delivering that same content to a tiny webcam.

“There's no human reflection of energy and feedback,” he said. “But there are some speakers who are able to deal with that awkward sociological component. I would say that the speakers who can deliver a live talk on Monday and remote on Tuesday and seamlessly migrate back and forth between the two channels and mediums are the ones who are successful in the marketplace right now.”

On speaker diversity: “People are paying a lot more attention to making sure speakers they have on panels and speaking before their groups are representative of a cross section of society. They are putting a great deal of time and effort to make sure they have a diverse talent of speakers and panelists at their gatherings.”

Brian Palmer SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT National Speakers Bureau Experience: 41 years

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

IDEAS

Courtesy the Sagamore

NATURAL SELECTIONS Resort properties offer meeting amenities and scenic surroundings

BY RACHEL CARTER

F

or meeting planners and event attendees, resort properties deliver a place where people can get down to business but also enjoy some getaway downtime. In addition to offering meeting and conference space, resorts provide on-site restaurants and bars, entertainment and activities — typically near to nature or right on the water.

From upstate New York to the central Midwest, from northern California oceanfront properties to Southern lakeside resorts, these destinations allow meeting groups to meet, eat, stay and play.

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SAGAMORE

BOLTON LANDING, NEW YORK The Sagamore sits on a private, 70-acre island on New York’s Lake George, about 60 miles north of Albany. The main hotel dates to the 1880s, but the resort has evolved and expanded over the decades to meet travelers’ modern demands — without losing its historic feel.

“We’re so much more than just a meeting facility, and we’re so much more than just a leisure resort,” said Lori Rehm, director of sales and conferences.

“We have so much to offer and so many options; we really hit all the different targets within a group.”

Today, in addition to 137 guest rooms in the historic hotel, the resort boasts seven lodge buildings and the Hermitage Building, with 12 luxury suites, as well as vacation condos. Excluding the condos, the resort has 375 guest rooms for groups.

However, the Sagamore’s “sweet spot” for meeting groups is usually in the 125- to 200-person range. The resort’s conference center offers nearly 16,000 square feet of function space, as well as a dedicated banquet kitchen, a private outdoor terrace and an event lawn.

The 12,000-square-foot event center is an exhibit hall that can accommodate up to 100 exhibit booths.

Above: The Sagamore has welcomed groups to the shores of New York’s Lake George since the 1880s.

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Shelving Rock Terrace “is extremely popular,” Rehm said. The permanent lakeside, climate-controlled tent can be as casual or as elegant as planners want. The space accommodates up to 200 reception guests “right on the water, and that’s why people are here,” she said.

Groups often use the resort’s cruise boat, the Morgan, which runs complimentary sightseeing tours during the day and is available at night for private dinner cruises for up to 80 passengers.

Planners can also charter Adirondack Excursions’ 40-foot houseboat for on-the-water meetings for up to 25 people, and attendees can enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, tennis and pickleball. thesagamore.com

The Sagamore dates to the 1880s, but the resort has evolved and expanded over the decades to meet travelers’ modern demands — without losing its historic feel.

EAGLE RIDGE RESORT AND SPA

GALENA, ILLINOIS The Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa sits in the northwestern corner of Illinois, wrapped in 6,800 acres of rolling hills, gentle valleys and a blanket of trees.

And one of its main attractions as a meeting venue is its space and not only indoor function space; “we also utilize space outside in the resort,” said Colin Sanderson, director of sales and marketing.

The resort recently expanded Point Patio, a deck overlooking the 225-acre lake; it can now hold up to 150 guests for events. During the pandemic, Eagle Ridge also began holding Meetings on the Green: The resort will choose one of its four golf courses, and “we’ll actually have a meeting out on the golf course; it’s pretty cool,” Sanderson said.

Eagle Ridge offers 15,000 square feet of indoor event space with nine function rooms; they include the 5,300-square-foot Eagle Ballroom, the 3,300-square-foot Galena Room, three boardrooms and three private dining rooms.

When it comes to space, groups also like the variety of available lodging accommodations. The resort

Photos courtesy Eagle Ridge Resort

January 2022

Left: Eagle Ridge Resort scenes, clockwise from left: A hot-air balloon launch; the General golf course and Highlands restaurant; an aerial view of the property

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IDEAS offers 80 guest rooms in its main lodge and adjacent Courtyard building, but it also has 200 rental homes that range from one-bedroom condos to expansive conference homes that groups can use for overnight stays, team-building activities or meetings held while lounging around in a living room setting.

Meeting groups can play golf or foot golf, try cardboard sled building or blindfolded pizza-making. Eagle Ridge also partners with the Shenandoah Riding Center for horseback riding and Long Hollow Canopy Tours for zip lining and aerial obstacle course experiences. eagleridge.com

STONEWALL RESORT

ROANOKE, WEST VIRGINIA The Stonewall Resort sits on a crescent-curved peninsula that reaches into the waters of Stonewall Jackson Lake, a machine-made lake on the West Fork River.

The resort is in Stonewall Jackson State Park near the town of Roanoke, West Virginia, about midway between Morgantown and Charleston. With 1,900 acres of state parkland and a marina, the resort is an outdoor lover’s paradise that also offers a 15,000-squarefoot, IACC-certified conference center.

The Stonewall Resort’s meeting space is on two levels in one section of the Adirondack-style lodge, allowing for concurrent meetings that don’t cross paths. Groups often use the nearly 4,200-squarefoot divisible interior ballroom with high ceilings; the 760-square-foot Oak Boardroom and Lightburn’s Restaurant both deliver expansive views of the lake, rolling hills and the surrounding forest.

Nestled in the state park, Stonewall Resort offers plenty of outdoor spaces such as patios, event lawns and a fire pit where guests can make s’mores. Planners can also arrange outdoor meetings, sporting clay competitions, fishing charters, trail hikes and scavenger hunts complete with boat rides and golf carts.

At the marina, groups can rent canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and more to get on the water. The resort’s excursion boat offers hourlong scenic cruises every evening from April through October. Meeting attendees can hop on the evening cruise to enjoy the scenery, or planners can reserve the boat for private cruises and receptions for up to 100 people. stonewallresort.com

Courtesy Camden on the Lake

Resort destinations, clockwise from left: Seascape Beach Resort in California; Camden on the Lake in Missouri; Stonewall Resort in Virginia

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Courtesy Seascape Beach Resort

Courtesy Stonewall Resort

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SEASCAPE BEACH RESORT

APTOS, CALIFORNIA Seascape Beach Resort sits on a bluff overlooking Monterey Bay in Aptos, California, just down the coast from Santa Cruz.

Groups gather at the resort for its beachfront location, ocean views and outdoor access. Guests can meander down the walking path that leads to the beach or use the resort’s complimentary golf cart service. There, meeting planners can hold practically any kind of beach event on Seascape’s private section of a 17-mile stretch of beach, without having to go through city permitting.

The 220-room hotel features 17,000 square feet of meeting space, with 17 conference rooms, each with ocean views and natural light. The 4,000-square-foot Seascape Ballroom can be split into three smaller spaces, and groups often book the 1,200-squarefoot Bayview Room on the third floor because it has a full balcony.

In front of the resort, the Bluff is an outdoor space perched on a bluff; its panoramic bay views make it popular for welcome receptions and sunset dinners.

The resort has beach bonfires every night, and groups can also arrange making s’mores and clambakes on the beach. Planners can host luaus at the Bluff or the Island, a human-made lagoon with bridges leading to an island with palm trees, a lawn and a sandy beach.

The resort partners with team-building programs to offer archery, volleyball, soccer and obstacle courses on the beach.

Groups can also take classes to learn wine blending and how to build a succulent garden or sign up for paddleboarding or surfing lessons. seascaperesort.com

CAMDEN ON THE LAKE

LAKE OZARK, MISSOURI The Camden on the Lake Resort is a waterfront resort that covers over a quarter of a mile of shoreline on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. The property overlooks Toad Cove and connects to the neighboring Horny Toad Entertainment Complex, home of H.Toad’s Bar and Grill, which is open year-round and offers seasonal live entertainment, both indoors and on the outdoor lakeside stage.

The Camden on the Lake Resort was originally built as a luxury condo resort, but it was converted into a hotel that today has 116 guest suites and studios, a spa and a marina.

The resort also offers 19,000 square feet of meeting space.

The 6,600-square-foot Grand Ballroom can be divided into three rooms, and the 6,000-square-foot Harbor Ballroom opens onto an almost-wraparound deck. The 3,200-square-foot Lakeside Room can seat up to 240 for banquets that also dish up lake views.

At the resort’s marina, attendees can rent boats and jet skis, and groups can reserve water taxis for private dock-to-dock service or arrange guided fishing charters. camdenonthelake.com

LINCOLN'"

"CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

LINCOLN.ORG/SMM

January 2022

GO LOCAL 6 RELAX

IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA Kick back with a glass of wine, listen to a local band and relax. Our local wineries provide a variety of wine as unique as our sunsets. Come experience our local flavors with a touch of Midwest hospitality.

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e v o M e h t On IN OKC The Oklahoma City Convention Center sits adjacent to Scissortail Park near the city center.

All photos courtesy OKC CVB

CITY

Continual improvement is the drumbeat of Oklahoma City

F

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

irst known as Oklahoma Station, Oklahoma City sprang to life within hours when 4,000 to 6,000 settlers descended upon the territory and claimed property in the 1889 Land Run. From that wild and wooly beginning, Oklahoma’s capital has transformed into a modern metropolitan city that embraces its Native American heritage, wide-open spaces and a recreationally busy river flowing through it. Active oil derricks dot its capital grounds, buyers trade at the world’s largest cattle market, and the University of Oklahoma cheers on its football Sooners.

Oklahoma City has garnered numerous kudos recently. Travel + Leisure named it “One of the 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020,” and Meetings Today named it the “Number One City to Watch for Meetings and Events.”

OKLAHOMA CITY AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: Central Oklahoma ACCESS: Will Rogers World Airport; interstates 35, 40, 235 and 44; Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer HOTEL ROOMS: 18,758 CONTACT INFO: Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau 800-225-5652 visitokc.com ASM GLOBAL/OKLAHOMA CITY CONVENTION CENTER BUILT: 2021 EXHIBIT SPACE: 200,730 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 29,874-square-foot ballroom; 65,000 square feet of pre-function space MEETING HOTELS

Omni Oklahoma City Hotel GUEST ROOMS: 605, including 29 suites MEETING SPACE: 76,000 square feet Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City GUEST ROOMS: 225, including 20 suites MEETING SPACE: 18,500 square feet Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown GUEST ROOMS: 396, including 10 suites MEETING SPACE: 26,270 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN OKLAHOMA CITY

Cattleman’s Congress ATTENDEES: 1,400 American Association of Meat Processors ATTENDEES: 800 American Institute of Parliamentarians ATTENDEES: 60

January 2022

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Destination Highlights

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f the question is “What’s new in Oklahoma City?” the answer is bound to be long-winded, thanks to citizens who care about their city’s growth.

In 1993, visionaries proposed the cutting-edge Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (MAPS), to be implemented in stages and funded by a “self-imposed tax” on residents, though the program has spurred a lot of private investment as well. Stage 4 is now in progress, with 16 projects planned. Starting with downtown development, MAPS became the fuel that has created a renaissance and rebranded the city OKC. Implemented mostly within the past two years, MAPS 3 completed a 605-room Omni hotel; 40 acres of soon-to-be 70-acre Scissortail Park as a community gathering spot along the Oklahoma River with outdoor activities; a streetcar system that stops in 16 neighborhood districts; the OKC Riversport Rapids; and the largest project to date, the $228 million ASM Global/Oklahoma City Convention Center, which opened in February 2021.

“New development dramatically changes the face of the Oklahoma City landscape,” said Zac Craig, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It opens the city to new possibilities in the meetings market.

“OKC is brimming with rich Native American culture and Old West charm. You can see it in our art, our architecture, our restaurants. We’re an interesting blend of old and new. You can see it when you talk to our people. We can talk about the brick and mortar of new attractions all day long, but our greatest assets are our welcoming and friendly residents.”

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

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Riversport OKC

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

Distinctive Venues

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pened in September, the architecturally stunning First Americans Museum (FAM) on the Oklahoma River across from downtown, tells the collective stories of the 39 tribal nations in Oklahoma today. Because tribal members were involved in creating Smithsonian-affiliated FAM from architectural design to the development of its interactive exhibits, the visitor experience is powerful and authentic. Its entire design is a cosmological clock, and many of its architectural nuances symbolically reflect those of First Americans, including a seasonal sunset-view Winter Solstice Tunnel.

Five varied meeting and/or event spaces include the Hall of the People, a huge glass structure visible from Interstate 40 that can host up to 700 persons standing.

“FAM is the first place anywhere that we’ve been able to tell our stories from our perspective,” said Ginny Underwood, the museum’s marketing and communications manager. “We want to show that we First Americans are thriving and very much contributing to society today.”

Called “America’s best Western museum” by True West magazine, the 100,000-square-foot National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, was founded in 1955 and explores the state’s cowboy culture, its rugged spirit and its rich influences. Groups can stroll through a late-19th- and early-20th-century cattle town, order a drink in the Silver Dollar Saloon and explore replicas of a Kiowa tepee and a prairie sod house.

A shining star of OKC’s vibrant arts scene, the downtown Oklahoma City Museum of Art houses one of the world’s largest collections of Dale Chihuly’s glass art. Considered its most striking piece is a 55-foot-tall, treeshaped tower of intricate, multicolored, magical Chihuly glassy marvels.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

AFTER HOURS

Bricktown District

A

10-minute drive from the airport, the ASM Global/Oklahoma City Convention Center features 500,000 square feet of meeting space downtown, complete with exquisite art and soaring glass walls.

Its 29,000-plus-square-foot ballroom has 5,000 square feet of prefunction space and a park-view balcony. Managed by ASM Global, the new center is “a game-changer for the city as a meetings destination,” said general manager Al Rojas. “Already, 16 national conventions are booked through 2026.”

Across the street from Scissortail Park, the center offers attendees the opportunity to stroll between meetings. South of it is the 581,000-square-foot Paycom Center, home to the NBA OKC Thunder and major concerts and events.

Between the aforementioned centers, the new 605-guest-room Omni Oklahoma City Hotel boasts 76,000 square feet of event space and dramatic views of the downtown skyline.

Also downtown, the 110-year-old Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City is a gorgeous grande dame with 225 rooms, 14 floors, three towers and 18,200 square feet of meeting space. Its lobby Wall of Fame features such notable guests as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, several U.S. presidents and famous sports figures.

“We call ourselves historically modern,” said Don Jackson, the hotel’s director of sales. “The Venetian Room, our original 1930s ballroom, is a historic space on the 14th floor, while our second-floor, mid-2000s Grand Ballroom provides 6,100 square feet of modern space.”

Among its numerous kudos, the property was named Historic Hotels of America’s best historic hotel in the organization’s midsize range — 201 to 400 rooms — for 2021.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

January 2022

Oklahoma City Convention Center

After the Meeting

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he official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site for rowing, canoeing and kayaking competitions, OKC’s Boathouse District on the Oklahoma River, is a mecca for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Options include river cruises, canoe and kayak rentals, walking and cycling trails and the world’s tallest adventure course, the SandRidge Sky Trail.

For team building, corporate picnics and group recreation, Camp Trivera, also in the Boathouse District, feels like a getaway right in the city. Groups of up to 350 can gather in its auditorium; activities include swimming, zip lining and indoor rock-climbing.

Only a short walk away is the Bricktown Entertainment District, renovated old warehouses rife with restaurants, nightlife and entertainment options. There’s even a winery, Put a Cork in It, with event space. On a 40-minute river ride on the tree-lined Bricktown Canal aboard the Bricktown Ferry, ambassadors relate local history and point out important sites along the way. And in this multifaceted city known for its craft breweries, groups on a Ride OKC Bikes and Brews Tour can cycle and sip while learning about its craft beer culture, local facts and lore, art, architecture and food.

Finally, a must-see on any stop in Bricktown is the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, named by Trip Advisor as No. 1 of 123 Things to Do in Oklahoma City in 2020. Memorializing those whose lives were touched by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building here, the attraction offers the possibility of transforming a heinous act of violence into hope and healing.

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TOWN

: a r o d e M

SMALL AND MIGHTY

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BY KATI HYER

ew small towns pack as much of a tourism punch as Medora, North Dakota. Despite a permanent population of just 137, rugged and historic Medora welcomes tens of thousands of visitors annually.

Breathtaking views of North Dakota’s Badlands and world-class entertainment draw travelers from near and far.

“In Medora, you get history, variety shows and scenery with a touch of the Wild West unavailable anywhere else,” said Jim Bridger, chairman of the Medora Convention and Visitors Bureau.

North Dakota’s most-visited destination sits on the Little Missouri River, off Interstate 94, two hours west of Bismarck, North Dakota. The ambitious Marquis de Morès founded the town to service his businesses and named Medora after his wife in 1883. About that same time, a young Theodore Roosevelt journeyed to the Badlands to hunt bison.

As a result, Roosevelt’s presence permeates Medora today, where group travelers can enjoy an Old West Teddy Roosevelt experience. Medora offers attractions that explore the legacy of the American cowboy, distinctive dining options and scenic activities that will satisfy even the most energetic outdoor adventurer.

Thanks to its place in history as Roosevelt’s hunting spot, groups meeting in Medora enjoy the same thrilling landscapes that inspired Teddy to found the national park system in 1916. Today, Medora is the southern gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where the Badlands reach the Great Plains. And carved into buttes and gorges is the nationally renowned Bully Pulpit Golf Course. Here visitors can tee off at one of the nation’s unique golf courses.

Historic hotels and meeting spaces transport travelers to the Old West.

Built to accommodate Medora’s rapid growth under cattle tycoon de Morès, the Rough Riders Hotel and Conference Center is in the heart of downtown.

Groups can reserve this primary meeting space and divide its ballroom to suit their meeting needs.

Roosevelt credited his strenuous Medora ranching experience with the leadership and talent growth he needed to later secure the presidency. Of Medora, Roosevelt said, “In this country of hills and plateaus, the romance of my life began.”

Groups taking on Medora may find the same to be true for themselves.

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Photos courtesy Medora CVB

MEDORA’S MANITOU ZIP LINE

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

“THE MEDORA MUSICAL” TAKES PLACE AGAINST THE SCENIC BACKDROP OF NORTH DAKOTA’S BLACK HILLS.

Visitors can stay in the same 76-room Rough Riders Hotel and Conference Center that once hosted Roosevelt. The 1884 space, named for his volunteer cavalry, allows groups to reserve its 2,340-square-foot historic ballroom with modern amenities.

Half a mile away on the other end of downtown, the 78-room AmericInn Hotel and Suites by Wyndham offers 2,500 square feet of event space.

It accommodates up to 200 conference or banquet guests.

At roughly a quarter-mile from each hotel, the Medora Community Center is a great event space option for larger crowds. It holds between 400 and 450 people. “Plus, it’s a great venue because it’s right in between the hotels,” Bridger said.

Unique Meeting Venues

“Wherever you meet and stay, you’re going to see those great views that presidents have been writing about,” Bridger said.

The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame boasts 1,400 square feet of multipurpose meeting space and a 5,000-square-foot open-air patio. The 15,000-square-foot interpretive center features Western culture exhibits, a theater, a gift shop, archives and more.

Chateau de Morès is the preserved home and hunting lodge of the town’s founders. In addition to its small group meeting spaces and attached patio, “the home easily accommodates 50 to 100 guests banquet style,” Anna Killearn, supervisor at the Chateau de Mores State Historic Site said.

MEDORA NORTH DAKOTA LOCATION

Western North Dakota, in the heart of the Badlands, 125 miles west of Bismarck, North Dakota, and 200 miles north of Rapid City, South Dakota.

ACCESS

Bismarck Airport, Interstate 94

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

AmericInn Hotel and Suites by Wyndham, Badlands Ministries, North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame

HOTEL ROOMS 475

OFF-SITE VENUES

Rough Rider Hotel, Harold Schafer Heritage Center Patio, Chateau de Mores, Bully Pulpit Clubhouse

CONTACT INFO

Medora Convention and Visitors Bureau 701-623-4830 medorand.com

January 2022

Popular Activities

Groups can immerse themselves in exploring the little cow town that built Roosevelt. Among the attractions that center on the 26th president are Theodore Roosevelt’s Salute to Medora, TR’s Tavern and Theodore’s Dining Room. “And don’t miss the unbelievable bike trails, hiking and animals,” Bridger said of the national park bearing Roosevelt’s name.

A visit to Medora is incomplete without an evening at the “Medora Musical.”

“The musical is a cherry on top of the entire experience,” Bridger said of the world-famous show. Celebrating Medora, Roosevelt and the untamed spirit of the West, the musical takes place each night during the summer in the 3,000-seat Burning Hill Amphitheater.

CVB Services The Medora Convention and Visitors Bureau offers turnkey services for meeting planners. Included in their planning services are complimentary hotel rooms, a full tour of the town and event planning assistance. The CVB offers event support such as a welcome packet and bag stuffing. Once groups arrive, meet-and-greet services are available, with a Roosevelt impersonator available for groups of 10 to 1,000.

“We’re lucky that we’re such a small place on the map with a huge heart that can welcome hundreds of thousands of guests with all the facilities you need,” Bridger said.

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O N E - S T O P D E S T I N AT I O N

Chandler’s Desert Oasis

H

BY KATI HYER

istory and sophistication blend seamlessly at a palm-lined oasis in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. The Crowne Plaza Phoenix Chandler Golf Resort, constructed in 1913 as the San Marcos Hotel, is a hidden gem for meeting planners. Paired with unforgettable Southwest weather, the resort’s all-in-one offerings, history and prime downtown location make this Chandler, Arizona, destination a huge draw for visitors seeking a luxurious getaway.

Turn-of-the-20th-century real estate visionary A.J. Chandler built the hotel to anchor the town bearing his name. Arizona had just been granted statehood the year prior, in 1912, and the irrigation techniques he invented to create the Grand Canyon State’s first grass golf course were cutting edge for the time. Chandler envisioned his unique and beautiful San Marcos Hotel and Golf Course as a sumptuous winter resort where the who’s who of the nation could go to escape and play.

In 1982, the Crowne Plaza Chandler earned a National Register of Historic Places listing. Today, visitors can experience some of the factors that secured the designation, including the Spanish Mission Revival architecture integrated throughout the building.

Plus, legends of secret speakeasies and ghost stories abound in the resort’s walls. “People swear this place is haunted,” said Crowne Plaza meeting director Tiffany Warman.

The Crowne Plaza Chandler recently undertook extensive renovations. All the resort’s 249 freshly overhauled guest rooms and suites boast a balcony or patio. “We completely gutted the bathrooms and redid everything,” Warman said. “They are beautiful.”

Additionally, Crowne Plaza Chandler staff completely made over the lobby and bar areas in 2020. “Next summer we will renovate the event spaces with new carpeting, lighting, wallpapering and more,” Warman said.

Meeting planners can take advantage of the resort’s 32,000 square feet of customizable event space. The Crown Plaza Chandler boasts 16 rooms, spanning modest meeting spaces to expansive ballrooms. The resort’s on-site staff can assist in reserving room blocks, booking tee times and providing catering, audiovisual and all the event support a planner may need.

Thanks to the resort’s all-in-one offerings, planners can easily provide groups with the lively and lavish backdrop America’s jet-setting elite have sought for more than a century.

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DUSK ON THE POOL DECK AT CROWNE PLAZA CHANDLER

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

M E E T I N G S PAC E S The Crowne Plaza Chandler’s event space spans 32,000 square feet across 16 meeting rooms. Those spaces include three ballrooms, two board rooms, an amphitheater, indoor and outdoor patios and a lush courtyard. The resort’s signature Southwestern style permeates every meeting space; rooms range from as few as 350 square feet up to the largest ballroom at 5,500 square feet.

The resort offers complete meeting planning services on-site.

“We provide the food and beverage, bar service, full banquet staff and kitchen staff and have on-site audiovisual service as well,” Warman said. “They are awesome with groups going hybrid and virtual.”

DINING Groups meeting at the Crowne Plaza Chandler have vibrant on-site dining options.

“In our hotel lobby and on the outdoor patio space is 1912, our lobby bar that serves all kinds of foods and beverages,” Warman said. AJ’s restaurant, one of Chandler’s most historic restaurants, has been serving all-American breakfast daily for more than a century.

“Right here on the ground floor is a restaurant called Crust, an excellent Italian pizza restaurant,” Warman said. Accessed through a recently uncovered hidden staircase, the Ostrich Bar is housed in Crust’s basement, a space rumored to have been a Prohibition-era speakeasy.

CONSTRUCTED IN 1913 AS THE SAN MARCOS HOTEL, THE CROWNE PLAZA CHANDLER BRINGS HISTORIC ELEGANCE TO THE DESERT NEAR PHOENIX.

A TENTED EVENT ON THE TERRACE

THE CROWNE PLAZA PHOENIX CHANDLER GOLF RESORT LOCATION

Chandler, Arizona

SIZE

249 guest rooms and suites

MEETING SPACE

32,000 square feet of flexible event space

ACCESS

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Interstate 10

CONTACT INFO

480-812-0900 sanmarcosresort.com

January 2022

Photos courtesy Crowne Plaza Chandler Golf Resort

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O N E - S T O P D E S T I N AT I O N

EXTRAS World-class tee times are just a three-minute walk away from guest rooms at the resort’s San Marcos Golf Course. Guests can improve their golf game with on-site PGA head golf pros on Arizona’s history-making first grass golf course.

The resort’s heated pool entertains with DJs and live music in the summer. Guests can take advantage of the on-site spa, the full state-of-the-art fitness center and the salon to seize the relaxation they crave. The resort has also added a gift shop that sells unusual products, including high-end wine, liquor and souvenirs.

BEFORE AND AFTER

THE SAN MARCOS GOLF COURSE

February and March mean one thing in Chandler: baseball. More than a dozen major league teams move to the Greater Phoenix area for spring training every year. Visitors can secure tickets for Cactus League games, no more than an hour’s drive from the resort.

However, guests can access great entertainment without ever getting in a car. “People feel comfortable and safe in Chandler,” Warman said. “There’s so much to do right within walking distance.”

Passersby can enjoy the Spanish Colonial and Mission Revival architecture throughout the community as they explore shops, restaurants and galleries in historic Old Town Chandler Square.

“People feel comfortable and safe in Chandler. There’s so much to do right within walking distance.”

— Tiffany Warman, The Crowne Plaza Phoenix Chandler Golf Resort

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

NAPERVILLE’S WATER STREET DISTRICT IS AN APPEALING AREA IN DUPAGE COUNTY OUTSIDE CHICAGO.

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Meetdieng Gui

DuPage County comprises 38 vibrant communities just outside of Chicago, between the O’Hare and Midway airports and near eight major interstates. Three commuter rail lines are available for visitors who want to stay in DuPage but take daytrips to the Chicago area.

Naperville, Downers Grove, Oakbrook Terrace, Lisle and Glen Ellyn all have something special to offer meeting groups that want to avoid the bustle of urban Chicago but need the amenities a larger city has to offer. With 115 hotels, several of them full-service, and plenty of cultural and family-friendly attractions, the area is worth a look.

January 2022

Courtesy DuPage CVB

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

n America’s Heartland, suburban destinations can be just as exciting as their big-city neighbors. Meeting planners that want to get away from the big city but still have plenty of fun things to do, top-notch hotels and a choice of meeting venues should consider these five Midwestern suburbs.

DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Suburbs in the Heartland

The Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace brings in top Broadway productions, and Cantigny Park features the historic house museum of Robert McCormick, a colonel in the First Infantry Division in World War I and president of the Tribune Co., publisher of the Chicago Tribune.

The property is also home to the First Division Museum.

The Morton Arboretum, Oakbrook Center, one of the largest outdoor shopping centers in the country, and Lynfred Winery, Illinois’ first winery, round out some of the mustsee places in the area.

Meeting planners have their pick of 2 million square feet of combined meeting space and 16,000 hotel rooms, including the full-service Westin Chicago Lombard, the Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center and the Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook.

Fun activities include Puttshack, which is described as indoor miniature golf on steroids, and WhirlyBall, a team game that involves bumper cars, lacrosse-style sticks and a basketball hoop. discoverdupage.com

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Meetieng Guid

ZIONSVILLE AND BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA

DOWNTOWN ZIONSVILLE

Courtesy Boone Co. CVB

Unlike many suburbs of major urban centers, Zionsville, Lebanon and Whitestown, Indiana, have retained their small-town charm.

Each town has its own distinctive downtown with unique shops, bars and restaurants. The area is known for its major festivals and events.

Just 11 miles outside Indianapolis, Boone County offers a less hectic location for small- to midsize meetings and events. The Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lebanon, which is the county seat of Boone County, has indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces that can host events with up to 200 vendors and 5,000 attendees.

Zionsville, one of the area’s most popular destinations, is home to the Fanimation Antique Fan Museum and Traders Point Creamery, an artisan creamery, organic dairy farm and restaurant that offers farm-to table meals and some beautiful event spaces, including the Red Barn, a historic 1870s barn that can host groups of up to 300 people; a garden lawn and deck for outside events; and two smaller event spaces. Groups can take a self-guided or guided tour of the organic dairy farm and beautiful grounds or see how cows are milked.

The Palomino Ballroom, also in Zionsville, has an elegant 5,000-square-foot ballroom, a terrace, a full bar and other small meeting space. Lebanon’s Golf Club of Indiana has indoor and outdoor meeting spaces. The top hotels in the area include the Holiday Inn Express Lebanon, the Econo Lodge, the Hampton Inn, WoodSpring Suites Indianapolis Zionsville and the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Indianapolis NW-Zionsville, which also has a small meeting room for up to 30 people. boonecvb.com

GAHANNA, OHIO

GAHANA’S CREEKSIDE EVENT CENTER

Ohio’s herb capital, Gahanna is about 10 minutes outside Columbus.

It has 20 miles of biking and walking trails and is host to the Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival. The Ohio Herb Center in Gahanna’s popular Creekside District offers group workshops about herbs, from tea blending to botanical beauty, as well as tours of its herb gardens. It also has a gift shop that sells blended teas, herbal products and bulk herbs.

Big Walnut Creek runs through the Creekside District, with its beautiful fountains, a lagoon, locally owned restaurants and shops. Several breweries and distilleries call the area home, including the area’s first Black-owned brewery, Crafted Culture Brewing. Visit Gahanna offers a passport to the Herbal Cocktail Trail, which features six to eight participating restaurants and breweries that each offer a unique herbal cocktail.

Meeting venues include the Gahanna Sanctuary, a restored 1875 church that can host meetings and receptions for up to 250 people, and the Peak at Edison, a new event space attached to the Edison Brewing Co., which offers stunning views of the Columbus skyline and a more modern and industrial aesthetic. It can host a banquet of up to 200 people. The Creekside Conference and Event Center overlooks Big Walnut Creek and has a ballroom that seats 450 people and several breakout rooms.

Top hotels include the SpringHill Suites, the TownPlace Suites, the Holiday Inn Express and Suites and the Sonesta Simply Suites, all near Columbus Airport. visitgahanna.com Courtesy Creekside Event Center

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA

The Mall of America in Bloomington is one of the most iconic destinations in Minnesota with more than 520 stores, the Nickelodeon Universe theme park and the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium, but what many people don’t realize is that it’s also a major meeting and convention destination. An easy 15-minute drive from both Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, and a short distance from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Bloomington is home to more than 45 hotels with 9,600 hotel rooms, including 21 that have a combined 283,491 square feet of meeting and convention space.

The largest is the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington-Minneapolis South at 78,000 square feet of meeting space and 569 rooms. The JW Marriott Minneapolis, with 342 rooms and 19,516 square feet of meeting space, and the Radisson Blu, with 500 rooms and 26,3000 square feet of meeting space, are both attached to the Mall of America. The Parkview Meeting and Event Center at the mall has 6,840 square feet of meeting space.

When not in meetings, groups can tour the aquarium and Nickelodeon theme park in the mall, spend a day at the Great Wolf Water Park, get out into nature at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge or find their way through the Amazing Mirror Maze, also in the Mall of America. Other options include visiting the Minnesota Zoo and attending a Minnesota Vikings football game or a Minnesota Twins baseball game nearby. bloomingtonmn.org

Where innovation, education, and community collide.

THE COURTYARD AT THE SHERATON IN BLOOMINGTON

In Champaign County, we lead through innovation. We’re safely bringing back meetings & events together with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and our Outside of Ordinary community.

Learn more about expanded and new meeting space for your return to events.

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

800.369.6151 caitlynf@visitchampaigncounty.org

champaignmeets.com

By James Michael Kruger, courtesy Bloomington CVB

January 2022

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Meetieng Guid

DYERSVILLE, IOWA

The small town of Dyersville, Iowa, made a name for itself when the movie “Field of Dreams” was filmed in the area. About 25 miles outside Dubuque, Iowa, the town is a pilgrimage spot for fans who come to see the iconic movie site with its baseball field and historic farmhouse.

In 2020, the town of 4,400 people opened the “If You Build It” exhibit about the movie, with a mural of the ghost players and exhibits that tell the history of the players and the Black Sox scandal. In 2021, Major League Baseball built a temporary 8,000-seat stadium in town to host a game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, a tradition the town hopes to continue.

Baseball isn’t Dyersville’s only attraction. The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, a huge Gothic church with two spires that stand 212 feet tall, is well worth a visit, and the National Farm Toy Museum has the largest collection of farm toys in the country, with exhibits about Ertl, now Tomy, the toymaker that has a factory in Dyersville, and a plethora of replica John Deere farm equipment.

The town has three hotels with a total of 176 rooms, plus Airbnbs and bed-and-breakfasts. It doesn’t have a standalone convention center, but it has plenty of community centers, meeting halls, restaurants and breweries that can host groups of up to 500 people, including Commercial Club Park and Events Center, a century-old pavilion, and Dyersville Oak Gardens. The Comfort Inn has meeting space for up to 90 people. The Textile Brewing Co. is a unique venue in a refurbished sewing factory that has an outdoor biergarten with fire pits. It serves traditional Bavarian pretzels and flatbread. dyersville.org

DYERSVILLE’S BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER

The small town of Dyersville, Iowa, made a name for itself when the movie “Field of Dreams” was filmed in the area.

About 25 miles outside Dubuque, Iowa, the town is a pilgrimage spot for fans who come to see the iconic movie site with its baseball field and historic farmhouse.

A “FIELD OF DREAMS” MURAL IN DYERSVILLE Photos courtesy Dyersville Area COC

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center

Discover DuPage For Future Meetings and Events.

• 2 Million Sq. Ft. of Combined Meeting Space • 57,000 Sq. Ft. Largest Meeting Space • 16,000+ Total Hotel Rooms

DiscoverDuPage.com/Meetings

Hotel Arista Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook

CEDAR POINT’S HOTEL BREAKERS OFFERS 669 GUEST ROOMS ON THE SHORES OF LAKE ERIE IN SANDUSKY.

Heartland Family Favorites

Meetdieng Gui

W

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

hen it comes to conference destinations, family appeal always sells. People are more likely to attend if they can bring their families along for some fun before, during or after the event. Here are several meeting destinations in America’s Heartland that not only have attractions popular with families but also offer full-service conference hotels and venues popular with meeting planners.

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Courtesy Lake Erie Shores and Islands

SANDUSKY, OHIO

Sandusky, Ohio, is the biggest city on Lake Erie and is best known as the jumping-off point to visit the islands on Lake Erie. Groups hosting a meeting in Sandusky can take a ferry from downtown to Kelleys Island or Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island for a group outing or off-site event. Kelleys Island has the Glacial Grooves State Memorial, Kelleys Island State Park and other nature and wildlife preserves to explore. Put-In-Bay features miniature golf, a lighthouse, natural caves and a butterfly house for the kids, and breweries and wineries for the adults.

No visit to Sandusky is complete without taking a ride on one of the record-setting roller coasters at Cedar Point amusement park or enjoying a thrill ride at Cedar Point Shores water park. Cedar Point has three lodging properties — the Hotel Breakers, the Xpress Hotel and Lighthouse Point — as well as a lakefront community of cottages, cabins and recreational vehicle sites. The Watering Hole in Marblehead is an outdoor water park with a drive-through safari zoo, bumper boats and go-karts.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

The Cheers Trail offers more adult entertainment, taking visitors on a tasting tour of local breweries, wineries and distilleries, many with meeting and event spaces and on-site cuisine.

The top meeting location in Sandusky is Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, with 900 rooms, a 250,000-square-foot convention center, water parks, an arcade, restaurants and shops.

The resort also offers a ropes course and other team-building activities for meeting groups.

Great Wolf Lodge is a smaller meeting venue with a Northwoods theme that is geared toward families with younger children. It has a water park, an arcade and fun kids’ activities. shoresandislands.com

A SANDUSKY SEGWAY TOUR

WISCONSIN DELLS, WISCONSIN

Known as the water park capital of the world, Wisconsin Dells is a premier family-friendly destination. Meeting planners trying to attract attendees can do so by hosting events at some of the largest resorts in the area. Kalahari Resorts and Conventions is the largest, with 760 lodge rooms and a 212,000-squarefoot convention center. It also is home to Wisconsin’s largest indoor water park. The Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort has 55,000 square feet of meeting space at Glacier Canyon Lodge, as well as 1,151 lodge rooms, four indoor and four outdoor water parks, a golf course, three arcades, a spa, restaurants and an indoor theme park.

Groups will enjoy duck boat tours of the beautiful and iconic Wisconsin Dells landscape, as well as taking hair-raising jet boat rides down the river or touring a local lavender farm by wagon. The International Crane Foundation is the only place where visitors can see all 15 species of the world’s cranes. And Circus World, the home of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, has the largest collection of antique circus wagons in the country, as well as musical entertainment and circus acts.

The Dells has six championship golf courses and Wizard Quest, an interactive gaming experience that takes groups on quests through 30 different labyrinths.

The area has 500,000 square feet of customizable meeting space and more than 8,000 hotel rooms. wisdells.com

Courtesy Lake Erie Shores and Islands

A WISCONSIN DELLS BOAT TOUR

OMAHA, NEBRASKA

The Missouri River separates Omaha, Nebraska, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, offering opportunities for boating, hiking, biking and bird-watching. The pedestrian bridge that links the two cities is a must-visit, and Omaha is in the midst of a $300 million Riverfront Revitalization Project that will link three parks — the Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland American Park and Lewis and Clark Landing — while adding a host of new amenities, including a performance pavilion, a state-of-the-art playground, interactive water features and a sculpture garden. The Kiewit

Courtesy Wisconsin Dells VCB

January 2022

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Meetieng Guid Luminarium, a riverfront science center, is set to open at Lewis and Clark Landing in 2023.

A visit to Omaha would not be complete without a visit to Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, one of the top-ranked zoos in the country, or a narrated cruise on the River City Star riverboat.

The CHI Health Center is the largest convention venue in the city, with 346,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and an 18,300-seat arena. The center is attached to the 600-room AAA Four-Diamond Hilton Omaha with 15 meeting rooms. The full-service, 333-room Omaha Marriott Downtown is across the street and offers an additional 17,500 square feet of meeting space.

Unique venues include the zoo and the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, and meeting planners can add on brewery and history tours or the Million Dollar Tour that takes visitors to all the places important to billionaire Warren Buffett, who calls Omaha home. visitomaha.com

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MISSOURI

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO

The top attraction in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, is the 54,000acre man-made lake that lent its name to the entire area. It has 1,150 miles of shoreline dotted with resorts, marinas and quaint Midwestern towns. Swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking and boat rentals are a big attraction for families, and the lake offers some of the best fishing in the country. Lake of the Ozarks is also home to the largest

Courtesy Visit Omaha

MEET IN MUSCATINE Experience your next meeting in picturesque Muscatine along the banks of the Mississippi River, home to Iowa’s #1 Hotel The Merrill Hotel, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel.

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visitmuscatine.com

The Howe Conference Center features 12,723 themerrill.com square feet across 16 functional rooms. www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Hello, Fort Wayne!

I N D I A N A

Omaha is in the midst of a $300 million Riverfront Revitalization Project that will link three parks while adding a host of new amenities, including a performance pavilion, a state-of-the-art playground, interactive water features and a sculpture garden.

“Grand Wayne Center is a stunning work of architecture with easy access to hotels, restaurants and entertainment. Our members were impressed with how clean, modern, walkable, and friendly downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, proved to be.”

— Dallas. W. Johnson, North American SCRABBLE® Championship

NOW BOOKING 2022 and beyond!

Marcy McKinley | Director of Sales & Marketing A FAMILY OUTING ON MISSOURI’S LAKE OF THE OZARKS

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT US:

• Full in-house services for In-person, Hybrid, or Remote meetings • 225,000 sf. of beautifully appointed space • 18 carpeted, fully equipped event rooms • 4500 theatre; 3100 banquet; 2900 classroom • 3 adjacent hotels with garage parking • In-house Sales, AV, Catering, Event management, and Guest experiences • 60+ walkable restaurants and pubs, boutiques, and riverfront parks • Easier event planning & guest navigation >> SAVE UP TO 15% versus comparable cities!

Easy Drive-To Destination!

Easy by Air via FWA

DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA | grandwayne.com | 260.426.4100

@GrandWayneCC #yourGrandWaynestory

Courtesy Lake of the Ozarks CVB

January 2022

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Meetieng Guid state park in Missouri, HaHaTonka State Park, with 75 miles of hiking and biking trails and the ruins of a burnt-out castle to explore.

There are 14 championship golf courses, indoor and outdoor water parks and four caves to tour. Among the most unusual is Bridal Cave, which groups can explore on walking tours or boat tours. There is great shopping and plenty of places to listen to live music. The Ozark Amphitheatre can hold 10,000 people and brings in big-name acts like Kane Brown and ZZ Top. The Ozark International Raceway, a 3.8-mile speedway, will open in May, and the Malted Monkey, with its zip lines and ropes courses, offers children of all ages the chance to defy gravity. In 2021, Lake of the Ozarks celebrated the 90th anniversary of the building of Bagnell Dam on the Osage River. Groups can learn more about the history of the area before the building of the dam at the historic Willmore Lodge.

The area has six conference hotels. The Margaritaville Lake Resort is the largest with 670 rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space. In total, the area has 4,500 guest rooms. funlake.com

THE GOLF COURSE AT LAKE OF THE OZARKS’ OLD KINDERHOOK RESORT Courtesy Lake of the Ozarks CVB

PUT MEANING

Travel with Purpose Across North America.

As travelers, we all want rich, authentic, and meaningful travel experiences. As travel professionals, we want to ensure we use travel as a force for good. Through the

ON THE MAP.

Meaningful Travel Map of North America, visitors can connect to locally owned social and environmental impact experiences and opportunities, unique and hands-on cultural experiences, products, and services.

www.meaningfultravelplatform.org/main/map Pictured: Dive with the Coral Restoration Foundation, as they replant and restore coral reefs in the Florida Keys.

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Our Storied Past...

Your Next Adventure

Ask us about

Tour ‘IN 64 itineraries featuring multiple Southern Indiana destinations.

#MyFrenchLick • vflwb.com • 812-936-3418 • shelby@visitfrenchlickwestbaden.com

Heartland College Towns

A

Meetdieng Gui

Madison, Wisconsin, is uniquely placed on a narrow strip of land between two of the area’s five lakes, Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Visitors have access to more than 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, or they can spend their time boating, swimming or paddleboarding. The University of Wiscon-

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By Focal Flame Photography, courtesy Destination Madison

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

merica’s Heartland is full of wonderful college towns that are great places not only to visit but also to host meetings or events. Here are a few centrally located destinations in the Midwest that have everything a meeting planner could want, from full-service hotels and prime meeting spaces to a dash of team spirit.

MADISON, WISCONSIN

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN CAMPUS OFFERS ABUNDANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROUPS MEETING IN MADISON.

sin-Madison is connected to the state Capitol via the city’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, State Street.

There’s plenty of shopping, as well as world-class restaurants and cultural experiences, such as the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; the Olbrich Botanical Gardens; the Henry Vilas Zoo; and Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home. The Capitol is open to the public and offers free tours.

Madison has more than 10,000 guest rooms and nearly 750,000 square feet of meeting space, including the Memorial Union, the Pyle Center and the Union South buildings on campus.

Two of the city’s top meeting venues are the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, with its 129,530 square feet of space overlooking Lake Monona, and the Alliant Energy Center, with its 150,000 square feet of space for conventions, sporting events and agriculture and livestock shows.

The Hilton Madison Monona Terrace is connected to Monona Terrace, and the Madison Marriott West has 292 guest rooms and 61,017 square feet of meeting space. Other full-service hotels include the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club, the Sheraton Madison Hotel, the Edgewater Hotel and the Best Western Premier Park Hotel. visitmadison.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

IOWA CITY, IOWA

The University of Iowa campus seamlessly blends with Iowa City, from its many attractions and sporting events to the shopping, dining and bar scene. When the school’s football team plays a home game, every hotel in the city sells out.

Meeting groups wanting to tap into that team spirit can take a tour of the stadium or campus or bring in the team’s mascot, Herky the Hawk, as a special guest at their meetings. Hancher Auditorium, known for touring Broadway shows, can seat 1,800 people. The campus facility also has other meeting spaces, including a rehearsal hall and two lobbies.

To learn more about the city’s history, attendees can tour the Iowa Old Capitol Building, which was built in 1842 and is now a centerpiece on the university campus.

The city has more than 25 hotels with 5,000 hotel rooms. The Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel and Conference Center is the largest convention space in town, with 286 guest rooms and 57,588 square feet of meeting space. It anchors Iowa River Landing, a 180-acre mixed-use development that sits on the Iowa River and is about a mile from campus. The property features retail and entertainment. The 5,100-seat Xtream Arena and 53,000-squarefoot GreenState Family Fieldhouse can host groups of any size in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

The Englert Theatre, a former vaudeville theater downtown, and Celebration Farm offer unique meeting venues and experiences. thinkiowacity.com

THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA CAMPUS IN IOWA CITY

By Justin Torner, courtesy Iowa City CVB

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, is the consummate university town, with many of the city’s must-see attractions centered around campus, including Michigan Stadium, lovingly called the Big House, the university’s 107,601-seat football stadium. It also is known for its outdoor recreational opportunities, from plentiful golf courses to trails that are great for hiking, running, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

The Huron River runs through the city and during the summer months is packed with canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

The city has a robust arts and cultural scene with museums, art galleries and theaters. Four distinct districts in town offer shopping and more than 400 restaurants, many of them unique to Ann Arbor. There are more than 5,000 hotel rooms in the area, including five full-service hotels. Graduate Ann Arbor, a 204room boutique hotel across the street from campus, has indoor and outdoor meeting spaces for up to 300 people. The Inn at the Michigan League is a small hotel in the University of Michigan student union.

The Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown and the Bell Tower Hotel are both downtown and close to the university.

Prime meeting spots include Michigan Stadium; the Jack Roth Stadium Club, which overlooks the football field; and the campus golf course, which has a newly renovated clubhouse that is available for rent.

DOWNTOWN ANN ARBOR

Courtesy Destination Ann Arbor

January 2022

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Meetieng Guid Zingerman’s Greyline is a new event space downtown for groups of up to 200 people. Zingerman’s Cornman Farms offers more rustic venues in an old farmhouse and a barn and has outside spaces. annarbor.org

CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS

MEET.

Eastern Illinois University has helped make Charleston a popular college town in Illinois for many years, in large part because the campus is right on Charleston’s main drag. Besides the university, the city is known for being home to the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum, which depicts all seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in their campaigns for the U.S. Senate. Lincoln aficionados will also want to visit the Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site, which was the home of Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln, and his stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln.

Charleston’s downtown is home to many historic buildings, including the courthouse. Murals depicting 1920s Charleston storefronts, Lincoln’s last journey to Charleston and Coles County Courthouse and Charleston Square in 1912 are a mustsee for any visitor to the city.

Lake Charleston, just south of town, has more than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails that lead into Fox Ridge State Park.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center, on campus, brings in music, theater, art and humanities events.

A UNIQUE VENUE AT CHARLESTON’S EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Come for the meeting...

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

618-529-4451 carbondaletourism.org Courtesy City of Charleston

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WHY THE

“FOOT OF THE LAKE” SHOULD NOW BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST.

Hotel Retlaw Lobby | thehotelretlaw.com

Dedicated to meeting excellence and exceeding expectations.

Fond du Lac's Downtown District features a $30 million, exquisitely refurbished historic Hotel Retlaw, recently recognized by US News and World Report as a top 15 Wisconsin getaway. With 121 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of dedicated event space, casual fine dining, and a lobby-level bar. All in the heart of our vibrant downtown.

Fond du Lac's Conference District features the recently remodeled Radisson Hotel and Conference Center with 24,000 square feet of event space and a full-service restaurant and bar. Within a one-mile radius, planners will find Hilton, Marriott, and IHG flagged properties totaling 500 rooms all in an easily accessed district tucked in near the interstate.

Fond du Lac is within an hour's drive of all the major Wisconsin cities, the Milwaukee International Airport, and 90 minutes from the outer Chicago suburbs.

Thinking (and meeting) outside the box.

Beyond the traditional, Fond du Lac and the Lake Winnebago Region offers meeting planners a variety of creative (and memorable) event venues.

Most prominent among these venues is the world-class Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts (just one block from the new Hotel Retlaw).

Check out our website for more unexpected venues! If you dream it, Fond du Lac can make it happen.

And that thing about all work and no play?

Fond du Lac and the Lake Winnebago Region Featuring Legendary Wisconsin Hospitality!

The fact is, there’s no more convenient meeting location in Wisconsin than Fond du Lac — within an hour of 70% of the state’s major population centers.

That means less time on the road, and more time for work and play (or is it play and work?).

That concept doesn’t exist in Fond du Lac and the Lake Winnebago Region. We know that the success of business events is often just as much a function of the fun attendees have after hours — fun they take home with them, and share with their peers.

Fond du Lac doesn’t disappoint with one of the largest fresh water lakes in America for fishing, boating, sailing and other water sports.

There’s also the natural beauty of Kettle Moraine State Forest and Horicon Marsh.

Spectacular golfing, scenic biking and hiking trails, boutique shopping, adventurous dining.

A downtown that lights it up with arts, entertainment and nightlife.

Enjoy a FAM tour of the Region, take a tour of our new luxury hotel, hear about the $5 million in new construction and remodeling in our Conference District and enjoy all that’ll put Fond du Lac and the Lake Winnebago Region at the top of your meeting destination list.

FDLmeetings.com | 800.937.9123 x104

Meetieng Guid The university has the largest meeting spaces available in Charleston, but the Unique Suites Hotel, with 77 guest rooms, also has banquet and meeting rooms large enough to seat 300-plus guests. The Days Inn by Wyndham has 51 rooms, and the McGrady Inn, a bedand-breakfast in town, also has lodging available. Other hotels in nearby towns can handle any overflow for larger events held on campus. charlestonillinois.org

WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI

A HOMECOMING PARADE IN WARRENSBURG Courtesy Visit Warrensburg

Warrensburg, Missouri, is home to the University of Central Missouri {UCM). Its historic downtown is wonderfully preserved, including the original Johnson County Courthouse, which still looks as it did in the 1800s. The building is best known as the site of a Missouri Supreme Court case involving two brothers-in-law. One of the men killed the other man’s dog, Old Drum, and tried to lie about it. The dog’s owner took him to court and proved he killed the dog. The lawyer for the dog’s owner gave a heartfelt tribute to Old Drum, calling him man’s best friend. A statue of Old Drum sits in front of the current county courthouse and includes a plaque with the famous speech.

Visitors to the area like to take selfies with Old Drum, visit Powell Gardens or tour the UCM campus.

Because UCM has students from all over the world, and Warrensburg is only seven miles from Whiteman Air Force Base, the town has more than 50 restaurants that cater to many different palates.

The Elliott Student Union on the UCM campus is the largest meeting facility in town with 19,000 square feet of space. It also has a bowling center, a cinema, a bookstore and a food court. UCM has several meeting and event spaces for up to 500 attendees.

Off campus, Buckeye Acres, the Milestones Barn and the Knob Hill Barn 1892 all have meeting spaces and unique farm experiences for groups. Powell Gardens also makes a fun place for a meeting or reception.

The city has six hotels, and four of them have small meeting rooms, including the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Warrensburg North and the Fairfield Inn and Suites. visitwarrensburg.com

Murals depicting Lincoln’s last journey to Charleston and Coles County Courthouse and Charleston Square in 1912 are a must-see for any visitor to the city.

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Unique, historic and traditional venue options Janesville, Wisconsin’s Great Outside is the ideal destination to hold your next meeting, convention or retreat. In addition to a selection of venues, Janesville also offers a variety of hotels, restaurants and attractions, including many affordable options that provide you with great value. Janesville is easily accessible - right off of I-39/90.

janesvillecvb.com · (800) 487-2757 · 

Photo courtesy of Bodacious Shops of Block 42