Small Market Meetings March 2021 by The Group Travel Leader, Inc.

EUGENE, OREGON | CVB INCENTIVES | MILITARY REUNIONS MARCH 2021

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SADDLES UP

September 26-28 Cheyenne, Wyoming SMALL MARKET

MEETINGS CONFERENCE

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ARKANSAS.COM/GROUP-TRAVEL

Most popular vacation destination in the world.

(For 600,000 Sandhill Cranes)

Kearney, where the Heartland gathers. It’s not just the 600,000 Sandhill Cranes that gather in our rivers and fields. Every year Kearney hosts more than 1,350 events. Everything from the Shrine Bowl to conferences large and small makes their way here. You know why? Because Kearney has the best facilities between Omaha and Denver, 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. Those 600,000 Sandhill Cranes are on to something. Meet In Kear ney.co m

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KEARNEY visitors bureau

NEBRASKA

ON THE COVER: Open spaces and cowboy heritage are hallmarks of the culture in Cheyenne, Wyoming, host of the 2021 Small Market Meetings Conference. By Allen Meyer, courtesy Visit Cheyenne

INSIDE VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 3

MANAGING CVB Incentive Programs

IDEAS Military Reunions By Glenn A. Miller, courtesy Visit Annapolis

CITY Eugene, Oregon

INDIANA College Towns

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS 8 CONFERENCE Promoting Get to know events on Instagram

Cheyenne, Wyoming

14 PROFILE Jeris Lampkin-Smith

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.

ROCKY MOUNTAINS Downtown Destinations

TO ADVERTISE CALL KYLE ANDERSON 866-356-5128 Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner

Brian Jewell Kelly Tyner VP & Managing Editor VP, Sales & Marketing

Ashley Ricks Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner Graphic Designer

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com Donia Simmons Creative Director

Kyle Anderson Christine Clough Director, Advertising Sales Copy Editor Melissa Riley Accounting Manager

Rena Baer Proofreader

CUSTOM CONTENT

Arkansas state parks celebrate a sense of place

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

hen summer and fall arrive, Arkansas’s lodge parks will usher in meetings, welcoming planners and guests to sites that blend scenery, serenity and scrumptious meals.

The architects who designed the lodges at these parks built structures of wood and stone that fit into their natural settings. Magnificent walls of glass in lobbies and restaurants allow visitors to take in incredible views. The state also capitalized on its natural beauty by choosing some remarkable locations. Three of the lodge parks are in the mountains. At Petit Jean, the state’s first park, guests can stay either in a timber-and-stone, 24-room lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s or in one of 33 cabins, most also CCCbuilt, all with modern amenities. Mount Magazine State Park offers a 60-room lodge and 13 cabins that stretch across a bluff on the state’s highest mountain. At Queen Wilhelmina State Park, the 40room lodge perches on Rich Mountain, the state’s second-highest peak. For those who prefer an island getaway, there’s DeGray Lake State Resort State Park, surrounded by the clear waters of DeGray Lake. Its 96-room lodge faces the water, affording scenic views of boats and boaters. A twist on traditional state park resorts, Ozark Folk Center is about cultural exploration, with live music, a craft center where 20 artisans work and sell their wares, and gardens that offer fresh produce for its restaurant. This park feels like a village

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To plan your meeting, you can directly contact each park for friendly assistance. Find more information at ArkansasStateParks.com.

and welcomes overnight guests in 60 duplex-style rooms. Each park has meeting spaces of varying sizes and styles. DeGray attracts large groups with a convention center for 300. Mount Magazine and Ozark Folk Center have flexible spaces for under 200 people. Queen Wilhelmina’s 75-person meeting room has the bonus of a balcony with mountain views. Petit Jean’s smaller meeting rooms are perfect for retreats and board meetings. As resorts, the parks pack in plenty of amenities, many focused on the outdoors. Depending on the park, there can be mountain trails for hiking, pools for swimming, and lakes for fishing, boating and water sports. Guests can enjoy bicycles, horseback riding, picnic areas and outdoor pavilions. DeGray has a championship golf course, a disc golf course and a marina for boat rentals. The dark night skies of the mountain parks are perfect for stargazing. Park interpreters can customize group activities, planning everything from boat tours and kayaking adventures to teambuilding challenges or group hikes to see 95-foot Cedar Falls at Petit Jean. No two menus are alike at any of the parks’ full-service restaurants. Diners will find surprises like lamb souvlaki or spring duck salad alongside more traditional fare. Ozark Folk Center’s house dressing is a customer favorite made with herbs from its own garden. Southern dishes like fried chicken and catfish lead to mouthwatering homemade fried pies or peanut butter pie. All of the restaurants offer catering services, and all source ingredients from local producers as much as possible. That’s just one more way these parks impart a sense of place, and, ultimately, help their guests walk away feeling inspired.

INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

MORE THAN PRETTY PICTURES

ith almost a billion people worldwide tapping in each month, Instagram has become a social media starlet. It’s not as big as Facebook — which owns it, by the way — but among social media mobile apps, it is fourth, behind Facebook, What’s App and Facebook Messenger. But consider this: About a third of people in the U.S. use Instagram. And with its newer features, Instagram has become about much more than posting dreamy pictures. The social media platform can help publicize, promote and build attendance for conferences and conventions. Here are a few ways to put Instagram to work before, during and after your event.

Instagram is a natural event promoter

Spread the word with Stories

When Instagram added its Stories feature five years ago, usage shot up. Stories lets users share videos and strings of photos that disappear in 24 hours. Its ephemeral nature naturally encourages people to check in frequently with your conference’s Instagram. About half of Instagram users use Stories every day. The format works well for reporting on a convention in progress — you can put together a recap of the day or a Q&A with an attendee about the best information they gleaned from the sessions they attended. Stories can also promote deeper content, directing users to blogs or other social media channels like Facebook. Before the conference, Stories can announce big-name speakers, new products or services. After the conference, an association president can thank everyone for coming and talk about next year’s event in a video message.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Take a peek behind the scenes

Talented staff and volunteers probably help put your event together. Give followers the equivalent of a backstage pass by putting the spotlight on some of these important people, and help attendees get a better understanding of the work that goes on behind the scenes. Show your sound engineer flipping his switches, a speaker preparing for a major keynote address, an event designer arranging that knockout floral centerpiece or the volunteer who has greeted attendees for the past 10 years. Put the focus on your convention and its history by highlighting some of its brightest moments with photos or videos from the past, or share a series of little-known facts about your organization and its work. Use data from studies of your industry or profession to create infographics that will be of interest to your audience.

Stage an Instagram takeover

Have an industry expert who is speaking at your conference take over the conference Instagram for a day and post about pertinent issues. Enlisting such an influencer gets people who are coming to the conference more excited about it and builds attendance, as influencers typically have thousands, sometimes millions, of followers. A good example is Daymond John, the businessman, author, motivational speaker and Shark Tank personality who has 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Another twist on an Instagram takeover? Promote your conference destination by hiring a local influencer to post about the city for a day. Have a photographer post scenic photos or a foodie post fantastic photos and videos from favorite restaurants.

Give everyone a chance to speak

Education and networking drive people to meetings and conferences, so it makes sense to use Instagram to share what the crowd at your conference is saying, from speakers who are in the spotlight to those who are attending your event for the first time. To promote interest in a speaker and give people a taste of what their talk will include, pair a speaker’s picture with one of his or her powerful quotes. Include a bio that makes it clear why your audience won’t want to miss this person's presentation. Do Q&A videos with various audiences: industry leaders, conference speakers, attendees. Post video interviews with the suppliers who have the most innovative booths at your trade show. Interview attendees about the challenges of their job or invite them to talk about how they balance work and personal life.

March 2021

Find fun ways to get engagement

Instagram’s eye-candy origins make it naturally enticing. Adding fun elements like games, polls and contests makes it even easier to get people to interact with Instagram posts. Reward winners with a prize that is tied to your event, like free admission to next year’s conference or a ticket to a soldout VIP event. Polls are quick and easy: Just pop on a poll sticker that Instagram supplies, pose a question and give people two choices. Steak or salmon? Dogs or cats? Instagram’s question sticker is more freeform: Ask a question and users can supply any answer they wish. “What’s your favorite work gadget?” “Best business book you’ve read and why?” Instagram’s countdown sticker can count down to anything: the opening date of the conference, a big announcement about next year’s conference site. Contests can challenge followers to come up with a winning caption for a photo or post their best pictures from last year’s convention.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE IN CHEYENNE

CONFERENCE

COWBOY UP!

Cheyenne will offer authentic Western experiences at Small Market Meetings Conference

A CONCERT IN CHEYENNE’S DEPOT PLAZA

BY DAN DICKSON

ore than 150 years ago, railroads made an enormous impact on a tiny hamlet in the Dakota Territory. The Union Pacific Railroad designated this spot as the launch point for its grueling climb over the Rocky Mountains as its tracks pushed ever farther into the western United States. That speck on the map became known as Cheyenne, named for the local Native American tribe. Soon it developed into the capital of the new state of Wyoming and, eventually, grew into the state’s most populous city. Cheyenne sprouted so fast that it was nicknamed the “Magic City of the Plains.”

In the 2020s, Cheyenne remains as committed to its railroad and cowboy heritage as it is eager to bill itself the most up-to-date and essential city in the region. Influential meeting planners from across the country will enjoy Cheyenne’s hospitality for themselves when they gather in rugged and beautiful Wyoming September 26-28 for the annual Small Market Meetings Conference. “We are an authentic Western community but with all of the modern amenities you would hope for, including great downtown nightlife,” said Jim Walter, director of sales and marketing for Visit Cheyenne, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. “It is a great place to host meetings and to give people a destination experience they won’t get in a huge hotel ballroom in some big city.” Walter said he loves that his city gets to host 75 to 100 meeting planners and show them what a conference can look like for their groups. “We can’t compete with big cities like Denver, but when you bring a meeting to Cheyenne, you can customize it and work with our very personable convention and visitors bureau staff to get a memorable

TERRY’S BISON RANCH

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

RALLYING THE CROWD AT CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS

experience for your attendees,” he said. Visit Cheyenne and the conference organizers pledge to do everything possible to provide a clean, safe and healthy environment when convention attendees arrive. Walter believes safety restrictions will be reduced by late September and the COVID-19 vaccines will be doing their job and people will be able to move about more freely. “September is my favorite time of the year,” said Walter. “Our weather will be spectacular, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. The trees will be turning gold.”

GETTING HERE

Cheyenne, with a population of 64,000, is in the southeast corner of the state at the crossroads of interstates 80 and 25. It’s just 90 minutes north of Denver, which has the fifth-largest airport in the U.S. Cheyenne is also 439 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah; 498 miles from Omaha, Nebraska; and 548 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

March 2021

All photos By Allen Meyer, courtesy Visit Cheyenne

The city is proud of its new airport terminal building, which opened two years ago. “The beauty of flying into or out of Cheyenne is that security lines are super short, and the baggage claim is very quick, too,” said Walter. Once in Cheyenne, visitors can choose from several excellent full-service hotels. One is the Little America Hotel and Resort, with 88 beautiful, large guest rooms. The property boasts 32,000 square feet of meeting space that can be configured in many ways. The 2021 Small Market Meetings Conference will take place inside the Little America, also the official delegate hotel. So for convention attendees, everything will be self-contained. Also offering excellent meetings spaces and comfortable rooms are the Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center, with 245 rooms and 19,000 square feet of event space, and the Fairfield Inn and Suites Southwest/Downtown Area, with 67 rooms, 17 suites and 1,056 square feet of meeting space.

Other nearby venues also provide excellent meeting and event spaces for planners to ponder. The Event Center at Archer offers a whopping 100,000 square feet of space that can be used for everything from conventions and trade shows to agricultural events, student competitions and indoor sports tournaments. Another good place to gather is the Event Center at Cheyenne Frontier Days, a busy place all year round, not just during the big July event. Finally, for something out of the ordinary, planners may want to consider booking space at either the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and its lovely Grand Conservator or the busy, versatile and historic Cheyenne Depot.

HISTORY EVERYWHERE

When people from around the world arrive in Cheyenne, their minds are flooded with images of the Old West, cowboys, the railroads and the great expansion of America, Walter said. And that is fine with the CVB. When visitors come to town, staff urge them to hop on a Cheyenne Trolley to get a great overview of the city, past and present. “We have 90-minute Wild West history tours by trolley,” Walter said. “People can get off at any stop and then get back on the next [trolley] that comes by 90 minutes later. You’ll learn Cheyenne’s colorful history on these rides.” The knowledgeable guides will entertain riders with

tales of rough and tough cowboys, gunfights, stagecoaches, muddy streets, saloons, brothels, wide-open gambling and characters like lawman Wild Bill Hickok and Wild West showman Buffalo Bill Cody. One stop to make is the old Union Pacific Depot, a National Historic Landmark. It has been restored and features a museum rich with railroad history, a visitor center and a restaurant. Outside, the plaza hosts concerts and many other events. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the railroads,” said Walter. “We don’t have a body of water here on the high plains, and we weren’t part of the famous Oregon or Mormon Trails that pioneers traveled on, but the railroads made this town important.” The nearby Wyoming State Museum is a fantastic place that tells the story of the state, its culture and the settling of the West. Also in the downtown area is the Nelson Museum of the West, which houses more than 6,000 cowboy and Native American artifacts and memorabilia. Wyoming’s beautiful state Capitol dates to 1889 and has undergone a $300 million restoration. “It is gorgeous,” said Walter. “Anyone can walk in and do a self-guided tour and enjoy it.” He said it is not unusual for the governor to wander out of his office and discreetly join a group of tourists walking around until the secret gets out, to much laughter. A side historic note: In 1869, Wyoming became the first state or territory to give women the right to vote, 50 years before any other state did that. In 1925, the state elected the first female governor in the nation.

CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS

People traveling in the vicinity of Cheyenne in late July should consider attending what is dubbed the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration. Cheyenne Frontier Days attracts up to 200,000 people every year. The 10-day event has four parades, a cattle drive, a frontier village and chuck wagons. Every year, some of the best country music stars in the business perform. This summer, Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Ashley McBryde, Thomas Rhett and Eric Church are scheduled to appear. The Air Force Thunderbirds will be executing their signature aerial acrobatics. But the main feature of the event is the Frontier Days rodeo. “They bring in the top rodeo performers from across the country because it offers the biggest purses,” said Walter. “That’s how the cowboys earn their rankings and their living.” The rodeo is staged using 3,000 local volunteers who do everything from cleaning bathrooms and tending bar CHEYENNE STREET RAILWAY TROLLEY

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS

COWBOY CULTURE IN CHEYENNE

WESTERN

Authenticity, Hospitality, and Experience. Safely. Responsibly.

Cheyenne offers you the chance to meet this fall and winter safely and responsibly. We are open for meetings, pairing the history and romance of the west, with social distancing and plenty of space to spread out. Visit Cheyenne’s services are unmatched in the west and will help you move forward in-person. CHEY CH EYENNE.ORG ENNE.ORG | 800-426-5009

March 2021

to hosting sponsors. Contributing in this way has become a matter of community pride and spirit.

RANCHES AND MISSILES

A ranch tour is a great way for someone to see what life on the open range must have been like in the 1800s. Train rides past a massive herd of bison can be had at Terry Bison Ranch. During a narrated trip on a custom-built train, riders see the herd close-up and to get to feed some of the beasts. Also on-site are camels, ostriches and other farm animals. Ponies and horses are available to ride. In season, some trips include lunch. For another interesting experience, visitors can travel about 25 miles north to the Quebec 01 Missile Alert facility, once home base for three of America’s most powerful

HORSES RELAXING IN A CHEYENNE CORRAL

nuclear weapons. Built in 1962, the now-decommissioned site allows visitors to see and learn about America’s Cold War-era missile alert, peacekeeper systems and former nuclear launch control facilities.

TO REGISTER FOR THE 2021 SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE IN CHEYENNE, WYOMING, SEPTEMBER 26-28, GO TO: SMMCONF.COM/REGISTRATION

BIG BOOTS OF CHEYENNE

GREEN BAY’S KI CONVENTION CENTER

A CHEYENNE PARADE

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March 2021

“My core intent when planning a meeting is to make it a good experience. I feel like people should get a great value for that investment.”

MEETING LEADERS JERIS LAMPKIN-SMITH

BY REBECCA TREON

orking in the travel industry is often seen as a dream job, the ideal “second act” for those who are changing careers at a later age. For Jeris Lampkin-Smith, who is an independent incentive and events planner at A Place To Remember Travel and Tours in Miami, Florida, the transition to work in travel was intentional after an intense career with the federal corrections agency. Her first career path couldn’t have been more polar opposite from the role of travel agent, but some of the skills and connections she honed at her job proved to be priceless. Lampkin-Smith grew up in the Tampa area and attended college at Florida A&M, studying sociology and criminology and graduating in just three years by taking classes year-round while working full-time at a local recreation center. After college, she moved to Miami. “I wanted a new adventure and wanted to experience other cultures and a different lifestyle,” she said. “I had the opportunity to accept a job with the State Parole and Probation Office, where I worked for a few years before I received a federal appointment to become a U.S. Probation Officer.” Lampkin-Smith worked in the agency for over 30 years, but in a federal appointment, the set retirement age is 57, so she knew she would have to consider another career afterward. “As you know, 57 is just the beginning,” she said. “I knew that because I had held such a serious position all of my life, I wanted to do something fun and to work with people who were happy. I was looking forward to traveling.”

Before her retirement date arrived, she decided to retrain herself as a travel agent and a meeting planner because she was drawn to the industry and knew she would enjoy working in that capacity. Plus, during her career, she was often tapped to coordinate trainings, workshops and meetings. She was so good at it that today the Federal Officers Association is one of her regular clients. On a trip she organized for the group in the Bahamas, she met the president of A Place To Remember, and even though her experience as a travel agent was limited, her interest was keen, and Lampkin-Smith was brought on board. It was her management experience and the skills that go with it that got her the role. “All management positions interrelate to one another,” she said. “As a manager in corrections, I managed staff and offenders, and we had to answer to the courts. That’s a higher level — there are greater expectations. When that skill set is developed, it’s an easy transition.” Today, Lampkin-Smith considers herself to be an expert affinity meeting planner, meaning she organizes trips for groups that have a common interest, like the Mahogany Group of the Red Hat Society or family reunions. For anyone who is interested in working as a meeting planner in travel, she advises taking time to fully explore and research the destination. She emphasizes that clients will ask detailed questions and have very specific needs that the travel agent is expected to fulfill. “My core intent when planning a meeting is to make it a good experience,” she said. “I feel like people should get a great value for that investment because traveling can be costly, and I don’t want to take that for granted.”

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Jeris Lampkin-Smith TITLE Independent Meetings, Incentive and Events Planner ORGANIZATION A Place To Remember Travel and Tours Inc. LOCATION Miami BIRTHPLACE Havana, Florida EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in sociology with a minor in psychology CAREER HISTORY Spent 33 years with the federal government, including management and development of staff training meetings. After retiring in 2009, she created an independent meeting planning service.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

TIPS FROM

JERIS LAMPKIN-SMITH

JERIS LAMPKIN-SMITH ENJOYS PLANNING INCENTIVE AND EXECUTIVE EVENTS IN DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.

• Remain vested in your clients’ desired outcomes. • Never be reluctant to empower your clients with knowledge of tools and resources used for their awe-inspiring event. • The consummate professionals in this business are those who set their parameters and are never reluctant to network with others.

March 2021

MANAGING

Cashing In

CVB INCENTIVE PROGRAMS MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE FOR EVERYONE

BY RACHEL CARTER

hey say there’s no such thing as free money. Well, “they” don’t know about meeting incentives. Many CVBs offer meeting incentive programs, programs designed to benefit both the meeting and the destination where it’s held. Incentives help CVBs attract new clients that may not otherwise have booked a destination or can help retain meetings that may have otherwise moved away. And, of course, incentives help planners offset the cost of their events. Not every CVB offers an incentive program, but many do. And “every CVB has a different twist to theirs,” said Dianna Pierce, vice president of sales for Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Oftentimes, planners don’t know these programs exist; but if they know to ask, there are additional ways planners can make the most of meeting incentives.

On how to maximize incentives: “Although it’s an incentive available for a meeting any time of year, there’s an added benefit if it’s during our slower times of year. Take advantage of those offpeak times whenever you can.”

START WITH THE CVB To qualify for incentives, nearly every CVB requires meetings to originate through the CVB, so that’s where planners should start. “The big caveat for us is that we have to help start the process,” Pierce said. “It’s imperative for any buyer to reach out and go through us. If it’s already sourced, we can’t help as much.” Visit Lake Charles in Lake Charles, Louisiana, advertises its program and does its best to spread the word, but “at the end of the day, it’s up to the organizer to find out about these programs,” said senior sales manager Taylor Beard Stanley. And the best way to find out is to ask. “It never hurts to ask,” said Mark White, Visit Salt Lake senior vice president, sales and services. “No one is going to be offended if the planners ask.” Visit Lake Charles launched its incentive program in 2019, and “we were definitely seeing some good traction with the program,” Stanley said. The CVB offers a base incentive of $3 per room night up to a maximum of $5,000. The incentive is paid directly to the association or organization after the event occurs and after the number of rooms picked up are verified by the contracted hotel. Visit Lake Charles sends a check within 30 days. Planners can count on those funds to cover a coffee break or to add something special to the program, “whatever they want to do,” Stanley said.

Taylor Beard Stanley SENIOR SALES MANAGER Visit Lake Charles Experience: 5 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

On other CVB services and noncash incentives: “In addition to the money of incentive programs, a lot of services the CVB provides have a monetary value attached to them that are no cost to the buyer. That’s one of the big values of using a CVB.”

Explore Asheville has been offering its “Have More Fun on Us” program for several years. Corporations and associations gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, will find a tiered incentive schedule that ranges from $1,000 for meetings with 100-199 total contracted rooms up to $5,000 for 1,000-plus rooms. To be eligible, all requests-for-proposals (RFPs) must be sourced and distributed by Explore Asheville to hotels that fit the meeting’s needs. Explore Asheville also requires planners to spend the incentive locally. Planners can use it however they want — for transportation, printing, entertainment or activities or to offset their final hotel bill — “but we do require that the dollars be spent locally,” Pierce said. The arrangement is a win-win for planners and for CVB partners. “It helps the group save dollars and defray costs, and it keeps tourism dollars in the local community,” she said. In Utah, Visit Salt Lake sets aside a budget line item for meeting incentives but considers incentives on a per-event basis, as opposed to having a set menu. The model typically favors larger meetings that book during slow times and that peak over a weekend, White said. “We try to take a customized approach per group,” he said.

MAXIMIZING MEETING INCENTIVES

Dianna Pierce VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau Experience: 35 years

March 2021

Though most CVB incentive programs have specific criteria, there are ways planners can maximize their benefits. Many CVBs offer higher incentives during high-need times, like slow seasons or certain days of the week. Visit Lake Charles’ base incentive of $3 per room night jumps to $5 during “need times,” which are Sunday through Thursday, January 1 through March 15, and again October 15 through December 31. No room nights can be used on Friday or Saturday to receive the additional $2 per room. “As a resort destination, our summers are really packed, so if they can take advantage of those offpeak times, there’s an added benefit,” Stanley said. Explore Asheville’s incentive eligibility is based on new RFPs for room nights Sunday through Thursday for meetings held April through December, as well as new RFPs for room nights any day of the week for meetings held January through March. “We are a leisure destination, so we are heavily trafficked on weekends,” Pierce said. “So the better time for us is Sunday through Thursday.” Asheville’s incentive program is for new business only, but if an organizer signs a three-year contract, Explore Asheville will provide the incentive for all three years.

Visit Lake Charles allows organizations to submit one application for up to three different meetings, and the CVB also offers the incentive to any meeting, not just new business. “You can have a meeting here every year, and the incentive would still be an option for you,” Stanley said, “because, in our mind, the economic impact of an organization doesn’t go away after the first year.”

INCREASING INCENTIVES DURING COVID

On approaching CVBs about incentives and other perks: “Approach your CVB and hotel partners with open-ended questions. Instead of only asking, ‘Can you do this for me?’ try phrasing it a little bit differently to ask, ‘What can you do for me?’ Most salespeople want to offer something.”

During the COVID-19 crisis, many CVBs boosted their incentive offerings to help attract business and to help the struggling meetings industry. Explore Asheville doubled its incentive amounts and added another room-night tier, effective July 1, 2020, though the changes were already in the works before the pandemic, Pierce said. By adding another midlevel tier for midsize meetings, it helped “spread the love.” “It wasn’t COVID-driven per se, but it put us in a position to help out during a terrible time,” she said. Explore Asheville also created an additional incentive tied to a virtual FAM tour the CVB offered. People who watched the webinar had an opportunity to earn an additional percentage increase if Explore Asheville received their RFP by February 28, something the CVB may offer again throughout the year, Pierce said. Utah launched the Meet in Utah campaign, funded by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development through the Utah Office of Tourism. The statewide initiative aimed to assist the meeting industry’s recovery in destinations with convention centers, including Ogden, St. George and Salt Lake City. Visit Salt Lake received $1.2 million under the program, and “we decided the best way to spend that would not be an ad campaign,” White said. “We asked, ‘What can we do to most directly impact the organizations?’ The best way to impact them is to incent[ivize] them.” Using those funds, Visit Salt Lake paid $40 per room night to meetings that contracted events by December 30, 2020, to be held in 2021. So an event that contracted for 100 room nights received $4,000, which “goes a long way to help put on a meeting,” White said. Those funds enabled Visit Salt Lake to book 30 events into the latter half of 2021 that will generate nearly 28,000 room nights, meetings “that we would not have booked otherwise,” he said. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, State officials have floated the possibility of a second round of grant money this year, but that SERVICES has not yet been decided. Visit Salt Lake “It was a benefit for us, and it was a benefit Experience: 28 years for those organizations, but the drawback is those funds are gone,” White said.

Mark H. White

SALES AND

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STEP

ONE

WHEN YOU’RE READY TO RALLY, WE’RE HERE TO HELP.

We’re here to empower your comeback efforts with these deeply discounted recovery rates! CHOOSE 3 ISSUES

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OCTOBER Accessibility at Meetings Historic Venues Illinois Meeting Guide

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NOVEMBER Streamlining Registration Meetings on the Beach Wisconsin & Kentucky Meeting Guides

DECEMBER Event Photos & Video Meetings at Casinos New York Meeting Guide Directory Issue JANUARY CVBs 101 Meetings at Hotels The Heartlands FEBRUARY Making the Most of Site Inspections Sports Meetings The South MARCH Rebate & Incentive Programs Special-Interest Programs Rocky Mountains & Indiana Meeting Guides

STEP

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Southern Flair

March 2021

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Courtesy Visit Pensacola

RALLYING THE TROOPS These destinations are ideal for military reunions

BY RACHEL CARTER

ome destinations just make sense for military reunions, usually because members of the military trained, were stationed or served there in some capacity. Those cities have strong ties to the military. They’re often home to an academy or active duty base or a community that honors and appreciates the U.S. armed forces. In these destinations, in addition to active installations, military reunion groups will find historic sites, waterfront districts, sparkling beaches, national parks and seemingly endless activities.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

As home to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, the city of Pensacola is also home to the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. But the entire Florida panhandle is a military hub, with Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and Whiting Field all nearby. Pensacola’s military legacy and its sparkling beaches make the city a popular destination not only for military reunions but also military business meetings, said Nicole Stacey, director of marketing and communications for Visit Pensacola. “I think our community is so proud of the military here and the military in general, so the level of hospitality one receives is something special about Pensacola,” she said. NAS Pensacola is not currently open to civilians, but Department of Defense ID cardholders can get on-base and are allowed to escort up to 15 guests, limited to two vehicles, onto NAS Pensacola and to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum. There, volunteers and veterans lead tours, sharing their stories as groups view exhibits that explore the history of Naval aviation, from a replica of the Navy’s first airplane to experiencing flight in two state-of-the-

Above: Visitors can get up close to inspiring aircraft at Pensacola’s National Naval Aviation Museum.

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art MaxFlight Simulators. Also on-base, groups can visit the 1840s Fort Barrancas, the 1859 Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum and the National Cemetery. Beach Bum Trolley also offers charter service and trolley tours for military reunions to showcase different areas of the city, such as Pensacola’s historic downtown, where the Pensacola Grand Hotel is undergoing a full renovation. visitpensacola.com

“I think our community is so proud of the military here and the military in general, so the level of hospitality one receives is something special about Pensacola.” — Nicole Stacey, Visit Pensacola

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

Redstone Arsenal is an Army base in Huntsville, Alabama, that houses several different installations, including the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and a new FBI campus that’s under construction. Huntsville is known as Rocket City because it’s where the rocket program was founded in 1950, a program that eventually sent American astronauts to the moon. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is a Smithsonian affiliate and the official visitor center for the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The complex houses a massive collection of spaceflight artifacts that includes moon rocks, the Apollo 16 moon capsule and the 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket. Though Marshall Space Flight Center bus tours are temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tours of the base used to allow groups to visit the center that’s in touch with the International Space Station and see where NASA tested the Saturn V rocket. The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum “is a little hidden gem in our community,” said Jamie Koshofer, vice president of conventions for the Huntsville/

Photos courtesy Visit Pensacola

March 2021

Pensacola scenes, clockwise from left: Navy jets flying above the beach; historic aircraft at the National Naval Aviation Museum; a family museum outing

IDEAS

Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The museum boasts memorabilia dating back to the American Revolutionary War and displays over 30 historic military vehicles, including tanks, early Humvees and military Jeeps. Veterans Memorial Park in downtown honors veterans from World War I through the Gulf War with monuments, statues and a water feature. The city’s new minor league baseball team, the Rocket City Trash Pandas, is slated to hold its inaugural season this year at the new 7,000-seat Toyota Field baseball park. The city is also a hotbed of hotel development, with a new Hampton Inn and Suites, an Autograph Collection by Marriott hotel and a Curio by Hilton all under construction or opening soon. huntsville.org

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Annapolis, Maryland, is home to the U.S. Naval Academy, and military groups often schedule their reunions with other academy events, like football

Huntsville scenes, clockwise from left: U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Saturn V rocket; Veterans Memorial Park; Intuitive Planetarium at U.S. Space and Rocket Center

games and commissioning week. “Annapolis is extremely popular, especially for Navy reunions, as you can imagine,” said Susan Seifried, vice president of public relations and communications of Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. “They’ll have a class reunion, and they’ll often choose to come on a football weekend and tailgate.” Downtown Annapolis is a National Historic District that’s packed with restaurants, bars, galleries and hotels, all within a short walk to City Dock, the Naval Academy and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Annapolis Waterfront Hotel sits on the harbor, just steps from the City Dock and the academy, and offers 14,000 square feet of event space. The Westin Annapolis and the Graduate Annapolis are other downtown venues popular with military reunions. The academy’s 1903 Dahlgren Hall houses the Drydock Restaurant, which can seat 150 in the dining room, with additional seating for 32 in the adjacent indoor cafe area; Assembly Hall can host events for up to 400 guests. The academy’s most famous

Photos courtesy Huntsville/Madison Co. CVB

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venue is Memorial Stadium, which has nearly 20,000 square feet of function space. For reunion groups that want to get on the water, Watermark Journey offers boat cruises and walking tours, and groups can arrange public or private tours aboard Schooner Woodwind’s two 74-foot wooden schooners. Last summer, the Annapolis Maritime Museum began offering tours aboard the Wilma Lee, a restored 1940 Chesapeake Bay skipjack. visitannapolis.org

LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS

Fort Leavenworth was built on the western banks of the Missouri River in 1827, making it one of the oldest active U.S. Army posts in the country and the oldest permanent settlement in Kansas. The city of Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first city incorporated in the Kansas territory, earning it the moniker First City. The fort, the city’s history and its proximity to Kansas City make it ideal for military reunions,

By Bob Peterson, courtesy Visit Annapolis

Left: Springtime at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. CELEBRATE.

Southeastern Wisconsin’s premier event location with over 150,000 sq ft of meeting space, featuring the new Brookfield Conference Center, 11 hotels and hundreds of restaurants & retailers. Brookfield will exceed your expectations! (262) 789-0220 • www.visitbrookfield.com

March 2021

IDEAS

whether groups stay in Leavenworth or visit for day trips, said Kristi Lee, director of tourism for the Leavenworth Convention and Visitors Bureau. Groups can tour Fort Leavenworth, but visitors must have Department of Defense ID cards, or civilians must register for a day pass. The CVB provides step-on guides “who know the history of the fort inside and out,” Lee said. Tours usually start at the Buffalo Soldier Monument and Circle of Firsts statue garden that honors Black military members. Groups also go by the National Cemetery and visit the Frontier Army Museum. Visitors can explore interpretive kiosks where the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks prison once stood. The driving tour also shows where Lewis and Clark camped and the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. Reunion groups can also stay on-base at the 308-room Holiday Inn Express, though guests have to register with the base. Off-base, two Hilton properties and two Marriotts bring the city’s total portfolio to 669 rooms.

Leavenworth military sites, clockwise from left: Buffalo Soldier monument; Army University; Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery

The Riverfront Community Center is housed in the 53,000-square-foot, restored 1888 Union Depot Train Station and has a patio that overlooks the Missouri River. visitleavenworthks.com

TACOMA, WASHINGTON

In 2010, U.S. Army base Fort Lewis merged with McChord Air Force Base to become Joint Base Lewis-McChord, forming one of the nation’s largest duty stations. Joint Base is operated as one installation, and both Fort Lewis and McChord Field sit along Interstate 5 just south of Tacoma, with easy access to Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport, just 30 miles north. “A lot of veterans are traveling with their families, and we really do appeal to all ages and family members,” said Chelene Potvin-Bird, vice president of sales for Travel Tacoma. The Lewis Army Museum is accessible to the public without a visitor’s pass and offers group

Photos courtesy Leavenworth CVB

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tours. In the museum, which is housed in the historic Red Shield Inn, visitors will see military vehicles, dioramas, uniforms, munitions and other memorabilia. McChord Air Museum displays a variety of aircraft, including bombers, cargo planes and fighter jets, on-base at Heritage Hill Airpark. Former Buffalo Soldier William Jones founded The 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers Museum in 2005, and his daughter, Jackie Jones-Hook, runs it today. She leads intimate group tours through the small house, where exhibits highlight the contributions of Black soldiers throughout history. War Memorial Park serves as a jumping-off point to walk across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. In Point Defiance Park, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum offers guided tours while re-enactors give demonstrations. The museum recently built an escape room, where groups can don period costumes and even try to solve the mystery by lantern light at night. On the waterfront, visitors can explore Ruston Way Waterfront, go kayaking or take a boat tour, and groups usually include a trip to Mount Rainier National Park. traveltacoma.com By Lisa Barker, courtesy Travel Tacoma

Above: Tacoma’s Lewis Army Museum

“A lot of veterans are traveling with their families, and we really do appeal to all ages and family members.” — Chelene Potvin-Bird, Travel Tacoma

March 2021

s e d a c s a C the toCOAST Visitors will find 23 murals throughout downtown Eugene, part of a citysponsored public art project. All photos courtesy EugeneCascadesCoast.org

CITY

Eugene is ideally situated for meetings in the Pacific Northwest

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

ugene, Oregon, and Mother Nature are definitely an item. Stretching from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Coast, an area known as the Eugene Cascades Coast, the metro area of Eugene and its sister city, Springfield, anchor this luscious cache: 30 miles of sandy, rocky shoreline; 2.5 million acres of forestland; 250-plus lakes and reservoirs, including Waldo Lake, one of the world’s purest; 500-year-old forests; 200 waterfalls; and 74 parks. When groups gather in Eugene, outdoor activities are just as important as indoor meetings.

EUGENE AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: Central western Oregon, between the Pacific Coast and the Cascade Mountains ACCESS: Eugene Airport, Amtrak, Interstate 5 HOTEL ROOMS: 9,000 CONTACT INFO: Eugene, Cascades and Coast 800-547-5445 eugenecascadescoast.org MEETING HOTELS Graduate Eugene GUEST ROOMS: 275 MEETING SPACE: 30,000-plus square feet Valley River Inn GUEST ROOMS: 257 MEETING SPACE: 15,000 square feet Gordon Hotel GUEST ROOMS: 82 MEETING SPACE: 3,700 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN EUGENE Neighborhoods USA — Annual Conference on Neighborhood Concerns ATTENDEES: 600-plus Lifeway Christian Resources and Arrowhead Conferences and Events — Living Proof Live With Beth Moore ATTENDEES: 6,820 Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies — Summer Meeting ATTENDEES: 225

March 2021

Destination Highlights

ounded in the 1860s, Eugene lies an hour from volcanically formed mountains to the east, where thrill-seekers can paddle whitewater rapids on the McKenzie River, ski in Willamette Pass and hike through oldgrowth forests. An hour to the west, the salty seacoast offers horseback riding on the beach, watching sea lions in the nation’s largest sea cave and screaming through a thrilling dune buggy ride at 40,000-acre Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Two enormous buttes rise on either side of town. One of the best views of the city can be seen from easy-to-reach Skinner’s Butte, named for Eugene’s founder. Small, independently owned coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and hotels flourish. The new Gordon Hotel is part of a $75 million downtown market expansion of the popular Fifth Street Public Market. The hostelry’s sister hotel, Inn at the 5th, is ranked by TripAdvisor as one of the Top 25 Hotels in the Nation. Available for speedy pedaling, leisurely city-pumping or strolling on foot while sipping a “cuppa joe,” more than 43 miles of bike paths wind through downtown in this sustainability- and wellness-focused community. To prepare for the World Athletics Championships in 2022 at historic Hayward Field, the city is sponsoring a mural project that can be toured. To date, 23 enormous paintings liven buildings in the downtown corridor. Perhaps surprisingly, this nature-based, relaxing, find-yourfun metropolitan destination is extremely affordable, said Juanita Metzler, senior director of conventions for Eugene Cascades Coast. “We have no sales tax,” she said. “And by law, we pump your gas. We treat visitors as personal guests.”

Downtown Eugene in fall

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

By Melanie Griffin

Gordon Hotel

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Distinctive Venues

ear the River Valley Inn, the Lane Events Center offers seven spaces. A 37,000-square-foot event hall hosts 5,285 standing and 2,500 banquet-style, the atrium with its high glass ceiling can accommodate 730 for a reception, and the 7,000-square-foot, contemporary pavilion can seat 400 for dinner. “We can make an event with many different pieces come together seamlessly and synergistically,” said Rachel Bivens, marketing manager and assistant fair manager. Rentable spaces also abound at 20,000-square-foot Venue 252, a renovated urban industrial site that began in 1945 as a planing mill and morphed into a contemporary gem. “Our wow factor has two parts,” said Amy Schnoor, catering and events sales manager. “We lean toward modernism architecturally, a trend you usually see only in larger cities. And we’re owned by a family-operated grocery chain, Market of Choice, where the focus is on organics and great products, and shopping is truly an experience. Venue 252’s reputation reflects that quality.” In the Whiteaker neighborhood downtown, the facility’s 9,410-squarefoot Grand Hall seats 770 guests or hosts 1,285 standing; its balcony overlooks a spacious main floor. Also downtown, the University of Oregon campus has 63,000 square feet of versatile convention, meeting and event space that includes the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Contemporary Art and the 12,500-seat Matthew Knight Arena, the largest indoor venue in the Eugene-Springfield metro area. In addition to all the area’s outdoor competitive possibilities, team building rocks in Springfield’s Booth Kelly Makers District, with a choice of axe-throwing, an escape room or painting-and-wine workshops.

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Major Meeting Spaces

AFTER HOURS

Heceta Head Lighthouse

icknamed Track Town, Eugene was home to long-distance Olympian Steve Prefontaine and is where University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight and his coach, Bill Bowerman, began Nike Inc. in 1964. Located downtown next to the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, the 275-guest room Graduate Eugene honors the city’s running history with a Nike museum in its lobby and 44 pairs of those “Just do it” shoes in a display that’s pure cool art. “We go to great lengths to make sure our staff are local history experts,” said Jason Williams, the property’s general manager. Graduate Eugene’s 30,000 square feet of meeting space is in ballrooms, foyers, event rooms and a 12th-floor rooftop balcony with exquisite city vistas. Opened in February, the artcentric Gordon Hotel has 82 eclectic guest rooms; two restaurants, one that serves American comfort food and the other, a Mexican cantina with a rooftop bar; a hidden speakeasy; and 3,700 square feet of meeting space with numerous windows. The Gordon is graced by more than 150 artworks created by local artists and hotel staff. An art bar has craft and painting supplies, and an artist paints in-house. Beside the Willamette River, the 257-room Valley River Inn offers 15,000 square feet of event space that includes a room with 180-degree water views. Guests can stroll a river path or shop at the Valley River Center mall next door.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

March 2021

Graduate Hotel

By Melanie Griffin

By Jeff Dimmick

After the Meeting

ineries, breweries and distilleries pepper Eugene, with vineyards but a half-hour drive away. The largest certified biodynamic winery in North America, the King Estate Winery was started in 1991, and its 1,033 acres now also sustain orchards, berries and culinary gardens. A farm-to-table, fine-dining restaurant offers library wine pairings and an outdoor dining option. For a wine-and-nature combo, a Wine and Waterfalls tour includes the Columbia River Gorge, the state’s largest waterfall and winery stops for lunch and tastings. A slew of breweries and distilleries thrive in downtown Eugene. Steelhead Brewing Company pairs award-winning craft beer freshly brewed on-site with an extensive restaurant menu, and Thinking Tree Spirits produces locally sourced gin, vodka and rum in its farm-to-flask distillery. The city’s first cidery, WildCraft Cider Works, creates smallbatch ciders from locally sourced apples and craft beverages from other whole local fruits, all without artificial sweeteners or preservatives. A post-conference visit to the 128-year-old Heceta Head Lighthouse, a working lighthouse perched on a scenic cliff by a Pacific beach, provides a fresh-air outing. Activities include lighthouse tours, beachcombing, shorebird-spotting, sandcastle-building and a beach picnic. The lightkeeper’s house is available for outdoor gatherings. At the world-class Museum of Natural and Cultural History, visitors can explore 15,000 years of Oregon's cultural history and 300 million years of its natural history and geology through hands-on displays in a Northwest Coast longhouse-inspired building. Treasures include unusual artifacts and fossils, such as the world’s oldest shoes and a giant sabertoothed salmon.

TOWN

t n o r f r e Riv

IN WISCONSIN BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

ometimes, it really does “take a village” — or several — to work as a team for the good of all. That’s exactly the situation on Wisconsin’s border with Minnesota. Six municipalities make up the La Crosse Region: Holmen, La Crescent, La Crosse, Onalaska, the town of Campbell and West Salem. All pull together to provide meetings attendees and leisure travelers pure Wisconsin hospitality. Voted most scenic view in the state by Wisconsin Trails readers, Grandad Bluff, site of annual New Year’s Eve fireworks and a great hiking draw, keeps watch over the largest municipality, La Crosse, from 600 feet above. With the mighty Mississippi, Black and La Crosse rivers converging here and four-season outdoor opportunities on land and water, visitors can paddle the backwaters in a canoe or kayak; fish for some 119 species; take an up-close peek into Wisconsin’s largest Amish community; admire the flora and fauna in a National Wildlife Area; and hike, bike, ski cross-country or zoom downhill on miles of trails. First visited by French fur traders, La Crosse was named for a game early Native Americans played with crossed sticks that resembled a bishop’s crozier, or “la crosse” in French. The town’s economy was built on steamboats, lumber mills, railroads and brewing. These days, three colleges contribute to its reputation as a regional technology and medical hub. Its walkable downtown tempts the palate with more than 100 restaurant and dining options. Local breweries keep the handcrafted beer history alive. The area’s premier gathering spot, the La Crosse Center, is undergoing a total $42 million renovation, set for completion this fall. Originally constructed in 1980, the facility nearly doubled in size in the spring of 2000, and this year’s makeover will up the region’s attractiveness to planners big-time. “From a meetings and conventions perspective, we’re definitely changing our footprint,” said Jay Fanta, director of convention sales for Explore La Crosse. “We’re no longer just a state facility, but we’re getting a lot of interest from the Midwest meetings market, thanks to our border location. Now we can draw from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. We’re a kind of diamond in the rough.”

THREE RIVERS ROLEO IN ONALASKA

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La Crosse Center

SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THE LA CROSSE CENTER IS UNDERGOING A RENOVATION TO BE COMPLETED THIS FALL.

With completion scheduled for this fall, the “new” La Crosse Center will offer nearly 150,000 square feet of meeting space on the banks of the Mississippi River. Two grand halls total 6,000 square feet, as does a ballroom with spectacular views of this storied waterway. Three boardrooms and a conference room are attached. From a new rooftop terrace, attendees can see the river and downtown. “In the past, the center didn’t really showcase the river,” said Fanta. “Visitors will have a broader scope of the area’s beauty.” Green Energy Initiatives include solar paneling and energy-efficient lighting, and the center’s HVAC will appeal to carbon footprint-conscious planners.

Meeting Spaces

Photos courtesy La Crosse CVB

LA CROSSE WISCONSIN LOCATION

On the Wisconsin border with Minnesota, along the Mississippi River

ACCESS

Interstate 90, Amtrak, La Crosse Regional Airport, Rochester International Airport, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Radisson Hotel La Crosse, Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center

HOTEL ROOMS 2,500

OFF-SITE VENUES

Court Above Main, Pump House Regional Arts Center, Weber Center for the Performing Arts, Celebrations on the River, Western Technical College — Lunda Center

CONTACT INFO

Explore La Crosse 800-658-9424 explorelacrosse.com

March 2021

Adjacent to the La Crosse Center, the 169-guest room Radisson Hotel La Crosse shares those Mississippi River views and adds its own 11,500 square feet of meeting space for up to 400 guests, who can walk downtown to Riverside Park for a meeting break stroll, restaurants and nightlife. Nearby, 149 guests can board a La Crosse Queen stern-wheeler for a dinner cruise. For intimate corporate retreats, up to eight participants can snow tube, snowshoe, hike, play disc golf, pet llamas and eat primarily organic meals at the Justin Trails Bed and Breakfast, 30 miles from La Crosse. A beautifully renovated 1919 barn seats 200, and a studio, 75.

Breweries and Wineries

According to the Pearl Street Brewery, La Crosse has been a beer town since its settlement days 160 years ago. A plethora of beer establishments substantiates this. Suds are king at this local watering hole, where up to 150 can enjoy beer flights, team-building games and brewery tours. Wine aficionados, be they attendees or spouses, can explore the Driftless Wine and Cheese Trail that meanders through the gorgeous Driftless Area of Wisconsin, known for steep, forested ridges, river valleys, waterfalls and trout streams. Overlooking the Wisconsin River, the Wollersheim Winery, created in the 1840s, offers group tours for 20 to 60 guests.

Attractions

For more than a century, five generations of the Dahl family have sold cars in La Crosse. The Dahl Auto Museum is the family’s gift back to the community. It features the history of the U.S. automobile told through the eyes of the Ford Motor Company, with an exceptional collection of historic cars, including Model Ts, and a cool tribute to drive-in theaters. All Glazed Up takes teambuilding to a new level. Private parties can paint canvas and pottery, craft mosaics or revisit the 1960s by tie-dying, all while sipping beer, wine or champagne.

HOTEL

An Ozark Mountain Escape

BY KRISTY ALPERT

espite being set among more than 4,600 acres in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, there’s something undeniably homey about the Big Cedar Lodge. There are 317 private accommodation options at the lakeside resort, ranging from cottages and private log cabins to multiple lodges, but each feels like walking into a guest room in someone’s home. And that’s because owner Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, designed it that way. Photos that line the halls of Morris playing golf with friends and fishing with family members can be viewed by guests as they roam the rustic yet luxurious property. Morris purchased the land that would become Big Cedar Lodge in 1987 because it reminded him of his childhood memories of fishing with his family in the beautiful landscapes of the Ozarks. A conservationist by nature, Morris immediately set to work restoring the land — including two of the original 1920s buildings on the property — to its former glory while ethically and responsibly expanding the landscape to encompass a wilderness resort. Today, the resort welcomes families and groups that seek to make memories of their own fishing, playing and staying at the resort. Along with a variety of nature-based experiences such as fishing, boating, hiking, and horseback riding, there are five award-winning golf courses and an 18,000-square-foot spa with world-class wellness offerings at the resort. Each of the dining options on the property offers an experience, along with delicious cuisine. Guests can set sail aboard Lady Liberty for a sunset dinner party on a cruise along Table Rock Lake or gather around a roaring indoor fire inside a cliffside restaurant that offers 360-degree views of the Ozark Mountains. The resort boasts 18 meeting and event venues for groups to use during their stay, among them several adaptable meeting and function rooms that can accommodate groups of up to 1,000 people. Everyone is family at the Big Cedar Lodge, and the meetings and events on-property are executed with a precision and passion that can only come from a team that loves what they do.

SUNSET COCKTAILS AT THE BUFFALO BAR

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M E E T I N G S PAC E S Each of the 18 meeting spaces at the Big Cedar Lodge provides a backdrop for successful gatherings. The largest space, the Grandview Ballroom, can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. The Grandview Conference Center also offers breakout rooms and boardrooms, as well as business lounges and an expansive Grandview Lawn that can host up to 700 guests. Other venues include the Cedar Creek Rooms and Patio, for up to 150 guests; the Table Rock Event Room, for up to 120 guests; the Worman House, for up to 160 guests; the Worman Room and Patio, for up to 45 guests; Integrity Hills, for up to 300 guests; the Bass Pro Shop Shooting Academy, for up to 600 guests; the Wine Cellar Event Room, for up to 100 guests; the Osage Restaurant, for up to 310 guests; the Buffalo Bar, for up to 210 guests; Arnie’s Barn Restaurant, for up to 215 guests; and the Lady Liberty Yacht, for up to 41 guests.

C AT E R I N G

OWNED BY THE FOUNDER OF BASS PRO SHOPS, MISSOURI’S BIG CEDAR LODGE BLENDS RUSTIC LUXURY WITH OZARK SCENERY. Photos courtesy Big Cedar Lodge

HOTEL FACTS LOCATION

Ridgedale, Missouri

The on-site catering team creates custom menus that feature the freshest ingredients from the Ozarks with an international flair for presentation. Breakfasts are served boxed, buffet-style or plated, with many options for enhancements and interactive stations. Lunches are great for getting outside, with options for picnic lunches or family-style grill-outs. The resort’s buffets are the best way to get a taste of all this catering team can do, and the staff can create themed buffets. Plated dinners and passed hors d’oeuvres showcase the Ozarks’ bounty with dishes like smoked Ozark trout and local Missouri cheese courses. Alcohol is allowed when purchased on-site.

EXTRAS Teambuilding is a blast at Big Cedar Lodge, where groups can take to the grills for a chili cookoff with all the ingredients on hand to create a memorable recipe. Lawn games can quickly escalate to the resort’s famous Hillbilly Olympics or Ozark Olympics competitions; scavenger hunts can take groups on a scenic search through the stunning landscape. Groups can end the day with a private chuck wagon dinner or with a campfire complete with sips and s’mores.

SIZE

317 guest rooms and suites

BEFORE AND AFTER

MEETING SPACE

More than 20,000 square feet

ACCESS

Located 12 miles from Branson Airport

CONTACT INFO 800-225-6343 bigcedar.com

March 2021

Groups at the Big Cedar Lodge often leave with an affinity for nature that’s matched only by the experiences shared with their group mates. The lodge is a haven for outdoor exploration: scenic guided nature walks at Top of the Rock, teeing off at one of five golf courses, guided fishing trips on the 43,000-acre Table Rock Lake and much more. Just a 30-minute drive away at the 10,000-acre wilderness paradise Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, visitors can view American bison, elk, white-tailed deer and Texas longhorns on a two-hour, open-air wildlife tram tour.

STUDENTS AND FAMILIES CELEBRATE DURING A SUMMER FESTIVAL IN EVANSVILLE, HOME TO THREE UNIVERSITIES.

Meetdieng Gui

Evansville is home to three universities, which have all left their mark on the city. Groups with or without an affiliation to the University of Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Indiana School of Medicine will find plenty of meeting oppor-

By Alex Morgan, courtesy Visit Evansville

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

ome of the most famous colleges in the country are in Indiana, making the towns they reside in advantageous places to host meetings or conferences with a hint of team spirit. Not only are Notre Dame, Purdue University, Ball State University, Indiana State University and the University of Indiana full of exceptional meeting locations, they also have much to offer meeting attendees during their free time. EVANSVILLE

Back to School in Indiana

tunities on all three campuses. The University of Evansville has meeting spaces that can accommodate groups of 10 to 482. The Shanklin Theatre is the largest meeting space, with seating set up around a thrust stage. Wheeler Concert Hall can host groups of up to 247, and the Schroeder School of Business Atrium makes a fine spot for small receptions or banquets. The University of Southern Indiana can host groups of up to 700 in Carter Hall, a ballroom on the second floor of the University Center. Meeting spaces are also available outdoors and in the Performance Center, the Griffin Center, the Screaming Eagles Arena and classroom buildings. Groups that want to be near the universities can also host events in town. Old National Events Plaza is Evansville’s main convention center, with 95,000 square feet of event space. Tropicana Evansville also has meeting space, including two hotels, four restaurants, a casino and the Executive Conference Center, which has more than 22,000 square feet of meeting space.

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Meeting groups that want to add some team spirit to their events can work with the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau to set up a block party on Main Street that features banners with their organization’s logo or university affiliation on them. The street can be closed off and food trucks brought in for an unusual evening event. visitevansville.com

BLOOMINGTON

Bloomington and the University of Indiana (IU) are inextricably linked but have their own distinct identities, making them desirable conference destinations. The IU campus has more than 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a 187-room hotel that is housed in the Indiana Memorial Union, the country’s largest student union under one roof. Most of the events that take place in that building have an educational slant, including alumni groups that want to relive their college days in Bloomington. The IU Auditorium, which has 3,400 seats, is an excellent location for a lecture or a conference. It also offers a slate of Broadway shows and other events that groups can enjoy in their free time. Opera and ballet enthusiasts can take in a performance at the Musical Arts Center on campus or visit IU’s art museum, which recently reopened after a $30 million renovation. The Monroe Convention Center is the largest meeting space off campus, with 26,000 square feet of flexible space. It can comfortably host groups of up to 300 people. There are about 800 hotel rooms available downtown and in easy walking distance of the convention center at places like Hyatt Place, SpringHill Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. Bloomington has 350 restaurants, a host of locally owned shops and numerous live music venues. For meeting attendees that want to enjoy the outdoors, Bloomington is surrounded by forests and sits on Monroe Lake, the largest inland lake in Indiana. visitbloomington.com

THE PAGODA IN DOWNTOWN EVANSVILLE By Alex Morgan, courtesy Visit Evansville

THE STUDENT BUILDING AT BLOOMINGTON’S INDIANA UNIVERSITY

The IU campus has more than 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a 187-room hotel that is housed in the Indiana Memorial Union, the country’s largest student union under one roof. By James Brosher, courtesy Visit Bloomington

March 2021

Meetieng Guid

WEST LAFAYETTE

Purdue University dominates West Lafayette. Meeting planners interested in visiting the area will find plenty of meeting spaces on campus, including the Purdue Union Club Hotel, a full-service, 192room hotel with two ballrooms that can hold 1,200 for a cocktail reception or 800 for a banquet. The hotel is connected to the Stewart Center, a meeting facility that can host groups of up to 500. It has two auditoriums: Fowler Hall, with 400 seats, and the Loeb Playhouse, with 1,000 seats. Attendees that want to get to know the home of the Boilermakers can take various tours around campus or take a ride on the Boilermaker Special VII, a steam train replica that serves as the official mascot of Purdue University. Groups also can plan a dinner at the 8Eleven Modern Bistro in the Union Club Hotel at Purdue, which celebrates the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 space missions and their command pilot, Purdue alum Neil Armstrong. Off campus, groups can book a conference at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds or at three large hotels with conference centers: the Hilton Garden Inn, the Four Points by Sheraton or the Hampton Inn and Suites. The area also has eight additional hotels with meeting spaces. homeofpurdue.com

THE BOILERMAKER SPECIAL AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY IN WEST LAFAYETTE

MUNCIE

Courtesy Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette

Muncie not only is the home of Ball State University but also claims Bob Ross, Garfield creator Jim Davis and David Letterman as distinguished former residents. Meeting planners that wish to incorporate the university into their events have many options. The L.A. Pittenger Student Center is one of the most popular meeting spots. It has a ballroom, lounges, recreation areas, meeting rooms, conference and catering facilities, a student art gallery, a bowling alley and a 24-room hotel. It can accommodate groups of up to 500 theater style. The David Owsley Museum of Art on campus also has meeting space, and the Alumni Center is a great location for small retreats. In town, there are 16 hotels, many with meeting space. The Horizon Convention Center has 47,000 square feet of meeting space and is attached to a 150-room Courtyard by Marriott. The largest room in the center is Delaware Hall, with 23,400 square feet. It can be divided into two rooms that can each accommodate 1,000 theater style and 500 banquet style. The Minnetrista Cultural Center is a gathering place that incorporates the former homes of the Ball brothers, who founded the Ball Corporation. The Bob Ross Experience recently opened in the historic Lucius L. Ball home, which is part of Minnetrista’s museum campus. Ross filmed his PBS show “The Joy of Painting” there from 1983 to 1988. Fans of Jim Davis and Garfield can see 13 statues of the famous lasagna-lovin’ feline along the Garfield Statue Trail. visitmuncie.org

DOWNTOWN MUNCIE Courtesy Muncie Visitors Bureau

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Groups also can plan a dinner at the 8Eleven Modern Bistro in the Union Club Hotel at Purdue, which celebrates the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 space missions and their command pilot, Purdue alum Neil Armstrong.

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

NOW BOOKING 2021 and Beyond! Missy Eppley | Sales Manager

• • • •

In-person ... fully universal Remote ... or Hybrid meetings Innovative meeting solutions for greater safety and efficiency Full sanitizing before, during, and post-event protocols Welcoming, safe downtown restaurants, shops, and sites

DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA | grandwayne.com | 260.426.4100 • • • • • Courtesy Muncie Visitors Bureau

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE:

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 Easier event planning & guest navigation • In-house AV and Catering In-house event and guest experience managers 60+ walkable restaurants, boutiques, and riverfront parks >> Save up to 15% versus comparable cities! The Midwest’s Favorite Drive-To Destination! Easy by Air via FWA

#yourGrandWaynestory March 2021

@GrandWayneCC 37

Meetieng Guid

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA

The home of four college campuses — Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College, Indiana University South Bend and Holy Cross College — South Bend is the consummate college town. Depending on your event requirements, each campus has opportunities for facility rentals that can host groups of any size. Notre Dame is the main attraction in South Bend, and the university has invested millions of dollars renovating McKenna Hall, the university’s main conference center, which is scheduled to open in September 2021. It sits across the street from the Morris Inn, a university-owned 150-room hotel. Between McKenna Hall and the Morris Inn, there will be 30,000 square feet of meeting space available. Meeting groups that want to learn more about Notre Dame can schedule guided tours of campus, the football stadium, the basketball arena and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Meeting groups can also book space in one of the beautiful ballrooms that overlook Notre Dame’s football stadium. In town, South Bend’s largest meeting facility is the 100,000-square-foot Century Center. The convention center is connected to the 600-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel via a climate-controlled sky bridge and to the Courtyard by Marriott by an underground tunnel. The DoubleTree and the Aloft South Bend, which is two blocks away, both have meeting spaces. In total, South Bend has more than 5,000 hotel rooms.

SOUTH BEND’S ALOFT HOTEL

Courtesy Visit South Bend Mishawaka

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For fun, meeting attendees should visit the Studebaker National Museum, the Studebaker Mansion and the Oliver Mansion. The more adventurous should plan team-building activities at the East Race Waterway, the first man-made water rafting course in North America. visitsouthbend.com

PUBLIC ART IN SOUTH BEND

Notre Dame is the main attraction in South Bend, and the university has invested millions of dollars renovating McKenna Hall, the university’s main conference center, which is scheduled to open in September 2021. Courtesy Visit South Bend Mishawaka

W IS C O NS

M IC H IGA

MILWAUKEE

DETROIT

CHICAGO

SOUT H BE ND

ILL IN O IS

OH IO COLUMBUS

INDIANAPOLIS

IN DIA N A

Meetings here don’t have to be ordinary. Instead consider the extraordinary: A newly rebuilt McKenna Hall and Notre Dame Conference Center debuts later this year with over 12,000 square feet of meeting space and adjacent to Notre Dame’s renowned Morris Inn.

Contact Lindsay Ference to plan your next meeting | lference@visitsouthbend.com | 574.400.4023

March 2021

VISITORS WILL FIND 19TH-CENTURY STOREFRONTS AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCENERY IN KALISPELL.

Meetdieng Gui

Close to Glacier National Park and 15 minutes from Flathead Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes west of the Mississippi River, downtown Kalispell, Montana, is steeped in Western charm. Original storefronts dating from the late 1800s line the streets and feature everything from Western- and Montana-themed gifts to outdoor adventures and crafts. Meeting attendees love the area because it is a great place to extend their stays, either before or after their conferences. The largest meeting spaces in downtown Kalispell are in the Red

Courtesy Discover Kalispell

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

he Rocky Mountain region is not only home to towering peaks and scenic vistas but also the location of some of the country’s most beautiful national parks. Meeting planners wanting to take advantage of these natural wonders should consider hosting their events in these downtown Rocky Mountain locales. KALISPELL, MONTANA

Downtown in the Rocky Mountains

Lion Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn Kalispell. Both hotels are on Main Street, and together they can host groups of up to 500 people. The Red Lion has 170 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of meeting space; the Hilton has 144 rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting space. Both hotels are within walking distance of Kalispell’s major attractions, including the Montana History Museum, the Hockaday Museum of Art and the Conrad Mansion, which was the home of Kalispell’s founder and features 90% of the original artifacts from his home. All three attractions make great off-site meeting venues. Large trade shows and events can find space at the Flathead County Fairgrounds or the Majestic Valley Arena. Groups that want to do something a little different can schedule a tasting at one of Kalispell’s wineries, breweries or distilleries. Outdoor recreation is big, especially hiking, kayaking and snowshoeing. discoverkalispell.com

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FORT COLLINS, COLORADO

Fort Collins, Colorado, has seen its historic downtown grow and expand in the past decade. Downtown Fort Collins has an inviting atmosphere, with homes built in the late 1800s, a vintage trolley, quaint shops and locally owned restaurants. Meeting planners that want to tap into all the downtown area has to offer should explore the Armstrong Hotel, a historic hotel that just celebrated its 95th anniversary and has a small meeting space, or the Elizabeth, an Autograph Collection by Marriott hotel, which has 164 rooms and 3,600 square feet of meeting space. The Elizabeth has become popular for smaller meetings and events because of its four themed hospitality suites that all have balconies for outdoor entertaining. Larger group meeting options downtown include the Fort Collins Marriott, with 229 guest rooms and 17,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Hilton Fort Collins, with 256 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space. Off-site venues include the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, which has a digital dome that can be used for specific programming for meeting groups, and Lincoln Center, the area’s performing arts center, which has a more traditional ballroom and a rooftop terrace for outdoor events. The Translational Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Colorado State University, also has top-of-the-line meeting spaces. Fort Collins is a well-known craft beer city. Visitors to the area can take tours, organize tastings and even host meetings at two of the city’s most well-known breweries: the New Belgium Brewing Company and the Odell Brewing Company. visitftcollins.com

THE ELIZABETH HOTEL IN FORT COLLINS Courtesy Visit Fort Collins

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is known for its Southwestern style, art galleries, cathedral and historic plaza that features upscale shops, tasty restaurants, the historic La Fonda hotel and the Palace of the Governors, an adobe complex where local Native Americans come daily to sell their handcrafted wares. The 40,000-square-foot Santa Fe Community Convention Center offers the largest meeting space downtown. Just two blocks from Santa Fe’s historic plaza, the center includes a 17,000-squarefoot column-free ballroom. It is next to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which is another major attraction in the city. The La Fonda is one of the area’s largest meeting hotels downtown, with 180 rooms and 20,112 square feet of meeting space. The Eldorado Hotel and Spa, the largest hotel downtown, has 219 guest rooms and more than 25,000 square feet of meeting space. There are about 1,700 guest rooms within walking distance of the convention center, including the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, which is directly across the street from the Eldorado, the La Posada de Santa Fe, and the Drury Hotel. Visitors who want to get out of historic downtown should visit Meow Wolf, an immersive art installation about three miles away

SANTA FE’S MEOW WOLF ART INSTALLATION Courtesy Tourism Santa Fe

March 2021

Meetieng Guid IAIA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ARTS IN SANTA FE

that takes guests into another world where secret doorways lead to hidden worlds and there is a mystery to be solved. For those interested in art, Canyon Road has at least 100 art galleries to peruse. santafe.org

ST. GEORGE, UTAH

Courtesy Tourism Santa Fe

SAND HOLLOW RESORT IN ST. GEORGE

About an hour away from Las Vegas, St. George, Utah, is surrounded by gorgeous natural landscapes and geologic features, including Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park. Downtown St. George is walkable, and meeting attendees have easy access from their hotels and meeting spaces to shops and restaurants. The Dixie Convention Center, the city’s largest meeting facility, has more than 100,000 square feet of space, including 32,000 square feet of meeting space and a 46,550-square-foot column-free exhibit hall. The facility can host groups of up to 5,000. The Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt Place, the Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and Tru by Hilton are all within walking distance of the Dixie Center. In total, there are more than 6,000 hotel rooms in the Greater Zion area; each of the five conference hotels offers about 5,000 square feet of meeting space. Meeting attendees that don’t have a lot of time to get away can still get out into nature at Snow Canyon State Park, which is about 10 minutes away from the convention center. It features petrified sand dunes, ancient lava flows and red sandstone cliffs and is just as majestic as Zion National Park, which is about 45 minutes from town, said Jacqueline Grena, meeting and conventions sales manager for the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. The area is also home to 13 golf courses, four state parks and 55 adventure outfitters that can take guests on helicopter tours, jeep tours and canyoneering trips, as well as hiking, paddleboating and horseback riding. greaterzion.com

BOISE, IDAHO

The capital city of Idaho is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States but still manages to maintain its small-town feel. Its downtown area is walkable, so groups that host meetings or conferences in the city don’t have to worry about how attendees will get around. The Boise River cuts right through downtown with a 26-mile greenbelt path for walking and cycling, so visitors don’t have to go far to enjoy the area’s natural wonders. The Grove Plaza is one of the biggest outdoor venues in Boise and hosts more than 60 events each year. It is managed by the Boise Centre, the city’s convention center, which has 86,000 square feet of meeting space and can host groups of up to 2,000 attendees. The Grove Hotel, a AAA four-diamond property, is next door to the convention center. It has an additional 16,000 square feet of meeting space and 234 guest rooms. One of Boise’s most popular hotels is right on the Boise River, about two miles from downtown. The Riverside Hotel has 21,000 square feet of meeting space and 300 guest rooms. It can host groups of up to 600.

Courtesy Greater Zion CTO

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Meeting attendees who want to get out into the mountains during the summer months or ski in the winter can visit Bogus Basin, a ski resort about 16 miles from downtown Boise. World-class rafting is only 45 minutes away, and people who enjoy fly-fishing can bring their poles and walk down to the Boise River. Boise is also known for its large Basque population. Groups can host events that bring in Basque food, dancers and music. boise.org

About an hour away from Las Vegas, St. George, Utah, is surrounded by gorgeous natural landscapes and geologic features, including Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park.

SIDEWALK DINING IN BOISE By Brett Sayles, courtesy Boise CVB

Boise’s Best. At its Centre. Centrally located in the heart of vibrant downtown Boise, the recently expanded Boise Centre has a variety of customizable meeting spaces, modern amenities, exceptional culinary services and a friendly and dedicated staff ready to make your next event an unforgettable experience. Explore Idaho’s premier convention center for yourself.

March 2021

• Centralized, downtown location • Only seven minutes from Boise airport • Over 23 direct flights to and from Boise • Closely surrounded by more than 100 restaurants • Over 1,300 hotel rooms within walking distance • Close to outdoor recreation, including the The Boise Greenbelt

LEARN MORE: boisecentre.com

Lots of indoor space to meet. Lots of outdoor space to move your feet. Make Boise your basecamp for meetings and events. Downtown is steps away from restaurants and blue-ribbon rivers. Visit boise.org/plan-your-meeting

Small Market Meetings March 2021

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