Small Market Meetings May 2019 by The Group Travel Leader, Inc.

ALBANY, NEW YORK | NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS | OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON MAY 2019

e l i h w A y a t S

IN THE CAROLINAS

Location, Lo

cation, Loca

tion! Over 400 r estaurants Great confe rence cente r Ample, frr parking Remarkabl e welcome center Outsandin g shopping experience s Family-frie ndly aarac tions Outstandin g customer service Southern hospitality

H E R E , T H E S TA N DA R D

BRIEFCASE I S N ’ T S O S TA N DA R D.

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ON THE COVER: Rocking chairs invite meeting-goers to relax on the porch of the Montage Palmetto Bluff resort in Bluffton, South Carolina. Photo courtesy Montage Palmetto Bluff.

INSIDE VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 5

IDEAS Hotels on College Campuses

CITY Albany, New York

Courtesy Visit Beaufort

TOWN Olympia, Washington

MEETING GUIDE The Carolinas

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS

Circle up for great communication

8 PROFILE Jeff Homad

10 MANAGING Negotiating Meeting Contracts

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

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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

GOING IN CIRCLES

ircles are a big part of our world, from the sphere we stand on to the doughnuts we devour. Research has shown that circles have a positive impact on mood and attitude, two good reasons to incorporate the shape into more meetings, where building cooperation is often a goal. Although scientists don't know exactly why circles appeal to us, they theorize that several subconscious factors are probably at play. For one, circles echo the shape of the human face, so they remind us of those we care about. Circles also lack sharp edges and angles, which we associate with danger. Circles have always been integral to gatherings. Great leaders, from the fabled King Arthur to the ambassadors of the United Nations, meet in circles. Our ancestors huddled around fires to keep warm and talk about the next day’s search for food; today, after we debate our organization’s future at roundtables, we adjourn to sit around campfires and share stories, toast marshmallows and have a drink. In recognition of the power of circles, here are ways to add them to your next meeting.

Being well-rounded makes meetings more effective

Choose round over rectangular.

If you’ve ever sat at a long banquet table, you realize the limits it imposes. At a round dining table, not only is it easier to share the salt, but it’s also much simpler to carry on a conversation, as all diners face center and can see everyone at the table. In terms of business discussions, a study at a Canadian university a few years ago showed that round tables invite collaboration, unlike rectangular tables, which promote controlling and self-centered behaviors. Perhaps meeting venues should throw out all those traditional long boardroom tables. Another good reason to use rounds? They take up less space and make it easier for people to get in and out of their chairs.

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Circle ’round the treats.

Wouldn’t it be fun to have a morning or afternoon break with round foods as the focus? Think whole-grain bagels, cake doughnuts, spinach quiche or pecan pancakes for breakfast. Or go for an afternoon break of pepperoni pizza, Italian meatballs or buffalo chicken sliders, scoops of local strawberry ice cream or homemade chocolate chip cookies, apple pies or chocolate layer cake. Add a healthful element with round fruits: oranges or grapefruit in the morning; blueberries, grapes and slices of kiwi in the afternoon.

Meeting in a circle encourages equality.

Called wisdom circles, learning circles, study circles, Lean-In circles and quality circles, this meeting style has been used by groups from Native American tribes to Japanese automakers and educators. Seated in circles, participants talk about a shared concern or issue and aim for ideas, solutions or actions. The circle removes hierarchy and encourages everyone to participate, organizational behavior experts say. Some organizations use the learning circle model widely in their conferences, finding that it promotes engagement, empowerment and action. Companies that use the meeting style find that it flattens layers of management so that frontline workers feel comfortable speaking out even as company leaders join in the circle.

Look to the skies with a celestial exploration.

Few things are more miraculous than a night sky filled with the moon and the pinpoint circles of light that are distant stars. Hotels with rooftop venues realize the appeal, and some incorporate astronomy experts to add celestial insight. Best known for this in the United States is the Maui Hyatt Regency, with its own telescope on a ninth-floor rooftop. Two Arizona resorts, Westward Look in Tucson and Enchantment in Sedona, take advantage of their locations in International Dark Sky Communities and invite guests to peer more closely at the sky through their on-site telescopes. In Durham, North Carolina, the Durham Hotel late last year hosted a sky-watching series in association with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on its rooftop venue.

May 2019

Put a new spin on team building.

Team-building exercises often involve circles and round objects. The book “The Top 50 Team Building Exercises Employees Love to Play” offers several well-rounded team-building ideas. Penny For Your Thoughts, for example, is a conversation generator. Collect pennies in a jar, making sure they are from a range of years but that no penny is older than your youngest participant. Each person picks a penny and talks about something memorable or meaningful that happened to them that year. With Earth Ball, small groups predict how many times they can hit a beach ball or balloon before it touches the ground, without any team member hitting it twice in a row. This is tougher than it sounds, so groups stop after a few tries and collaborate on strategies to reach the goals they set.

CONFERENCE

MEETING LEADERS JEFF HOMAD

JEFF HOMAD AND HIS WIFE, MARY JO, CELEBRATE AT THE FINISH OF A COLOR RUN EVENT IN MEMPHIS. Photos courtesy Memphis Tourism

“I was bit by the hospitality bug, and I’ve never looked back.”

BY MOLLY PHILLIPS

ead through Jeff Homad’s resume, and you might confuse it with somebody’s beach vacation shortlist. Maui, Hawaii; Key West, Florida; Los Angeles; and Hilton Head Island are just a few of the exotic locations he’s called home over the past two decades working in the hospitality industry. So how did the Ohio-born hotel executive wind his way across the country through sunny, seaside locations to end up at the helm of convention sales and services for Memphis Tourism in landlocked Tennessee? It’s a long story, one probably best heard over a stack of Homad’s favorite sweet potato pancakes at the Arcade Diner in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. And yes, that’s the very same diner that made Elvis’ peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwiches famous. “I graduated with a degree in finance from Central Michigan University,” said Homad in a phone interview in April. “My

brother graduated four years earlier, and my parents had given him a trip to Hawaii to visit our Aunt Linda as a graduation present, and so I told them they needed to do the same thing for me. I ended up applying for a job while I was in Maui at the Hyatt, thinking I’d work at the pool as a lifeguard. The same night, they called me back and asked if I wanted to apply for the corporate trainee program instead.” Homad borrowed a suit coat from Aunt Linda’s next-door neighbor, and the rest is history. “I was bit by the hospitality bug,” he said, “and I’ve never looked back.” From there, Homad’s career path meandered from prized locations including Lake George, New York; Scottsdale, Arizona; and eventually, Savannah, Georgia, working for some of the nation’s most elite hotels in sales and marketing positions. It was in Savannah that Homad made friends with the president of the local CVB. He was a former hotel executive who told Homad that a switch to the destination side of the hospitality business would be a game changer for him. “As I got older, I started to think more about what I was doing and the impact of the work that I was doing,” Homad said. “When you are on the destination side, you are cre-

ating jobs for people and giving people who have jobs more hours and just overall improving so many people’s quality of life.” Two positions opened up for Homad on the heels of his decision to look into destination sales and marketing: one with Memphis Tourism and one with the CVB in Charleston, South Carolina. Despite his previous ties to the Carolina lowcountry, his time interviewing in Memphis had affected him so much that he couldn’t quite shake the idea of moving there. Memphis it was. “It’s the biggest small town you’ve ever experienced,” said Homad. “We moved into a neighborhood of 20 people, and I’m pretty sure we got 20 welcome gifts.” Homad also found Memphis’ meetings amenities compelling. Beyond the 35,000-square-foot convention center, hundreds of hotel rooms and central location, making it a drivable destination from virtually anywhere in the South or Midwest, Homad notes that Memphis is full of unique flavor. After talking with Homad, it’s easy to see why Memphis has been ranked a top meeting destination. It’s also easy to understand why the former tropical hotelier is happier than ever working to advance the interests of the city and its people.

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EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Jeff Homad

TITLE

Vice President of Convention Sales and Services

ORGANIZATION Memphis Tourism

LOCATION Memphis, Tennessee

BIRTHPLACE Lakewood, Ohio

EDUCATION BS Finance, Central Michigan University

CAREER HISTORY • Started in hospitality at the Hyatt Regency and Sheraton Hotels Hawaii • Sales positions in numerous destination hotels, including the Omni Sagamore Resort in upstate New York; the Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Daufuskie Island Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina; the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California; and the Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia

TIPS FROM JEFF HOMAD

• “Something my pop taught me early on, you will never get a hit if you don’t swing. So swing for the fences.” • “Be a resource to your clients. Listen hard to their needs and wants. Then share with them how you can benefit them and fulfill their needs and wants.” • “Make the time to try something new, whether it is a new hobby, a travel destination, meeting new people, exercise — take the leap and do it.” May 2019

MANAGING

Terms and Conditions SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS START WITH SMART CONTRACT NEGOTIATION BY RACHEL CARTER

onsolidation and globalization within the hospitality industry, and especially in the hotel sector, are changing how meeting planners negotiate contracts, said Jonathan Howe, president and founding partner of the Chicago-based Howe and Hutton law firm, which specializes in meetings and hospitality law. “Part of the problem today is, the empowerment of a salesperson in a hotel today is substantially reduced,” he said. Revenue managers and other forces in the property are trying to maximize their return and have more of a “what’s in it for me” approach. And that means planners need to show hotels what’s in it for them in order to get the best deal. It’s important, Howe said, for planners to know their event’s history, know their group and know their habits. Does the group buy a lot of in-room movies? Go to the spa? Have rounds at the bar or play a few rounds of golf? Knowing the group’s economic impact can help in negotiations. “Know your group, and know their clout,” Howe said. Negotiating contracts well can make the difference between a financially successful meeting and one that leaves your organization in the hole. Here are more negotiating tips from Howe and other event contract experts.

“It used to be a buyer’s market. It is more of a hotel supplier market now. You have to have options so you do not tie yourself into one place and you can leave your negotiations open.”

HOTEL RATES AND TERMS Planners have to create options for themselves; if you have only one option, “you’re going to be robbed blind,” said John S. Foster, an attorney whose Atlanta-based firm, Foster, Jensen and Gulley, specializes in the legal aspects of meetings and conventions. Request for proposals allow planners to identify four or five hotels and to figure out which are most interested in their business. From there, Foster advises meeting planners to choose the top two or three contenders and start negotiations to see which will offer the best rates and terms. Timing is important. Planners should figure out the market’s peak, shoulder and off seasons — and even peak weeks — then aim for times when venues need the business.

Lynnea Honson-Walsh DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Total Event Resources Experience: Six years at Total Event Resources

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

And, Howe said, it never hurts to ask the hotel, “When is your soft period? When can I help bring people to your property?” “In negotiating, be a good listener,” he said.

SMALL MEETING, BIG POWER

“Information is power, and the more you know about the value of your own meeting, the better off you’re going to be.”

Small meetings have more power than they realize. An event with 2,000 attendees has to book years in advance, and there are only so many venues that can accommodate them; whereas “small meetings can get good terms on very short notice,” Foster said. “There are hotels out there that are dying to have that business. A meeting with 200 rooms, you can find a great spot within six months or even 30 to 60 days.” Smaller meetings can also “piggyback” off larger meetings. Maybe a hotel already has a large event booked but still has some niche meeting space the larger event can’t use and the hotel hasn’t been able to fill, said Lynnea Honson-Walsh, director of operations for Total Event Resources, an event agency in Schaumburg, Illinois. “We’ve been very successful going in when a hotel has specific, niche space left that a smaller meeting can use,” she said. Planners can also bring future events into the negotiation. A planner may offer to bring bigger meetings to the hotel in the future if the hotel cuts a better deal on these smaller meetings.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Jonathan T. Howe PRESIDENT AND FOUNDING PARTNER Howe and Hutton General Counsel to MPI Experience: 34 years

May 2019

When it comes to food and beverage (F&B), planners should negotiate a dollar amount, not a menu, Howe said. Sit down with the chef and say, “I have $90 a head; what can you do for me?” That allows the chef flexibility to provide a better experience for attendees. Planners should not let the hotel set their budget and shouldn’t overpromise. If the budget is $30,000, a group shouldn’t be talked into guaranteeing a higher amount. If a group isn’t spending enough to meet its F&B guarantee, one creative way to handle that is for the planner to agree to add $1 to $2 to the room rate and then credit that amount to the F&B department, which lets the hotel manage its revenue flow, Foster said. Planners should always consider asking for slippage on F&B, especially if the guarantee feels high for that event. If the guarantee is $300,000, ask for slippage of 20% to 30%, and “then you’d still be OK if you didn’t meet it,” Honson-Walsh said. Also, when signing a contract in 2019 for a 2020 event, for example, planners should try to get 2019 F&B pricing even though it’s for the next year, which puts a hold on pricing.

MANAGING

ATTRITION TERMS Attrition clauses aren’t all bad, but planners should make sure they’re structured correctly and are favorable to the group, Foster said. Planners should make sure it’s a realistic number and that the hotel attempts to resell the rooms and credit them back to the group. If a group is meeting in Arizona in July, when the hotel usually runs at 50% occupancy, it doesn’t make sense to agree to pay for rooms the hotel wouldn’t have sold anyway. Instead, Foster suggests using the “best efforts” clause. That means a planner will make the best effort to advertise the meeting and get attendees to book at the hotel by the cut-off date, but there’s no guarantee. “Most hotels will go for that if it’s in a time they need your business,” Foster said, “but that won’t work for peak times.” Also, attrition should be based on room nights, not revenue, and room nights should be calculated “horizontally” across the entirety of the event, not broken out by night. Planners also want to be sure they have the right to verify available rooms and people who came to the meeting but didn’t book through the block. “Trust the hotel, but have the right to verify,” Howe said.

John S. Foster ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW

Foster, Jensen and Gulley Experience: Fourteen years in hospitality, over 25 years in meetings and hospitality law

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CANCELLATION CLAUSES AND DAMAGES

“The best negotiation tool is the ability to walk away. I call it ‘the law of two feet.’ If you don’t have the ability to walk away, you’re going to get stuck with a bad deal.”

When it comes to cancellation clauses, “F&B should not be in the cancellation clause because [the hotel is] not even paying for F&B until way down the line when the event gets closer,” Honson-Walsh said. Planners should also make sure to base damages on lost profit and not lost revenue, Foster said. “Damages can’t be speculative; they have to be based on actual losses.” Planners can agree on a range, like 20% to 30% of profit margins for F&B and 70% for guest rooms, but the hotel “is not entitled to be reimbursed for expenses they don’t incur,” he said. “If you don’t show up, they don’t have to buy the food.” When it comes to cancellation clauses, buyers should also negotiate credit for replacement business to include business already booked on other dates. For example, if a group that is booked for the third week of October moves into your canceled slot the first week of October, the hotel may try to say that doesn’t count because it was already booked, but now they’ve “precluded it from being resold, and that’s not fair to the group,” Foster said.

Come experience the Boilermaker Pride! Discover Lafayette-West Lafayette, Indiana, just an hour north of Indianapolis, two hours south of Chicago and Home of Purdue University. Here, you will find everything you need to make your next event a guaranteed success! Whether you are interested in the full-service conference center at Purdue University, one of our historic venues, a fun contemporary space or one of our other great conference venues and hotels in the area, Visit LafayetteWest Lafayette will help you with every step of planning your meeting!

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May 2019

Ashley Gregory

Director of Sales agregory@homeofpurdue.com 765-447-9999

4/20/19 11:48 AM

IDEAS

Courtesy Texas A&M Hotel

HOTEL U These on-campus properties lend school spirit to meetings and events

BY RACHEL CARTER

ollege campuses are brimming with energy and bursting with activity, and meeting at an on-campus hotel puts attendees in the heart of the action. A campus hotel serves as a guesthouse for the university — for anyone visiting for the first time or for people who have returned many times over — and it can even serve as a living classroom for students. Whether a hotel is 110 years old or not even 10 months old, these on-campus properties place meetings in an academic epicenter.

TEXAS A&M HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS The Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center opened in late August — the day before the season’s first home football game — and A&M’s only on-campus hotel has already changed the university’s dynamic. “We’re positioned to be the guesthouse for the university,” said Tory Enriquez, director of sales and marketing and a former student. The hotel is 96 yards from Kyle Field, and the Memorial Student Center is across the street, “so we are in the heart of campus,” he said. The hotel has 250 guest rooms and suites, 35,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, and a 1,400-car garage that connects by way of a breezeway. Inside the gleaming glass structure, the decor pays Aggie homage with little surprises like “Gig ’Em, Aggies!” engraved on shower faucets. In addition to university conferences, galas and board meetings, the facility also serves as a gathering place for national or statewide educational and research conferences, as well as recruiting conferences.

Above: Opened last August, the new Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center has 250 guest rooms and more than 35,000 square feet of meeting space.

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On the first floor, the 8,300-square-foot Century Ballroom can seat up to 500 for a banquet or be divided into four smaller rooms, and the glass-walled prefunction space delivers views of Kyle Field. More meeting space on the second floor includes two 728-square-foot divisible conference rooms that connect to a patio. The two-story Block T Bar has a terrace overlooking Kyle Field, and on the third-level pool deck, three connectable hospitality suites spill out onto a semiprivate patio. www.texasamhotelcc.com

“The students really are a part of who we are and what makes us unique.” — Cynthia Wild, Statler Hotel at Cornell University

HISTORIC BOONE TAVERN RESTAURANT AND HOTEL

BEREA COLLEGE BEREA, KENTUCKY Abolitionists founded Berea, Kentucky, in 1855, and Berea College was at the heart of their vision for an interracial community. The school, established in 1866, admitted students of all kinds, black and white, male and female, all free of charge. The Historic Boone Tavern Restaurant and Hotel was built in 1909 to serve as a guesthouse and restaurant for the school, and it still does today as Berea College’s campus hotel. All the bricks and mortar and building materials, as well as most of the furniture and some artwork, were made on-site by Berea students. But for its centennial celebration, the 63-guest-room hotel underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration and reopened in 2009 as the state’s first LEED Gold-certified hotel. In 2016, the hotel opened its new Boone Tavern Event Center next to the Boone Tavern dining room on College Square. The 2,834-square-foot center seats up to 150 for banquets, and the hotel has several other

Courtesy Texas A&M Hotel

Courtesy Boone Tavern

May 2019

Courtesy Boone Tavern

Clockwise from left: Berea’s Historic Boone Tavern; Block T Bar at the Texas A&M Hotel; the Boone Tavern dining room

IDEAS

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

function spaces, including the 48-person Skylight Room and the 80-guest Coyle Gathering Room. Frost Café opened in the lobby about a year ago. It serves as the morning coffee shop and the evening bar for the hotel, which recently started serving alcohol and hosting live-music nights, said Patrick Huston, director of sales and marketing. Groups can bring in local artists for demonstrations or hands-on activities in basket weaving and broom-making. Groups can also arrange for guided tours of the hotel, and the college offers a complimentary craft tour and historic tour. www.boonetavernhotel.com

STATLER HOTEL AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY

ITHACA, NEW YORK When the Statler Inn opened its doors in 1950 on the campus of Cornell University, it was meant to serve both university guests and students of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. The Statler Inn was torn down in the 1980s, and its replacement, the Statler Hotel, opened in 1989 with more rooms and more meeting space — and the same mission as its predecessor. “We’re still the living laboratory,” said Cynthia Wild, director of sales and marketing. “The students really are a part of who we are and what makes us unique.” All the hotel’s 153 rooms were renovated in 2010, and

Cornell snapshots, clockwise from left: The campus overlooking Cayuga Lake; the Statler Hotel’s newly renovated Carrier Ballroom; the hotel exterior

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CHAMPAIGNMEETS.COM Photos courtesy Statler Hotel

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THIS TOWN

FRANKLIN STREET, CHAPEL HILL, NC

HAS LOTS

oF FANS. The unique vibe. The gourmet food. The freakishly nice people. There are lots of reasons people choose Chapel Hill and Orange County for their big events. Now it’s your turn to discover all the area has to offer, from the historic Carolina Inn to the cutting-edge Friday Center. We can even help you plan your next event here at no extra charge. Contact Chapel Hill’s event coordinator, Marlene Barbera, at 919-245-4323 or mbarbera@visitchapelhill.org for help with venues, catering, lodging, and more.

VISITCHAPELHILL.ORG

————— •—————

HOME OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

————— •—————

IDEAS

THE ILLINI UNION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

some offer views of Cuyuga Lake. The property’s 16,000 square feet of meeting space includes the J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center, which features an 87-seat tiered amphitheater and six additional breakout rooms. The 4,140-square-foot Carrier Ballroom just reopened following a complete renovation that added windows overlooking East Avenue. The ballroom can seat up to 270 guests for meals or 500 for receptions. The hotel connects directly to Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, where groups can also access a 700-seat auditorium and other breakout spaces. When hosting a meeting on campus, “there’s an energy and excitement of being in an Ivy League setting,” Wild said. Groups can tap into the school’s high- and low-ropes courses and team-building programs, access keynote speakers, bring in student a cappella groups or hire the Big Red Marching Band to lead attendees into an event. statlerhotel.cornell.edu

ILLINI UNION HOTEL

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS In 1942, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated the Illini Union Hotel, housed within the Illini Union, one of the most recognizable buildings on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus.

Courtesy Illini Union

SmallMarketMeetings May.qxp_Layout 1 4/19/19 5:54 PM Page 1

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Manhattan exceeds your expectations. • Unique dining

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The hotel was originally on the north side of the building; then an addition was built and the hotel was moved to the south side of the building. But it’s still in the heart of the campus, and “the Main Quad is our backyard,” said Carol Bain, publicity promotions specialist for the 74-room hotel. Because of its location in the student union, hotel guests have access to five restaurants, a convenience store, a bookstore and a new bus plaza out front. The two food courts each have a stage where students perform every day at lunch. “And not just any student; they have to audition,” Bain said. “There’s never a dull moment.” The Illini Union has over 29,000 square feet of meeting space and over two dozens rooms. In the historic Second Floor Ballroom, arched windows nearly touch the 21-foot-high ceilings on three sides. But the Illini Room is the largest space at 8,712 square feet, and it can be split into three smaller rooms. The Illini Room also opens up and attaches to the South Lounge, a wood-paneled room with picture windows overlooking the quad. Hotel guests also get free access to the campus recreation center and can walk across the street to Campustown’s restaurants and shops, take in a show at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and visit Krannert Art Museum and Spurlock Museum. union.illinois.edu

THE SECOND-FLOOR BALLROOM AT THE ILLINI UNION HOTEL Courtesy Illini Union

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May 2019

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IDEAS

CAROLINA INN

Meet

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill is the nation’s first and, therefore, oldest public university. It was chartered in 1789 and began enrolling students in 1795, which means its campus hotel, the Carolina Inn, is a fairly recent addition, even though it has been serving the university for 95 years. John Sprunt Hill, a businessman and university trustee who graduated from UNC in 1889, built the inn in 1924. The Hill family donated the inn to the university in 1935 but required that its net profits would go to support UNC Library’s North Carolina Collection. The grand brick inn sits on the doorstep of the campus and has 185 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of indoor function space, including three ballrooms. The Hill Ballroom offers nearly 3,700 square feet that can be separated into three spaces. The Old Well Wing provides nearly 5,000 square feet of space that includes the 2,000-square-foot Old Well Room with black-and-white checkerboard terrazzo floors, as well as a parlor, a gallery, a clubroom and an alumni room. The Carolina Inn also boasts over 15,000 square feet of outdoor event space; the largest event space is the Annie Watts Hill Courtyard, hugged by the inn’s brick walls on three sides. www.carolinainn.com

Sites at UNC Chapel Hill’s Carolina Inn, clockwise from left: a casual patio; the manicured front lawn; the iconic Old Well room

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

Only Carbondale.

Photos courtesy Carolina Inn

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carbondaletourism.org

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Your meeting will be so

you’ll be tempted to wear the cheesehead home!

We’ll see you

September 24-26

at the Small Market Meetings Conference Sign up now for pre and post FAMs! Call Beth to reserve your spot 888.867.3342

www.MeetInGreenBay.com

b u H A on the

HUDSON

The Egg Center for the Performing Arts features indoor and outdoor performance and meeting spaces and is an iconic structure in downtown Albany. All photos courtesy Discover Albany

CITY

Albany is a booming capital city BY ELIZABETH HEY

nchored by more than 400 years of history and settled by the Dutch, Albany, New York melds the past to the present with its modern vibe. From the city’s bustling downtown along the Hudson River to a booming tech corridor uptown, Albany’s growth has stimulated new meeting venues, hotels and restaurants. Meeting attendees will want to take in all that this Northeastern city has to offer: an ever-evolving culinary scene, flourishing arts and culture, and sites rich in history.

ALBANY AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: Eastern New York ACCESS: Albany International Airport, Amtrak’s Albany-Rensselaer Station, interstates 87 and 90 HOTEL ROOMS: 7,300 CONTACT INFO: Discover Albany 800-258-3582 www.albany.org MEETING SPACES Albany Capital Center BUILT: 2017 EXHIBIT SPACE: 22,500 square feet Empire State Plaza Convention Center BUILT: 1976 EXHIBIT SPACE: 26,000 square feet MEETING HOTELS Hilton Albany GUESTROOMS: 385 MEETING SPACE: 30,000 square feet Albany Marriott GUESTROOMS: 359 MEETING SPACE: 20,000 square feet Renaissance Hotel GUESTROOMS: 203 MEETING SPACE: 8,050 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN ALBANY New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators ATTENDEES: 3,000 Hudson Valley Gamer Con, Collegiate Esports Tournament ATTENDEES: 2,000

May 2019

Destination Highlights

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Albany Capital Center

s the oldest continuously chartered city in the nation, Albany celebrates its history in architecture, attractions and landmark businesses. Conveniently located within Albany’s compact and walkable downtown are top-of-the-line venues such as the Capital Complex and the Albany Capital Center. Nearby, numerous attractions include Times Union Center and the majestic New York State Capitol. The Empire State Plaza serves as a community gathering space with farmers markets, fitness classes, live music and more. Visitors can catch a bird’s-eye view of the city from the plaza’s Corning Tower Observation Deck. “Attendees are often pleasantly surprised that there’s so much to do downtown, plus we have terrific outdoor venues too,” said Jill Delaney, president and CEO of Discover Albany. “Albany and Albany County have more to offer than most people realize.” Downtown’s culinary scene focuses on local ingredients and innovative dishes, and craft beverages are thriving throughout the region. Groups can plan a reception in the spectacular, curved lounge at the Egg Center for the Performing Arts and attend a presentation or one of the many productions scheduled in its two theaters or on its outdoor stage during the summer. Throughout the city, historic homes offer meeting space and guided tours with the option to bring in catering. “Our free trolley operates Thursday through Saturday nights and takes attendees outside of the convention space and gives them access to our theaters, dining, craft beverage venues and entertainment,” said Delaney.

Empire State Plaza

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Distinctive Venues

ince 1609, Albany has been hosting meetings and welcoming attendees. Many historic spaces are still in use. Two museums offer distinctive venues as well as interesting locations for after-hours events. The Albany Institute of History and Art, famous for its collection of Hudson River school paintings and the second-oldest museum in the nation, has capacity for up to 5,000 guests with three meeting rooms and theater-style seating for 130. The New York State Museum accommodates 200 for banquets and 420 attendees in the theater, and also offers 12 meeting rooms. The city’s historic homes deliver ambiance, history and unusual meeting spaces that can be combined with a tour or meal. The Federal-style Ten Broeck Mansion, completed in 1798, hosts garden receptions for groups of up to 200 as well as inside seating for up to 75 guests. The 1830s Pruyn House sits on five acres and offers a barn for larger, seated gatherings and the manor, which accommodates up to 80 for informal events. Elegant restaurants include the Cornerstone at the Plaza, which features floor-to-ceiling windows and a 360-degree view of downtown for up to 250 guests. Groups that favor an upscale steakhouse with an extensive wine list will enjoy 677 Prime, which offers five event spaces and accommodates 10 to 300 guests. Yono’s, the longest tenured four-star restaurant in the region, blends contemporary American cuisine with Indonesian influence using farm-fresh ingredients from upstate New York and beyond. New World Bistro’s celebrity chef, Ric Orlando, with punk-rock style, has appeared on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Chopped.”

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site

otable for its distinctive meeting and event venues, the Capital Complex can be used in a number of ways. It encompasses the state-of-the-art Albany Capital Center, which touts abundant glass and countless views. The center prides itself in being a sustainable, community-integrated meeting facility that accommodates 10 to 5,000 people in 22,500 square feet of ballroom/exhibit space, 9,200 square feet of meeting space and 13,500 square feet of prefunction space, plus on-site parking. Its state-of-the-art kitchen can accommodate the preparation of multicourse meals for up to 5,000 guests per evening. Within the complex, the Empire State Plaza Convention Center offers a different meeting experience in its underground facility attached to the New York State Museum and the state Capitol. The Egg’s two theaters seat just under 500 and 1,000, respectively. Times Union Center, an indoor sports and events arena, averages 15,000 seating capacity and can host theater-style conferences. The adjacent 203-room Renaissance Albany Hotel is housed within a historic building. The entire complex is connected by glass-enclosed walkways above street level. In total, the Capital Complex offers more than 159,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, making it the largest space in upstate New York. “Weather isn’t a factor when groups book a large meeting using all of the spaces in the Capital Complex or they choose one venue for a smaller meeting,” said Delaney.

Convenient. Customizable. Culture-rich. Albany is more than a meeting place. It’s a meeting

destination

Visit www.albany.org to find out more.

iloveny.com

May 2019

® NYSDED

After Hours

AFTER HOURS

New World Bistro Bar

fter hours, Albany caters to many interests. The USS Slater DE-766, the only World War II destroyer escort afloat in the United States, is permanently docked on the Hudson River. The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum tells the story of the ship and offers guided tours during which visitors can catch a glimpse of navy life. Attendees can hop aboard a Dutch Apple Cruise to view the Albany skyline and learn about the settlers and culture along the river. The Historic Downtown Albany Food Tour features six tastes and sips from downtown restaurants punctuated by historic fun facts about the city. In addition, Taste of Troy Food Tours can customize private outings for groups of eight to 120 guests and create a VIP experience. Capital City Cycle Tours hosts bike rides on a 15-rider “brewcycle” to popular bars in Albany’s Warehouse District, including Druthers Brewing and Nine Pin Cider. At the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, Elizabeth Schuyler wed Alexander Hamilton in 1780. Attendees can take the mansion tour When Alexander Hamilton Called Albany Home. Discover Albany is also planning numerous events that will tie together Hamilton’s connection to the city and the Broadway hit musical “Hamilton.” “Our city has a rich history surrounding Alexander Hamilton,” said Delaney. “We’ve cultivated an entire walking tour around his life called Hamilton in Albany, which will be offered beginning this summer.” For corporate groups, religious conferences and sporting events such as NCAA basketball and local Swamp Rabbits hockey, Bon Secours Wellness Arena has 14,000 square feet of meeting space. Private suites accommodate 18 to 50 people.

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TOWN

WATERFRONT IN

n o t g n i h s Wa

BY REBECCA TREON

lympia, Washington, may be small, but it’s full of big opportunities for meeting groups. The capital of Washington, this waterfront village is about an hour’s drive from Seattle and isn’t far from Portland, Oregon. Olympia is easily reached by the Seattle-Tacoma airport or its own county airport, as well as by train and bus lines. The natural beauty of the area makes for a relaxed retreat, with both hotel meeting venues and more offbeat locales for smaller groups. Olympia may not have a convention center in the traditional sense, but it is home to three educational institutions, each with meeting space for large groups. Olympia has one of the country’s Great Wolf Lodge locations, fantastic for corporate groups and families alike. The smaller meeting venues are unique regional treasures, from restored historic mansions to lakeside retreats and spacious estates with manicured gardens. “The region is a mecca for hosting meetings in a unique atmosphere,” said Jeff Bowe, director of sales for Experience Olympia. “If you’re looking to change your surroundings to really get your attendees engaged, there are a wide variety of options with awe-inspiring views.” Local attractions are easy for attendees to explore during downtime, from cascading waterfalls to a tour of the Capitol building. Olympia is one of Washington’s cultural centers and is ripe with opportunities for team-building activities from watersports to coffee tastings.

Photos by Ingrid Barrentine, courtesy Experience Olympia

TOP: OLYMPIA’S WATERFRONT LOCATION ADDS TO ITS PACIFIC NORTHWEST CHARM. BOTTOM: A TASTING EXPERIENCE AT OLYMPIA COFFEE

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Educational Institutions

At St. Martin’s University, the Hal and Inge Marcus Pavilion offers 17,500 square feet of exhibit space, a 13,600-square-foot mezzanine area, dropdown curtains to divide the room and retractable bleachers. At Evergreen State College, the traditional Native American Longhouse can seat up to 400 visitors for gatherings and be configured in a variety of ways. The college also offers an event hall, lecture halls and classrooms, and a zipline and obstacle course that sits on its 1,000-acre grounds. The South Puget Sound Community College offers venues for up to 500 guests, ranging from the Student Union and the Center for the Arts.

Meeting Hotels

OLYMPIA WASHINGTON LOCATION

Olympia, Washington

ACCESS

Seattle-Tacoma Airport is a one-hour drive to Olympia. Amtrak Cascades arrives five times daily.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Great Wolf Lodge, Little Creek Casino Resort, Hotel RL Olympia, DoubleTree by Hilton Olympia, Comfort Inn Conference Center Olympia, and The Governor, a Coast Hotel

Great Wolf Lodge offers 21,214 square feet of meeting space alongside leisure experiences suitable for families. There are 13 separate and configurable conference rooms, 398 guest suites and spacious parking. The largest meeting room, the Chehalis Grand Ballroom, can accommodate a banquet for up to 816 people. The Little Creek Casino Resort offers 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space at its Skookum Creek Event center, with a capacity of over 1,800 seats. It features built-in staging, retractable bleachers, private skybox seating, two cocktail bars and state-of-the-art audiovisual.

Off-Site Venues The Hands-On Children’s Museum is a distinctive meeting venue where groups can dine under the stars amid outdoor exhibits or enjoy city views from the lighthouse. The Lord Mansion and its Coach House were both carefully renovated and make unusual venues for receptions, meetings and presentations. The Stampfer Retreat Center features not only cabin accommodations but also a camplike atmosphere with a zip line, canoeing, kayaking and standup paddleboarding, an obstacle course and an outdoor amphitheater.

HOTEL ROOMS 2,700

OFF-SITE VENUES

Maryland Theatre and Performing Arts Complex, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Potomac Walk at Bulls and Bears, Seven Ten, Antietam Brewery, Big Cork Winery

CONTACT INFO

Experience Olympia 360-704-7544 www.experienceolympia.com

May 2019

After the Meeting The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 200 species of birds and other wildlife; there, groups can take guided birding tours. Tumwater Falls Park, which receives 200,000 visitors each year, sits along the Deschutes River. Visitors can follow trails for an eyeful of natural beauty. Like nearby Seattle, Olympia likes its coffee, and the South Sound Coffee Trail is a collection of local roasters. Lined with restaurants, shops, sculptures and a playground, Olympia’s boardwalk is great for people-watching or looking at boats along the marina, making for a scenic place to sit and enjoy lunch from another of Olympia’s most popular attractions, the Olympia Farmers Market. The market is an indoor/outdoor space with more than 100 vendors that offer a wide range of products, among them baked goods, fresh meat and produce, crafts and artisan-made foods.

HOTEL

A Minnesota Tradition

BY KRISTY ALPERT

n 1875, as Ulysses S. Grant was well into his second term as the 18th president of the United States, the staff at the St. James Hotel was hard at work welcoming guests and preparing parlors for its official opening day. Thanks to the hard work and vision of 11 Minnesotan businessmen, the St. James Hotel opened on Thanksgiving Day of 1875 to a group of chic travelers who marveled at the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s novel features, like hot and cold running water on each of the four floors. Over the years, the hotel would welcome countless celebrities and politicians, including President Rutherford B. Hayes, Mark Twain and even Bob Dylan. The hotel has changed hands only three times throughout its entire history, remaining locally and family owned since its inception. In 1977, the hotel was purchased by the Red Wing Shoe Company, whose leaders carefully restored and renovated the property back to its former glory. They also added a shopping courtyard and a new wing for offices and more hotel rooms. The St. James is now a member of Historic Hotels of America and offers 67 Victorian-style guest rooms. No two rooms are alike, and each is named in honor of one of the 19th-century riverboats that have made the journey along the mighty Mississippi River. The rooms are divided into the Historic section and the Riverside section, with visibly different architectural styles. Ten meeting spaces of various architectural styles accommodate small to midsize groups, offering a variety of ambiance options for meeting planners. With more than 17,000 total square feet of meeting space, the hotel has been a desired meeting location since it opened more than 140 years ago. Today, it remains one of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought-after venues for momentous meetings and events.

Photos courtesy St. James Hotel

AN OUTDOOR DINING AREA AT THE ST. JAMES HOTEL

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

M E E T I N G S PAC E S THE ST. JAMES HOTEL HAS BEEN A RED WING INSTITUTION SINCE 1875.

The St. James Hotel offers 17,020 square feet of flexible meeting space, where 10 meeting rooms are suited for small, midsize and large groups or events. The Summit Room, for up to 240 guests, is the largest of the venues, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows with views over the Mississippi River Valley. Other spaces include the renovated Portside Room for up to 150 guests, the Laurentine Room for up to 90 guests, the Mainstreeter Room for up to 90 guests, the Oak Room for up to 50 guests, the Historic Wing for up to 70 guests and four additional breakout rooms, each capable of hosting anywhere from 12 to 30 guests.

C AT E R I N G Dining at the St. James Hotel is a treat: Even Hayes sampled some of this hotel’s delicious creations during his stay. The hotel features three restaurants on-site — the Port, the Veranda and Jimmy’s Pub — and offers a full-service catering facility for groups and events. The catering team works closely with planners to establish a custom menu for each event while meeting whatever dietary guidelines are required for attendees. The hotel’s coffee shop serves guests ice cream and pastries for take-away during their stays. The hotel is also home to three different bars and offers groups full-service bar capabilities for events.

EXTRAS

HOTEL FACTS LOCATION

Red Wing, Minnesota

SIZE

67 rooms

MEETING SPACE

More than 17,000 square feet

ACCESS

45 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul

CONTACT INFO

651-388-2846 www.st-james-hotel.com

May 2019

Each of the 10 spaces available for groups to rent at the St. James Hotel comes equipped with drop-down screens and ceiling-mounted LCD projectors. The events team at the hotel can arrange for a number of team-building activities for groups, from cooking classes with a chef and group yoga classes on the lawn. The hotel also features a full-service spa, a hair salon and a flower shop to provide for the needs of guests during their stays. Parking and internet access are complimentary for all groups meeting at the hotel, where custom packages can be arranged to cover whatever each group needs while on the property.

OFF-SITE Exploring charming downtown Red Wing is as easy as stepping out the front door of this historic hotel. The town’s location along the Mississippi River makes for fantastic sightseeing opportunities without going far. The city’s small-town charm, history and modern amenities make it a great place to spend the day in a beautiful setting before or after events. The city offers historical sites, museums, theaters, art galleries, pottery studios and many outdoor adventures such as hiking, biking, sailing and golfing. Bird-watchers often come to see the numerous bald eagles that perch in the surrounding bluffs during migration. Some locals have spotted up to 300 in one day.

VENUE

THE MARDIS GRAS MUSEUM OF IMPERIAL CALCASIEU SITS INSIDE LAKE CHARLES’ HISTORIC CENTRAL SCHOOL ARTS AND HUMANITIES CENTER.

Photos courtesy Mardis Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu

A MARDI GRAS MASTERPIECE

nne Monlezun wears many hats — figuratively and literally. This former dance teacher is not only a seamstress, designer and owner of Lords and Ladies, Inc., a company that makes formal wear and fashion headpieces, but also the leader and director of costuming of a Lake Charles Mardi Gras Krewe. Aside from Monlezun’s long-standing involvement in Mardi Gras parades, it was her passion for glitz and pageantry that ultimately inspired her to open the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu on 12th Night in 1998. The museum houses the largest collection of Mardi Gras costumes in the southern United States, with more than 280 costumes on display throughout six different rooms. Groups of up to 80 people can visit the museum, where they’ll be given a brief introduction and history before being set free on a self-guided tour. The first room on the tour explains the history of Mardi Gras, followed by the Captain’s Den and a third room that helps unravel the art behind costume design. A history of king cakes and the history and symbolism of 12th Night are explained in the following room,

BY KRISTY ALPERT

and the fifth room’s costume displays delight guests with elaborate gowns, costumes and masks. The final room acts as the finale for the museum; there, guests can climb on board a Mardi Gras parade float to enjoy a re-creation of the sights and excitement of these momentous parades. The museum sits on the second floor of the historic Central School Arts and Humanities Center off Kirby Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the heart of what has become known as Imperial Calcasieu. Although the Mardi Gras Museum has no rooms available for groups to rent, the building in which it resides offers meeting spaces groups can use for meetings and events. From king cake tastings after museum tours to board meetings with a twist, the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu offers the chance to celebrate in style.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

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

A RE-CREATED MARDI GRAS FLOAT

The location of the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu within the Central School Arts and Humanities Center allows for its guests to take advantage of a number of unique meeting spaces throughout this National Register of Historic Places building. The Theater is the largest space within the building,

with space for up to 450 guests, and the Alcove snack bar area can comfortably seat up to 30 guests. There are three classrooms that groups can reserve for meetings or events, one of which is large enough for up to 100 guests. The other two can hold up to 30 guests each.

C AT E R I N G Since the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu does not have an onsite caterer, groups are free to select a caterer of their own choosing. The staff at the museum are happy to refer groups to trusted caterers or food trucks in the area, including bakers behind the much beloved Lake Charles king cake at Cin-

namonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bakery. For a broader spread of culinary options, many groups choose to use Marilynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flowers and Catering, which can supply everything from table linens, custom decorations and floral arrangements to event planning and, of course, food. Alcohol is allowed.

EXTRAS

V E N U E FA C T S

MARDIS GRAS MUSEUM OF IMPERIAL CALCASIEU

Groups are in charge of bringing their own audiovisual equipment and decorations, but the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu can provide tables and chairs for groups meeting within its historic building. The staff at the museum gladly organizes king cake tastings for groups to enjoy before or af-

ter a museum tour and can even arrange for the Mardi Gras Revelers to greet the group wearing costumes and playing authentic Mardi Gras strut music. For the ultimate experience, groups can opt for a personal greeting by local legend Gumbeaux Gator, the official Lake Charles mascot.

LOCATION

Lake Charles, Louisiana

AT T H E M U S E U M

TYPE OF VENUE Off-site, museum

CAPACITY

Up to 450 guests

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS

A MARDI GRAS GOWN ON DISPLAY AT THE MUSEUM

May 2019

Holiday Inn and Suites Lake Charles South

CONTACT INFO

Mardi Gras never ends at the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu. Groups can tour the museum at a discounted rate of $5 per person, normally $10 for adults and $5 for anyone under 18 or over 50. The entire museum typically takes about 45 minutes to complete; groups are encouraged to try on

masks, crowns, headpieces, collars and even a few costumes to immerse themselves in the pomp and circumstance of a Mardi Gras parade. Typical add-ons for groups at the museum include king cake tastings, rum tastings and visits to the two art galleries in the building.

337-430-004

Carolina Meeting Resorts

Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Omni Hilton Head

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

he Carolinas are known for their pristine mountain vistas and gorgeous white sand beaches. Meeting planners can take their pick of some of the finest resorts in the country based on their hobbies and interests. The following North and South Carolina resorts offer everything from golfing and fly-fishing to hiking and zip lining, with luxury accommodations and first-class service that will make meeting delegates eager to attend events there. OMNI HILTON HEAD OCEANFRONT RESORT

Hilton Head, South Carolina The 323-suite Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort sits on the southern tip of the Carolina Coast on Hilton Head Island. The island itself is known as a major golf destination, but the Omni resort

SMALL GROUPS CAN HAVE ELEGANT BEACHFRONT MEALS ON THE OCEAN DECK AT THE OMNI HILTON HEAD.

is a destination in its own right, with pristine white sand beaches and a laid-back Caribbean-style atmosphere. “The resort is built in a way where we embrace that whole outside vibe,” said Warren Woodard, director of sales and marketing for the resort. “We’re not your traditional sort of fancy hotel on the beach. We’re connected. Our buildings are connected by boardwalks. We have open-air breezeways that are our corridors. All of our meeting space has natural lighting.” With 14,000 square feet of meeting space and a variety of outdoor venues, there are plenty of options for conference planners. Most groups will add some element of the outdoors to their meeting or convention, like a barbecue or a cocktail hour on the beach or a group golf outing. The resort specializes in groups of under 200 people. Its 3,960-square-foot ballroom is its largest meeting space. It also has a building that is broken into eight 1,000-squarefoot sections, one of which is a United Nations-style boardroom. These meeting spaces have access to a Carolina porch, which can be used as a meal or break space for convention attendees. The Shorehouse Oceanfront Deck is a covered pavilion with 360-degree views right on the wa-

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

ter that can serve 350 people banquet-style. The resort can arrange stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, boat excursions, and nature or golf tours. www.omnihotels.com/hotels/hilton-head

CHETOLA RESORT

Blowing Rock, North Carolina Chetola Resort has been around since the 1800s. The historic mountain property, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, became the summer home of J. Luther Snyder, the owner of 10 Coca-Cola bottling plants in the Charlotte area, in 1926. The estate became a resort about 20 years ago, taking advantage of its prime location close to ski resorts and offering one of the area’s top spas. The property, which is two hours from Charlotte, features three different types of accommodations: a lodge, condominiums and a bed-and-breakfast. “The reason people like to come there is it gets you out of your zone, out of the city,” said Beth Burleson, sales manager for the resort. “It is ski country. All the ski resorts are here. A mini-Aspen in North Carolina, downtown Blowing Rock has cute shops and restaurants to go try.” And the town is in walking distance of the resort. The resort can handle events for up to 100 people. There is a seven-acre lake for trout fishing, paddleboarding, a disc golf course, tennis and pickleball courts. Lots of conferences get planned in the summer months because Blowing Rock is 10 degrees cooler than its lower-elevation counterparts, but many event planners like to book Chetola around prime foliage season in October as well. All of the resort’s meeting rooms have windows and fireplaces. It also has on-site and off-site team-building activities, including zip lining, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. The Chetola Sporting Reserve, six miles away, offers sporting clays and pistol, rifle and archery ranges. www.chetola.com

THE EVERGREEN ROOM AT CHETOLA RESORT Courtesy Chetola Resort

THE POOL AT SANDERLING RESORT

SANDERLING RESORT

Duck, North Carolina Sanderling Resort sits on the shores of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a 200-mile-long strip of barrier islands. It features 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound. The original property began as a small lodge in 1985. It has since expanded and has continued to expand every year to include fine dining, additional guest rooms, two pools and an event center. “We’re fortunate to see the sun rise over the Atlantic and set over Currituck Sound,” said Wendy Coulson Murray, director of sales and marketing for Sanderling Resort. “That is what those guests experience if they are having a function there.” The first level of the Oceanside Event House and Deck features 1,800 square feet of function space with a large deck and fire pit. The second floor houses an additional 1,800-square-foot ballroom or function space with a large deck, a boardroom, a breakout room and spaces to prepare food. The resort has a 4,500-square-foot pavilion that has become a prime wedding and event space. It has 123 guest rooms and five

May 2019

Courtesy Sanderling Resort

Meetieng Guid OLD EDWARDS INN AND SPA IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA

rental homes. Groups can golf or fish. The town of Duck has an “awesome boardwalk and pedestrian walkways and bikeways,” Coulson Murray said. “Guests can take bikes from here and ride there.” It is also fairly close to Kitty Hawk of Wright Brothers fame. www.sanderling-resort.com

OLD EDWARDS INN AND SPA

Courtesy Old Edwards Inn and Spa

Highlands, North Carolina Over the past 11 years, the Old Edwards Inn has grown considerably, from an 87-room lodge to three resort properties with 204 rooms, plenty of event spaces and a world-class golf course. The inn, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the company’s flagship property and is right on Main Street in Highlands, North Carolina. Highlands is surrounded by mountains, lakes and the sixth-highest concentration of waterfalls in the contiguous United States. Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama, and Raleigh/Durham are all within a 60-mile radius of the resort, making it a hot spot for corporate retreats, conferences and events. Highlands isn’t just a “teeny little mountain town,” said Melissa Delany, director of sales for the Old Edwards Inn and Spa. “We are rather well funded. It has been the place where wealthy folks in the Southeast have come to play in the last 100 years.” Groups can rent out traditional meeting venues like Edwards Hall, for up to 125 guests, or the resort’s Barn Pavilion, which can hold up to 275 guests, or they can hold their meetings at the Old Edwards Club, which overlooks the ninth hole of the Tom Jackson-designed golf course. www.oldedwardsinn.com

Meet on the water. Mingle with history. Make events unforgettable. Find more than modern amenities, stunning waterfront venues and award-winning restaurants in Beaufort, SC. Discover the Lowcountry warmth that is life with the tides—and the transformative effect it has on successful events of every size.

BeaufortSC.org/meetings-and-conventions

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

ONE RESORT ONE CONTRACT ALL CONVENIENCE

Our professional staff will make your conference worry-free. Book your event now to take advantage of our easy one contract planning, 32,794 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and the breathtaking landscape of the Great Smokey Mountains. CaesarsMeansBusiness.com

Meetieng Guid

MONTAGE PALMETTO BLUFF

THE OCTAGON PORCH AT MONTAGE PALMETTO BLUFF

Bluffton, South Carolina Montage Palmetto Bluff sits on 20,000 acres in South Carolina’s lowcountry. It is perched on the banks of the May River between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Georgia. Half of the resort is set aside as a nature preserve, but it also has its own marina and a Jack Nicklaus-signature golf course. “Everything we do is geared around the land and incorporates the land,” said Scott Thrasher, director of group sales for the resort. Originally, the resort was made up of 50 cottages. But in 2016, the resort built its main inn and eight additional guest houses. It now has 260 guest rooms and both traditional and outdoor meeting and conference venues. The Wilson Ballroom in the inn has nearly 7,000 square feet of space and can hold up to 700 guests. The River House has a large ballroom, two verandas, a wine cellar and some boardroom spaces. The resort offers horseback riding, biking, golfing, shooting and spa activities. Watersports are big because of Bluffton’s location on the water, and guests enjoy fishing, kayaking and paddleboarding on the lagoon or on the salt-water river. Montage also offers team-building activities like bicycle scavenger hunts and group kayaking adventures. www.montagehotels.com/palmettobluff

Courtesy Montage Palmetto Bluff

plan on record attendance

Bring a new view to your next meeting. With welcoming weather year-round and plenty to do, Wilmington is more than a great spot for meetings — it’s a destination. You’ll find the largest convention center on the NC coast set along our Riverwalk, while beaches beckon nearby. From our walkable River District to three island beaches, see where the water takes you. NCCoastalMeetingsGroups.com • 800.650.9064

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Carolina Charm

Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Visit Winston-Salem

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

eeting planners don’t have to brave the congestion of the Carolinas’ biggest cities to have access to unique meeting venues, first-class restaurants and a taste of history. Many towns in North Carolina and South Carolina go out of their way to attract meetings and conventions at a fraction of the cost of much larger urban areas. WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

Winston-Salem is reinventing itself from its days as a textile and tobacco hub to a hip, modern city with robust banking, high-tech and bioinformatics industries. The city has spent $1.9 billion reinvigorating its downtown area, including a $20 million facelift to its 105,000-square-foot Benton Convention Center. The center, combined with the Marriott and the Embassy Suites, has 460 rooms and 170,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.

May 2019

GROUPS CAN MEET IN NUMEROUS HISTORIC STRUCTURES AT OLD SALEM, THE COLONIAL VILLAGE AT THE HEART OF MODERN WINSTON-SALEM.

Along with its more modern spin, Winston-Salem is also home to Old Salem, one of America’s most authentic Colonial sites from the 18th century. The area has 100 preserved or restored buildings, which also offer unique meeting venues. Biotech Place at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter is a former tobacco-manufacturing facility that now drives medical and technology innovation. It also has numerous places to hold events, including a 7,500-square-foot atrium and meeting rooms. It is adjacent to the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, the former headquarters building for RJ Reynolds, which has 174 rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting space. Full of locally owned restaurants and bars, downtown Winston-Salem offers a sampling of cuisines from around the world, including Southern cooking. “It’s really an authentic feel of what our community’s all about,” said Richard Geiger, president of Visit Winston-Salem. “It is not cookie-cutter like a lot of other communities where they have a lot of chain restaurants downtown.” www.visitwinstonsalem.com

Meetieng Guid

NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA

New Bern, North Carolina, is a small town with big charm and a penchant for good old Southern hospitality. Not only is it the birthplace of Pepsi, but it was North Carolina’s first capital. New Bern sits on two rivers — the Neuse and the Trent — and has 300 years of history, including a Civil War battlefield. The area’s walkability is appealing to groups. Downtown New Bern features locally owned shops and restaurants, art galleries and pocket parks. There are 425 guest rooms within one mile of the 45,000-squarefoot New Bern Riverfront Convention Center and 1,818 rooms total. The Bank of the Arts building is a great after-hours meeting spot and the North Carolina History Center has many meeting space options. A favorite place to tour is the reconstructed 18th-century Tryon Palace and gardens on the site of the area’s former Colonial capitol. Events can be held on the lawn or next door in the North Carolina History Center. Convention hotels include the Doubletree by Hilton New Bern-Riverfront, the Bridge Pointe Hotel and Marina, the Courtyard Marriott and the Hampton Inn New Bern. The area is also flush with quaint bed-andbreakfasts that can also be booked by group travelers, said Judy Avery, marketing director for the New Bern Convention and Visitors Bureau. Meeting-goers can take walking tours or historic trolley tours of the area. www.visitnewbern.com

NEW BERN’S TRYON PALACE

BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA

Life in and around 309-year-old Beaufort, South Carolina, is set up on a tidal schedule because the town experiences eight-foot tides. It is a slower schedule that “forces people to slow down and focus on what they have going on,” said Robb Wells, CEO of Visit Beaufort. “That’s what our community allows groups to do: reenergize, refocus and hone in on what they are looking to accomplish.” The second-oldest city in America, after St. Augustine, Florida, the area traces its history back to the Spaniards in 1565, predating Jamestown, Virginia. Beaufort had a garrison fort built off Port Royal Sound and the deepest natural harbor on the East Coast. Everything that happens in Beaufort centers around the water. The area has traditional and nontraditional meeting spaces. Port Royal Sound Maritime Center has an educational room for meetings. It also offers ecotours that leave from the dock. Groups that want to have team-building activities can learn how to cast a net on the river or do a little crabbing off the dock. They also can learn from the Gullah community how to make sweetgrass baskets or paint with indigo. The Gullah are descendants from plantations during the Civil War era that have inhabited St. Helena Island since that time. Beaufort has many historic meeting spaces, including the Arsenal, a building built in 1798 that can host meetings of all sizes, and Tabby Place, a converted downtown meeting space with breakout rooms. Beaufort has 2,100 guest rooms. Its main convention hotels are the historic Beaufort Inn and the Holiday Inn. www.beaufortsc.org

Courtesy New Bern CVB

THE HISTORIC BEAUFORT INN Courtesy Visit Beaufort

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Meetieng Guid

ROCK HILL/YORK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

York County, South Carolina, is made up of five historic cities: Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York, Tega Cay and Clover. The area is only about 15 minutes from Charlotte but has many of the same amenities as a much larger market and fewer crowds. Home to South Carolina’s only federally recognized Native American tribe, the Catawba Nation, the area also has a 775-acre Revolutionary War site, Historic Brattonsville, that features more than 30 historic structures from the 1760s to the late 19th century, many of which can be rented out for meetings and events. Fort Mill is one of the fastest-growing cities in South Carolina because it is practically on the border between North and South Carolina. But Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, so many of the area’s large meeting hotels and spaces are there. The Courtyard by Marriott in Fort Mill is the largest meeting hotel, with 5,000 square feet of meeting space and 129 rooms. The revitalized area offers both history and charm. Former textile mills have been turned into multiuse spaces, including corporate headquarters buildings, restaurants, breweries and hotels. “Our downtown is really starting to thrive,” said Andy Clinton, vice president of sales for Visit York County. Some of the area’s favorite event spaces include the Glennon Ballroom at Tiga Cay’s The Shore Club; Hightower Hall in Historic Brattonsville, which was built in 1856; and the historic White Home, which was built in 1837 and was the home of one of Rock Hill’s first families. www.visityorkcounty.com

SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA

Once upon a time, Spartanburg, South Carolina, was the textile center of the South. Over the past 10 years, the area has come back to life with revitalized mills that serve as event spaces, loft apartments and a quaint Southern downtown. “We’ve got a lot of that charm aspect that people in the South are looking for, but it also has a local feel,” said Naomi Sargent, director of strategic communications for the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce. “Everything that has come to life here is unique to Spartanburg.” With 3,000 hotel rooms in the county and 800 in Spartanburg, the area is packed with meeting and event spaces. Everything is walkable. Several hotels and conference hotels are right downtown in one of South Carolina’s cultural districts. A revitalized textile factory called Events at Drayton Mills features 8,800 square feet of event space. It also features unusual outdoor settings. The Summit Pointe Conference and Event Center, which has more than 19,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, is anchored by four conference hotels with more than 400 guest rooms. The Chapman Cultural Center is a collection of three buildings that includes a studio, theater spaces and a grand lobby that can be used for events. Seven colleges call Spartanburg home, and many have meeting rooms and event facilities. The Fr8yard, an open-air biergarten built from repurposed shipping containers, is the only completely open-air bar in upstate South Carolina and a wonderful place to host after-hours events. www.visitspartanburg.com

CHARMING DOWNTOWN ROCK HILL Courtesy York Co. CVB

SPARTANBURG’S AC HOTEL BY MARRIOTT

Courtesy Spartanburg Area COC

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