Small Market Meetings May 2020

NIAGARA FALLS | MEETING ON CAMPUS | BILLINGS, MONTANA MAY 2020

MAKING MEETINGS

Family Friendly

(You r (You Name H r Ev ere) Gre ent He ater Zio re)

The show will go on.

We’ll see you when it does.

Explore our unexpected venues or submit an RFP at: greaterzion.com/meetings

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Every June the Shriners come to Kearney.

(T raf f ic is a nightmare.)

Kearney, where the Heartland gathers.

Parades will cause some minor traffic problems, so will football games.

But it’s not special until there’s a grown man in a tiny car. It’s not just the Shrine Bowl, every year Kearney hosts more than 1,350 events. We also host state cross-country, conferences large and small, and heck half a million Sandhill Cranes make sure to meet in Kearney every year. You know why? Because Kearney has the best facilities between Denver and Omaha, experienced staff and wonderful volunteers that make sure every event that comes to town is taken care of.

If you’re looking for a host city for your next event, make sure you look at Kearney, hundreds of grown men in tiny cars can’t be wrong.

VisitKearney.org

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INSIDE VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5

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IDEAS Colleges and Universities

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TOWN Niagara Falls, New York

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HOTEL Lake Quinault Lodge

D E PA R T M E N T S

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MANAGING 6 INSIGHTS 8 CONFERENCE 12Making Positivity Sponsors Meetings and Action

Add Value

MEETING GUIDE Carolinas

Family Friendly

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

TO ADVERTISE CALL KYLE ANDERSON 866-356-5128

kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com

Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner

Brian Jewell VP & Managing Editor

Kelly Tyner VP, Sales & Marketing

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Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner

Ashley Ricks Graphic Designer

Kyle Anderson DIrector, Advertising Sales

Christine Clough Copy Editor

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Rena Baer Proofreader

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy ExploreAsheville.com

CITY Billings, Montana

CUSTOM CONTENT

From swamps and splash pads to bikes and root beer floats, find loads of family fun in Louisiana’s Northshore

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

M

eeting on Louisiana’s Northshore can be a way to build communities beyond cubicles, as coworkers and their families discover this lively region together. Louisiana’s Northshore is a natural for events that include kids and spouses. Across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, the Northshore is a collection of small towns that are safe, easy to navigate, and full of personality.

PARTAKE OF TASTY TREATS

Like New Orleans, St. Tammany Parish is packed with flavor. Area hotels like the Courtyard New Orleans Covington/Mandeville and the Holiday Inn Covington are old hands at preparing a crawfish boil or seafood supper. The Beach House, steps from Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville, has a sandy kids’ play area and miniature picnic tables. Middendorf’s, near the Harbor Center convention center in Slidell, has a big sandy area for kids to romp in and plenty of thin fried catfish it’s famous for.

In Old Towne Slidell, Linda Franzo teaches cooking classes and gives cooking demonstrations at her Passionate Platter.

Classes can be geared to any age.

Down the street, Old Town Slidell Soda Shop is a sweet step back, where soda jerks in old fashioned paper hats concoct fountain treats like root beer floats.

In Old Mandeville, introduce youngsters to old-fashioned candies at the Candy Bank, a mom/pop business housed in a handsome, historic brick building that was once St. Tammany Bank. The “bank” also serves ice cream and has a party room.

LOUISIANA’S NORTHSHORE/ST. TAMMANY PARISH TOURIST AND CONVENTION COMMISSION 985-892-0520 www.LouisianaNorthshore.com Zondra@LouisianaNorthshore.com

WALKS (AND FLOATS) ON THE WILD SIDE

A boat tour through Honey Island Swamp is a must. Three swamp tour operators, Dr. Wagner’s, Pearl River Eco Tours and Cajun Encounters, offer trips of varying length in flat-bottomed, open-air boats that bring passengers close to the water and to alligators, resident and migratory birds, other animals that flourish in this beautiful yet mystical slice of Louisiana. Occasionally, a captain brings aboard a baby alligator (jaws taped shut), an unforgettable for both children and the young at heart. For an lively Louisiana experience, Cajun Encounters has a pavilion for post- or pre-swamp tour pig roasts or crawfish boils.

Global Wildlife Center, a 900-acre animal attraction that’s described as Africa, in Louisiana, is home to thousands of animals from all around the world.

Groups can go on safari in covered wagons pulled by a tractor and are able to feed and touch the animals. Global Wildlife Center also offers a gracious outdoor event space, with spacious pavilions overlooking a central pond and exotic animals graving as a beautiful backdrop.

GET OUTDOORS AND EXPLORE

Two state parks, Fontainebleau and Fairview-Riverside, offer wide open spaces to explore. The expansive 2,800-acre Fontainebleau, with a beach fronting Lake Pontchartrain, also has a 50-person meeting space in a raised cottage and a dozen over-water cabins. Rent bikes or take a guided bike tour with Brook’s Bike Shop in Covington or Mandeville and travel the Tammany Trace. Inducted to the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame, the Tammany Trace links five communities, each with a trailhead, restrooms and access to nearby quaint restaurants and shops. Several trailheads have splash pads for cooling off on hot days; most have weekly farmers’ markets and free seasonal concerts. Operating in Covington since 1876, H.J. Smith and Sons General Store and Museum is a popular shopping stop with both a museum and mercantile. In Lacombe, a renovated schoolhouse is now the Bayou Lacombe Museum, which explores Creole, Native American and African American cultures.

INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

MAKING IT MEANINGFUL

L

ife during a pandemic is a shared experience, but even as it’s being said that we’re all in the same boat, our boats look different.

Some work at home now, sweeping the cat off the laptop during Zoom meetings. Others go to an office, where quarters are no longer so close. Jobs have been lost or put on hold, yet some are busier than ever learning new ways to meet without being together.

Yet, no matter how the boat looks, everyone seems to be riding the same wave of anxiety, facing a foe that has the stealth of a shark.

Mental health experts say one effective anecdote to pervasive anxiety is action. Hand wringing doesn’t count, by the way. Here are five ways to do something meaningful and positive in a time of uncertainty.

Positivity and action reign in uncertain times

Hang out with your peers.

Like vinyl, voice calls are back in vogue.

Remember when the phone was for talking instead of texting? As we work from home or in more isolated-than-normal situations, we crave connection. For the first time in several years, voice calls have gone up — way up. Verizon says the average number of wireless calls is more than double the number made on Mother’s Day, one of the busiest calling days of the year. Calling loved ones and friends is helpful, but there can also be value in calling peers and industry partners. There’s a good chance they have more time than usual to talk. Now might be the time to call your audiovisual supplier to talk about new tech and how it might be used for a future conference, or to put in a call to a couple of possible venues or cities for future meetings to get acquainted with management there.

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Chances are your staff meetings have continued, thanks to Zoom and Google Hangouts. But what about the coffee talk, the chit-chat, the small talk?

There’s value in informal conversations with workmates and peers. One group of freelance writers now meets weekly online to talk about work, talk about problems, share hacks, and discuss worries and victories. They call it a Pandemic Potluck. This might be the time to join one of the online forums for meeting planners, make new friends and draw comfort from connecting with a community that understands the challenges you face in a world where face-to-face gatherings are out of the question for the time being.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Go somewhere without leaving your chair

Planes are grounded. Your luggage is dusty. But you can still see new places via a growing list of virtual tours. A March 18 story in the Washington Post featured 12 historic sites to explore from the couch, from the Louvre and Yosemite to the Smithsonian and the San Diego Zoo. The possibilities, though, go far beyond the big-name tourist destinations. Lots of museums in smaller cities, like the Speed Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, have opened virtual doors. Zoos and historic sites, too. Virtual tours allow you to check out potential future off-site venues. Or if you just need some blue skies pouring into vast blue water, tap into a beach cam; dozens of beach towns have them, including Panama City, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Alternatively, follow author Reif Larsen’s lead and use Google Street View to “travel” to a city you are considering for a future conference. Larsen and his family visited Charleston, South Carolina, in that manner when their spring trip was disrupted by the pandemic.

Do something for your audience.

Work your crowd.

The audience you serve might come out of this experience with different motivations, mind-sets and priorities. Will the chance to reconnect in person thrill or chill? Will elbow bumps permanently replace handshakes? Given all the experiences delivered through virtual means, will there be less demand for in-person meetings? Dig in now to what your future attendees will want and need by crowdsourcing. Airlines are already doing this, asking their loyal passengers what it will take for them to fly again. The overwhelming answer? Clean planes. Use email or even the phone to poll longtime members and the rest of your audience. Ask what they’d like in terms of meeting design and length, destinations, programming, speakers and topics, networking ideas.

Chances are professional needs and goals will shift as a result of the global pandemic; go into the new era stronger with firsthand research at your fingertips.

May 2020

Make your action altruistic by doing something for your audience. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association realized that caregivers for those with dementia, who are already isolated, could benefit from around-the-clock virtual assistance. It recently created a 30-minute demo of virtual tools that are available 24/7. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists had special webinars on Trauma Management and Resilience and Self-Care in March and April.

Others are offering tele-town halls with various health care experts to answer questions about coronavirus and how to protect and care for those who could contract it. It might be a good time to collect ideas and stories from your members about what they or their communities are doing to get through the long weeks, or perhaps a slideshow of faces of youngsters with art work and hopeful messages. Or remind members of fun times with a Facebook page flashback of photos from past conferences with the assurance that they will gather again.

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CONFERENCE

SPONSORS ADD VALUE TO SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE

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BY DAN DICKSON

THE TOURISM OFFICE FROM JUNEAU IS AMONG MANY SPONSORS OF SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE.

Courtesy Travel Juneau

SPONSORED NAME BADGES FROM SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE

By Dan Dickson

AN EVENING ARTS CELEBRATION IN LUBBOCK

Courtesy Visit Lubbock

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eeting planners from around the country look forward to the annual Small Market Meetings Conference because they learn about potential meeting sites from the many destination providers who attend. This year’s conference will be held October 4-6 in French Lick, Indiana, which is located next to the Hoosier National Forest in the southern part of the state.

Sponsors want to reach this valuable clientele because planners are the link to bringing future meetings business to their small to midsize cities and sites.

The right messaging is vital, and the organizers of the conference help sponsors deliver their best information.

“We have sponsorships that are yearto-year,” said Joe Cappuzzello, CEO of The Group Travel Family, which operates the conference. “They may include sponsoring the registration at the beginning of the conference or a meal function or a guest speaker for an educational session. Some sponsors get to show a video that can make a big impression and can reach all planners in attendance, not just the ones a sponsor has an appointment with.”

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

SUMMIT RESCHEDULED FOR 2021 IN PANAMA CITY BEACH SALEM, Ohio — Small Market Meetings and the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau have announced they will reschedule Small Market Meetings Summit to May 12-13, 2021. Panama City Beach, Florida, will remain the Summit location, and the host hotel will remain The Sheraton.

This decision was made jointly with the 2020 host city of Panama City Beach and the Sheraton Hotel.

“I want to thank Dan Rowe, president and CEO, and Renee Wuerdeman, vice president sales, of the Panama City Beach CVB, for having the long-term best interest of the meeting planner industry in their decision,” said Joe Cappuzzello of Small Market Meetings. “It is insightful that a visitors bureau understands the value in showcasing their destination when this pandemic ends. A job well done to Panama City Beach CVB.” Small Market Meetings Summit reached a sold-out registration prior to COVID-19, and all delegates will have guaranteed positions at the new dates. Should positions open, both meeting planners and travel industry will be notified and welcomed to attend.

Small Market Meetings Summit is a destination showcase event, limiting registration to 25 highly qualified meeting planners and only 75 destination marketing organizations.

For information on Small Market Meetings Summit, contact Cappuzzello at 800-628-0993 or jcappuzzello@grouptravelfamily. com.

May 2020

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CONFERENCE

THE FRONT PORCH AT FRENCH LICK SPRINGS HOTEL EXPLORING FRENCH LICK ON HORSEBACK

SUNSET ON PATOKA LAKE NEAR FRENCH LICK

Someone else can sponsor the conference’s transportation component. If a partner cannot attend but still wants their materials to be distributed into the meeting planners’ hands, conference staff can help arrange that.

The conference also offers social media and website sponsorships, and Small Market Meetings magazine has attractive advertising opportunities.

Vicki Logan, convention sales manager for Travel Juneau, said her CVB sponsored breakfasts at the past two Small Market Meetings conferences.

“It gave me the opportunity to show attendees Juneau, Alaska, through videos of our incredible landscapes,” said Logan. “I gained an entire room of people that learned what Juneau has to offer both for their personal travel and their meeting groups. Everyone wanted more information afterward. I do win more business with the exposure.”

Logan said her facilities can accommodate groups of 25 to 450 people. After last year’s Small Market Meetings Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin, “I received requests for proposals for three more con-

ferences of about 150 people each,” she said.

Visit Lubbock has been a frequent sponsor of name badges, which are worn by hundreds of meeting planners, destination providers and staff at the Small Market Meetings Conference.

“We see great value in sponsoring badges for events and conferences because it adds exposure for Lubbock,” said Amy Zientek, director of sales for Visit Lubbock. “Generally, attendees are required to wear name badges everywhere — during appointments, mealtimes and breakout sessions. We really think this amount of exposure keeps Lubbock at the forefront of their minds for the future.”

The conference’s marketplace includes 15 to 20 booths lining the main hall, and they can be sponsored, too.

“Those in the booths get to network with planners in an informal way before the individual marketplace meetings begin,” said Cappuzzello. “Booth sponsors give out auction dollars, which can be collected by planners and then used to bid on fabulous prizes at a rollicking auction later in the conference.”

Photos courtesy Visit PCB

FRENCH LICK RESORT’S WEST BADEN SPRINGS HOTEL

A MEETING UNDER THE DOME AT WEST BADEN SPRINGS HOTEL Photos courtesy French Lick CVB

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

JOE CAPPUZZELLO

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS CONFERENCE ATTENDEES Getting good value out of a Small Market Meetings Conference is the goal of all meeting planners who attend. Naturally, they want bang for their travel buck, and that means paying attention to conference sponsors.

“The sponsors are really important and rank right up there with our host cities in giving a great experience to our delegates,” said Joe Cappuzzello, president and CEO of The Group Travel Family, which manages the conference.

In turn, planners will see and hear about a wide variety of destinations at which meetings can be booked: hotels, convention centers, resorts, historic sites and quirky yet interesting places that boast one-of-a-kind experiences meeting attendees won’t forget.

“For sponsors, there are a variety of ways to get their messages out,” Cappuzzello said. “They’re all important and valuable. It’s just a matter of what level of commitment a sponsor wants to make.”

May 2020

With hesitations for travel surfacing during this unprecedented time, we invite you to bring your meeting back to the "Hub City" when the time is right. Planning a fall event in Lubbock will provide an experience that cannot be matched with the opening of Lubbock's newest boutique hotel, The Cotton Court Hotel, as well as the region's premier theater, The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. When it comes to an unforgettable meeting experience, the Visit Lubbock team delivers West Texas hospitality in every detail. Plan your meeting today!

#LIVELOVELUBBOCK visitlubbock.org/meet

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MANAGING

‘The Kid-Friendly Crowd’

STRATEGIES FOR PLANNING EVENTS WITH FAMILIES IN MIND

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BY RACHEL CARTER

“You’ve got to be cognizant of the family experience, because if the kids are sitting around bored out of their skulls with nothing to do, guess who’s going to have a bad time? Mom and Dad. So if you’re not going to do it well, don’t do it.”

his was the first year the American Society for Public Administration’s (ASPA’s) annual conference was going to be family-friendly. They had planned a movie night, a family yoga session and a lactation room, and the host hotel offered a free shuttle to Disneyland just down the street.

But, like so many others, ASPA had to cancel its April conference amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Though ASPA has always let kids come to the conference, the group “wanted to be a little more above the radar this year,” said Karen Garrett, chief of communications, membership and marketing.

The reason was twofold: membership and leadership. More ASPA members are asking about bringing their children, and this year’s president, who has two young children, “decided it was time to start planning for the kid-friendly crowd,” Garrett said.

The uptick in family-friendly meetings and conferences isn’t so much a trend as it is a reflection of society “as we continue to blend the world of business and our social life,” said Phelps Hope, senior vice president of meetings and expositions for Kellen, a global association management company.

But it’s not just associations; conferences that are also enjoyable for families are rapidly gaining popularity in corporate and incentive market segments as well, said Mariya Baker, meeting and convention sales manager for the Branson/ Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Here are some tips to plan successful meetings not only for attendees but also for spouses, SENIOR partners, children and the organization.

Phelps Hope

WHERE TO BEGIN Planners should first decide whether a family-friendly meeting is right, both for the audience

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VICE PRESIDENT OF MEETINGS AND EXPOSITIONS Kellen Experience: 40 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“In the fast-paced environment we live in today, incorporating family into meetings is becoming an increasingly popular option.

It is an attendance booster for all types of meetings. Attendees can combine a business trip and a family vacation without sacrificing time with their families.”

and the event, and profiling the attendance base is a good place to start, Hope said.

“There’s no point planning a family-friendly meeting if they’re all 22-year-olds in the tech industry or mostly retirees,” he said.

The next step is considering the destination. If an event is a two-day, in-and-out meeting at an airport hotel, it doesn’t make sense to bring families. But if it’s a longer conference or it’s being held in a popular family destination, it might be a good fit.

The third consideration is time of year.

Avoid planning such a conference in the middle of a school year, especially with a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule. Choose summer months, or stick to a weekend conference pattern, Baker said.

KNOW WHOM TO EXPECT

Mariya Baker MEETING AND CONVENTION SALES MANAGER Branson/Lakes Area CVB Experience: 10 years

May 2020

It’s important to get as much information as possible before the event. Poll attendees, and ask who they’re bringing, including how many kids and their ages, along with any special needs or dietary restrictions. Some families also bring grandparents or a nanny to help with child care.

“Should we decide to do this in the future, we will probably do a more intensive registration process, just so we know who will be there so we can be more prepared on our end,” Garrett said. “We didn’t know how popular it would be.”

In addition to helping planners know whom and how many to expect, registration also acts as security control, Hope said.

You can make special badges for kids, which makes them feel included but also ensures you know who is with them.

It’s imperative to get the proper event insurance, Baker said. There are different concerns and considerations when children are present, “and it’s important to let your insurance agents know that you’re bringing kids.”

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MANAGING

DESTINATIONS THAT WELCOME FAMILIES Certain destinations practically scream to host a family-friendly events. Places like Orlando and Anaheim, Florida; Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, are common options because they’re home to theme parks and water parks, live shows and plentiful attractions. In Branson, Missouri, attendees often bring their families, whether the conference is fun for families or not, Baker said.

But if the planner is making it so attendees can bring their families and have a nice time, almost any destination becomes family-friendly, whether it’s Palm Springs, California, or Boise, Idaho, Hope said.

“Every single city has something unique to offer,” he said.

Consider resorts that offer kids’ clubs and suites, and include as many connecting rooms and larger suites in your room block as you can, Baker said.

Destinations and hotels are often booked years in advance, so if the idea of a family-friendly event pops up later, there may be some limitations. That was the case with ASPA, which couldn’t provide child care because it wasn’t included in the society’s contract.

“I think within a few years, we’re all going to be doing this somehow; I think it will be kind of critical. You cannot stand for social equity without enabling people to have resources they didn’t have before, and one of those things is equitable conference attendance.”

AT THE EVENT Planners should research, arrange and offer child care options and plan activities for kids and spouses while attendees are in sessions.

Most hotels will outsource child care for infants to 3-year-olds because they require licensed child care.

For children ages 4 to 12, most resort-type hotels have an activities department and kids’ clubs, or the hotel will arrange other activities, like scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, or a Nerf battle in a ballroom. ASPA had planned a movie night to show “The Secret Life of Pets” during a networking reception.

One of Kellen’s clients, a national pasta association, held cooking competitions that brought in family members and used the sponsor’s product, so it tied in the family, the industry and the sponsor.

Organizers should also make accommodations for nursing mothers and communicate those accommodations. The ASPA worked with the hotel to plan a

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Karen Garrett CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS, MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING American Society for Public Administration Experience: 15 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

We’ll Meet Again.

While we cannot wait for you to meet in Visit Delco, PA and explore our magnificent gardens, relive history on our battlefields, and experience unique dining, shopping and entertainment possibilities — we all know it is important to stay home and stay safe.

Visit Delco, PA is a place of unforgettable adventures to augment your meetings, and we cannot wait to be part of the new memories you will soon create here.

Be well. Stay healthy!

May 2020

VisitDelcoPA

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MANAGING

lactation room with comfortable seating, a refrigerator and a microwave. Another option is lactation pods, which are easily sponsored, Hope said.

KIDS’ MENU Consider doing family-style seating instead of typical rounds and communicate to the banquet staff to have booster and high chairs on hand.

The menu should also offer options for younger attendees.

Baker even suggests doing two buffets: one for adults and one for kids. The kids’ buffet can include favorites like pizza and chicken strips and can be lowered so little ones can help themselves. She also recommends arranging extra activities at the back or side of the ballroom during dinner to keep kids busy while parents finish their meals.

DAY TRIPS AND TOURS A corporate group of financial advisers hosts a family-style conference in Branson every June. During morning business

meetings, they provide child care for kids of all ages, which allows spouses some free time. They also allow attendees free time in the afternoons for families to play in Branson, then gather in the evenings for dinner.

Planners should arrange at least a couple of family-focused activities. These allow attendees to network and engage on a different level because they meet a colleague’s spouse or their kids play together.

Kellen also identifies which parts of the conference might be family-friendly, “then we design into it,” Hope said, like choosing a zoo or a science museum for an off-site event.

It may make sense to include a day trip to Disney World or Dollywood, but don’t arrange activities during sessions that will make attendees feel left out or entice them to skip out.

If the hotel has outdoor space, use it. Schedule a family picnic, a bocce ball tournament or s’mores at fire pits. Organizers can set up lawn games, like horseshoes and cornhole, and leave them out for the duration of the event so families can play whenever they want, Hope said.

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Visit TourismCares.org. See the possibilities.

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

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May 2020

17

IDEAS

Courtesy University of Kentucky

COLLEGE BOUND These campuses offer one-of-a-kind meeting venues

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BY RACHEL CARTER

roups love to gather on college campuses: They’re minicities jam-packed with energy and education, a veritable fountain of youth where something is always happening and everyone can always learn.

But they’re also treasure troves of one-of-a-kind venues, from historic chapels and opulent mansions to ultramodern spaces and high-tech hangouts.

These institutions of higher learning offer planners a range of interesting spaces to spice up their meetings.

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UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY Mildred “Pansy” Yount chose Lexington, Kentucky, as the place she would start over following the death of her husband, which left her a wealthy widow. Construction of Yount’s Spindletop Hall on the 800-acre Spindletop Farm began in 1935 and took two years to complete.

The University of Kentucky (UK) bought Spindletop Hall in 1959, and today, the Club at UK's Spindletop Hall is the faculty, staff and alumni club and one of the school’s most popular event venues.

People are attracted to the mansion’s architecture and artisanship, said Melisa Hardin, the club’s wedding and special event coordinator. Now in her fifth season with Spindletop, Hardin still sees something new every time she walks into a room.

The Oak Room is the largest banquet space, for about 130 guests, and is so named for the intricate hand-carved oak paneling. It connects to the library and music room, which can be used for the buffet, the overflow seating or dancing.

Upstairs, three historic, ornate spaces that were originally bedroom suites can now be used for events.

Above: The University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium features several exclusive meeting venues, including the Paddock at Woodford Reserve Club.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

On the opposite end of the spectrum, groups can gather at UK’s newly renovated football stadium.

Kroger Field opened two new club areas in 2015: the Woodford Reserve Club and the Field Club. Both clubs feature outdoor seating with sideline views and access to climate-controlled lounges. Both clubs have space for 500 people, but the Woodford Reserve Club is UK Athletics Hospitality's most popular space and features built-in buffets and a large marble bar.

The Hilary J. Boone Center is the university’s second faculty and alumni center. There, members may book up to eight private rooms, the courtyard and the gated terrace for events with up to 500 guests. uky.edu/see/campus-meeting-facilities

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA While the town of Clemson, South Carolina, is small, the name recognition of Clemson University is anything but, which helps draw events to campus. On campus, the Clyde V. Madren Conference Center features flexible meeting spaces, including a 5,660-square-foot ballroom, and is connected to the 89-room James F. Martin Inn. But it’s the center’s outdoor covered pavilion that allows planners to be creative with events, said Laura Katherine McCallum, sales and marketing manager. The attached lawn is popular for conference luncheons and team-

“Maryland is a cool place to be, and every year I’ve been here, it’s gotten to be a cooler place with our growth and construction.”

— Tom Flynn, University of Maryland, College Park

Courtesy University of Kentucky

Courtesy University of Kentucky

May 2020

Courtesy Clemson University

Clockwise from left: a stadium dinner at the University of Kentucky; UK’s Woodford Reserve Club; Clemson’s Watt Family Innovation Center

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IDEAS

building days and overlooks both the 18-hole Walker golf course and Hartwell Lake.

The conference center works with other on-campus venues, like the ubermodern, super-high-tech Watt Family Innovation Center, where glass-encased collaboration rooms jut out over the entrance atrium, which can host 300-person gatherings. The center’s rooftop terrace can also accommodate 300 guests, and the auditorium seats 187.

Five miles from campus, the Clemson University Outdoor Lab is a forested retreat on the banks of Hartwell Lake with eight venues. The lodgelike Kresge Hall can seat 150 for meals and features a

floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, views of the lake, and an outdoor patio and covered porch. Other buildings can accommodate events for 25 to 40 people, and the outdoor Cannon Chapel/Pavilion can host events for up to 250 guests.

Groups can visit the university’s South Carolina Botanical Garden, where the Heritage Amphitheater seats 400 and smaller events can use a variety of outdoor gardens and indoor spaces.

The WestZone Club at Memorial Stadium, a sprawling space with a wall of windows overlooking the football field, welcomes groups of up to 600. clemson.edu/madren

On campus, the Clyde V. Madren Conference Center features flexible meeting spaces, including a 5,660-square-foot ballroom, and is connected to the 89room James F. Martin Inn. But it’s the center’s outdoor covered pavilion that allows planners to be creative with events.

Photos by Ayers Saint Gross, courtesy UM College Park

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Groups can take advantage of both traditional and innovative spaces at the University of Maryland College Park’s Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND The University of Maryland, College Park is in the midst of a building boom.

“I love all the variety of venues we have on campus and the possibilities they create,” said Tom Flynn, director of conferences and visitor services.

“Maryland is a cool place to be, and every year I’ve been here, it’s gotten to be a cooler place with our growth and construction.”

In the Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center, TERP classrooms —Teach, Engage, Respond and Participate — are state-of-the-art spaces designed to maximize collaboration. In five Tiered Collaborative rooms, which seat 156 to 334, fixed tiered seating is designed so attendees can swivel around to share a table with attendees behind them.

In the Media Share room, each peninsula-style table comes with its own computer and wall monitor for groups to work together or share on the large screen at the front of the room.

The Memorial Chapel is a nondenominational space that works well for lectures, ceremonies and concerts. The picturesque steepled chapel features four reservable spaces: The Main Chapel seats 1,000 people, but small groups can also use the conference room, lounge or garden chapel. The surrounding Garden of Reflection and Remembrance also features a labyrinth.

For more traditional spaces, groups gravitate to the Adele H. Stamp Student Union or the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. At the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, planners have their choice of six theater venues, and the new Hotel at the University of Maryland offers its own 43,000 square feet of conference space. umd.edu

“I love all the variety of venues we have on campus and the possibilities they create.”

— Tom Flynn, University of Maryland, College Park

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Manhaan MEET IN

KS

Manhattan exceeds your expectations.

• Unique dining

• Exceptional meeting venues

• Walkable meeting destinations

Oh Manhaan !

VISITMANHATTANKS.ORG

May 2020

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IDEAS

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY

MEET. Come for the conference...

Stay and experience more than just the meeting space.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO Many of the buildings on the U.S. Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado, mimic the sleek lines and slick materials used to build fighter jets and spacecraft.

The most recognizable building on campus and Colorado’s most-visited man-made tourist attraction is Cadet Chapel, a modern structure of aluminum, glass and steel with 17 spires that spike 150 feet into the sky. However, the chapel is closed until 2023 as it undergoes repairs for issues that have plagued it since construction was completed in 1962.

Polaris Hall, built in 2016, is crowned with a 105-foot-tall structure of glass and steel that points directly toward Polaris, the North Star. The Main Forum lecture hall seats up to 164 people beneath the open interior of the soaring tower, which from the outside resembles the vertical stabilizer of an airplane tail. Other spaces include two 100-person seminar rooms, 10 collaboration rooms and additional conference rooms.

The Air Force Academy Planetarium can seat 110 for shows, and groups can also watch films and explore exhibits at the Barry Goldwater Visitors Center.

At Doolittle Hall, the 5,500-square-foot assembly area can accommodate 250 for a sit-down dinner and 400 for a standing event, and the atrium area seats 100 for a luncheon or reception. usafa.edu/academics/facilities

Sights at the U.S. Air Force Academy, clockwise from left: cadets on campus; Cadet Chapel; the onsite planetarium

Only Carbondale

618-529-4451 carbondaletourism.org

Courtesy Visit Colorado Springs

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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819 and designed the original campus, and attendees who visit both UVA and Jefferson’s nearby homestead, Monticello, will notice the striking similarities and aesthetics of both sites.

“The Jeffersonian grounds are just stunning,” said Stephanie Clayton, director of Conferences@UVA Jefferson designed the Rotunda as the heart of the university’s “Academical Village,” and the white-domed building is available for events. The circular Dome Room can seat 104 for dinners, and the Upper West Oval Room works well as pre-event reception space; the Lower West Oval Room can seat 25 to 50, depending on setup.

The Rotunda anchors one end of the UVA Lawn, which is flanked by 10 Jefferson-designed Colonial mansions that he called pavilions. The Colonnade Club is housed in Pavilion VII and has several rooms for smaller events. The main floor and garden can host receptions for up to 165 or seated meals for as many as 80 guests.

Alumni Hall is another historic building with several spaces for rent, including board-

Meet More Than You’d Expect in Waukesha Pewaukee!

 Conveniently located directly off I-94  Affordable, flexible space with accommodating staff  Ample complimentary parking at all venues Courtesy US. Air Force Academy

 25+ post-meeting activities  Complimentary services for meetings with overnight sleeping rooms

visitwaukesha.org/meetmore Courtesy Visit Colorado Springs

May 2020

23

IDEAS

Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819 and designed the original campus.

Jefferson designed the Rotunda as the heart of the university’s “Academical Village,” and the whitedomed building is available for events.

When you are ready to meet, we’re ready to welcome you with open arms.

rooms and conference rooms, a courtyard and a ballroom with an adjoining terrace. In the Fralin Museum of Art, the Cornell Entrance Gallery can seat 65 for dinners or host receptions for up to 200 guests.

About 10 miles south of campus, the university-owned Morven Farms has a variety of venues, from small, historic buildings to a sprawling event barn. The 1820 Main House can seat 50 for meals, and the Meeting Barn includes a commercial-grade kitchen, a movie theater, a meeting area with an atrium and an outdoor patio for up to 70-person banquets. Barn No. 3 seats up to 450 for dinner, and attendees can also tour the estate’s formal gardens. virginia.edu

Groups can meet in the Rotunda, which was designed

by University of Virginia founder Thomas Jefferson.

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

Let us give you a VIRTUAL site visit to receive an Outside of Ordinary gift!

800.369.6151 caitlynf@visitchampaigncounty.org

champaignmeets.com

Photos courtesy University of Virginia

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Did You Know the

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One Call Does It All!

A ca d Yo em ut ic h Co Pr m og pe ra ti m tio s n

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University of Maryland is a TERRIFIC Venue for:

Discover why your NEXT event should be at our FLAGSHIP campus.

301.314.7884 cvs.umd.edu/smmktmeet smmktmeet@umd.edu

May 2020

25

s ' a n a t n o M

TRAILHEAD

Downtown Billings offers numerous meeting venues surrounded by the beauty of Big Sky Country.

All photos courtesy Visit Billings

CITY

Billings offers Big Sky for small meetings

K

BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

nown as Montana’s Trailhead, Billings is a hip urban destination perched on the edge of Montana’s wild frontier. “The Treasure State,” so named because of the gold and silver found there by early settlers, ranks high in the nation as a bucket-list stop. That well-deserved honor comes thanks to its horizons that stretch as far as the eye can see, its numerous national monuments that reflect America’s Western heritage and culture, its small towns and immense ranches dotted through craggy mountains and wide valleys, and the romantic appeal of the Old West.

Groups meeting in Billings can embrace Western culture from a seat in the rodeo stands and can scout trails once used by warriors and dinosaurs.

BILLINGS AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: Southeast Montana ACCESS: Interstates 90 and 94, Billings Logan International Airport HOTEL ROOMS: 4,500 CONTACT INFO: Visit Billings 406-869-3726 visitbillings.com YELLOWSTONE CONFERENCE CENTER

PROJECTED COMPLETION DATE: Late summer/early fall 2020 EXHIBIT SPACE: 15,000 square feet MEETING HOTELS

Billings Hotel and Convention Center GUEST ROOMS: 236 MEETING SPACE: 28,000 square feet Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Billings GUEST ROOMS: 289 MEETING SPACE: 16,000 square feet Horn Resort and Conference Center GUEST ROOMS: 108 MEETING SPACE: 16,000 square feet Northern Hotel GUEST ROOMS: 160 MEETING SPACE: 12,000 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN BILLINGS

Healthcare Credit Unions Association ATTENDEES: 200 Marine Corps League National Convention ATTENDEES: 900 Gold Wing Road Riders Association ATTENDEES: 7,000

May 2020

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Destination Highlights

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Camelot Ranch

R

ife with Western hospitality, Billings is surrounded by rimrocks, great sandstone formations highly suited for rappelling or trail biking, with awesome views of the city. The Yellowstone River winds through this outdoor-adventure mecca, where real cowboys still ride the range and test their mettle at rodeos and rappelers scale unfathomable rock surfaces at national parks. Numerous scenic routes snake through and around this multifaceted city. Longtime journalist Charles Kuralt, of CBS’s “On the Road” fame, called one of those, the Beartooth Highway, “the most beautiful drive in America.”

Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and Black Hills, and the Little Bighorn Battlefield are all an easy drive for attendees.

“What surprises people about Billings is that whole Montana experience,” said Alex Tyson, executive director of Visit Billings. “We have pre- and post-conference FAMs. You come early, bring your family, stay late. You wander through our galleries of Western art, taste local brews and enjoy Montana food. You go to Yellowstone National Park and explore Native American culture at the Western Heritage Center.”

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Western Heritage Center houses a private collection of 35,000 Western artifacts in a splendid, 1901 Romanesque sandstone structure with twin towers. In addition to changing interactive exhibits and 400-plus oral histories, the center hosts walking tours and has event space for 200.

“People look you in the eye here and are gracious,” said Tyson. “You can breathe and really get the Big Sky experience.”

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

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Rapelling on Billings’ rimrocks

Distinctive Venues

D

esigned by the chief engineer of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1909, the Billings Depot witnessed history when 10,000 homesteaders hopped trains to claim land here. Now the once-busy rail hub’s 450-capacity event space includes the stunning passenger station, with vaulted ceilings, Roman columns, a terrazzo floor and a high-arched window, a spacious baggage room with original brick walls, two outdoor courtyards and a patio.

Montana’s only zoo and botanical garden, 70-acre ZooMontana can bring animal ambassadors to your company presentation. Handlers will either mingle with the crowd as people come and go, like at a company picnic, or present critters one at a time and speak about their habitat, status in the wild and conservation issues. Another option is to rent the entire zoo or any of five varied venues with capacities of 10 to 2,500.

Home to Montana’s largest concerts, rodeo and motorsports events, MetraPark is a multifacility event venue that includes a 30,000-squarefoot, 10,000-seat arena with a 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a halfmile dirt track, plus an expo center and pavilion. A three-acre outdoor plaza handles events for up to 300.

When attendees need reenergizing, the serene ponds and rolling hills of Camelot Ranch will do the job. Not far from Billings, this handsome property combines modern facilities and amenities with rustic charm and beautifully groomed landscaping to create a great getaway year-round. Its 8,400-squarefoot event barn holds up to 300, with 500 at full ranch capacity.

Some 400 guests can enjoy concerts and a taphouse at the Pub Station, a renovated Greyhound bus station.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

A

hefty 200,000 square feet of flexible meeting space in Billings includes five primary conference hotels. Among those is the Billings Hotel and Convention Center, which is scheduled to complete a major renovation this month.

“We have the largest full-service convention center under one roof in Montana,” said Ron Spence, general manager. “Now it has 28,000 square feet of meeting space.”

Amenities include a casino, an indoor swimming pool and a sizable courtyard where 500 to 600 can chow down at its barbecue pit.

A downtown landmark surrounded by eateries and breweries, the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Billings, has a 20th-floor restaurant and a 500-person Grand Ballroom, all five minutes from Montana State University and two miles from the airport.

And with 13,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, the Big Horn Resort and Conference Center sports a casino and the state’s largest water park.

“Billings is in that sweet spot of either 400 attendees or fewer, or major citywide meetings that use many properties,” Tyson said. “We have a lot of overflow properties that can meet the needs of many attendees and budgets.”

The big meetings news for this Western destination is that its first dedicated convention facility, tentatively named the Yellowstone Conference Center, is slated to open late summer or early fall this year, depending upon the current health crisis.

“The center will open up the city’s walkable West End with its restaurants, shops and hotels to larger meetings, events and conferences,” said Amy Barnhart, general manager of the Residence Inn Billings.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

May 2020

Northern Hotel

AFTER HOURS

Billings Brewery Trail

After the Meeting

F

amily-operated Bitter Creek Ranch hosts horseback-riding excursions on a 7,000-acre cattle ranch in the Yellowstone Valley six miles from downtown.

Small groups learn about local flora and fauna, history and culture. Options include picnic or wine-and-cheese rides, but the scenery is still the star. Guests ride atop distinctive rimrocks, through ponderosa pines and fields of vivid wildflowers, spy wild turkeys and mule deer, and gaze at breathtaking views of five different mountain ranges.

The property borders the Crow Indian Reservation; Lewis and Clark once floated past on the Yellowstone River.

At SteepWorld Climbing and Fitness, experiential teambuilding for attendees of all levels of fitness, courage and experience features a diagnostic understanding of a team’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on this info, members take a Rocky Mountain Team Expedition facilitated by a former Disney executive, with challenges such as fire, raging rivers and tall walls.

In the heart of downtown, the Billings Brew Trail is a self-guided tour of six breweries, two distilleries and one cider house that covers 1.5 miles. The trail brings a whole new meaning to the term breakout session.

Billings Trolley riders can get off their feet on a lighthearted, informative tour of the city’s landmark destinations.

Groups can clip-clop in a horse-drawn carriage around the 1903 Moss Mansion, the historic district, downtown and Riverfront Park.

Hardcore outdoor-gear shoppers can hit destination sporting goods store Scheels at Shiloh Crossing. The 220,000-square-foot retail giant features a 65-foot Ferris wheel and a 16,000-gallon aquarium.

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TOWN

MEET

a r a g a i N W

BY JILL GLEESON

hether it’s your first visit or your 10th, encountering Niagara Falls is enough to steal your breath away, to make your mouth hang open as if unhinged.

Nature is unleashed there, becoming a roaring, primal thing, beautiful and awe-inspiring. And so, like the Grand Canyon, or the redwoods in California, Niagara Falls is capable of producing the kind of wonder not often experienced after childhood. That’s the gift of the water, which is almost unimaginably massive and fast. More than 3,100 tons blasts over the falls every second, plunging 32 feet in the time it takes to snap your fingers.

According to Lindsey Bowman, Destination Niagara USA’s director of convention and meeting sales, the 400-acre Niagara Falls State Park, which was the first state park established in the country, is the perfect place to experience the power and majesty of all that water. Attractions include the iconic Maid of the Mist boat ride, which has hosted everyone from former President Jimmy Carter to Princess Diana.

“They’re getting new, catamaran-style boats this year,” Bowman said.

“They’ll be 100% battery-powered, so we’re really excited about that.”

But the legendary cascades aren’t all that make Niagara Falls USA a compelling choice for a meeting.

“We’re located close to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, so we’re very accessible,” Bowman said. “We’re also an extremely walkable destination. The Conference and Events Center at Niagara Falls is our main meeting facility, and all the major hotels are within a three-block radius around it.

Niagara Falls is located right there, too, so after your meetings, you’re less than a 10-minute walk to the state park.”

Tucked away in western New York, Niagara Falls’ population hovers around 50,000. It’s a small city but a huge tourism draw, with 8 million people visiting the state park annually. More than 400 years after French explorer Father Louis Hennepin discovered Niagara Falls, it remains as powerfully alluring as ever to visitors.

CONFERENCE AND EVENT CENTER NIAGARA FALLS

Photos courtesy Destination Niagara

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Conference Center

Located between Niagara Falls State Park and Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino on the bustling Old Falls Street, USA, the Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls offers 116,000 square feet of space. That includes 15 meeting rooms; two ballrooms that together can hold 1,500 for receptions; the Chairman’s Room, a boardroom with a 14-person capacity; and the Governor’s Room, a tiered amphitheater that can seat 49.

The Conference and Event Center also boasts space for outdoor events, banquet services that feature all-day meeting packages and audiovisual capabilities like video/web conferencing and data projection.

Major Meeting Hotels

MEETING ATTENDEES AND THEIR FAMILIES SHOULD MAKE TIME TO ENJOY THE SPRAY WHILE EXPLORING NIAGARA FALLS.

NIAGARA FALLS NEW YORK LOCATION

Western New York

ACCESS

Buffalo Niagara International Airport

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls, Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, DoubleTree by Hilton Niagara Falls, Sheraton Niagara Falls, Hyatt Place Niagara Falls

HOTEL ROOMS

2,457 rooms in downtown convention district

OFF-SITE VENUES

Top of the Falls Restaurant, Aquarium of Niagara, Old Fort Niagara, Freedom Run Winery, Niagara Power Vista

CONTACT INFO

Destination Niagara USA 716-282-8992 niagarafallsusa.com

May 2020

Niagara Falls does not want for meeting-friendly hotels. Among them are DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York, which offers 192 rooms, 16,000 square feet of meeting space and a beautiful riverside location. The Hyatt Place Niagara Falls, with 128 rooms and about 8,000 square feet of meeting space, is a great option for smaller conferences.

The Sheraton Niagara Falls, which sits adjacent to the conference center, features 392 guest rooms, including 26 suites. In addition, said Taylor Combs, American Niagara Hospitality’s director of sales, “We have about 11,000 square feet of meeting space: We have one main ballroom, a couple smaller breakout rooms and a huge prefunction area.”

After-Meeting Attractions Not only are there myriad ways to experience the falls, there are plenty of other goodies to explore in the area, like Aquarium of Niagara, home to 1,500 aquatic animals. And Old Fort Niagara, built by the French in 1726, offers fun events like musket and cannon demonstrations.

For attendees who want to get close to the falls, Niagara Falls State Park provides incredible vantage points such as Cave of the Winds, where you can go behind the falls. In general, said Angela Berti, park spokesperson, “The park’s a perfect place for conference attendees to unwind at the end of their day, or start the day with a run or walk at one of the most magnificent places on earth.”

CVB Special Services Bowman and her team at Destination Niagara Falls USA go the extra mile — or 10 — to lend a hand to meeting planners. They can host customized site visits and help with welcome materials, including information tables with a volunteer greeter and welcome bags and signs. The team is also happy to create customized itineraries to help attendees have the time of their lives in off hours. “If you book 150-plus peak rooms, we offer an incentive,” Bowman said. “We have a whole criteria, but you can earn up to $6 per room per night.”

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HOTEL

An Olympic Park Lodge

S

BY KRISTY ALPERT

et deep in the peaceful preserves of Washington’s Olympic National Park and Forest, the Lake Quinault Lodge is a rare gem that is suspended in time yet rooted in heartfelt hospitality.

This luxuriously rustic two-story lodge was built in 1926 and has seen only minor changes throughout its historic existence. Lake Quinault Lodge has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places list for its adherence to preservation standards.

The rustic lodge features Colonial Revival treatments and was built in just 53 days. Bonfires were lit at night so workers could work around the clock to complete the project before the impending seasonal rains. Today, the steeply pitching asphalt-shingled roof still drapes over the large wood-framed structure of the main lodge, where a grand wooden porch leads guests inside to the 91 guest rooms that include options with lakeside views, fireplaces and even rooms in the boathouse; multiple meeting spaces; and a signature restaurant.

The Roosevelt Dining Room earned its name after hosting President Franklin D. Roosevelt for a lunch there October 1, 1937. Just nine months after smiling for photographs during his visit, Roosevelt signed a bill that created the very park within which the Lake Quinault Lodge resides.

Days at the park are spent luxuriating among nature, whether that’s curling up with a good book by the pristine lake, taking part in an outdoor yoga class or exploring deep within the temperate rain forest surrounding the lodge. Bird-watching is a year-round activity for guests of the lodge, where nightly sunset lake tours offer the chance to see endangered species like the northern spotted owl, the marbled murrelet and even bald eagles as they catch the last fish of the day.

The meeting spaces in the lodge are excellent for small gatherings of friends, coworkers and family members. Indoor and outdoor spaces set the stage for meetings to remember. Trending away from traditional corporate meetings and stale reunions, the Lake Quinault Lodge offers a natural setting with custom activities and amenities for groups meeting deep within this Washington national forest.

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LAKE QUINAULT

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M E E T I N G S PAC E S Whether meetings are held indoors or out at the Lake Quinault Lodge, the natural setting and rustically elegant beauty of the meeting spaces will charm guests throughout their stays at the property.

The Quillayute Ballroom features hardwood floors, garden views and a cathedral ceiling. It offers different seating options, including classroom, theater, conference and banquet configurations for up to 80 guests. Beyond-the-boardroom meetings are held on the shores of Lake Quinault and are great for sunset happy hours, afternoon reunions and even morning gatherings. Guests can watch as the birds begin to chirp and stir during the early hours of the day (maximum 40 guests).

C AT E R I N G Along with offering the chance to eat in the same room where Roosevelt once dined, the Lake Quinault Lodge will customize its restaurant and catering options to fit any group’s agenda while on property. The on-site food-and-beverage team can create custom grab-and-go options for breakfasts, organize picnic lunches by the lakeside or cater to groups dining by the lakeside for dinner. Menus for each meal include many options for all dietary restrictions and can be customized to better suit the theme. Popular menu items include the lodge’s signature sweet potato pancakes and Roosevelt’s classic pot roast. Alcohol is allowed.

EXTRAS BUILT IN 1926, THE RUSTIC LAKE QUINAULT LODGE REFLECTS THE SURROUNDINGS OF WASHINGTON’S OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST. Photos courtesy Lake Quinault Lodge

HOTEL FACTS LOCATION

Quinault, Washington

SIZE

91 guest rooms

MEETING SPACE

More than 1,536 square feet

ACCESS

Roughly a three-hour drive from Seattle, and a three-and-a-halfhour drive from Portland

CONTACT INFO

360-288-2915 olympicnationalparks.com/ lodging/lake-quinault-lodge

May 2020

While on property, meeting planners are treated with complimentary setup and tear-down for events; tables, chairs, white table linens and tableware are included in the price. Audiovisual services and equipment are available upon request, and all meeting guests enjoy complimentary wireless internet in the meeting spaces and lobby.

The on-site meeting and events team is happy to arrange any number of group teambuilding activities for guests, like the popular bird and tree identification competition, cooking demonstrations with regional ingredients indigenous to the area and customized wine and spirit tastings. Many groups choose to end their days with an outdoor s’mores party with Native American storyteller Harvest Moon.

BEFORE AND AFTER There’s no shortage of ways to entertain guests before and after meetings, with an indoor heated pool, a sauna, an indoor game room and more than 15 well-groomed hiking trails on the property. For more organized adventures, the meeting staff can arrange lakeside yoga classes; stargazing experiences at night; guided waterfall walks; guided nature walks to learn about the native vegetation and wildlife of the area, including a visit to the world’s largest Sitka spruce tree; and kayaking or canoeing competitions on the lake. Among the popular experiences is the Lake Quinault Rainforest Tour, which takes groups on a four-hour tour via coach to explore some of the 922,651 acres of preserved wilderness.

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VENUE

GROUPS CAN HOLD BANQUETS AND EVENTS IN THE AGING CELLAR AT OLIVER WINERY.

Photos courtesy Oliver Winery

A PIONEERING PROFESSOR

O

liver Winery now sits among 15 acres of exquisitely landscaped vineyards and gardens, but the roots of this Indiana winery started in the basement of Indiana University law professor William Oliver. The professor began making wine in the 1960s as a hobby, but it wasn’t long before his prowess and passion for the craft led to the purchase of a vineyard northwest of Bloomington, which opened to the public in 1972.

Today, Oliver Winery and Vineyard is in the heart of the Indiana Uplands, a federally recognized region known as an American Viticultural Area. The region has a unique blend of geography, soil and climate so that the wines produced there define the character of the area. The entire grape-growing region, which would not have existed without Professor Oliver’s enthusiasm for establishing a geographical designation, and his legacy lives on, as his son, Bill Oliver, remains at the winery as CEO and founding family member.

Oliver Winery and Vineyards is 100% employee-owned. Its wines range from semi-sweet blends to Burgundy-style reds but include some-

34

BY KRISTY ALPERT

thing for every palate; i.e., apple pie apple wine, Camelot mead, blueberry Moscato and single-vineyard pinot noir. The winery has been ranked as one of the largest wine operations in the United States, as well as one of the top wineries in the country for events.

Right off Interstate Highway 69, with immaculate gardens, a covered and heated patio and a newly renovated tasting room, the winery and its surrounding vineyards make a gorgeous backdrop for small meetings and events. Every event held at Oliver Winery includes a guided wine tasting for each guest, as well as a behind-the-scenes tour of the winemaking facility and cellar.

Although it offers more than 40 wines, Oliver Winery and Vineyard’s true specialty is turning moments into memories and bringing people together through wine.

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

AN OLIVER WINE TASTING

Oliver Winery and Vineyard’s meeting spaces range from chic indoor venues to scenic outdoor vistas, where daytime corporate retreats, standing receptions, board meetings and even intimate evening dinners and milestone events are specially arranged by on-site meeting planners for groups up to 150. The Tasting Room and Patio offers both indoor

and outdoor options for groups and can accommodate up to 150 guests. Indoor options include the Cellar and Tank Room, for up to 150 guests, and the Original Tasting Room, for up to 50 guests.

All meeting spaces are open to multiple seating arrangements, including seated meals and standing receptions.

C AT E R I N G Meeting and event attendees at Oliver Winery and Vineyards can enjoy curated cheese and charcuterie plates and small bites prepared by the staff. The on-site planners also work with local caterers to help planners find the best offerings for their specific events; they work within each group’s unique budget, taste preference and dietary guidelines to find

the best meals that pair well with the group’s selected wines from the winery.

Popular options include boxed lunches for a picnic on the patio and breakfasts served alongside a customizable mimosa bar. Outside alcohol is not allowed, but each meeting includes complimentary coffee and water service.

EXTRAS

V E N U E FA C T S A WINE CELLAR BUFFET SPREAD

OLIVER WINERY LOCATION

Bloomington, Indiana

Oliver Winery and Vineyards considers itself a full-service venue, where everything — tables, linens, chairs, audiovisual equipment and staff — is included in the rental fee. All clients are assigned to a seasoned event planner to help guide them through their event, and Oliver Winery’s planners help to design the layout, decide on a timeline and communicate with vendors and cater-

ers. The on-site planners also offer unlimited in-person meetings, where planners can visit the venue and be guided through a complimentary wine tasting to decide on a wine list perfect for their group. Groups will also have access to on-site audiovisual and presentation equipment, with setup and tear-down services included.

TYPE OF VENUE

Off-site, winery and vineyard

BEFORE AND AFTER

CAPACITY

150 guests

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS SpringHill Suites by Marriott Bloomington

CONTACT INFO

812-876-5800 oliverwinery.com

May 2020

Each event hosted at Oliver Winery begins with a guided wine tasting for guests. The wine tasting is a uniquely entertaining and educational journey through the winery’s extensive wine list of more than 40 varietals. The most popular wines in the tasting room are Creekbend Crimson Cabernet, Oliver Black-

berry wine and Blueberry and Cherry Moscato, but groups are raving about the new and exclusive Pilot Project Series.

Meeting and event guests are also invited to go on an intimate tour of the winery and cellar to learn about the winemaking process and Oliver’s story.

35

WILMINGTON VISITORS ENJOY A MEAL AT A RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING THE CAPE FEAR RIVER.

Meetdieng Gui

F

With its nearby island beaches and its scenic Riverwalk along the Cape Fear River, Wilmington has much to offer visitors. The River District has more than 200 restaurants, shops and attractions, all within walking distance of the 107,000-square-foot Wilmington Convention Center. The facility brings in plenty of natural light and offers meeting-goers wonderful views of the riverfront. It can accommodate groups of as many as 2,000 people.

Wilmington’s Convention District has numerous nearby hotels,

36

Courtesy Wilmington and Beaches CVB

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

rom the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to secluded island nature preserves, the Carolinas offer scenic destinations enough for the most ardent outdoor enthusiast.

Meeting planners can take advantage of these locations through teambuilding and organized outdoor activities.

WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Scenic Settings in the Carolinas

with nearly 900 rooms and suites. The largest convention hotels are the Embassy Suites Wilmington Riverfront Hotel, next door to the convention center; the Hotel Ballast Tapestry Collection by Hilton; and the Best Western Plus Coastline Inn. New properties under construction in the area include the Aloft Coastline Hotel and the Hampton Inn Wilmington Downtown. The Embassy Suites has 6,600 square feet of meeting space and a 4,000-square-foot rooftop bar that can accommodate larger groups.

Groups that book meetings in Wilmington can organize horse-drawn carriage and Segway tours, or history, craft beer and themed walking tours of the area. Many groups take advantage of the water by organizing kayaking, surfing and canoeing excursions; biking and hiking along nature trails; narrated cruises and culinary adventures.

Wilmington has one of the largest historic districts in the country, with 230-plus buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its proximity to three beach towns — Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville — also makes it desirable to visitors. wilmingtonandbeaches.com

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BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA

Situated right on the coast of South Carolina in Port Royal Sound, historic Beaufort offers meeting planners something they can’t get anywhere else: a slower pace dictated by the tidal schedule.

Founded in 1711, Beaufort is the second-oldest city in South Carolina. Its historical downtown and its large population of Gullah people make it a must-visit destination.

Beaufort attracts more than a million visitors a year and, because of its waterfront location, is well known for its fresh seafood and water-based activities. Many of Beaufort’s best meeting locations are in nontraditional, intimate locations, like the Port Royal Sound Maritime Center, which has a small meeting space for executive board meetings. It is a great location if groups want to participate in teambuilding. They can learn how to cast a net on the river or do some crabbing off the dock.

“One thing that makes Beaufort so special is so much water access,” said Linda Jeffries, director of sales for Visit Beaufort. The Beaufort Holiday Inn and Suites, which is Beaufort’s main meeting hotel, sits right on the marsh, and guests of the historic Beaufort Inn are only a block away from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

The Beaufort Inn can host groups of up to 200 people in its Tabby Place Conference Center. The inn has several outdoor courtyards that offer both a taste of nature and a feeling of intimacy, surrounded by downtown Beaufort’s Victorian-era homes and cottages. beaufortsc.org

THE HARBOR IN BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA

Courtesy Visit Beaufort

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

One of the top island destinations in the United States, Hilton Head is known for its 12 miles of pristine beaches, resorts and golf courses and more than 60 miles of leisure trails for hiking and biking. Groups that choose to hold meetings on the island can organize dolphin-watching cruises, stand-up paddleboarding lessons or teambuilding excursions at a private island. Many organize zipline tours at Aerial Adventure and Zipline Hilton Head.

Numerous resorts on the island have meeting facilities that can accommodate large groups, including the Marriott Hilton Head Resort and Spa, with 46,000 square feet of dynamic meeting space and outdoor oceanfront venues; the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa, an oceanfront resort with 37,000 square feet of meeting space that includes its new Grand Ocean Terrace; and the Montage Palmetto Bluff, a 200-room resort with 16,000 square feet of meeting space.

History buffs can tour the Coastal Discovery Museum, a museum housed at the historic Honey Horn Plantation, or take a tour of Mitchelville, the first self-governed town of freed slaves in South Carolina.

“Gullah culture lives on through many sites and people on Hilton Head Island,” said Charlie Clark, vice president of communication at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

Groups can tour the Heyward House, one of eight antebellum homes in Bluffton, or browse the Old Town’s many art galleries and boutique shops. hiltonheadisland.org

HILTON HEAD ISLAND

Courtesy Hilton Head Island VCB

May 2020

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Meetieng Guid

BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA

Beaufort, North Carolina, is part of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast and the gateway to Cape Lookout National Seashore. The third-oldest town in the state, Beaufort attracts history and maritime enthusiasts from across the country.

Visitors to the area not only appreciate the area’s beautiful waterfront but also love to explore the many natural wonders that are easy to reach from Beaufort.

The newest meeting venue in the area is the Beaufort Hotel, which sits right on Taylor Creek and has amazing views of the boats and yachts in the marina. The grand ballroom has 10,000 square feet of event space and can accommodate 375 people for a banquet. The Celebration Cottage is an event space right on Atlantic Beach. It can host groups of up to 250 guests and offers catering through its Island Grille restaurant.

The Island Express Ferry Service provides transportation to Harkers Island, home to Cape Lookout National Seashore, with its 56 miles of pristine beaches and herd of wild horses, and the distinctive Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Kayak tours are a must to visit the Rachel Carson Reserve, which sits directly across Taylor Creek from Beaufort. The reserve includes four small islands and another herd of wild horses.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum is home to more than 300 artifacts pulled from the wreck of Blackbeard’s pirate ship. crystalcoastnc.org

BEAUFORT HOTEL NC

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Courtesy Carteret Co. TDA

ASHEVILLE’S BILTMORE ESTATE

The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains tower over Asheville, North Carolina, making the city a gateway to outdoor adventure. The city itself has nearly 1 million acres of protected wilderness and thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails for those who love to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

Meeting planners can take advantage of the marvelous mountain views by hosting events at some of the area’s popular rooftop spaces. The AC Hotel Asheville Downtown has a rooftop bar called Capella on 9 that is a wonderful space to host a cocktail reception or an office party. Both the bar and the hotel’s ballroom, which is on the top floor of the hotel, offer incredible, uninterrupted views of the mountains to the West. The Omni Grove Park Inn is Asheville’s largest conference hotel. Its west-facing terrace is a great outdoor spot for meetings or receptions.

The Hilton Garden Inn Asheville also has a rooftop space called the Pillar Rooftop Bar that can be rented out for private events. The hotel has 3,000 square feet of meeting space and 140 guest rooms.

Asheville sits on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic byway that wends 469 miles through the Appalachian Mountains. North of Asheville, visitors can visit Craggy Gardens, which hosts a visitor center and shop, or explore Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River.

The 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate, a former home of the Vanderbilt family that features amazing formal gardens and wonderful views of the surrounding mountains, is a desirable off-site venue for formal dinners or cocktail receptions. Groups that rent out part of the estate can also tour the home and grounds. exploreasheville.com

Courtesy ExploreAsheville.com

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GROUPS CAN MEET IN A CONVERTED 1947 DAIRY BARN AT ANNE SPRINGS CLOSE GREENWAY IN FORT MILL.

Carolina Classics

Meetdieng Gui

M

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

eeting planners looking for something different for their attendees can find it in the Carolinas. From historic districts to renovated plantation homes and museums, North Carolina and South Carolina have plenty of unique meeting spots that are wonderful for an offsite meal, an executive board retreat or a cocktail reception.

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Courtesy Anne Springs Close Greenway

ANNE SPRINGS CLOSE GREENWAY FOUNDERS DAIRY BARN

Fort Mill, South Carolina The Founders Dairy Barn sits in a 2,100-acre nature preserve in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The Anne Springs Close Greenway is twice the size of Central Park in New York and has 36 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as five lakes and ponds for kayaking and fishing.

The huge white structure was built in 1947 as a working dairy barn before the greenway was a greenway. There were farms and forests on the property that all belonged to the Close family.

The dairy barn was renovated in the 1990s and turned into a popular event venue for weddings and other large gatherings, said Catherine Stovcsik, integrated marketing specialist for the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The space includes the milking parlor downstairs and an upstairs loft. The milking parlor can host 450 guests standing and about 280 guests seated.

An outdoor patio can be tented to accommodate an additional 200 people. The upstairs loft can hold up to 300 people seated for ceremonies. The facility works with different caterers for all types of events, including Rotary dinners and gala fundraisers.

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Fort Mill sits about 30 miles from downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. It was started as a milling community, but once the mill left, the area had to reinvent itself. Now it is up and coming with “a great local restaurant and craft beer scene,” Stovcsik said. “It is great for families, has great schools and has got a nice hometown feel to it.” ascgreenway.org

TANGLEWOOD PLANTATION

Lynchburg, South Carolina Tanglewood Plantation is a historic plantation home that was built about 1830 by the Rev. William H. Smith. The two-story building was constructed using trees from the property. The home has maintained its original cypress wide-plank floor and clapboard exterior.

Numerous outbuildings can be used as part of events, including a kitchen, a smokehouse and a one-room schoolhouse.

The plantation home’s most famous resident was Ellison Durant “Cotton Ed” Smith, a U.S. senator from 1908 to 1944. President Theodore Roosevelt was one of the many famous people who graced the home with his presence.

Now the plantation home and grounds are used for events.

The current owners bought the home in 2014 and have been restoring it to its former beauty. They also added a pool house, a catering facility and other modern amenities.

“What makes Tanglewood special is it is located within very easy access to Columbia, Sumter, Florence and Myrtle Beach,” said Sara Porter, event assistant at the plantation. “It makes a really good middle point for families and brides. The property is easy to customize depending on what the taste is.”

The plantation has hosted corporate groups and dinners, along with many weddings. Meeting planners can work with a recommended list of caterers and the plantation’s in-house floral and DJ services. The plantation can host events of any size on its five acres of usable outdoor space. tanglewoodplantation.com

LYNCHBURG’S TANGLEWOOD PLANTATION

Courtesy Tanglewood Plantation

MORDECAI HISTORIC PARK

Raleigh, North Carolina Mordecai Historic Park — pronounced MORD-uh-key — was once part of the largest plantation in Wake County, North Carolina. The original plantation home, which was built in 1785, still stands on the site, along with several historic buildings that were moved to the area from other parts of Raleigh and North Carolina.

A small plantation church that was moved to the property from Chatham County in the 1970s is one of the most popular meeting venues in the historic park. A classroom space was built onto the visitor center, which resides in a building that served as an early travel home, like a bed-and-breakfast, said Joshua Ingersoll, historic sites manager for the city of Raleigh

THE BORDEN HOUSE AT MORDECAI HISTORIC PARK Courtesy Mordecai Historic Park

May 2020

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Meetieng Guid Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. The meeting space is equipped with audiovisual equipment and most modern amenities a group could want.

“From our classroom you can look out and see the historic park and the historic chapel on-site,” Ingersoll said. “It has a nice little feel to it.”

About 75 people can fit in the room for a lecture setup and about 40 with tables and chairs. Groups that rent space at the historic park can also take tours of the numerous buildings that are there, including one of President Andrew Johnson’s homes, which was moved to the property. Johnson was born in Raleigh but lived in the house for only a few years as a young child, said Ingersoll.

The Mordecai plantation home, which was acquired by the city of Raleigh in 1968, includes most of the original furnishings. Groups can organize tours of the park or add a historic trolley tour of downtown Raleigh. raleighnc.gov/places/mordecai-historic-park

SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

AN EVENT AT THE SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Gastonia, North Carolina The Schiele Museum of Natural History, which sits on a nearly 20-acre campus, has both indoor and outdoor meeting spaces.

The museum’s exhibits delve into the history of North Carolina, the American Indian, wildlife and nature; but its most popular displays — the ones that set it apart from other history museums — are

Courtesy Schiele Museum

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

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outside and include the Catawba Indian Village, a farm with live animals, a nature trail, a stone age heritage site and a memorial wildlife garden.

Meeting planners can rent the entire museum, classroom space, the planetarium or outdoor spaces. Educators from the museum are happy to present live programs for meeting attendees, including planetarium shows and tours of the museum exhibits.

The Catawba Indian Village, which details the lives and culture of the Native Americans who called the region home, is the Schiele Museum’s most popular experience. Visitors go back in time 400 years as they explore the different types of dwellings and architectural traditions of the Catawba Indians.

“That is pretty unique to us,” said Leigh Ann Calvert, event coordinator at the Schiele. The nature trail is also popular because even though the museum is in the middle of Gastonia, “walking on the nature trail, you feel you are away from everything,” she said. schielemuseum.org

BEAUFORT INN’S COLORFUL EXTERIOR

BEAUFORT INN

Beaufort, South Carolina The historic Beaufort Inn was built in 1897 by William Sidney Smith as a summer retreat for his family. It didn’t start hosting overnight guests until 1920. That original building, which is a pink Victorian mansion from the antebellum period, now serves as the inn’s reception area. The rest of the 48-guest-room inn is made up of other historical buildings. The current owners of the inn have refurbished the older sections of the hotel and added event spaces, including Tabby Place Conference Center, which features indoor and outdoor event options. The building can host events for 320 people, including its outdoor patio, which is surrounded by gardens.

The Old Bay Marketplace Loft and Rooftop Deck gives meeting attendees a beautiful view of historic downtown Beaufort and its moss-draped trees. It can seat up to 150 people and has a staging area for catering.

The Craven Courtyard, which sits between four of the inn’s historic buildings, can accommodate up to 100 seated guests. The Garden Courtyard can hold up to 80 guests, and the Palmetto Courtyard can seat up to 50 people for a corporate retreat or a small wedding ceremony.

The hotel is walking distance from the famous Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and a beautiful park that runs parallel to it.

Beaufort is the gateway to 50 barrier islands. The town sits right at the mouth of the Broad River, which exits into the Atlantic Ocean. beaufortinn.com

EVENING IN THE COURTYARD AT BEAUFORT INN Photos courtesy Beaufort Inn

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Pi-Squared Pizza, Spartanburg

SPARTANBURG? MORE LIKE...

LET’S-MEETALREADY-BURG.

We know meetings. The “shake things up for a fresh perspective” kind of meetings. So once the business is done, shake things up with any of our outdoor events, festivals, trails, or art scenes. We’ll even have delicious, locally sourced food and craft cocktails waiting for you when you’re done.

What we don’t know is...when are booking your next event?

VisitSpartanburg.com/planning