Small Market Meetings November 2019

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS | CHEYENNE, WYOMING | WISCONSIN MEETING GUIDE NOVEMBER 2019

e c n a d n e t t A e s a e r c In

WITH FAMILY FUN

MORE THAN RIVERS MEET

3,400

GUEST ROOMS

170,000

FT2

OF MEETING SPACE

5,000

ATTENDEES IN CITY-WIDE GROUPS

There’s a meetings destination where ideas are inspired by nature and nurtured by unexpected sophistication. Where hospitality, technology and amenities are top notch.

Where groups gather to experience a town pulsating with arts, culture, food, drink, rich roots and friendly locals, not to mention three rivers and seven wilderness areas. Come together in Missoula—a world-class meeting place for corporate events, retreats conferences and conventions.

Meet our small town with big offerings.

Interested in meeting in Missoula? Call 1.800.526.3465 or visit destinationmissoula.org/smm.

WE’LL TIE UP ALL THE DETAILS FOR A ONE-OF-A-KIND CONFERENCE VISITLAKEGENEVA.COM/MEETINGS

ON THE COVER: A family enjoys an outing on the Tall Ship Maintou in Traverse City, Michigan. Courtesy Traverse City Tourism

INSIDE VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 11

18

MANAGING Volunteer Force

22

Courtesy Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center

IDEAS Family Destinations

28

CITY Cheyenne, Wyoming

34

MEETING GUIDE Wisconsin

D E PA R T M E N T S

INSIGHTS 6 Setting goals

for 2020

8 PROFILEAl Hutchinson

10 CONFERENCE Small Market Meetings Conference Coverage

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.

TO ADVERTISE CALL KYLE ANDERSON 866-356-5128

kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com

Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner

Brian Jewell Managing Editor

Daniel Jean-Louis Account Manager

Christine Clough Copy Editor

Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner

Ashley Ricks Graphic Designer

Kyle Anderson Account Manager

Rena Baer Proofreader

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

CUSTOM CONTENT

PERSONABLE WAUKESHA AND PEWAUKEE DEFY SUBURBAN STEREOTYPES

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

W

aukesha and Pewaukee are 20 minutes west of downtown Milwaukee.

Both have distinct personalities. Consider Waukesha. Many downtown storefronts are stone, a sign of its staying power. The Fox River courses through downtown, pouring over manmade waterfalls, gliding through parks. Brightly painted, 10-foot fiberglass art guitars remind that Waukesha is home to the late Les Paul, the musician who inspired the Gibson Les Paul guitar.

A little to the west, Pewaukee’s historic main street is like Chicago’s Skyline Drive, minus the skyscrapers, traffic and millions of people. Its historic storefronts look out on beach, boat docks and, beyond, Pewaukee Lake. Quaint? Yes. Picturesque? Definitely.

The towns are part of what locals call Lake Country, where summertime spins around Pewaukee Lake and the cluster of smaller lakes west of it.

Water activities are a natural extension of meetings. Groups rent boats, hook up with Mike’s Extreme Guide Service to go Muskie fishing in the fall, or try standup paddle boarding with Koha Yoga.

Even in winter, Waukesha and Pewaukee refuse to roll up their streets. The CVB’s list of 25 team-building options helps beat back boredom.

At Lumber Axe, patrons divide their time among hurling axes, getting out of an escape room and taking breathers in its craft beer bar.

Veloce, the only indoor Go Kart racing facility in Wisconsin, has corporate packages that include a trophy and medals, a team picture, a

room to gather in and catering options.

Also in the competitive spirit, Chef Pam’s Kitchen divides groups of up to 14 into two teams and has them face off in a timed challenge to make the best meal using several secret ingredients. The competition is friendly, of course, and everyone sits down afterward to eat what they made.

At the Cue Club, there’s plenty of room for everyone to play pool and throw darts. For those who prefer wine to beer and paint to pool cues, A Stroke of Genius will organize a night out for the artistically inclined.

Because the two towns are minutes from Milwaukee and an hour from Madison off I-94, they attract associations and other organizations.

Conferences typically meet at the Ingleside or the Milwaukee Marriott West, the area’s largest meeting properties.

The Ingleside is the new name for the Country Springs Hotel, but much more than the name changed when the hotel reopened in fall 2018. “It went through a complete remodel,” said Susan Schoultz, marketing manager for Visit Waukesha. “It is more modern, with a lighter décor--a totally different atmosphere than it was.”

The hotel also added fire pits and yoga classes. It promotes the Lake Country Trail, a paved bike/walk path out its back door. It screens movies outdoors in the summer time.

And it encourages attendees to bring the family to enjoy its Springs Water Park.

With 40,000 square feet of meeting space, the Ingleside is by far the largest conference hotel in the area. If its 192 guest rooms aren’t

enough, other smaller hotels support overflow, Schoultz said.

The 280-room Marriott also has had recent upgrades. “It’s a very modern hotel,” said Schoultz. “It reminds you of something you would find in the Chicago area.”

No matter where a group meets, it will enjoy free parking, lower the room rates and other benefits of a suburb, without the lack of personality.

In Waukesha and Pewaukee, said Schoultz, “they’ll get a taste of lake life.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information, contact: Deana Heinsch Group Sales Manager Visit Waukesha 262-542-0330 deana@visitwaukesha.org www.visitwaukesha.org

INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

#MEETINGGOALS

W

hen it comes to goal setting, financier Warren Buffett’s process is flat-out Midwestern in its straightforward simplicity. His advice boils down to this: Identify 25 goals, circle the top five, focus on them, forget the rest.

Such streamlining can move a lot of things forward in life, including work challenges. To keep up in the meetings industry requires change. But when you face too many changes at once, it can be hard to focus.

Better to take a few small steps and make slow but steady progress. Here are five steps you could take to improve your events — and your life — in 2020.

Take these steps toward a better 2020

Take small bites toward better meals.

It’s easier to digest your food when you take smaller bites. And small changes are easier to swallow when it comes to making conference meals more interesting.

So instead of overhauling your event food-and-beverage program completely, change one meal. Forgo traditional continental breakfast for breakfast bowls. Westin Hotels has done this with ancient grains bowls enhanced by protein add-ins like peanut butter or eggs.

With nearly one-fifth of Americans claiming to be vegetarian or moving in that direction, try an all-veggie luncheon. New faux meat products like Beyond Burgers make it easier to win acceptance of hardcore carnivores; a meal of fresh vegetables will also be popular with those who are weight conscious or concerned about heart health, two major worries of American diners. You can also promote such a meal as being kind to the earth, a la Meat Free Monday, a movement started 10 years ago by Paul McCartney and his family to slow climate change, conserve natural resources and improve health by going meat-free one day a week.

6

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Invest in a better work life.

Seriously, get out of the box.

If you haven’t already, break out of the ballroom. If you have, do it again, in a different type of venue. From Crain’s Business Report to the Knoxville Sentinel newspaper, meeting professionals are talking up nontraditional spaces. Especially for smaller meetings, the options are abundant: breweries, wineries, warehouses, music hot spots, burger joints. Larger events also have options nearly everywhere. Towns like Roanoke, Virginia, and Louisville, Kentucky, have been known to shut down streets and take parties to the pavement.

Airplane hangars are big, roomy and, when the weather’s good, easily become open-air. Botanical gardens and greenhouses can breathe a sigh of relief into a stuffy dinner. One group that has become adept at planning small off-site events is the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. At its annual conference each year, it stages readings and performances at small venues. When AWP met in Portland, Oregon, last year, it used theaters, bookstores, coffee shops and bars. And it wisely made sure each venue met all accessibility requirements.

Step up social media efforts.

If you don’t think social media can connect your audience, consider this story about a schoolteacher who started a Facebook page to keep her peers informed about opportunities for teachers to learn and grow. She started by asking her network of teacher friends to follow the page, and before long, as they shared the page with their friends, the number of followers grew to 10,000. Now it is 20,000. The point is that a Facebook page that promotes your conference and nothing more is OK, but a page that keeps people engaged throughout the year and promotes the conference is even better. Of course, Facebook is just one social media platform — and the largest by far. The key is to look at your audience, determine which platforms best suit it and put them to work to build awareness of what your organization does and why its meetings and conferences are worth attending.

November 2019

Put yourself at the top of the list for a change. What one purchase in 2020 could improve your work life?

Maybe it is a major investment, like a new office chair or a speedier tablet. Chances are good you are among the 478 million people that the U.S. Travel Association projects will travel for business in 2020. Travel is hard on both body and spirit, so investments like light, durable spinner luggage, a fashionable $25 blanket scarf for chilly flights or a lightweight eye mask and noise-canceling headphones for restful travel are inexpensive but priceless in terms of well-being.

Plan for families.

Work already takes people away from their families eight or more hours a day; do you really want to contribute to the separation?

Conferences, especially those aimed at associations and religious groups, will likely see attendance increase if they have conferences over weekends or during school breaks and choose destinations with plenty for family members to do. It doesn’t have to be Disney; a beachfront hotel with some play pools can keep a family entertained. Destinations rich in history — think Williamsburg, Virginia, and its Colonial Williamsburg or Springfield, Illinois, and its Lincoln sites — are entertaining and educational. In the winter, a hotel with a water park or a ski resort with slopes for tubing can offer brisk fun. And don’t forget to build in events that involve everyone: a beach party with volleyball, a fall picnic or a bonfire with s’mores.

7

AL HUTCHINSON LOVES SHOWCASING BALTIMORE’S INNER HARBOR FOR VISITORS.

CONFERENCE

MEETING LEADERS AL HUTCHINSON

“Living and working in six destinations has been invaluable to me. You get an understanding of the politics, of the way people think and of what is important to the community.”

A

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

newspaper ad in Richmond for a job in sales caught Al Hutchinson’s eye and changed his life.

“I stumbled into this industry in 1992 on a blind newspaper ad in the local paper,” said Hutchinson.

The job was with the Metropolitan Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I didn’t know there were jobs where you sell a city,” said the Richmond native. “I fell in love with it.”

Now, 27 years and six cities later, Hutchinson is a respected destination marketer. He spent the first 22 years of his career in convention sales, before moving to top leadership jobs, first at Visit Mobile and, three years ago, at Visit Baltimore.

Of course, none of this was in Hutchinson’s master plan. He had partially based his college choice on football. He’d played in high school, loved the sport and applied to two football juggernauts — Alabama and Notre Dame — so that his college days

8

would be boosted by big-time football.

“I was accepted to both,” he said, but Alabama won. “My grandmother and I took a 17-hour train trip from Charlottesville to Tuscaloosa. We got a tour, fell in love with campus, and I ended up getting academic scholarships.” The football aspect worked out, too. “We won two national championships while I was there.”

After graduating with a marketing degree, he returned to Richmond and worked for five years selling copiers for Xerox in his hometown. Then he saw the ad that shifted his career into hospitality.

It was a move that ultimately led to many moves for him and his family.

It wasn’t always easy. “In every community where we moved, with the exception of Richmond, we had no family, no friends.”

But with each move came new experiences and connections.

“Living and working in six destinations has been invaluable to me,” Hutchinson said.

“You get an understanding of the politics, of the way people think and of what is important to the community.”

Along the way, he joined local organiza-

tions to give back and get to better know a community. In Virginia Beach, he coached basketball for the Boys Club of America. In Mobile, he joined the local chapter of 100 Black Men and tutored and mentored in the public schools.

“We were trying to show these young guys that there are opportunities that they can aspire to and that most of us came from a background similar to what they had.”

The move to Baltimore puts Hutchinson closer to home and in an urban area that reminds him of Richmond. The cities share challenges in public education, income disparity and workforce development.

He’s finding much to celebrate and to sell in Baltimore: an entrepreneurial spirit expressed through local restaurants and businesses; cultural assets, many tied to its African American history; a knack for creative reuse of handsome old buildings. “It’s a blue-collar town with more than 250 neighborhoods, and each is a little unique.”

And once again, Hutchinson is identifying what makes a town tick. In Baltimore, he has found, it is “the passion of its people. The people in Baltimore love Baltimore.”

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Al Hutchinson

TITLE

President and CEO

ORGANIZATION Visit Baltimore

LOCATION Baltimore, Maryland

BIRTHPLACE Richmond, Virginia

EDUCATION B.S. in marketing from University of Alabama

CAREER HISTORY Before Baltimore, Hutchinson was president and CEO at Visit Mobile in Mobile, Alabama.

He also led the sales team at the Virginia Beach CVB for 11 years and worked in convention sales in Richmond; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Pittsburgh.

TIPS FROM

AL HUTCHINSON • Be involved in different organizations. It allows you to understand the complexity of the community you live in and connect dots quicker to get things done.

• Listen to others. I’m big on surrounding myself with people who are much smarter and brighter than I am. I want to talk to people in different spaces who are the experts and can help me do my job better.

• Go to the DMO. Planners can save time and money by going to the destination marketing organization first.

They are the experts on the destination. No one knows it better than the DMO rep.

November 2019

9

CONFERENCE

HAPPY HOSTS

GREEN BAY SCORES

WITH 2019 SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE

T

BY DAN DICKSON

he 2019 Small Market Meetings Conference was held in a football-crazy town — Green Bay, Wisconsin — and in the middle of a game week at that. The conference competed with a Thursday-night home game between the Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Touring the town in their off-hours, conference delegates were right in the middle of the city’s busy pregame preparations.

“We’re showing off Green Bay to you in hopes we’ll attract new business to our community,” Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich told delegates. “Obviously, you all know about the Green Bay Packers.

But we’re a lot more than just the Packers. We have an incredible downtown and a safe, clean and vibrant community growing more successful every day. We’re grateful to have you in town.”

Conference organizers were pleased they chose Green Bay. “We signed them five years ago, and they really wanted us,” said Joe Cappuzzello, conference president and CEO. “They redid their convention center and wanted to showcase it. They’ve put themselves in a whole different league with great ballrooms. It’s really first-class. There’s so much to see and do here: big city amenities in a second- or third-tier city.”

At the opening session, Mac Lacy, a conference partner, put the meetings industry into perspective. “More than 250 million delegates gather each year for one or more of the 2 million meetings held

10

TWICKENHAM ANTEBELLUM DISTR

around the world,” he said. “The meetings industry generates over $300 billion a year. So you are all in a very big industry.”

MEETING PLANNERS ON THE HUNT

The main goal of the Small Market Meetings Conference was to get 100 meeting planners in front of as many of the 250 industry reps as possible in two marketplace sessions. Thousands of six-minute meetings helped generate new leads and bookings.

Planners put in a lot of work at the conference. One of them was Sara Van Hook of the International Senior Softball Association in Manassas, Virginia.

“We look for new cities to bring our softball tournaments to, and I’m looking to pick some this week,” she said. “We also need hotels for our managers meetings. The players like fun destination cities because activities are important.”

John Gailer of the National Dropout Prevention Center in Anderson, South Carolina, was another planner.

“I look for cities and venues for a series of meetings throughout the U.S.,” he said. “We do three or four large conferences per year and 10 to 15 smaller events.”

Paul Brown came from Atlanta’s Phillips School of Theology.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

C O N F E R E N C E

CONNECTION LET’S DO LAMBEAU!

GREAT PARTNERS

RICT All photos by Dan Dickson

“My goal is to provide the best meetings experience for our attendees wherever we meet,” he said. “That includes transportation, lodging and dining.”

Carolyn Mercurio-Dove of the University of South Florida in Tampa books sites for administrators.

“I’m here to network with hoteliers and others,” she said. “The people I’m booking for are vice presidents, professors from the College of Medicine and different departments throughout USF.” Patricia Roeser represented an unusual organization: Clowns of America International in Woodbury, Minnesota.

“I’m looking for a site for our 2021 national convention and keeping 2022 in mind, too,” she said. “We just had it in Las Vegas, so we’re looking northwest or southeast next.”

DESTINATION SHOWCASE

Various convention and visitors bureaus sent representatives to the conference to promote their cities as meeting destinations. Shawn Ballard from Discover Kalamazoo in Michigan was one of them.

“I’m meeting new people and introducing them to Kalamazoo,” he said. “Many people haven’t been to our community or even been to Michigan. I’m showcasing what our community offers for meet-

November 2019

ings and events. Our downtown is our greatest selling point.”

Derek Feyerherm of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau in Nebraska shared a similar message.

“We’re here to tell the Lincoln story and inform people about all the exciting changes,” he said. “We’re a college town and state capital. Both are located near downtown. There’s a synergy between state government, the university and the city.”

“I think we’re the best destination in Florida for small market meetings,” said William McBroom from the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. “We’re an authentic city, the oldest in the U.S., and have great beaches, shopping and dining. Since we’re not top-tier, we offer better value.”

Jeannie Tatum came for the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau in Tennessee.

“My goal is to sell our city and bring more business to it,” she said. “We have a big-city feel but are a small area. We’re known for being walkable, are located on a river and have large musical events and nice restaurants.”

Penny Bergsten of the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia, had good selling points.

“We’re in a wonderful location and have the Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course and are on a lake with a 170-slip marina and in a state park with miles of trails,” she said. “There’s quite a bit to do.”

11

SUPERB SERVICE

CONFERENCE E NT E RTAI NM E N T

FUN AND FOOD GREEN BAY I N

EVENING RECEPTION

D

uring the Small Market Meetings Conference, delegates got to experience some of Green Bay’s signature attractions and enjoyed meals and entertainment hosted by other meeting destinations.

During an afternoon of sightseeing tours, delegates were offered five options to visit: the National Railroad Museum, a place full of railroading and American history; the gorgeous Green Bay Botanical Garden; the tribal village of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, just outside of Green Bay; the Automobile Gallery and its beautiful antique car collection covering every decade of the past century; and finally, the Neville Public Museum, which presents artifacts about Green Bay’s history, science and art.

The Greater Green Bay CVB sponsored the first night’s dinner at the KI Convention Center. Breakfast the next morning was provided by the Emerald Coast Convention Center in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

“People like to say our area in the Florida Panhandle looks like the Caribbean,” said Emerald Coast spokeswoman Aline Ibanes. “But you’re actually in the U.S. and don’t have to fly internationally. It’s not hard to get to. We have our own airport.”

The local Preble High School Marching Band also greeted delegates at that meal.

MSC Cruises in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sponsored lunch that afternoon. “We’re growing by tremendous bounds, and that’s scaring me because we’re building ships and have to fill them,” said company spokesman Wayne Peyreau. “We’ll have many more ships by 2027. I can’t do this without you.”

That night’s dinner was remarkable for two reasons. The group toured exciting Lambeau Field and enjoyed food and drinks in one of the stadium’s exclusive spaces. Then the group motored over to the Radisson Hotel for dinner, followed by a remarkable Native American dance demonstration by young members of the Oneida Tribe, which operates the hotel’s casino.

Visit Juneau, the destination marketing organization for Alaska’s capital city, sponsored the last breakfast of the conference.

12

BEER COUNTRY

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EVENING RECEPTION

TRY ONE

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

BREAKFAST WITH THE BAND

GO PACK GO

CORNHOLE MATCHES

SELLING CHEYENNE

A TASTY TABLE

THE TOUR TO TAKE!

November 2019

13

GREEN BAY BEAT

CONFERENCE

SPEAKERS C O N F E R E N C E

S H A R E

S

M E E T I N G S

WEST BADEN EVENT

I N S I G H T

peakers at the Small Market Meeting Conference shared insights on customer service, meetings contracts and new technology.

Keynote speaker Bob Pacanovsky urged everyone to provide a “black-tie experience” for customers by connecting with them and making customers so happy that they become business am-

bassadors.

“Fifty percent of all purchases today are by word-of-mouth influence, and 91% of business-to-business purchases are done by word of mouth,” said Pacanovsky. “Less than 1% of companies have an active strategy to get customers talking. But if they do, their loyal customers are four times more likely to refer your company to someone else.”

Greg Nahmens of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urged those who arrange ground transportation for groups to “Look Before You Book” for safety.

“People trust their lives to the decisions you make,” he said. “To make that safe and informed decision easy for you, we provide the information you need just by coming to our website.”

Lisa Sommer Devlin, an expert industry lawyer, spoke about common contract myths.

“One of the biggest is that you have the right to cancel a contract up to three days after you sign it,” Devlin said. “There is no such rule in common law, which applies to all states, or such a federal law. So before you put your name on that dotted line, make sure the deal is exactly what you want it to be.”

Technology expert Jim Spellos told the audience about new developments invading the industry, things like augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, conversational bots, 3D printing, facial recognition and 5G. “What is going to keep your job and stay hot is your innate creativity,” he said. “This industry and our jobs are changing. If you’re real comfortable just doing simple logistical stuff, then push it up a notch. It’ll be easy for artificial intelligence to do some of that. But AI can’t change your critical thinking or creativity.”

14

BUDDIES

MEETING NOTES

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

ONEIDA WELCOME

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

SILENT AUCTION

BLACK TIE TIPS TAKE YOUR SEATS! MEET ON MSC!

HENDERSON HELLO

PACKER PERFECT

A CHEESEHEAD FOREVER

OFFICIAL WELCOME

November 2019

APPS THAT WORK

15

CONFERENCE RECEPTION TIME!

HAPPY DELEGATES

WINNING BIDS

MARKETPLACE MEETINGS

VIDEO INTERVIEWS

16

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

S P E C I A L

NEW SUMMIT A N N O U N C E D

F O R

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS

D

uring the Small Market Meetings Conference, organizers announced a new gathering of meeting planners and representatives from destinations, hotels and conference centers. Called the Small Market Meetings Summit, this boutique event will include 25 meeting planners with representatives from 25 destinations for 12-minute meetings. The condensed format is designed to push the sales process forward. The Summit is scheduled for Panama City Beach, Florida, May 13-14. Details are available on the Small Market Meetings Conference website at www.smmconf.com/summit.

November 2019

Next year’s Small Market Meetings Conference will take place October 4-6, 2020, in French Lick, Indiana. Joe Vezzoso, vice president of the historic resort’s operations and sales, looks forward to it.

“We found these conferences bring to us a lot of different market segments that normally wouldn’t visit the resort,” he said. “Small Market Meetings Conference will also get those delegates out to visit the resorts and areas around them. It’ll be a beautiful time of the year for them to visit.”

17

MANAGING

The Value of Volunteers LEVERAGE LOCAL HELP TO MAKE MEETINGS RUN MORE SMOOTHLY

W

BY RACHEL CARTER

hen Susan Jackson was hired at the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2010, there were people who had already been volunteering for the Texas CVB for 15 years.

“We have annual events that request volunteers who were there the year before,” said Jackson, convention servicing manager for the Beaumont CVB. “We have volunteers that almost become part of the event.”

Not all CVBs maintain a volunteer program, but those that do have another tool to offer planners: free help from their own inhouse corps of volunteers.

“I’m a big supporter of working with CVBs and utilizing the resources available to us from CVBs,” and that includes volunteers, said Saira Banu Kianes, owner and president of Banu Event Solutions and Training.

Using volunteers offsets labor costs for meetings, but volunteers also contribute to events in less monetizable ways, like having local people on hand who are knowledgeable about the destination and passionate about promoting their community.

“I have a very ‘yes’ mentality, but I’m also speaking on behalf of the volunteers and have to keep them in mind.”

CVB VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS Not all CVB volunteer programs work the same way. Under the traditional model, a CVB maintains a roster of volunteers, like in Beaumont, which currently has about 20 regular volunteers. Beaumont’s volunteer program is based on room nights; volunteer help is available free of cost for events with 150 or more room nights. If an event has fewer than 150 room nights, it’s on a case-by-case basis, Jackson said.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau is developing a program for individual volunteers that is one of the agency’s strategic priorities for the fiscal year, said Tim Morgan, president of the Chattanooga Sports Committee, a division of the Chattanooga CVB. The CVB once had that type of volunteer program but realigned its approach to use volunteer groups that have fundraising initiatives, such as ROTC units, church youth groups, bands, science and technology clubs, fraternities and sororities.

If the group provides a certain number of volunteers and completes the needed tasks, the CVB gives them a grant. It’s a win-win-win, Morgan

18

Susan Jackson CONVENTION SERVICING MANAGER

Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau Experience: 13 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

said. The volunteer group can use the work for teambuilding, skill building and earning money. The event organizer gets complimentary labor, which helps keep down costs. And the CVB uses the volunteer program as a way to educate people about sports tourism and its economic impact.

“It’s a community advocacy tool for us,” Morgan said. “It helps local organizations understand who we are and what we’re doing — and also why we’re doing it.”

“If it’s not mutually beneficial terms, and you have not vetted your volunteers, you’re putting more liability on your event.”

Tim Morgan PRESIDENT

Chattanooga Sports Committee, a division of the Chattanooga CVB Experience: 16 years

November 2019

CALL IN THE CORPS Volunteers oftentimes help by assisting with registration or staffing an information table to field questions from attendees.

“When our volunteers are there, they are answering basic questions about the nearest gas station, a good local place to eat, where to buy a phone charger,” Jackson said. “It alleviates the work on the registration committee, and from a planner standpoint, it helps them focus on the conference.”

Volunteers can also stuff swag bags or put together packets. Other courtesy services may include greeting guests or acting as a step-on guide during a city tour or a shuttle ride.

“They are local and can answer questions, versus just bringing in someone who doesn’t know the group or the area,” she said.

Kianes assisted with a recent 850-person corporate event at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. The CVB there provided the event 20 hours of complimentary volunteer staffing. Event organizers used volunteers to direct traffic, handle signage and help with packing and setting up the office. They also helped set up about 15 breakout rooms with tent cards and other items.

“Whatever was given to them, they were on it,” Kianes said. “They were so willing to help. When they would finish with one responsibility, they would come back and ask what else they could do.”

In Chattanooga, volunteers often help with registration for sporting events as well as setup and teardown, such as installing volleyball courts, but “it depends on the event need,” Morgan said. For example, when the city welcomes the 2020 NCAA Division II Softball World Series in May, the CVB will use volunteers as community ambassadors for the teams while they’re in town for the tournament.

To make the most of volunteer staffing, planners should be thoughtful and specific about when to bring in volunteers, and planners should negotiate different shifts, Kianes said. Instead of having everybody at the same time on the same day to set up, maybe one volunteer is available to help out between breakouts or to give the planner a break before the evening social event starts.

19

MANAGING

‘NOT HIRED HELP’ Using volunteers presents its own challenges, however, and “planners should always remember that they are volunteers,” Kianes said. “They don’t have to be there. Volunteers are not paid. I cannot repeat that enough: They’re not hired help.”

That means planners have to be careful about their expectations for volunteers and what they ask of them. Though Kianes doesn’t ask their specific ages, she always makes sure to ask what volunteers are physically willing to do and what they have done in the past.

When using volunteer groups, as Chattanooga does, Morgan stressed that organizers should thoroughly vet the volunteers and make sure the terms are mutually beneficial. Otherwise, it could end up being detrimental for the event.

Saira Banu Kianes

OWNER AND PRESIDENT

Banu Event Solutions and Training Experience: 30 years

feed their 150k sq. ft. meeting space

18k lodging units

32 miles of beaches

Loosen up that tie, trade your business suit for a swimsuit, and begin planning the meeting, conference or event no one will want to miss. With meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 2,000 attendees, full-service beachfront properties and unique off-site venues, Alabama’s beaches offer plenty of flexibility for your next event.

Our sales professionals are excited to help you feed the FOMO with our complimentary services. To learn more about what we can do for you, visit GSOBmeetings.com.

20

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“Of course, it’s assistance with the financial side. But I also would say that it’s a lending hand for the planners and the team that is working on-site, which is a big help.”

Many of Beaumont’s dedicated volunteers are retirees, and not all of them are able — or willing — to do every type of work.

Jackson strives to know her volunteers; some may be more comfortable behind the scenes putting together gift bags and packets, while others who are more outgoing thrive at the information table or as step-on guides.

In addition to personality, physicality is also important.

Jackson caps volunteer shifts at four hours, makes sure there’s a place for them to sit, ensures that they get breaks, provides DriFit polo shirts if they’re working outside, doesn’t ask them to do hard labor and won’t let them handle money.

“It’s about getting to know everybody’s abilities and making sure they’re comfortable,” Jackson said.

Every time Jackson sets up servicing with a conference chair, she tries to promote Beaumont’s volunteers; but she also questions planners in detail about what they expect volunteers to do and how their time will be used.

“Do you expect them to sit there? Or stand and hand out pamphlets? Or guide people, too? That helps me pick the right person for the job.”

of meeting space Experience Lied Lodge & Conference Center — less than an hour south of Omaha.

D • • • •

iscover endless opportunities to engage and inspire all across Arbor Day Farm.

14,000+ square feet of amenity-rich meeting space Beautifully appointed guest rooms and chef-inspired dining Experienced staff solely focused on serving your needs Unique and engaging team-building opportunities

Follow nature’s lead at Arbor Day Farm, where the takeaways are as rich as the experiences themselves.

Nebraska City, NE • 800-546-5433 • liedlodge.org

November 2019

21

IDEAS

Courtesy Pigeon Forge Dept. of Tourism

BRING THE KIDS Enjoy increased attendance in these popular family destinations

M

BY RACHEL CARTER

ore meeting attendees are choosing to make the most of their time away by bringing along their families and turning a convention into a vacation.

As delegates bring spouses, partners and children and extend their stays before or after a conference, meeting planners are seeing higher attendance when they choose family-friendly destinations.

Here are five popular destinations to consider when looking for meeting destinations that will attract attendees and their families.

22

PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is first and foremost a family vacation destination.

“People come as kids, then they grow up and bring their kids, and it just goes on,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Deptartment of Tourism. “They develop this ownership of this destination.”

In some ways, Pigeon Forge is a small town; it has only 6,000 permanent residents. But it’s not so small in many other ways. It had 6.3 million visitors last year, Downey said. It’s home to 70 attractions, over 90 restaurants, more than 300 shopping venues and nearly 15,000 lodging units, including 8,600 hotel rooms, 2,700 cabins or chalets and about 1,000 condos.

Two signature attractions draw visitors to the city. Great Smoky Mountains National Park sits just outside the city, and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park unveiled Wildwood Grove, a $37 million expansion, in May. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort opened in 2015 with over 300 rooms and 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, along with outdoor venues like an event lawn and covered barn. The 232,000-square-

Above: Loads of amusement attractions and Smoky Mountain scenery make Pigeon Forge a popular destination for family-friendly meetings.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

foot LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge features a 100,500-square-foot, column-free exhibit hall and a 12,000-square-foot hall.

Recent additions include a 15-lane indoor snow-tubing facility that blows real snow every night “so you can go tubing in your shorts and flip-flops and not be uncomfortable,” Downey said. At the Outdoor Gravity Park, guests can roll through courses in Zorbs — like inflatable hamster balls for humans. mypigeonforge.com

“People come as kids, then they grow up and bring their kids, and it just goes on. They develop this ownership of this destination.”

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA

The Anaheim Convention Center sits directly across the street from Disneyland, so it’s easy to see why the city appeals to attendees who want to bring their families along during a conference.

“A lot of people will plan their family vacation around it,” said Jay Burress, president and CEO of Visit Anaheim.

Because Anaheim, California, is a destination for both leisure travelers and meeting groups, it allows attendees to marry business with pleasure. In addition to Disneyland, Anaheim is home to Disneyland California Adventure Park — Knott’s Berry Farm is also nearby — and Orange County has 42 miles of coastline with six bustling beach cities.

Many planners see record numbers when they hold their event in Anaheim. Disneyland offers special rates or discount coupons to attendees and their families, and some hotels will honor the event rate for attendees’ extended stays.

— Leon Downey, Pigeon Forge Deptartment of Tourism

Photos courtesy Visit Anaheim

November 2019

Anaheim activities, clockwise from left: the 1919 Anaheim Packing House; Pacific Ocean fun; exploring the Packing District.

23

IDEAS

Once Visit Anaheim understands the client and their attendees, “you can have as much Disney and family appeal as you want, or you can not see it at all,” Burress said.

Outside the theme parks, Visit Anaheim can provide sample itineraries or help attendees’ spouses and families with beach outings, craft brewery tours and shopping. In the revitalized downtown, visitors will find the Anaheim Packing District, anchored by the restored 1919 orange-packing warehouse that has been transformed into a food hall.

The Anaheim Convention Center recently completed an expansion that added 200,000 square feet of flexible event space, and across the street, Disney’s three resort hotels and the theme parks boast dozens of meeting venues. visitanaheim.org

All of the city’s major attractions stay open yearround, including the North Carolina Aquarium, the Children’s Museum of Wilmington, the Wilmington Railroad Museum and the Battleship North Carolina, moored on the Cape Fear River downtown. wilmingtonandbeaches.com

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA

Kissimmee, Florida, is about 20 miles south of Orlando, Florida, so it’s minutes from world-famous attractions, but it also delivers bucket-list ecotourism options, like speeding through the swamp on an airboat or seeing an alligator in the wild.

“When we talk with our meeting clients, we hear that it’s an attendance booster to have a conference here in Kissimmee,” said Michelle Moore, Experience Kissimmee’s senior director of meeting sales and services.

WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

The most obvious reason Wilmington, North Carolina, is a family-friendly destination “is the beaches, which people love,” said Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The city is home to three barrier island beaches, each with its own personality. Wrightsville Beach is home to many of the area’s resort hotels, including the beachfront Blockade Runner Beach Resort and the Holiday Inn Resort, both of which provide meeting space and in-house kids’ camps. All of Shell Island Resort’s 155 guest suites front the ocean, and the hotel’s 6,000 square feet of conference space includes an oceanfront ballroom.

Kure Beach has a small-town feel and few facilities, but Carolina Beach delivers a days-gone-by vibe along with meeting venues. Shops, restaurants and bars, as well as a seaside amusement park, line the wooden boardwalk.

Hufham said more planners are starting meetings on Sunday and running them through Thursday or Friday, which gives attendees and their families the chance to extend their stay before or after the event, especially during spring and fall shoulder seasons.

“I think they use that to their advantage to have higher attendance,” Hufham said.

Through its services department, the CVB can arrange spouse or family activities, connect groups with attractions and provide on-site visitor information services during the conference.

24

Courtesy Wilmington and Beaches, CVB

Above: Surfing lessons in Wilmington

“When we talk with our meeting clients, we hear that it’s an attendance booster to have a conference here in Kissimmee.”

— Michelle Moore, Experience Kissimmee

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld all offer some sort of prepaid conventioneer ticket or discounted after-hours pass for meeting attendees and their families. Experience Kissimmee’s badge program gives meeting attendees discounts at partner restaurants and shops, and it also works for spouses and family members.

At the Paddling Center at Shingle Creek, parents can rent kayaks, paddleboards and canoes; arrange guided ecotours through a cypress forest; or go on a manatee-spotting expedition.

Families can go on ATV adventures, tackle the aerial ropes course at Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park or zip line over alligators at Gatorland. Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures offers airboat tours and has a Native American village that can organize classes for meeting groups.

Courtesy Experience Kissimmee

Left: Waterfront in Kissimmee

GO

& Plan on meeting here

MEET, EXPLORE, CONNECT GREATER ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA The Ontario Convention Center offers superior service and flexibility for all business meetings, trade shows, special events, or private and social functions. For meeting needs of all sizes – from a conference room to a citywide convention utilizing the Ontario Convention Center – or for a special exposition or sporting competitions, the Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau will provide the necessary destination support tools to execute a successful experience.

• 225,000 total square feet with a 70,000 square foot column free exhibition hall • Over 6,000 hotel rooms available in Greater Ontario • Full range of technology services

800.455.5755 November 2019

• Award winning Executive Chef and service excellence • Complimentary hotel parking and shuttle service • 2 miles from Ontario International Airport (ONT)

GOcvb.org 25

IDEAS

Kissimmee has its “Big Four” meeting venues: the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South and the Reunion Resort and Golf Club.

The 184-room Margaritaville Resort Orlando opened in January with 40,000 square feet of meeting space, and both Margaritaville and Reunion have vacation homes or cottages that work well for families. experiencekissimmee.com

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN

At the base of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City is one of Michigan’s busiest beach towns.

Meeting planners are increasingly opting to bring their events to Traverse City during the less-busy shoulder seasons, particularly fall, and are gearing conferences to attendees who may want to make it a vacation. For families and spouses, the No. 1 attraction is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where mountains of sand tower up to 500 feet above Lake Michigan.

“You feel like you’re at the edge of the world,” said Jenny Jenness, media and PR manager for Traverse City Tourism. “You wouldn’t know the difference between Lake Michigan and the Atlantic Ocean.”

At the lakeshore, visitors can hike or cycle on trails, rent kayaks and paddleboards, take in fall colors, and snowshoe or cross-country ski in winter.

Downtown boasts about 150 restaurants, galleries and shops, and not far from downtown, families can explore the Dennos Museum Center and the Great Lakes Children’s Museum.

On-the-water activities include guided sailboat excursions or tours on the Nauti-Cat catamaran or the Tall Ship Manitou, a replica of an 1800s schooner.

Both Great Wolf Lodge and Grand Traverse Resort and Spa offer meeting space and indoor water parks.

Traverse City Tourism offers sample itineraries and has a dedicated staff member who can work with planners to arrange outings for spouses and families or set up an information table during orientation. traversecity.com

Photos courtesy Traverse City Tourism

26

Traverse City family activities, clockwise from left: Dennos Museum Center; Tall Ship Manitou; wine tasting

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

WAYNE HOTEL

THE INN AT VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

JOHN HEINZ NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AT TINICUM

fresh air & fresh ideas LINVILLA ORCHARDS

DREXELBROOK CATERING & SPECIAL EVENT CENTER

Delaware County, PA makes it easy to meet exactly where you want to be.

DEVON ANNE PHOTOGRAPHY

Plan your next corporate event alongside scenic battlefields and fill your agenda with historic museums, breathtaking gardens and Broadway-caliber theatre.

Located conveniently to all major highways and the Philadelphia International Airport, Delco delivers something for everyone.

Call 610-565-3679 for recommendations and county information.

VisitDelcoPA

s ’ g n i m o y W ew N WEST

Groups meeting in Cheyenne can take advantage of its gorgeous surroundings for numerous outdoor activities.

By Allen Meyer, All photos courtesy Visit Cheyenne

CITY

High-tech Cheyenne offers amenities and scenery

C

BY ELIZABETH HEY

apturing the heartbeat of the Wild West, Cheyenne boasts an authentic Western vibe that comingles with up-to-date amenities.

As the capital of the Cowboy State, not only does this laid-back city offer plenty of outdoor adventure, but in the past 20 years, high-tech industry has taken up residence. Cheyenne’s legendary Western hospitality prevails, from downtown’s flourishing culinary scene to rodeos and ranching life. It’s almost a given that your attendees will find their personal equilibrium between business and active diversions and leave refreshed.

CHEYENNE AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: 90 minutes north of Denver in southeast Wyoming ACCESS: Cheyenne Regional Airport, Denver International Airport; interstates 25 and 80 HOTEL ROOMS: 2,700 CONTACT INFO: Visit Cheyenne 307-778-3133 cheyenne.org EVENTS CENTER AT ARCHER ON THE LARAMIE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS BUILT: 2019 EXHIBIT SPACE: 100,000 square feet MEETING HOTELS

Little America Hotel and Resort GUEST ROOMS: 188 MEETING SPACE: 38,000 square feet Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center GUEST ROOMS: 245 MEETING SPACE: 19,000 square feet Historic Plains Hotel GUEST ROOMS: 131 MEETING SPACE: 8,000 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN CHEYENNE

North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association ATTENDEES: 500 Wyoming Business Alliance Governor’s Business Forum ATTENDEES: 350 Rocky Mountain Section of the Barbershop Harmony Society ATTENDEES: 500

November 2019

29

Destination Highlights

C

heyenne’s revitalized downtown is in the midst of a growth spurt. Within walking distance of each other lie four craft breweries and a distillery. In the past six months, four restaurants have also opened. Nearby, the Capitol recently completed a $300 million renovation; self-guided tours highlight newly exposed artwork and ornate woodwork that was covered up years ago.

Cheyenne’s railroad history runs deep. Its first residents were men who moved West to build the transcontinental railroad. Today, Big Boy, the world's largest steam locomotive and one of eight nationwide, is displayed in Holliday Park.

Add Wyoming’s fabled stories, recounted at three downtown museums, and attendees might not feel the need to venture further.

A hearty welcome awaits individuals and families at the Bunkhouse Bar and Grill, 15 minutes outside the city. Friday and Saturday evenings, its house band invites patrons to listen or dance to classic country tunes. Alongside eight beers on tap, the Bunkhouse specializes in hand-cut steaks, slowcooked prime rib and barbecued ribs.

“It’s not uncommon to drive into the parking lot and see a horse or two tied up because some of the patrons have ridden in,” said Jim Walter, director of sales and marketing for Visit Cheyenne.

Next July, the state’s most renowned shindig, Cheyenne Frontier Days, celebrates its 124th year. The PRCA Rodeo occupies center stage on the 10-day schedule. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstrates its acrobatics, a renowned Western art show takes place, the Grand Parade starts at the Capitol and a chuck-wagon cook-off adds to the festivities.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS Cheyenne’s “Big Boots” public art project

30

A cowboy greeting

Cheyenne Frontier Days

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Distinctive Venues

P

opular for an opening reception or dinner, the Cheyenne Depot Museum preserves a historic Union Pacific Railroad depot built between 1886 and 1887. As one of the last great depots along the transcontinental railroad, the venue makes an interesting night-at-the-museum-style event. The elegant lobby can accommodate banquets, as can the smaller Coupler building.

Inside and out, numerous spaces at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens can host a variety of events and meetings.

The Orangerie feels tropical with its potted trees and glass ceiling. For after-hours gatherings, the three-story conservatory soothes guests with its lush vegetation, water feature and aviary. A lovely garden at the Historic Governors’ Mansion accommodates smaller gatherings or a cocktail hour.

One of the largest working bison ranches in the nation, the Terry Bison Ranch sits on 27,500 acres and supports approximately 2,500 bison. A custom-built train takes visitors out into the bison herd, where passengers can handBMW Performance feed the behemoths.

Seasonal Center guideddonuts trail rides and ATV tours are additional options.

Courtesy Alabama Theatre

By Allen Meyer

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

November 2019

Up-close experiences at Terry’s Bison Ranch

31

Major Meeting Spaces

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS Live music at Freedom’s AFTER HOURS

W

Edge Brewery

ith the opening of the Event Center at Archer in July, Cheyenne more than doubled its available conference space. The 100,000-squarefoot center houses a 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall, prefunction space and meeting rooms. The hall accommodates heavy equipment, which can be driven in, plus infrastructure for animals and agricultural shows.

“We excel at meetings of around 200 to 400 people,” said Walter. “And since we’re located at the crossroads of I-80 and I-25, it’s easy for attendees to get here for regional meetings.”

On the Laramie County Community College campus, the 4,000-square-foot ANB Bank Leadership Center seats up to 325 people classroom-style, features a stage upon request and offers on-site catering. In addition, its high-tech Center for Conferences and Institutes provides five customizable rooms for up to 300 people.

Wyoming's largest convention hotel, Little America Hotel and Resort, offers 38,000 square feet of space, accommodating up to 700 attendees. Amenities range from the elegant 13,260-square-foot Grand Ballroom to 18 breakout rooms and exhibit areas. Outdoor receptions on the lawn showcase views of the high plains and a nine-hole golf course. And the 245-room Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center contains19,000 square feet of meeting space and a free shuttle to downtown attractions.

“When your group meets in a city the size of Cheyenne, it’s a big deal,” said Walter. “You get a level of service and attention to detail that you might not find in a larger city because meetings make a big impact on us.”

SOME PEOPLE SEE A PILE OF TOOLS. WE SEE A WAY TO HELP IMPROVE A DESTINATION IN NEED.

Tourism Cares can help you see the world differently. By participating in our outreach, education and volunteering programs you’ll be able to more successfully connect needs to opportunities.

And, you’ll gain the direction, networking, tools and skills required to shape a more resilient and sustainable future for the destinations and communities we all sell and rely upon. Join us and unite with your industry colleagues to harness the transformative power of travel.

Visit TourismCares.org. See the possibilities.

Join these companies in seeing the possibilities.

32

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

After the Meeting

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS Horseback activities AFTER HOURS

V

isit Cheyenne will help plan basic downtown dine-arounds and progressive dinners. The Rib and Chop House offers private group dining in a classic steakhouse setting. The Metropolitan Downtown opened this year serving new American cuisine, with private dining for groups of 10 to 260. Hops on the Trolley, also arranged by Visit Cheyenne, loops trolleys continuously from a designated hotel to allow attendees the freedom to try different breweries at their leisure.

Curt Gowdy State Park, west of town, features more than 35 miles of epic-rated mountain biking and hiking trails. Bikes can be reserved in advance from Rock on Wheels and transported to the park. Further west, gravity-defying granite outcroppings form Vedauwoo Recreation Area, known for noteworthy rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking.

“We work with several climbing guides from Laramie, and we prefer that planners reach out to us so that we can put them in touch with people who are currently guiding,” said Walter.

Custom rodeos make excellent group experiences. According to Walter, the rodeo can be planned for several different venues, complete with catering. Or the DeLancey family can host a group at their ranch, where Happy Hour With the Horses allows two hours for interaction and photos, plus learning about ranch life.

In the past 20 years, the tech industry has built a presence in the region. Four major data centers now call Cheyenne home base. Attendees can tour the National Center for Atmospheric Research to see and learn about its supercomputer, one of the fastest in existence today.

WESTERN

Authenticity. Hospitality. Experience.

Cheyenne offers your meetings the history and romance of the the West, paired with facilities, amenities and value you deserve. Visit Cheyenne’s services are unmatched in the west and help ensure a successful meeting.

November 2019

CHEYENNE.ORG | 800-426-5009 33

THE TRANQUIL ABBEY RESORT WELCOMES MEETING GROUPS TO WISCONSIN’S LAKE GENEVA.

Meetdieng Gui

W

Fontana The Abbey Resort is the only resort right on the shores of Lake Geneva. It was built in an area where industry magnates of the 1920s and 1930s built beautiful mansions. The area still “has the beauty and image of being a playground for the elite, even though it really is accessible to everyone today,” said Dan Dolan, director of sales and marketing for the resort.

The resort was designed in the early 1960s to take advantage of the

34

By Peter Wagner, courtesy Abbey Resort

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

isconsin’s vast natural beauty and location in the Great Lakes region make it an excellent location for resorts that cater not only to tourists, but to meeting planners as well. Here are a few resorts that showcase what makes Wisconsin a top-notch destination.

ABBEY RESORT

Wisconsin Meeting Resorts

water. Its meeting and event spaces all offer beautiful views of the outdoors.

“Hotels like ourselves have adapted over the years to deliver experiences that drive toward the object of the event,” said Dolan. The Abbey Resort’s activities department has a catalog of team-building exercises that can aid meeting planners meet their objectives as well as create memorable experiences for attendees.

One event breaks groups into teams and provides them with cardboard, bubble wrap and duct tape. Their job is to design and build a boat that floats in one hour’s time. Groups can also take a historic cruise boat out on the lake, where they can have cocktails and appetizers provided by the resort or take a guided tour along the 21-mile lakeshore trail.

The resort has 330 guest rooms contained in seven interconnected low-rise buildings and 40,000 square feet of inside event space. The resort can accommodate groups of as many as 650, but the ideal size is between 75 and 200 people, Dolan said. theabbeyresort.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

WILDERNESS HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT

Wisconsin Dells Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort in Wisconsin Dells is a major destination for both families and meeting planners. The resort has the meeting facilities to handle large conferences and entertainment options enough to appeal to kids of all ages.

Covering 600 acres, the resort boasts 12 football fields’ worth of water parks, a golf course, zip lines, outdoor and indoor miniature golf and go-karts, said Shannon Timmerman, director of sales for the property.

“Sometimes being a water park resort scares people,” she said.

“When it comes to meetings, they are thinking we are just a water park resort. Our conference center is separated enough from the water park where you wouldn’t know you were at a water park resort unless you went over by the water park. It is still a professional setting. You won’t see children running around in the conference center with bathing suits on.”

But proximity works in meeting planners’ favor, allowing them to incorporate teambuilding activities into their meeting schedule.

The resort offers teambuilding opportunities from guided hikes, meditation and yoga to a pizza cook-off or a wilderness race that incorporates the property’s ropes course, laser tag, laser maze and go-karts.

There’s also an escape room on-site that can handle up to 180 people. The resort has 1,163 guest rooms and a spa on-site. wildernessresort.com

INDOOR ACTIVITIES AT WILDERNESS HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT

Courtesy Wilderness Resort

STONE HARBOR RESORT

Sturgeon Bay The biggest selling points for the Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay are its location on the water and that its lodging, dining and pub are all under one roof.

The resort has indoor and outdoor pools, making it a great place to bring families. It is within walking distance of downtown Sturgeon Bay with its theater, shops and museums.

“It’s kind of a hidden secret,” said Nancy Bertz, general manager of the resort. Sturgeon Bay has so much to offer.” Being right on the waterfront, meeting planners can make use of the Door County Maritime Museum, the Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay and various businesses that give group tours of the area.

Guests attending meetings at the resort can walk just a short distance to rent recreational boats, jet skis and kayaks.

Stone Harbor can host groups of up to 350 in its large conference center ballroom. The space can be divided into six smaller breakout rooms, if necessary. The resort also has a couple of different executive boardrooms that can hold smaller gatherings.

“We do have a lot of corporate business,” Bertz said. “We have a lot of boating and marina business because we are on the water.”

The resort offers catering on-site and also features a full-service restaurant, a pub and live entertainment. The area is also known for its world-class golf courses and wineries. stoneharbor-resort.com

STONE HARBOR RESORT ON STURGEON BAY

Courtesy Stone Harbor Resort

November 2019

35

Meetieng Guid

BLUE HARBOR RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER

Sheboygan The Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center is just steps away from Lake Michigan. All of its 178 hotel rooms, condominiums and conference spaces have waterfront views.

“We take advantage of that,” said Garrett Mersberger, director of sales and marketing for the resort. “Not a lot of resorts have a lake as their background.”

Located in Sheboygan, a town of 50,000, the area is known for its golf, fishing and watersports. Groups that host meetings at the resort can organize Segway tours, learn how to surf or kite surf on Lake Michigan.

“We are the freshwater capital of the world for surfing,” he said.

Like many Wisconsin resorts, Blue Harbor has a water park and an indoor miniature golf course attached to it that can be incorporated into a group’s scheduled activities. The resort also can organize golf outings at Golf at Pine Hills Country Club.

The conference center can host fairly large groups. Its largest space, the Grand Ballroom, has 9,882 square feet of space and can host 544 people banquet style and 1,250 reception style. The Lakeside Terrace holds 100 people banquet style and 450 reception style.

Teambuilding is huge at Blue Harbor, with instructor-led activities like the Beach Battle, where teams compete in exciting beach games, or the Great Race, where groups solve clues while scouring Sheboygan for treasure. blueharborresort.com

METROPOLIS RESORT

Eau Claire The Metropolis Resort in Eau Claire encourages its meeting attendees to get out and make good use of its Action City Family Fun Center and Trampoline Park.

“When we have meetings come through our doors, we encourage them to have their meeting and then come out and play,” said Samantha Holtz, sales and event manager at Metropolis Resort. Attendees can compete in axe throwing or race each other in go-karts. Laser tag and the laser maze are great group activities, and the trampoline park allows groups to embrace their inner middle schooler and join in a trampoline version of dodgeball.

Mini bumper cars, a rock-climbing wall, a zip line and an 18-hole mini golf course round out the entertainment options available at the resort.

The resort has 10,000 square feet of meeting space and 11 different breakout spaces to host galas, meetings and receptions. The property can host groups of up to 320 people. It has 107 guest rooms and a locker room that sleeps up to 21 people in lofted bunk beds. The room, which is great for corporate retreats, includes arcade games.

The resort has in-house catering and the latest conference technologies. If the resort’s brand of entertainment is not enough for attendees, the mall is five minutes away with restaurants and breweries. metropolisresort.com

Meetings meet Convenience

Complimentary services

Unique lakeside dining

Team & social activities

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

Learn more at visitwaukesha.org/meetings

36

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Meet Wisconsin’s Museums

W

Meetdieng Gui

Oshkosh The Paine Art Center and Gardens is a historic country estate in Oshkosh. Nathan and Jessie Paine commissioned famous New York architect Bryant Fleming to design a Tudor Revival country estate, full of great art and objects, with the ultimate goal of opening it up to the public. Con-

November 2019

By Eric Reischl, courtesy Paine Art Center

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

isconsin has an extensive Native American and maritime history, and its bountiful farm land and location in the Great Lakes region attracted numerous immigrants from across Europe in the late 1800s. These diverse cultures are featured in museums across the state that make wonderful places to visit and to host a meeting or conference.

PAINE ART CENTER AND GARDENS

THE PAINE ART CENTER INHABITS A HISTORIC COUNTRY ESTATE IN OSHKOSH.

struction began on the mansion in 1927, and the exterior was completed in 1930. Once the Great Depression hit, work on the property was halted until 1946. Nathan died before the house was completed, but his wife opened it to the public in 1948.

The family never lived in the home, which is run by a nonprofit organization. The carriage house and conservatory offers a 2,000-square-foot room that opens onto a courtyard with seating. The conservatory features floorto-ceiling windows and can host up to 180 people. Smaller spaces are available in the mansion itself, and outdoor events can be held in the small botanical gardens.

“There’s an option to customize every meeting,” said Laura Rommelfanger, director of events for the museum, “with a custom itinerary based on the components that are important to their group.”

Groups can spend time in the gardens or do yoga or host team-building exercises in the gardens.

“That’s our niche. It’s a great place if you want to get away and take a break from the business and really focus,” she said. “We offer a beautiful place to focus and breathe

37

Meetieng Guid and be mindful and remember all the things that brought your group together. You can focus on the subject at hand instead of the distractions that are so much a part of our lives right now.” thepaine.org

MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM

Milwaukee The Milwaukee Public Museum is one of the oldest and largest natural history museums in the country, with more than 150,000 square feet of exhibit space. Among its most iconic and popular exhibits is “The Streets of Old Milwaukee,” a walk-through diorama of Milwaukee at the turn of the 20th century. The streets are paved with granite blocks, red bricks and cedar blocks, and visitors can look through the windows of 30 shops, businesses, restaurants and bars to see just how much things have changed since the city’s founding.

The museum’s geology wing houses many dinosaur skeletons and other fossils, including the most complete mammoth skeleton ever found in North America. Meeting planners who want to take advantage of all the museum has to offer have many event spaces to choose from.

The Kohl’s Garden Galleries are wonderful for meetings. The space is large enough to accommodate more than 400 guests and can be broken into seven or eight breakout spaces. The domed theater, which hosts planetarium and Imax shows, can accommodate 256 people.

The museum offers full hospitality services, including a full-service cafe and in-house catering.

Chr

l ntrl v l , n i lc i mei o s h i

Janesville offers a variety of meeting spaces and a wide selection of hotels, restaurants and attractions including many affordable options that provide you with great value. Janesville is easily accessible - right off of I-39/90. Call the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau today at (800) 487-2757.

“We are unique in how we use our space,” said Todd Garvens, general manager for hospitality services at the museum.

Planners can rent out the museum’s 9,500-square-foot courtyard for groups of up to 200 people or the entire first floor of the museum.

Groups also can rent out space at some of the more popular exhibits in the museum, like “The Streets of Old Milwaukee,” “European Village” and the Puelicher Butterfly Wing. Groups can add lunch at the cafe or a catered meal to any event, and groups have access to the museum and its many collections. mpm.edu

OLD WORLD WISCONSIN

Eagle Old World Wisconsin is a 600-acre site that opened in 1976 as Wisconsin’s official bicentennial project. The property, which features woods, ponds, prairie and hiking trails, plays host to 70 historic structures brought to this location from as far north as Bayfield County along Lake Superior, said Dan Freas, director of the museum. It tells a statewide story of the people who settled in Wisconsin during the 19th and early 20th century.

The museum has three working German farms with houses, barns and outbuildings that have been reconstructed on the property, along with Scandinavian homesteads that depict the lives of Norwegian, Finnish and Danish immigrants. The Crossroads Village is a mixture of various ethnic groups that came together and formed a community, including a Catholic church, a blacksmith shop, a general store and an inn.

“Collectively, this serves as the stage on which we can bring to life the stories of various families that came to Wisconsin, so we are very much an immersive, story-based experience,” Freas said.

There are several venues on the property available to groups. The primary space is an 1897 octagonal barn that has been renovated. The upper level of the barn is a large open space that is heated and has modern restroom v n l facilities. It can accommodate 175 people. The n e i i a t stns a cafe downstairs provides food services for the meeting guests. Smaller meeting spaces are available throughout the property, and a large outdoor picnic pavilion is a good location for corporate picnics.

Pictured: Rock County Historical Meeting attendees can take guided or unguidSociety’s Carriage Barn ed tours of the property by tram or take a horsedrawn carriage ride through the historic village. oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org

Janesvillecvb.com 38

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION MUSEUM

Oshkosh The Experimental Aircraft Association is an organization of 230,000 people who like to fly for fun. In Oshkosh, the group’s headquarters and museum sit on 1,600 acres, which includes a re-creation of a 1920 aerodrome complete with a grass runway.

The museum has been around for 35 years and displays 100 airplanes from all eras of aviation history, including a full-size replica of the Wright Flyer. Groups can host events in any of the museum’s 50,000 square feet of exhibit space. Events include access to all areas of the museum, and groups can add guided tours of the museum or rides on the museum’s Max Flight Simulator.

The extensive grounds and aircraft hangars can accommodate large events like 5K runs and large conventions. The museum itself is an excellent option for corporate trainings and large corporate award ceremonies.

Its exhibits make for atmospheric dinners and cocktail receptions.

The Air Academy Lodge offers dormitory housing for groups throughout the year. It has a great room with a fireplace that makes it nice for retreats and more intimate meetings.

“It is something completely unlike a big hotel conference room,” said Dick Knapinski, director of communications for the association.

“This is a completely different atmosphere that takes you out of a normal conference room setting and puts you someplace different.

It kind of sparks the imagination and gets you out of the ordinary.” eaa.org/eaa-museum

November 2019

WISCONSIN MARITIME MUSEUM

Manitowac The Wisconsin Maritime Museum originally was built to commemorate the area’s distinguished past as a submarine builder for the U.S. Navy. It has since evolved into an institution that preserves all of the maritime history of the Great Lakes region and Wisconsin.

Shipbuilders in Manitowac built 28 freshwater submarines for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Visitors to the museum can tour the inside of the USS Cobia, a World War II submarine that also was built in freshwater and tested in the Great Lakes before doing five war patrols.

Meeting planners looking for something a little different can host an event on the museum’s 3,100-square-foot roof deck, which overlooks Lake Michigan and downtown Manitowoc. The Riverview Room can accommodate groups of as many as 150 theater style or 100 people for a banquet, and is equipped with cutting-edge technology.

Groups can rent out some of the museum’s galleries for meetings and events, and smaller groups can book an overnight stay on the submarine.

The museum’s executive director is available to greet guests and give a presentation about shipwrecks. wisconsinmaritime.org

39

Work and Play in Wisconsin

Meetdieng Gui

W

Wisconsin Dells has always been known for its beautiful sandstone bluffs along the Wisconsin River, but to meet tourist demand in the area, it has evolved into a vacation mecca with more than 100 restaurants and 90-plus attractions, including more than 200 waterslides, miniature golf, zip lining, a casino and live entertainment at the Palace Theater in the Dells and the Crystal Grand Music Theatre.

40

Courtesy WI Dells VCB

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

ith its many lakes and vast woods, Wisconsin is an outdoor wonderland. The families of meeting and conventiongoers can hike, bike, boat, swim or spend their days bulleting down waterslides in the state’s many world-class water parks.

Here are a few destinations that families shouldn’t miss in Wisconsin.

WISCONSIN DELLS

DOZENS OF WATER PARKS, SUCH AS THIS ONE AT KALAHARI RESORT, ATTRACT ATTENDEES’ FAMILIES TO MEETINGS IN WISCONSIN DELLS.

Cruise companies take visitors on scenic excursions through the area. The area also claims the largest fleet of amphibious World War II ducks that offer both land and water tours for people interested in getting a closer look at the amazing natural landscapes, said Leah Hauck, communications manager for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Meeting planners that want to book a conference or an event in the area have 8,000 hotel rooms and 500,000 square feet of meeting space to choose from. If they are interested in their attendees bringing families, many of the largest water park resorts do feature conference centers and meeting spaces, separated from the noise of the theme parks.

“We have a little bit of everything, not just traditional conference centers,” she said. “We have unique venues that we can take you to where you can get really creative.”

Representatives from one of the area’s newest resorts, Kalahari, mentioned that it sees a 20% increase in meeting attendance when families come along for meetings, Hauck said. wisdells.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

MADISON

The capital of Wisconsin, Madison is on an isthmus. It sits on a spit of land bordered by two lakes: Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The Yahara River cuts through the isthmus and connects the two lakes to each other.

Madison is very walkable, said Anna Shircel, public relations and communications coordinator for Destination Madison. Most of the city’s meeting and convention space and major hotels are located downtown, off the capitol square. Visitors can walk to beautiful parks and beaches from the downtown area and take advantage of all the wonderful shops and restaurants.

Touring the state Capitol building is free. The 200-foot-tall, granite-domed building is the only U.S. capitol built on an isthmus. Like most of Wisconsin, Madison is an outdoor-centric location with 240-plus miles of bike paths and trails and plenty of opportunities to get out on the lakes to fish, boat, ice skate, ice fish and swim.

Outside Madison, the Sassy Cow Creamery gives families a deep dive into what it takes to run a family-owned dairy. About 20 miles southeast of Madison is Stoughton, a Norwegian town with boutique shops and parks. The Livsreise-Norwegian Heritage Center is a great stop for families that want to know more about their Norwegian ancestry. visitmadison.com

AN EVENING EVENT IN MADISON

MINOCQUA

Minocqua sits in the heart of Wisconsin, surrounded by 2,300 lakes, rivers and streams and 600 miles of trails, making it an excellent destination for families.

“The outdoors are really kind of the centerpiece of our destination,” said Kailey Barutha, administrative assistant for the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce. “The heart of it is the woods and water.”

Boating, fishing, hiking and biking are popular here. In the winter, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing are king.

Visitors can rent all the equipment they would need for a fun day out on the water, including boats, fishing equipment and bicycles.

The area is known for its Min-Aqua Bats show, the longest-running amateur water ski show in the country, and the Fred Scheer’s Lumberjack Show in nearby Woodruff is a must-see for families that want to learn more about the logging industry in the area and be entertained at the same time.

“It’s a very exciting, entertaining show,” Barutha said, with log rolling, pole climbing, power sawing, the canoe joust, axe throwing and the Boom Run, which requires participants to move as quickly as possible across nine floating logs without getting wet.

The area has 544 hotel rooms/condominiums, five campgrounds and 198 cabins. Pointe Hotel and Suites and the Waters of Minocqua are both good places to stay and host meetings.

Both are within walking distance of downtown Minocqua’s boutique shops and restaurants. minocqua.org

By Focal Flame Photography, courtesy Visit Madison

NORTHWOODS WILDLIFE CENTER IN MINOCQUA

By John Tittel, courtesy Minocqua Area COC

November 2019

41

Meetieng Guid

BAYFIELD

Bayfield is known as the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. There are 22 islands, most of which are protected by the National Park Service. Families can take a day cruise to the islands from Bayfield, wending past old lighthouses and shipwrecks that are visible through the crystal-clear water.

Kayaks are another popular way to see the islands. A number of local businesses in the area offer guided and unguided kayak tours, said Paige Rautio, marketing director for the Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau.

Hiking and biking are popular and a fun way to visit the many waterfalls in the Bayfield area.

The “local shopping is wonderful. It is all locally owned,” Rautio said. “There are no major chain stores whatsoever.” The food is wonderful too, she said, with many farm-to-table restaurants highlighting all of the things that make Bayfield special, including wine bread, a dessert that is filled with fruit and cream cheese, and white fish livers, a delicacy found only in Bayfield.

The Bayfield Fruit Loop takes visitors past the area’s many orchards and fruit farms, where apple pie sticks and apple cider doughnuts are a must-try.

All lodging in the area is locally owned. There are 400 rooms available, many of them in historic bed-and-breakfasts. The Lakeside Pavilion, an old roller rink in the center of town, is the biggest meeting space in town, with wooden floors and rafters and amazing views. bayfield.org

DOOR COUNTY

With its many lighthouses, white sand beaches and craggy, cave-dotted shorelines, Door County is a breathtaking destination on Lake Michigan. The area is water-centric, with 300 miles of shoreline, said Laura Bradley, marketing and sales manager for the Door County Visitor Bureau.

There are more than 50 public beaches in Door County, so “no matter where you are staying, as a family, you are never too far away from the beach,” she said. There are sandy and rocky beaches. “You have your pick of what you are in the mood for, and of course, being a historic destination, there are lots of museums they can tour and get a sense of what Door County used to be.”

The area boasts 11 lighthouses, many of them built in the 1800s.

Visitors can take a tour and learn more about the area’s rich maritime history. Door County is also known for its 2,500 acres of cherry orchards that draw thousands of visitors in the spring. Visitors who come in the summer can visit the orchards and pick cherries. There are dozens of hiking and biking trails in the area and kayak tours that visit some of the highlights along the Door County lakeshore.

Families can take Segway tours or go zip lining. The meeting options in Door County are extensive, with 40 unique venues, from restored barns and art galleries to libraries, museums and large resorts. The largest meeting space is about 7,400 square feet, and there are 4,900 lodging units in the area. doorcounty.com

MAKE HISTORY WITH A MEETING AT MPM

Meeting spaces • Breakout sessions On-site coordination • Evening receptions Custom experiences • 80,000 square feet

Milwaukee Public Museum 800 West Wells Street | www.mpm.edu/meetings

42

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

START PLANNING

The Fox Cities offer convenience, versatility and venues for every type of meeting. An array of exceptional dining options, 3,500+ room choices and group activities, along with our walkable downtown areas will complete your experience. ©ADAM SHEA PHOTOGRAPHY; TOWN COUNCIL, NEENAH, WI

NOW BOOKING — Fox Cities Exhibition Center

Plus Wisconsin’s Best Shopping!

Contact Amy Karas akaras@foxcities.org or 920.734.3358 November 2019

FOX CITIES

FoxCities.org/meeting 43

OPENING APRIL 2020 Restrooms

Celebration Atrium 8,000 sq ft

Connection to to Hilton Garden Inn

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

9,000 sq ft

Connect Ballroom 18,000 sq ft

6,000 sq ft

Celebration Plaza

Restrooms

Collaborate Ballroom

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

Boardroom

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. CELEBRATE. 262-789-0220 www.brookfieldconferencecenter.com