Small Market Meetings November 2020

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA | WINTER DESTINATIONS | WISCONSIN MEETING GUIDE NOVEMBER 2020

VIRTUAL AND PERSONAL:

p a G e h t g n i Bridg SMALL MARKET

MEETINGS CONFERENCE

FA C E T O FA C E IN FRENCH LICK

KNOX ROCKS SAFE MEETINGS & EVENTS

Knoxville has been waiting patiently for you – and preparing to welcome you to a reimagined destination that is committed to hosting safe meetings and events.

From newly implemented guidelines at the Knoxville Convention Center to a community-based approach for a safe reopening, you can experience peace of mind in a destination that is committed to the health and safety of you and your attendees.

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Here are a few of the enhanced safety measures you can expect from the Knoxville Convention Center, the city’s cornerstone meeting facility: • •

Masks and digital temperature checks required for all staff and meeting attendees •

•

Hand Sanitizing Stations throughout facility

Modified food and beverage services to incorporate enhanced safety practices

Meeting Room and Exhibit Hall layouts reconfigured to accomplish physical distancing

Contact us today to learn how #Knoxrocks Safe Meetings & Events 800-727-8045 • sales@knoxville.org • visitknoxville.com/safemeetings

See all that Oxford, ms has to offer • Over 1,300 hotel rooms

• World class dining

• Over 25,000 sq ft of meeting space

• Unique shopping experiences

• Historical & Cultural Landmarks

• Home of the University of Mississippi

#VisitMSResponsibly 1013 Jackson Ave. East | Oxford, MS | 662.232.2477 | visitoxfordms.com

INSIDE VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 10

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MANAGING Virtual and Personal: Bridging the Gap

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IDEAS Winter Destinations

CITY Tallahassee, Florida

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MEETING GUIDE Wisconsin

D E PA R T M E N T S

6 INSIGHTS Healthy Hospitality

8 CONFERENCE 16 PROFILE Small Market Albert Meetings Conference Coverage

Herrera

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.

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

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kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com Donia Simmons Creative Director

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Rena Baer Proofreader

Courtesy Visit Sarasota County

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A sheriff, a doctor, a cattleman, and an executive walk into a bar...

( There’s no punchline, we just host a lot of events. )

Kearney, where the Heartland gathers.

Every year Kearney hosts more than 1,350 events. Everything from the Shrine Bowl to conferences large and small, heck even 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.

WheretheHear tlandGathers.com

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INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

HEALTHY HOSPITALITY

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ven as average occupancy slowly climbs, 2020 is projected to be the worst year ever for hotel occupancy in the U.S. In late September, 67% of those responding to an American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) survey said their properties might not last beyond six months if current projections on revenue and occupancy are accurate and no additional government relief is forthcoming.

Hopefully, most hotels will hang on, eventually rebuild their business and bring back the 4 million workers they’ve had to let go. If your organization is back to planning small meetings or events, hotels will no doubt be happy to see you and will welcome your business. As they do, here are a few things to think about.

In the worst of years, hotels work hard to allay fears

Cleanliness has never been more important

On the whole, you’ll find hotels supersanitized. The AHLA has created comprehensive COVID-19 guidance called Safe Stay that spells out cleaning procedures and other safety measures for its members. Major chains that host a lot of meetings have developed their own programs.

Hilton collaborated with the maker of Lysol and the Mayo Clinic on its EventReady With CleanStay program. Cvent has created a microsite, Source Safely, that shows planners the measures that meeting properties around the world are taking to protect guests from coronavirus.

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

A hotel stay won’t be the same

From check-in to checkout, attendees will find a hotel stay isn’t the same. And based on AHLA’s surveys of travelers, most attendees will be happy with the changes they see. More than 80% of them ticked off these three measures as the most important to them regarding safety: Face coverings for employees and staff, suspension of daily housekeeping and use of technology to reduce the need to have direct contact with staff. With those measures in place, most of the travelers surveyed said they wouldn’t worry about the safety of staying in a hotel.

Let your crowd know what to expect

Though most will be happy with the measures hotels are taking to protect them, it is still important to alert your attendees about what to expect.

Those who work out before or after the meeting will want to know if the hotel gym will be open and, if so, what precautions are in place. Food service is likely to be more limited in many hotels, with bars or restaurants closed, offering carry-out only or limited occupancy. On the flip side, many hotels have stepped up their grab-and-go options, which allow guests to eat safely in their room or outdoors. If an app is needed to use contactless check-in, let people know and send them a link. Groups will also want to know if the hotel shuttle is operating and, if not, what safe transportation options are available. As coronavirus transmission rates rise and fall, safety measures will change too. Make sure that in the days leading up to your meeting, you let your attendees know the latest.

Being flexible might benefit everyone

As hotels hang on, they likely will greet your potential business with a combination of relief and enthusiasm. Like hoteliers, your situation might also be uncertain, especially if you are planning for the association sector, where attendance is an option, not a mandate. It’s likely hotel sales teams will be willing to create contracts that are more flexible in terms of attrition and cancellation, given that with cold weather and more time spent indoors, some areas will see positivity rates rise. In times like these, it is all the more important to remember that the best negotiations are those that conclude with everyone feeling that they emerged with a win.

November 2020

Innovators rise to this occasion

Expect to see some new ideas in action. The upscale Townsend Hotel in Birmingham has installed an ultraviolet light filter in common areas and in its restaurant to prevent the virus and other bacteria from replicating. Other hotels are hiring third parties to do on-site coronavirus testing for clients. Marriott has added online tools that take pandemic restrictions into consideration, including floor plans that integrate distancing requirements and virtual consults and tours.

A recent Forbes story detailed several measures hotels around the country are taking. For instance, the Hyatt Regency in Green Bay asks meeting planners to read the hotel’s face covering requirement to their group at the start of any meeting and has had pins made for employees to wear so guests can see pictures of them without masks. To cut down on service traffic, banquet guests at the Fairmont Austin illuminate a light when they need a server.

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CONFERENCE

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE KICK-STARTS INDUSTRY COMEBACK

MEET ON MSC! INDIANA LT. GOVERNOR SUZANNE CROUCH

BY DAN DICKSON

T

o help jump-start the meetings industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an eager crew of 150 meeting planners and travel industry professionals gathered October 4-6 at the French Lick Resort in southern Indiana for the annual Small Market Meetings Conference.

Numerous speakers thanked delegates for diving in and participating in the conference during these uncertain times.

“We decided somebody had to get the tourism and meetings ball rolling again,” said conference partner Charlie Presley of The Group Travel Family. “The nation seems evenly divided between those who want to get back to it and those who want to hunker down, which is fine. But we chose to serve those who wanted to return to business, and we’re doing it in a healthy and safe manner.”

Mac Lacy, a conference partner, was straightforward.

“This is the first face-to-face meeting for many of you since the virus began,” he said. “In this day and age, you don’t end up somewhere unless you really want to be there. The buck stops with us. It doesn’t stop with Washington, D.C., or with stimulus funds. It stops with those in this room to save and revitalize the meetings and travel industries, to put people in hotels and in motorcoaches. By virtue of being here, you prove that you can wear a mask and meet safely and gather at a great resort to restart these industries.”

French Lick Resort vice president Joe Vezzoso, the conference host and a travel industry leader, choked up when describing what it felt like closing the resort March 15 and sending hundreds of workers home.

“That was a sad day,” he said. “We shut the property. We closed the old girl. But you know what? We reopened, and all of you here now will re-energize travel.”

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SMMC PARTNER CHARLIE PRESLEY

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

CONFERENCE CASH

TARA HOLL AND GROUP TRAVEL FAMILY GENERAL MANAGER JENNIFER FERGUSON

TOWN HALL HOST JOE VEZZOSO AND SMMC PARTNER MAC LACY

A FRENCH LICK RESORT WELCOME

All photos by Dan Dickson

November 2020

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CONFERENCE

MEETING PLANNERS AND DESTINATIONS LEAD THE CHARGE

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he meeting planners and destination delegates in attendance at Small Market Meetings Conference represented the tip of the spear: meeting professionals poised to plan for the future, despite the challenges of the current climate.

Planners said someone had to be the first to leave home and get the meetings industry rocking again, so “why not us?” several asked. Allison Thompson of EXL in Louisville, Kentucky, provides professional services to various industries.

“We host three large meetings a year and 15 to 20 smaller events,” said Thompson. “I’m focusing on smaller markets for 2021 because of COVID. It’s my first time here and I’m seeing what’s available and creating relationships.”

Terry Bemis of ConferenceDirect in Asheville, North Carolina, assists customers with logistics for meetings and events.

“We wanted to see what best practices French Lick Resort would have for our clients,” Bemis said. “I’m a visual learner. I wanted to see it firsthand to learn how a trade show might fit.

I’m impressed. My clients are waiting for the right moment to buy. This is about connecting and having open and authentic conversations because the times warrant that.”

Rick Banks of National Baptist Deacons Convention in Tampa, Florida, wanted to meet destination providers friendly to relatively small delegations of conference goers.

“We meet twice annually, on a budget,” said Banks. “We like to be under one roof in a hotel and need 250 to 300 sleeping rooms, a ballroom and breakout rooms.”

Michelle Presswood of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, had special requirements. “I do two to three meetings a year for the CDC, but because we’re a government entity, we’re pickier because of federal guidelines,” she said. “So, it’s a little harder to get venues. This conference tells us what’s out there, and I make great contacts.”

Bill Neal of ASR-ARS Association in Taylorsville, Kentucky,

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stages annual reunions for personnel who were stationed on Navy rescue salvage ships.

“I don’t care what cities we go to as long as there’s enough in that city for our group to see and do,” he said. “We’re tourists. We come to a hotel on a Sunday and stay a week. We rent motorcoaches and tour two or three days, as well as do other reunion activities.”

Cities nationwide urgently want planners to bring groups to their sites. Laura Kelner of Hamilton County Tourism in Indiana is one.

“It’s our first show since the shutdown, so it’s important to get back out there,” she said. “We’re refreshingly surprised at the number of meeting planners here. We have 47 meetings with planners who seem eager to be planning again. We’re getting good response.”

Michael Vescio of Discover DeKalb in Georgia is forecasting.

“We’re looking more at 2021,” he said. “The corporate market probably won’t open up until the second or third quarter. Some meeting planners are waiting for a virus vaccine before they book business. I want them to know who I am and that I want them.”

William McBroom of St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau in Florida is hopeful.

“I came to help us move forward with planning and holding live meetings again,” said McBroom. “There’s no better way to develop relationships, drill down to what people are looking for and win the next set of meetings.”

Bonnie Dye of Camden on the Lake Resort in Lake Ozark, Missouri, was productive.

“I think this year I’ve had more very qualified appointments, exceeding all past years here,” she said. “I wanted to help open the market and encourage people that we’re doing everything we can to make their attendees safe. We want new opportunities.”

Taylor Rheinheimer of Potawatomi Inn in Angola, Indiana, agreed: “This year has brought unexpected changes for everyone. Our goal is to look further ahead. I’ve gotten more appointments than ever before, more bang for my buck. Our inn is rural and offers more safety to visitors than in larger cities.”

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

MARKETPLACE MEETINGS

WILLIAMSBURG’S JULIA SMYTH-YOUNG

LOOK WHAT I WON!

AUCTION ACTION DOING HIS HOMEWORK

VISIT CASPER’S LUKE GILLIAM FOLLOW ME

SIGHTSEEING AT WEST BADEN SPRINGS COME SEE ME!

MASKED AND READY

November 2020

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CONFERENCE

SPEAKERS SHARE INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION

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he keynote address at Small Market Meetings Conference was a joy to watch and hear. Jeff Koziatek is a motivational speaker, author, life coach and entertainer. While delivering fast-paced tips for managing life and work challenges, Koziatek either juggled bowling pins, balanced objects on his chin or struggled to get out of a straitjacket while remaining atop a large rubber ball. He never missed a beat with his delivery.

“I want to share with you the way forward and how to take action even when tomorrow is uncertain. Do it with clarity of action. That clarity comes from three things: your compass [values and principles], your mindset [keeping positive] and your team.”

Julia Smyth-Young of Visit Williamsburg in Virginia came to promote her area.

“Our unique, historic locations provide fantastic opportunities,” said Smyth-Young. “But we’re more than history. We’re a vibrant community waiting for you to explore. It could be award-winning dining, craft beer, spirits and wineries. It’s family-friendly, with the largest outlet mall in Virginia. You can explore our national and state parks with hiking, fishing or strolling, or let a championship golf course challenge you.”

Luke Gilliam of Visit Casper in Wyoming loves his adopted town.

“Casper has a baseline honesty about it,” he said. “We have the facilities, spaces and country-western feel that takes you in.

You’ll have a CVB team that will take care of you, be excited about you and go the extra mile to ensure your visit to our destination is unlike any you’ve ever experienced.”

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KYLE AND JEFF

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

TOURISM

TOWN HALL

THE TOURISM TOWN HALL INCLUDED VIRTUAL GUESTS MICHELLE WOODLEY, PRESIDENT OF PREFERRED HOTELS AND RESORTS, AND ELAINE BEDEL, CEO OF INDIANA DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT CORP.

TOWN HALL EMCEE STEVE RONDINARO

November 2020

During Small Market Meetings Conference, French Lick Resort and conference leaders teamed up with Indiana tourism officials to stage the Hybrid Tourism Town Hall, a virtual meeting of state and national tourism experts to emphasize the industry’s importance to local and national economies. Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch oversees her state’s Office of Tourism Development and used Indiana as an example of how vital tourism is for everyone: “Across Indiana, tourism supported 152,000 full-time jobs, and tourism spending supported over 200,000 Hoosier families,” said Crouch. “Indiana tourism generated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes. For every dollar spent by a tourist, 80 cents of it stayed in a local community. To put it in perspective, hospitality and leisure-related industries contribute $37 billion to our state’s economy.”

Crouch added that back in March “the light switch was turned off but now it’s time to get the tourism industry going again.” Joining the discussion that was seen live online were Elaine Bedel of the Indiana Destination Development Corporation and Michelle Woodley of Preferred Hotels and Resorts.

During free time, planners went on historic tours of the French Lick Resort, which consists of French Lick Springs Hotel and neighboring West Baden Springs Hotel, both nearly 120 years old. One group toured the West Baden Springs Hotel’s lobby and atrium, a stunning sight.

“I think it’s gorgeous,” said Lisa McGowan of AWA Meetings in Winnetka, Illinois. “I can’t believe all this opulence is in the middle of — well, I’m not going to say nowhere because it’s somewhere wonderful. It’s really impressive. I’ve heard about it for years, and now I’ve seen it for myself. I can speak to it.

This feel-good tour has been great and much needed.”

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CONFERENCE SILENT AUCTION

RODEO ACTION

CHEYENNE WILL HOST IN 2021

The next Small Market Meetings Conference is heading west. Meeting planners and destination providers will gather in rugged and beautiful Cheyenne, Wyoming, September 26-28, 2021.

“We’re looking forward to sharing our community with you next year,” Jim Walter of Visit Cheyenne told delegates.

“We’re the state capital, so you can check off one more capital city on your list. In case you don’t know, we’re just 90 minutes north of downtown Denver. You can fly into that city’s airport or into our own Cheyenne Regional Airport. Don’t forget to bring your boots. We’re taking you to a real Western rodeo.”

VISIT CHEYENNE’S JIM WALTER

BLACK TIE TIPS

SIGHTSEEING IN CHEYENNE

CHEYENNE OUTDOORS Photos courtesy Visit Cheyenne

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

November 2020

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MEETING LEADERS

“It’s how people know who you are — leadership is all about your relationships, and your employees will make or break you.”

ALBERT HERRERA

I

BY REBECCA TREON

n high school, Albert Herrera, now interim senior sales manager at Visit Las Cruces, was lured by the hospitality industry promise of working in hotels around the world.

Raised in the small town in New Mexico, Herrera loved being in hotels and restaurants from a young age and always gravitated to them.

“I think when I was little, it was because hotels had a pool and I didn’t,” he said. “But really, I loved going through hotels, exploring, looking at the amazing lobbies.”

When a college class he was enrolled in invited someone from Disney to talk about the roles needed to run “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Herrera was drawn to the broad range of job options and registered for classes in restaurant and hotel hospitality and tourism.

“I just fell in love with it,” he said. “After that I applied at a local hotel as a front desk agent and worked my way up from there.”

As a lifelong local now representing his hometown at the convention and visitors bureau, Herrera has an inside advantage.

“The No. 1 question I get is where to go to eat that’s not a franchise or a tourist spot, but a local spot,” he said. “We tend to forget what we have in our own backyard — I didn’t look at my city when I was 18 the way I look at it now, and it really opens up your eyes to share it with others.”

He loves being able to send visitors to places that still have a small-town feel, where the owner comes out to greet you or is cooking in the back.

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“Sometimes you lose that quality in bigger cities,” he said. “When you have it, it’s really, truly amazing. We’ve kept that here, even though we have a new infrastructure and new developments. The city has probably doubled in size since I was a kid. Even if you’re seeing places that are new, there’s that ability to talk to owners and locals who are friendly and willing to share their town with everybody.”

When meeting planners visit Las Cruces, they aren’t typically looking for the flash of bigger cities, but for those niche towns that are going to offer a personal connection and a one-of-a-kind experience that becomes a key component of the conference. Herrera loves to tailor meetings and conferences with memorable, tactile components that will stick with the participants and create lasting memories.

“At the CVB, we’re working with the meeting planners to come up with things they can do pre- and post-meeting, and everybody is different,” he said. “We typically give them three itineraries that guests can do on their own, and on top of that, we can design some around special interests.”

Herrera loves coordinating experiences that have a cultural connection to the region, like traditional Mexican cooking classes or touring a living history museum where docents are in costume.

“New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment because once people come here and fall in love with it, they don’t want to leave,” said Herrera. “At this point, I’m exactly where I need and want to be — representing my city — and that’s absolutely awesome.”

EXECUTIVE PROFILE NAME Albert Herrera TITLE Interim Senior Sales Manager ORGANIZATION Visit Las Cruces LOCATION Las Cruces, New Mexico BIRTHPLACE El Paso, Texas EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism Management, New Mexico State University CAREER HISTORY • Front desk, director of sales and general manager at various New Mexico hotels • Sales manager at Visit Las Cruces since 2008

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TIPS FROM

ALBERT HERRERA • Utilize CVBs to their full potential. We play a neutral part when it comes to planning in our city. We want to make sure that our city has exactly what you are looking for, and in doing so, you will learn about the hidden gems that our city has to offer. We can make those connections with locals along with keeping the meeting attendees in mind.

• Be honest. This works well for everyone. When we speak freely and openly with honesty, the goal gets achieved and thrives. As much as I want my city to appeal to the meeting planner, I need to make sure we have what you are looking for, and I can’t do that if important information is being withheld.

• Have fun. We get so hung up on work that we forget to enjoy. When connecting with meeting planners, I’m looking to make a friend and have a lasting relationship. Having fun and building upon this allows our working relationship to thrive.

IN HIS FREE TIME, VISIT LAS CRUCES SALES MANAGER ALBERT HERRERA ENJOYS ART AND EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS. Photos courtesy Visit Las Cruces

November 2020

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MANAGING

Post-Pandemic Prep

EXPERTS SHARE PLANS FOR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN VIRTUAL AND PERSONAL EVENTS

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BY RACHEL CARTER

fter months of shutdowns and social distancing, many planners are preparing for their first in-person meetings in the post-pandemic world.

“This is the year of forgiveness,” said Madeline Brown, communications manager and event planner for Louisiana Travel Association, which will hold the Lt. Governor’s Travel Summit in November after rescheduling it from August.

Though the event will look different this year, “it’s going to be a good conference,” she said. “People are just happy to be in a space together; everyone is excited to be coming.”

As planners prepare for their first major live events since the COVID-19 crisis began, they’re navigating the new normal to mitigate risks and make attendees feel comfortable and confident.

“We’re still learning and changing every minute,” Brown said.

On resuming in-person meetings: “I think people generally like to meet in person. We like to have that human connection. I think most people are looking forward to getting together again.”

VIRTUAL, DIGITAL, LIVE, HYBRID Many organizations are offering a virtual option to help attendees bridge the gap from virtual gatherings to their first post-COVID, in-person meeting.

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will hold its first large-scale conference, WEC Grapevine, November 3-6, at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas.

For the conference, MPI crafted an entirely different digital experience than the live one, so the event basically has two simultaneous but separate programs because “they are distinct audiences,” said Melinda Burdette, MPI director of events.

MPI shortened the day for the digital agenda; they concentrated opportunities for the digital audience and found synergies to have both remote and in-person attendees together, like during the general session or for high-profile speakers.

To accommodate digital attendees, MPI will have live general sessions bookending lunch. While in-person attendees are at lunch, MPI will provide digital attendees with exclusive opportunities, like back-of-house interviews with speakers.

For concurrent education, instead of placing a camera at the back of a room, MPI instead will have speakers present twice: first to the in-person audience and then in front of a green screen for

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Ranel Smith VICE PRESIDENT OF RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Montana’s Credit Unions Experience: 12 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

On the future of hybrid in-person/virtual events: “I think hybrid is going to be the way to go. I don’t know that anyone is going to go fully in person probably through 2021.

It has long-term implications.”

digital attendees to give them an opportunity to do a fully live question-and-answer session.

Though it takes more planning to create an immersive experience for the digital audience, “we want to show that it can be done,” Burdette said. “Does it take more work? Absolutely it takes more work, but at the end of the day, if it’s not going to be MPI, who’s it going to be?”

LTA’s Travel Summit will also be hybrid, offering the virtual event for about one-third the cost of in-person registration. Virtual attendees will be able to log in to watch breakout sessions of their choice, although they won’t be able to interact or participate. Organizers will also share links to all recorded sessions with all attendees after the summit.

But not every event is offering a hybrid option: The Dakota Credit Union Association didn’t for its annual meeting in October at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

“The thought was if you do offer the virtual, you won’t have anyone come; you won’t be able to do an in-person one,” said Ranel Smith, vice president of relationship management for Montana’s Credit Unions. Smith also contracts with other associations to plan their events, including the Dakota association, whose annual event usually draws about 250 guests; registration was at 100 about a week before the event this year.

CHANGE THE PROGRAM

Melinda Burdette DIRECTOR, EVENTS

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Experience: Over 25 years

November 2020

In a post-pandemic world, the program is ever-changing. The speakers are ever-changing.

Everything is ever-changing, and planners are rolling with the punches.

“As goes COVID, so go the speakers,” Burdette said.

Some speakers don’t feel comfortable attending events in person, so some groups plan to livestream speakers’ presentations. Smith will have four in-person speakers and one remote.

MPI is figuring out whether to stream in remote speakers for the live audience or move those speakers to the digital experience.

LTA decided “that if people are paying in-person prices, they should have an in-person speaker,” Brown said. The group told speakers who couldn’t attend to keep their deposits for a future event and then set about reworking its lineup.

LTA’s summit also usually includes a travel fair — a tabletop trade show with CVB and attraction booths — but the group decided to cancel it because many of the travel counselors, who visit booths to learn about destinations, are older and won’t be attending. The event will still include a showcase for media partners, though LTA expects fewer exhibitors.

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Instead, the association extended the entire schedule to provide longer breaks and more free time; doing that allows for more networking and gives partners a chance to set up their own meetings.

LTA’s event also includes an annual fundraising auction, but it will be 100 percent online for the first time this year.

REVISE AND RECONVENE The only thing that will be the same for in-person attendees is that a lot will be different. The LTA will be meeting at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which already has strict safety and sanitation protocols in place from reopening in May. The casino has sanitizer stations, plexiglass shields and signage in place and will just shift that over to the meeting spaces.

Masks are mandatory at most conferences, though not all, depending on the group and the local regulations. The Dakota Credit Union Association is following social distancing protocols, providing hand sanitizer and encouraging mask-wearing, but not requiring it, Smith said.

MPI’s mobile app will ask attendees to answer questions every morning about possible symptoms, like fever, cough and loss of taste or smell, before coming to the event. When attendees arrive at the conference, their temperatures will be taken at the door. Each person will then get a wristband that signals that they answered the app questions and passed the temperature check before entering.

MPI will also provide 24/7 health care, with medical staff at an on-site clinic that can provide COVID-19 testing.

LTA normally holds its opening reception in a ballroom because Louisiana is hot in August. Pushing the event back to November allowed organizers to hold the opening reception outside around the pool, which also provides plenty of fresh air and room to practice social distancing.

LTA will also spread out inside. The group long ago learned to book all the venue’s meeting space because they usually ended up using it, Brown said. So the association already has all the Golden Nugget’s meeting space reserved and plans to use it to provide larger breakout spaces and socially distanced networking areas.

The event typically has about 500 attendees but expects 300 to 350 this year, so “it’s going to be really spread out,” Brown said.

Food and beverage operations must change as well, and pretty much everything “has to be either cafeteria style or plated or packaged,” Smith said.

At LTA’s event, waitstaff will serve cafeteria style at buffets or serve plated sit-down meals, and they’ll even serve at coffee stations to minimize touchpoints.

“Anytime there’s F&B, it’s not a free-for-all; it will have to have a staff person,” Brown said.

Editor’s note: At press time, we learned the Louisiana Travel Association’s November summit was canceled due to hurricane damage in Lake Charles, the host city. We chose to leave Madeline Brown’s comments about the conference plans in this article because we believe her perspective is still valuable to readers in spite of the cancellation.

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IDEAS

Courtesy Visit Sarasota County

SUNSHINE CENTRAL These destinations offer warm winter meetings

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BY RACHEL CARTER

et’s face it, winter months in some parts of the U.S. can be brutal: gray skies, frigid temperatures, unrelenting snow. But just like snowbirds, meeting planners can migrate their winter events in search of warmer weather.

Holding events in the Sun Belt during the winter gives attendees a break from the snow and cold, and gives them an incentive to attend. These winter destinations offer meeting groups a reprieve from harsh winters and give attendees their day in the sun.

November 2020

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

Sarasota sits on Florida’s Gulf Coast, straddling Sarasota Bay to include both the mainland coastline and the barrier islands. Temperatures average in the 70s during the dead of winter, “so even if you’re here in January or February, you may not want to get in the water, but it’s nice to be on the water,” said Britney Guertin, communications and content manager for Visit Sarasota County.

Major meeting hotels include the Westin, the Hyatt Regency and the bayfront Ritz-Carlton, which has a private beach club, a golf course and 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space.

Resorts on Sarasota’s barrier islands, or “keys,” provide a summer retreat during a winter meeting.

The all-inclusive Resort at Longboat Key Club recently renovated its 223 guest rooms and has 12,000 square feet of function space. The Lido Beach Resort’s updated 6,000 square feet of meeting space on the eighth floor delivers dramatic views.

But the city offers more than beaches and bays.

Sarasota is known as Florida’s Cultural Coast and is home to dozens of art museums and performing arts venues.

Above: The Westin Sarasota is one of several area hotels with indoor/ outdoor space to take advantage of the city’s warm winter weather.

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IDEAS

The new Sarasota Art Museum opened in December 2019 in the historic Sarasota High School after a 16-year initiative to transform the building.

John and Mable Ringling’s Ca’ d’Zan mansion is located on Sarasota Bay, and groups can tour the 1920s Venetian-style mansion, along with its art galleries, grounds and gardens, or visit the Ringling Circus Museum and Ringling Museum of Art. The Art Ovation Hotel gives guests a gallery experience with original artwork all around the hotel, including in its 6,100 square feet of meeting space. visitsarasota.com

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA

In Louisiana, the biggest winter attraction isn’t the weather, although the weather is a big attraction.

It’s Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is typically takes place in February. But Shreveport and Bossier City’s celebrations always begin in January.

Winter highlights in Shreveport, clockwise from left: a Mardi Gras parade; Christmas in Roseland; holiday decorations at Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets

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“We have many large, major parades, and they’re all very family friendly,” said Aly Velasquez, marketing associate for the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau.

Some of the parades begin just steps from the Shreveport Convention Center in downtown, and all are free to the public, providing built-in entertainment and local culture for meeting attendees. The Hilton Shreveport adjacent to the convention center recently underwent a major facelift, and the cities’ five riverboat casinos offer plenty of entertainment as well as plentiful meeting space.

In downtown, the Remington is an all-suite boutique hotel with a rooftop ballroom that connects to an open-air rooftop venue with views of downtown.

Winter also means holiday attractions, like “Christmas in Roseland” at the American Rose Center, where the gardens become a winter wonderland of holiday lights. There, groups can reserve Klima Rose Hall, which seats 200 for meals, or a reception hall that seats 125.

Photos courtesy Shreveport-Bossier CTB

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy Beaumont CVB

At Shreveport Aquarium, groups can gather under the historic arboretum’s glass dome or book an indoor-outdoor event room that opens onto the riverfront patio, complete with a fire pit.

On the Bossier City side of the river, Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets dresses up for Christmas and has one of the region’s largest outdoor Christmas trees. shreveport-bossier.org

BEAUMONT, TEXAS

Beaumont, Texas, sits just a few miles from the Gulf Coast and a few miles from the Louisiana border, so “sometimes for Christmas, we have our shorts and flip-flops on,” said Freddie Willard, director of sales for the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In downtown, the Beaumont Civic Center fronts the Neches River and Riverfront Park. The center offers over 41,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as a courtyard, and sits only steps away from other downtown venues.

The Julie Rogers Theatre across the street is a 1928

November 2020

Left: Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont

theater where the ornate auditorium and stage is great for speakers; several other spaces offer “a backdrop of chandeliers” for breakouts and smaller events. The theater also has a courtyard area shaded by live oak trees.

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas and the Texas Energy Museum each offer event space and facility rentals within a block of the Civic Center.

A few blocks over, the Downtown Event Centre features a 16,000-square-foot event hall, platform stage and catering area. The center’s covered patio fronts a lake, and floor-to-ceiling windows deliver views of the Great Lawn, which can be used for festivals and picnics.

The MCM Eleganté Hotel and the Holiday Inn and Suites each have over 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

To get some local flair, groups can meet American alligators, crocodiles and snakes at Gator Country Adventure Park, and outfitters and group charters are available for fishing, crabbing and swamp tours. meetbeaumont.com

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IDEAS

PRESCOTT, ARIZONA

When people think of Arizona, they think of deserts and cacti, but the mountain city of Prescott gets the best of all worlds: The area enjoys all four seasons, but winter is moderate, with average highs in the 50s and 60s.

The 160-room Prescott Resort and Conference Center overlooks the historic city from its mountainside perch and offers about 17,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. In Prescott’s downtown historic district, the 1927 Hassayampa Inn has 12,000 square feet of function space, including the inn’s adjoining 2,100-square-foot Marina Ballroom, which opens onto a wraparound patio and has a rooftop terrace.

Downtown just got its first new hotel in 10 years: a Hilton Garden Inn that opened in November with 5,400 square feet of event space, an on-site restaurant and a pool.

Because Prescott is “all about the outdoors,” groups often visit for board retreats or teambuilding, said Ann Steward, sales and marketing coordinator

for Visit Prescott. Attendees stay at historic or boutique hotels or other small properties, like Prescott Pines Inn B&B or Forest Villas Hotel, and connect with one of several outdoor youth camps to use their ropes courses, zip lines and archery ranges.

At the Highlands Center for Natural History, planners often reserve the covered, open-air ramada in the James Family Discovery Gardens, with its views of the surrounding woodlands. The Sharlot Hall Museum just opened a 10,000-square-foot education center where groups can pair hands-on learning experiences like how to cook in a Dutch oven with their conferences. visit-prescott.com

MOBILE, ALABAMA

Mobile, Alabama, sits on the shores of Mobile Bay, just north of the Gulf of Mexico. With its location and temperate climate — winter days see average highs in the 60s and 70s — planners can escape the cold and hold outdoor events year-round.

Courtesy Visit Mobile

Clockwise from left: Prescott Courthouse Plaza; historic Mobile; an airboat tour on the Mobile delta

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Courtesy Visit Prescott

Courtesy Visit Mobile

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Mobile is the birthplace of America’s Mardi Gras, when Joe Cain led an impromptu parade down city streets in 1703. The city’s celebrations begin two and a half weeks before Fat Tuesday with massive parades, elaborate floats and fun-filled throws.

The Mobile Convention Center takes advantage of its waterfront setting on the banks of the Mobile River with outdoor terraces, river walks and walls of windows that deliver river views. A skybridge connects to the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel, which has 373 guest rooms and over 44,000 square feet of its own function space.

Down the block, the 238-room Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa is half historic hotel, half modern. The 1908 hotel connects to the modern, 35-story RSA Battle House Tower, which has meeting spaces and four floors of additional guest rooms.

Visit Mobile can easily set up a crawfish boil or a shrimp boil for groups or bring in oyster shuckers to shuck and serve oysters during an event. The CVB can also arrange for groups to go out on the Gulf

on a working shrimp trawler or oyster boat, then dock at Bayou La Batre, the town featured in the film “Forrest Gump,” where they can tour a shrimp- or oyster-processing facility. mobile.org

The Mobile Convention Center takes advantage of its waterfront setting on the banks of the Mobile River with outdoor terraces, river walks and walls of windows that deliver river views.

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Visit TourismCares.org. See the possibilities.

Join these companies in seeing the possibilities.

November 2020

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e l o n i m e S A FAVORITE

Game days are a highlight of fall weekends at Tallahassee’s Florida State University.

All photos courtesy Visit Tallahassee

CITY

TALLAHASSEE AT A GLANCE

Tallahassee is winning acclaim on campus and beyond

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BY ELIZABETH HEY

lorida’s capital city is on a winning streak.

Chosen as one of “The South’s Best Cities 2020” and “The South’s Best College Towns 2020” by Southern Living magazine, Tallahassee’s assets lie in its natural beauty and unexpected features. Tallahassee is located in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the nation. Home to two universities, the city offers a variety of unique meeting venues coupled with open-air options for socially distanced events.

LOCATION: Northwest Florida ACCESS: Tallahassee International Airport, Interstate 10 HOTEL ROOMS: 9,000 CONTACT INFO: Visit Tallahassee 800-628-2866 visittallahassee.com

DONALD L. TUCKER CIVIC CENTER

BUILT: 1981 EXHIBIT SPACE: 54,000 square feet AUGUSTUS B. TURNBULL III FLORIDA STATE CONFERENCE CENTER

BUILT: 2010 EXHIBIT SPACE: 20,472 square feet MEETING HOTELS

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Tallahassee GUEST ROOMS: 242 MEETING SPACE: 10,600 square feet Hotel Indigo Tallahassee GUEST ROOMS: 143 MEETING SPACE: 3,000 square feet Hotel Duval GUEST ROOMS: 117 MEETING SPACE: 5,500 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN TALLAHASSEE

Southeast Asian American Store Owners Association Expo ATTENDEES: 1,500 Florida Association of Student Councils 2020 Convention ATTENDEES: 1,500

November 2020

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Destination Highlights

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Florida Historic Capitol Museum

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y land or water, Tallahassee has been aptly nicknamed Trailahassee. More than 700 miles of trails feature rolling hills and abundant wildlife, welcoming outdoor enthusiasts of all skill levels. Your attendees can stroll along a wooded path, navigate a challenging mountain bike course, explore by horseback or paddle the waterways.

Florida State University and Florida A&M offer team-building events, including FSU’s low and high ropes courses. Activities can be customized to incorporate resident experts in numerous fields of study, as well as concerts and screenings from FSU’s top-rated film school. Soccer, baseball, and football games make perfect after-meeting diversions.

Tallahassee’s vibrant arts, culture and deep-rooted history shine through its museums and performing arts. Up-and-coming Railroad Square, near the new Hotel Indigo, showcases the city’s artists, locally owned restaurants and nightlife. Groups can tour both the historic and the current capitols. Receptions on the 22nd floor of the current capitol’s enclosed observation deck feature panoramic skyline views.

Popular craft breweries and an emerging culinary scene make for memorable events. Proof Brewing Company, Tallahassee's largest brewery, houses a modern tasting room, a restaurant, an expansive lawn, a covered patio and a private event room. Restaurants such as Backwoods Crossing are redefining farm-to-table cuisine; Backwoods Crossing grows farmfresh produce on its own three and a half acres.

“We have a number of local restaurants that serve nouveau Southern cuisine, which is basically a modern twist on traditional Southern food,” said Janet Roach, meetings and conventions director for Visit Tallahassee. “Attendees always seem to leave talking about the unique dishes that they can’t find in their own hometown.”

Jeri’s Midtown Cafe

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DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Distinctive Venues

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allahassee offers some of Florida’s most historic, cultural and natural backdrops for meetings and events. The iconic steps of the Florida Capitol Complex provide a distinguished setting. The capitol’s other options include Waller Park, which faces the Florida Supreme Court Building, with fountains on its lower level.

“The Florida Historic Capitol Museum is very popular for evening receptions because it’s beautifully renovated to the 1902 configuration, and groups can meet where the Senate and legislature once met,” said Roach.

Bricks and Brass, owned by Four Points by Sheraton, features full-service catering and a signature bar. The 3,563-square-foot indoor space features brick walls, polished concrete floors and midcentury modern light fixtures.

The 2,100-square-foot patio touts an industrial vibe and privacy fencing.

Outdoor terraces on the fourth floor of the FSU Dunlap Champions Club at Doak Campbell Stadium, showcase scenic surroundings. The east and west wings of the club feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the stadium or the state capitol. The 34,247-square-foot space lends itself to galas, receptions and meetings.

“For meetings and events, they’re introducing social distancing by giving attendees wristbands of green, yellow or red — which indicates their comfort level with different levels of networking protocols,” said Roach.

“They also use the Jumbotron to welcome groups and put messages up while meetings are in session.”

Old Willis Dairy exudes Southern charm with roots dating to the 1930s. The historic dairy barn, which accommodates up to 125 people, has won numerous historic preservation awards. Also available are the carriage house and the meadow, where a 400-year-old oak tree grows.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Major Meeting Spaces

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he Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at FSU ranks as Tallahassee’s biggest venue and the largest of its kind in the Florida Panhandle. In addition to the indoor arena, the center offers a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Across the street, the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center houses 11 meeting spaces, a 350-seat auditorium, a boardroom and training rooms. The 280-seat dining room uses a catering kitchen. Meeting capabilities include web recording and a full-service video studio.

“I think of it as a technology center because it’s a prime location for hybrid meetings,” said Roach. “There’s the capability for in-person or virtual meetings, or a combination of the two by broadcasting out to people who can’t attend in person.”

Hotels catering to meetings include the 242-room Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Tallahassee, just two blocks from the state capitol. Gatherings can take place in 10,600 square feet of flexible event space, including the swanky pool deck and rooftop bar. The boutique Hotel Duval, part of the elite Autograph Collection, is known for the Shula Cut steak at Shula’s 347 Grill and the Level 8 rooftop lounge that overlooks the skyline. Flexible event space tops 5,500 square feet for 250 attendees.

Ultracontemporary Hotel Indigo Tallahassee opened in August with 3,000 square feet of meeting space and 819 square feet of exhibit space. Spectacular views of the FSU stadium contribute to the popularity of its outdoor patio and meeting spaces. Roach said the hotel’s outdoor terraces expand the property’s meeting spaces for additional social distancing.

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

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Hotel Duval

AFTER HOURS

Wakulla Springs

After the Meeting

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nspired by the natural terrain of the Tallahassee Museum, Tallahassee Tree to Tree Adventures soars over swamps, forests and wildlife habitats.

At heights of up to 62 feet, attendees can navigate more than 70 obstacles, such as tightropes, crab walks, jungle bridges, nets and zip lines. Three courses are available; they take from 45 minutes to three hours each, depending on the attendee’s skill level and the time of day.

“With a 52-acre natural habitat, groups can look down over the original 1880s living-history farmstead and see what our community looked like back in the day,” said Roach.

Claiming the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs, Wakulla Springs State Park’s habitat supports diverse wildlife such as manatees and alligators. Wakulla Springs retains a rich history, with a past that includes early Native Americans living in shoreline villages as well as filmmakers shooting iconic Hollywood pictures, including “Tarzan’s Secret Treasure” (1941), “Creature From the Black Lagoon” (1954) and “Airport.” Groups can tour the 1930s Spanish-style lodge with its period furniture and colorfully painted ceilings that depict Old Florida scenes. Catered meals or special events can be hosted at the on-site restaurant.

“On the daily riverboat cruises, groups might see manatees, and they almost always spot alligators and birds,” said Roach. “And if visitors don’t mind the 70-degree water, they can swim in the freshwater spring that even has a high dive.”

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LAKE MICHIGAN OFFERS ABUNDANT AQUATIC ACTIVITY OPTIONS TO GROUPS MEETING IN MANITOWOC AND TWO RIVERS.

Wisconsin Waterfronts

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Meetdieng Gui

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

isconsin is known for its gorgeous lakes and rivers and its incomparable scenery. Meeting planners that want to incorporate water into their events while avoiding big-city crowds should consider these beautiful and historic full-service destinations.

MANITOWOC AND TWO RIVERS

Manitowoc and Two Rivers hug the shore of Lake Michigan, about 30 minutes south of Green Bay. Though smaller destinations, they aren’t lacking in scenic vistas, maritime history or water activities.

Meeting planners interested in getting away from the biggest Wisconsin cities should consider booking a conference at one of the area’s three full-service hotels, two of which are right on the lake. The Baymont by Wyndham Manitowoc Lakefront hotel has 109 lodge rooms and 3,321 square feet of event space that can comfortably accommo-

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Courtesy Manitowoc Two Rivers VCB

date 250 conference or 180 banquet guests. The Lighthouse Inn in Two Rivers has 66 guest rooms and 5,542 square feet of meeting space that can be divided into two rooms.

The Baymont is strategically located next to one of Manitowoc’s main attractions, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the USS Cobia, a World War II submarine. Conference planners can use both the museum and the submarine for off-site events like cocktail parties or receptions. The museum has 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting spaces that can host groups up to 400 inside and 800 outside.

To experience this great waterfront destination, attendees can get out on the Mariner’s Trail, a six-mile paved path along the lakeshore for hiking, running and biking, or they can visit the nearby marina to rent kayaks or paddleboards or do some charter fishing.

The largest meeting facility in the area is the Holiday Inn, which is five miles from Lake Michigan and has 204 guest rooms and 23,700 square feet of meeting space. manitowoc.info

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

PORT WASHINGTON

On Lake Michigan, about a 30-minute drive north of downtown Milwaukee, Port Washington is a convenient jumping-off point for meeting groups that want to enjoy the waterfront location and tap into the small-town vibe, but also take advantage of everything the city has to offer.

“We are literally right on the lake, so our downtown main street runs north and south, parallel to the lake,” said Kathy Tank, executive director of the Port Washington Tourism Council. “No matter where you are in downtown, you have a view of the lake.”

Planners looking for waterfront meeting locations should check out the Harborview Hotel on the marina. It has 93 guest rooms and can host meetings of up to 100 people.

Larger events can take advantage of the Port Exploreum museum, which gives visitors a taste of Port Washington’s rich historical and maritime past while also connecting them to the future of the area. The museum can accommodate groups of up to 200 people.

The Country Inn and Suites, moments from Lake Michigan, has 88 guest rooms and can host groups of up to 450 people in its Lakeview Conference Center.

To learn more about the area’s maritime past, groups can take a tour of the restored 1860 Light Station, which has guided ships on Lake Michigan since 1860. Guests can climb to the lantern room to see the replica Fresnel lens and take in the amazing views of the water. visitportwashington.com

THE HARBORVIEW HOTEL IN PORT WASHINGTON

Courtesy Port Washington Tourism Council

Pictured: Bodacious Shops of Block 42 ©Eric Panico

We want you to know that when you’re ready to plan your next meeting we’re here for you.

Janesville features a variety of meeting options including historic meeting locations, lovely natural/outdoor settings and traditional venues that are sure to make your meetings distinctive and unforgettable. Conveniently located directly off of I39/90.

November 2020 janesvillecvb.com · (800) 487-2757 · F

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Meetieng Guid

SHEBOYGAN

Called the Malibu of the Midwest, Sheboygan has an unusual claim to fame. Visitors come to Sheboygan from all around the world to surf the waves of Lake Michigan from September through January. Sheboygan is located on an inlet from the lake that is positioned just right to pull in big waves, said Shelly Harms, public relations director for Visit Sheboygan.

Even if you don’t surf, Sheboygan has plenty to offer in terms of attractions and water-based activities. It is also famous for its bratwurst, which is served on round hard rolls instead of the traditional oblong roll.

With 900 guest rooms in the area, meeting planners have plenty of hotel options. For those who want to be right on Lake Michigan, the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center is the largest conference facility in the area. It has 300 guest rooms, and its Grand Ballroom can host up to 544 people for a banquet or 1,250 for a reception.

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is another great option for meeting planners. Not only is it a world-class art gallery, but its bathrooms were voted No. 1 in the world. Each one was designed by a different artist with Kohler fixtures and porcelain art pieces. It can host groups of up to 400 in its general event space, which can be closed off from the rest of the center during visitor hours. It also has outdoor event space that can host groups of up to 100 and a theater space that can hold 176 guests. visitsheboygan.com

LA CROSSE

The Mississippi River figures prominently in the city of La Crosse, with the downtown area and the La Crosse Center, the area’s largest convention center, right alongside it. The convention center is undergoing a $42 million renovation and expansion, and the city recently added 400 hotel rooms within walking distance of it. As part of the renovation, the center is adding a new ballroom and a rooftop terrace that overlook the river and additional prefunction space.

“There are a lot of good additions,” said Jay Fanta, director of convention sales for Explore La Crosse. “It puts us in a good position for future larger meetings in the Midwest and national meetings and conventions.”

The center, which is scheduled to open in late fall of 2021, will have close to 150,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

“A lot of the new meeting space really shows the views and the beauty of the region,” he said.

La Crosse has more than 2,500 guest rooms, about 1,000 of them within walking distance of the historic downtown area. The Radisson, which also has meeting space and 169 guest rooms, is connected to the La Crosse Center.

Groups that want to plan an off-site event can book a scenic cruise on the La Crosse Queen, a modern replica of a Mississippi River paddle-wheeler, or take a craft brewery tour of the area. Meeting attendees who want to get outside and explore nature can climb to the top of Granddad Bluff, a 590-foot-high hill with panoramic views of the area. explorelacrosse.com

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. CELEBRATE.

Southeastern Wisconsin’s premier event location with over 150,000 sq. ft of meeting space, featuring the new Brookfield Conference Center, 11 hotels and hundreds of restaurants & retailers. Brookfield will exceed your expectations!

(262) 789-0220 • www.visitbrookfield.com

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

GROUPS OF UP TO 225 CAN BLEND ELEGANT EVENTS WITH RUSTIC SURROUNDINGS AT THE SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER IN BAYSIDE.

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Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

ith its beautiful rivers and lakes and exceptional scenery, Wisconsin is full of unique venues for just about any type of event. From car museums and riverfront event centers to a quaint European-style cafe, a 19th-century lighthouse and a nature preserve, there is a Wisconsin venue to fit every group’s eclectic tastes.

SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER

Bayside The Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside is a 185-acre nature preserve on the shores of Lake Michigan. Its main mission is to protect the area’s natural ecosystems and restore native wildlife populations.

As part of that, the center has a raptor program that educates visitors about the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation with the help of birds that cannot to be released back into the wild.

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Distinctively Wisconsin

Meeting planners that want to host a meeting or event on the property can offer their attendees a tour of the raptor center, where they meet owls, hawks, falcons and bald eagles up close, or bring in a raptor handler to show off one or two of these majestic animals. Groups can take guided hikes through the property or participate in a high-tech treasure hunt that has them searching the property for geocache sites. One of the highlights of the property is the Reptile Amphibian Conservation Area, which covers 38.5 acres and provides important habitat for spring peepers, blue-spotted salamanders, Blanding’s turtles and prairie crayfish.

Groups can book events of 10 to 225 guests, depending on the room they rent in the Dorothy K. Vallier Environmental Learning Center, a Gold LEED-certified building on the property. The nature center is about 15 minutes from Milwaukee, overlooking Lake Michigan.

“It is a little oasis not far from the city,” said Jessica Buehler, rental manager. schlitzaudubon.org

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Meetieng Guid

CELEBRATIONS ON THE RIVER

CAFÉ HOLLANDER MEQUON Courtesy Café Hollander Mequon

La Crosse The backyard at Celebrations on the River, an event hall perched on the Black River, which runs through La Crosse, “is nothing short of magical,” said Adam Etrheim, general manager and partner at the property. “It is literally on the river. We have gorgeous woods in the back wrapped in LED lights.”

The event center has three distinct venues in the same location, and each has a different theme. Center Court is a banquet hall that can accommodate more than 450 people and features breathtaking views of the river, gardens and outdoor patio.

River Park is a wedding, banquet and special-event venue that offers modern rustic charm with wood grain trim and a tiered ceiling covered in LED lights. “It is a very woodsy, Wisconsin-ish type of room,” Etrheim said. The Three Seasons room connects the River Park room with the outdoors. River Park can host groups of up to 350 people standing and 275 seated. It also overlooks the river, woods and gardens and offers state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and custom LED lights throughout.

Serenity Hall is excellent for smaller gatherings of about 150 people. The ceiling is covered in crystal chandeliers, and a large stage overlooks a built-in dance floor. Groups that want to take advantage of the outdoors can rent out the patio for cocktail parties, summer picnics or employee appreciation events.

There are fire pits and a huge open space where groups of up to 500 can play backyard games.

Celebrations caters its own events, offering everything from breakfast, buffets and plated dinners to late-night snacks and desserts. celebrationslacrosse.com

CAFÉ HOLLANDER MEQUON

Port Washington Ten years ago, the owners of Café Hollander Mequon were big travelers. They toured Europe, including Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Belgium, and fell in love with it. Their cafe in Mequon has a Netherlands vibe, sporting an open-air concept, garage doors that open to the outside and bicycles hanging from the walls and ceilings to pay homage to Amsterdam’s bicycle culture.

Fun murals grace the walls, along with antique tin signs, lanterns and tons of photos.

Visitors can grab an espresso and a snack or sample the Belgian-style brews available over lunch or dinner.

The theme replicates the neighborhood cafe culture of The Netherlands with ex-

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

posed brick and indoor and outdoor seating areas. The cafe does have event spaces that can be rented, including a private atrium on the first floor that can be opened up to the restaurant or closed off as a separate venue with doors that open onto the patio. That space can host smaller groups of about 30 people. Larger groups of up to 90 people can rent the second-floor loft. Larger groups can rent the loft, as well as the outdoor balconies and rooftop spaces, to accommodate an additional 40 to 50 guests. A full restaurant buyout can host celebrations and holiday parties for up to 200 people.

“In this current environment where people are looking for more open-air spaces and more intimate and smaller groups, it is a perfect fit for their needs,” said Molly Canan, director of events for the Lowlands Group, which owns Café Hollander Mequon. cafehollander.com

Meet More Than You’d Expect in Waukesha Pewaukee!

AUTOMOBILE GALLERY AND EVENT CENTER

Green Bay William “Red” Lewis, the man who invented the touchless car wash more than 50 years ago, founded the Automobile Gallery in Green Bay in 2016. He developed a love of cars at an early age, turning that love into quite an extension of lovingly restored vehicles. When he was thinking about retiring a few years ago, Lewis asked his family what he should do with his car collection.

“No one wanted the responsibility,” said Kathryn Gardner, director of administration and events for the Automobile Gallery. “Nobody wanted to own the cars.”

So Lewis decided to start a nonprofit car museum in a former Cadillac dealership he bought in downtown Green Bay. The museum opened with an initial donation of cars by Lewis. Since then, Lewis and others have donated cars to the collection, which now numbers 110 vehicles. Automobile enthusiasts enjoy hosting events in the attached event center, which can seat 160 people, or hosting corporate board meetings in the glass-walled executive corporate conference room that looks out over the showroom floor. If groups rent out the entire museum, the facility can accommodate groups as large as 750 people. theautomobilegallery.org

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 Conveniently located directly off I-94  Affordable, flexible space with accommodating staff  Ample complimentary parking at all venues  25+ post-meeting activities  Complimentary services for meetings with overnight sleeping rooms

visitwaukesha.org/meetmore

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There’s nothing quite like it.

FOX CITIES EXHIBITION CENTER Built into the hillside of a park in downtown Appleton, our Exhibition Center sets a new standard for modern, beautiful, and flexible event spaces. Thoughtfully designed to highlight our region’s storied history, the Center’s 38,000-square-foot interior is complemented by a 17,000-square-foot outdoor plaza. The possibilities are endless! It’s the perfect place to stage your original event experience.

For more Originals stories visit FoxCities.org/originals, or contact Amy Rivera at arivera@foxcities.org to plan your original event.