Discover premier golf courses in Henderson, NV. Enjoy stunning views, well-maintained greens, and a challenging yet enjoyable experience for all skill levels. Perfect for a corporate retreat or a weekend getaway.
• 10 championship Golf Courses
• Minutes from the Las Vegas Strip
• Over 20 Hotels to Choose From
• Easy access to Harry Reid International Airport and the I-15
Located minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Near-perfect weather with 300+ sunny days for outdoor activities and exploration
Award-winning hotels at a variety of costs and price points to fit your budget
GATLINBURG TENNESSEE
DESCRIBING GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE IS EASY!
Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountain Park, Gatlinburg is a quaint town providing everything a meeting planner needs for a successful event: a beautiful, state of the art convention center, 16,000+ sleeping rooms, comprised of full-service and limited-service hotels,and motels, cabins, and condominiums. Gatlinburg also offers hundreds of shops and restaurants as well as entertainment attractions for every age and interest.
Courtesy James B. Beam
(Planning your next event in Kearney is no gamble.)
Why stress over event planning? In Kearney, it’s a breeze for planners & attendees alike. With superior facilities, top-notch event & catering staff, affordability, & convenience, come together to make Kearney an exceptional (& exceptionally easy) place for conferences of all types!
Why? Because Kearney has the best facilities between Denver and Omaha, and experienced staff that make sure every event is a win!
If you’re looking for a host city for your next event, make sure you look at Kearney, Nebraska.
If you’re looking for a host city for your next event, make sure you look at Kearney, Nebraska.
IN SIGHTS
WITH VICKIE MITCHELL
CATERERS DISH ON FABULOUS FOOD
What sticks in the memory long after the meeting or event is over? Food. Delivering delicious meals is right up there with booking outstanding speakers. So, since successful caterers are innovators, I turned to blogs posted by four catering companies around the country for ideas and insights on how to deliver food that is remembered for all the right reasons.
Take your meeting’s meals to the next level
Is it fall, y’all?
Stepping outside is a good way to inspire a menu. We all tend to eat to the season, choosing warm heavier foods in the winter and lighter fare when it warms up. So, while a hot bowl of chili is a good choice on a nippy day, in the summertime, fresh veggies on a skewer and lemonade enhanced with fresh fruit like a big fat strawberry sound right, says Catering by Design in Raleigh, North Carolina. A menu aligned with the season also more easily incorporates what’s grown on local farms. Be Creative Catering in northern Kentucky finds lots of ways to put fall into a menu — from pork loin with apples and butternut squash risotto to warm apple crisp, pumpkin cheesecake, spiced cider martinis and maple old-fashions. Seasonal soups like pumpkin or tomato can use produce from the garden as they warm up the crowd on a crisp day. And the summertime events it caters often top off with seasonal treats like strawberry shortcake and artisanal ice cream sundae bars.
Why be normal?
Shake things up, and people perk up. You’ve got to love an idea like EFS Catering’s hallmark Pretzel Station. The Jacksonville, Florida, caterer hangs sea-salted soft pretzels on a table display and surrounds those salty treats with sidekick sauces like cheese, mustards and hatch chili queso. Other suggestions from EFS? Try a sushi rolling station or a makeyour-own taco bar. At one of its events, Be Creative set up a custom-made doughnut dessert bar with chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces. Rocky Mountain Catering, based near Denver, has done breakfast burrito bars, cookie dough bars and build-your-own sandwich stations. Instead of a holiday sit-down dinner, how about a standup reception like one Rocky Mountain does that starts with mini crabcakes, stuffed dates and other passed appetizers and moves on to stations with heavier options like bruschetta, macarons and a signature cocoa. Or, to disrupt routine and save some bucks, Catering By Design recommends trying breakfast for dinner. Who doesn’t love some cheesy grits, egg sandwiches and crispy waffles? For some sparkle, add mimosas.
Cover all the bases
Making sure everyone’s food requirements and preferences are met is a major consideration. Most caterers understand how critical this is, but few voice it as well as Be Creative. It works to ensure “no one is left out or feels like an afterthought,” crafting menus that “are not only delicious but foster a sense of community and belonging.” Its signature vegan entrée, the portobello mushroom stuffed with couscous and seasonal vegetables, is popular beyond its intended vegan audience. Keeping foods simple and providing lots of variety are good ways to make sure everyone has something to enjoy. Catering By Design suggests “grazing tables,” a modification of the charcuterie board that lets people pick and choose what they want. For an easy carry-around appetizer, it puts charcuterie items in cups customized for different diets and preferences. Catering by Design also suggests soup and salad bars, with multiple soups and a variety of salad fixings. Make-your-own bowls are a newer trend that does the same.
Service style can shift the mood
The way food is served sets the mood. Sticking with tradition, planners often opt for the plated sit-down meal, but other styles can work well depending on the circumstances. Buffets can save money, Be Creative points out, because they require less staff, a big concern these days. Buffets also allow people to pick what they want and how much they want. Food stations are popular and energizing as people move about, engaging with more than a table’s worth of people. They can, though, require more staffing. A good way to speed up dining — for example when it’s a quick meeting with a lot of ground to cover — is a generous box lunch. Catering By Design fills its box lunches with varied sandwiches, including meat, seafood and vegan options, fresh fruit or pasta salads, and handheld desserts. And, although they’re not often used, family-style meals tend to pull people together as big bowls of food are passed, reminiscent of celebratory meals around a family dinner table. Another plus? You won’t need much in the way of decoration, as big platters and bowls dominate the table.
Waste not, want not
How many times have you seen perfect slices of pie sit uneaten in the center of a banquet table? Or half-full plates carried off by servers because portions were just too generous? At meetings, we often get reminded of how much food we waste in this country. Don’t forget that caterers can adjust to avoid this problem. It’s easy — and effective — to use a smaller plate and smaller serving utensils. It’s human nature to fill whatever plate you’re holding, so using 9- or 10-inch plates instead of the 12-inch plates restaurants typically use can alleviate that problem. A dessert table can cut down on waste too, because it allows people to pick and choose what they want rather than being served a big slice of cake or pie. EFS also recommends going small-but-mighty and has created a selection of mini dessert cups, with options like Southern carrot cake, Florida key lime pie and tiramisu.
In Valdosta, a refreshed conference center is just the start
BY VICKIE MITCHELL
With its conference center fresh off a $1 million refurbishment, Valdosta, Georgia, is more attractive than ever to small meetings.
The Rainwater Conference Center has long been popular, thanks to abundant natural light, a peaceful pond, two adjacent hotels and a location within sight of I-75, and recent improvements make it even more so. There’s new everything — carpet, paint, furnishings and lighting. Bathrooms have been remodeled. Technology has been updated, including a boost to broadband.
There’s also more local flavor, with 25 commanding paintings by local artist Daniel Hanafan hanging throughout.
Hanafan’s influence goes beyond the art. He also runs an event planning company, Stellar Events, where he can show off skills he honed over decades spent creating sets, lighting and props for theater and later theme parks including Valdosta’s Wild Adventures. Another exciting element of the center? A chef who not only delivers the Southern dishes expected in south Georgia, but Creole specialties as well. He might even incorporate blueberries, a major Georgia crop that was the inspiration for the Valdosta Bluesberry Festival, which became an annual tradition in 2023.
“We have tied everything together, from event design to AV to culinary, to make this a planner’s dream,” says David DiSalvo, president/CEO of Visit Valdosta. “In one day, planners can meet with everyone they need to plan their meeting. They can share their vision with us, and we will put the tools in motion.”
For example, this fall, the center, for the first time, created a tailgating event for a meeting group on its 4,500-square-foot
veranda overlooking the pond.
The center’s size makes it a good fit for meetings of 175 to 200, and its location, 90 minutes from larger cities like Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Gainesville, make it a good option for regional meetings. Between the Hampton Inn & Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites that flank the center, there are 316 guest rooms, and although neither is physically connected to the center, each hotel is a short walk from it.
The center’s largest space, the 11,000-square-foot Grand Hall, can handle banquets, tradeshows and sports competitions like cheerleading. Two boardrooms seat 8 and 14. Four Garden Suites range in size from 550 to 1,800 square feet. Two Gazebo Suites can be divided or combined for 3,300 square feet.
Of course, meeting spaces go beyond the conference center. Just north of town, Valdosta State University, whose campus is modeled on California’s Stanford, offers varied meeting spaces. At the nearby Crescent, an 1898 mansion under moss-draped live oaks, events can be held in the main house, a social hall and gardens of camellias and boxwoods.
Five miles south, Wild Adventures is a local favorite, with rides, a water
park and exotic animal shows as well as a concert venue that can accommodate speakers and presentations. The park’s latest new feature is Brews and Bites, its first drinking and dining option. It serves brews from Georgia Beer Company, whose location near the conference center is a popular gathering spot.
Wild Adventures is not the only option for adding activity to a conference schedule. On the edge of downtown, groups can learn glass blowing at the Turner Center for the Arts. At Valdosta Wake Compound, a top wake boarding venue, skilled wake boarders are fun to watch, and visitors can try out the sport themselves. The Davis Love III designed Kinderlou Forest Golf Course, a semi-private course, welcomes golf outings, and a small chapel on its grounds is an option for faith-based events.
Groups will want to make the fourmile drive from the conference center to Valdosta’s downtown square, where local businesses reflect current trends and tastes. Downtown Social leans on the Dave & Buster’s model, with boutique bowling, shuffleboard, darts and sports suites for augmented reality golf, baseball and other sports. Southern Cellar serves up wine flights and flatbreads. GUD Coffee Company is handy for morning perks. Kreamkles makes rolled ice cream and other cool treats. Small meetings can make The McKey, a boutique hotel, their headquarters, and if its dozen rooms and suites aren’t sufficient, book short-term rentals in nearby historic buildings.
With easy access, attractive venues and ample activities, it’s easy to see why Valdosta makes sense for small meetings.
David DiSalvo, President and CEO ddisalvo@visitvaldostaga.com 229-245-0513 visitvaldosta.org
MEETING LEADERS
CYNTHIA MOHR
CBY REBECCA TREON
ynthia (Cyndi) Mohr might just be the ideal person to work at
Visit Myrtle Beach, the South Carolina city’s convention and visitors bureau. No one knows better than a local when it comes to choosing the best recreational activities, events and restaurants.
Mohr grew up right in town at the now deactivated Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and now lives about an hour inland in Galivants Ferry.
Mohr attended Horry-Georgetown Technical College, which is where the hospitality bug first bit her.
“I started out working at the front desk during college, and I’ve been in the hospitality industry in this area since 1987,” said Mohr. “I just loved it and I still do, and that’s why I decided to quit studying to be an accountant and just roll with it.”
Mohr went from working the 3–11 p.m. shift at the front desk to being reservations manager.
“I handled all the group reservations, which in the mid-80s was all golf groups,” she said. “Then I got promoted to golf director at a Holiday Inn in North Myrtle Beach right on the ocean.”
Mohr then accepted a job at the Hilton, which she says was different and more corporate. Thanks to her golf background, she moved into a golf director role at the Hilton, too. When that hotel merged with Kingston Resorts, Mohr took the role of director of sales, selling the former Hilton and an Embassy Suites, plus their collection of condominiums. She moved to the Sheraton, which was attached to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, where after a year she was tasked to handle only the North Carolina market. Over the years, she was promoted to
senior sales manager, while also working alongside hotel staff in a variety of capacities.
“I’ve worked in pretty much every aspect of the hotel,” she said. “I’ve stripped beds, folded towels, plated food, washed sheets, bussed tables. It gives you a real appreciation for everything housekeeping does. I respect what they do. It’s not an easy job — I’ve done it. It makes you respect hotel front desk people, restaurant servers and others in the industry.”
Mohr moved into her current role as senior sales manager at Visit Myrtle Beach almost six years ago, something she says she felt privileged to be able to do. When she first met Bob Harris, Visit Myrtle Beach’s executive vice president, they hit it off instantly — she loved his enthusiasm about the city, while he was impressed by her familiarity with the area and all the local players in the industry. A month later, Harris called Mohr to encourage her to apply for the job that had opened up at Visit Myrtle Beach.
“It was a great move on my part,” said Mohr. “It’s a wonderful thing to be able to sell this beautiful place. We have great hotel partners and great meeting facilities, over 90 golf courses and 2,000 restaurants. We have 60 miles of sunny beaches with beach communities, and they’re redeveloping downtown to make it more walkable.”
Now, working with associations across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, she has shone in her role and has been awarded Associate of the Year by the South Carolina Society of Association Executives.
“I was so honored — it goes a long way in telling the type of person I am and what my counterparts think of me,” said Mohr. “I’ve made a lot of really great friends that are a part of this industry — meeting planners or CVB reps. I love meeting people and hearing their stories.”
“I’ve made a lot of really great friends that are a part of this industry — meeting planners or CVB reps. I love meeting people and hearing their stories.”
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
NAME Cynthia Johnson Mohr
TITLE
Senior Sales Manager
ORGANIZATION
Visit Myrtle Beach
LOCATION
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
BIRTHPLACE
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
EDUCATION
Attended Horry-Georgetown Technical College
CAREER HISTORY
• Holiday Inn North: front desk clerk, golf director, director of sales (1985–1992)
• Hilton Myrtle Beach/Kingston Resorts: director of sales (1992–2002)
• Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel: sales manager (2002–2019)
• Use your local CVB. They have the knowledge of the destination and can recommend the best options to meet your group’s needs.
• CVBs offer a range of free services such as visitor guides, site selection assistance, promotional materials and RFP distribution.
• CVBs can offer assistance with securing discounts for local attractions and welcome materials, and can make suggestions for off-site activities.
CYNDI MORH POSES WITH LAURI BRILL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR CHRISTIAN FUNDRAISING DURING AN EVENT AT THE HILTON MYRTLE BEACH.
BREAKING INTO THE EVENTS INDUSTRY Lily Harris
Lily Harris is the sales events manager at Visit Austin. She graduated from Austin College in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She accepted an internship at the Austin Convention Center’s events team, then worked with the convention center as an event coordinator for two years before making the move to Visit Austin. She’s also a member of PCMA’s 20 in their Twenties, Class of 2024.
What is the importance of mentorship in the events industry to you?
A:The events industry is such a big industry, but it also feels small. You make connections everywhere you go, and for me when I was starting out in my career, I was learning all aspects of the industry. It meant finding someone I could lean on who would support me through the process of growing in the career and someone I could go and ask anything about the industry and personal growth. Also, for a mentor, it’s not only that they’re there to uplift you and be your cheerleader, but it’s someone who’s there to challenge you, to challenge why you’re doing what you’re doing and tell you that you could do better, bigger things. It was important to me that I had someone who was supportive but also challenged me to continue my growth.
QHow did you find a mentor, and what’s the best thing you’ve learned from yours?
A:Finding a mentor has everything to do with when you go into a new environment and a new career path; you have to sit back and listen and observe. I picked my mentor because we had similar personalities and similar work ethics and passions about our work. I saw myself in her and I was like, ‘I want to be like that one day.’ Not necessarily the same career, but she’s a leader in the industry and I looked up to that. Finding someone you gel with and are cohesive with is not simple. It takes time, and when you go into a new career, you don’t need to pick a mentor on the first day. It’s good to get to know your peers and colleagues; then six months down the road you can pick someone. Everyone in the events industry has been so kind and so supportive. If there’s a way they can help you, they’re willing to do it. That’s what I’ve been thankful about in this industry: the open arms.
When did you become aware of all the jobs in the events industry, and what should students or recent graduates be looking for?
A:Back in college, I knew that event planners were a thing, but I didn’t know that there were event planners for associations and corporations, and that these major corporate companies had major umbrellas of event planning. I knew about PCMA, and I went to my first PCMA Convening Leaders in January 2022 in Las Vegas. There I went to PCMA U, which was for students, and it was there the umbrella started to open. It was this ‘wow’ moment. It would be good to give back to students at my previous college and talk to young professionals who are just entering the job, to explain there’s way more than just what they’re aware of. Also, join professional organizations like IAEE, PCMA and MPI young, right out the gate. Getting involved in that early will help grow your career. The generations before us are eager to bring in the young professionals because they know we’re going to be the next leaders. While it’s daunting, it’s great networking and a great way to put yourself out there.
How
can better
mentorships
be
built for your generation and for the generation of planners to come?
A:I think as young professionals start to choose their mentors and professional careers, that will come naturally. The biggest gap I’ve noticed is the misconception of my generation coming out now, Gen Z, that we’re super tech-savvy. We’ve lived in this remote world for so long, and we were affected by COVID, but we grasped onto the virtual meetings aspect of it a little quicker. I think the assumption is we enjoy doing events virtually, that we want to work from home, that we don’t want to do office jobs anymore. There’s a balance to that, and my generation still wants that face-to-face communication, and they still want to be able to go to in-person events. Relationships are still valued as much as they’re valued by the other generations. I think the solution is on both sides to dig back into those in-person connections.
Do you have any other insights when it comes to breaking into the meetings/events industry?
A: I recommend any young professional in college or coming out of college to find an internship in the events industry. I was a PCMA 20 in their Twenties recipient, and all of us, or a majority of us, all started in internships. That’s how we got to learn about what this industry has to offer. It’s super important in career growth, so take any opportunity for an internship. Don’t turn down an unpaid internship, because what you’re gaining is skills. If you can do it unpaid, you should take it. The biggest thing is money’s not always the answer. Internships are really important to get your foot in the door.
ITHACA DEBUTS ALL-ELECTRIC CONFERENCE CENTER
ITHACA, New York — The Ithaca Downtown Conference Center celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 13.
The center has more than 15,000 square feet of versatile event space. The Grand Ballroom features 10,620 square feet and 18-foot ceilings with rigging.
The conference center, the first all-electric venue of its kind in the United States, was designed to help Ithaca meet its climate goals. Eco-friendly features include energy efficient lighting, reusable water bottle refill stations and floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for natural lighting.
The center’s sustainability commitment extends to its commercial kitchen and catering menu — at least 35% of the menu options are plant-based — to promote healthier and more sustainable dining choices. The facility further minimizes food waste by repurposing leftover prepared food within the center’s retail store. For grab-and-go items, single-use plastics have been eliminated, and biodegradable packaging and utensils are utilized to minimize environmental harm. Additionally, a composting system handles any remaining food waste, while efficient recycling programs help
WISCONSIN’S
further reduce the carbon footprint. Even fryer oil doesn’t go to waste, as it is repurposed as fuel for sustainable practices.
The Ithaca Downtown Conference Center anticipates generating more than 2,800 room nights and 6,500 conference attendees annually. The project is expected to provide economic benefit to the greater Tompkins County area and attract visitors during shoulder season months and off-peak days of Sunday through Thursday. The conference center is anticipated to generate more than $9 million in new state and local taxes and more than $50 million in economic impact over 20 years.
Funding for the conference center included a $5 million capital grant from Empire State Development and significant financial support from the City of Ithaca, Tompkins County Tourism Program, the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency, four downtown Ithaca hotels (Ithaca Marriott on the Commons, the Canopy Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn and Hotel Ithaca) via the Tompkins Chamber Foundation, and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.
meetinithaca.com
LAKE LAWN RESORT UNVEILS RENOVATION
DELAVAN, Wisconsin — Lake Lawn Resort, the lakeside destination located on the shores of Wisconsin’s Delavan Lake, recently announced the reopening of its upgraded guest rooms after a multimillion-dollar renovation throughout the resort’s lodges.
Opened in 1878, the resort has played an important role in the area’s history and culture. Guests can continue to experience that history while enjoying over 150,000 square feet of resort updates, including newly renovated guest rooms, enhanced amenities, modernized technology, revitalized public spaces and many other improvements.
The resort has 32,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space in 22 meeting rooms, along with outdoor space. In addition to the property’s 222 newly renovated lake house themed rooms, the resort offers a separate building with 48 coastal-inspired rooms and a selection of onsite luxury home rentals.
The new accommodations provide a lakeside getaway with upscale interiors and upgraded amenities. Each room is custom-
ized with outlets and USB ports encased in the lighting, 55-inch smart televisions and a workspace with a live edge desktop.
“At Lake Lawn Resort, we have been, and continue to be, dedicated to crafting unforgettable guest experiences,” said Dave Sekeres, chief operations officer of Delavan Lake Lawn Management. “This renovation blends lakeside activities with refined amenities, setting a new standard in hospitality. Our team worked tirelessly to create a relaxing oasis.”
As part of the Lake Geneva region, Lake Lawn Resort is set on over 250-acres of natural lakeside beauty just 90 minutes from Chicago and a short trip from Milwaukee, Madison and Rockford. The property features Majestic Oaks Golf Course, an 18-hole lakeside golf course; three on-site restaurants, including 1878 on the Lake; a 261-slip marina; and boat and water sports rentals, including a 76-foot tour boat, The Lake Lawn Queen. Additional amenities include three pools, a gift shop, a fitness center and Calladora Spa.
lakelawnresort.com
THE CLUBHOUSE AT LAKE LAWN RESORT
Courtesy Lake Lawn Resort
OPENING THE ITHACA DOWNTOWN CONFERENCE CENTER
By Sheryl Sinkow, courtesy Visit Ithaca
FOCAL POINTS
DEEP DIVES ON TRENDING TOPICS
IS YOUR SOCIAL PROFILE SABOTAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?
IFOUNDER
Terry Matthews-Lombardo is the founder of TML Services Group, a meeting planning agency that organizes corporate, association and incentive events around the world. She has been a certified meeting planner since 1987 and is the author of the behind-the-scenes book “Meetings Mayhem!”
f your professional life seems to have hit a roadblock, the issue holding you back may be lurking somewhere you haven’t thought to look — your social media profiles.
To be clear, it’s not that social media itself is the problem. But if you’re not smart and aware about the way your social profiles intersect with your professional image, the things you post online may be communicating messages to your colleagues or potential clients that you never meant to send.
Almost all of us use some kind of social media, whether we choose to share our activities on Facebook, make social statements on X, or show off our pets, kids, outfits and hobbies on Instagram. Some of us even learn our dance moves from TikTok. There’s a flood of content available to consumers for education and entertainment, and social platforms give us the opportunity to create our own content and add to the conversations that interest us.
But when you use social media, do you ever stop to think about the purposes behind your posts?
Any social media post — even one that seems completely innocuous — is driven by underlying motivations that can change both the tone of the message and the way it is received. Last time you posted, what was motivating you? Were you venting about a
frustration? Bragging about an accomplishment? Complaining about a pet peeve? Trying to make a statement on an issue you care deeply about, only to be disappointed when the post got virtually no response?
Most social media users have found themselves in all those positions. But if you’re trying to establish a professional reputation and grow your career, you might want to take a deep breath and think about the consequences of what you post. Because it’s not just your friends and family who will see your social media content — your colleagues, co-workers and potential clients may also see it. And if you have been foolish enough to friend your boss on Facebook, he or she might see it too.
That’s not to say that ambitious professionals should stop posting on social media altogether. But you should be aware that the content you post on personal channels can have an impact on your professional life. And you should optimize and filter that content to make sure it is serving — or at least not hindering — your professional purposes.
INTENTIONAL PHOTOS
Sharing photos and videos might be the most popular use of social media in 2024. Since the kinds of photos you share shape people’s perceptions of you, consider posting images that reinforce your professional credibility — and avoid any that might work against it.
Instead of posting dozens of vacation shots that you haven’t even bothered to caption or explain, why not focus on a handful that show you doing something meaningful like learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road or visiting a museum? These photos will make a much more positive impression than a parade of colorful frozen drinks from an afternoon at the beach tiki hut.
People who know you personally may enjoy seeing a shot or two of those beach cocktails. But for people in your professional network, sharing a surprising image that demonstrates your soft skills and love of learning will cast you in a much better light.
CROSS-PLATFORM CONSISTENCY
Most professionals know LinkedIn is the preferred social media platform for work-related content, and you should definitely use it. But don’t think for a moment that LinkedIn is the only place online where colleagues and clients are watching you. There’s a good chance some people from your professional networks see content you post on your personal social media accounts, too. Because of this, it’s important to keep your public identity consistent.
Here’s a good example: Since the Meta corporation owns both Facebook and Instagram, most Facebook accounts are now automatically linked to their corresponding Instagram accounts. If you have loose privacy restrictions on your Instagram account, people who find or follow you on Instagram may be able to see some things you post on Facebook too — even if you’re not friends with them on Facebook. Your personal thoughts on pop culture, politics and religion may be exposed to employers, co-workers, clients and other professional contacts, whether you intended for them to be or not.
This kind of unintentional exposure can have real-world consequences. It’s not uncommon to hear about job seekers being turned away from desirable positions because the potential employers found personal posts that were not in keeping with their company policies and standards.
IRL RELATIONSHIPS
Of course, the ultimate goal of social media isn’t to build an online follower count but to create a real and effective personal network. Doing this well involves much more than just knowing how to create social content that gets likes. It requires soft skills, like making positive comments instead of snarky remarks to online content. And it should also cross over into real-life relationships.
If you have recently spent some productive time with a new colleague, you can certainly connect with them on social media. But perhaps even more effective would be sending a personal email to thank them for the conversation. A handwritten note is better still. In that same vein, think about communicating with key contacts via direct phone calls instead of short text messages, which run the risk of being misinterpreted.
Remember, the most important goal of your social networking activity should be to build positive and profitable relationships in the real world. When you’re thoughtful about what you post online, it can make an appreciable difference in your professional life.
And, as Martha Stewart would say, that’s always a good thing, right?
Beyond Booths
EXPERTS SHARE TIPS FOR BOOSTING TRADE SHOW ENGAGEMENT
BY RACHEL CRICK
The concept of trade shows has remained remarkably consistent for millennia. In ancient civilizations, merchants and artisans gathered in local marketplaces to peddle their goods, the same way companies line massive expo halls in their 10-by-10-foot booths today.
Throughout history, the shared goal has been to sell products and services and connect with customers. But even though the trade show isn’t going anywhere any time soon, it has changed. The pandemic hampered show attendance for a few years, and budgetary challenges mean fewer attendees and sometimes smaller shows. That means it’s more important than ever to boost attendee engagement and their perception of the show’s value.
Here’s what three trade show and event experts had to say about making sure attendees leave with more than a suitcase full of swag.
INTERACTIVITY RULES
When they first enter an exhibit hall, attendees are being exposed to a lot at once. With dozens or even hundreds of exhibitors eagerly awaiting their notice, it can get monotonous and downright exhausting.
“Attendees are tired of same old, same old with booths,” said Susan Piel, owner of Spiel Planning, a meeting, trade show and event consulting company in the San Francisco Bay area. “People put blinders on.”
To get people to take off their blinders, it’s important to have attention-grabbing — or better yet, hands-on — exhibits. Trade show organizers should encourage exhibitors to incorporate interactivity into their booth design.
“I’m a fan of using your product to sell your product,” said Tom Poalinelli, owner of Trade Show Tom, a trade show consulting company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “There shouldn’t be a static display. Demonstrate your product.”
This can include everything from cookware demos to tech demonstrations to promote apps. Poalinelli added that sound, motion and color are big draws for booths. Other methods include games or photo-ops or participation in booth passports or scavenger hunts.
Event swag has dual purposes: to entice attendees to come to a booth and to increase
“People don’t go to booths as much anymore, so they need a big booth draw, something to make them come to the booths.”
Susan Piel
OWNER
Spiel Planning
Experience: 20+ years
“It’s different with every event, every show, every industry and every audience, but it’s knowing your audience and feeding them what they want.”
post-event brand awareness. But attendees should leave with something other than a branded koozie or water bottle, especially when so many people have sustainability on the brain.
One creative concept that’s taking the place of traditional booth swag is a charitable donation for each attendee who checks in to the booth. Companies can pledge a certain dollar amount or let the attendee choose which charity the company will send money to.
“Then they’re not taking home some swag item that’s going to go in the landfill, and they’re supporting a nonprofit at the same time,” said Kelley Millar, CEO of Flock Events, a Colorado Springs-based meeting and event planning company.
Another highly effective manner of capturing attention is with food and beverages, whether that’s having coffee stations throughout the trade show floor for attendees to gather around while they caffeinate or giving sponsors the opportunity to have an hors d’oeuvre or mocktail for attendees to try. There are plenty of ways to whet attendees’ appetites and gain their attention.
Tom Poalinelli
OWNER Trade Show Tom Experience: 23 years
“Sponsors should absolutely have the first option to have the most fun, extravagant hors d’oeuvres or beverages at their booth,” said Millar. “Then you’re hearing that sponsor’s name, and it’s making people curious.”
ENCOURAGING CONNECTIONS
Trade shows exist to showcase products and services, but arguably the most important thing attendees leave with is the connections they make on and off the show floor.
“The absolute sweet spot for every conference is the white spaces in between,” said Millar. “That’s where attendees connect and meet; that’s where the magic happens.”
To ensure as many connections as possible are occurring, Millar recommends creating conditions ideal for conversation. Maybe that means turning down the volume on the show floor by omitting loud music or foregoing back-to-back speakers at mealtimes. After all, it’s hard for an attendee to get to know the person sitting next to them at lunch if they’re listening to a presentation the entire time.
Another connection you want to encourage is between vendors and attendees. Set up the trade show using appointments. Attendees can select who they want to meet with upfront and stop by booths at a designated time for an intentional conversation, and hopefully, a good lead.
If appointments don’t fit in with the show’s
schedule or present logistical issues, there are other ways to facilitate one-on-ones. Piel recommends securing plenty of meeting rooms away from the show floor. Vendors can reserve these to meet with interested attendees for more detailed conversations. Plenty of exhibit halls have meeting rooms nearby, though the show floor can be arranged to include meeting spaces with flexible walls.
“If people are interested in learning more about the product, setting up one-on-one meetings in meeting rooms leads to more engagement,” Piel said.
Another design element that can boost connections is seating at or near booths. This can encourage attendees to stay and learn more about a product or even meet other attendees and chat. Comfortable seating encourages attendees to stay on the show floor longer and interact more with others.
MORE THAN A SHOW FLOOR
Even though the trade show floor is the reason everyone’s in attendance, simply having the show floor with exhibitors may not be enough to keep attendees interested. That’s where having speakers, off-site events and additional activities can take any trade show to the next level. But keep in mind, the rule of maximizing engagement still applies.
Piel recommends drawing people to the trade show with exciting and engaging keynote speakers instead of simply including sponsored messages.
“Shows have a bigger presence when there’s a speaker/sponsor presentation we know people are interested in learning more about,” Piel said.
In today’s technology-saturated landscape, conference hosts and exhibitors are also competing for attention with attendee’s smartphones. Instead of fighting it, they can use it as a tool.
“It’s hard to get people away from their electronic devices, so if you can implement using their electronic device in sessions, that can be good,” said Millar.
Millar recommends using apps that let attendees type out their questions during presentations to keep them engaged with the presentation. They can use technology similarly on the trade show floor.
When it comes to off-site events, an evening
“Ideally, the event will have that white space for your attendees. The flow of it has to be curated to make sure people are talking to each other.”
Kelley Millar
CEO Flock Events
Experience: 14 years
event in a distinct location within the city is often a great idea. An event showcasing the destination’s most interesting local business or one of its most unique attractions is a great way to secure attendance and ensure attendees are participating even when the show isn’t going on.
Poalinelli recommends planners do their research to make sure any entertainment is aligned with the target audience. If the show focuses on recruiting young professionals, he says it wouldn’t be a good idea to hire entertainment that skews older.
Other options for evening events that can facilitate additional connections include networking dinners or dine-arounds that put attendees into small groups.
“That’s something for attendees to do to help them get to know others,” Poalinelli said. “It creates that networking and bonding moment.”
ROOM TO ROAM
Wyoming’s best meetings start in Wind River Country.
Located in western Wyoming, just beyond Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton Mountains, Wind River Country is the place to go to get away from the crowds.
MEETINGS IN HIGH PLACES
These mountain resorts offer serenity and scenery for events
BY RACHEL CRICK
From the jagged, jutting summits of the Rockies to the older, gentler slopes of the Appalachians, mountains are synonymous with rejuvenation. Perhaps that’s because we find the natural scenery refreshing. Or maybe it’s simply because they’re more remote from the demands of our lives. Whatever the reason, mountain resorts make wonderful settings for teams to meet, thanks to their serenity and abundant amenities. Attendees will be inspired before and after the meeting at these stunning mountain resorts across the country.
PRIMLAND RESORT MEADOWS OF DAN, VIRGINIA
The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is perfectly captured at Primland Resort, an Auberge Resorts Collection property situated on 12,000 acres in southern Virginia. It’s just a couple hours outside of Raleigh-Durham and five hours from Washington. The lodge itself is equipped with suites, but there are also luxurious cottages, cabins and treehouses scattered throughout the property, bringing the total guest accommodations to 67.
“Primland offers a refreshing back-to-nature escape with experiences that capture the essence of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” said general manager Will Rentschler.
Primland has a collection of intimate meeting rooms and larger event spaces, both indoor and outdoor. Its Galaxy Ballroom totals 2,178 square feet and can be broken down into two smaller spaces. The resort’s East Terrace is nearly 2,500 square feet and has a capacity of up to 275 theater-style.
Primland’s dining is noted for its farm-to-table philosophy, with each of its three restaurants providing cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients. Groups can opt for a fine dining experience at the resort’s Leather-
Above: Primland Resort sits on 12,000 acres of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Courtesy Auberge Resorts Collection
flower restaurant, while its 19th Pub and Stables Saloon provide more casual fare. The grandeur of the lodge is combined with amenities such as a full-service spa, a fitness center, a theater, a golf course and multiple restaurants. Popular resort activities for after the meeting include stargazing in the observatory with the assistance of the on-site astronomer, horseback riding, clay shooting and guided hikes along the Appalachian Trail. aubergeresorts.com/primland
MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE
NEW PALTZ, NEW YORK
Just south of the Catskill Mountains, on the shores of Lake Mohonk, groups will find a Victorian castle ready to host their next meeting. Mohonk Mountain House was founded in 1869 as a 10-room bed and breakfast by the Smiley family; over the next 41 years the property was constructed as it appears today, a sprawling, 262-room stone structure with eclectic architecture and expansive gardens. The surrounding 40,000 acres, including 85 miles of hiking trails, add to the resort experience.
“Each of your guests can be as active or as laid back as they want. When you meet in such a beautiful natural environment it fosters brainstorming and collaboration for your group.”
— Eric Domitrovits, Mohonk Mountain House
“Each of your guests can be as active or as laid back as they want,” said Eric Domitrovits, director of sales at Mohonk Mountain House. “When you meet in such a beautiful natural environment it fosters brainstorming and collaboration for your group.”
The property’s meeting spaces feature a Victorian style with rich woodwork and plenty of natural light. These range from the lodge’s 7,200-squarefoot dining room to smaller rooms with gorgeous views of the surrounding lakes, cliffs and mountains.
Primland Resort scenes, clockwise from left: The lodge and observatory; the Great Hall; a public space inside the lodge
Photos courtesy Auberge Resorts Collection
IDEAS
The addition of a 2,400-square-foot conference house to the property adds to the roster of event spaces guests can choose from. Meals are included in the overnight rate, and meeting packages provide a convenient bundle of audiovisual amenities and snack breaks with the meeting rooms.
After their meeting or event, groups can engage in a variety of wellness-related activities, from yoga and tai chi to fitness classes. There’s a full spa with an indoor pool for year-round relaxation. During the warmer seasons, guests can enjoy Lake Mohonk with rowboats, paddleboards and canoe rentals. The resort also offers historic walking tours of the property.
mohonk.com
SKAMANIA LODGE STEVENSON, WASHINGTON
The Columbia River Gorge, a canyon in the Cascade Mountains, is widely regarded as one of the most scenic destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Within this region, right on the Columbia River and
the Washington-Oregon border, Skamania Lodge offers a breathtaking setting for meetings and retreats. It’s also just a short drive from Portland.
“We’re in the middle of a national scenic area,” said Kristin Wood, associate director of sales at Skamania Lodge. “There’s not many places where you can be only 45 minutes away from a major city and be in a place that feels remote.”
The conference center on the lodge property features 23 meeting rooms, from a 6,900-square-foot ballroom to nine small breakout rooms. There are also seasonal outdoor venues that put the lodge’s stunning scenery on display, including terraces, patios, lawns, an amphitheater and a pavilion. The lodge does all its own catering. There’s also an on-site AV company to assist with meeting technology.
In addition to the resort’s indoor pool, hot tub, dry sauna, fitness room, and tennis and volleyball courts, there are also four golf experiences, plus hiking trails, a zipline, an aerial park and axe throwing, all of which make great team building exercises.
Mohonk Mountain House scenes, clockwise from left: The hotel overlooking Lake Mohonk; a lakeside gathering; a meeting room setup
Photos courtesy Mohonk Mountain House
By Steve Miura
IDEAS
The hotel staff can also work with local vendors to arrange activities such as geocaching excursions or bike-building programs.
skamania.com
LAKE ARROWHEAD RESORT AND SPA
LAKE ARROWHEAD, CALIFORNIA
The tranquil Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernadino Mountains is one of Southern California’s sweetest spots for meeting. The 173-room Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, right on the lake’s shore, is less than two hours from Los Angeles. While they may not expect four distinct seasons in southern California, the San Bernadino Mountains enjoy lower summer temperatures and impressive winter snowfall. The resort amenities reflect this and make it a perfect destination to visit year-round.
The resort’s largest indoor meeting space is the Lake Arrowhead Ballroom, a 4,000-square-foot space with a banquet capacity of 300. A ballroom
foyer can serve as pre-function space. There’s a lakeview terrace, totaling 2,660 square feet, and many smaller rooms perfect for breakout sessions or board meetings. Some of the most popular outdoor venues include the 3,750-square-foot Lakeside Lawn, which can accommodate 400 for a reception. The resort beach can also be booked for events.
In addition to its spa and heated outdoor pool (open year-round), guests can explore the lake with kayaks, or even venture out to all the nearby attractions, such as Lake Arrowhead Village, Lake Arrowhead Brewery and SkyPark. If they prefer to stay at the resort, groups can enjoy guided wine tastings, painting classes with a beverage or a campfire.
lakearrowheadresort.com
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN RESORT COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
It isn’t difficult to find a mountain view in Colorado Springs, a city cradled by the Rocky Mountains. At Cheyenne Mountain Resort, groups will
Skamania Lodge scenes, clockwise from left: An outdoor event overlooking the Columbia River Gorge; an indoor banquet; the property’s grounds
Photos courtesy Skamania Lodge
By Dayla Huss
Colorado Springs
Meet in the middle.
Halfway to just about anywhere and tucked into the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Springs plays backdrop to thousands of meetings and events each year. You handle the agenda and we’ll take care of after-hours “breakout sessions’ at local gastropubs, trails and museums.
You’ll never compromise when you meet in the middle.
VisitCOS.com/meet
enjoy both fresh mountain air and a long list of luxurious amenities with their meetings and events. The resort, a Dolce Resort property since 2017, initially opened in 1984. It has 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting spaces fit for a variety of functions.
The resort’s two largest ballrooms for events are the Colorado Ballroom, with 6,400 square feet and a reception room; and the Centennial Ballroom, with nearly 4,900 square feet of meeting space. Both ballrooms can be broken down into sections and accommodate 600 and 500 for a reception, respectively. An additional three ballrooms, as well as many smaller breakout rooms, are available for smaller-scale meetings. Outside, a 5,600-square-foot courtyard, a 3,500-square-foot terrace and 1,400-square-foot terrace offer serene spaces for outdoor events.
The resort has two restaurants, several pools, a spa, a fitness center, tennis courts, a golf course and a private lake with boat access. In addition to its many on-site amenities, they partner with a local vendor to design team-building activities from an obstacle course to giant Jenga to white-water rafting.
cheyennemountain.com
Below: Cheyenne Mountain Resort scenes, clockwise from left: The resort exterior; Centennial Ballroom; Colorado Ballroom
Photos courtesy Cheyenne Mountain Resort
It’s time to gather up the team, break out of the boardroom, and depart to Newport for a change of scenery. We promise you’ll find what you need here – sometimes you just need a new perspective to see it.
Contact our Sales Team about our complimentary planning services.
Plains Champion OF THE
The Kansas State Capitol in Topeka recently underwent a $332 million renovation.
Topeka punches above its weight in history and amenities
BY ELIZABETH HEY
Since its founding in 1854, Topeka, Kansas, has been a champion in the fight for freedom and equality. The city has served as the state’s capital since 1861, and its heartbeat pulses with history, public service, the arts and outdoor beauty. Groups meeting in Topeka will find big-city amenities accompanied by unpretentious Midwestern hospitality.
CITY TOPEKA AT A GLANCE
LOCATION: Eastern Kansas
ACCESS: Kansas City International Airport; Amtrak; interstates 70, 335 and 470
EXHIBIT SPACE: 210,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space
OTHER MEETING SPACES: Heritage Hall — 5,750 square feet
Maner Conference Center
BUILT: 1998, renovated 2005
EXHIBIT SPACE: 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space
OTHER MEETING SPACES: Eight breakout rooms that can be divided into a total of 12-15 rooms depending on space needs
MEETING HOTELS
Hotel Topeka at City Center
GUEST ROOMS: 224
MEETING SPACE: 5,200 square feet
The Cyrus GUEST ROOMS: 109
MEETING SPACE: 5,000 square feet
Hilton Garden Inn
GUEST ROOMS: 123
MEETING SPACE: 3,000 square feet
Destination Highlights
Arecent $332 million renovation spiffed up the Kansas state capitol, which is known for its striking murals, as well as architectural touches including, crystal, granite, gold leaf and seven types of marble. The capitol’s Dome Tour invites a 296-step climb to the top. No elevator here; just breathtaking city views.
“We’re the nation’s only capitol building that invites the public up inside the dome on either a self-guided or guided tour,” said Melissa Sowers, vice president convention sales and marketing for Visit Topeka.
Topeka’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement is capsulized in the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The case challenged segregation in the city’s public schools and is commemorated in the former Monroe Elementary School. Visitors can explore the galleries describing this landmark case and tour the school. Nearby, the Ritchie House served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and tours of the Italianate home of Charles Curtis showcases the life of the nation’s first vice president of Native American heritage.
With the capitol bookending one end of Kansas Avenue, Topeka’s downtown offers dining, shopping and entertainment. Across the Kansas River, NOTO Arts District features galleries, unique boutiques, colorful murals and live performances. The district’s First Friday Art Walks intermingle live music, street performances and local art.
“We often offer groups a dine-around where shuttles drop off attendees at different points along Kansas Avenue and in the NOTO Arts District so they can enjoy our breweries, restaurants, shops and galleries,” said Sowers.
DISTINCTIVE VENUES
Distinctive Venues
DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS
Architectural beauty and historic significance make the Topeka Performing Arts Center memorable. The center’s stateof-the-art auditorium has more than 2,400 seats. Especially picturesque with the evening cityscape as a backdrop, Townsite 16 affords 360-degree views from the 16th floor of Townsite Tower, with the option of live music and in-house catering.
Adjacent to the Topeka Zoological Park and inspired by Kansas Supreme Court justice Kay MacFarland, Kay MacFarland Japanese Garden features koi ponds, bridges and Zen rock formations. Guests can access the garden by a private entrance. An event here can include admission to the zoo, which houses more than 300 animals on 35 acres.
“We’re happy to coordinate a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo with activities such as feeding watermelon to the hippos and or lettuce to the giraffes,” said Sowers.
Historic venues include Great Overland Station, which lends itself to receptions and meetings in a former passenger depot of the Union Pacific Railroad. Ten minutes from downtown, Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site delights visitors with an 1800s village featuring a town square with a schoolhouse, church, general store, tack shop, barbershop and more. Along with the 2.5-acre Ward-Meade Botanical Garden, this site welcomes outdoor receptions and team-building activities.
Great Overland Station
Kansas State Capitol
STORMONT VAIL EVENTS CENTER
• 100,000+ sq feet of continuous tradeshow floor space
• Additional 7,000+ sq feet of meeting space on campus
• Attached directly to Hotel Topeka and Maner Conference Center
HOTEL TOPEKA & MANOR CONFERENCE CENTER
• 224 rooms
• 28,000 sq feet of multi size breakout rooms
• Full Service Hotel
WITHIN 15 MINUTES
• Access to 2,000+ hotel rooms
• Downtown Topeka & NOTO Arts & Entertainment District
• Multiple Restaurants
• Several entertainment venues with activities like axe throwing OTHER BENEFITS
• 1 hour drive from MCI International Airport
• Access to multiple after-hour event locations
• Attentive Sales Staff to help at all locations
Major Meeting Spaces
Topeka’s newly remodeled convention center connects to several conference hotels, and the city boasts approximately 2,500 hotel rooms. The Stormont Vail Event Center and adjacent Maner Conference Center are crown jewels of the city’s meeting facilities. Together, they offer over 200,000 square feet of customizable space, including a 73,000-square-foot trade show floor equipped with state-of-theart technology and on-site catering. Their versatility invites a wide range of events including corporate conferences, trade shows and large-scale meetings.
“Maner Conference Center recently went through a major renovation and expanded the trade show floor,” said Sowers. “It’s very high tech and attendee friendly, plus it’s connected to the Domer Livestock Arena for additional expansion.”
The 224-room Hotel Topeka at City Center connects to the Stormont Vail Event Center and Maner Conference Center via a fully enclosed walkway. It contains 25,000 square feet of flexible space including the 11,000-square-foot Sunflower Ballroom. Also downtown, the 109-room boutique Cyrus Hotel provides approximately 5,500 square feet of space that can be divided into three rooms, with the largest accommodating 350 guests theater-style or 250 at rounds. Across town, the 123-room Hilton Garden Inn Topeka offers 864 square feet for 150 attendees in its largest area or the option of three breakout rooms.
With 25,000 square feet of space, the Beacon event venue exudes historic elegance and embraces contemporary functionality. The facility features two ballrooms, as well as full-service catering and a dedicated support team. In a former bank lobby, the Townsite Avenue Ballroom accommodates 60 to 600 guests and features a 40-foot video wall.
After the Meeting
Slated to reopen in summer 2025 after a $6 million renovation, the Kansas Museum of History will offer a deep dive into the state’s past from pre-historic to modern times. Interactive displays will include an 1880s locomotive from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. At the Combat Air Museum next to Forbes Field, attendees can get up close to more than 30 military aircraft from World War I to present day and ride in the museum’s flight simulator.
Award-winning chocolatier Hazel Hill Chocolate offers a behind-thescenes tour. It’s an opportunity to taste chocolate created from different cocoa beans sourced from around the globe. Down the street, Moburts offers private tastings of hand-blended spices and oils. Between the two, Cashmere Popcorn makes another delicious stop.
“Moburts offers a demo cooking class using their different spices,” said Sowers. “Usually, we split a larger group into several smaller groups and visit the three shops for a tasing event.”
Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the 60 miles of trail crisscrossing Shawnee County. Lake Shawnee and adjacent Ted Ensley Gardens offer peaceful walks, picnicking, boating and fishing. A seven-mile concrete path encircles the entire lake. In the spring, the gardens erupt with color.
“In April, tens of thousands of tulips are in full bloom at the Ted Ensley Gardens during our Tulip Time Festival,” said Sowers. “And at Old Prairie Town, more than 40,000 tulips are illuminated during Tulips at Twilight, which is an evening candlelight event with 90 lighted displays.”
MAJOR MEETING SPACES
The Cyrus Hotel downtown
AFTER HOURS Combat Air Museum
LOUISIANA Lakefront
TBY TOM ADKINSON
he term “Louisiana Northshore” might puzzle you until you look at a map. Find New Orleans, and then look north across Lake Pontchartrain to St. Tammany Parish, a.k.a. the Louisiana Northshore.
The Northshore, with a diverse collection of towns much smaller than New Orleans and its own distinct history, has for decades been a bedroom community for people commuting to New Orleans, a weekend escape for people living in New Orleans and a pleasant surprise for curious travelers dropping off any of the region’s three interstate highways.
Because of its road and airport accessibility — the Louis Armstrong International Airport is on the south shore — the Louisiana Northshore also has grown into a worthy target for meeting planners.
Slidell (population of almost 30,000) has the most meeting facilities, and the rest of the parish furnishes numerous attractions and diversions that include Louisiana’s only maritime museum, the Abita brewery and a 31-mile-long rails-to-trails project where you can walk or pedal off some of the extra calories you are bound to consume in a state known for good eating.
WALKING ALONGSIDE
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN
Courtesy Visit the Northshore
Courtesy Visit the Northshore
A SWAMP TOUR IS A HIGHLIGHT OF ANY VISIT TO LOUISIANA’S NORTHSHORE.
ST. TAMMANY PARISH LOUISIANA
LOCATION
On Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans
ACCESS
Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY); interstates 10, 59 and 12
MAJOR MEETING SPACES
The Harbor Center
HOTEL ROOMS
1,500 in Slidell and 3,100 total in St. Tammany Parish
OFF-SITE VENUES
Maritime Museum of Louisiana, Olde Towne Slidell, Palmetto’s, Patton’s, Saint August Maison
CONTACT INFO
Visit the Northshore 800-634-9443 visitthenorthshore.com
Major Meeting Spaces
Slidell’s Harbor Center is the Northshore’s primary meetings facility. It opened in 2005 with 45,000 square feet of column-free space and expanded in 2024 with 9,000 square feet of divisible meeting room space. General manager Kathy Lowrey noted an irony of its location — New Orleans is close enough to be an attraction (especially after a meeting) but perhaps distant enough to discourage nighttime outings and diminished attendance at the next morning’s sessions. Harbor Center offers in-house decorators, in-house A/V, three loading docks, a full commercial kitchen and free parking. A message inscribed on a lobby wall cites the staff’s philosophy of providing “Lagniappe Service” (“lagniappe” translates to “something extra”).
The smaller Slidell Municipal Auditorium (10,000 square feet) is the parish’s second-largest facility. Its downtown location makes it a candidate for an off-site function before an evening in the Olde Towne district.
Distinctive Venues
Slidell offers several off-site event locations. The one with the most history is Patton’s, located in the Salmen-Fritchie House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its big claim to fame is the 1922 “wedding of the century” that garnered national media attention and drew more than 4,000 guests. The current owners have a family catering history that started in New Orleans more than 60 years ago.
Palmettos on the Bayou has indoor and outdoor dining spaces along Bayou Bonfouca, Middendorf’s is famous for thin fried catfish and (odd as it sounds) a six-week Octoberfest, and the Saint August Maison has reception and dinner space, as well as the distinction of a totally plant-based menu.
A dinner-and-attraction combo is in Madisonville at the Maritime Museum of Louisiana. It has 3,600 square feet of banquet/reception space, and event clients have full access to the museum. Built on a former shipyard, the museum focuses on artifacts, photographs and documents about all aspects of Louisiana’s waterborne past, including bayou-traversing pirogues.
By Tom Adkinson
PATTON’S AT THE SALMEN-FRITCHIE HOUSE
The Northshore
Old Towne
Olde Towne Slidell never will compete with the French Quarter in New Orleans, but it doesn’t need to. Olde Towne is a historic and cultural district covering approximately 12 blocks that is ready-made for a meeting’s free-wheeling night on the town. It’s a walk-around kind of place with casual restaurants, nice shops, antique galleries, the city’s history museum and even a classic soda shop with the special amenity of miniature golf out back.
“In a way, Hurricane Katrina [in 2005] was a blessing to Olde Towne,” said Alex Carollo, director of cultural and public affairs for Slidell. “Before Katrina, the area was run down and had other problems. Katrina created a clean slate, and redevelopment credits permitted development of what we have today.”
Carollo described various ideas for how meetings attendees can enjoy Olde Towne. One involves a bingo card challenge of photographing various aspects of the district while enjoying a progressive dinner. A great example: Start with daiquiris at Triangle Square at Antique Umbrella Alley, followed by gumbo at Deanasco, a beer at the Brass Monkey Draught Emporium, an oyster po’ boy at KY’s Olde Towne Bicycle Shop Restaurant, a refresher at Luna Tequila and a nonalcoholic milkshake at the Old Town Soda Shop, where the owner can create special ice cream flavors for groups.
After the Meeting
Yes, you could scoot down the interstate to New Orleans, but the Northshore offers some distinctive reasons to stay — starting with its very own swamp. Honey Island Swamp — moss-draped cypress trees, alligators, owls, egrets, frogs, herons, snakes, racoons and more — attracts visitors from around the world. Narrated nature tours explore the 250-square mile swamp from boat ramps only a few minutes from Olde Towne Slidell. Honey Island Swamp is a permanently protected wildlife area that is one of the most pristine river swamps in America.
More animals, but of a completely different type, are at the Global Wildlife Center near Folsom. It is the largest preserve for free-roaming animals in the country. You ride in open-air vehicles across 900 acres of rolling rangeland to see giraffes, zebras, kangaroos, camels, bison, llamas and more. It’s Africa in Louisiana.
A third natural experience to keep you in the parish is spending time on the Tammany Trace. The 31-mile paved path is Louisiana’s only rails-to-trails conversion (it once was an Illinois Central Railroad route), and walkers, joggers and cyclists hop on at trailheads linking Slidell, Lacombe, Mandeville, Abita Springs (that’s the brewery detour stop) and Covington. The route takes you through Fontainebleau State Park, which affords beautiful views of Lake Pontchartrain.
A BANQUET SETUP AT THE HARBOR CENTER
PADDLING IN THE BAYOU MARITIME MUSEUM OF LOUISIANA
GLOBAL WILDLIFE CENTER
Photos by Tom Adkinson
Courtesy Harbor Center
Historic Illinois Venues
Meeting Guide
BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH
The Land of Lincoln has a rich history that dates back to the early 1800s. Meeting planners can incorporate some of that history by hosting events at these five state historic sites.
EDWARDS PLACE HISTORIC HOME
Springfield Built in 1833 and remodeled in 1857, Edwards Place is a historic home that tells the story of social and domestic life in Springfield during Abraham Lincoln’s time. The Italianate mansion was built by Benjamin Edwards, an attorney who met Lincoln more than 400 times in court. Edwards was the youngest son of Illinois governor Ninian Edwards. His other Lincoln connection is that his brother married Mary Todd Lincoln’s sister Elizabeth.
The historic home was fully restored starting in 2014. All of its rooms are now furnished in a historically accurate style.
The first floor of the home features four parlors on one side and a dining room and small salon on the other. The facility can seat up to 50 guests for a banquet or about 100 for a cocktail reception. The home is managed by the Springfield Art Association. There is an art gallery space connected to the house, which can accommodate 60 guests for a banquet. If they need more space, groups can also rent out the house and gallery.
Groups that rent out space will often add docent-led tours to their bookings. One of the highlights of the home tour is the courting couch where Abraham Lincoln met and began his courtship with Mary Todd, as well as a piano that was played at their wedding. edwardsplace.org
GOVERNOR DUNCAN MANSION HISTORIC SITE
Jacksonville
Construction on the Governor Duncan Mansion in Jacksonville began in 1833 and was completed in 1834. It was built by Joseph Duncan, the fifth governor of Illinois from 1834 to 1838, and his
Courtesy Edwards Place Historic Home
BUILT IN 1833, SPRINGFIELD’S EDWARDS PLACE WAS OFTEN VISITED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
wife, Elizabeth. The house, which served as the official executive mansion and the family home during his tenure, is three stories and has 17 rooms.
The home is special in that it has two front doors, one that leads into the residence and one that leads directly into the governor’s office on the first floor. It is decorated in the 1890s style and features a combination of electric and gas jet chandeliers. The site features many items that belonged to the Duncan family.
The family sold the home to the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for $11,000. To pay for the building, the DAR sold marble tablets to local families for $100 each. The tablets, which hang on a wall in the mansion, were inscribed with the name of their family’s first member to live in Morgan County.
There is a large parlor on the first floor that can host 40 people at card tables or 60 to 75 people for standing receptions. The downstairs has a large central hallway, and many groups will rent out the entire first floor, catering food out of the dining room and using the parlor for the rest of their event. Groups can also rent out the garden. Tours of the mansion are available.
duncanmansion.com
I&M CANAL VISITOR CENTER
LaSalle
The 96-mile-long Illinois and Michigan Canal opened in 1848 as a way to connect the Great Lakes to the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Along with the Erie Canal, it created a gateway from the Great Lakes all the way to New Orleans. When the canal opened, Chicago was the frontier.
Groups wanting to learn more about the canal and experience it for themselves can meet at the I&M Canal Visitor Center in Lasalle. The group’s main emphasis is to teach the history of the canal. One of the ways they do so is aboard a 76foot replica canal boat built in 2008 by a nonprofit organization. The boat is pulled the old-fashioned way by a mule named Moe. The boat can hold 70 people and gives rides to tourists four days a week.
The crew, decked out in 1840s garb, tell passengers about how the canal was built, what it was like to work on the canal and how the area grew up around the waterway. If a group is larger than 70, it can still rent out the boat, but the boat can’t leave the dock. Some groups will organize a buffet lunch in the Vintage Room at the visitor center before hopping on the canal boat for a tour. The vintage room can hold 45 people.
The boat can’t host large meals, but groups can serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres onboard. The canal isn’t deep — only a few feet of water. Moe walks between two and four miles per hour. There is no engine onboard, so the ride is very smooth and the surroundings scenic. Guests will see herons, egrets, fish and snakes in the water, as well as deer and turtles sunning themselves on the rocks.
iandmcanal.org
Courtesy Jacksonville Area CVB
JACKSONVILLE’S GOVERNOR DUNCAN MANSION
Courtesy I&M Canal
A RIDE ON THE I&M CANAL
THE GENESEE THEATRE
Waukegan
Originally built as a movie palace in 1927, the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan is the last of its kind standing in the city. The facility includes the auditorium where shows were performed and the surrounding building, which was an apartment complex with a storefront on the first floor. The fifth-floor apartments were used to house the crews and actors who came in for the productions. That lasted until the 1970s, when people lost interest in the theater, and it fell into disrepair.
The city of Waukegan took over the property in the 1990s, and in 2003 an effort was made to reopen the theater and revitalize it. As part of the revitalization, the theater and apartment complex were combined into one facility, with the former apartments turned into seven separate lounge spaces. The grand opening was held in 2004. In 2013, the facility became a nonprofit.
Groups of all sizes can rent out space at the theater, from a 15-person luncheon to a full sellout of the building with 2,000plus people. Corporate groups like to do presentations on the main stage for 100 to 200 people.
Each of the seven lounges can host groups of 50 to 75 people, depending on the layout.
The theater itself has all of the latest sound, lighting and projection systems. Groups renting the lounges will need to bring in their own A/V equipment. The theater has two lobbies, both of which can be used for events.
geneseetheatre.com
A long porch at the back of the John C. Flanagan House Museum can be used for events. The backyard offers a unique outdoor setting with a river view and all-season flower beds.
Courtesy Genesee Theatre
A CHANDELIER AT THE GENESSEE THEATRE IN WAUKEGAN
JOHN C. FLANAGAN HOUSE MUSEUM
Peoria
Built in 1837 by John Flanagan, an early settler of the area, the John C. Flanagan House Museum is the oldest standing house in Peoria. It is situated on Peoria’s east bluff with an expansive backyard view of the Illinois River Valley.
The facility is owned and operated by the Peoria Historical Society and is decorated with furnishings from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century.
The main parlor, dining room and library spaces are available for small meetings and gatherings. A long porch at the back of the house can also be used for events. The backyard offers a unique outdoor setting with a river view and all-season flower beds.
The parlor can host 40 guests seated, while an open house reception can accommodate up to 60. The dining room and library can each host small events for 10 guests each. Groups that rent the home will need to bring in their own chairs and A/V equipment. There is a small kitchen available for food prep, but meeting groups are encouraged to bring in food from local caterers.
Groups interested in the history of the home can add docent-guided house tours for an additional fee. peoriahistoricalsociety.com/houses
By Trish Noack, courtesy Flanagan House Museum
Illinois Charmers
Meeting Guide
BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH
Meeting planners hosting events in Illinois don’t have to brave the traffic and crowds of Chicago to find first-class lodging and meeting facilities. These five small towns have plenty to offer groups in the way of attractions, dining, lodging and event space.
EAST MOLINE
East Moline is next door to Moline on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. The city is in the midst of a major riverfront revitalization project on land that housed the former Case International Harvester plant. Called the Bend Event Center, it includes a 134-room Hyatt Place Hotel and
a 99-room Hyatt House Hotel, both overlooking the Mississippi River; Riverside Park outdoor amphitheater; an upscale restaurant called the Columbine; and 4,400 square feet of meeting space with floor-toceiling glass windows overlooking Murphy Park and the Bend.
Bend XPO, which is part of the Bend campus, offers 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event spaces. The main exhibition hall has 62,000 square feet of space. The site also features The X, a meeting room with nearly 4,000 square feet of space and up to six additional breakout rooms.
The Bend is just a couple of miles from John Deere Harvester Works, one of the largest combine factories in the world. It features a renovated visitor center and gift shop where meeting attendees can learn more about the history of the company.
The city has a vibrant downtown area with a nice park and a stage for concerts and events. Eventually, the Bend will be connected to downtown via walking trails along the river or water taxi.
The Rust Belt is another former manufacturing plant that was turned into a mixed-use facility. It includes a music and event venue for up to 4,000. The Quad Cities area has 73 hotels, more than half of
Courtesy Visit Quad Cities
ONE OF THE QUAD CITIES OF ILLINOIS AND IOWA, EAST MOLINE SITS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
those with meeting space. For attendees who want to get out on the water, there are two riverboats that serve the area, Celebration Belle and Riverboat Twilight.
visitquadcities.com
DOWNERS GROVE
Downers Grove is a small village about 25 miles west of Chicago that is easily accessible by car or train, as well as from O’Hare and Midway airports. Its historic downtown, full of mom-andpop shops and locally owned restaurants, hosts close to 40 special events every year, including a large Oktoberfest.
Visitors can grab dinner, walk around downtown or catch a movie or show at the Tivoli Theatre, a historic movie theater. Downstairs from the theatre is Tivoli Bowling Center, a 12-lane, wooden bowling alley. The village is known for its great shopping. It is five minutes away from Yorktown Center mall and 10 minutes from Oakbrook Center mall. The Morton Arboretum is a botanical garden with trees from around the world, and visitors to the area are never too far away from a golf course.
The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel and Conference Center Chicago-Downers Grove is the largest meeting venue in the area, with 247 guest rooms and 12,454 square feet of event space. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate 380 for a banquet and 600 for a reception. The atrium can host 200 for a banquet and 300 for a reception.
In total, Downers Grove has nine hotels with 1,165 guest rooms. Several of them have meeting spaces. The village has several mid-sized meeting venues, including Alter Brewing Co., which can host special events for up to 175 guests in its barrel-aging room. Groups that host events there can book tours and tastings. discoverdupage.com
ROSEMONT
Rosemont is a town of 4,300 people. Because of its location next to O’Hare International Airport and its accessibility to interstates 90 and 294 the area is ideally situated for hosting conferences and events. The two-square-mile town has 17 hotels with 6,000 hotel rooms.
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center has 840,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space, including a 250,000-squarefoot continuous space that can hold 1,225 tradeshow booths. A multiple-hall layout can fit 3,566 booths. The DoubleTree Hotel O’Hare-Rosemont across from the convention center is two blocks from the Rosemont Entertainment District and Fashion Outlets of Chicago. It has 369 guest rooms and 13,519 square feet of event space.
The Hilton Rosemont Chicago O’Hare has 300 guest rooms and 23,847 square feet of meeting space, including a grand ballroom that can host 500 for a banquet or 825 for a reception. The village owns the Allstate Arena, which can accommodate 18,000, and Rosemont Theatre, which has 4,300 seats. The Grand Lobby
Courtesy Discover DuPage
A DOWNER’S GROVE BREWERY
Courtesy Village of Rosemont
STEVENS CONVENTION CENTER IN ROSEMONT
can accommodate about 1,700 seated guests, and the multilevel VIP room can host groups up to 150.
Rosemont also owns a 6,000-seat amateur baseball field. Groups hosting events in the village can attend a ball game or visit the Rosemont Entertainment District, which has seven restaurants and live bands every Thursday. An outlet mall is within walking distance of the convention center, as is the Dome, an indoor sports venue and one of the largest freestanding buildings in Illinois. It has two baseball/softball diamonds and supporting facilities. rosemont.com
QUINCY
Founded in 1822, Quincy sits on the Mississippi River about two hours north of St. Louis and 90 minutes west of Springfield. The town is known for its historic architecture, and visiting groups can take advantage of SeeQuincy’s Private Home Tours, which take groups of six or more to see two to four of the 14 historic homes available in the East End Historic District.
The city has worked to improve its waterfront, adding kayak tours and hiking and biking trails along the Mississippi River. Bob Bangert Wetland is an interpretive wetland project on 26 acres that offers prairie restoration, an observation deck, an educational trailer and environmental programs. The wetland is just north of Quincy’s main riverfront where visitors can spot ducks and other waterfowl.
At 30,000 square feet, including the 500seat Quincy Community Theatre, the Oakley Lindsay Center is the largest meeting venue in Quincy. The Atrium Hotel on Third and the Microtel Inn and Suites are both near the convention center, and the Holiday Inn Quincy is a full-service hotel with 4,500 square feet of meeting space. The Armory Event Center, housed in a historic Fifth Infantry Armory building, has 10,000 square feet of open space to host events for up to 600 guests. It is near the Dr. Richard Eells House, which houses the Quincy Underground Railroad Museum. seequincy.com
SCHAUMBURG
The Village of Schaumburg is built around Woodfield Mall, which is the largest shopping center in Illinois. It offers a blend of suburban comforts and big city amenities that make it a great location for meetings and events.
One of its top attractions is Medieval Times, which offers dinner and a medieval joust, a memorable experience for meeting attendees. TopGolf has meeting rooms and event spaces combined with entertainment.
Courtesy Quincy Area CVB
EXPLORING QUINCY’S JOHN WOOD MANSION
The facility is open year-round. For those who love traditional golf, the village has eight 18-hole golf courses.
There are 63 hotels in the area, but only about 10 of them have ballrooms suitable for meetings. The 500-room Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is connected to the Schaumburg Convention Center, with its 160,107 square feet of event space. The facility has 30 meeting rooms and features one of the largest ballrooms in Illinois at nearly 28,000 square feet.
The Hyatt Regency Schaumburg near the mall has over 30,000 square feet of meeting space. It is currently being renovated and is expected to have everything completed by the spring. The Marriott Schaumburg has 25,000 square feet of event space and 400 guest rooms.
Unique venues include the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, which features a 442-seat theater, a 95-seat lecture hall, two adjacent meeting rooms and an art gallery. The facility is in a wooded setting with an outdoor sculpture walk. Trickster Cultural Center is a Native American and community arts center that features Native American art and multicultural exhibits. It also offers space rental. For fun, attendees can visit Chicago Improv comedy club or Legoland Discovery Center. visitschaumburgvillage.com
Courtesy Meet Chicago Northwest
SCHAUMBURG
Waterfront Kentucky
Meeting Guide
BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH
With an abundance of lakes, rivers and waterways, the Bluegrass state has scenic setting around almost every corner. Here are several destinations where meeting planners can take advantage of waterfront views and aquatic activities.
NEWPORT
Founded in 1795, Newport sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The city’s riverfront offers spectacular views of the Cincinnati skyline, and the Purple People Bridge allows visitors to easily walk between the two cities. The area was once known for its mobsters and gambling halls. Today, visitors flock to Newport on the Levee,
a mixed-use destination on the south bank of the Ohio River that offers dining, shopping and entertainment, including the Newport Aquarium and 200,000 square feet of community gathering space. Visitors can learn more about the area’s history by taking a Newport Gangster walking tour that delves into the area’s scandalous past. Meeting groups can rent out the Newport Aquarium for after-hours events of up to 1,000 guests. The Shark Ray Bay Theater provides a wonderful backdrop for dining, dancing, food stations or presentations. Groups that rent space in the aquarium can add on special activities such as dive shows or animal encounters.
Meeting groups can book a dinner cruise on one of BB Riverboats’ three vessels or host an event at River’s Edge, an event center on the river that can accommodate up to 225 guests. Other meeting venues include MegaCorp Pavilion, a live music venue with indoor and outdoor spaces; Hofbrauhaus Newport, a German restaurant that can host private events; and Carnegie Hall at Newport. Top hotels include Aloft Newport on the Levee with 144 rooms, Fairfield Inn and Suites with 125 rooms, and Hampton Inn and Suites with 122 rooms.
meetnky.com
Courtesy Meet NKY
BB RIVERBOATS OFFERS SIGHTSEEING AND DINNER CRUISES ON THE OHIO RIVER BETWEEN NEWPORT AND CINCINNATI.
FRANKFORT
The capital of Kentucky, Frankfort sits on an S-bend of the Kentucky River in the Kentucky River valley. Centrally located between Lexington and Louisville, Frankfort is an excellent location for meeting groups that want access to city amenities while also tapping into the great outdoors. Water lovers have their pick of marinas, boat rentals, swimming, fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Between late May and October, groups can rent out the Bourbon Belle riverboat for a two-hour narrated tour that gives the history of the river and its impact on the local bourbon industry. The boat can host groups of 45.
Cove Spring Park and Nature Preserve offers 240 acres of wetlands, streams, springs, waterfalls and forested ravines located at the northern city limits of Frankfort. In their free time, attendees can enjoy the preserve’s many walking and hiking trails and scenic overlooks.
The Capital Plaza Hotel Frankfort is the largest meeting hotel in the city, with 10,000 square feet of event space that can serve groups of up to 450. The Foundry on Broadway is a 4,500-square-foot event space with exposed brick walls and a wood beam ceiling that can host up to 200 guests. The Elizabeth Event Space and Garden is a decommissioned Catholic church turned event venue that also can host 200 for a wedding or event.
Frankfort has 864 guest rooms currently, with an additional 60 to 100 coming online in the next six months, including a Springhill Suites and two boutique hotels, the Delegate and the Ashbrook. Kentucky State University offers several meeting venues on campus, as well as a research farm on the outskirts of town with a large facility that can host groups of 500. visitfrankfort.com
GRAND RIVERS
The village of Grand Rivers sits between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley at the north entrance to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The town itself is about two miles wide, and visitors can walk from one lake to the other. Grand Rivers is a golf cart community, meaning the only way to get around without walking is to rent a golf cart.
Green Turtle Bay Resort and Marina on Lake Barkley offer individual freestanding condo vacation homes from one to four bedrooms. On-site are a full-service spa, two restaurants, a boutique, a health club and boat rentals. Lighthouse Landing Resort and Marina on Kentucky Lake has one- to three-bedroom Kentucky Lake cottages, a marina that offers kayak and sailboat rentals, and sailboat cruises. There is a swimming beach, and both marinas have meeting space for 100 to 150 people with a lake view.
The Grand Rivers Community Center can hold up to 350 for meetings with a full A/V setup.
One of the top attractions in town is Patti’s 1880 Settlement,
Courtesy Visit Frankfort
THE KENTUCKY RIVER WINDING THROUGH FRANKFORT
Courtesy Grand Rivers Tourism Commission
ON THE LAKE IN GRAND RIVERS
a restaurant that began in 1977. It can accommodate 400 people, which is larger than the village’s population. Patti’s Inn and Suites has 58 guest rooms. For fun, meeting attendees can visit the planetarium and Elk and Bison Prairie at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area or walk or bicycle along the lakes. The Badgett Playhouse offers live variety shows.
kentuckylakegateway.com
CORBIN
Corbin and Laurel River Lake are in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The lake is one of the top attractions in the area, with its hidden coves and cliff-lined shore. Thousands of people visit the area for boating, fishing, water skiing and scuba diving.
The area is also home to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, which features the largest waterfall south of Niagara Falls. Cumberland Falls is one of very few waterfalls that features a moonbow, or a rainbow created from the light of a full moon.
Colonel Harland Sanders founded his famous restaurant, Kentucky Fried Chicken, in Corbin. Back then it was called Sanders Cafe. Today, Sanders Cafe and Museum is a major tourist attraction in the city.
Corbin has more than 130,000 square feet of meeting space across seven venues. The Corbin Arena can seat up to 7,000 attendees. It also has a large meeting room. The Corbin Center features 19,744 square feet of space that can accommodate 691 guests. It has a large lobby and seven meeting rooms.
The Pennington, located in downtown Corbin, boasts 10,000 square feet of meeting space for 350. The Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort is located five miles from Cumberland Falls and near Big South National River and Recreation area. It offers lodging, river adventures, riverboat cruises and land adventures. Cumberland Star Riverboat plies the headwaters of Lake Cumberland. Groups can charter it for breakfast, lunch or dinner cruises. Sightseeing cruises can be paired with rafting trips. Top hotels in the area include Holiday Inn Express and Suites Corbin and Hampton Inn Corbin.
corbinmeets.com
MURRAY
Located in Calloway County, Murray is surrounded by the outdoors and is the largest community close to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area and Kentucky Lake. Meeting planners can easily incorporate water activities, including canoeing, kayaking, sailing and paddleboarding, into their events.
Murray is known for its historic downtown, which used to be the place where residents traded livestock and goods, bought groceries, boarded the train or watched a movie. The court square is home to specialty shops, a coffee shop and a boutique grocery store. Rudy’s has been cooking homestyle meals for
RAFTING BENEATH CUMBERLAND FALLS IN CORBIN
Photos courtesy Corbin TCC
CORBIN ARENA
more than 80 years, and the Downtown Farmers Market, which takes place every Saturday from May to October, offers certified Kentucky Proud goods.
Meeting planners have their pick of seven hotels, a couple with meeting space. Springhill Suites Marriott Conference Center has 4,008 square feet of event space and 86 guest rooms.
The CFSB Center on the campus of Murray State University is a top meeting venue in the town, with several event spaces that can accommodate between 40 and 250 guests. The Dennis Jackson Racer Room at Roy Stewart Stadium can host up to 200. The Curris Center is MSU’s student union. The third floor of the facility has four meeting rooms that can seat up to 50 guests depending on the setup, as well as a theater that can seat 325. The ballroom can host 900 for a lecture and 800 for a banquet. It also can be divided into two smaller banquet rooms.
tourmurray.com
Located in Calloway County, Murray is surrounded by the outdoors and is the largest community close to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area and Kentucky Lake.
Courtesy Tour Murray
A RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN MURRAY
Kentucky’s premier event, meeting, and conference venue.
The Shelbyville Conference Center is centrally located between Lexington and Louisville, and combines versatility, beauty, and modern amenities for a welcoming and accommodating venue for your corporate meeting, event, conference, or show.
Flexible floorplans and state-of-the-art technology allow for all groups of any size — from as intimate as 10 guests to as grand as 400 attendees — to gather and celebrate together.
Start planning at shelbykyvenues.com
Included with every event:
• Tables and chairs
• High speed internet
• Electric service
• Audio/visual system with projectors and microphones
• Catering kitchen & open catering policy
• Ample parking and nearby free public parking
• Proximity to Shelbyville’s shopping, dining, and lodging
• Shelbyville Trolley (add-on)
• Tablecloths (add-on)
Kentucky College Towns
Meeting Guide
KBY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH
entucky’s college towns are as diverse as its landscapes.
From Morehead in the east to Bowling Green in the west, Kentucky has several college towns that offer everything a meeting planner could want, including full-service event and meeting venues, outdoor activities, top attractions, vibrant downtowns, plenty of guest rooms and a healthy dose of college spirit.
BEREA
The town of Berea would not exist without Berea College, which was founded in 1855. The college was the first in the South to be coeducational and racially integrated. Today it has 1,661 students,
many of whom came to the area from around the world. Berea is known for its folk arts and its many hiking and biking trails. The Pinnacles in the Berea College Forest is one of the top hikes in the state, and the Boone Trace Trail allows visitors to walk in the steps of Daniel Boone. Berea doesn’t have a specific downtown but instead is split into College Square and Artisan Village, both featuring artist studios and local shops and restaurants.
The historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant, which is owned by the college, is the top meeting venue in Berea. It was built in 1909 at the suggestion of Nellie Frost, the wife of Berea College’s president at the time. As the college grew, she couldn’t keep up with the number of guests she was expected to host at her home. The tavern was built and has been serving guests since that time. It has 63 guest rooms and space to host meeting groups of up to 150.
Other venues include Happiness Hills Farm, an 80acre farm that offers lodging and event space for 100–150 people, and Honeysuckle at Churchill’s, a restaurant built
Courtesy KY Tourism Dept.
OWNED BY BEREA COLLEGE, BOONE TAVERN IS THE PREMIER HOTEL AND MEETING VENUE IN THE TOWN OF BEREA.
within a former weaving factory. The restaurant is downstairs, and a large event space upstairs can accommodate up to 250. Meeting groups can take tours of Berea College’s campus or include speakers from the college at their events.
visitberea.com
DANVILLE
The home of Centre College, Danville is in the center of Kentucky. It is considered the birthplace of the state, which was once part of Virginia. In 1792, Kentucky split off and became its own state, with Danville as its first capital.
Meeting planners interested in Danville can take advantage of the first-class amenities at Centre College to bring a bit of school spirit into their events. The college recently spent millions of dollars renovating its sports facilities, including its football stadium. The Norton Center for the Arts on campus is a performing arts center that brings Broadway shows and bigname concerts to the town of 17,000 people.
Danville’s lively downtown features more than 20 unique restaurants, boutique shops and a robust public art scene. During the summer months, there is a farmer’s market with live music and vendors on Saturday mornings, as well as a monthly music series on the first Thursday of the month in front of the courthouse.
The local Hampton Inn has 72 rooms and a small meeting space for up to 50 people, while the Holiday Inn and Suites has 76 rooms and meeting space for 100. The Art Center of the Bluegrass has a third-floor ballroom that is currently being renovated. It is next door to the GLASS National Art Museum, which houses the largest collection of works by the late glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell. Camp Horsin’ Around, which is about 20 minutes outside Danville, offers facilities for retreats, including five bunkhouses for up to 140 people and a dining hall that can seat 200.
danvillekentucky.com
BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green is a mid-size university town in the rolling hills of western Kentucky. Western Kentucky University is a major fixture in the city, providing entertainment, sporting events and meeting venues. The city itself is widely known as the home of the Corvette, and several caves in the area are a must see for visitors.
The National Corvette Museum and Motorsports Park has four unique spaces that can host groups from 50 to 1,500 guests, including its conference center, Chevrolet Theater; Corvette Boulevard, which is perfect for receptions, trade shows or conference center overflow; and the Skydome, a popular venue for receptions and special occasions.
Bowling Green has two convention centers, Sloan Convention Center and Knicely Convention Center at WKU. Both have
Courtesy Danville-Boyle Co. CVB
A DANVILLE FOUNTAIN
By Clinton Lewis, courtesy Visit Bowling Green
A HOMECOMING PARADE IN BOWLING GREEN
about 35,000 square feet of event space. There are several barn venues in the area that make scenic off-site event spaces. Lost River Cave offers underground boat tours and can host 300 guests in its Cavern Nite Club or up to 60 in its River Birch Room.
Meeting groups can take advantage of the many cultural experiences available at WKU, including performances at Van Meter Hall, a visit to the Kentucky Museum or buying tickets to a WKU sporting event.
There are 3,300 hotel rooms in Bowling Green, including the Hyatt Place Bowling Green, which is connected to the WKU Alumni Center on campus, and the Holiday Inn University Plaza-Bowling Green, which is attached to Sloan Convention Center. The 195-room Embassy Suites features nearly 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
visitbgky.com
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS
Northern Kentucky University is located in a suburban area of northern Kentucky called Highland Heights. Truist Arena, a 10,000-seat multipurpose facility located on the NKU campus, is perfect for large sporting events, concerts, regional events and conventions. A specialty curtain system allows the venue to
be cut to half its size. Two party decks can accommodate up to 100 people, and two party suites seat up to 50.
The Conference Management and Event Services Office at NKU can match conference guests with many types of overnight accommodations on campus, with over 1,400 beds. The Campus Recreation Center is another location that can host a variety of events, and the Student Union has numerous meeting rooms and a large ballroom that can hold up to 500 for a banquet. The University Center has a ballroom that can fit 200 at round tables, as well as the Otto M. Budig Theater that can hold 250.
Truist Arena, a 10,000-seat multipurpose facility located on the NKU campus, is perfect for large sporting events, concerts, regional events and conventions.
Courtesy NKU
THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Groups taking advantage of campus event spaces can buy tickets to NKU Norse sporting events or see a show at NKU’s Haile Planetarium. The planetarium will also bring its Roaming Dome to events held in the area. The inflatable planetarium can seat 35 adults at a time.
Because of its location, the closest hotels to NKU are in Wilder, which is about three-and-a-half miles from campus. The Holiday Inn and Suites Wilder, Hampton Inn and Suites Wilder, and Comfort Inn and Suites Wilder are all close enough to take advantage of the university’s meeting spaces.
meetnky.com
MOREHEAD
Morehead is a unique community in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Known as an official Kentucky Trail Town, Morehead rerouted the Sheltowee Trace National Trail along its main street downtown. It is also seven miles from Cave Run Lake.
Morehead State University permeates all aspects of the city, since college students spend time in its downtown entertainment district for shopping, restaurants and concerts, and many of the people working in the city attended college there. Groups can meet on campus, but the largest event venue in the area is the Morehead Conference Center, with 27,000 square feet of events space, including an 18,000-square-foot exhibit hall. Eagle Lake is within walking distance of the conference center, making it easy for attendees to hike around the lake during their free time.
The Hampton Inn Morehead has 64 guest rooms and a small meeting room. Meeting attendees can stay at one of the city’s hotels or motels or rent a cabin or campsite for their visit.
Morehead is an outdoor mecca with hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and camping. Groups wanting to incorporate the university into their plans can buy group tickets to a sporting event or invite a guest lecturer from the university to speak at their events. For fun, attendees can watch a show at MSU’s Star Theater planetarium.
visitmorehead.com
Morehead State University permeates all aspects of the city, since college students spend time in its downtown entertainment district for shopping, restaurants and concerts, and many of the people working in the city attended college there.
entucky is known around the world for its dozens of distilleries, which make everything from its famous bourbon to rye whiskey, rum, vodka, liqueurs and absinthe. Here are six distilleries that capture the essence of Kentucky’s distilled heritage and also are great places to host events.
CASTLE AND KEY DISTILLERY
Frankfort
In Frankfort, Castle and Key Distillery is housed on a historic distillery property that was built by Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. in 1887 as his first distillery. It was inspired by European architecture and features a castle, a classical springhouse and a sunken garden. Prohibition forced the closure of the distillery in 1920, and the
property changed hands several times before falling into ruin. The current owner purchased the site in 2014. He restored abandoned buildings, keeping as much of its history as possible intact.
The original intention was to turn the property into a brewery and museum. But once it was discovered the property still retained all of the hardware necessary for distilling, including fermentation tanks, he decided to update the technology and relaunch a fully functioning distillery. Castle and Key makes vodka, gin, rye whiskey and bourbon. Groups can host cocktail parties or receptions for up to 400 at the springhouse. The sunken garden, which is an exact replica of one of the gardens at Windsor Castle, can host events for up to 125. The Shooking Building has space for up to 175.
Most groups that rent space on the property will add tours and tastings. The facility provides bars at all of the events so guests can sample the different spirits created there. castleandkey.com
By Southern Native Photography, courtesy Castle & Key
IN FRANKFORT, CASTLE AND KEY DISTILLERY IS A REBOOT OF A DISTILLERY FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1887.
JAMES B. BEAM DISTILLING CO.
Clermont
James B. Beam Distilling, maker of world-famous Jim Beam, has been crafting whiskey since 1795. The 500-acre historic property in Clermont is “hauntingly beautiful” with its old warehouses, stills and barrels, making it a unique place to host an event, said Tyler Himes, global brand manager.
Visitors to the property can see the entire whiskey-making process, from the grains grown onsite to the full distilling process. The Clermont property makes 16 different whiskeys, including Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Booker’s, Basil Hayden, Little Book, Hardins Creek and Old Grand-Dad. Groups wanting to take advantage of the beautiful property for meetings or events can rent out the Kitchen Table Bar and Restaurant, which can host groups of up to 120.
The Courtyard is an outdoor event space for 100 seated guests or 150 for a reception. The Cocktail Grove is an outdoor terrace behind the historic Baker Beam Home that can host large gatherings of 200. Smaller groups can rent out the century-old home or two conference rooms inside the Fred B. Noe Distillery. There’s also an event lawn for groups of up to 150.
Smaller groups can include private distillery tours and tastings or see the historic warehouses where the whiskey barrels are aged. beamdistilling.com
NEW RIFF DISTILLING
Newport
New Riff Distilling in Newport prides itself on making its sour mash whiskey with water drawn from an ancient aquifer and distilled in copper kettles. Every New Riff bourbon and rye is bottled under the highest quality standard in the world: the 1897 Bottled in Bond Act. It allows a slow, natural rise in fermentation temperature over a four-day period, and each barrel is aged for at least four years in a full-size 53-gallon barrel.
The distillery offers several tour and tasting experiences, including the Bonded tour, which gives visitors a firsthand look at the distilling process from grain to barrel and a complimentary tasting of a variety of spirits.
Groups wanting to host events there can rent out the facility’s new Tower Room, which is perfect for intimate celebrations centered around a glass of whiskey. The space can hold 20 to 26 for seated events or 40 to 60 for mingling events. Groups that rent the space can add on tours and tastings. For larger groups, the tours would be handled in shifts, with each tour taking between 30 and 40 minutes.
newriffdistilling.com
SECOND SIGHT SPIRITS
Ludlow
Two high school friends, Rick Couch, a mechanical engineer, and Carus Waggoner, an industrial designer, founded Ludlow’s
Courtesy James B. Beam
Courtesy New Riff Distillery
JAMES B. BEAM DISTILLING CO.
A TASTING ROOM AT NEW RIFF DISTILLERY
Second Sight Spirits in 2014 after visiting a Las Vegas distillery. The pair helped to create Cirque Du Soleil’s “LOVE” and “Viva Elvis” shows in Las Vegas, and when those shows ended, they decided to start their own artisan distillery in northern Kentucky. Second Sights makes bourbon, single malt whiskey, a variety of rums, hazelnut liqueur and absinthe.
The distillery offers tours on weekends and features a coffee shop and a cocktail lounge. The Second Sight Lounge is available for evening events Thursdays through Sundays. The lounge accommodates up to 92 people. Smaller groups can rent the lounge for business meetings or brainstorming sessions during the week, utilizing the cocktail bar and coffee shop and adding on tastings, tours or custom cocktails. Groups can bring in their own food and music to take advantage of the full stage. secondsightspirits.com
WHISKEY THIEF DISTILLING CO.
Frankfort
Whiskey Thief Distilling is a 12-year-old craft distillery on a 127-acre working farm in Franklin County. The facility grows its own corn for use in bourbons and whiskeys, and it produces between 600 and 1,000 barrels annually.
“Whiskey relies on tourism,” said Walter Zausch, owner and CEO of Whiskey Thief. “We offer a real hands-on, authentic experience for people.”
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The distillery makes its spirits one batch at a time using craft pot distillation, which means that every batch is slightly different than the one before. The company takes its name from a copper tool about two-anda-half feet long that allows a person to pull samples of whiskey out of a barrel. Called a whiskey thief, the device has been in use for hundreds of years.
Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. makes its spirits one batch at a time using craft pot distillation, which means that every batch is slightly different than the one before.
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The distillery allows its guests to use the whiskey thief to sample spirits and even fill their own bottles to take home. Groups can hold events on the property after hours, host tastings in the large barn where the fermentation tanks and still are located, or take advantage of the outside spaces and patios. The property can accommodate up to 300 guests. The distillery is opening a new location in Louisville that will offer the same tasting and bottling experiences available at its Frankfort site. It will accommodate 40 in a meeting room and 200 for the entire space.
whiskeythief.com
GREEN RIVER DISTILLING CO.
Owensboro
Since 1885, Kentuckians have been crafting whiskey at the site of what is now Green River Distilling. The distillery holds the 10th-oldest Distilled Spirits Plant number in the state. Its signature product was reintroduced in 2022. The distillery makes a variety of bourbon and rye whiskeys.
The Bottling House can host up to 350 guests for corporate events or parties. The space comes with 37 round tables, 350 chairs and service tables for catering. Green River also has a mobile bar unit called the Whiskey Wagon that can travel to off-site events.
Groups that host events at the Owensboro facility can add tours and tastings, including “sit and sips,” distillery tours and tastings, and cocktail classes. The cocktail classes teach guests how to craft two specialty bourbon cocktails. Barrel thieving allows visitors to taste three products pulled directly from hand-selected barrels during a behind-the-scenes tour. The distillery tour takes visitors through 28 acres of bourbon production and barrel storage areas and includes a tasting of several products.
greenriverwhiskey.com
Groups that host events at the Green River Distilling Co. Owensboro facility can add tours and tastings, including “sit and sips,” distillery tours, and tastings and cocktail classes.
Courtesy Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.
A TOUR AT WHISKEY THIEF DISTILLING CO.
Courtesy Green River Distilling Co.
A MURAL AT THE GREEN RIVER DISTILLERY
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Meetings in Paducah, KY
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