Small Market Meetings October 2018

s ’ a d i r o l F

ENDURING APPEAL

Winter Destinations Booking Speakers Champaign, Illinois O C T O B E R

2 0 1 8

Let’S StArt PLAnning John S. Knight Center | AKron, oh

15 Minutes Away From CAK

Staff Is 87% Friendlier Than The Other Guys

8 Out Of 10 Visitors Rate Food “Excellent”

99% Chance Of A Successful Event*

35 Minutes Away From CLE

(the other 2 think it’s “Really Good”)

John S. Knight Center

123,000 Square Feet For Convening, Collaborating, Dining & Even Dancing.

279 Combined Years Of Employee Service

79 Steps To Some Great Guacamole

Whether it’s a one-night event or week-long conference, our professional staff at the John S. Knight Center is here to ensure a top-notch experience both inside and out.

Call 800.245.4254 or visit johnsknightcenter.org for more information and to reserve your space.

Akron, oH

* 1% accounts for the unlikely event of a volcanic eruption

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Courtesy Visit Champaign Co.

Volume 19

Issue 10

October 2018

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Meet Desiree Everett

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.This Travel Portland executive has a long history of hospitality..................................

Book Your Best Speakers Learn the process for identifying and booking the ideal keynotes for your events....

Winter Destinations These cities embrace the elements for winter meetings.............................................

Courtesy Paducah CVB

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A Champaign Toast This Illinois city has thriving technology and culture scenes.............................

Kentucky’s Creative City Paducah is recognized worldwide for its arts heritage.........................................

Florida Meeting Guide .Explore the unique venues and meetings resorts of the Sunshine State.......................

Courtesy Ponte Vedra Inn and Club

On the cover: A pier reaches into the Atlantic Ocean from the Reach Waldorf Astoria resort in the Florida Keys. Photo by Susanne Kremer.

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS is published monthly by Pioneer Publishing, Inc., 301 E. High St., Lexington, KY 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified meeting planners who plan meetings in small and medium size towns and cities. All other meeting industry suppliers, including hotels, conference centers, convention centers, destinations, transportation companies, restaurants and other meeting industry-related companies may subscribe by sending a check for $39 for one year to: Small Market Meetings, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (866) 356-5128 (toll-free) or (859) 225-1452. Fax: (859) 253-0499. Copyright SMALL MARKET MEETINGS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

For Sales Call

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20 26 30

Kyle Anderson 866-356-5128

kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com

Mac T. Lacy Publisher/Partner maclacy@grouptravelleader.com

Brian Jewell Editor brian@smallmarketmeetings.com

Herbert Sparrow Executive Editor/Partner hsparrow@grouptravelleader.com

Ashley Ricks graphic designer

production@smallmarketmeetings.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Daniel Jean-Louis Savannah Osbourn Account Manager Staff writer daniel@grouptravelleader.com Christine Clough Copy editor Kyle Anderson Account Manager Rena Baer kyle@smallmarketmeetings.com Proofreader

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Meetings Leaders — Desiree Everett September 23-25

By Molly Phillips

“P

urely by accident,” said Desiree Everett, director of convention sales at Travel Portland, when asked how she fell in love with the hospitality industry. It was a part-time job she took at a Hyatt in Phoenix Desiree Everett during college that first attracted the management major to the hotel business.

“What I loved about working in hospitality — and why I think it ended up sticking — is that I got to help people,” she said. “And at the end of the day, that’s what I enjoy.”

Following her time at the Hyatt, Everett returned to her native Pacific Northwest and worked in sales at an Embassy Suites in Portland, Oregon, then an independent boutique hotel. After that, she moved to the Crowne Plaza at the convention center before making her way to Travel Portland in 2007.

That time on the hotel side of the table proved to be the perfect runway to her role at the state’s largest destination marketing organization.

“I always think of my job as an extension of the sales force of the hotel; I’m a liaison between the meeting planners and all of the resources that we have in the city,” said Everett. She passes on that same mentality to the team of 15 people she oversees in her role as director, mentoring others as they build relationships with meeting planners and local entities alike.

In her more than two decades in Portland, Everett has seen the city transformed from a small West Coast city into a bespoke global destination for the outdoor enthusiast, culture vulture, entrepreneur and more.

“Now the destination sells itself,” Everett said. “People are actually saying when thinking of meeting destinations, ‘Hey, let’s go to Portland.’”

Though the makers’ movement, cult restau-

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Conference Report

Photos courtesy Travel Portland

Desiree Everett introduces meeting planners to the beautiful mountain landscapes surrounding Portland, Oregon. rant followings and popular TV show “Portlandia” have all contributed to Portland’s recently elevated profile, Everett has known for a long time what a gem the city is.

“If you’re outdoorsy at all, it’s a great place to be,” she said. “You’re 90 minutes to the ocean, and you’re 90 minutes to the mountains. It’s been a great place for my family.”

When she’s not helping visitors savor the city, you can find Everett running in Forest Park, shopping at farmers markets or spending a day in Oregon’s neighboring wine country at a local vineyard.

Along with the city’s profile, how people plan meetings has also shifted dramatically since Everett joined Travel Portland. Many

planners start their process online instead of picking up the phone. Despite this, Everett still sees her team and the destination marketing industry growing in size and importance.

“It always helps to have someone on the ground who can make real recommendations, who’s seen the property you’re looking at, who can give you the inside scoop on things that might not be readily searchable or on a hotel website,” she said.

What are some of those less-searchable treasures Everett recommends? Powell’s Books, Salt and Straw Ice Cream, and the city’s multiple “urban wineries” make the list. For the rest, you’ll have to plan your own meeting in Portland.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Executive Profile NAME Desiree Everett

TITLE Director of Convention Sales

ORGANIZATION Travel Portland

LOCATION Portland, Oregon

BIRTHPLACE Pasco, Washington

EDUCATION B.A. in Management and Organizational Leadership, George Fox University

CAREER HISTORY Hotel sales and sales management, with positions at the Portland Hyatt, Embassy Suites and the Crowne Plaza

Tips from Desiree Everett • Use your DMO (or CVB) because it’s a valuable resource on the destination and there is no charge for most of its services.

• Take time to site visit the destinations you are considering, if your schedule and budget allow.

• Portland is a great place to hold your next event.

October 2018

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Two New Meetings Hotels Open in Southern Appalachia

Courtesy Bristol Hotel

Courtesy Foundry Hotel

Left: Groups can hold events at the Bristol Hotel’s Lumacs Rooftop Bar. Right: The Foundry Hotel is located in a former foundry in Asheville.

Two new hotels in southern Appalachia opened in September to guests and eventgoers. Both offer immersive local programming for breakouts and regionally inspired cuisine as catering options for groups.

Foundry Hotel: Set in Asheville, North Carolina’s former steel foundry, known for forging the steel used in the Biltmore Estate, The Foundry Hotel features 4,000 square feet of historic indoor and outdoor event space, including the Eagle Boardroom, which can seat up to 14 people; the 2,400-square-foot Event Lawn, which can be tented upon request; and the 1,800-square-foot Savoy Ballroom that can accommodate 120 guests.

Iron & Clay, the hotel’s regionally inspired farm-to-table restaurant led by famed local chef John Fleer, is available for all-event catering.

Locally inspired breakout sessions include the following:

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Industry News

• Wildflower Bouquet Making: interactive classes that honor the diverse wildflowers in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• Herbal Apothecary: local certified herbalists courtesy of Alchemy Asheville that educate groups on the benefits and uses of Appalachian Mountain herbs and essential oils.

• Eco-Friendly Leaf Peeping: land, air and/ or sea sightseeing via the hotel’s chauffeured Tesla house car, eco-friendly balloon rides with Asheville Hot Air Balloons or private paddleboat rides along the French Broad River with French Broad Boatworks.

Bristol Hotel: The first and only boutique hotel in Bristol, Virginia, The Bristol Hotel is in one of the city’s striking 1925 architectural landmarks and reflects design elements from Bristol’s past industries of glass, leather, steel and denim.

For meetings and events, guests can book Lumacs Rooftop Bar; the historic 1920s

Arcade; The Reynolds Boardroom, named after the original hotel structure’s builder, Hardin Reynolds; or the King Ballroom and the Shelby Ballroom, which both honor the original town owners, James King and Evan Shelby.

Event catering is cooked on-site at Vivian’s Table, the hotel’s soulful restaurant that showcases locally sourced, southern Appalachian cuisine. Group programming will include the following: • Banjo Lessons: musical breakout session with Tami Stoughton of Banjo Hangout.

• Local Denim Making: a class in how denim is produced in which participants can customize a denim jacket at Bristol’s longestrunning family business, L.C. King’s denim factory.

• Appalachian Wildcrafting: wildcrafting classes led by a local herbalist to teach guests about using native Appalachian herbs as natural remedies.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Savannah Marriott Riverfront Completes $20 Million Redesign

Photo courtesy Savannah Marriott Riverfront

The renovated Savannah Marriott Riverfront showcases the beauty of the city’s RiverWalk.

SAVANNAH, Georgia — The Savannah Marriott Riverfront has completed a full renovation of guest rooms, the atrium, meeting and event space and more.

Adjacent to highly acclaimed River Street,

October 2018

the hotel is in downtown Savannah, Georgia, overlooking the historic riverfront. Owned and operated by the Columbia Sussex Corporation, the hotel has 387 revamped guest rooms and common spaces that make guests feel like part of the neighborhood.

These spaces include the Atrium Great Room Restaurant and Bar with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern lounge space, creative meeting spaces and a sensible lower lobby.

“The ideas behind the redesign were very much based on the characteristics of Savannah and Southern charm, mixed with hospitality and lure, to create a new sense of arrival and a keen sense of the Southern culture,” said Jody McIntyre, director of sales and marketing for the hotel. “Marriott hotels are all about the hotel experiences consumers want, no matter what generation you’re from, so we’re thrilled to be introducing spaces that work for the locals as much as they do for

those visiting the city, both millennials and nonmillennials.”

Keeping in mind that this leading event destination is famous for its blend of history, artistry and Southern charm, events held at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront will be in the center of it all. Twenty versatile rooms feature 40,000 square feet for meetings and events for group of 10 to 1,600 participants.

All meeting spaces have been refreshed with new carpet, an infusion of art, modern neutral-colored furniture and lighting.

The redesigned guest rooms employ a modern palette and flexible furnishings designed for the way guests like to work and stay. Every room features USB plug points next to the nightstand outlets.

Guests can enjoy riverfront views of ships sailing in and out of port from all over the world at the hotel’s restaurant, Blue, A Savannah Bistro.

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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Creative ideas for planning better holiday parties

By Vickie Mitchell

I

n early September, I walked into a retail store, and there, just past the plastic pumpkins, was Christmas: wreaths, bows, Santas and snowmen. It was a reminder that holiday parties are just around the corner.

The internet is packed with advice on how to shake up the Santa season. But how your company or organization marks the holidays should be less about what’s touted in Martha Stewart Living and more about what your audience will most enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get your plans ho, ho, ho-ing along.

where films from different eras can play on a loop. Station food and drink nearby that tie to the movie’s theme. For example, pair the classic “A Christmas Story” with a Chinese buffet, lit by a “leg” lamp. Or serve shepherd’s pie and trifle for those who want to watch “Love Actually,” a holiday favorite set in London.

For a more interactive evening, collect the most popular board games from each of the last three or four decades, set them up in different corners of the ballroom and add food and music that was popular in each decade.

Pick an activity that’s up everyone’s alley.

Those who are blessed with so much find satisfaction in helping others, especially during the holidays. Housing organizations often enlist groups to paint or winterize homes for the poor or senior citizens on fixed incomes. The Salvation Army and other service organizations always need donations of food and toys — often, groups can play Santa by fulfilling a needy family’s Christmas wish list.

Or, your group might ask a local school how it could pitch in to help — maybe the answer will be helping to build a playground or painting a mural to brighten a boring wall.

“

The holidays are nostalgic, and movies, music and games are good ways to evoke memories of good times.

A holiday party can be a good time to level the playing field with an activity anyone can do. Bowling is perfect. About 50 million Americans bowl at least once a year, and the sport requires little athleticism or training. One of its rewards is seeing who will shine, and it’s often the person you’d least expect.

Bowling alleys are also winners because they come with food and drink — nothing fancy, but grub that everyone usually enjoys. Teams that combine different departments can help build camaraderie; you could also build external relationships by inviting clients or suppliers along. Prizes can be creative: most original bowling form, for example. If your company is based in a place where winter is warm, you could play miniature golf or croquet, or visit an arcade.

Nothing holds a candle to holiday flicks and food.

The holidays are nostalgic, and movies, music and games are good ways to evoke memories of good times. When the audience is multigenerational, set up two or three minitheaters

Give time and assistance to others.

One last thought — Christmas in January?

I came across this idea in several places, and it makes sense for multiple reasons. The short window between Thanksgiving and Christmas is always packed with activities and obligations.

Why not turn your “holiday” party into a “Hooray for 2019” celebration? By waiting until mid-January, you’ll improve attendance, give your employees and staff something to look forward to, probably save money and make some venue very happy to have a booking in that always-slow first quarter of the year.

Vickie Mitchell is the former editor of Small Market Meetings.

If you have ideas for future columns, contact her at vickiemitchell11915@gmail.com.

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MeetingPoint

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Professionally Speaking Follow these steps to find great keynote presenters for your events

By Savannah Osbourn

B

ooking a speaker for the first time can be overwhelming, which is why speakers bureaus like Garrett Speakers International work hard to help planners locate the best possible candidates.

Company founder Betty Garrett spoke with us about some of the most important factors to consider on the subject, drawing upon over four decades of experience in the meetings industry.

Pinpoint your main objectives.

Before anything else, planners should determine the key objectives for their meeting and consider how an ideal speaker would fit into those goals.

“Why are we having this meeting? That’s the most important question planners can ask when their boss comes to them and says, ‘We need a speaker,’” said Garrett.

Some of these considerations could involve looking at the demographic of the group, such as profession, age and gender. If it is an all-male audience, then it may not be a good idea to bring in a female speaker, and vice versa. Likewise, if the audience largely consists of baby boomers, then planners may want to be careful about booking a younger speaker who may not be able to relate to an older audience. However, these factors could change depending on the context.

October 2018

All photos courtesy Garrett Speakers International

Finding the right keynote presenter can be an essential element in planning events that attendees will enjoy and appreciate.

Build a relationship with a speakers bureau.

Speakers bureaus are companies that act as a liaison between event planners and professional speakers, often working within a carefully selected database of speakers. Some bureaus even work with planners beyond the booking process, helping them negotiate travel arrangements, ground transportation, book sales and more.

“If I were someone new to this, I would develop a relationship with a speakers bureau because you have 57,000 so-called speakers out on the market,” said Garrett. “It’s a glut, so how can you find a good resource without knowing who’s good and who isn’t? Bureaus can save you time, money and energy and provide protection with insurance in case anything should happen at the last minute.”

Some planners might be wary about working with a speakers bureau because of misconceptions about the cost. But speakers bureaus basically act as agents of the speakers they represent, and the speakers pay them a percentage of their fee. For meeting planners, the speakers bureau acts as a complimentary resource.

If bad weather or some other mishap prevents the speaker from reaching the event, speakers bureaus can step in at a moment’s notice with a backup plan. Planners that choose to work directly with speakers would

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A speakers bureau can help meeting planners find presenters with the perfect expertise for their audience. have to scramble to work out those logistics on their own.

“If you’re a planner, you don’t have time to worry about things like that,” said Garrett. “But when you go to a bureau, we do the magic and make you look like a hero.”

Unless stated otherwise in their contract, planners are welcome to work with more than one speakers bureau at once, but it is advisable to build a consistent working relationship with one reputable company.

“You may have a small budget right now, but next year your budget might be bigger, so go to the resources that know the business and let them help you as much as they can along the way,” said Garrett.

Big mistake. If the chemistry is not there between you and the speaker, then it’s not going to work.”

During this conversation, planners should outline the event objectives and demographics, and then find out how the speaker plans to customize the speech to meet those needs. Any questions or concerns should be laid out on the table so there is no confusion about the planner’s expectations and goals.

“Don’t assume that the speaker can read your mind,” said Garrett. “You have to guide and educate so that they can do the very best for you.”

Get to know your speaker.

When it comes to booking speakers, one of the biggest mistakes that new or inexperienced planners make is overlooking crucial details in the contract, which acts as a planner’s fail-safe against potential mishaps or misunderstandings. Every “What if?” question should be factored into the contract.

For example, it is always prudent to have the speaker arrive at the host destination the night before the speech in case of weather delays, equipment malfunctions and other setbacks.

“If they refuse to come in the night before, go find someone else because there’s too many things that could happen,” said Garrett. “I would put that in the contract so that there’s no room for discussion.”

The contract is also an opportunity to outline everything a planner expects from the speaker, whether it is a meet-and-greet after the meeting or attending a VIP reception before the event. For further protection, many planners have begun incorporating morality clauses into contracts in case of any unsavory behavior.

If planners do choose to work directly with a speaker, the first thing they should do is ask for three references and call them.

“There are three things that I ask: If Joe Blow has been to your meeting, what was his strength? What was his weakness, and was he able to relate to the audience? And — probably the most important question — would you be willing to hire this speaker again?” said Garrett. “If there’s any hesitancy, then you know there were problems.”

Planners should also schedule a phone conversation with the speaker to hash out any final considerations. If necessary, they can include this stipulation in the contract.

“Make sure that you have a conference call to meet with that speaker and powers that be at least three weeks out before the event,” said Garrett.

“I always try to get planners to have a call before the decision is made, and for some reason, they usually want to wait until after the contract is signed.

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Managing Meetings

Read the fine print.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Experts recommend meeting planners talk to speakers in advance of booking to communicate their goals and expectations.

“If you hire a speakerand the speaker was later filmed on TV using profanity or participating in a riot, it would be an embarrassment to have that speaker as a keynote speaker,” said Garrett. “The morality clause gives you an out.”

Another item planners may want to include in the contract is a flat travel fee, which removes the possibility of any unexpected costs.

“It used to be in thepast you had a speaker fee plus expenses,” said Garrett. “So unless you put in the contract that they don’t fly first-class, then guess what: You’ve got to pay for a first-class ticket.”

With a flat travel fee, planners can know in advance how much they have to budget for travel in addition to accommodations, ground transportation and food.

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October 2018

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Embrace the Elements These destinations come alive for winter meetings

Courtesy Visit Fort Collins

By Savannah Osbourn

Colorado’s mountain scenery makes winter an ideal time for meetings and activities in Fort Collins.

uring the winter months, many meeting destinations offer more affordable rates and flexible dates, giving planners a wider range of options when scheduling events. In addition, there are often winter-based activities and attractions that groups may not have the chance to experience later in the year, such as snowshoeing, ice skating, hockey games and other winter sports.

For anyone planning a winter meeting or event, here are five dynamic destinations to consider.

During the colder months, groups can relish the breathtaking snowcovered mountain landscape with activities like skiing, tubing, snowboarding and snowshoeing on over 185 different slopes and trails. For those hoping to escape the elements, there are also many cultural events at local theaters and performing arts centers, which include venues like the Applause Nightclub, the historic Sherman Theater, the Ritz Company Playhouse and the Casino Theatre Entertainment Centre.

Meeting planners can choose from several beautiful hotel and resort properties in the area with spacious meeting venues, first-rate amenities and on-site planning staff. Home to America’s largest indoor water park, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions plans to more than double the size of its convention center by the end of 2019, providing 18 additional meeting rooms for a total of 205,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Split Rock Resort and Golf Club offers 76,000 square feet of meeting and convention space with 10 meeting rooms and a 45,000-square-foot convention center. Other midsize meeting venues can be found at the Chateau Resort and Conference Center, the

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Pocono Mountains Pennsylvania

Just a 90-minute drive from New York City and Philadelphia, the Pocono Mountains span four counties in northeast Pennsylvania with 2,400 square miles of rolling terrain, lush woodland and cascading waterfalls. This fourseason destination offers a wide range of outdoor recreation and entertainment throughout the year, with 35 premier golf courses, 12 wineries and breweries, eight spas and over a dozen historic sites.

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Meeting Ideas

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy Elizabeth Hotel

The Chestnut Ballroom provides an elegant space for winter banquets at the Elizabeth Hotel in Fort Collins.

Bushkill Inn and Conference Center and the Skytop Lodge and Executive Conference Center. www.poconomountains.com

Fort Collins, Colorado

No matter what time of year they visit, business travelers will find much to appreciate and explore within the charming city of Fort Collins, which embodies some of Colorado’s best cultural features: breathtaking mountain vistas, a diverse culinary scene and a historic downtown area. The scenic region is just an hour from Denver International Airport and Rocky Mountain National Park, making it easy to reach for meeting groups.

“One thing to remember about our destination is that we have 300 days of sunshine each year,” said Erik Barstow, director of sales at Visit Fort Collins. “More often than not, weather is not going to be an issue.”

The winter months are a wonderful time to visit the Fort Collins area. The city offers excellent snowshoeing opportunities in and

October 2018

around town, especially near the Horsetooth Reservoir and Poudre Canyon. Another popular local activity is fat biking, riding a bicycle specifically designed for snow trails. Planners can contact one of the outfitters or guides in town to organize a fat-biking adventure as an unforgettable after-hours excursion.

Based near downtown, the recently renovated Hilton Fort Collins is Fort Collins’ premier meeting facility and conference center; the center features over 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space as well as the only hotel rooms in town with mountain views. Likewise, the Fort Collins Marriott provides 17 meeting rooms with a total of 18,038 square feet of space.

After hours, groups can wander through the city’s lovely Old Town Square or tour some of the 20-plus craft breweries in the area. Other notable off-site venues include the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, the Fort Collins Lincoln Center and Block One Events. www.visitftcollins.com

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Cheyenne, Wyoming

Meet Come for the meeting...

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

Only Carbondale.

Just hearing the name Cheyenne often evokes imagery of cowboys, rodeos and trains.

Wyoming’s capital city is well known for its rich Western heritage, which comes to life through modern attractions like the Cheyenne Depot Museum, the Nelson Museum of the West and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum. And thanks to the city’s proximity to natural treasures, such as Medicine Bow National Forest and Curt Gowdy State Park, visitors can also take advantage of world-class outdoor recreation like mountain biking and rock climbing.

“During the wintertime, we offer some really great opportunities for meeting groups to get out of the standard hotel and do something cool and memorable someplace that people are going to remember in three or four years,” said Jim Walter, director of sales and marketing at Visit Cheyenne.

Meeting planners will find all the amenities and services they need at the Little America Hotel and Resort Cheyenne, Wyoming’s largest convention hotel. The hotel offers more than 38,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, with capacity for up to 1,000 guests. This fall, a brand new 25,000-square-foot sports facility called the Beast opens in Cheyenne, providing a versatile space for both sporting and trade show events.

One of the most impressive after-hours event venues in Cheyenne is the new Grand Conservatory at the Cheyenne Botanical Gardens, which features a lush tropical plant collection with 34-foot-tall palm trees, a bonsai house and a Baroque-style orangery. For a taste of the Wild West, groups can pay a visit to the Terry Bison Ranch Resort and take a narrated train ride through a working bison ranch. The ranch also offers ATV tours, horseback riding and an on-site restaurant called the Senator’s Steakhouse. www.cheyenne.org

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Just a short drive from Chicago and Milwaukee in southeastern Wisconsin, Lake Geneva is characterized by lavish resorts and beautiful Gilded Age mansions surrounding a lake.

Throughout the year, groups can take advantage of a wide range of activities and attractions, from musicals and magic shows to outdoor sports like skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.

“Lake Geneva is a four-season recreation and resort destination,” said Julie Baron, public relations representative at Visit Geneva. “Some people might think that it’s only a place to go during the summer because of the word ‘lake,’ but there’s a lot of events and activities that people could piggyback their meeting on.”

The city frequently hosts conventions and events of all sizes, including the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship, a weeklong event that draws snow sculptors from all over the country to build incredible snow sculptures around the lake, some that stand nearly 10 feet tall.

Attendees can take their pick of accommodations in town, which range from quaint historic hotels to full-service resorts. The Abbey Resort, the only full-service resort right on the banks of Lake Geneva, caters to meeting groups with 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, 334 luxury guest rooms, a team-building program and an award-winning spa.

One of only five AAA four-diamond resorts in Wisconsin, Grand Geneva Resort and Spa features two championship golf courses, three restaurants and 62,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. Planners can use the on-site Adventure Center for after-hours activities such as skiing, hiking, biking, volleyball and disc golf. Other major resorts in the area include the Geneva National Resort and the Lake Lawn Resort.

In town, groups can explore the local theater scene with stops at exceptional venues like the Fireside Dinner Theatre, the Tristan Crist Magic Theatre and the Dancing Horses Theatre. To see some of the striking estates in the area, visitors can follow the 21-mile Geneva Shore Path, which travels right through the backyards of many historic mansions around the lake. www.visitlakegeneva.com

Toledo, Ohio

618-529-4451

carbondaletourism.org

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Meeting Ideas

Toledo, Ohio, is home to a thriving downtown area with distinctive dining, shops, museums, artisan workshops and more, providing plenty of entertainment outlets for meeting groups during the colder months.

Planners can take advantage of several first-rate meeting facilities and hotel properties. Nestled in the heart of downtown, the SeaGate Convention Centre features 75,000 square feet of columnfree meeting space with 19 meeting rooms. It is within a short drive of major attractions like the

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy Visit Lake Geneva

The U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship draws thousands of visitors to Lake Geneva.

Convenient. Customizable. Culture-rich.

Albany is more than a meeting place.

It’s a meeting destination.

Visit www.albany.org to find out more. ®NYSDED

October 2018

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Toledo Zoo and the Toledo Museum of Art. Next door, the Park Inn by Radisson connects to the convention center through a skywalk and offers an additional 12,000 square feet of space.

Also based in downtown, the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel holds up to 1,500 meeting attendees with 25,063 square feet of space and 13 event rooms. The Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center provides a more scenic facility on expansive, wooded grounds where guests can enjoy hiking, biking, birding and skiing.

After a meeting, attendees can unwind with a hockey game at the Huntington Center, catch a comedy show at the Funny Bone Comedy Club or try out a glassblowing class at one of Toledo’s many artisan glasswork shops. The Middlegrounds Metro Park is a 28-acre urban park on the Maumee River that features a 1.5-mile walking and cycling trail along the water, a peaceful retreat where visitors can stretch their legs and admire the waterfront.

Near downtown, many groups enjoy an evening walk through Hensville, an urban entertainment district with bars, restaurants and live-music venues. Around the holidays, these bars and buildings are often adorned with streams of multicolored lights and other festive decor.

Other indoor attractions worth checking out are the Hollywood Casino Toledo, the Imagination Station science museum and Trapped Toledo, an escape-game attraction. www.visittoledo.org Courtesy Visit Cheyenne

Meeting attendees enjoy a chocolate fountain during a meeting in Cheyenne.

WESTERN

Authenticity. Hospitality. Experience.

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

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Meeting Ideas

CHEYENNE.ORG | 800-426-5009 www.smallmarketmeetings.com

2018 october half page.pdf 1 9/10/2018 1:50:48 PM

Courtesy Destination Toledo

Buildings surrounding Toledo’s Hensville Park are decked in colorful lights during the winter.

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October 2018

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ONE SMART CITY Education and technology are propelling growth in Champaign

By Paula Aven Gladych

Broadway Food Hall features food created from Illinois ingredients.

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Destination Showcase

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“We are the fastest-growing city in Illinois three years running. That is extremely exciting for us.”

T

he “bubbly” city of Champaign, Illinois, has become a Midwestern high-tech hub and a foodie paradise, as well as a vibrant metropolitan area with two distinct downtown districts. Almost exactly in the middle of the country and one to two and a half hours’ driving distance from Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis, Champaign offers everything that makes a Tier One city great — including the service — without the hefty price tag.

With 4,200 hotel rooms and 240,000 square feet of venue meeting space, the area has quite a burgeoning conference and special-event scene.

“The University of Illinois, the hub of our city, has been the catalyst that propelled us into where we are currently and also where we’re going,” said Caitlyn Floyd, director of sales for Visit Champaign County, the local convention and visitors bureau. “We are the fastest-growing city in Illinois three years running. That is extremely exciting for us.”

A Smart City The university has one of the top engineering schools in the country, ranked sixth in undergraduate and ninth in graduate programs nationally. Because of that, the government decided the Urbana-Champaign campus was the perfect place to locate Blue Waters, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world. That partnership has fueled the region’s growth as a mini-Silicone Valley with the likes of Intel, Yahoo, John Deere and other Fortune 500 companies opening incubators in the area.

Many conferences offer tours of the University of Illinois campus, the Research Park at the University of Illinois and Blue Waters.

Downtown Champaign is made up of four city blocks with 40 locally owned restaurants and bars, offering everything from fine dining to brewpubs and cafes. It also boasts a

October 2018

lively music scene, numerous shopping districts, major street festivals and art shows. Nearby Campustown, on the west side of the university campus, offers its own eclectic, vibrant scene that caters to a younger crowd and offers a melting pot of diversity from all over the world.

Both are within easy walking distance of the major conference hotels in the area.

Nearby, conferencegoers can visit the famed Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul, Illinois, or check out the craftsmanship of central Illinois’ Amish culture in Arthur. The area is also host to native son Roger Ebert’s Film Festival at the historic Virginia Theatre.

University of Illinois All photos courtesy Visit Champaign Co.

Champaign, Illinois LOCATION

East central Illinois ACCESS

University of Illinois Willard Airport, interstates 74, 72 and 57 MAJOR MEETING SPACES

I Hotel and Conference Center; Hilton Garden Inn Champaign/Urbana; Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana; Illini Union Hotel HOTEL ROOMS

4,200 OFFSITE VENUES

Pear Tree Estate, Willow Creek Farm, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch CONTACT INFO

Visit Champaign County 800-369-6151 www.visitchampaigncounty.org

Major Meeting Hotels The I Hotel and Conference Center is Champaign’s largest conference property. The boutique hotel, with 125 rooms, is right across the street from the city’s sports complex and is attached to the university’s Research Park, so it is “very innovative and very modern and sleek,” said Floyd. “It is a beautiful property.”

The complex uses state-of-the-art technology throughout its 38,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes 12 conference rooms, two ballrooms and 10 meeting rooms.

It also features an on-site bar and restaurant called Houlihan’s and has a full spa on property.

The nearby trio of Hilton-branded hotels make up the area’s second-largest conference venue, with 20,000 square feet of meeting space scattered throughout the city’s Hilton Garden Inn, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton properties.

Combined, the hotels have 301 guest rooms.

The properties are about a decade old, but the meeting space and guest rooms were recently renovated.

“They have great ownership that invests in the property,” said Floyd.

For smaller meetings or events, the Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana in the heart of downtown has 145 rooms, including five cor-

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Pear Tree Estate is an ideal location for retreats and off-site meetings in Champaign. ner suites with 180-degree views of downtown Champaign and Campustown. Many planners from the surrounding big cities use the space for board retreats because of the area’s accessibility by interstate highway and regional airport.

The Illini Union Hotel is in the heart of the University of Illinois campus overlooking the Quad. It has 72 rooms and two VIP suites, and it can accommodate up to 900 guests in its main ballroom. It also has 24 breakout rooms.

Champaign’s Unique Venues

A group enjoys an outdoor reception at Pear Tree Estate.

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Destination Showcase

If planners are looking for a more intimate conference setting, Champaign has three unique spaces within a short drive of downtown.

The Pear Tree Estate is a nationally recognized meeting space that can accommodate 400 people. It was founded by a local sister duo, Annie and Lauren Murray, who have made a name for themselves in the industry because of their culinary talents and high level of service.

With the help of friends and family, the sisters built the property from the ground up.

“The space is fantastic,” said Floyd. “We’ve been finding a lot of meetings and conventions looking for unique stand-alone facilities. They are one of our favorites.”

The Pear Tree is a beautiful property with wooden exposed beams, stained concrete, Edison bulbs, stone fireplaces and flexible meeting space. And although the service is exceptional, Floyd said the sisters knock it out of the park with their phenomenal food.

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I Hotel and Conference Center is Champaign’s largest meeting facility.

Many conference planners are looking for more creative spaces that give attendees outdoor experiences, as well as traditional meeting spaces for getting down to business, said Floyd.

“They are really intrigued with the space, and the food is great,” she said. “Everything is done on-site which lets them be more creative surrounded by a beautiful atmosphere.”

Willow Creek Farm is a sustainable farm-to-table venue about two miles from Urbana, Illinois, that provides a one-of-a-kind experience. Everything served on the farm, including beef, lamb and chicken, is grown or raised on the property. Seating for 250 people is in a rustic barn that is elegantly appointed. The space offers free on-site Wi-Fi and audiovisual equipment.

“This has also been a really popular option for groups looking to do something outside the venue where they are hosting their meeting,” Floyd said.

The venue offers five-course meals and wine pairings for large groups. Attendees can also take a tour of the farm, which is beautifully perched on a small lake.

Willow Creek is popular with Chicago groups that come down to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“It has been very well received,” Floyd said.

One of the more festive venues is the Colonnades Club, on the third floor of the university’s Memorial Stadium. The space stretches from end zone to end zone and can host events for up to 500 people in its 15,750-square-foot event space — just not on game days.

The Colonnades Club features vaulted ceilings, exposed brick and access to outdoor terraces facing both into the stadium and outside looking toward Campustown. Event planners can put their conference logos on the scoreboards and use the stadium lights.

“It is a really popular place for people who are alumni to the college or a sports fan in general or looking for an impressive and unique space,” Floyd said.

October 2018

When your meeting enjoys the amenities of one of the Midwest’s fastest growing cities.

From a prestigious university to thriving arts & culture, Champaign County delivers an Outside of Ordinary meeting experience.

SCHEDULE A SITE VISIT TODAY TO RECEIVE AN ILLINI T- SHIRT! 800.369.6151 | CAITLYNF@VISITCHAMPAIGNCOUNTY.ORG

CHAMPAIGNMEETS.COM

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Outside the City About 18 miles away from downtown, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch offers group tours that allow participants to feed graham crackers to the reindeer and even get a kiss from their favorite animal. It has a Western-themed banquet hall reminiscent of a Wild West saloon that serves chuck-wagon-style meals on tin plates. Visitors can also dress up in Western wear and pose for pictures.

A nearby area, Arthur, is part of Champaign County. It has Illinois’ largest Amish population and the fourth-largest Amish population in the country.

“A lot of people are coming here, especially international groups,” said Floyd. “It is definitely on their bucket list to make a half day over there and get to experience all that.”

A tour of Amish country includes visiting Amish homes, lunch on a farm where an Amish family prepares the meal and talks about the Amish culture and experience. Arthur’s downtown business district has numerous shops selling Amish handicrafts, handmade furniture, gifts and clothing.

The Amish community is about 40 minutes outside Champaign proper.

After-Meeting Fun

With 17 hotels, over 65 restaurants and countless attractions, the city of Effingham is a hub for activity in Central Illinois.

Here, you’ll find wide, open spaces, a bit of culture around every corner and hospitality that rivals the South.

Of course, convention attendees aren’t sitting in meetings the whole time. During their downtime, they can take pedal tours of either downtown Champaign or Campustown. Passengers pedal a large vehicle that looks like an open-air, covered tram, all while enjoying the history of the area and adult beverages. Planners can also organize brewery tours and tastings trails in Champaign, with eight local breweries to choose from.

Nearby Tuscola has an outlet mall and a 100-year-old family-owned candy factory that visitors can tour. Champaign also has a thriving arts scene and some world-class museums.

The area attracts thousands of visitors to its many festivals, including Pygmalion, a music, food, literature and technology festival that attracts more than 5,000 attendees every year in Urbana. The area also plays host to Illinois’ second-largest Pride Festival, outside of Chicago, and Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, which features films the organizers believe didn’t do as well at the box office as they should have. The 12 films are shown over five days in the historic Virginia Theatre, a 1920s-era movie house. Ebertfest also highlights the writers, actors, directors and producers of the various films and offers question-and-answer sessions with the audience.

www.visiteffinghamil.com 800-772-0750

Groups can explore Amish traditions in Arthur, a community about 40 minutes from Champaign.

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Destination Showcase

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Public art reflects Champaign’s “bubbly” personality.

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Find out more at TourismCares.org

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In just one day, more than 300 volunteers from 80 companies donated nearly $50,000 in volunteer labor hours to national and state parks in New York and New Jersey.

October 2018

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Patchwork Paducah

By Katherine Tandy Brown

Top: Floodwall murals showcase Paducah’s history and artistic culture.

P A D U C A H K E N T U C K Y LOCATION Western Kentucky, at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers ACCESS Interstate 24, Barkley Regional Airport MAJOR MEETING SPACES Paducah McCracken County Convention and Expo Center HOTEL ROOMS 2,400 OFF-SITE VENUES Carson Four Rivers Center for Performing Arts, Walker Hall Events Center, River Discovery Center, National Quilt Museum CONTACT INFO Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau 800-723-8224 www.paducah.travel

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Destination Showcase

Left: The National Quilt Museum is Paducah’s most-visited attraction.

P

aducah, Kentucky, is all about creativity, a common thread that draws folks from around the world to this UNESCO Creative City. Home to the National Quilt Museum and a flourishing fiber arts community, Paducah has built an entire economic sector around its arts.

Beginning in 2000, an artist relocation program brought in artists from across the country to live and work in turn-of-the-20th-century homes in Paducah’s oldest residential neighborhood. Now more than 20 artists offer handcrafted treasures from fine art to jewelry and lawn-size sculpture in the LowerTown Arts District. The program has become a national model.

In addition, an artist-in-residence initiative brings in artists from diverse backgrounds for two to four weeks to share their skills.

At the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, Paducah, in response to a devastating 1937 flood, constructed a 12.5-foot-tall floodwall. Now the “Wall-to-Wall” floodwall mural stretches three city blocks as a riverside art-and-history gallery, with 50-plus hand-painted panels that depict important events through the years.

Also a national model, a $100,000 Main Street revitalization during the past 20 years has transformed the city’s downtown into a vibrant destination teeming with locally owned restaurants — such as fifth-generation-run Kirchoff’s Bakery and Deli — eclectic shops, attractions and meetings venues. With brick-paved streets and vintage 19thcentury architecture, Paducah is a planner’s dream.

Recently expanded, the 110,000-square-foot Paducah-McCracken County Convention and Expo Center sits on the Ohio River. It features a 20,000-square-foot

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Stitch a Masterpiece The 27,000-square-foot National Quilt Museum is an elite art museum where gorgeous, contemporary and historic quilt creations hang side by side. Its extensive collection numbers more than 600 of the world’s finest works of quilt and fiber art.

Small to midsize groups can take guided gallery tours, then join forces to make a quilt block from scratch. Once complete, the quilt is framed to keep.

“Everyone’s been successful,” said Frank Bennett, the museum’s CEO. “We’ve had 80-year-old men who’ve never used a sewing machine complete a block.”

Roll on the Rivers Because the city lies at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers and close to the Mississippi and Cumberland rivers, Paducah is home to the River Discovery Center. Here groups can choose to pilot a towboat, speedboat or Coast Guard vessel on a state-of-the-art boat simulator. Visitors learn about waterways and river traffic.

“The river provides the safest, most environmentally friendly, efficient, economical method of moving goods,” said Julie Harris, executive director.

Beautifully restored, the mid-1800s building accommodates 60 in its Founders Room, which overlooks the rivers, or 100 in the classic Maiden Alley Theatre nearby.

All Photos courtesy Paducah CVB

ballroom that seats 1,900 theater style, plus 40,000 square feet of expo space.

Next door, the new Holiday Inn Paducah Riverfront has 123 rooms, 10 of them suites, and terrific river views.

Off-site venues include the gorgeous 1,806-seat Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center, home to the Paducah Symphony Orchestra, with river-view meeting, dinner and reception capabilities. A downtown arts hub, the Paducah School of Art and Design has meeting space. So do freshly revamped Walker Hall, with a 3,000-square-foot dance floor and 300-person capacity, and Market House Theatre, with several areas for small and large gatherings.

“Everyone out there has a convention center and hotels, but they don’t have the heart that Paducah has,” said Lynda Peters-Jones, director of convention sales for the Paducah McCracken County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our key is our culture. Our locals are open and friendly.

They’re the pulse of the city. That’s what separates us from everyone else.”

October 2018

Discover Paducah’s Heart

Meetings participants and their guests can get to know Paducah through its Signature Experiences. Perfect for team building or after-meeting entertainment, this new program sparks creative thinking by immersion in local culture and experiential tours. In additional to quilt-block-making at the National Quilt Museum and manning the River Discovery Center’s boat simulator, attendees can discover Paducah’s African-American heritage at the 1908 Hotel Metropolitan, once one of the only available hostelries for entertainers such as Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and B.B. King.

Beer and Wine Stops After their meetings, groups can kick back at the Dry Ground Brewing Company, the city’s first craft brewery. When 1937 floodwaters swamped Paducah’s Coca-Cola plant, its owner, rescued out a second-story window, swore he’d rebuild on the first dry ground he reached. He did. The brewery, with 28 beers on tap — 10 in-house — sits on that location.

For wine aficionados, the award-winning Purple Toad Winery, opened in 2009, is the state’s largest. Owner Allen Dossey was named Winemaker of the Year at the 2017 Indy International Wine Competition, where his wines won 16 awards. The winery offers tours and tastings.

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Go for the Gold

By Greg Martin, Courtesy IOC

By Kristy Alpert

W

ith a legacy that comprises centuries of successful gatherings and exciting events, the Olympic games have been bringing people from different backgrounds, nationalities and races together since the modern games began in 1896. During that one week, 241 athletes from 14 countries competed in 43 events in a celebration of strength, passion and dedication. In the last Olympic competition, the United States alone sent along 244 athletes to compete against athletes from 92 countries in 102 events.

The U.S. Olympic Committee is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, inside the state-of-the-art, $8 million U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC). Aside from housing the national headquarters, the center acts as a home away from home for a wide range of more than 500 athletes in training — among them boxers, swimmers, figure skaters and gymnasts — and their coaches, with on-site housing, dining facilities, training facilities, recreational facilities and other services.

Each year, more than 140,000 visitors arrive at the USOTC to get an inside look at the athletes working to make their Olympic dreams come true. Tours run daily, with custom and private tours available

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Venue Showcase

Courtesy USOTC

Top: Attendees can immerse themselves in team spirit at the United States Olympic Training Center.

Left: Groups meeting at the center can arrange Olympic torch relays. that include a 12-minute film and a 45-minute walking tour of the complex. The center includes the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Rotunda, a U.S. Olympic Store, indoor and outdoor dining facilities, a 225-seat auditorium and 12 meeting spaces that can host 2,000 or more guests at a time. Just like the athletes who train at this Olympic facility, the meetings held at the OSOTC are fueled by passion and run with precision.

With Olympic-themed add-ons and exclusive VIP experiences for guests, the USOTC is a championship-grade meeting facility that offers extensive amenities at competitive prices.

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Meeting Spaces The U.S. Olympic Training Center offers a variety of meeting spaces for small social gatherings, entertaining clients or even grand reunions with more than 2,000 guests. The center offers 12 event and meeting spaces and more than 65,000 square feet of combined meeting space. Spaces and their guest capacities include the

Coca-Cola Room, 20; the Glory Room, 40; the Gold Room, 48; the Honor Room, 50; the Olympic Cauldron Plaza, 50; the Olympic Pathway, the Silver Room, 40; the Spirit Room, 44; Sports Center 1, 650; Sports Center 2, 850; the Visitor’s Center, 250; and the West Wing Conference Center, 225.

Catering The center works exclusively with the Garden of the Gods Gourmet catering company, which has its own fair share of gold and “best of” awards to boast. The catering company and the Olympic center provide personalized menus for each meeting group. Whether it is passed hors d’oeuvres, a plated dinner or buffet food stations from Olympic

host cities around the world (i.e.

Pyeong Chang 2018, Los Angeles 2028, Paris 2024, Rio 2016, London 2012, or even Tokyo 2020), the flavors and options are as memorable as the events themselves. Alcohol is available through the center’s partnership with Peak Beverage, its exclusive alcohol distributor.

After Events

U.S. Olympic Training Center

Every event or meeting held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center comes with on-site event management, audiovisual equipment for a topquality lighting and sound experience, and a point of contact to help coordinate with preferred vendors.

Event rentals and banquet services are available, and the meetings team

is available to help customize any package to meet the needs of each event. A few favorite add-ons in the past have included athlete-led tours of the facility and private sport demonstrations. But the most popular add-on is booking one of the resident athletes to speak at the event.

LOCATION

Colorado Springs, Colorado

TYPE OF VENUE Off-site, Olympic center

CAPACITY 2,000

NEARBY ACCOMMODATIONS

Mining Exchange, A Wyndham Grand Hotel and Spa

CONTACT INFO 719-866-4618 www.teamusa.org

October 2018

Extras Aside from joining in on the free public tours conducted year-round at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, groups can take part in exclusive experiences at the center. Private tours led by Olympic athletes show groups around the complex in a VIP style, and adventurous groups can book an Olympic torch relay and

lighting ceremony experience while in the area. The meetings and events team at the center is skilled at putting together interactive sport experiences and team-building exercises, but groups are also free to shop the Team USA store or enjoy a meal inside the Team USA dining hall.

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Florida Originals

By Robin Roenker

Courtesy Dali Museum

The architecture of St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum represents the avant-garde sensibilities of the famous painter.

A

lthough the Sunshine State is best known for its beaches, it’s also home to an array of one-of-a-kind cultural attractions offering unforgettably inspiring settings.

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So whether your group’s tastes favor world-famous art, space history or NASCAR hallowed ground, Florida’s out-of-the-ordinary meeting venues offer something for everyone.

Dali Museum St. Petersburg

Florida’s Dali Museum represents one of the largest collections of Salvador Dali art in the world, all showcased since 2011 in a new, custom, fittingly avant-garde exhibition space on the waterfront in picturesque downtown St. Petersburg.

Museum guests can meander more than 60,000 square feet of space featuring roughly 100 paintings and more than 2,000 works of art by the surrealist master while taking in the award-winning architecture of the museum itself.

Many aspects of the museum’s design, from its stunning, helical, three-story staircase to its 75-foot glass sphere dubbed “The Enigma” and formed from over 1,000 pieces of triangular glass, “have a basis or a reference to Dali or his work in some way,” said Diana Schneider, Dali’s event sales manager.

The museum’s Raymond James Community Room is available for both daytime and evening rental and can accommodate 120 seated or 200 standing. After-hours rental of the entire museum, with capacity to host up to 750 standing, is possible, as is rental of more intimate, specific exhibit spaces within the museum, as well as its

Florida Meeting Guide

outdoor East Garden and the Will Raymund Theater.

Space rental includes access to the museum exhibits as well as audiovisual equipment, tables and chairs, janitorial and security service and more.

“We host only one event at a time, so our groups who come here have the entire museum for themselves,” Schneider said. “There’s no space quite like ours.

We sit literally on the water. So from all of our interior spaces, you can look out through ‘The Enigma’ over our East Garden right into Tampa Bay.” www.thedali.org

Kennedy Space Center Cape Canaveral

At Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, roughly 45 minutes from Orlando International Airport, guests can experience NASA history through the facility’s 70 acres of exhibits. They can also hear it firsthand.

“We work with a lot of veteran astronauts who have been to space, and we can coordinate booking them as keynote speakers for our after-hours events,” said Melissa Qualls, event coordinator for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. “That’s something that our guests really seem to enjoy.”

At after-hours events, attendees get to meet amid iconic artifacts from NASA’s space legacy. The facility’s 90,000-square-foot Space Shuttle Atlantis venue seats up to 280 or can accommodate receptions for up to 1,200 guests, with the retired space

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Courtesy Kennedy Space Center

The Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center makes a memorable setting for receptions and events. shuttle hanging overhead.

Other after-hour event spaces include the Heroes and Legends exhibit space, which features the U.S. Astronauts Hall of Fame display. It can host 60 for dinner or 150 for a standing reception. A conference facility near Heroes and Legends offers a state-of-the-art multimedia system, space for 220 and a view of the nearby Rocket Garden.

For larger groups, the 10,000-square-foot Apollo/ Saturn V Center, home to the Saturn V moon rocket, the largest ever flown, can facilitate 600 for dinner or 3,000 for a reception .

Recently, the Kennedy Space Center has begun offering groups of more than 1,000 the option to buy out the entire park during operating hours. “The buyout doesn’t include the bus tour or the Saturn V Center, but it includes all the exhibits within the main center,” Qualls said. www.kennedyspacecenter.com

Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach

Even those who don’t follow racing have heard of the Daytona 500. And for NASCAR fans, a visit to Daytona International Speedway is a bucket-list experience.

Since undergoing a $400 million redevelopment in 2016, the speedway has been able to “attract a different level of clientele to come to Daytona and host here,” said

October 2018

David Strahan, the track’s senior director of sales. “The amenities we have now are state-of-the-art and very premium in our sport.”

Less than a mile from the Daytona Beach International Airport, the racetrack offers easy access for meeting attendees, who can enjoy a growing list of restaurants, retail and entertainment attractions. And they can stay at any of 250 hotel rooms at the new One Daytona development directly across the street from the Speedway.

Following a redesign, the Speedway now boasts 75 luxury suites with trackside views, plus eight private event and meeting venues that can cater to groups of 75 to 700 attendees. Many of the venue spaces offer intimate views of the infield and track. Some also include stadium or patio seating.

“Our guests like to be able to do the work at their meetings but still have the feel of being at a NASCAR track,” said Kelly Kinney, the speedway’s sales manager for meetings and conventions.

Though most events are hosted outside of the track’s regular racing season — most of its races are held in February — it is sometimes possible to book meeting space in the early hours of race days in order to “leverage the space from both a business and entertainment aspect,” said Strahan. www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com

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Courtesy Museum of Discovery and Science

The Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale features a full-scale model of the prehistoric megalodon.

Florida Aquarium Tampa

Routinely voted one of the top aquariums in the country, the Florida Aquarium, in Tampa, offers guests the chance to enjoy an elegant sitdown dinner or an informal reception among its 20,000 water-loving plants, animals and fish.

The aquarium recently added its Mosaic Center, a ballroom and event space with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer sweeping views of Tampa’s Garrison Channel and Harbour Island neighborhood.

The aquarium’s private Vinik Channelside Rooms overlook Tampa’s Channel District as well, and its newly renovated outdoor plaza offers an open-air, waterfront gathering space. Large groups can even consider a full buyout of the aquarium’s 250,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Private groups can choose to use either of the aquarium’s two large lobbies or, instead, set up near specific exhibit spaces, such as the aquarium’s 500,000-gallon coral reef habitat or its Wetlands dome, which features free-flying birds and one of the world’s largest indoor mangrove tunnels. www.flaquarium.org

Museum of Discovery and Science Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale’s Museum of Discovery and Science is the type of place that’s engaging “whether you’re 2 or 82,” said Marlene Janetos, vice president of visitor services, marketing and communications for the museum. With exhibits that include everything from a living coral

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Florida Meeting Guide

reef and simulated Everglades airboat ride to a Mars Rover simulator and a newly installed 27,000-square-foot outdoor science park, this is one museum that delivers on its promise to make science fun.

“At one of our private events, attendees were having so much fun and were so into the flight simulator that when the host told them the bus to the hotel was here, the people still in line said, ‘Go on without us. We’ll catch a cab. We are having too much fun here. We don’t want to miss this,’” Janetos said.

During the museum’s operating hours, groups can rent one of two classroom spaces, each of which holds about 100 people. In the evenings, groups can rent space and meet within the museum’s 119,000 square feet of exhibit space. Specific accommodations include the Keller Science Theater, which seats 100, and a state-of-the-art, 3D Imax theater that seats roughly 300.

“Generally, what we are best at is a reception-style event because when guests come here, they want to get up and explore the exhibits and really have a good time,” said Janetos, who said the facility can host receptions for up to 2,000 guests. “We have the food and beverage stations scattered throughout the exhibit areas and just let people go freely throughout the space.”

In addition to rotating exhibits, attendees can always enjoy live otter and turtle habitats, nine cockpit simulators, displays on prehistoric Florida and much more.

The museum’s new outdoor science park, which features several large-scale, hands-on physics exhibits, is itself an excellent outdoor team-building venue, Janetos said. www.mods.org

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Florida’s Meeting Resorts

By Robin Roenker

Courtesy Ponte Vedra Inn and Club

Ponte Vedra Inn and Club features an “Old Florida” ambiance.

F

lorida’s 663 miles of sandy beaches lure visitors dreaming of ocean views, the sound of surf and relaxation on the sand.

Most business travelers, despite their busy work agendas, want the same.

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Realizing that, these Florida meeting resorts specialize in offering guests a taste of beach life alongside top-tier meeting sites, proving that it’s possible to blend productivity with fun.

Ponte Vedra Inn and Club Ponte Vedra Beach

Guests to the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, roughly 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville, are immediately immersed in the old-Florida feel of the property, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

The inn and club offers 217 beachfront rooms and 32 suites along with northeast Florida’s largest full-service luxury spa, four heated oceanfront swimming pools, two 18-hole golf courses, an oceanfront gym and 15 clay tennis courts.

“Small groups love it here because we have so many options to cater to their specific needs,” said Craig Schoninger, the resort’s director of marketing. “For example, our Historic Inn building has a small meeting room on the second floor with an adjacent terrace, which gives groups their own private outdoor area where they can do meals or coffee breaks,” he said.

With its adjoining conference center, The inn and club includes more than 25,000 square feet of indoor event space, a high-tech business center and an on-site audiovisual support team. Its two ballrooms and 17 meeting rooms can easily accommodate groups of 10 to 350 people. The resort also boasts nearly a dozen on-

site restaurants offering an array of menus from fine dining to beach casual.

The resort’s sister property, the Ponte Vedra Lodge and Club, roughly two miles up the beach, offers an additional 66 rooms and suites, some with fireplaces and kitchenettes.

“In addition to being a resort, we’re also a private club, so we like to make our hotel guests feel as though they’re part of the club while they’re here,” said Schoninger. “Our team specializes in really warm, hospitable Southern service.” www.pontevedra.com

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Miramar Beach

With more than 65,000 square feet of meeting space, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach, roughly 15 minutes from Destin, has long been a go-to event destination on Florida’s Emerald Coast.

Now, the venue is poised to offer an even higher level of service to its meeting and event guests thanks to a recent major renovation of its 15,000-square-foot Linkside Conference Center; a planned redesign of its Baytown Conference Center, set for completion in January 2020; and the launch of the Sandestin Hotel and Conference Center, a brand-new four-star, 250room hotel and conference facility that will add an additional 20,000 square feet of meeting space to the property, set to open in April 2020.

“What sets our resort apart is its flexibility,” said

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Courtesy Resort at Longboat Key

The Resort at Longboat Key Club features an on-site marina and more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space.

Andrew Lott, Sandestin’s executive director of resort sales. “It’s 2,400 acres, stretching from the beach to the bay, but you can make it as large or small as you’d like it to be.”

The beachfront resort boasts more than 20 restaurants, four golf courses, 15 tennis courts, a spa, a fitness center, bike and kayak rentals and a marina on the nearby Choctawhatchee Bay. For shopping, the Village of Baytowne Wharf is just steps away.

Lott thinks the room-to-meeting-space ratio of the new Sandestin Hotel and Conference Center illustrates the property’s commitment to first-class service for its business and meeting guests.

“For a hotel of 250 rooms to get a 13,000-square-foot ballroom and 20,000 [square] feet of total meeting space is really unheard of in the meetings industry,” he said. “It’s going to be a luxury experience, a whole different level of experience for our guests.” www.sandestin.com

Resort at Longboat Key Club Longboat Key

Florida’s west coast is home to the Resort at Longboat Key Club, just 11.5 miles from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Thanks to Longboat Key’s powdery white sand and aquamarine water, “the No. 1 item on everyone’s agenda when they visit here is the beach,” said Karen Rangel, the resort’s regional director of sales.

The 550-acre resort includes 223 guest rooms and suites, eight restaurants, a full-service spa, watersports access, 20 tennis courts, two golf courses, a fitness center and a marina. St. Armands Circle, which Rangel dubs the “mini Rodeo Drive of Sarasota,” is less than two blocks from the resort, offering great shopping and dining.

Complimentary shuttle service is provided. And all of Sarasota’s attractions, including the Ringling Museum, the Sarasota Opera and the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, are a short drive away.

With 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, the resort specializes in small group meetings and can accommodate groups of up to 300 attendees. Room spaces include the 5,256-squarefoot Harbourside Ballroom, which can seat up to 250 in a banquet; the John Ringling Room, which seats 10 to 75 people; and the Library Ballroom, for groups of 10 to 14. “Our goal is to empower small market

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Florida Meeting Guide

meeting planners. They are big fish in our little pond here,” Rangel said. “Here, small groups have the full and undivided attention of our entire team.”

Groups that have not been to the Sarasota area in the past five years are also eligible to apply for meeting incentive money through the Sarasota County Convention and Visitors Bureau, a process Rangel can help coordinate. www.longboatkeyclub.com

Casa Monica Resort and Spa St. Augustine

History comes alive at Casa Monica Resort and Spa in St. Augustine.

The historic resort, built in 1888, is just a short walk away from the iconic Castillo de San Marcos. At more than 320 years old, this historic castle is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.

“Some of our smaller groups will be sitting at a meeting, and their planner will have worked with us to organize some sort of historic character to come in and interrupt the meeting — perhaps even a pirate in full costume — just in keeping with the theme and fun of being in St. Augustine,” said Joni Dooley Barkley, director of sales and catering at the resort.

The resort features 138 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting space, much of it lavishly appointed.

“Our rooms are adorned with original paintings and Moroccan chandeliers, things you wouldn’t expect from a hotel meeting space,” Barkley said. Its Casa Monica Ballroom can accommodate up to 350, and its Flagler Ballroom can host 200. But one of the resort’s most indemand meeting spaces is its Sultan’s Pavilion, a permanent outdoor tent near the pool deck that allows small groups to enjoy the Florida sun while networking.

The resort offers an in-house audiovisual team, a full-service spa, a wellness center, access to a nearby golf club and an on-site art gallery.

“Our history here is our biggest selling point,” Barkley said. “We are literally at the very heart of historic St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.” www.kesslercollection.com/casa-monica

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Courtesy Casa Monica Resort and Spa

Casa Monica Resort in St. Augustine was built in 1888.

YOUR NEXT CONFERENCE IS ABOUT TO MAKE

History

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October 2018

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