Small Market Meetings September 2019

CREATIVE AFTER-HOURS EVENTS | OFF-SEASON MEETINGS | ZOOS & AQUARIUMS SEPTEMBER 2019

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OPENING APRIL 2020 Restrooms

Celebration Atrium

Connection to to Hilton Garden Inn

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

CONNECT A

Celebration Plaza

CONNECT B

Restrooms

CONNECT C

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Connect A-2

Connect C-2

Collaborate A

Connect C-3

Collaborate B

Featuring on-site catering and Connect A-3 beverage service, glass atrium with natural light, attached Hilton Garden Inn and ample free parking. The Connect Ballroom offers 18,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the Collaborate Ballroom offers 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and the Celebration Plaza offers 9,000 of beautiful outdoor green space.

Collaborate C

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

ON THE COVER: The Myrtle Beach Skywheel lights up a summer evening on the Grand Strand. Photo by Fyne Photos

INSIDE VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 9

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IDEAS Off-Season Meetings

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HOTEL Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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D E PA R T M E N T S

HOTEL Inn of the Mountain Gods

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8 INSIGHTS 10 CONFERENCE 16 MANAGING Swag Gets Small Market Creative an Upgrade

Meetings Conference Preview

MEETING GUIDE New York

Off-Site Events

SMALL MARKET MEETINGS is published monthly by Pioneer Publishing, Inc., 301 E. High St., Lexington, KY 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified meeting planners who plan meetings in small and medium size towns and cities. All other meeting industry suppliers may subscribe by sending a check for $39 for one year to: Small Market Meetings, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (866) 356-5128 (toll-free) or (859) 225-1452. Fax: (859) 253-0499. Copyright SMALL MARKET MEETINGS, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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Courtesy Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas

FACILITIES New Convention Center Hotels

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THERE’S A LOT FOR GROUPS TO SEE AND DO, NO MATTER “WICHI” WAY YOU LOOK AT IT. Simply put, Wichita has what you need for your next group event.

Need 150,000 square feet of meeting place? Got it. Beautiful hotels within walking distance? Check.

More than a thousand restaurants and crazy-fun offsite venues await you in Wichita.

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SNAPSHOT

How Big Are Your Meetings?

Here’s a look at the sizes of meetings our readers are planning: Small Market Meetings readers know an event doesn’t need big attendance to make a big impact. These professional meeting planners and association executives specialize in conferences for groups of various sizes. More than half said they plan meetings for fewer than 50 people, and 70% plan meetings for 51-250 attendees. Only 32% plan meetings for more than 500 people.

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CUSTOM CONTENT

GRAND HALL COMING IN 2020 TO TULSA’S COX BUSINESS CONVENTION CENTER

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

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ulsa is already home to Oklahoma’s largest ballroom, the 30,060-square-foot Tulsa Ballroom. By this time next year, the city will outdo itself, opening an even larger ballroom at its Cox Business Convention Center.

The new 41,471-square-foot Grand Hall is part of a $55 million reimagining of the convention center, managed by SMG and owned by the city of Tulsa.

“We are one-upping ourselves with Oklahoma’s new largest space,” said Holly Beal, marketing & communications manager.

The project is turning the center’s old arena into the Grand Hall and a new prefunction space and East entrance. Demand for its arena had waned since the BOK Center arena opened across the street in 2008, and Tulsa realized it—and meeting planners—would be better served by turning the arena into meeting space.

TARGETING LARGER STATE AND NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

The new Grand Hall’s 38-foot ceilings are expected to be very popular for opening sessions and banquets. Having such a large space will also allow Tulsa to host bigger state and national conventions, make it possible to host several groups simultaneously and keep several conventions in Tulsa that were about to outgrow the city. Tulsa’s biggest conventions include Bassmaster Classic, American Farriers Association, SeneGence International and Zarrow Mental Health Symposium.

Late this summer, the center is expected to “announce a couple of multi-year multi-million dollar contracts,” said Beal. “And, moving forward, we have great existing relationships with a number of national conferences. They are ready to grow with us.”

ALL-GLASS EAST ENTRANCE WILL BE EASY TO FIND

The convention center is by no means small, encompassing a city block. When the project is complete, it will have a total of 275,000 square feet of rentable space, including 55,000 square feet of prefunction areas. All but two blocks of meeting rooms are on ground level.

The new East entrance has three stories of glass that envelope a 4,800-square-foot prefunction space. It is a striking change from the old entrance, which was hard to find.

“People were never really sure how to enter,” said Beal. “There was not a clearly designated front door. With the new design no one will ever question where the front door is.”

The bright, open space looks out on a grassy plaza and Art Deco buildings that make downtown Tulsa a visual treat. Being downtown allows meeting goers to explore some of the city’s seven microdistricts, including the Arts District and the Arena District.

The new entrance will also have valet drop off.

Existing meeting rooms and other spaces are getting some $100,000 in upgrades to compliment the design of the Grand Hall and new prefunction area. Late this sum-

mer, work began to expand the center’s kitchen so it too can handle larger conventions. A new green room and show office are also part of the project.

The convention center is open throughout the project, which is on schedule to be finished next August.

Although there are 2,000 hotel rooms downtown, including the connected Doubletree Tulsa Downtown and an Aloft hotel on the same plaza as the center, Tulsa’s next goal is to attract another connected convention hotel through a public/private partnership.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit www.CoxCenterTulsa.com, call 918-894-4350 or email director of sales Jennifer Thornton at jthornton@smgtulsa.com

INSIGHTS WITH VICKIE MITCHELL

MORE THAN SWAG

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wag: Chances are, you are staring at a collection of it on your desk right now, given to you at trade shows, conventions and meetings.

The paperweights, stress balls and coffee mugs, adorned with logos, most mass-produced overseas, are all meant to remind you of a place or venue. Chances are you have enough of this stuff to last the rest of your work life.

There are other options, far more creative ways, especially in smaller cities that have become savvy at promoting themselves with locally made products, to remind attendees of a place. Here are a few ideas for swag with local swagger.

Give your attendees gifts with local touches

Tasty Traditions

No one leaves modern-day Winston-Salem, North Carolina (visitwinstonsalem.com), without feeling the influence of the Moravians, a devout religious group from Eastern Europe who settled the area in 1753. Moravians brought their art, culture and, most of all, culinary traditions from the Old World to the new. Delicious aromas waft from kitchens, bakeries and restaurants that make Moravian chicken pies, sugar cakes and, most famously, the near-paper-thin ginger, clove and molasses Moravian cookies. Well packaged for transport, they are perfect gifts for meeting attendees to take home — that is, if they can manage not to eat them on the way.

Another Visit Winston-Salem favorite is tiny artworks dispensed by repurposed cigarette machines called Art-omat. Winston-Salem was the first U.S. city to establish an arts council, and the Art-o-mat was dreamed up by a local artist At 2-by-3 inches each, the art originals it dispenses are easy to carry home.

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Locally Grown Gifts

Courtesy DLM

When you grow things as deftly as Pennsylvania's Brandywine Valley does, it's only natural to share the bounty. The area is known as the Mushroom Capital and America’s Garden Capital, so many meeting planner gifts are tied to those themes, said Nina Kelly of the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau (www.brandywinevalley.com).

Marinated mushrooms, dried mushroom snacks and mushroom logs — compost material that grows mushrooms —are possibilities and remind visitors that the region produces over 60% of the nation’s crop. The area's glorious gardens are celebrated with take-home gifts like seed packets, or agendas and menus produced with imbedded seeds to be planted later. Eclat Chocolate and Longwood Gardens have partnered on chocolates infused with herbs, a welcome gift for groups with ties to gardening, as well as those without.

Inspiring Ideas

All That and a Bag of Chips

You won't be in Dayton, Ohio, long before you realize that it sparks innovation. The Wright brothers worked on their bikes and airplanes here. It's the birthplace of the cash register, too. And lots of small companies that started in Dayton a century or more ago are still cranking out products beloved by locals and visitors. Most popular are Mike Sells chips. The Dayton Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.daytoncvb. com) buys small bags in bulk to hand out to attendees, according to Cathy Petersen.

Smales Pretzel Bakery is even older; it’s been making its snacks since 1906. Small bags of the bakery’s twists also make a tasty remembrance. To balance the salty snacks, fourpiece boxes of Esther Price candies, made since 1926, and Dorothy Lane Market's trademark Killer Brownies, layered with caramel, chocolate, nuts and other treats, are also hits.

Meeting planners can also get good ideas from gifts they receive when a CVB welcomes them to town for a site visit. The Lincoln, Nebraska, CVB (lincoln.org) often assembles gift baskets filled with Wax Buffalo soy candles, a brand launched by a young Lincoln mom; coffee and trail mix from RU Nuts; licorice from Licorice International, a premier candy store in the Haymarket that sells 160 types of licorice; and an Abraham Lincoln stress figurine, a miniature of the Abraham Lincoln bobblehead in the Lincoln Visitors Center in the Haymarket.

The Springfield, Missouri, CVB (springfieldmo.org) recently did a promotion that included sending a box of local items to meeting planners. The box included a Springfield Cardinals baseball cap, a box of taffy branded from Wonders of Wildlife, a fishing lure from Bass Pro Shops, a jar of Leong's cashew chicken sauce, postcards and a notebook and pen with the CVB logo.

September 2019

Coastal Collections

Memories of meetings at the beach in Sarasota, Florida, can go beyond collecting seashells along the shoreline. One of the newest attendee gift suggestions offered

by Visit Sarasota County (visitsarasota. org) is custom sneakers made by Landmarks. Its Beach Collection has three different shoes with artistic takes on beach scenes. They can be ordered from its area warehouse. Landmarks also donates a portion of each sale to a local charity.

Another gift with ties to the seashore is sea salt, harvested from Sarasota beaches. For those who look forward to a rum punch or a daiquiri as they chill with toes in the sand, a bottle of award-winning Siesta Key Rum is just right. The spirit is produced in Sarasota County, and planners can arrange tours of the distillery. Although it sounds kind of corporate, a themed Tervis tumbler makes a great local memento. The highly popular and customizable drinkware is made in Sarasota.

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CONFERENCE

GREEN BAY READIES FOR A GAMECHANGING MEETINGS DELEGATION

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BY DAN DICKSON

special opportunity for meeting planners to collaborate with dozens of destination and travel providers will be the highlight of the 2019 Small Market Meetings Conference, scheduled for September 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The annual event will unfold inside the beautiful KI Convention Center in downtown Green Bay, not far from the Fox River.

LAMBEAU FIELD AND THE GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE CORNERSTONES OF COMMUNITY LIFE IN GREEN BAY.

“We are excited to showcase Greater Green Bay and all that we have to offer for meetings, conferences and events,” said Beth Ulatowski, a director for the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Attendees are going to have a great time.”

The Hyatt Regency Green Bay is the official hotel for the conference. Skywalks will provide attendees with easy access to the convention center from the hotel. Kristine Hall, general manager of the Hyatt, urges delegates to bring their groups back to the hotel at a future date. “We have a total of 80,000 square feet of function space, and we can conform to whatever needs the planner has,” she said.

UNIQUE MIDSIZE CITY Green Bay has a population of just over 100,000 people and is best known for its hometown football team, the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

Fans from all over the region and the nation pour into Green Bay for home football games at legendary Lambeau Field. This year, the Packers are celebrating 100 seasons in the NFL. Along the way, the team has won 13 league titles.

Meeting planners will be happy to learn that Lambeau Field can be booked well outside the football season, year-round in fact. The stadium was renovated in 2003, and the team added a beautiful fivestory-tall, glass-enclosed space called the Lambeau Field Atrium. It includes 376,000 square feet of space for a variety of gatherings.

“They wanted to open up the stadium for more than just 10 football games a year and to offer opportunities for events, meetings and every kind of gathering,” said Atrium account executive Casey Ausloos.

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All photos courtesy Visit Green Bay

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RIVERFRONT REVELRY

GREEN BAY’S KI CONVENTION CENTER

For example, football-loving families often stage weddings and receptions in the stadium and atrium. Every type of meeting or event that can be imagined can be held in the many rooms and exclusive spaces.

The stadium site also includes the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the Packers Pro Shop, which has a dizzying array of Packers and NFL items for sale. There is also a restaurant called the 1919 Kitchen and Tap. In addition, guided tours of the stadium are available and include visits to the impressive suites, views from out in the stands and a walk through the historic players’ tunnel that leads from the locker room directly to the field.

Professional sports teams around the country have taken the action to the neighborhoods surrounding their stadiums and arenas, and the Packers have joined the movement. They created the new Titletown District, a

September 2019

THE AUTOMOBILE GALLERY

kind of neighborhood playground for adults. It includes wintertime tubing lanes down man-made Ariens Hill, plus ice skating, a full-size all-weather football field, a unique playground and plenty of game areas and fitness activities. Rockwood Terrace is a venue that sits atop Ariens Hill and that has exciting views through tall windows of Lambeau Field and the rest of Titletown. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, cozy gathering spaces and hotels in the district.

Green Bay officials are also excited about the new Brown County Veterans Memorial Complex, which broke ground this summer. The $93 million center will have 125,000 square feet of flexible exhibit and meeting space, and its large open floor plan will make it attractive for exhibitors who need extra space or must drive large vehicles onto the floor. The old expo center and arena had disjointed spaces: 20,000 square feet of space here and there in the buildings. Officials believe that the new space will help Green Bay compete with markets like Chicago and Minneapolis. The project is scheduled to be completed in January 2021.

The new complex is expected to attract shows and events from all over the country, helping to feed the local economy. The Greater Green Bay CVB said 5.8 million people visited Brown County in 2018 and generated $697 million in tourism spending. “Those visitors will go home and leave their dollars here,” said Brad Toll, CEO and president of the CVB. Historically, Green Bay has also been a regional leader in the meatpacking, pulp-paper and health care industries. Transportation options are provided by the convenient Green Bay-Straubel International Airport, interstates 41 and 43 and Amtrak rail.

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CONFERENCE GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS The main reason meeting planners attend the Small Market Meetings Conference is to meet directly with as many destination providers as possible. This is accomplished during two busy marketplace sessions where planners and travel industry reps sit down for dozens of six-minute “get-to-know-ya” chats to see if they are a good match and if they might want to do business together in the future.

Lesia Waker of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta is a prime example of how this system works. She attended last year’s Small Market Meetings Conference in Ontario, California, and came to it with an open mind about what she would see and learn from the providers on the other side of the table.

“We’re meeting with suppliers and ven-

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ues to appeal for new destinations for our unique programs and meetings,” she told Small Market Meetings magazine at the time. “We do about three per year, and I’m looking for destinations outside of university settings that will appeal to researchers.

Anyplace inside or outside the U.S. is fair game.” Waker later said she came away from the conference with many fresh ideas to mull over.

Wrapped around the marketplace sessions are a variety of conference activities, such as meals and city tours, that give delegates additional opportunities to interact with one another. These slower-paced times help delegates relax and get to know each other better.

Delegates often continue conversations begun during the marketplace sessions.

OUTSTANDING SPEAKERS The Small Market Meetings Conference is known for its parade of speakers who inform, entertain and inspire. Three of them will appear at the Green Bay meeting.

Bob Pacanovsky is a hospitality expert who believes that creating a memorable customer experience is vital for a business to be successful. He believes that customers prefer to deal with businesspeople they like, trust and respect. And no matter how good a brand name is, it still boils down to delivering what Pacanovsky calls a “Black Tie Experience.” That means making a personalized, emotional connection with the customer. This guest speaker will bring lots of suggestions and trade secrets to the conference for delegates to consider.

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Meeting planners have endless details to manage when booking events. One of the most overlooked is the contract with a meeting venue or hotel. Attorney Lisa Sommer Devlin will come to Green Bay to tell delegates what they need to consider when negotiating a contract. For years, Devlin has represented hotels in their contract matters.

She’ll relay how legal entanglements can be disastrous, especially if they could have been avoided. Meeting and event contracts can be affected by events right out of the news headlines. Devlin mentions that hurricanes, wildfires, politics, gun violence and other issues can have an impact on meetings or events. Devlin warns that the unexpected must be considered and accounted for in contract language.

Jim Spellos is a technology expert who brings the latest tech trends that his audiences can put to use right away in their work and personal lives. He advises that most people are not fully informed about tech issues, that they are cautious and that they don’t want to spend too much money to stay on top of things. He will bring ideas that will make it easier for everyone to get the tech tools they need to boost productivity.

FAMS AND SIGHTSEEING Small Market Meetings Conference attendees enjoy visiting the cities where the meetings are held. In recent years, they have been welcomed in cities like Ontario, California; Little Rock, Arkansas; Mesa, Arizona; Huntsville, Alabama; and South Bend, Indiana, to name a few. Green Bay and its CVB will offer their special brand of hospitality when delegates arrive this fall. Sightseeing tours will be an important part of the conference schedule.

Preconference and postconference FAM tours were quickly booked this year. That’s because the city will be hopping during conference week. The Packers will host the Philadelphia Eagles on the night of the final day of the meeting. However, delegates who would like to return to Green Bay to do FAM

September 2019

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CONFERENCE tours in the future are encouraged to contact the convention and visitors bureau to make arrangements. FAM tours of Green Bay often include visits to Lambeau Field and the Titletown District, visits to different museums, stops at a few exceptional hotel properties and meals at several fine restaurants.

Small Market Meetings Conference attendees will enjoy choosing one of the five interesting sightseeing tours scheduled for day two of the meeting. One will be to the National Railroad Museum, a place full of both railroading and American history. This event is being dubbed Rails and Ales and will include a sampling of local craft beers. A second tour option will be to the city’s pride and joy: the gorgeous Green Bay Botanical Garden. A hands-on activity is planned for

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the group that chooses this trip. Another tour will be to the tribal village of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, just outside of Green Bay. A tour guide will explain the history and culture of this Native American Tribe.

Tour option four will be to visit the Automobile Gallery and its beautiful antique car collection covering every decade of the past century. The cars have been lovingly restored and are displayed in a former automobile dealership. Visitors are sure to see cars they remember fondly from throughout their lifetimes. The fifth tour option is the Neville Public Museum, which for more than 100 years has collected and presented artifacts and information about Green Bay and the greater region’s fascinating history, science and art.

HOTELS OF ALL TYPES Brown County, of which Green Bay is the county seat, offers visitors a total of 4,500 hotel rooms. The area has a wide range of overnight accommodations, from bed-andbreakfast inns to convention-style hotels and everything in between.

Conference attendees will enjoy staying at the downtown Hyatt Regency but should note that there is a second hotel attached to the KI Convention Center: the Hampton Inn Green Bay Downtown. This riverfront hotel, along with the Hyatt, has direct access to the 20-mile-long Fox River State Recreational Trail. That’s good to know for delegates who arrive a little early for the conference or stay a little late.

Right across the street from the airport is the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, which includes the Oneida Casino with gaming tables, slots, restaurants, bars and more. A $19 million property renovation is getting started, and the finished product will be appealing.

Within eyesight of Lambeau Field and the Titletown District is Lodge Kohler. It has a terrific restaurant, cafe and rooftop bar, plus a sumptuous spa that spoils guests with the best treatments.

Another outstanding property is the Hotel Northland. A phenomenal renovation was completed last winter. First opened in 1924, the building was once the largest hotel in Wisconsin and the scene of some of the state’s most important historical events.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hotel Northland with its Crystal Ballroom combines vintage beauty and appeal, but still offers the modern amenities hotel guests demand.

There are two other notable hotel options: The Delta Hotel by Marriott offers two indoor pools, a whirlpool and a fun waterslide. The hotel is excellent for meetings, weddings and other events. The Tundra Lodge Hotel and Water Park creates the feeling of a woodsy Northern lodge but also offers a fun and extensive indoor water park for kids and families.

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Location, Lo

cation, Loca

tion!

Over 400 r estaurants Great confe rence cente r Ample, frr parking Remarkabl e welcome center Outsandin g shopping experience s Family-frie ndly aarac tions Outstandin g customer service Southern hospitality

MANAGING

A Party to Remember

CREATIVITY AND LOCAL FLAVOR ARE KEYS TO MEMORABLE AFTER-HOURS EVENTS

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BY RACHEL CARTER

he meetings industry went through a period where after-hours events dropped off a bit, in both frequency and scale, likely because of lower attendance and tighter budgets.

Today, planners are increasingly emphasizing after-hours events and trying harder to make them more interesting, mainly to market meetings to a different demographic.

The oldest millenials are now in their late 30s and well established in their careers, and Gen Z frontrunners will soon be starting theirs.

Planners are recognizing that “younger people are coming in with different needs; they have a different set of takeaways they’re looking for, and if you want to be relevant to them, you have to fulfill those needs,” said Tim Nelson, director of convention services for Experience Grand Rapids.

That includes giving them authentic, hyperlocal experiences that give attendees a sense of place before they leave a destination.

“We are seeing events that seem to be a little more immersive, a little more interactive,” Nelson said. “There has to be an experience in it, and going to a banquet is not an experience.”

After-hours events have always been popular, said Kristin McGrath, vice president of sales, services and sports for Visit Albuquerque, but “a lot of our meeting planners are looking for things that are unique to the destination: special cultural experiences that will allow attendees to get a feel for the city.”

Planners who want their attendees to experience the destination can do so by creating memorable after-hour events “because everyone has done the ballroom-reception and go-back-toyour-room thing,” said Jamie Koshofer, vice president of conventions for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

LOCAL FLAVOR Food is one of the best ways to showcase a destination. In Huntsville, Alabama, Stovehouse is a century-old stove-factory-turned-food-hall where visitors can meander among local restaurants, cocktail lounges and coffee bars and gather in an 85-person event room or outdoor event space.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Downtown Market is a foodie mecca that’s home to over 20 indoor market vendors, two full-service restaurants,

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“I believe that more planners are looking for more experiences; they want their attendees to experience the destination that they’re going to.”

Jamie Koshofer VICE PRESIDENT OF CONVENTIONS Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau Experience: 17 years

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

“Start with a DMO sales and services professional. There’s really nobody better suited in whatever destination you’re meeting in to really give you the inside scoop as to what the great cultural and unique venues are in the city.”

hands-on cooking classes, private event rentals, an incubator kitchen and rooftop greenhouses. Groups can do a food scavenger hunt at various vendors and then come together with their finds to garnish cocktails or contribute to a cooking demonstration.

Adult beverages are always popular, and incorporating them into events “appeals to multiple generations — it doesn’t really matter your age,” Nelson said.

Grand Rapids is known as Beer City USA, so “we build a lot of events around the breweries,” he said. In downtown, nine breweries are within walking distance or easy to reach on the city’s free shuttle service. Several times over the years, the CVB has arranged beer passports for attendees as they bar hop. Because attendees aren’t traveling as a group, “that means your group is changing as people drift in and out of breweries at different times, interacting with different people at different breweries,” Nelson said.

With more than 50 breweries in and around Asheville, North Carolina, the city’s craft brew culture is well known. Asheville Brews Cruise and Asheville Brewery Tours offer custom private tours and take large groups from brewery to brewery.

Janis Ross, vice president of convention and sports marketing for Travel Lane County, always recommends that groups have dinner at one of Eugene, Oregon’s vineyards to take in vistas and vino. The King Estate Winery’s restaurant uses seasonal ingredients from the estate's 30 acres of organic gardens and orchards. Sweet Cheeks Winery and Vineyard also offers scenic views, live music and food options.

Even if the banquet doesn’t leave the ballroom, planners can easily bring in local flavor and food traditions. New Mexico is known for its red and green chile, and a lot of meeting attendees are disappointed if they don’t get a chance to taste the chile or have a server ask at least once if they want “Christmas style,” with both red and green on the same plate.

In Grand Rapids, a ballroom banquet can feature local beer flights or beer-and-food pairings, both of which lend themselves to food stations to keep people moving and interacting.

Kristin McGrath VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES, SERVICES AND SPORTS Visit Albuquerque Experience: 20-plus years

September 2019

GROUP WITH A VIEW Asheville is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and though its downtown is relatively small, it boasts nine rooftop bars, many perched atop hotels. Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours takes groups to three or four rooftop bars in one outing, and guides blend in city history and sightseeing.

“Asheville is a beautiful mountain destination, and many of [the rooftop bars] are looking west and offer that mountain sunset view,” said Carli Adams, group communications and services manager for Explore Asheville.

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MANAGING Ten 3 restaurant opened in August in Albuquerque, New Mexico: 10,300 feet above sea level at the top of Sandia Peak.

Guests ride an aerial tramway to the summit, where the restaurant serves up a panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley and city lights sparkling below.

Grand Rapids’ DeVos Place Convention Center sits on the Grand River, and Gillett Bridge sits right outside the center’s doors. Several groups have held evening events on the pedestrian bridge, which “ties in the river, speaks to our heritage and puts people in a nontraditional situation,” Nelson said. Some groups have even done fly-fishing demos on the bridge during dinner or held a duck race — dropping rubber ducks from the bridge — as a fundraiser.

“It’s putting people into a situation that surprises them a little bit and is unique to us,” Nelson said.

Janis Ross

VICE PRESIDENT OF CONVENTION AND SPORTS MARKETING

Travel Lane County/Eugene, Cascades and Coast Experience: 30-plus years

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“I think the first thing is really to find out what they are after because it depends on the group. Are they outdoorsy and want to do something that will challenge them a little? Or are they more traditional? Is it just for fun or for team building? Those are things we want to home in on.”

Good events make good memories and there’s no better Midwest venue than Grand Wayne Convention Center in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, as the backdrop for your story. INSIDE: 225,000 square feet of fully carpeted, beautifully appointed, versatile space | OUTSIDE: 3 full-service, adjacent hotels and a million amazing experiences!

Let’s create

JOIN THE PARTY One of the easiest ways to get creative with after-hours events is to use what’s already happening in town. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque holds its Party on Patio every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night year-round, and groups can join the fun to taste pizza baked in a horno oven, listen to Native American musicians and mingle with the locals.

“It’s a great way to immerse yourselves in the culture, and it’s a more localized experience,” McGrath said.

If a planner has enough flexibility in meeting dates, local festivals typically mean built-in food and evening entertainment options, which makes them “a great tie-in, either for attendees to extend their stay or plan your event around,” Koshofer said.

Campus 805 in Huntsville is a former middle school that’s been converted into an entertainment district where groups will find an axe-throwing experience, a ballroom dance studio, a pinball arcade, a painting studio and X-Golf, which has several indoor golf simulators.

When a well-known band was playing at the Orange Peel, a music venue in downtown Asheville, a meeting group decided to buy tickets for attendees, and the Isis Music Hall is housed in a 1937 movie theater in West Asheville. Groups can reserve both venues for events and host private concerts.

SOAK UP THE CULTURE As part of preparation efforts to welcome the world track and field championships in 2021, Eugene officials launched 20x21, a public mural initiative, and commissioned 20 outdoor murals by internationally renowned artists. About 10 murals are complete, and groups can take evening walking tours to see the artwork with stops along the way for drinks and appetizers.

September 2019

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MANAGING

Huntsville has created an arts and entertainment district in downtown where people can walk around with an adult beverage in a purple cup. Throughout the year, organizations like Downtown Huntsville and Arts Huntsville partner to create art events and “experiences,” like 35 miniature golf holes dotted around downtown.

One of Albuquerque’s most unusual experiences is Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, an intimate theater in the heart of historic Old Town. The wooden stage was specially built for flamenco dance and is miked to enhance the stomps.

“A lot of attendees have not personally witnessed flamenco dance, and in this theater, they’re able to get really close to the dancers and see their expressions and their feet,” McGrath said.

Visit Albuquerque has also received requests from planners “to bring some culture to the banquets,” so the organization will often arrange for performances by flamenco dancers or Native American musicians or dancers.

OUTDOORS AFTER-HOURS Evening events don’t have to be indoors. Near downtown Eugene, the Spencer Butte Challenge Course offers after-hours

events on its ropes course among towering trees. If they’re willing to take an afternoon drive to the Oregon coast, attendees can experience the soaring sand dunes during a dune buggy tour. Several operators offer small sandrails that seat four to eight or large buggies that can hold 25 people. Though the large buggies are slower than the speedy sandrails, they still deliver plenty of gritty thrills when cresting dunes, some of which are 500 feet high.

“You’re riding out on these giant sand dunes and seeing the ocean and scenery and sunset,” Ross said. More adventurous groups can try sandboarding — like snowboarding but on sand — at Sand Master Park in Florence, where they can also take a sand-sculpting class. A planner could hold a meeting at the oceanfront Driftwood Shores Resort and Conference Center in Florence and end the night with s’mores roasted over bonfires on the beach.

Asheville Wellness Tours offers evening yoga hikes. The group sets out for a short hike followed by a yoga session. And because of downtown’s proximity to the mountains, a short drive takes groups to many trailheads for evening hikes.

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21

IDEAS

By Brian Schott, courtesy Explore Whitefish

A CHANGE OF SEASONS Consider these meeting destinations during off-peak times

O

BY RACHEL CARTER

ne destination’s peak season is another city’s offseason. Scorching summer is a slow time in a desert destination, but peak season for seaside cities and tourist towns near national parks.

No matter the destination, holding a meeting during the offseason means more availability and more flexibility, lower hotel rates and higher interest from properties. Here are seven destinations to consider for an offseason event.

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WHITEFISH, MONTANA

As both the western gateway to Glacier National Park and a popular ski destination, Whitefish, Montana, has a peak season, a medium season and two slow seasons. The busiest time of year is typically mid-June through mid-September as visitors pack roads, parking lots and the park itself. In winter, the slopes at Whitefish Mountain Resort bring in snow devotees.

“We pick up a little bit in the winter, but nothing like in the summer,” said Dan Hansen, sales and marketing manager for the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau.

That means the slow seasons are late September and October, as well as April and early May. In addition to being the most cost-effective, those times offer planners more flexibility to reserve large room blocks and book meeting space at properties like the Lodge at Whitefish Lake and Grouse Mountain Lodge, which have about 25,000 square feet of function space between them.

Fall and spring also offer more flexibility for activities.

Groups can go on hikes to view the golden larch in the fall or arrange for guided mountain bike trips at Whitefish Bike Retreat, including fat biking in the snow. At Bar W Guest Ranch, attendees can go horseback riding, learn

Above: Autumn is a perfect time for off-season meetings at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake near Glacier National Park.

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

barrel racing, try skeet shooting, enjoy a Western-style barbecue dinner or take sleigh rides in the winter.

Before snow carpets the Big Mountain, Whitefish Mountain Resort is open and available for events. Attendees can ride the chairlift to the newly renovated Summit House for a meeting with views of Canada. Snow Bear Chalets — three new luxury, slope-side treehouses — work well for corporate retreats, and the same developers are building the Residences at Snow Bear next door, with several condominiums that will offer even more space. The resort also has mountaintop zip lines, an aerial adventure park and two alpine slides. explorewhitefish.com

“Sometimes it’s just getting them to think about three weeks earlier or three weeks later.”

— Kelli Blubaum, Experience Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

In Scottsdale, Arizona, slow season is “definitely in the summertime, but when temperatures go up, rates go down,” said Kelli Blubaum, vice president of convention sales and services for Experience Scottsdale.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, planners and their attendees can take advantage of Scottsdale’s resort product and “have a five-diamond experience at a three-diamond price.”

Planners find more availability and more flexibility in the summer. More properties are able to bid, more offsite venues are available, and planners have their pick of transportation options. Hotel properties are also more flexible on terms and concessions, Blubaum said.

From the 180-room Mountain Shadows Resort to the 645-room Phoenician, Scottsdale has plenty of properties that allow planners to host a program without ever interacting with the elements and still offer views of the desert, with air-conditioned meeting spaces, guest rooms and dining options all under one roof.

In summer, resorts also amp up their creative programming with dive-in movies, boozy snow

Photos courtesy Experience Scottsdale

September 2019

Off-season experiences in Scottsdale, clockwise from left: hiking in the desert; exploring on ATVs; relaxing poolside at Mountain Shadows Resort

23

IDEAS

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cones and live entertainment by the pool, which meeting planners can use to their advantage.

In May 2018, Experience Scottsdale launched a rebate program that offers planners up to a $5,000 rebate if they book a summer meeting.

“It’s still really new, but it’s moving the needle on getting groups to book in the summertime,” Blubaum said. “Sometimes it’s just getting them to think about three weeks earlier or three weeks later.”

Just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean everyone has to stay inside. Groups can go for sunrise hikes or sunup tee times, try morning paddleboarding or yoga in the pool, or head out for stargazing and off-road adventures after sunset. experiencescottsdale.com

BAR HARBOR, MAINE

Fronting Frenchman Bay on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, the town of Bar Harbor sits on the doorstep of Acadia National Park. In the summer, the scenic town draws flocks of nature lovers, bird-watchers and whale watchers, and in autumn, visitors crowd the park to take in fall foliage.

But as the fall colors wind down, so does the season, usually starting in late October until mid-April, said Alf Anderson, director of membership sales and marketing for the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s a great time to live like a local, experience Bar Harbor like a local,” Anderson said. “It’s quieter, the crowds aren’t here; but there are still plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and have hot chocolate in front of the fire.”

Offseason is also a great time to get out in the park, where groups can try cross-country skiing, fat tire biking and ice skating on frozen ponds. Though the licensed park concessionaires close during the offseason, in-town vendors and tour companies can rent bikes and outdoor gear to groups and offer guide services.

Some hotels shutter during the slow season, so there are fewer choices. But those that stay open discount their rates, so planners get a better deal and “have a great experience of holding your meeting outside a national park,” he said.

The Atlantic Oceanside Hotel and Event Center is a waterfront property that stays open year-round.

The property has six guest buildings where each room features an oceanfront patio or balcony. The hotel’s event center can accommodate meetings for up to 300 people, and its low season officially runs November 1 through April 30. visitbarharbor.com

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN

Summer is the busiest time in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and the busyness continues through fall. The city’s slow season runs from November to March, which means planners find both better rates and more availability in those winter months.

Eau Claire’s sweet spot is 300- to 500-person events, “and we do them in a really special way” with meeting facilities that reflect Eau Claire’s independent, creative, artsy spirit, said Linda John, executive director of Visit Eau Claire.

The Pablo Center at the Confluence is a performing arts facility with a 1,200-seat theater and a 400seat flexible theater. On the first floor of the center, Visit Eau Claire opened its new 2,500-square-foot Experience Center this past year, and it can be customized for any group.

In January, software company Jamf, which was founded in Eau Claire, held its annual all-company meeting for some 800 people at the Pablo Center. In the Experience Center, Visit Eau Claire set up indoor pitches for attendees to play Kubb, a Swedish lawn game and local love affair.

PABLO CENTER AT THE CONFLUENCE IN EAU CLAIRE

Courtesy Visit Eau Claire

September 2019

25

IDEAS

Meet

One block away, the 112-room Lismore Hotel has 14,000 square feet of event space, including two ballrooms that can each seat about 440 for meals. The Oxbow Hotel in downtown is arguably the city’s most unusual property, a former seedy spot that was turned into a 30-room chic boutique by a creative powerhouse ownership group that includes Justin Vernon, frontman for the band Bon Iver.

The Oxbow’s restaurant, the Lakeley, can be used for private lunches for 60 people, and the Gallery is a 700-squarefoot private space for smaller meetings.

Groups can also gather at Artisan Forge Studios for receptions and hands-on maker experiences, or at Forage, a culinary incubator, commercial kitchen and industrial event space for up to 130 guests in the repurposed Uniroyal Tire Factory. visiteauclaire.com

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

Though Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is becoming more of a year-round destination, its slow season is still pretty traditional for a beach town — anytime not between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The shoulder season, September and October, still draws visitors because the water is still warm, but January and February are Myrtle Beach’s two slowest months.

“It’s warm enough that you can still get outside and do things here,” said Bob Harris, executive vice president of sales at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and

Below: A Tom Faziodesigned golf course at Barefoot Resort in Myrtle Beach

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

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carbondaletourism.org Courtesy Myrtle Beach Area CVB

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

WAYNE HOTEL

CHANTICLEER GARDEN

fresh air & fresh ideas RIDLEY CREEK STATE PARK BRANDYWINE RIVER MUSEUM OF ART

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

Plan your next corporate event alongside scenic battlefields and fill your agenda with historic museums, breathtaking gardens and Broadway-caliber theatre. Located conveniently to all major highways and the Philadelphia Airport, Delco delivers something for everyone.

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IDEAS

Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s not blizzards and snow and ice all over the place like it is in a lot of destinations.”

During the slow season, groups won’t have to fight crowds on the beach to take a stroll or do a yoga class, and the city’s abundant attractions, like Brookgreen Gardens and Ripley’s Aquarium, are still open. The mild temperatures also mean attendees can golf year-round at nearly 100 courses in the area.

During nonpeak times, hotels lower their rates and offer incentives like pick-your-perks or other discounts. The CVB’s rebate program may also offset some costs, although it’s on a case-by-case basis and depends on factors like dates, demand and number of nights.

All of the city’s major conference hotels are open throughout the year, including oceanfront resorts like the 407-room Marriott, with 45,000 square feet of meeting space; the 750-room Embassy Suites, with 38,000 square feet; and the 565-room Hilton, with 35,000 square feet.

And, with dolphin tours, gambling cruises and fishing charters, getting groups onto the water is never seasonal.

“If it can be found on the water, we have someone that can do it here,” Harris said. visitmyrtlebeach.com

Chr

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

When people think of Colorado, they often think of snow-covered mountains and powdery ski slopes. But lower elevations along the Front Range enjoy sunny winters with surprising stretches of warm weather.

Colorado Springs is an hour south of Denver, nestled at the base of the foothills just east of the Rocky Mountains.

“One of the things we have to overcome is [that] a lot of people who aren’t familiar with the area assume everywhere in Colorado is ski country and snowy and cold,” said Chelsy Offutt, director of communications for Visit Colorado Springs.

“They’re pleasantly surprised that we have mild temperatures, lots of sunshine and so much to do year-round.”

From November through March, the area has a variety of lodging opportunities that have more availability and lower rates. The vast majority of the city’s 60-plus attractions and tours are open year-round, including the Western Museum of Mining and Industry, the Space Discovery Science Center and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and there are opportunities for golf almost any time of year.

In fall and winter, meeting attendees can enjoy harvest festivals and holiday celebrations, including an outdoor ice rink downtown. At M Lazy C Guest Ranch, groups can take sleigh rides and enjoy winter chuck-wagon dinners, even if they’re not staying on the property.

The sprawling Broadmoor resort “goes all out” for holiday decorations and, in October, starts putting up over 1 million holiday lights.

There, surrounded by mountain views, planners will find 185,000 square feet of event space and the 8,000-seat Broadmoor World Arena. visitcos.com

tns a taiinl vne

Pictured: Rock County Historical Society’s Carriage Barn

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

Janesvillecvb.com

CLOUD CAMP AT THE BROADMOOR IN COLORADO SPRINGS Courtesy Visit Colorado Springs

28

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START PLANNING

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

NOW BOOKING — Fox Cities Exhibition Center

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

FOX CITIES

FoxCities.org/meeting 29

Let the Outside In

Terrain Gardens at Devon Yards

Chester County’s Brandywine Valley

Longwood Gardens

MACON, GEORGIA

Generally speaking, summer in the South is a slower season for meetings and groups, and the same holds true for Macon, Georgia.

June through August is the city’s offseason, but it’s also when planners and attendees can take advantage of Macon’s Bragg Jam music festival in July and the Macon Film Festival in August.

“A lot of groups are extending their time to experience cities, sort of that leisure idea of getting your work done and spending your time really experiencing the destination,” said Heather Wydock, director of sales and services for Visit Macon. The slow summer months are a better time to negotiate pricing, plus Visit Macon offers a sponsorship program to help offset any costs planners may incur, Wydock said. Visit Macon’s new partnership with G&G Services also means discounted rates to and from the airport.

Macon Centreplex, which includes the historic 1925 Macon City Auditorium and the 9,000-seat Macon Coliseum for a total of about 120,000 square feet of meeting space, is undergoing a refresh that will be complete by year’s end.

Around the corner from the convention center, downtown is undergoing its own revitalization. There, meeting attendees can explore restaurants and bars, including an Irish pub, a wine and tapas bar and a rooftop oyster bar, and can easily find live music almost every summer night.

Groups can also gather at the Anderson Conference Center, which offers 15,000 square feet of meeting space, or off-site venues like the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Tubman Museum and the Museum of Arts and Sciences, which is currently building an outdoor amphitheater. maconga.org

Franklin Commons

Meet where world-class gardens, wineries and museums transform into magical event spaces.

Where top-rated hotels and unique venues feature both indoor and outdoor flexible meeting space.

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MACON’S TUBMAN MUSEUM

By Matt Odom, courtesy Visit Macon

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

Perfect EVENTS For Large Groups, Meetings & Celebrations

The Bellmoor Inn & Spa Rehoboth Beach’s Premiere Hotel

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IDEAS

Courtesy Omni Louisville

LEVELING UP New convention center hotels are changing the game in these markets

BY RACHEL CARTER

G

ame-changer: That single term neatly sums up what new convention center hotels have created in cities where they are planned, under construction or already open.

Having a dedicated headquarters hotel that connects to the convention center allows cities to book larger, longer events and allows destinations to attract top-tier conferences that want high-end accommodations. Whether they’re already open or in the works, these new convention hotels have already changed the game in their markets.

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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

The 612-room Omni Louisville Hotel opened in March 2018 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and connects to the newly renovated Kentucky International Convention Center.

When the Omni opened, “it was a “significant change not only to our skyline, but also to our hotel package,” said Rosanne Mastin, marketing communications manager for Louisville Tourism.

The AAA Four Diamond property allows Louisville to pursue conferences and conventions the city couldn’t accommodate before, and the high-end hotel has also elevated the city’s lodging portfolio.

“The top tier conventions and events that we’ve been able to attract because of the Omni, they may not have considered us previously because they want that space and that name,” Mastin said.

The Omni’s 70,000 square feet of meeting space includes a 20,000-square-foot and a 10,000-squarefoot ballroom. The hotel has two full-service restaurants — for relaxed fare and for fine dining — as well as a spa and a rooftop pool. Pin and Proof is an oldtimey speakeasy complete with a secret entrance and bowling lanes, and Library Bar in the lobby gives

Above: A beautiful SLC new Omni hotel CONVENTION opened at Louisville’s CENTER renovated Kentucky HOTEL International SALT LAKE CITY, UT Convention Center

2018.

in

www.smallmarketmeetings.com

guests a modern take on a manor house library.

One of the Omni’s crown jewels, though, is Falls City Market, a 20,000-square-foot urban market on the ground floor that allows the public to interact with the hotel in a new way. The emporium of eateries, food stalls and gift vendors sell local foods and curated goods. gotolouisville.com

“For our city and downtown, it’s a great activator for all the great restaurants and activities surrounding the convention center.”

— Erin Litvack, Salt Lake County

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Salt Lake City, Utah, is already a strong destination when it comes to attracting conferences and conventions, but having a new, dedicated convention hotel at the Salt Palace Convention Center will “just take us to the next level,” said Erin Litvack, deputy mayor and chief administrative officer of Salt Lake County.

“Within our competitive set, we may be the only destination that doesn’t have a specific, dedicated convention center hotel,” she said. “For us, it just changes the dynamics of the offerings of the convention and tourist industry tenfold.”

What is now an open plaza leading into the convention center on its southeast corner will be the site of a 27-story, 700-room headquarters hotel.

Plans call for the hotel to have approximately 62,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space as well as an outdoor entertainment deck on the fifth floor.

That south-facing space will have an outdoor pool, a pool deck and activity space, as well as a food-and-beverage component.

Crews will break ground in late fall on the 36-month project, and construction should be complete in 2022.

Courtesy Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas

Courtesy Salt Lake County

September 2019

Courtesy Hilton Des Moines Downtown

New and upcoming convention center hotels, clockwise from left: a property under construction in Salt Lake City; Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas; Hilton Des Moines Downtown

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IDEAS

Because the convention center is in the Central Business District, the heart of downtown, the new hotel will be “ a game-changer on so many levels,” Litvack said. “For our city and downtown, it’s a great activator for all the great restaurants and activities surrounding the convention center.” visitsaltlake.com

A RENDERING OF THE NEW OMNI HOTEL COMING TO THE BROWARD COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER IN FORT LAUDERDALE IN 2023

TOLEDO, OHIO

Local officials and developers are breathing new life into a vacant behemoth in downtown Toledo, Ohio, and the redevelopment project will breathe even more life into downtown’s ongoing renaissance.

The 19-story former Hotel Seagate closed in 2009, and Lucas County Commissioners bought it in 2014 to ensure that the property would return to productive use. Construction will begin this fall to renovate the hotel, which will open in 2021 as a dual-branded 128-room Hyatt Place and a 68-suite Hyatt House. First Hospitality Group will operate the hotel, which will serve as dedicated lodging to the neighboring SeaGate Convention Centre.

“We’ll have room for bigger groups to come in now and [be able to] house them here at the convention cenCourtesy Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB

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ter,” said Cathy Miller, Experience Toledo manager for Destination Toledo.

With the new Hyatt property, Toledo will have two hotels that connect to the convention center. The 294-room Park Inn by Radisson provides skyway access to the SeaGate center and offers nearly 12,000 square feet of event space.

Three blocks away, the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel opened in August 2017 after a $31 million renovation with 25,000 square feet of event space.

The Hyatt redevelopment project “is in a prime location in Toledo — it’s the heart of downtown,” Miller said, across the street from Promenade Park and within walking distance to the 8,000-seat Huntington Center arena, Fifth Third Field baseball stadium and Hensville entertainment district.

As part of the project, the county will also expand the convention center with a new 16,000-square-foot ballroom. visittoledo.org

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

There’s a lot going on at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A massive expansion of the center is set to begin in early 2020, and construction of a connecting Omni hotel will soon follow.

Crews have started demolition to clear the site on the north side of the center, which Broward County owns, and officials expect the hotel to open in mid2023, around the same time the second phase of the convention center expansion will be complete, said Ed Simon, executive vice president of convention sales and services for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The 29-story, 800-room hotel will have its own 73,000 square feet of meeting space, along with a spa and a rooftop bar “with spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as the beach and ocean,” he said.

The property will have multiple restaurants and bars, both in the hotel and in a new pedestrian plaza out front, where there will also be event space and boat docks. Plans call for several event lawns with water views and an outdoor amphitheater. Groups will be able to step out of the hotel and onto a private charter for a sunset cruise, or onto a water taxi to get to Las Olas entertainment district and other points in the city.

In addition to growing the city’s high-end offerings, the new Omni will be “the missing piece” in the convention puzzle, Simon said. Fort Lauderdale currently has to use two or three more hotels than its competitors for citywide events, and “now that should even the field out a little more,” he said. sunny.org

September 2019

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35

IDEAS

DES MOINES, IOWA

“For a long time, we always heard, ‘We’re not going to look at Des Moines until you have a true connecting convention hotel,’” said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Now they do.

The 330-room Hilton Des Moines Downtown opened in March 2018 next to the Iowa Events Center.

“It really has been a game-changer for us in that it’s opened up the opportunity to go after a lot of larger convention groups and sporting groups,” Edwards said.

Since the hotel’s opening, Des Moines has booked 31 new pieces of business. Among them are groups that previously said they wouldn’t come to the city, and large conferences and citywide conventions that “are overflowing the convention hotel, so they’re helping other hotels,” he said.

The new Hilton Des Moines Downtown has 14,000 square feet of meeting space that includes a 10,000-square-foot flexible ballroom, and the full-service Park Street Kitchen restaurant features local fare.

On the second level, an indoor pool is surrounded by windows that overlook the Des Moines skyline.

The opening of the new Hilton “has also really caused all the other convention hotels in the market to elevate their properties,”

Edwards said. The 403-room Des Moines Marriott Downtown, the city’s largest hotel, unveiled its extensive renovation in October 2018, and the historic 209-room Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel reopened the same month following a two-year renovation. catchdesmoines.com

IRVING, TEXAS

Since the Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas hotel opened in March in Irving, Texas, “it’s definitely changing the dynamics,” said Maura Allen Gast, executive director of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau. Groups that wouldn’t consider Irving before are now in the mix, and Irving has booked groups because “they could see it was under construction and was going to happen.”

Before the hotel opened, the copper-clad Irving Convention Center averaged about 290 events a year. That’s a big number, but many of those were one-day corporate events.

“Now that the hotel is here, there might be fewer events, but they’re going to be longer, higher-value events,” Gast said.

The first event that booked the Westin was the National Guard Association of Texas Conference in 2022, a group “we’ve been chasing for a long time,” and Irving has now also landed the Texas Pharmacy Association, another event the city has not been able to host before.

The hotel sits between the convention center and the Toyota Music Factory, a live-entertainment district with a convertible indoor-outdoor pavilion, an outdoor concert plaza and about a dozen restaurants.

The Westin has over 21,000 square feet of event space, and attendees can walk out of the 10,000-square-foot, ground-floor ballroom across the street and into the convention center. The hotel also has a 4,200-square-foot junior ballroom, an event lawn and a poolside event deck. The on-site restaurant, Mesa Mezcal, offers local flavor and private dining. irvingtexas.com

"It’s definitely changing the dynamics; groups that wouldn’t consider Irving before are now in the mix."

— Maura Allen Gast, Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau

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www.smallmarketmeetings.com

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Clearwater Marinebreakfast, Aquarium board (CMA), of Dolphin Tale Dolphin Tale After your morning thehome Clearwater Ferry andand head over to the2 stars Winter and Hope.

If needed, plan an event or meal inside CMA’s recently Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), home of Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2

World, with multiple their own fishing fleetsCapital catching and unforgettable: sunsets restaurants and grouperwho fish.have Clearwater is the Grouper of the serving some of the freshest seafood anywhere in the world.

World, with multiple restaurants who have their own fishing fleets catching and

andwater Cracker Jacks if it’s baseball you will wantpeanuts to will the for one of ready, CMA’s because dolphin excursion boat season tours. Then get your close out by enjoying America’s favorite pastime at a Clearwater Threshers and Cracker Jacks ready, because if it’s baseball season you will want to will

serving some of the freshest seafood anywhere in the world.

Day 2 Day 2

Start your morning off with breakfast and a walk along the beach. Make sure to planyour fun morning water activities as paddle jet the skiing, fishing Start off with such breakfast and aboarding, walk along beach.

Makeexcursion, sure to super boat ride, or a dolphin watching tour!

If land is more your hit the plan fun water activities such as paddle boarding, jet skiing, fishingstyle, excursion,

one or of aClearwater’s golf courses show off your skills superlinks boatatride, dolphin watching tour! If or land is more yourput-put style, hit theat Captain Bligh’s Landing .

You can end your day with dinner on the beach links at one of Clearwater’s golf courses or show off your put-put skills atat Frenchy Rockaway Grill. You and can try their famous Sandwich, Captain ’sBligh’s Landing end your dayGrouper with dinner on the which beach you at can have grilled, blackened, buffalo, Caribbean style or fried.

If you’d Frenchy ’s Rockaway Grill and try their famous Grouper Sandwich, whichrather you stayhave out grilled, on the water, book buffalo, your group on one style of theordinner/cocktail cruises can blackened, Caribbean fried. If you’d rather offered each evening! stay out on the water, book your group on one of the dinner/cocktail cruises

opened meetings and event space. youortake opportunity to get on stars Winter and Hope.

If needed, planBeansure event mealthe inside CMA’s recently the water for one of CMA’s dolphin excursion boat tours.

Then get your peanuts opened meetings and event space. Be sure you take the opportunity to get on

baseball game.

If visiting in thefavorite Spring, pastime be sure to in a Phillies game, as close out by enjoying America’s at take a Clearwater Threshers Clearwater is home to their spring training program.

On your way to the final baseball game. If visiting in the Spring, be sure to take in a Phillies game, as stop of theisday, your hotel,spring be sure to enjoy breathtaking views Clearwater home to their training program.

On your way of to the the bay finalwhile crossing the Clearwater Memorial Causeway. stop of the day, your hotel, be sure to enjoy breathtaking views of the bay while crossing the Clearwater Memorial Causeway.

Day 4 Day 4

Start your final day in Clearwater with a delicious breakfast at Salty ’s Island Bar

& Grill. take in the beach one lastbreakfast time before heading home.Bar Start yourAfter finalbreakfast, day in Clearwater with a delicious at Salty ’s Island & Grill. After breakfast, take in the beach one last time before heading home.

offered each evening!

September 2019

/myclearwater | visitclearwaterflorida.com /myclearwater | visitclearwaterflorida.com

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By Grahm S. Jones, courtesy Columbus Zoo

CREATURE FEATURES Zoos and aquariums make meetings memorable

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BY RACHEL CARTER

othing against a convention center or a hotel ballroom, but it’s probably safe to say that meeting attendees can’t feed a giraffe there. Those venues also probably don’t offer diver demonstrations or let attendees meet a flying squirrel, a giant gecko or a legless lizard. And when guests sit down for dinner among tanks filled with giant sea turtles and ethereal moon jellyfish, planners don’t have to worry about decorating the space.

These zoos and aquariums offer meeting planners and their attendees all of the above and more.

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COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM

COLUMBUS, OHIO At the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio, “there’s a view there you can’t get anywhere else,” said Kevin Rohrbacher, senior sales representative at the zoo. In the zoo’s Africa Event Center, “giraffes can come right up to your patio, and you can see zebras and wildebeests — you’re not going to get that anywhere else.”

The zoo can host daytime business meetings, high-end after-hours events and company picnics, and attendees have the opportunity to go out into the zoo, which makes for good breaks or after-meeting free time.

The Africa Event Center is the zoo’s most popular space, and its two rooms can each seat 200, or 400 when combined. Sliding glass doors provide indoor/ outdoor access to a patio where guests can experience a private giraffe feeding with a keeper present to answer questions. The center also has a separate entrance and parking lot.

The Water’s Edge Events Park has four pavilions and a large plaza that groups can mix and match for rentals; the area overlooks the Scioto River, which

Above: Meeting attendees can have up-close encounters with animals during events at the Columbus Zoo.

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gives attendees “a great view and a nice breeze off the river,” Rohrbacher said. The newly renovated, climate-controlled Lakeside Pavilion can also seat up to 350 guests.

From May through September, large groups can rent out the entire zoo for after-hours events, and smaller events can reserve a region, like Heart of Africa, or Shores and Aquarium. The zoo has divvied its scavenger hunt into regions, so groups that have more time can tackle the whole thing or stick to one region. columbuszoo.org

"Giraffes can come right up to your patio, and you can see zebras and wildebeests — you’re not going to get that anywhere else.”

— Kevin Rohrbacher, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

MYSTIC AQUARIUM

MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT This spring, the Mystic Aquarium opened its $10 million research and education facility: the Milne Center for Ocean Science and Conservation. In addition to housing the aquarium’s preschool, the two-story, 18,000-square-foot building also contains classrooms, conference rooms and offices.

Conference space on the first floor of the new building can host events for up to 125 people, and a mezzanine can accommodate another 50. The mezzanine will soon overlook the aquaculture lab, which will be completed later this year.

“It really opened us up to be able to host events during business hours,” such as the Second International Workshop on Beluga Whale Research and Conservation in March, said sales specialist Amanda Wheeler. “Before, all the spaces we had available needed to be for after-hours events.”

Groups can still hold after-hours events on the main floor of the aquarium, which can accomodate 250 for sit-down banquets or 500 for receptions. The

Photos courtesy Mystic Aquarium

September 2019

Mystic Aquarium creatures, clockwise from left: Antarctic penguins; famous beluga whales; a stellar sea lion

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IDEAS

aquarium’s indoor-outdoor layout also gives planners flexibility for events. A group can start with a cocktail hour outside near the beluga whale exhibit and then move inside for dinner or a presentation.

The education department can create team-building or education activities and can customize them for meeting groups. Planners can also use the aquarium’s traveling teacher program, which allows attendees to touch and learn about starfish and crabs. mysticaquarium.org

NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM

DUBUQUE, IOWA When planners choose the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, for a meeting, they do so because “it’s a unique space, and we pretty much provide the entertainment,” said Teri Witt, sales and banquet manager.

The museum and aquarium is dedicated to the freshwater and saltwater habitats of the Mighty Mississippi. The facility hosts more after-hours than daytime events because of limited space during operating hours. Meetings and events typically use the River Discovery Center in the Mississippi River Center building, where up to 250 guests “are sitting right among all the animals and exhibits,” Witt said, “so people could be sitting by paddlefish or the otters or the frogs.”

A GALLERY AT THE NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM Courtesy NMRMA

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In the same building, planners can use the 82seat Journey Theater for presentations or speakers, and an upstairs temporary exhibit space can seat about 250 people for banquets when not in use, usually October through April.

An open-air harborside plaza works well for cocktail hours or company picnics, and guests are treated to views of the river and of the William M. Black, a 1930s steam-powered dredge boat that they can tour.

Groups can also do a scavenger hunt, or the education program can bring an animal or two — usually a snake, frog, toad or tarantula — to the event for guests to touch and learn about.

“They can have their bar in the middle of a gallery with turtles, or you can have hors d’oeuvres in front of the penguin exhibit.”

— Meredith Roberts, Tennessee Aquarium

September 2019

A planner could also opt to provide access to the museum’s Wetlab, where a touch tank allows visitors to meet mussels and crayfish. rivermuseum.com

MINNESOTA ZOO

APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA Most groups that choose to gather at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, south of the Twin Cities, do so for two reasons: They want to be off-site, and they want a fun experience.

The Education Event Center is the zoo’s main daytime event space; it can seat 48 for meals or 60 in a theater setup. But the most popular space — for evening events only — is the combined Tropics Trail and Discovery Bay. Attendees usually start in the Tropics exhibit, which is about 77 degrees year-round, for cocktails and hor d'oeuvres as they meander along the trail, taking in rainforest wildlife, brightly colored birds and a 500,000-gallon tropical reef.

“It’s a great way to see unique things, and it’s such a great ice breaker,” said sales manager Cheryl Tait.

Guests then move into Discovery Bay, the zoo’s marine aquatics center, where up to 250 people can

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IDEAS

dine between Hawaiian monk seals and a Pacific shark reef. Groups may also use a 200-seat auditorium for evening presentations or awards ceremonies.

A planner can add a tropical reef dive demonstration, where divers feed the fish and can even talk to attendees using an underwater communication system. The zoo also offers encounters with educational animals, such as a snake, a chinchilla, a porcupine or a skunk.

The zoo’s scavenger hunt serves as a fun team-building event and can be customized depending on the event’s schedule. All-zoo rentals, typically for groups of 1,500 or more, are also available mid-May through mid-August. mnzoo.org

A BANQUET AT THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM IN CHATTANOOGA

TENNESSEE AQUARIUM

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE In addition to getting people out of the convention center or hotel, holding a meeting at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga gives attendees something to see — and “lets them see our city in a different way,” said Meredith Roberts, director of hospitality and marketing.

“They can have their bar in the middle of a gallery with turtles, or you can have hors d’oeuvres in front of the penguin exhibit.”

By Bamber Photography, courtesy Tennessee Aquarium

feed their 150k sq. ft. meeting space

18k lodging units

32 miles of beaches

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

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

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Evening events can rent the entire aquarium or choose one of three venues. The RiverJourney building can accommodate up to 300 for seated dinners, and Ocean Journey can host dinners for 50 guests. The Imax Great Hall can seat up to 250 for meals, and the Imax 3D Theater has a capacity of 384.

An outdoor pavilion allows guests to enjoy their cocktail hour with views of the Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain.

In 2018, the aquarium renovated a 3,000-square-foot multipurpose space that’s available for daytime sessions while the building is open to the public. The space is fully equipped for meetings and has three aquatic tanks, so guests still get the aquarium experience.

Groups can do the aquarium’s scavenger hunt, and animal encounters bring people face to face with a snake, a lizard, an opossum, a giant gecko or flying squirrels that will sometimes even demonstrate natural behaviors.

Planners can also incorporate a dive show, where the diver speaks to guests using an underwater intercom. tnaqua.org

CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

SANFORD, FLORIDA The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, Florida, has two main areas available for rental: the Wayne M. Densch Discovery Center and the Rainforest Pavilion. The discovery center features five spaces, including the Safari Room, a 3,260-square-foot divisible space that can seat 180 guests and connects to an outdoor porch. The covered porch leads to the Gazebo Courtyard, a lush garden with a wooden gazebo that works well for a cocktail hour or team-building activity.

The center’s atrium and lobby has vaulted ceilings with natural light flooding through the glass-topped roof. There, walls are lined with displays of butterflies and insects, both preserved and alive, all protected behind clean glass barriers.

The open-air Rainforest Pavilion features hand-painted murals along with a concessions kitchen and picnic tables, making it ideal for company picnics and team-building activities.

Special experiences for groups differ between daytime business hours and after-hours events. During business hours, planners can arrange for their attendees to experience giraffe feedings or rhino encounters, or take on the zoo’s scavenger hunt.

One of the zoo’s most unusual options is the Seminole Aerial Adventure, a zip line/ropes course that planners can add as a fun activity or use for team building.

The zip line course is also available for an after-hours “night flight,” when groups use flashlights to navigate zip lines and obstacles in the dark. Animal meet-and-greets are available for both daytime and evening events. centralfloridazoo.org

September 2019

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s e m i T d o Go e h t n o

GRAND STRAND The Myrtle Beach area comprises dozens of attractions and more than 60 miles of South Carolina coastline.

All photos courtesy Myrtle Beach Area CVB unless otherwise noted

CITY

MYRTLE BEACH AT A GLANCE

Myrtle Beach promises productivity and fun

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BY KATHERINE TANDY BROWN

ike a string of pearls, the crystalline sands of the Myrtle Beach area stretch 60 miles down South Carolina’s Atlantic Coast, from Little River to Georgetown. Nicknamed the Grand Strand, this historic ocean playground boasts stunning beaches, affordability, never-ending attractions and activities that include seven live entertainment theaters, 90 championship golf courses and, as the Miniature Golf Capital of the World, 50-plus mini-golf courses. Meeting attendees can also enjoy myriad watersports, boating and deep-sea fishing; 1,800 full-service restaurants, many specializing in fresh seafood; and a number of spend-the-day shopping/entertainment complexes.

No wonder Myrtle Beach has added a spot on Trip Advisor’s 2018 “Most Excellent” global tourism destinations to its already-impressive list of kudos that include ConventionSouth magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award as Top Meeting Site/Destination in the South.

LOCATION: South Carolina’s Atlantic Coast ACCESS: U.S. routes 17 and 501 or SC Rte. 9 from interstates 95 and 20; Myrtle Beach International Airport HOTEL ROOMS: 425 hotels and 98,600 accommodations CONTACT INFO: Visit Myrtle Beach 800-488-8998 visitmyrtlebeach.com MYRTLE BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

BUILT: 1992 EXHIBIT SPACE: 250,000 square feet OTHER MEETING SPACES: 17 meeting rooms MEETING HOTELS

Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation GUEST ROOMS: 225 two-room suites MEETING SPACE: 70,000 square feet Marina Inn at Grande Dunes GUEST ROOMS: 200 guest rooms and suites MEETING SPACE: 15,000 square feet Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes GUEST ROOMS: 405 MEETING SPACE: 36,650 square feet WHO’S MEETING IN MYRTLE BEACH

DanceMakersInc ATTENDEES: 1,377 Urban Exhibitions — Myrtle Beach Gift Show ATTENDEES: 5,000 North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers Association — SE Petro-Food Marketer Show ATTENDEES: 480

September 2019

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Destination Highlights

DISTINCTIVE VENUES

Brookgreen Gardens

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irthplace of the Shag, South Carolina’s state dance, this things-to-do nirvana, where attendees can bring their families and vacation for extra premeeting or postmeeting days, is a year-round destination thanks to seasonally changing attractions and an ocean-breeze-driven mild climate.

With average temperatures in the 70s, it’s not unusual to see visitors hitting the links and hanging out by a pool in the wintertime.

Accommodations run the gamut, from hotel guest rooms and suites to luxury villas and condos, cozy inns and cottages, many with wide ocean views.

“There’s a real connection to nature and being outside here,” said Bob Harris, executive vice president of group sales for the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce/Visit Myrtle Beach.

“Brookgreen Gardens is one of the top 10 in the country. And the 200-foot Skywheel on the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, Broadway by the Beach and Barefoot Landing are great group outdoor attractions.”

While their attendees meet, spouses can paddle among gaping gators and slithering snakes for two- or four-hour tours with Black Water Outdoor Kayaking Excursion, cruise the Georgetown Harbor on a history tour, and watch a cooking demo or take a class at the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach. Groups can rent the facility for tasty team building.

“We have a number of places you can set a group free to explore, like the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet, where a number of restaurants have live music,” Harris said. “Attendees can stroll a boardwalk, peruse local art and choose a restaurant by the live music on its deck.”

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

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Myrtle Beach at dusk

Distinctive Venues

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bout 30 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens is an exquisite 9,100-acre property on a former rice plantation. It features the country’s largest collection of American figurative sculpture displayed in a stunning garden setting. The sculpture garden can accommodate up to 1,200 people for banquets.

Guests can board a 48-foot pontoon boat History Adventure Tour up swamps to observe alligators or trek on a four-wheeler through backcountry.

At Ripley’s Aquarium, attendees will marvel over the wondrous undersea world of 14,000 marine animals. Popular exhibits include “Pearl Harbor”; “Rio Amazon,” with piranhas and tiny poison dart frogs; and “Planet Jellies,” where thousands of jellyfish float.

While sipping cocktails, guests can see sharks and octopi, experience interactive exhibits and learn about aquatic creatures. Renting three rooms for a private event — a banquet room, a smaller space and an outdoor patio with fire pits and twinkling lights — can accommodate 200. A full-venue buyout comes with a caterer, room for 1,200 at a reception, and food stations and bars throughout. Dive shows, glass-bottom-boat tours and behind-the-scenes peeks are options.

“There’s no other place like this in Myrtle Beach,” said Dawn Temples Knopff, marketing director for Ripley’s Entertainment. “You’re by the ocean, so why not feel like you’re in the ocean at the aquarium?”

Completed in 2018, The Blvd, a 55,000-square-foot, updated beach club complex along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, houses the Tin Roof Myrtle Beach Restaurant, with terrific live music and a 10,000-squarefoot event space.

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Major Meeting Spaces

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quick five miles from the airport, the 250,000-square-foot Myrtle Beach Convention Center (MBCC) features a 108,600-squarefoot Exhibit Hall and a 17,000-square-foot ballroom for 1,450 theater-style. For outdoor gatherings a 30,000-square-foot Events Plaza offers warm ocean breezes.

The 402-room boutique Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel connects directly.

“Some of our staff and sales reps have been on board for 20 and 30 years, which speaks to our quality of service,” said Tiffany Andrews, MBCC’s sales and marketing administrator. “We work with planners to stay in-budget and shine in the eyes of their bosses.”

The area’s largest conference facility on the beach, Kingston Resorts encompasses the 225-suite Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation, the 385-room Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort and the 223-room Royale Palms. A total of 110,000 square feet of meeting space includes an Oceanfront Ballroom with breathtaking views from the Hilton’s 15th floor.

All properties have access to a 50,000-square-foot water park and lazy river.

“Attendees will definitely want to bring the family,” said Sabena Dayton, director of sales and marketing.

Located in the 2,200-acre, AAA Four Diamond Grande Dunes Resort, the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes can host 350 attendees for meetings. Outdoor space for a reception, cookout or oyster roast can accommodate 60 on a covered deck and 300 on a lawn area. The property offers such amenities as golf and private beach access for guests.

“Our environment is serene,” said Pamela Shelley, director of sales and marketing. “We’re a little bit of a respite from the crowded areas in Myrtle Beach.”

MAJOR MEETING SPACES

September 2019

Myrtle Beach Convention Center

AFTER HOURS

Carolina Opry

Courtesy Carolina Opry

After the Meeting

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wo massive shopping/entertainment complexes specialize in happy hour, fabulous food, frequent fireworks and pure fun.

The first, Barefoot Landing, sports a new restaurant district along the Intracoastal Waterway that includes Lulu’s, a 20,000-square-foot eatery owned by Jimmy Buffett’s sister Lucy, with live music, a sandy beach and a ropes climbing course. One of the area’s seven live theaters, Alabama Theatre features shows with such household names as the Temptations and the Oak Ridge Boys. Made-fromscratch Southern specialties such as jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and pulled-pork barbecue along with live music make the House of Blues a terrific group stop.

Another retail and entertainment hub, Broadway at the Beach, has 100 specialty shops, 20-plus restaurants, live music and a 23-acre lake. Here, the tribute show “Legends in Concert” portrays five celebrities in an amazingly realistic manner. Opened this year, Topgolf features point-scoring golf games, golf tournaments and instruction, food, drinks and big-screen TVs. Topping off the complex’s offerings is the ballpark of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

One of the area’s seven live entertainment venues, the Calvin Gilmore Theater presents five award-winning live entertainment shows, among them the Carolina Opry, two hours of high-energy music, comedy and dance.

And in North Myrtle Beach, groups can sip while learning the fine art of winemaking at Duplin Winery.

Strong spirits are made at Twelve 33, the area’s first craft distillery, which was named in honor of the end of prohibition in December 1933. Opened in May, the attraction has an infusion room for spirits and a hidden speakeasy.

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HOTEL

A New Mexico Mountain Retreat

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BY KRISTY ALPERT

t’s difficult to say which is more stunning: looking out over the still waters of Mescalero Lake from inside the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino or standing on the shores of the lake and looking up at the impressive architecture of the resort itself.

The Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino is owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and both the exteriors and interiors of this grand resort offer modern takes on tribal influence. The resort is located at one of the most scenic spots on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation: overlooking Mescalero Lake and a forest filled with impressive fruit trees, poplars and cottonwoods.

The open concept and floor-to-ceiling windows of the resort’s public spaces bring the beauty of the outdoors in, connecting guests with nature as they explore the many facets of the 250-room resort. Along with eight on-site dining options, the resort has a full-service spa that specializes in tribal-inspired treatments like the Mescalero Sumac Rose purifying treatment and an oxygen bar that helps reduce stress while boosting energy and enhancing concentration. The property also has a 45,000-square-foot casino with poker, blackjack, slots and bingo.

Summer at the resort is all about getting out and exploring the forest, with nature hikes, horseback rides, golfing at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Golf Course, big-game hunts and paddling along Lake Mescalero. Winter always includes a visit to neighboring Ski Apache or taking a sleigh or carriage ride through the snow through the Upper Canyon. The resort’s famous Apache Eagle ZipRider is open throughout the year to take guests soaring over the lake at 55 miles per hour. Despite the season, the resort is a haven for meeting groups looking to gather and connect within an environment that encourages interaction and connection.

The resort offers more than 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including 15 individual meeting rooms with flexible configurations so groups can customize their space, menus and even ambiance during their time spent at the resort.

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Photos courtesy Inn of the Mountain Gods

THE INN OVERLOOKING LAKE MESCALERO

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M E E T I N G S PAC E S

GUESTS DINE OVERLOOKING SCENIC NEW MEXICO VISTAS AT THE INN OF THE MOUNTAIN GODS.

The Inn of the Mountain Gods features a full convention center with 29,074 square feet and six ballrooms on the main floor. Mescalero Ballroom A and Mescalero Ballroom B hold up to 72 guests each; Mescalero Ballroom C and Mescalero Ballroom D hold up to 144 guests each; Mescalero Ballroom E holds up to 168 guests; and Mescalero Ballroom F holds up to 180 guests. The Exhibit room is 14,000 square feet and holds up to 3,000 guests, and the prefunction area is 4,500 square feet. There are also eight smaller meeting rooms, each 528 square feet, and two reception/lobby areas, each 2,310 square feet.

C AT E R I N G The Inn of the Mountain Gods offers eight on-site dining options, including the popular Gathering of Nations Buffet. The resort also provides meeting groups with a catering team that prepares customized menus to match the theme, size and dietary needs of each meeting group. The team can prepare everything from boxed breakfast options to full-service seated dinners for events, along with a range of snack, lunch and drink options throughout the day for meetings. The resort also offers full bar service for events and can provide bartenders for events and meetings upon request.

EXTRAS

HOTEL FACTS LOCATION

Mescalero, New Mexico

SIZE

More than 250 rooms

MEETING SPACE

More than 40,000 square feet

ACCESS

130 miles north of El Paso, Texas, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.

CONTACT INFO

800-545-9011 innofthemountaingods.com

September 2019

Owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, the Inn of the Mountain Gods proudly displays artwork done by Mescalero Apache tribal members. Before or after events, groups have access to the entire property, including the Broken Arrow Tap House that serves gastropub-type cuisine and features 70 beers on tap. The property overlooks Lake Mescalero and the Mescalero Apaches’ sacred mountain, White Mountain, which is visible from the main areas of the resort. Guests are also encouraged to take part in the resort’s Wednesday LOL comedy club and Thursday karaoke night.

AFTER EVENTS The Inn of the Mountain Gods has a variety of activities for meeting groups to enjoy while on-site, ranging from the Apache Eagle zip line across Lake Mescalero and casino games including blackjack, poker, roulette, bingo and sports betting. Fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, golf, sporting clays and batting cages are also available on the property, and the resort’s sister property, Ski Apache, is home to the Wind Rider Zip Tour, the third-highest zip tour in the world and the longest in the Western Hemisphere, as well as two bike trails, and a gondola. In the winter months the resort offers a beginner ski slope and some of the best black diamond skiing in New Mexico.

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Empire State Scenery

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NIAGARA FALLS IS AMONG THE MOST AMAZING NATURAL WONDERS IN NEW YORK.

Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Niagara Falls USA

BY ROBIN ROENKER

he Empire State boasts an array of destinations where top-tier meeting facilities offer ready access to vast, scenic beauty, from waterfalls and wine trails to state parks and rustic mountain retreats. See why many in the know view upstate as a hidden gem, brimming with a mix of charming small towns and modern city centers, all just minutes from destinations that showcase the natural appeal of New York.

NIAGARA FALLS

As one of the United States’ most iconic vistas, Niagara Falls scores a spot on nearly every traveler’s bucket list. The breathtaking beauty and power of the roaring falls are reason enough to visit, but the region offers much more than postcard views.

The Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls, just two blocks from

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Niagara Falls State Park and under 30 minutes by car from Buffalo, offers 116,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and can host groups both large and small.

“They have everything from an in-house AV team to a world-class chef there,” said Lindsey Bowman, convention and meeting sales manager for Niagara Falls USA. The city’s Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, a AAA Four Diamond hotel, offers 10 on-site restaurants, more than 36,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a fully appointed business center.

The New York side of Niagara is where you’ll get to enjoy the natural beauty of the falls thanks to 400 acres of state park land, miles of hiking trails and access to preserved historic sites such as Old Fort Niagara, where original 18th-century buildings still stand.

Guests can take in the beauty of the Niagara River Gorge via the trails at nearby De Veaux Woods State Park and Whirlpool State Park that often follow right along the river’s edge.

For fun team-building activities, consider a group trip to

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the famed Maid of the Mist boat ride under the falls. Or, for a more adrenaline-fueled trip, take a jetboat ride on the lower Niagara River through Whirlpool Jet Boat tours or Niagara Jet Adventures.

For those looking for a day trip option, the ever-growing Niagara Wine Trail USA now has 22 wineries near Lake Ontario where visitors can sample award-winning New York riesling, chardonnay and pinot noir varieties, as well as fruit wines, meads and ciders. niagarafallsusa.com

NEW YORK’S PICTURESQUE CAPITOL IN ALBANY

ALBANY AND THE HUDSON VALLEY

Home to iconic settings such as Woodstock and West Point, the Hudson Valley is a National Heritage Area that covers a 10-county region from the edge of Manhattan north to Albany County. The area has long been a visitor favorite thanks to its scenic mountains, lakes and rivers, as well as thousands of miles of hiking trails and an ever-growing wine trail and microbrewery scene.

Albany, the New York state capital, offers an array of meeting options, including the Albany Capital Center. Opened in 2017, the mixed-use facility includes six meeting rooms and 22,500 square feet of ballroom and exhibit space that can accommodate groups of 10 to 5,000. “It’s a dynamic facility that can host a wide variety of events,” said Jay Cloutier, director of sales for the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The nearby Times Union Center arena in Albany has adaptable meeting facilities and large-scale exhibition space that can accommodate groups of up to 17,500. The Egg, an architecturally unique downtown performing arts center, has two theaters available for group rental, with capacity for 450 and 982, respectively.

During meeting downtime, groups can enjoy tours of the New York State Capitol or the Albany Institute of History and Art and sample offerings on the city’s growing craft brewery trail.

For groups looking to enjoy the Hudson Valley’s natural beauty, John Boyd Thatcher State Park, just a half-hour or so from downtown Albany, offers panoramic views of the area as well as hiking trails. albany.org travelhudsonvalley.com

Courtesy Discover Albany

THE STRONG MUSEUM OF PLAY IN ROCHESTER

FINGER LAKES

Known for its breathtaking lakes and world-renowned wineries, New York’s Finger Lakes region is home to more than 30 state parks, dozens of waterfalls and myriad opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking and more.

“We’re definitely a nature-filled destination,” said Lisa Burns, executive director of the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council.

Easily accessible via airports in Syracuse or Rochester, and roughly four and a half hours by car from New York City, the Finger Lakes area includes 11 lakes, as well as more than 120 destinations, among them wineries, breweries, cideries and farms.

Groups can enjoy an array of meeting venues and lodging Courtesy Strong Museum of Play

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Meetieng Guid RESORTS WORLD CATSKILLS

options in Syracuse and Rochester, which serve as bookends to the region. The George Eastman Museum in Rochester, on the former estate of the famous Kodak founder, offers an out-of-the-box venue option. Larger groups of up to 500 can enjoy the Dryden Theatre; smaller groups can opt to rent the museum’s Curtis Theatre or its Council Room. Groups of all sizes will enjoy the lush beauty of the museum’s Schuyler C. Townson Terrace Garden. fingerlakestravelny.com

CATSKILLS

Courtesy Resorts World Catskills

FORT WILLIAM HENRY HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

With 98 mountain peaks soaring over 3,000 feet high, the tree-covered skyline of Catskill Park, a region of nearly 300,000 acres of preserved forest in New York’s Ulster, Green, Delaware and Sullivan counties, offers a natural counterpart to the steel-sided skyscrapers of Manhattan.

Greene County, gateway to the Great Northern Catskills, is home to Hunter Mountain Resort, a four-seasons destination that offers winter skiing, snowtubing and snowboarding, as well as plenty to do in the warmer months, including zip lining, disc golf, fly-fishing, hiking and a scenic skyride to the top of Hunter Mountain. The Kaatskill Mountain Club, the resort’s premier on-site lodging option, offers dedicated, customizable meeting space for groups of all sizes, and its Copper Tree Restaurant can accommodate dinner for up to 275 guests or 300 for receptions.

Nearby Windham Mountain Resort offers winter skiing and other snow sports, as well as popular mountain biking trails, a pool and an 18-hole golf course in warmer months. The resort’s Seasons venue can seat up to 250 and offers panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains. The region is also home to more than a dozen all-inclusive family resorts, many of which offer dedicated meeting space as well as fun activities for kids.

In Sullivan County, the Sullivan Catskills is undergoing “a whole new resurgence,” said Roberta Byron-Lockwood, president and CEO of the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association. The long-popular vacation destination is home to the new Resorts World Catskills hotel and casino, which opened in Monticello in 2018. Featuring 332 luxury suites, more than 100,000 square feet of gaming space and a 2,500-seat event center, the resort’s seven conference rooms and more than 48,000 square feet of meeting space can accommodate groups of up to 2,000.

Monticello is also home to the new Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark, where guests can enjoy one of 324 suites plus a luxury lodge experience complete with spa, on-site dining and an expansive conference center. greatnortherncatskills.com sullivancatskills.com

LAKE GEORGE AND THE ADIRONDACKS

Spanning some 6 million acres and 12 distinct regional destinations, including the Lake Champlain region, the Lake George region and the Lake Placid region, the Adirondack Mountains represents one of the largest protected natural areas in the United States. With Courtesy Lake George Regional CVB

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Be Part of Our Story.

UNCONVENTIONAL Binghamton is a place that’s different. The beautiful riverside, affordable accommodations, 30,000 square feet of meeting spaces and convenient location come along with plenty of dining, attractions and history to be explored. Binghamton, New York is more than a meeting place. It’s a story you can be part of.

visitbinghamton.org incredible dining • amazing art scene • rich history • unique events

Meetieng Guid THE SAGAMORE RESORT ON LAKE GEORGE

its many rivers and lakes, the region offers ample opportunities for hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and more.

“We are a small-market meeting destination,” said Kristen Hanifin, special event and convention sales director for the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and CVB. “Smaller groups are really where our niche is.”

The historic Sagamore Resort, established in 1883 on a 70-acre island within Lake George itself, can cater to groups of up to 1,000 in its 52,000 square feet of total meeting and conference space, which includes a 10,000-square-foot ballroom. Guests can stay in one of the 137 guest rooms or 54 suites and enjoy on-site dining, a spa, golf, tennis, indoor and outdoor heated pools and waterfront activities on the lake.

The Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center in Lake George, which offers 193 guest rooms and 12 meeting rooms that span more than 16,500 square feet of total meeting space, can cater to groups of up to 300. The city’s new downtown Courtyard by Marriott also offers designated on-site meeting space.

In Glens Falls, roughly 20 minutes from Lake George, the 1920s-era Queensbury Hotel offers 114 rooms, 11 suites and more than 12,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, all within walking distance to area shops, museums, restaurants and pubs. lakegeorgechamber.com visitadirondacks.com

Courtesy Lake George Regional CVB

Come find us.

Then see us go the extra mile.

®NYSED

The hidden treasure of Western New York and the gateway to the Finger Lakes wine region, Rochester strikes the perfect balance between amazing and amazingly affordable. With a vibrant arts scene, top-rated golf, diverse cuisine, a craft beverage trail, natural wonders, and the largest collection of toys, dolls and games in the entire world. Plus it’s the home of civil rights pioneers Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and Kodak founder George Eastman. Rochester really is limitless.

As your go-to resource for meeting in Rochester, Visit Rochester offers incomparable customized services that cater to your every need. So, if you’re planning a convention, conference, or competition, make it easy on yourself and make your way to Rochester.

For more information, go to visitrochester.com/meetings

Photo Credit: J. Montanus, R. Veniskey, A. Buscemi

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On Campus in New York

T

ROCHESTER HAS MORE THAN 18 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AS WELL AS THE JOSEPH A. FLOREANO RIVERSIDE CONVENTION CENTER (PICTURED).

Meetdieng Gui

Courtesy Visit Rochester

BY ROBIN ROENKER

here’s a perennial youthful energy in communities lucky enough to have colleges and universities in their backyards. In higher-ed towns, picturesque campuses and fan-packed sports events blend seamlessly with inviting city centers that brim with dining and entertainment options, making them a great option for your next group meeting destination.

Throughout New York, college towns offer bucolic settings and a variety of distinctive venues for meetings.

ROCHESTER

With more than 18 colleges and universities nearby — including the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the third-largest city in New York operates as both a consummate college town and a bustling metro center.

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Near both Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes Region, Rochester offers easy access to some of New York’s most beautiful scenery. Its downtown Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center (RCC) offers 25 meeting rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space with theater seating for up to 5,000. Four adjacent hotels — including the Rochester Riverside Hotel and the Hyatt Regency Rochester, which both also have their own dedicated meeting spaces — offer more than 1,100 guest rooms with climate-controlled access to the RCC so groups don’t have to worry about the area’s occasionally harsh winter weather.

Some groups take advantage of meeting facilities at university venues. RIT has become a hub for esports events thanks to its School of Interactive Games and Media. At the University of Rochester, visitors can enjoy watching Quidditch, the sport made popular in the Harry Potter franchise, and cheering on the UR Thestrals. Area teams also have active followings for their football, lacrosse, hockey and fencing events.

Groups can rent unique meeting facility space alongside iconic games and toys at the Strong Museum of Play, home to the National Toy Hall of Fame and the World Vid-

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Meetieng Guid CORNELL UNIVERSITY

eo Game Hall of Fame. For those wanting sweeping views of Lake Ontario and the Genesee River, the Greenhouse at the Port of Rochester offers a perfect venue. The space is able to seat 250, or 128 for sit-down dinners. “It’s a very popular option,” said Deidre Wetelainen, vice president of sales and services for Visit Rochester. “You sort of forget you’re in the middle of a city there.” visitrochester.com

ITHACA

Courtesy Cornell University

THE ONCENTER IN DOWNTOWN SYRACUSE

Home to Cornell University as well as Ithaca College, Ithaca is a bustling Finger Lakes city — it sits on Cayuga Lake — and a quintessential college town. The natural beauty of the area is legendary, thanks to miles of hiking trails, several state parks and more than 150 waterfalls within 10 miles.

Groups can rent meeting space on the Cornell University campus, where conference facilities offer more than 75 meeting rooms, lecture rooms and auditoriums with capacity for groups of 50 to 950. The university’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art also offers meeting space, including an outdoor Mallin Sculpture Court, the glass-enclosed Appel Lobby and the sixth-floor Lynch Conference Room, which offers stunning views of Cayuga Lake and can fit groups of up to 150.

The nearby Statler Hotel at Cornell University, on the college campus, has 153 guest rooms, a newly renovated grand ballroom with seating for up to 270 and an executive education center that features a 700-seat auditorium and seven break-out rooms able to seat 150.

Ithaca College’s Athletics and Events Center, which includes an indoor track and field center, an outdoor stadium and a 47,000-squarefoot indoor aquatics facility, is often used for hosting athletic events and other large conferences or expos.

“We make a point of meeting with Cornell and Ithaca on a monthly basis so that we stay aware of what space may be available,” said Heather Hughes, director of sales and marketing for the Ithaca/ Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We really work to cultivate those relationships so we can be a resource for meeting planners coming to our area.”

Outside of meetings, guests can enjoy the Finger Lakes wineries as well as Ithaca’s museums, restaurants, craft pubs and unique shops, many found in the popular four-block, pedestrian-only district known as Ithaca Commons. visitithaca.com

SYRACUSE

Home to the Orange Nation, the city of Syracuse holds a special place in the hearts of all Syracuse University alumni and fans. In the heart of the state within the Finger Lakes region, the city presents not only a palpable college energy, but also easy access to urban attractions and nearby natural beauty.

The downtown Oncenter Convention Complex covers three city blocks with more than 200,000 square feet of meeting space, a 15,000-square-foot ballroom, 10 dedicated meeting rooms and a Courtesy Visit Syracuse

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7,000-seat arena. Additionally, the SRC Arena, on the campus of the city’s Onondaga Community College, offers 60,000 square feet of meeting space, dedicated meeting rooms and an indoor sports arena that can accommodate groups of more than 6,000.

Within walking distance to the convention center, the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, recently restored to its 1920s-era glory, offers more than 20 event rooms and 34,000 square feet of event space of its own.

The city is also home to the New York State Fairgrounds, which just underwent a $50 million restoration that included the unveiling of a new exposition center with more than 110,000 square feet of open meeting space.

Given Syracuse’s central location, guests will want to schedule time before or after their meetings to see all that upstate New York has to offer.

“We are right in the middle of the state, so we’re within a short drive of just about every iconic upstate New York attraction, whether it’s Cooperstown, the Finger Lakes or Niagara Falls,” said Carol Eaton, senior vice president of Visit Syracuse.

For an easy side trip, the nearby village of Skaneateles, just 30 minutes from Syracuse, is a “quintessential Finger Lakes village,” Eaton said. “It’s an entryway into the entire Finger Lakes Region.” And for diehard Orange fans, public tours of the Carrier Dome, home to Syracuse football, basketball and lacrosse, are available. visitsyracuse.com

BINGHAMTON

Home to Binghamton University (BU), part of the State University of New York system, Binghamton sits near the Pennsylvania border and was the birthplace of IBM. Known as the Carousel Capitol of the World thanks to its six working antique carousels, the only collection of its kind across the globe, the city of Binghamton also offers stunning river views — it sits at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenago rivers — a vibrant campus community, a thriving arts scene and a growing microbrewery trail.

“We have everything that a bigger city has, just on a smaller scale,” said Gina Calisi, convention sales manager for the Greater Binghamton Convention and Visitors Bureau. During meeting downtime, visitors can enjoy exhibits at the Roberson Museum and Science Center as well as the Kopernik Observatory in nearby Vestal. The Binghamton area is also home to April, the famous giraffe, who makes her home at the nearby Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville.

The city offers more than 2,500 total guest rooms, and many hotels, including the Holiday Inn Binghamton Hotel and Convention Center and the DoubleTree by Hilton-Binghamton, offer their own dedicated, flexible meeting and conference spaces that can cater to small groups.

Groups looking for unique meeting venues could turn to the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, a 6,900-seat multipur-

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

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Meetieng Guid pose arena that is home to the minor league Binghamton Devils hockey team. Several sites on the BU campus are also available, including the BU Events Center, which offers more than 156,000 square feet of event space that can accommodate NCAA events as well as trade fairs, banquets and conventions.

The BU campus is also home to the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, which includes a 1,170-seat main theater and two more intimate theaters. And the opportunities for venue rental on campus may continue to grow.

“The university has just launched a brand-new office charged with bringing more events to campus,” Calisi said. visitbinghamton.com

ALBANY

In addition to serving as New York’s capital, Albany is also home to several colleges and universities, including the University at Albany, the College of St. Rose, the Sage College of Albany and Siena College in nearby Loudonville, where “the alumni ties are very strong,” said Jay Cloutier, director of sales for the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Their basketball program is so strong and has such a following that the college cannot contain it. They rent the Times Union Center in Albany, a 15,000-seat arena, for their home games.”

Many groups have incorporated VIP receptions at Siena basketball games as part of their meeting itineraries, Cloutier said. Meanwhile, the football program at the University of Albany continues to improve — and the university is working to build the tailgating experience surrounding it. “They play some major colleges in Division IA,” said Cloutier.

The city’s State University of New York Polytechnic Institute often hosts groups within its ZEN (Zero-Energy Nanotechnology) Building, which includes two auditoriums, three meeting rooms and a large atrium that can accommodate groups of up to 600.

In nearby Troy, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is home to the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, which features performance and presentation space as well as flexible meeting rooms for groups.

Several hotels boast proximity to Albany’s university and colleges, including the Albany Hilton Garden Inn-SUNY Area, which offers 126 guest rooms, several dedicated meeting rooms and a 2,700-squarefoot ballroom that can accommodate up to 390 people for receptions.

During downtime, visitors can tour the New York State Capitol, enjoy the city’s booming culinary district and visit sites on the Capital Craft Beverage Trail. albany.org

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Where Meetings

DiscoverLongIsland.com/Meetings With over 18,000 guest rooms and 1.5 million square feet of meeting space, Long Island offers unique meeting, incentive and event experiences. Full service properties, seaside resorts and luxury boutique hotels offer an array of amenities and provide the opportunity to host beachfront meetings overlooking the Atlantic ocean, in the vines at award-winning wineries or on the grounds of historic Gatsby-style mansions. Close proximity to New York City provides easy access for attendees to get to Long Island with three major airports, ferry service and 124 rail road stations.

For more information or a free Travel Guide, call 1-877-386-6654 x265.

September 2019

ÂŽ I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission.

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