We profile select cities, offering highlights and insights to help you make your destination decisions, and enhance your meetings. We’ve spoken with meeting planners, CVB representatives and local experts to bring you the best of what each city has to offer.
Touted as “where Mississippi meets the world,” the new $65 million Jackson Convention Complex (JCC) is putting Mississippi’s capital city on the map — both figuratively and economically.
“The Jackson Convention Complex is crucial to our local economy,” stated General Manager Linda McCarthy. “Convention business means large crowds, which means more business for our hotels, [...]
Huntsville is a cost-effective destination. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is the largest attraction in Alabama, and it’s the reason why this Northern Alabama town is referred to as Rocket City, USA. The city is undergoing massive commercial changes and is now home to a four star hotel, The Westin.
Tunica calls itself the South’s Casino Capital, and with nine themed casino resorts, gamers have multiple options. The resorts also give planners a rich inventory of rooms, meeting venues, nightlife and dining options. Located on the Mississippi River close to the borders of Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas, Tunica is an easy 30-minute drive from Memphis. This is a budget-friendly destination, but luxury amenities are available.
Southeast of Phoenix, Chandler is 20 minutes to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The attractions of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Glendale are nearby, but Chandler stands on its own merits. As the first golf resort destination in the state, the city has a decidedly “weekend vibe,” making it an ideal location for groups looking to unwind. Amenities include championship level golf courses, upscale shopping and diverse dining options.
Glendale is 20 minutes from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport, just west of Scottsdale, Ariz. It’s the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, the NHL Coyotes and the annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The historic downtown shopping district is comprised of two neighborhoods: Old Towne, which was the old Main Street area, and Catlin Court, which is a collection of bungalows that have been converted to boutiques.
Crested Butte is a charming Victorian town surrounded by acres of mountains and streams that provide for year-round outdoor activity. Skiing is the big attraction in the winter, and during warmer weather, groups can fish, hike, raft or ride horses. Three miles from the historic downtown area is the Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which has the largest meeting space in town (9,000 total with a 5,000-sq. ft. ballroom). Attendees can fly into the Gunniston-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC), which is 28 miles away, or the Montrose County Airport (MTJ), which is 90 miles away. GUC has year-round, nonstop service from Denver, with additional air service from cities like Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago and Salt Lake City during the ski season. Both Denver and Colorado Springs are within a four-hour drive.
Estes Park sits on the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park, about an hour’s drive northwest of Denver (1.5 hours from the Denver airport). In addition to the park, the city also has two golf courses, a lake encircled by a bike path, and a Riverwalk lined with shops and restaurants. During the summer, a free shuttle connects hikers and shoppers to area attractions.
Collectively known as The Palm Beaches, the area includes Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Manalapan, Delray Beach, Singer Island, Boynton Beach, Jupiter and Highland Beach. The Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) is only three miles from the main conference and entertainment district, which includes the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, the CityPlace entertainment complex and the 350,000-sq. ft. Palm Beach Convention Center.
Miami’s tropical climate consists of warm winters and hot summers, making it an ideal destination for meetings year-round. As a global city, it frequently ranks at the top of polls and surveys: In 2008, Forbes Magazine named it “America’s Cleanest City,” in terms of year-round good air quality and vast green spaces, etc. English is the second language for more than half of Miami’s population, as 68 percent are Spanish. There are several beaches in the city, but the most popular is the southern section of Miami Beach, also known as South Beach. The term South Beach or SoBe represents more than just the beach and comprises several major streets such as Washington Avenue, Collins Drive, Lincoln Road and the ubiquitous Ocean Drive. The chic SoBe area is a unique blend of upscale luxury and Art Deco flashiness, and has ordinances that are different than the city as whole. For instance, many SoBe restaurants add an automatic 15-18 percent gratuity onto bills for parties of any size.
The Kessler Collection hotels (Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront and the Mansion on Forsyth Park) in Savannah, Ga., put a new twist on traditional group tours. Meeting attendees staying at either property can get up-close-and-personal with historic downtown Savannah via self-guided iPod Touch tours. The tours have been customized to give visitors access to insider information, [...]
The sixth-largest city in Georgia, Sandy Springs is an affluent suburb just north of Atlanta’s tony Buckhead neighborhood. With its central location and easy highway access, groups are in close proximity to Atlanta’s major attractions (downtown is less than 15 minutes away) as well as the amenities of the surrounding towns, such as Roswell.
By Jan Tolle MacDonald, CMP, CMM
It’s my last day in New Orleans, and I will depart for Minneapolis where the expected temperature is -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Since I work for Travel Alberta, I should say -28 degrees Celsius, even though Canadians are so smart they know both systems. The irony is that Alberta is a [...]
By Sandy Biback, CMP, CMM
Well, it was a whirlwind from the moment I left Toronto, from networking at the airport to meeting the PCMA Canada East Freddie Kippert student winner on the plane. (She was seated right behind me.)
The Hilton was buzzing with activity. After snacks with good friends and doing some brainstorming, it was [...]
In January, The Peppermill Reno will become the first geothermal-heated U.S. hotel, spa and casino. During an $8 million drilling project, contracted workers discovered a hot water aquifer beneath one of the hotel towers. The nearly 170 degrees F water isn’t hot enough to generate electricity, but it can provide enough heat and hot water [...]
Reno is much more than Nevada’s other gambling city. It also has natural attractions, a downtown Riverwalk, a family friendly vibe, cultural amenities and budget-friendly rates. Reno’s casino resorts are one-stop destinations with multiple dining venues, theaters for evening entertainment, meeting space, full-service spas, group activities and hotel rooms all under one roof. Major meeting venues include the 500,000+-sq. ft. Reno-Sparks Convention Center, the 118,000-sq. ft. Reno Events Center and the 32,700-sq. ft. Reno Ballroom.
Hilton Head Island is home to America’s first eco-friendly resort, The Sea Pines Resort, which was built in 1956 and continues to be a model for environmentally friendly development. Large swaths of the island are permanent nature reserves, and meeting facilities range from traditional conference centers to luxury hotels with meeting space and oceanfront pavilions. Resorts offer well-thought-out kids and family fun programs – a boon if your attendees want to mix a little business with pleasure. The island has a disembarkation point for ferries to Daufuskie Island and Savannah, Ga.
The Myrtle Beach of today bears little resemblance to the Grand Strand of even 10 years ago. It still has 60 miles of coastline, but now there also are mega-entertainment complexes and Four-Diamond convention hotels and resorts. And the face of the city continues to evolve, adding new meeting and convention facilities, big-ticket attractions and luxury accommodations.
In addition to one of the largest exposition facilities in the Southeast, Greenville has a vibrant downtown area surrounded by performing arts venues, hotels, restaurants and shops. The city is located halfway between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta.
Welcome to Music City. Music is everywhere — in honky tonks, bars, theaters, restaurants and even symphony halls. But Nashville is more than music. Planners also will find culture and history, haute cuisine, pro sports, world-class academics, natural beauty, museums and pure Southern charm. Nashville is on the Cumberland River, which provides a number of venue and entertainment options, such as scenic river cruises and fishing charters. Located within 600 miles of 50 percent of the U.S. population, Nashville is extremely accessible by air and by surface transportation. Three major highways intersect the city: I-40, I-24 and I-65. More than 400 flights a day serve the Nashville International Airport, representing 18 major airlines and more than 60 nonstop destinations.
Chattanooga’s $120 million makeover has become a model for many other cities’ revitalization efforts. Most venues are found downtown and in the Bluff View Arts District along the river. Active groups also can enjoy golf courses and white-water rafting.
Home to more than 1,000 company headquarters, The Woodlands is located roughly 30 minutes from downtown Houston, 20 minutes from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and is known for its upscale dining, shopping and leisure amenities. The town center is ringed by a waterway that connects The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center to nearby attractions, restaurants and businesses.
Rockport-Fulton are two coastal communities known for fresh seafood, fishing and entertainment on the Texas Coastal Bend. It’s within a three-hour drive of Houston, San Antonio and Austin, and 30 minutes from Corpus Christi. Rockport is surrounded by water on three sides by the Aransas, Copano and Port bays and has been a favorite vacation spot for wealthy Texans since the 1800s. Just east over the Key Allegro Bridge is Fulton, which is home to some of the finest restaurants and accommodations in the area. Together, they offer a bevy of group activities and beachfront meeting venues along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. The closest airports are in Aransas Pass (charter) and Corpus Christi (commercial).
Just 13 miles east of downtown Dallas, Mesquite is authentic Texas. With its Old West flair, progressive mindset and vibrant arts and entertainment community, it’s also a place where old meets new. Groups can expect to find state-of-the-art meeting facilities, an array of cultural activities, great shopping, and of course, championship rodeos.
