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.
Yes, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has sullied some of America’s favorite beaches and messed mightily with the meetings and event industry, but smart planners see opportunities beyond the tar patties.
From Florida to Texas, the main message from travel and tourism officials is that it’s business as usual. Most attractions, hotels, restaurants, exhibits, events [...]
Winds this week will largely determine what happens along the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, as the worst oil spill in U.S. history nears the two-month mark. Forecasters have been most concerned about the Mississippi/Alabama barrier islands and the Florida Panhandle.
Thousands of vacationers, meanwhile, are changing plans, either hoping to catch beach [...]
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, [...]
Sixty miles northwest of Phoenix is the historic mining town of Wickenburg, Ariz. Situated on the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert, the town is surrounded by acres of rustic wilderness. Meeting facilities and accommodations are available at guest ranches, a Western-themed resort and budget hotels. Attendees can fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport or the Wickenburg Airport.
At least 40 meetings have been canceled in Arizona in the past four months, ever since the state passed a tough new immigration law. But the politician who began the call for an economic boycott has since changed his mind.
In an interview with the Arizona Republic, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalya (D-Ariz.) said a federal judge’s [...]
Gateway got its name from its location near the Colorado-Utah border. The surrounding landscape has a lot to offer active groups, from Class III and IV whitewater rapids to hiking trails through the La Sal Mountains and Uncompahgre National Forest. Accommodations are available in the upscale Kiva Lodge and the more budget-friendly Dolores River Inn. Nearest airports are in Eagle (2.5 hours), Denver (5 hours) and Grand Junction (1 hour); shuttle services from all three are available. There also is a landing strip for private planes near Gateway Canyons.
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.
Yes, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has sullied some of America’s favorite beaches and messed mightily with the meetings and event industry, but smart planners see opportunities beyond the tar patties.
From Florida to Texas, the main message from travel and tourism officials is that it’s business as usual. Most attractions, hotels, restaurants, exhibits, events [...]
Winds this week will largely determine what happens along the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, as the worst oil spill in U.S. history nears the two-month mark. Forecasters have been most concerned about the Mississippi/Alabama barrier islands and the Florida Panhandle.
Thousands of vacationers, meanwhile, are changing plans, either hoping to catch beach [...]
Meeting planners looking to book after October can check out the new Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville, Ga., opening across from Georgia Highlands College, a two-year, associate degree-granting school. The 44,000-sq. ft. conference center sits on a 20-acre site and will feature a ballroom that can accommodate 1,400; a banquet hall that seats 300; [...]
The city of Dunwoody has two distinct halves: One is part of the bustling Perimeter Center, which has the greatest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the Southeast, and the other is a historic village center that exudes small-town charm. Both are minutes from Atlanta’s downtown core, connected to the city by I-285, GA 400 and three MARTA train stations. Dunwoody’s five upscale hotels are all within walking distance of Perimeter Mall and connected to the MARTA stations by shuttles, which make attendee transportation to/from the airport quick and easy.
Winds this week will largely determine what happens along the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, as the worst oil spill in U.S. history nears the two-month mark. Forecasters have been most concerned about the Mississippi/Alabama barrier islands and the Florida Panhandle.
Thousands of vacationers, meanwhile, are changing plans, either hoping to catch beach [...]
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 [...]
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.
Asheville is a mountain town in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, known for its Appalachian folk heritage, large community of artists and musicians, and bed-and-breakfast inns. The French Broad and Swannanoa rivers separate downtown Asheville from Historic Biltmore Village and the famous Biltmore Estate. Just north of downtown is the Grove Park Inn, a historic property known for its upscale amenities. Being surrounded by mountains and rivers means Asheville also provides groups many opportunities to get outside and be active, and planners will find a real focus on wellness reflected in menus and group activities provided by venues.
Raleigh is part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, an area that connects three major research universities: Raleigh’s NC State University, Chapel Hill’s University of North Carolina and Durham’s Duke University. If you’re in need of speakers in the fields of biotechnology, chemicals or telecommunication, look to the experts working in Research Triangle Park. With the opening of the Raleigh Civic & Convention Center and a 400-room Marriott headquarters hotel, the city is getting much-deserved attention as an up and coming meetings destination.
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.
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.
On Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT, meeting and event planners are coming together at the Downtown Aquarium in Houston, Texas, for education, networking and an intimate trade show at the 2010 PYM LIVE Houston.
The educational session, from 11:15-12:15 CT, will be led by Jeff Rasco, CMP, and Lynn Tiras, CMP. The [...]
Yes, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has sullied some of America’s favorite beaches and messed mightily with the meetings and event industry, but smart planners see opportunities beyond the tar patties.
From Florida to Texas, the main message from travel and tourism officials is that it’s business as usual. Most attractions, hotels, restaurants, exhibits, events [...]
Winds this week will largely determine what happens along the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, as the worst oil spill in U.S. history nears the two-month mark. Forecasters have been most concerned about the Mississippi/Alabama barrier islands and the Florida Panhandle.
Thousands of vacationers, meanwhile, are changing plans, either hoping to catch beach [...]
