Features - March 2007

As an ever-growing global showcase of dazzling and diverse A-list meeting destinations fight for market share based on their competitive capabilities and amenities, a quiet but powerful trend has emerged over the past few years. Second-tier U.S. cities, once little more than also-rans that scrambled for whatever business they could muster, have become a formidable force as a result of three simple but seductive lures: something fresh and different, significant cost savings and superior service.

From Memphis to Austin, Charlotte to Salt Lake City, Cincinnati to Colorado Springs — with a vast, charming array of choices in between — second-tier cities have become first choices for enlightened, innovative planners, who encourage their peers to discover the delights of emerging destinations.

“These cities are becoming increasingly popular thanks to the substantial cost savings they generate for planners,” said Edjuan Bailey, vice president, marketing and brand management at Meeting Professionals International (MPI). “Companies and planners will continue to consider these ‘gem locales’ for their reasonably priced amenities, not to mention their surplus of top-notch restaurants, cultural activities and meeting venues.”

Bailey added that MPI’s Professional Education Conference-North America held in Charlotte, NC, last year for 2,355 planners and suppliers “is a prime example of an emerging destination that did an amazing job hosting a major meeting. Charlotte offered exceptional rates and service and received high marks from our attendees.”

 

Like many second-tier destinations, downtown Colorado Springs, situated near the base of Pikes Peak, is just the right size to explore on foot. Attendees can safely stroll the city’s lively streets any time of day or night. Photo courtesy of ExperienceColorado Springs at Pikes Peak

A growing number of planners, across a wide spectrum of industries and types of events, have discovered similar benefits.

“I think second-tier cities represent a general trend for America — diversification,” said Michelle O’Neill, president, industry groups, for global research firm Harris Interactive in Norwalk, CT. Last July, she took a group of 30 attendees, from research associates to senior vice presidents, from the company’s emerging and general markets business unit to Newport, RI, for a two-day training and recognition meeting. “Everybody is looking for something new, something different. We’re constantly looking for that. I also look for places where the feel of the place enables the learning. So it was the feeling of the place that was so particular for me. Newport was spectacular.”

Donna Thomas, CMP, events manager at Greenville, TN-based EcoQuest International, a manufacturer of air and water purification equipment and nutritional supplements, is a committed user of second-tier destinations. Last July, she took EcoQuest’s three-day annual event with more than 2,000 attendees to Memphis. This year, the company will go to Columbus, OH, and she is currently selecting a second-tier city for 2008.

“I think second-tier destinations are great,” said Thomas. “They don’t fit every company’s situation. But for EcoQuest, especially for now and for the next few years, it’s a great fit. I’ve had to sell everyone on that idea, but so far, they like it.”

Why is Thomas such a believer in smaller destinations? “You don’t just get lost in the city,” she said. “You’re not just one of 12 conventions that are in that week. You get more personalized attention. And the cities that I’ve looked at and chosen — especially Memphis — have such great character. They’re very eclectic.”

Alice Musser, conference manager
at Brookfield, WI-based Lessiter Publications, a magazine publisher that covers everything from shoeing horses and farm equipment to coaching football and basketball, is another regular user of second-tier cities. For the past four years, Musser has taken the company’s annual Hoof Care Summit, attended by 800 veterinarians and harriers (horseshoers) from around the world, to Cincinnati. The destination has been such a success that the event is booked in Cincinnati through 2010. Musser said that cost savings have been a primary driving factor in Lessiter’s loyalty.

“The number-one reason for our use of second-tier cities is the amount of money you’re spending — and saving,” said Musser. “I think that’s the most important reason second-tier cities are becoming more popular, and it’s certainly true for us. We look to produce savings for our company. Number two is the flexibility that you can get in a second-tier city, versus the major convention markets where the destinations pretty much call the shots when you go there. The smaller cities will bend over backwards for you. They’ll go the extra mile to make your meeting a success. I think that’s a major advantage.”

The Colorado River snakes its way through Austin, creating Town Lake and many other waterways. A private event on a paddle-wheel riverboat such as the Lonestar Riverboat, with Austin’s skyline as a backdrop, is sure to charm attendees. Photo by Dan Herron courtesy of Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau

Karen Watson, CMP, director of strategic events at Austin, TX-based Experient — the newly named global event management resource company that resulted from the integration last year of Conferon Global Services, Conferon ITS and Expo Exchange — agrees with Musser that cost savings are a major factor in the surging popularity of second-tier cities. Watson sees things from a unique perspective — she exclusively plans meetings attended by Experient’s veteran meeting planners and support staff. Last August, she took Experient’s annual meeting for 760 attendees, including employees, clients and exhibitors, to Denver for five days.

“The cost savings are definitely a major factor in why second-tier destinations are becoming so popular,”

Memphis’ historic Beale Street is home to shops, clubs and impromptu entertainment on every corner. B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rum Boogie Cafe and the Hard Rock Cafe pack them in nightly. Photo courtesy of Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau

said Watson, who concurred with her peers that second-tier cities typically offer savings of 25 to 30 percent compared to major urban destinations. “They’re a great value.”

In fact, Annette Griffin, director of special events at Idaho Falls, ID-based wellness enterprise Melaleuca, which sells supplements, cleaning supplies and skin care products including Nicole Miller’s line of makeup and skin care, says she has saved even more in Salt Lake City, where Melaleuca has taken its annual four-day convention every other year since 1998. Last August, more than 7,000 independent marketing reps from across the country and a number of countries, attended Griffin’s most recent Salt Lake City event.

“I actually think you save more than 25 to 30 percent in Salt Lake City,” said Griffin, who plans about 14 major meetings and events a year, “because Utah is a right-to-work state, so you save on a lot of union costs at the convention center. I’d say we save $200,000 to $300,000 in labor costs alone over a major convention city that is unionized.”

In addition to cost savings, Watson cited another important reason why more and more planners are taking advantage of second-tier cities. “If you also look at the expansion of the facilities in some of these cities, whether it’s a new convention center, or an expanded convention center, or new properties, such as the Hyatt Regency in Denver or the Hilton in Austin, those new facilities have added capacity to cities that traditionally didn’t have the capacity,” she said. “So, I think that has enhanced their ability to accommodate some additional groups, as well. There is also a warmth, a welcoming appreciation, of meetings in second-tier cities. There certainly was for us in Denver. Everybody in the community really helped to make our event a success.”

The Magic Of Memphis
Perhaps no other American city exemplifies the originality and allure of second-tier destinations like Memphis, which ranks alongside New Orleans as a national treasure of music, food and indigenous local culture. Thomas’ reaction was typical of meeting planners who discover its singular charm.

“I fell in love with the city,” said Thomas, whose headquarters hotel was the 590-room Memphis Marriott D

America’s Center is the convention complex of St. Louis, MO, which includes the newly opened St. Louis Executive Conference Center, the Ferrara Theatre, Edward Jones Dome, 81 flexible meeting rooms and 502,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission

owntown, with 12,234 square feet of meeting space adjacent to the Memphis Cook Convention Center (350,000 square feet of convention space). Watson utilized six other hotels for housing, and the convention center for her conference. “I fell in love with their willingness, their eagerness, to bring us there and to work with us. And they held true to their promises. The CVB is exceptional.”

For her opening night gala, Thomas rented the Auto Zone ballpark, home of the AAA Memphis Redbirds, farm club of the St. Louis Cardinals. She said, “We had a buffet dinner of Memphis barbecue and all the sides, and we planned a three-inning baseball game between some of our dealers and members of the home office as a unique teambuilding exercise. We had a great time.”

Many attendees ventured into the historic Beale Street entertainment district, known for blues and barbecue, where B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rum Boogie Cafe and the Hard Rock Cafe pack them in nightly. Memphis is the creative cradle where rock ’n’ roll, soul and blues came together to move pop culture from Sinatra to Presley. Among the Memphis venues that tout its unique place in U.S. pop culture are Graceland, the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Sun Studio, where icons from Elvis and Johnny Cash to Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins made their first recordings. The city’s most celebrated barbecue joints range from the back-alley, 60-year-old The Rendezvous to Corky’s, Interstate, Neely’s and Tops, which each offer their unique interpretation of the fabled culinary favorite. A perfect after-dinner refresher is a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River.

Another of the city’s major meeting properties is the 405-room Hilton Memphis, which features more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space and is located just 15 minutes from the airport. The city also has the mid-South’s only full-service destination management company, Destination King, which can help planners take advantage of the best Memphis has to offer.

Eclectic Austin
Ed Pivik, national planning manager at Continental Airlines in Houston, exploited the charm of the Texas state capital last August for a two-day specialty sales team meeting for 29 attendees.

“We selected Austin as a destination because of its location,” said Pivik, who used the 800-room, AAA Four Diamond Hilton Austin, with 60,000 square feet of meeting space. “Austin’s proximity to Houston reduced our travel time and maximized the amount of time we could use to schedule team events over a short two-day meeting. Local public transportation was also a factor in selecting Austin. The downtown trolley, known as the ‘Dillo,’ served most of the spots on our agenda and provided service to other unscheduled tourist spots, like the Capitol and museums. In addition, the availability of a unique variety of entertainment and recreation options influenced my choice of the destination. Because Austin is commonly recognized as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World,’ we also featured live music at one of our events.”

Among the unique Austin activities Pivik planned was an excursion to its 6th Street entertainment district. “Two of our scheduled events were dinner at Iron Cactus and the comedy revue at Esther’s Follies, both local favorites recommended by the CVB and both within walking distance of our hotel in the historic area of the city,” said Pivik. “We also had a catered lunch on Town Lake, which is really the Colorado River, aboard the electric paddle wheeler ‘Pride & Joy,’ chartered from Capital Cruises. It featured great live music from a local musician, Ed Jurdi.”

In addition to being a burgeoning high-tech mecca, Austin offers unique meeting venues including the Alamo Drafthouse, an historic movie theater that combines great films with food and wine for interactive events, the Museum of Natural & Artificial Ephemerata and the Cathedral of Junk.

Unique local properties include the 300-room Barton Creek Resort & Spa, a full-service conference center with more than 43,000 square feet of meeting space, that specializes in innovative teambuilding activities.

Something New In Newport
“I considered many different so-called second-tier cities,” said O’Neill, “but the critical factor for me was that I was trying to bring our group together. We’re located all over the country, and our headquarters is in Rochester, NY. So, we communicate by phone, by e-mail, without actually seeing each other. So it was important for me to get some contact among the group, and what I wanted was a very open environment. Newport (Rhode Island) was perfect because I wanted the water and I wanted an intimate setting. I think the environment plays a critical role in the success of a meeting, how you connect with other people. I also wanted to expose people to something new, something they wouldn’t get in their typical meeting settings, and the meeting in Newport was a fabulous success. Everybody wants to go back.”

Harris Interactive’s itinerary included a half-day of meetings each morning, followed by a recreational outing in the afternoon. The group was based at the 317-room Newport Marriott, with 26,000 square feet of meeting space.

The highlight of the trip was a teambuilding exercise that could only be held in Newport — racing America’s Cup 12-meter yachts in the famous harbor. O’Neill divided her 30 attendees into 10-person teams on three boats. “It was great,” she said. “It was just so unique and so much fun.”

Newport, Rhode Island’s spectacular rocky coastline and history-rich culture are an attractive mix for planners who choose this quaint second-tier city. Photo by Onne Van Der Wal/www.VanDerWal.com

Rocky Mountain High
“We look at a lot of different factors, and we can’t get away from the fact that our staff includes meeting planners,” said Experient’s Watson. “And so one of the criteria for destination selection for our annual meeting in the past really was cities that have undergone a lot of change. That can be everything from

Attendees enjoy dining al fresco at an outdoor café in LoDo, Denver’s premier entertainment district, which is a burgeoning center for restaurants and entertainment. Photo by Stan Obert for Denver Metro CVB

airport expansion to a new or expanded convention center, or new headquarter hotels or a variety of new hotels. Denver was perfect for us.”

In order to maximize their sampling of a destination, Experient treats its annual meeting as a citywide event, even though there are fewer than 800 attendees. In Denver, Watson used the 511-room Grand Hyatt, 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, 615-room Denver Marriott City Center, 430-room Westin Tabor Center and 1,225-room Adam’s Mark.

For an adventurous outing that took advantage of the drama of the Rocky Mountains, Watson staged an evening cocktail party and buffet at the visitor’s center at the nationally renowned amphitheater complex at Red Rock. “You’re arriving with that amazing view of Red Rock,” she said. “It’s a stunning visual and an exceptional offsite venue.”

Portland lures planners with breathtaking views of Mount Hood, fresh air and green meetings. The Oregon Convention Center, the largest in the Pacific Northwest, was the first convention center to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. Photo courtesy of Portland Oregon Visitors Association

Lynn Hansen, CMP, is manager of protocol for a Denver-based space systems division of aerospace giant and defense contractor Lockheed Martin. Hansen didn’t stray too far from home last fall — 60 miles, to be exact — when she hosted a group of 10 Russian board members and another half-dozen internal employees for a five-day meeting in Colorado Springs, home of Pikes Peak.

“We were looking for a place with proximity to Denver,” Hansen said, “that had a lot to offer for these attendees, being close to Peterson Field, the headquarters of the Air Force Space Command and the Air Force Academy, so that aside from the meetings, there were other places that we could take them on side trips that were related to our business. Then we could bring them to Denver and do some work at Lockheed  Martin.”

Hansen said she has a personal passion for Colorado Springs. “I know the city and I love it,” she said. “It’s a beautiful area, just spectacular. Attendees love going there.”

Hundreds of corporations call the business complex in Irving home. Las Colinas rises from ranchlands northwest of Dallas, with easy access to a number of hotels and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Photo courtesy of Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau

She also used a unique property — the intimate, exclusive 108-room The Garden of the Gods Club, which features more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, 13 tennis courts, a 27-hole golf course and a full-service spa. “It’s small and intimate,” said Hansen, who typically uses luxury properties such as The Broadmoor, “so it was just perfect for this group.”

The Panache Of Portland
Lauren Kilcullen, event planner at computer book publisher O’Reilly Media in Sebastopol, CA, faces a specific challenge every year with her five-day open-source convention each July for 2,500 attendees — to find a cost-effective destination that combines local panache with a relatively high-tech environment.

For the past four years, O’Reilly has used Portland, OR, and they’re going back this year. In fact, Kilcullen and her management team like Portland so much they’re bringing in two additional conferences this year.

“Portland has been less expensive than other cities we looked at, and our attendees tend to be very cost-conscious,” said Kilcullen. “So it worked out that we could get a decent hotel rate for our attendees and a better rate for us at the convention center than the rates we’d pay in a major convention market on the West Coast.”

Kilcullen said she saved 30 to 35 percent over what the company would have paid in a larger market.

She used two hotels — the 476-room Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center, with 44,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 174-room Red Lion Portland Convention Center, with 12,014 square feet.

“Portland has been a very successful destination for us,” Kilcullen said.

The critical factors in that ongoing success, she said, have been substantial cost savings, a friendly environment and cutting-edge, high-tech capabilities. Another big factor has been free local transportation downtown on the MAX light rail system, and fares of less than $2 to the airport.

The historic Mt. Adams area, located on Cincinnati’s most famous hill, offers a fabulous view of the city, where the new Duke Energy Center, a 750,000-square-foot facility with 31 meeting rooms, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom, 200,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 100,000 square feet of meeting space, has completed its expansion and renovations. Photo by Aaron Davidson, courtesy of Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau

Success In Cincinnati
Musser said Lessiter Publications has been so satisfied with Cincinnati because it has been a perfect match for their needs. “For our particular meeting, we were looking for a site with good rates and accessibility, with an international airport and a major airline carrier that serves the city, which is Delta in this case,” said Musser, who housed her group at the 561-room, AAA Four Diamond Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, with 46,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 872-room Millennium Hotel Cincinnati, with 27,000 square feet. The conference was held at the recently expanded Duke Energy Convention Center, with more than 750,000 square feet of gross space and the largest Grand Ballroom in the region at 40,000 square feet.

Musser said she agreed with other planners that she has saved at least 25 percent by using a second-tier city. She also agrees that the attraction of something new and different in terms of a destination attracts attendees and ensures an interesting experience.

“For us, there’s just a comfort factor,” Musser said. “It’s also perceived by our attendees as a much safer city to visit than some major convention cities.”

Salt Lake City Splendor
Melaleuca’s Griffin said she and her attendees have been pleasantly surprised by how consistently Salt Lake City has performed as a destination, compared to more mainstream locations. She said there are several key reasons for her loyalty.

“One major factor for us is that it’s convenient,” said Griffin. “It’s about a three-hour drive for those of us on staff. Another important factor is that the Salt Palace Convention Center is laid out so well, it’s absolutely perfect for us and our attendees. And the downtown area is perfect, too. If I could draw a perfect plan out for my convention, it would be Salt Lake City’s downtown. The hotels for more than 7,000 people are all within walking distance of the Salt Palace, and there’s a mix of hotels from budget to four star. The hotel pricing is great. The Salt Palace pricing is wonderful. Everything is very reasonable. And it’s safe, and the services are fabulous.”

For last year’s convention, Griffin used the 515-room, AAA Four Diamond Marriott Salt Lake Downtown, with 22,000 square feet of meeting space, as her headquarters hotel and spread her remaining attendees over another 11 properties.

For such a large meeting, she said, Salt Lake City has surprisingly good infrastructure that makes it competitive with any destination in the U.S. “Our meeting is growing,” she said, “and will start to approach 10,000 attendees in the next year or two. It’s very rare to find a city that can accommodate a meeting of that size comfortably, where the convention center, the restaurants and shopping are all within walking distance, and Salt Lake City offers that. Like I said, I couldn’t design a better city for our convention. Another big factor for us is that we’re a very family-oriented company, and Salt Lake City is a very family-oriented city. It’s clean, it’s safe and it’s family friendly.”

The planners and MPI’s Bailey agreed that there is definitely a trend toward the use of second-tier cities for major meetings and conventions, and that the option of an alternative destination offers savvy planners a new weapon in their arsenals.

Many other traditionally second-tier cities are seeing a surge in their meetings and conference business, among them Detroit, Seattle, Tempe, AZ, and Savannah, GA. Each offers unique benefits perfectly tailored to the needs of certain planners for certain types of groups.

Salt Lake offers a unique combination of metro and mountain—an urban oasis with a breathtaking alpine backyard offering everything from a relaxing round of golf to events at the expanded Salt Palace Convention Center. Photo by Rick McClain, courtesy of Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

“There’s such a renaissance in many of these cities,” said Thomas, “They’ve invested a lot of time, money and resources to revitalize their downtown areas, and it shows.”
 
MPI’s Bailey predicted that the role of emerging destinations in the corporate meetings market will continue to evolve. “As the meetings industry continues to grow and thrive, these cities will continue to grow and thrive along with it.”

Watson explained why. “Now, you’ve got the knowledge levels and the skills within these emerging destinations and properties, and they’re prepared to handle any caliber of group. So, I don’t think you have to have that concern of, ‘Oh, they don’t know how to handle big-time groups or our level of group.’ I don’t think that’s an issue any more.”    C&IT

Perched high on a bluff overlooking the slow rolling Mississippi, Memphis marches to the beat of the Blues, of Stax-era Soul, of the countless neighborhood barbeque shacks and the King’s own Graceland. It’s a city that spills up from the soil, that lingers on the melancholy mojo of the best guitar you’ve ever heard.

With a multibillion-dollar downtown renaissance and a $92 million convention center expansion and renovation project, Memphis is more than just a place to visit, it’s the perfect place to meet. In fact, no other convention center in the country offers an in-house performing arts center that connects to its exhibit space. But that’s just the beginning.

From music landmarks to restaurants, from the elegant hotels to the mystical nightclubs, there’s just something real about Memphis, an irresistible soul that’s drawn people here for more than a century.

There are 50 one-of-a-kind attractions, such as historic Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, Smithsonian’s Rock ’n Soul Museum, Graceland, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Gibson Guitar Factory, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Children’s Museum of Memphis and the Memphis Zoo. Memphis also is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. An array of dining options includes down-home Southern fare to upscale eclectic cuisine. Add to that the great climate, friendly people, Southern ambience, a convenient location…the list goes on.

Memphis is committed to serving all the business needs of convention and meeting planners with a convenient and affordable package.

Convention facilities include the Memphis Cook Convention Center with a total of 350,000 square feet of event space and 188,000 square feet of exhibit space. The largest contiguous space is the main exhibit hall, at 125,000 square feet. The ballroom offers 28,000 square feet out of a total meeting space of 74,000 square feet with a maximum of 31 breakout rooms. There are more than 2,500 hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center and 830 hotel rooms adjacent to the convention center.

Memphis International Airport is just 15 minutes from downtown Memphis. Ten passenger airlines serve the airport, including Northwest Airlines, Northwest Airlink/Pinnacle Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (offering daily nonstop trans-Atlantic service to Amsterdam as well as convenient connections to and from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East), American Airlines, AirTran Airways, ConAir, Continental Express, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and U.S. Airways.    C&IT

With a central location in between Dallas and Fort Worth, a hotel selection far above other cities its size, and an at-your-service attitude for providing VIP treatment to groups large and small, Irving, TX, offers planners first-tier accessibility, accommodations and amenities without the big city hassle and distractions.

11,000 Bedroom Home
Located immediately adjacent to DFW International Airport, Irving’s 79 hotels and 11,000 rooms range from AAA Five Diamond resort to all-suite extended stay to economy, offering a diverse selection of housing options to fit the needs of many meetings and conferences. Thousands of meetings, numbering up to 500 delegates, are held each year in Irving.

Meet In The Middle
The city’s 12 full-service hotels provide more than 200,000 square feet of meeting space, with an additional 100,000 square feet of offsite meeting space. Modern and well-equipped, Irving’s meeting facilities vary from private suites and state-of-the-art amphitheaters to magnificent ballrooms and formal boardrooms.

Irving’s selection of off-property meeting venues is unique, adding a new dimension to any meeting’s appeal and ambience.

 Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, boasts on-the-field space for 1,000 or more, while the upper-level Stadium Club can accommodate 250 to 300 for receptions.

The National Scouting Museum serves as a perfect backdrop for groups of 150 to 175, offering space for meetings, events and focus groups. The 53,000-square-foot facility boasts 13 exhibits in elaborate natural settings.

Silverado Ranch, a 30,000-square-foot indoor Western event facility and entertainment complex, features 40,000 square feet of customizable dance floor space; two stages; a VIP area; period facades, props and décor; and the world’s only mechanical bucking armadillo.

The dual theaters at the Irving Arts Center have a respective seating capacity of 253 and 712. Lobbies and outdoor gardens provide prefunction space.

Special Attractions
Known for a proliferation of professional sports, Irving is home to the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Stadium, as well as the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Championship, held annually at the Four Seasons Resort and Club. Irving also boasts a variety of attractions, including the National Scouting Museum, Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculpture and Exhibit, Las Colinas Equestrian Center and Polo Club and gondola excursions on the European-styled Mandalay Canal. In addition to providing an exciting ambience to the city, these events and attractions are easily adapted as unique venues for meetings and special functions. And with Dallas 15 minutes east and Fort Worth a mere 20 minutes west, live music, world-class art museums, restaurants of every variety, and all manner of professional and recreational sports are just outside your doorstep.

One-Stop Shop
The Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) offers one-stop service. From coordinating bid proposals, assisting with site selection and developing itineraries to registration assistance, promotional marketing and publicity, the bureau takes the toil out of meeting planning.

In addition, the ICVB coordinates spouse tours and special functions. And Irving’s award-winning CVB staff ensures that no meeting, whether large or small, is overlooked.    C&IT

If you haven’t visited St. Louis in the past couple of years, now is the time to put this friendly Midwestern destination on your schedule. “The Lou” is brimming with amazing additions to favorite attractions, a wealth of special events and novel exhibits to fill your group’s leisure time with fun activities. Plus there are a number of new and exciting upgrades to the meeting and convention facilities around town.

Robin O'Connor Director of Corporate Meeting Sales St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission 701 Convention Plaza St. Louis, MO 63101  800-325-7962 Fax: 314-621-7729 roconnor@mynameisstlouis.com www.MyNameIsStLouis.com Hotels: 96 Committable rooms: 11,500 Full-service meeting properties: 42 area-wide Hotel event space: 340,000 sq. ft. Unique venues: 73 Golf courses: 32 area-wide

America’s Center
With 502,000 square feet of exhibit space at the America’s Center convention complex, 96 area-wide hotels, 35,000 area-wide hotel rooms and 26 hotel properties that offer more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space each, St. Louis has large, mid-size or small meetings covered. Add more than 7,600 new and renovated sleeping rooms near the convention center to the package and you’ll see that St. Louis has experienced an extraordinary renaissance designed to welcome meeting and convention groups.

Here’s a sampling of properties with total meeting rooms listed after the name.

The Downtown Area: Adam’s Mark St. Louis (34), Crowne Plaza Hotel St. Louis Downtown (16), Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark (22), Hyatt Regency St. Louis (23), Millennium Hotel St. Louis (19), Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel (30), Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites (18) and The Westin St. Louis (14).

Airport/North Area: Crowne Plaza Hotel St. Louis Airport (14), Four Points by Sheraton Fairview Heights (14), Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport (32), Hilton St. Louis Airport (31), St. Louis Airport Marriott (23).

Midtown/Clayton Area: Crowne Plaza Hotel St. Louis-Clayton (15), Hilton St. Louis Frontenac (17), The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis (12), Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel St. Louis (13).

West/Westport Area: Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center St. Louis (27), St. Louis Marriott West (17), Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel St. Louis (16), Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel St. Louis (11).

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is just 13 miles from downtown St. Louis.

Executive Conference Center
The newly renovated St. Louis Executive Conference Center at America’s Center features state-of-the-art amenities. The IACC-approved facility (International Association of Conference Centers) has everything meeting planners want in a conference center including fully appointed conference suites that are designed for productive meetings. In addition to all of “the little things,” the fully ADA accessible facility offers presentation support equipment, outlets for telephones and modems, teleconference and cable television capabilities, wireless Internet access, ergonomic executive chairs, soundproof walls and ample storage space.

More Unique Venues
In addition to America’s Center, St. Louis offers more unique venues than most cities have venues. Thanks to the destination’s grand architecture, rich history and unpredictable sense of fun, you’ll have plenty of choices for your group’s good times. From the quirky City Museum and lush gardens of the Missouri Botanical Garden to historic Union Station and the beautiful Starlight Roof at the Chase Park Plaza offers dozens of options for hosting meetings and events with a different twist.

Stress the importance of teambuilding with a meeting at Busch Stadium, home turf of Major League Baseball’s World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, or bring out the competitive spirit with a get together at Grand Prix Speedways, the largest indoor kart racing track in the United States.    C&IT