Mid-South Meander

By Joan Drammeh

Diversity abounds in the Mid-South, known for its regional cuisines, storytelling, and music. Hospitable only half describes the social graces of a population built upon amalgamation. If Ellis Island is representative of the great American melting pot, then the South is America’s great big slow cooker.

Italians, Lebanese, Greek, Asian, and Latino immigrants all make the South a region blessed with gifts from many cultures. Long known as the crux of civil rights conflict and reconciliation, the Mid-South has developed into a place that both acknowledges and embraces its past. But the eclectic mix doesn’t stop there.

The best in Southern cuisine spans the gamut from fried chicken and biscuits, to bouillabaisse, barbeque, okra, foie gras, ribs, tapas, turnip greens, and the perennial Southern classic-sweet iced tea.

When it comes to music, prepare yourself for a huge mishmash of melody. Gospel, alternative, rock, country, punk, bluegrass, reggae, hip-hop, jazz, along with the ultimate combination of sound-blues-can all be found down south.

These are just a few of the joys meeting planners can offer their attendees in the Mid-South. Read on to find the state that best suits your meeting space requirements.

Alabama
Positioned in the wooded foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham, Alabama, is rich in dramatic topography. While location is key when planning a meeting, another major variable is price and Birmingham scores high in both categories. This diverse city hails itself as the most affordable city in the South.

The Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex has 220,000 square feet of facilities including a 19,000-seat arena, 3,000-seat concert hall, and a 1,000-seat theater.

Multicultural groups will love the wealth of African-American history in Birmingham. The fact that this city was a prominent part of America’s civil fights movement is celebrated. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a must-visit attraction at the center of the city’s Civil Rights District.

The Marriott Grand National in Opelika is a resort destination on Alabama’s Roger Trent Jones Trail. It features 129 rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Hotel at Auburn University will complete $11 million in guest room renovations this winter. The facility has 22,000 square feet of meeting space in the middle of Auburn University’s beautiful campus.
The Alabama Gulf Coast is not only the home of beautiful beaches but also the location of the new Conference Center at The Wharf. Set to open this month, The Wharf will feature 27,000 square feet of facility space. The Phoenix West is scheduled to open in June with 9,000 square feet that includes meeting rooms, breakout space, and exhibit areas.

Georgia
Spanish explorers discovered Brunswick and The Golden Isles more than 400 years ago searching for gold. Now, meeting planners choose the area so convention attendees can enjoy the beauty and mild weather of the four barrier islands: St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island.

On the mainland you’ll find than 43,000 square feet of meeting and function space and 2,800 hotel rooms. The largest of Georgia’s Golden Isles, St. Simon’s Island, is home to The Hampton Club Golf Resort. This resort is a riverfront retreat with extensive meeting, dining, classroom spaces, and a 1,000-seat auditorium. The Cloister at Sea Island Resorts features 14,000 square feet of space, including a 7,800-square-foot ballroom for up to 600 seated and 800 for receptions.

For planners looking for big city vibes but small-town ambience and accessibility, Gwinnett County, just 30 minutes north of Atlanta, has a charming downtown full of restaurants, shops, and cafes. The ultimate stomping ground for meeting planners is the Gwinnett Center. With 21,600 square feet of ballroom space and a 13,000-seat arena, the Gwinnett Center is a great alternative to downtown Atlanta.

Arkansas
You’ll find hometown charisma and the natural ambiance of the Ozarks in Rogers, Arkansas. As the national headquarters of Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt, and Tyson Foods, Rogers is a city where business and a family friendly environment create a welcoming attitude.

The John Q. Hammons Center is the main convention space and home to the largest ballroom in the state. This meeting space features 125,000 square feet and is connected to Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas Hotel, Spa and Convention Center.

The Rogers area is also an outdoor recreation center, with more than 20 golf courses, numerous lakes, and state parks. Convention attendees can enjoy attractions such as Beaver Lake, Devil’s Den State Park, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, and Pea Ridge National Military Park.

The capital of the state is filled with unique neighborhoods convention attendees can get lost in. Little Rock’s convention centers are downtown within walking distance of River Market District, which has a wealth of live music, river walks, restaurants, nightlife, and museums. Check out an exact replica of the United States Oval Office at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park.

Situated on the banks of the Arkansas River, the Alltel Arena is a 370,000-square-foot convention facility with a seating capacity of 18,000. This 11-story, state-of-the-art center is also a major sporting and entertainment arena.

Little Rock hospitality offers more than 6,000 rooms from luxury to budget-friendly pricing. In fact, there are more than 1,300 rooms located within a five-block radius of the downtown/convention center area.

Louisiana
Restoration is still an ongoing process in New Orleans, and the city is brimming with new and renovated attractions and facilities. The Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts has re-opened with a new orchestra shell after a $27 million renovation. The Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport, formerly the Holiday Inn Holidome, opened in December 2008. The Audubon Insectarium, home to more than 900,00 species of insects, opened last year, also.

New Orleans is a city that welcomes mega-meetings. The sixth largest convention center in the nation lies in the heart of the Warehouse Arts District of the Crescent City. With $60 million in renovations completed in February 2006, the Morial Convention Center has more than 1.1 million square feet of contiguous exhibit space. The city has 28,000 hotel rooms and nearly 90 percent of those rooms are conveniently located in the beautiful, very walkable downtown area.

Take in the Mississippi River from the grand main lobby of the Baton Rouge River Center. The 200,000 square feet complex on the banks of the “Great Muddy” was renovated in 2004. The complex includes the existing arena, theater for the performing arts, and the new 70,000-square-foot exhibition hall.

Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana, is ready for the reopening of The Bible Museum in late spring of 2009. The museum will showcase rare and unique Bibles, including Biedenharn’s Guttenberg Leaf and the Daniel Bibb collection. A Coca-Cola Museum, where visitors can experience a classic American icon, is the newest addition to the area.

Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi, is a capital city bubbling with new growth. The “Hospitality State” offers more than 400 restaurants and 5,500 hotel rooms.

The Jackson Convention Complex opened last month with 330,000 square feet worth of space. The state-of-the-art facility features a crystalline, folding-glass façade and is eco-friendly.

The Old Capitol Museum, which suffered severe damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, opens to the public this month after a $14.5 million restoration.

Tennessee
Gatlinburg is situated at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains. About two miles long and five miles wide, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is the ideal location for meeting planners in search of a sleepy mountain town nestled in the unspoiled wilderness.

The Gatlinburg Convention Center provides 300,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space within walking or trolley distance of all the attractions, shopping, and dining. The W.L. Mills Conference Center, an additional 50,000 square feet, was added adjacent to the convention center in 2006.

With more than nine million visitors a year, it is no wonder that Gatlinburg has more than 12,000 sleeping rooms in a variety of locations from mountaintops overlooking the Smoky Mountains to secluded natural surroundings.

Head north and you’ll encounter Tennessee’s eighth oldest town, Sevierville. Founded in 1795, it’s located in the beautiful valley of the Forks of the Little Pigeon River and on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Five Oaks Convention Center offers quiet settings for meetings in 2,500 square feet of space. One of the newest and most affordable meeting facilities in the Smokies, this convention center is located next to fine dining with bargains across the street at Tanger Five Oaks Factory Stores.

Less than one mile from Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport, Sevierville is also the hometown of Dolly Parton and minutes from Tennessee’s most visited attraction, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge.

VALUEADD

• Add exercise to your itinerary in Little Rock with an excursion to the Big Dam Bridge, the longest pedestrian and bicycle path in the country.
• Practice for your next trip to a casino online. The Palace Casino Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi, offers a “free games” page on its website: palacecasinoresort.com.
• Pigeon Forge, the gateway to the Smokies, will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year with plenty of events meeting attendees can enjoy.

Special Places: “The Peanut Capital of the World”
If you are in Dothan, Alabama, you’re in the heart of peanut country, where 65 percent of the peanuts in the United States are produced. You don’t have to see a peanut patch to know you are in the “Peanut Capital of the World”-just look down main street. There are more than 60 four-feet-tall, painted peanuts around Dothan, reflecting the area’s industries. Home to the National Peanut Festival, the nation’s largest peanut festival, Dothan welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each November. The 10-day event features amusement rides, animal acts, concerts, and contests. nationalpeanutfestival.com.

CVB Listings
ALABAMA
Greater Birmingham
Convention & Visitors Bureau
(800) 458-8085
birminghamal.org

Auburn-Opelika
Tourism Bureau
(886) 880-8747
aotourism.com

Alabama Gulf Coast
Convention & Visitors Bureau
(800) 745-7263
gulfshores.com

ARKANSAS
Rogers Convention
& Visitors Bureau
(800) 364-1240
visitrogersarkansas.com

Little Rock Convention
and Visitors Bureau
(800) 844-4781
littlerock.com

GEORGIA
Brunswick-Golden Isles
Convention and
Visitors Bureau
(800) 933-2627
bgivb.com

Gwinnett Convention
and Visitors Bureau
(888) GWINNETT
gcvb.org

LOUISIANA
New Orleans Convention
& Visitors Bureau
(800) 672-6124
neworleanscvb.com

Baton Rouge Convention
& Visitors Bureau
(800) LA-ROUGE
visitbatonrouge.com

Monroe-West Monroe
Convention
and Visitors Bureau
(800) 843-1872
monroe-westmonroe.org

MISSISSIPPI
Jackson Convention
& Visitors Bureau
(800) 354-7695
visitjackson.com

Mississippi Development
Authority
(601) 359-3449
mississippi.org

TENNESSEE
Gatlinburg Department
of Tourism and
Convention Center
(800) 343-1475
gatlinburg-tennessee.com

Sevierville Chamber
of Commerce
Visitors Center
(865) 932-4458
visitsevierville.com

Pigeon Forge
Department of Tourism
(800) 251-9100
mypigeonforge.com