The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens became part of the Marriott Autograph Collection this summer. The 54,000-sq.-ft. conference center has 22,000 square feet of indoor meeting space including two large ballrooms, eight breakout rooms, a boardroom and executive conference room. The LEED-certified lodge is located at Callaway Gardens, a 13,000-acre destination south of Atlanta, known for its impeccable gardens, nature tours and education, and outdoor teambuilding opportunities for groups. Designed in tandem with the Callaway Gardens mission of connecting man with nature, each of the 150 guest rooms has a balcony to take in the view.

Atlanta, Georgia

Known as the capital of the South, Atlanta, already home to 5 million residents, continues to grow. Likewise, when it comes to attractions, there’s always something new in town. Of course, there’s the famous Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, but there’s more on the way. The aquarium opened its $110 million dolphin exhibit in April; Legoland Discovery Center opens in 2012 and the College Football Hall of Fame relocates to Atlanta in 2013.

“If you haven’t been to Atlanta and its surrounding areas in the past five years, you haven’t seen Atlanta,” says Rachel Rosenberg, public relations manager for the Atlanta CVB. Another big draw for the city: It’s easy to get to. “The city is the hub of the Southeast with three major interstates running through downtown,” Rosenberg says. “It is a four-hour drive for most visitors in the Southeast. And 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight of Atlanta.” Those passengers fly into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world, which has two convenient train lines running to the downtown, Midtown and Buckhead business and meeting districts.

It was in Buckhead, a neighborhood about five miles north of downtown, where Tia Ervin, Atlanta chair for the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants, held a recent meeting for the group. She chose Shula’s 347 Grill at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead hotel. “It was recommended to me because of the incredible food and the inviting atmosphere,” Ervin says. “To honor our mission to be more visible in this market we want to be where the action is.” Other conference hotels in Buckhead include Grand Hyatt Atlanta, JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead and W Atlanta Buckhead.

Downtown has its own collection of meeting hotels near the Georgia World Congress Center and AmericasMart, two of the city’s large conference facilities. (Atlanta has four facilities with more than 140,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Congress Center topping all of them with 1.4 million.) All the major hotel chains are represented downtown: Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Westin and Ritz-Carlton.

Just outside of Atlanta’s city limits are Sandy Springs and Alpharetta. Sandy Springs, Georgia’s sixth largest city, has more than 20 miles of shoreline along the Chattahoochee River, 11 parks to explore, a dynamic economy and a strong sense of community. Alpharetta, about 20 miles from Atlanta, is gaining in popularity, too. The charming city has 150 dining options, upscale boutique hotels and quickly is becoming known as a sports destination.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotteans say you only need to visit the Queen City once. Why? Because, as the story goes, you’ll end up moving there afterward. It’s that charming. Thriving intersections are blocks away from green spaces. Skyscrapers tower above tranquil neighborhoods. Guests and locals eat at the same restaurants and walk the same streets in this city that blends a fast-paced business atmosphere with Southern charm.

Charlotte’s full of history, too, which appeals to the National Association of Women Business Owners. In May, the organization hosts its awards gala at the city’s legendary Palmer Building. “The venue is historic and the entire area enjoys tree-lined streets, but it’s also home to some of Charlotte’s best modern spas and salons, and dining establishments,” says Eshe Glover, Peppercorn PR event planner. “Additionally, it’s centrally located: It’s less than five minutes from uptown Charlotte and nine miles from the airport.”

Then there’s the city’s most precious commodity: its people. “From the moment you arrive, you feel like you’re among friends, and that’s reason enough for us to continue selecting Charlotte as the locale for clients’
meetings and events,” Glover says.

The Charlotte Convention Center has 46 meeting rooms and a spacious 35,000-sq.-ft. ballroom that seats 1,800. The 280,000 square feet of exhibit space can accommodate up to 1,250 exhibit booths. Better yet, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which opened a year ago, connects to the convention center via an above-the-street walkway and boasts a  40,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. As for accommodations, the 700-room Westin Charlotte and the recently revamped Hilton Charlotte Center City flank each side of the convention center. A few blocks away, the hip Aloft hotel is tailor-made for the jet-set traveler while the new Ritz-Carlton caters to a higher-end clientele with a penthouse spa and luxury amenities.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

This year, Fort Lauderdale turns 100, and the coastal community is starting to show its age—in a good way. The city, which became known as a spring break hotspot thanks to the 1960 movie “Where the Boys Are,” is growing up and maturing, turning into a respected beach destination with high-end resorts and award-winning restaurants. The city hasn’t completely turned its back on bikini-clad spring breakers, but it’s given meeting planners more than one reason to look twice.

The city’s hotel developments in recent years cater to the meeting and convention crowd as opposed to the college students stopping in for a budget beachside room. The Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB recently established the Lauderdale Luxe Collection, a group of about a dozen well-appointed properties, suitable for large meetings and retreats. Properties include the re-opened 433-room Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale, which has 32,000 square feet of meeting space; Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, a 23-acre resort with 60,000 square feet of meeting space and a spa in nearby Weston; and The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, with 192 rooms, a 29,000-sq.-ft. pool deck and an ocean-view ballroom that can accommodate 520 people.

A handful of restaurants are also part of the Luxe Collection and have space for small group dinners. Trina, a Mediterranean restaurant, sits on the beach and has outdoor dining overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Cero at The Ritz-Carlton is classic Florida seafood prepared in a contemporary French style.

A good destination to direct groups to is Las Olas Boulevard, a single-street shopping and dining district that runs perpendicular to the beach. Local antique, floral, design and jewelry shops sit intermittently between coffee shops, restaurants, spas and art galleries. The area hosts events such as the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival and Las Olas Art Festival.

Larger events can utilize the Broward County Convention Center, a 600,000-sq.-ft. facility located between the hotels located on Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The three-story center has a large wall of glass that runs along the eastern side of the building, overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway on which it sits. The building has four exhibit halls, two ballrooms and 31 meeting rooms. The CVB also has established the Convention Collection, a set of six hotels located within a mile and a half of the convention center. The hotels are Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Port Everglades, Sheraton Fort Lauderdale, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, and Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale. They have a total of 2,700 rooms.

Hilton Head, South Carolina

More than 2.5 million visitors head to Hilton Head, which anchors South Carolina’s southern coast, each year. With its subtropical climate, leisurely activities and some of the Southeast’s finest saltwater fishing, that comes as no surprise. This laid-back, yet sophisticated island is a place where flip-flops are worn with khakis and Lilly Pulitzer frocks are a wardrobe staple.

“Hilton Head Island is a great destination because the atmosphere is so inviting,” says Jessica Gardo, manager of marketing and public relations for the Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau. “We were green before sustainability even became a buzzword.” Hilton Head was the first eco-planned resort destination in the country, she says, and prides itself on having a carefully preserved, natural environment with protected saltwater marshes, loggerhead sea turtles and tree canopies.

There aren’t any streetlights along the roadways or flashy neon signs in town either. “All of this combines for a relaxing, rejuvenating island vibe that really sets the stage for any meeting, putting attendees in the right mindset to get the most out of their stay,” Gardo says.

Meeting planners especially love the Hilton Head Island Difference program. The program gives groups the opportunity to take part in social responsibility projects organized by the VCB. Two-hour, half-day and full-day programs are available. The activities, such as kayak marsh clean-ups or maintenance of facilities like the Coastal Discovery Museum, encourage teamwork and add an environmental and historical education component to events.

Gardo offers a tip for planners: “Meetings on Hilton Head Island are a great value during our shoulder and off-seasons (October through March) when rates are better and the summer family crowds are back in school,” she says. “The weather is temperate year-round and enjoying the beach or being on the golf course is pleasant any time of year. Functions such as a Low Country boil or oyster roast are great outdoor dining experiences that only happen during these months.”

There are five oceanfront hotels that accommodate groups, ranging from executive retreats to groups up to 2,000. The island has two boutique inns for smaller conferences. The largest ballroom, located at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and spa, accommodates 2,000 people. There are several select service properties as well, such as the Hilton Garden Inn, which can accommodate overflow from the larger hotel properties.

Kissimmee, Florida

If you think the Kissimmee area, just outside of Orlando, is all rollercoasters and pixie dust, prepare to be pleasantly overwhelmed. In addition to the wide range of entertainment and attractions, Kissimmee has more than 47,000 guest rooms, including brand-name hotels, luxury resorts, vacation homes and villas with everything from large meeting space in luxury resorts to boardrooms ideally suited for team planning or strategy sessions.

In this land of over-the-top venues, Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center fits right in. Cindy Molnar, executive assistant and director of meetings for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, has organized meetings at the popular hotel, which touts 400,000 square feet of meeting space. Couple that with a long list of amenities, and it’s bound to please any meeting planner. “The hotel is unique with the atrium and the amenities within the hotel itself for attendees and their families to enjoy,” Molnar says. “There is a variety of restaurants and price points so attendees find it’s affordable to stay in the hotel and dine, too.”

Jeff Abbaticchio, director of media relations for the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, adds, “We are a destination meetings property; there is no need to leave unless guests want to explore the excitement of the many theme parks the Orlando/
Kissimmee area has to offer.”

Beyond the three big theme parks, there are new attractions nearby like Fantasy Surf, a 14,000-sq.-ft. indoor aquatic recreation attraction that gives visitors the chance to hop on a body board and ride the waves indoors; Alligator Alley Country Bar, which is built inside of a stone castle; and the Screamin’ Gator zip line at Gatorland, opening this summer, which takes riders along 1,200 feet of high-flying adventure over alligators and jumping crocs.

Mississippi Gulf Coast

When it comes to rich culture and heritage, the Magnolia State has plenty, from antebellum homes to Civil War sites. At the turn of the 19th century, the Mississippi Delta was the birthplace of the blues. In 1935, Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo. The list goes on and on.

Equally appealing are the state’s other amenities like world-class golf courses, noteworthy art museums and casino resorts. Its popular events attract crowds, too. Take your pick from the Gulfport Music Festival or Kite Fest in May, St. Paul’s Seafood Festival or Schooner Races in June, Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo in July and the Long Beach Fest in August.

It’s a well-rounded destination, and convenient, too. “The state offers great meeting space like the Mississippi Coast Convention Center, which has more than 410,000 square feet of meeting space, and resort facilities that offer meeting space such as Beau Rivage Resort and Casino and IP Casino Resort Spa,” says Taryn Pratt Sammons, social media/media relations specialist at the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB.

The region has a current room inventory of more than 12,500 rooms. The area has golf, fishing, and history and culture sites including the Beauvoir, the last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Walter Anderson Museum of Art and water-based attractions such as the Biloxi Shrimping Trip or Ship Island Excursions are other popular sites for activities or events.

Palm Beaches, Florida

Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, located about 65 miles north of Miami, hug Florida’s Atlantic coast and have long attracted a well-to-do crowd with their upscale resorts and sparkling waterways. Other crowd pleasers include the Norton Museum of Art, Henry Morrison Flagler Museum and 170 golf courses.

But sprinkled in with high-end resorts are also a collection of full-service meeting properties in the Palm Beaches’ 38 cities and towns and 200 hotels. The area’s convention and entertainment district brings together the 350,000-sq.-ft. convention center, a world-class performing arts center and CityPlace, an upscale shopping, dining and entertainment district.

St. Augustine Grand Atrium

Conference hotels include the Boca Raton Resort and Club, which is a Waldorf-Astoria resort, with more than 1,000 guest rooms; the 352-room West Palm Beach Marriott, within walking distance of CityPlace and the convention center; and PGA National Resort and Spa, located about 15 minutes from the airport, with 339 guest rooms and 33,900 square feet of meeting space.

Last year marked the completion of a $30 million renovation of West Palm Beaches’ downtown waterfront. Completed in February, the 4.5-acre restoration features a $250,000 lighting system for nightly light shows; green space with swings and seating along its perimeter; a 400-sq.-ft. visitor center; a 4,000-sq.-ft. pavilion for public events and private parties; and a half an acre of beach. The development is the perfect venue for new year-round events and programming for the area, and hosts long-established major events like SunFest and the annual Palm Beach International Boat Show.

The additions don’t end there. “We just received a new water taxi service in the north part of the county and are anticipating a new artificial reef and scuba diving park along the Jupiter inlet in the near future,” says Carli Smith, director of public relations and communications for the Palm Beach County CVB. It was recently announced that the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center will undergo $80 million in expansions and improvements.

More Travel Tips

• Two South Florida resorts teamed up to provide planners with creative meeting and teambuilding packages. Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort and Spa in Ft. Myers and Hutchison Island Marriott Beach Resort and Marina in Stuart created the Elements of Success program with four distinct package options relating to the four classic elements: earth, wind, water and fire. The earth package, for example, takes groups to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife or the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, and the wind package includes a group tennis lesson or golf clinic.

• It’s Fort Lauderdale’s 100th birthday, and the city is hosting a number of events throughout the year to celebrate the centennial. To find out if an event is coinciding with your visit, go to sunny.org/centennial.

• Visitors to Charleston, S.C., don’t have to carry any spare change to get around town. The city has picked up the tab for riders on the green trolley bus, which loops around downtown every 10 minutes.

• WonderWorks, the upside-down mind-bender amusement park, opened a new location this spring in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Exhibits include the WonderWall, made of 40,000 plastic pins where people can create 3D images of their bodies, and Shuttle Landers, which simulates the landing of the Discovery Space Shuttle. The 50,000-sq.-ft. park can be rented out for events.

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Special Places

Learn more about these Southeast venues by clicking on the pictures below.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

River Arts District

Beaches of South Walton

Central Florida

Meeting attendees at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston can now access event details on a smartphone or iPad. The center’s new mobile website provides maps, parking information, event calendars, floor plans, guest service information and more.

A new feature on the Alpharetta (Ga.) CVB website allows visitors to enter travel dates, then search for rates, availability and amenities at all of the city’s 23 hotels. The site also provides meeting planners with sample itineraries, hotel packages and group-friendly dining options.

By Monica Compton

Selecting the proper venue for your meeting can be a daunting task. While some meetings can be flexible to any type of property, others have specific requirements that only certain venues can provide. Location and accessibility can be the first barometers for narrowing down your choices. If your agenda is tight and there is little time to transfer attendees, an airport property or traditional hotel in a metropolitan area would work best. If your program allows for little leisure time, a conference center can provide the best focus for your educational agenda. Meetings that include off-site excursions might work best for a resort property. Tailoring your request for proposal to your program’s needs will further define the type of property that will give you the greatest success.

Traditional hotels

Often located in city centers or close to airports, traditional hotels are usually the most accessible to mass transit and provide the shortest commute for your attendees. Because they are often located in the heart of a metropolitan area, they allow your delegates to experience the destination and provide a myriad of off-site activity and group dining options.

“Traditional hotels often provide a true-life glimpse into the unique character of a destination,” says Steven Spivak, director of sales and marketing for the new Loews Atlanta Hotel. “Many traditional hotels are woven into the fiber of the great cities in which they operate, providing luxurious accommodations and amenities within walking distance of renowned museums and theatres, world-class shopping, and a wealth of dining options.”

While traditional hotels offer this direct access to activities and off-site functions, they are still focused on the meeting’s needs, providing flexible function space, complete audiovisual packaging and all the technology support you need to make your program run smoothly. And, while resort properties offer expanded off-site activities and leisure appeal, and conference centers provide a focused environment for the meeting, the traditional hotel can meet both needs.

“With a traditional hotel, you get the best of both worlds and more — a flexible workspace for any type of function, access to recreational activities at the hotel or the surrounding area, and the opportunity to be within the heart of a downtown area,” says Jeff Webster with Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, S.C. While many planners feel a resort is better suited for incentive meetings, traditional hotels can offer the same team-building and group activities that a resort can offer.

“We’ve been able to flip the mindset that you need to be based at a resort to enjoy the recreational activities of a destination,” Webster says. “The fact is that a golf outing, fishing excursion or other function makes up a very small portion of a meeting/conference agenda.”

When creating a request for proposal for a traditional hotel, Webster says it is important to communicate your specific needs beyond availability, rates and space requirements.

“It’s important for clients to outline any special needs upfront,” Webster says. “If a group is interested in a structured meeting with learning as the focus, we can provide that. Conversely, if there is a client that wants a healthier balance of meeting and free time, we can create a unique itinerary that will meet those needs.”

Since location is key to booking a traditional hotel, make sure your request for proposal asks how far the property is from the airport and the commute time from nearby cities. Include the off-site attractions you are considering, and ask for the driving and walking distance from the hotel. “Traditional hotels are all about versatility and taking care of the customer’s specific and individual needs, thus allowing them to readily accommodate any type of meeting,” Spivak says. “Be it an intensive seminar, an intimate board meeting or an elaborate incentive trip, a traditional hotel in the perfect location truly has something for everyone.”

Conference Centers

Specializing in small- to medium-sized meetings, conference centers are often located in suburban areas and evolved from the need for distraction-free meeting and learning environments. The conference center meeting room is dedicated to meetings and only meetings. Rather than standard banquet chairs and tables, conference center furniture is ergonomically designed to be comfortable all day long. Tables have clean, hard surfaces to make writing easier as opposed to plywood banquet tables covered with linen that perform multiple duties at a traditional hotel or resort. Conference rooms are also soundproof to decrease distractions and maintain privacy of the meeting’s content.

“A conference center has a pure meeting focus, which means it is not trying to be all things to all people,” says Karen Pendleton, director of sales and marketing for Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City, Ga.

The International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) certifies conference centers according to their ability to meet a set of standards including: a minimum of 60 percent of meeting space is dedicated, single-purpose conference space; 60 percent of the meeting rooms must have ergonomically-designed chairs; lighting and climate levels must be controlled from within the meeting room; conference rooms must have acoustical privacy; and standard audiovisual services and support must be available on site. The IACC segments conference centers into five types: Executive conference centers are designed to cater to executive-level meetings; resort conference centers must have at least one major amenity such as a golf course or ski area adjacent to the property; educational conference centers are located in a college or university and lease their facilities to private corporations; nonresidential centers are completely equipped for meetings, but do not offer sleeping rooms or leisure activities; and ancillary conference centers are part of a large hospitality complex such as a floor or a wing of a traditional hotel.

The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center in Houston, Texas, is an example of a property that provides a dedicated meeting environment as well as resort activities. Tory Enriquez, director of sales and marketing for The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center suggests that planners search for IACC-approved facilities.

“These facilities must follow the current practices and criteria of the conference center industry,” Enriquez says. “Dedicated meeting space separates living and leisure areas from conference rooms for a more private meeting environment.” Conference centers typically offer the Complete Meeting Package, which provides a per person price for hotel accommodations, meals, meeting space and audiovisual services. The package pricing allows planners to know their complete costs upfront and reduces the amount of banquet event orders planners need to review and confirm. Because food and beverage breaks are continuous, agenda timing can be flexible.

“The simplicity of planning at a conference center is key to the overworked planner and also to the novice planner,” Wyndam’s Pendleton says. “[There is] no nickel and diming.” Pendleton corrects the misconception that conference centers are not as strong in their food and beverage offerings as traditional hotels and resorts. She says breaks are actually more plentiful and complete than a la carte menus, and producing top-notch cuisine is a goal for all conference centers. The Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center’s chef was awarded the IACC Copper Skillet Competition National Championship title and placed third in the International Competition.

“His cuisine features farm to table menus as he purchases as much as possible from the local growers,” Pendleton says. “Our chef emphasizes healthy living with signage noting the best food for energy, brain foods, and foods to improve muscle and growth.” When creating a request for proposal that includes both conference centers and traditional hotels, it is important to compare all pricing elements and equate the difference between the conference center’s CMP plan and the hotel’s total a la carte items. “Too many planners stop their comparison at room rate and end up spending much more when all the food and beverage and audiovisual comes into play,” Pendleton says. “Make an apples to apples comparison by comparing all elements of the meeting you will need.”

Resorts

Unique to their destination, resort properties are usually located outside of city centers, providing a full gamut of leisure activities and amenities. Ideal for incentives and corporate retreats, resorts can offer a choice of sleeping room accommodations, from traditional hotel rooms to two- and three-bedroom villas or condominiums. Many resorts add a fee on top of the sleeping room rate that provides access to leisure activities, from the pool to the exercise room. Others include complimentary activities as part of the rate.

“Our complimentary amenities and free activities include bicycle rentals, tennis court time, the fitness center, and canoe and kayak rentals,” says Lela Coker, marketing and public relations for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla. “This helps occupy free time without costing the group or attendee.”

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a resort is the outdoor space that can be booked for private functions, group dinners and team-building events. By the nature of their location, resorts often offer limited access and exclusive entrances for their guests. This creates an intimate, “VIP feel” for each and every attendee.

“A resort can be located on a beach, mountain or golf course [giving] a unique sense of place,” says Eric Kuester, director, national accounts for North Carolina’s Pinehurst. “Incorporating the indigenous surroundings to your outdoor function space can tap into the senses of an attendee and create a memorable event.”

Although resorts are best known for attracting incentive events or meetings that require a leisure component, these properties have fully-equipped meeting space that can accommodate any type of program. On-site audiovisual and conference services support is available and flexible function space can accommodate everything from a 15-person board meeting to a sit-down dinner for 1,000 people.

“Traditionally, incentive-based events have been a great profile for resort properties because of the reward component,” Kuester says. “But we see a range in meeting DNA: small executive leadership retreats and mid-size regional sales meetings to large-scale national forums.” When creating a request for proposal for a resort property, request dates that are outside of peak season to get the best rates. If your event leans more heavily towards the leisure component, try to negotiate the resort fee by adding or subtracting amenities depending on your group’s use of resort facilities.

Read more on typecasting:

Case Study: Terri Dotson, Senior Project Manager of Meeting Consultants Inc.

“Augusta is excited to offer meeting planners the ability to have all they need under one roof,” said Barry White, president and CEO of the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau. The exhibit space will be able to hold 188, 10-by-10-foot booths, accommodate 3,500 meeting attendees or 1,800 banquet guests, and have multiple layout possibilities, including the ability to be divided into two rooms. It is aiming to achieve LEED Certification.

The Augusta Chronicle reports that plans were delayed for the center for years as analysis revealed the $20 million in initial funding was not sufficient for construction, as well as controversies over future operations subsidies, an alleged vote-buying scheme involving future jobs at the parking facility and concerns over the need for such a facility in Augusta.

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the facility is attached to The Westin Peachtree Plaza and walking distance from The Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Ellis Hotel and Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The Georgia World Congress Center, CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park are within a half-mile. Two restaurants are also part of the property: Meehan’s Irish Pub, which opened in March, and Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, which is slated to open later this year.

By Patricia Bates

Interest in Southern dining is on the rise. The Southern Foodways Alliance has held gatherings from Chicago to Washington, D.C., and the International Culinary Tourism Association assembled its first Southeast Regional Culinary Symposium last April in Baton Rouge, La.

There’s more table talk about chefs from Nashville to Miami, Birmingham to Savannah, and Jackson to New Orleans than ever before. Groups just may want to discuss that over their next meal on the road.

Alabama

From ribs to roast, Alabamans go whole hog for barbecue-especially around Birmingham. The Southern Foodways Alliance has even smoked out a few of these places along their Southern Barbecue Trail for a driving tour.

After leasing a bus and hiring a step-on guide, follow this meaty map to such restaurants as Demetri’s BBQ, which has been in operation since 1962 in nearby Homewood. It’s all about the sauce at Demetri’s, where everyone can double up on the beef and turkey along with the Greek salad.

Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q knows that flavor is in the hickory wood, so it has piled it on since 1957 in Bessemer. Plates can be accompanied by a variety of sides, from corn-on-the-cob to red velvet cake. At the Golden Rule Bar-B-Q in Irondale, smoked sausage and brisket can be ordered along with cheddar muffins, collard greens, and cinnamon apples.

Barbecue came to the South with the Native American tribes and African-American slaves, but mustard and white sauces are now preferred in much of north and east Alabama. For a “taste-off,” these caterers could also bring the meal to your event at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark where fires were lit for years to make iron.

Louisiana

Happy hour is almost any time in New Orleans, but especially at the bars frequented on the Original Cocktail Walking Tour by Gray Line along Bourbon Street. Mixology began in 1838 in the Big Easy when Antoine Peychaud made a Sazerac.

Today, the brandy-and-bitters drink is as popular as ever in the French Quarter. The spirits of New Orleans can also be found in beverages like the Hurricane, the Ramos Gin Fizz, and the Pimm’s Cup. These recipes are explained at many lounges during the two-and-half-hour stroll.

As the oldest restaurant in New Orleans, Antoine’s is a must-see for participants where the flaming spiced Café Brulot has been a nightcap for years. They will also get a glimpse into its wine cellar along with other areas.

Louisiana’s libations can also be imbibed during the New Orleans Culinary History Tours. Besides Antoine’s, there are tastings at the second oldest eatery, Tujague’s, along with mini-muffulettas to seafood gumbo to pralines elsewhere. By then, even a novice will know the difference between Cajun and Creole food.

To schedule a tour, contact Gray Line or New Orleans Culinary History Tours.

Mississippi

You’ll never feel more at home on the range than at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, not far from where the stoves are manufactured at its headquarters. It offers lessons for up to 12 people at a time in its kitchens to make such delicacies as catfish and crispy fried chicken.

A blues musician will even play for amateur chefs while they are making their salads and sides. Viking can organize themed workshops around recipes from the Caribbean to Asia, and also offers demonstrations with samples and beverages at venues around Jackson.

Greenwood has also wrapped itself up in hot tamales, as Viking underwrites the Mississippi Delta Tamale Trail at through the Southern Foodways Alliance. In the husk, the meat-filled cornmeal has been a staple there since migrant cotton field workers from Mexico brought them in the early 1900s in their lunch pails.

Groups could have a dine-around evening in Greenwood at the Crystal Grill (also known for its meringue-topped pies); Giardina’s (where tamales come in elegant parchment paper), Flatland Grill (where they include cheddar cheese and chili), or Steven’s Bar-B-Q (with its special tamale pies).

Tennessee

Like any good rivals, George Dickel and Jack Daniel could never agree on their spelling-or their taste-in whisky. That’s why visiting their distilleries just miles from each other in middle Tennessee lets you be the judge.

George Dickel Distillery explains its process of making the liquor from sour mash in Tullahoma, where it has a Visitors Center with antiques and memorabilia. As a purist, George thought his whisky was as smooth in 1870 as that in Europe, so he labeled it without the “e” just as the Scotch did. He also believed it mellowed more in winter, so even today it is chilled before it is filtered of acids and oils.

Jack Daniel was aging his “sippin’ whiskey” by 1866 through charcoal-lined oak barrels in Lynchburg, making his the oldest such operation in Tennessee. Gentleman Jack is never referred to as bourbon, which participants will discover on the tour. They can quench their thirst afterward at the visitor center with non-alcoholic Lynchburg Lemonade.

Private picnics may be held at Barbecue Hill for 50 or more individuals at the Jack Daniel Distillery. Besides the Tipsy Apples, guests can have pulled pork, cornbread, and baked beans along with Jack Daniel’s spiked chocolate pecan pie. Or, they can lunch on country ham and biscuits or meat loaf at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House, whose proprietress is Jack’s grandniece Lynne Tolley.

Florida

There’s so much more to Florida than the orange. Who knew there were 150 varieties of mangoes alone growing on 37 bountiful acres at the Fruit and Spice Park in Miami?

The citrus doesn’t fall far from the tree at the only produce paradise like this in the U.S. During year-round tours, visitors can sample what lands on the ground. They can also attend workshops from “Edible Oddities” to “Cooking with Tropical Fruits and Vegetables,” or look for juices, dried fruit, and preserves at its retail store.

The Fruit and Spice Park also features many varieties of nuts, as well as 80 kinds of bananas and 40 types of grapes from Australia to Africa. Those who like to sow seeds can arrange through the management to take some home on this safari.

Georgia

As Paula Deen says, “Put Some South in Your Mouth” on her tour of Savannah. What’s cooking for her always has more butter in it in the Low Country.

The motor coaches take visitors to her old Southside neighborhood, where Paula’s “Bags to Riches” story began when she invested $200 in her sack lunch delivery service. They also visit Bethesda where Paula wed her husband, along with retailers like Byrd Cookie Company, One Fish Two Fish, Polk’s Produce, or Back in the Day Bakery elsewhere in Savannah.

You’ll never go hungry on the Paula Deen Tour, since dinner will be served at The Lady & Sons or Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House. And, “Hey Y’all,” she also has a goodie bag for each newfound friend on the Old Savannah Tours.

There’s some eatin’ too on the Foody Tour in Savannah, which dishes out everything from honey-pecan fried chicken to shrimp and grits at about seven locations.

Passengers will watch footage on TV about the stops before they arrive at the destinations. Most of the enterprises have been on The Food Network or The Travel Channel before, including Paula Deen’s own The Lady & Sons. To book, go to www.savannahtours.us

For More Information

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau
New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Antoine’s Restaurant Photo by Biskuit
The Lady and Son’s Restaurant Photo by Nick Ledford

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