What’s your travel forecast for the coming year?
Technology keeps getting better and better, creating easier ways to book rooms. As everyone gets more mobile, small group and individual bookings are last minute. There’s been a real surge in speed with handheld devices and tablets, and we expect it to grow dramatically as prices go down, especially on tablets, and more people use them.

How is the economy changing booking patterns?
There will be continuous and various types of promotions by hotels to convince visitors to book in advance, which allows hotels to be more efficient and plan rates. You’ll see more incentives to make consumers change their behavior. There will be more rate differentiation between those who book and pay in advance, which will include the ability to make changes, and another for last-minute bookings, which won’t include any refunds on cancellation. Rates will also encourage travelers to stay longer.

Does this hold true for meeting space as well?
There’s no question that it applies to meeting space. Meetings and groups are booking short. There will be a push in terms of the negotiation process; rates will be different depending on length of stay and other factors.

What other changes do you expect?
The check-in process is changing due to technology. The front desk will disappear. The long lines when your group arrives at the same time will be eliminated. Consumers are getting used to doing more check-ins themselves. They are self-printing their airplane bordering passes; rental cars have self-check-in devices. There’s an app for room keys, allowing hotel guests to open their room using their phone; you’ll see this expanding, along with consumers selecting their rooms online. They’ll be able to head straight to their room as soon as they arrive. That’s great for travelers and produces cost savings for hotels. Hotels need to interface with entire systems and that is taking longer than in other areas of travels, but it’s on the way.

Do you see hotel rates going up overall?
The economy has been going sideways for an extended period of time. There will be a slow rise in demand [for hotel space] because not a lot is coming on the market. Rates are going up in bigger cities, but are expected to stay the same in second-tier cities and smaller markets. We’ll see increases in 2013, and we are telling travelers to book as far in advance as possible. Hotels won’t be slashing rates at the last minute. Planners, especially, should make plans earlier rather than later.

What’s in your crystal ball?
I see much more personalization. When someone books through the meeting planner’s software program, more preferences will be remembered and responses will be custom tailored to the individual. They’ll be offered rooms with what they want. This gives travelers more confidence that their travel provider knows them. They’re more comfortable working with them.

What about air travel?
The tremendous amount of consolidation means there’s less competition, which means rates will continue to go up. All rules have been tossed out the window. There are no more round-trip rates. Instead of system-wide rules, now it’s airline-to-airline delivering to capacity. Major airlines are becoming like discount carriers. There will be even more creativity in adding additional charges where they can. There are lots of other ways they haven’t gotten around to yet to maximize income. They’ll charge more for an aisle seat or a window seat. You’ll see more marketing…advertising on the backs of seats, on the airport shuttle buses, everywhere. Luxury-type airline travel in this country is a thing of the past. American Airlines going bankrupt means they can now compete and go head-to-head with Southwest, which has more routes as a result of its merger with AirTran. So fewer services, more fees, pricing skirmishes between online sites and airlines. Also, more packaging, which is more popular outside the U.S., with airfare, hotels and cars included in one price. Providers working with net rates can move a lot of product and hide bottom-line pricing.

What incentives are being offered to lure preferred customers?
What they’re doing with business travelers is splitting them up. They’re getting priority in lines, luggage off quicker, extra freebies. Some airlines may do premium seating, but you’ll no longer see the days of a higher percentage of staff to passengers. It’s a pay-for-what-you-get system, like the latest in the car industry—the toll device. It’s another way to charge you for extras.

What are your favorite travel resources?
Obviously, I use getaroom.com and I think kayak.com is a great site. Our big push now is on the vacation rental side for those who need a lot of accommodations. We’re adding things like condo hotels in New York City, as well as studios to three-bedroom apartments. We’re using more flash sales for lodging to excite consumers to take advantage of short-term offers. It’s a way for vendors to push aspirational products, and these opportunities lift the boat for the entire industry.

How does this apply to meeting planners?
If they have attendees who are arriving earlier or staying later, they need resources for them. We have commission-type programs for planners. We put them on a different URL to track bookings and the planner can earn extra inventory.

What frequent flyer advice do you have?
I rarely travel the same airline both ways. You can find better fares and convenient times by using different carriers. I make sure I am a premier member of all clubs, including car rental companies and all hotel groups. I love credit card programs. You get travel bonuses, double miles, triples miles, etc. It becomes a battle the consumer is winning.

What specific advice can you offer meeting planners?
Two things. One, make sure you have a little card in your wallet with your frequent numbers and credit card call-free numbers, so you can easily take it out and see them all—and always make sure you sign up for notifications by cell phone or text so you get important messages. Two, bring food and extra batteries.

What technology tool do you always travel with?
I always take my laptop and my Blackberry for email. I have a spare charger about the size of a credit card with three to four full charges for all my devices. Also, I have a Kindle, which I love especially when I’m with my wife and kids.

What else do you always pack?
An empty plastic bottle, which I fill up with water when I pass security. Who wants to pay $3 for a bottle of water? Two big bags of trail mix, a swimsuit and goggles, shorts and T-shirts and jogging shoes to exercise. The best way to see a city is to jog around.

What do you do to relax?
I work out always. That’s why I bring my gym clothes.

Dr. Woodring and his wife, Donna, are heading to Texas to settle near family.

Members of the meetings industry, including many of the faith-based  community, celebrated one of its most active leaders, educators and promoters last month after the announcement of his retirement at the end of the year.  Dr. DeWayne Woodring, CMP, CEM, stepped down as executive director and CEO of the Religious Conference Management Association Dec. 31, after a 30-year career with the organization.

Praised as a visionary by associates, Dr. Woodring not only helped raise the profile of religious meetings, he influenced the growth of professionalism within the meetings industry as a whole. “My whole life changed when I became a meeting planner,” he said in a recent video. “Meeting planners are among the finest people on Earth.”

Dr. Woodring served as chairman of the Convention Industry Council, where he was one of the original founders of its Certified Meeting Professional program, now the accreditation standard with this specialized field. In 1994, he received the highest honor in the meetings industry when he was inducted into the Convention Liaison Council Hall of Leaders for his distinguished contributions.

Dr. Woodring’s industry service was wide-ranging. He was a delegate to the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. He also served on the International Curriculum Advisory Panel of George Washington University. As an industry advocate, he contributed to the passage by the U.S. Congress of the bill exempting qualified nonprofit organizations from taxation on exhibits. Later, he helped bring about an agreement with the music industry to lower the cost of music licensing and the exemption of religious organizations using music in worship settings.

Frequently called upon to lend his professional expertise to industry organizations, he served on numerous boards and committees, including the Marriott Customer Leadership Forum, the Customer Advisory Board of Red Lion Hotels and Inns, the International Association of Conference Centers Japan, and the Nassau/Paradise Island Advisory Board. He was also an advisor for the building of the Charlotte Convention Center, the Savannah Convention Center, the Puerto Rico Convention Center, and the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome in Indianapolis. He served on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for International Meetings and the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, and was a long-time participant in the American Society of  Association Executives.

Dr. Woodring’s activities extended beyond this country and outside the meetings industry. He has overseen major international conventions and seminars in venues in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe (his travels have taken him to 136 countries). Through his leadership in philanthropy, he saw RCMA donate $700,000 in the past six years to the United Nations World Food Program. He also served for decades as chaplain of the Defense Orientation Conference Association, as one of 60 business professionals in the U.S. chosen by the Secretary of Defense to visit U.S. military establishments and exchange views with key defense personnel, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

A tribute to Dr. Woodring permanently resides in the Hall of Leaders in the Washington, D.C. Convention Center and Chicago’s McCormick Place, along with those of other honorees including Conrad Hilton and J.W. Marriott.

Dr. Woodring’s career accomplishments, his 80th birthday and his retirement were celebrated in a final night gala Jan. 27 at the RCMA World Conference and Expo in Kansas City, Mo.

Rev. Harry Schmidt is the new executive director of RCMA, moving up from his position as RCMA board vice president. Replacing him is Melvin Tennant, CAE, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Official Convention and Visitors Association; it is the first time a supplier has held that position in the organization.

You can view the video interview with Dr. Woodring here.

Initiating conversations using social media in San Diego

The term hybrid event took on a new meaning at many of the regional winter conferences, hosted by Cru (formerly Campus Crusade), around the New Year’s holidays. Some events used the traditional hybrid approach (streaming portions of programming on the Internet), but others turned outreach aspects of their events into hybrid in-person and virtual experiences. Attendees at several conferences delivered meals to the less fortunate, and others focused their outreach online. “We had students initiate spiritual conversations in their ‘online neighborhoods’ rather than in the neighborhoods of San Diego, which is what we have typically done,” says Dan Allan, national director of operations, Pacific Southwest. “We initiated nearly 8,000 spiritual conversations in about two hours.  Students followed up responses in that time and continue to interact with their friends who are still responding.” Attendees at the Denver Christmas Conference sent a video to 10 Facebook friends to generate feedback and start conversations. A series of questions helped them walk through a conversation with friends who responded.

The first step to building your block is determining your peak night, or the greatest number of rooms needed on a single night. Start by using the total number of attendees from the previous year and add or subtract a percentage based on the current agenda and registrations. Most attendees arrive one or two days in advance. To determine these “shoulder nights,” it’s important to look at your history from past years and your attendee demographics, especially taking note of international travelers. If you have attendees traveling from Europe, for example, they might arrive early in the morning, which would require reserving a room the night before. Attendees from Asia might arrive two days in advance of the meeting to adjust to the local time zone. Attendees driving to the meeting might arrive the first day of the program and not require a room the night before.

You can determine the percentage of shoulder nights needed based on the peak-night number. First, determine the percentage of shoulder-night rooms you needed last year. For example, if on the peak night, you used 100 rooms and shoulder nights required 50 rooms, the percent for shoulder rooms was 50 percent. Use this percentage to determine this year’s needed rooms. Multiply this year’s projected peak-night number by last year’s shoulder percentage. This gives you a percentage of how many rooms you need to reserve on each shoulder night.

Next, determine if you should contract these rooms with the hotel based on peak night or cumulative pickup. If you have a one-day event with a number of local attendees who do not require rooms, guaranteeing rooms on the peak night would be best. This way you are not responsible for shoulder nights that might not be picked up. Most meetings, though, work better with a cumulative pickup, which means if you don’t make your peak-night number, each and every room on shoulder nights count toward your guarantee. Cumulative pickup is usually best for multiple-day meetings where attendees are extending their stays. If your hotel is located in a resort area and the arrival or departure dates are near a weekend, attendees are more likely to add nights before or after the meeting dates.

Now that you have your room-night pattern, determine the types of rooms needed each night: kings, doubles, staff rooms, suites and government-rated rooms. Start with the room type most of the attendees use—standard king rooms, for example—and back out the rest of the room types from this number. Since suites are usually assigned to VIPs such as keynote speakers, you are less likely to need extended shoulder nights for these rooms. This is also the case for government-rated rooms that are restricted to the dates of the conference.

After your block is built, it’s negotiation time. Most hotels want to negotiate an attrition percentage, or the number of rooms they are willing to allow you to release without penalty. The attrition rate is contingent on many factors: time of year, history of your pickup from previous years, whether this is the host hotel and if there are other overflow hotels contracted, and the hotel’s current occupancy. Most hotels are willing to offer an 80 percent attrition rate. Deduct 20 percent from your total room nights contracted and determine if you can realistically fill this number of rooms.

It’s important to factor in a no-show rate when determining your attrition liability. Again, look at your attendee demographics and the previous year’s pickup. Do you have many international attendees who could be affected by flight delays? Have you awarded complimentary rooms to sponsors or customers where financial responsibility is solely your burden? Once you’ve figured out your no-show percentage, add that number to your attrition percentage. For example, if you determine that you have a 5 percent no-show rate, you must now fill 85 percent of your block to meet attrition.

It’s also important that all revenue received from a room booking counts toward your attrition commitment, regardless if someone slept in the room or not. Make sure your contract states that attrition is calculated on “revenue” rooms not “utilized” rooms. If a guest doesn’t show up, the room is not utilized, but you are still being charged one night’s room rate. This revenue should count toward your overall revenue commitment. Any deposits, pre-payments or early departure fees collected should also count toward this revenue.

Make sure your contract includes an “all reservations considered” clause. This allows any room that can be attributed to your block to count towards your overall pickup, regardless of the reservation’s origin. Attendees who book outside the block and reserve their rooms on travel sites such as Expedia and hotels.com would not book at the hotel if it weren’t for your meeting. These rooms should then count toward your block. At the conclusion of your meeting, provide the hotel with your final attendee list and ask them to perform a room audit, cross-checking the names with all reservations in its system. Any names matching your list will be added to your block.

Negotiating an extended cut-off date is also important if your delegates are late to register. Most hotels ask you to submit your final rooming list 30 days in advance of the start of your meeting. After that date, they release the rooms to the general public. Negotiating down to 21 days in advance gives you a little more than a week extra to get your room reservations in.

If you have allocated shoulder nights for extended stays, ask the hotel to honor your group rates for a minimum of three days before and three days after the start and end dates of your meeting. Chances are they will honor the rate past this; it helps if you are a repeat client, have a multi-year contract or a strong history of filling your block.

There are a myriad of additional concessions that help you reduce costs, from complimentary room nights to suite upgrades to a discounted staff room rate. While you probably want to ask for as many concessions as possible, determine which are most important to your program. If you have a significant number of VIPs, upgrades to club level and complimentary amenities might be most important. If your meeting requires extensive audiovisual equipment, negotiate a discount with the in-house provider.

If your agenda is filled with food and beverage functions, ask for a discount after a minimum revenue is met. Get creative. Many hotels own vehicles or work with a transportation supplier and will extend complimentary airport transfers for your staff and VIPs. If the property is expansive, request the use of golf carts to get around the meeting space. If your program has large exhibits and substantial shipments, request a discount on handling fees.

Building your block and negotiating concessions is much easier with detailed records from year to year. Track your group’s history and save pick-up reports. The more proof you can offer as to your block’s performance, the more likely the hotel will offer discounted rates and minimal attrition commitments.

Monica Compton, CMP, is an event specialist with Pinnacle Productions Inc. based in Atlanta. She has 20 years experience as a global meeting planner, managing a variety of programs both domestically and internationally.

Personal Branding

First, you need to brand yourself. An often-misunderstood buzzword, “personal brand” means having a clear vision of who you are, and it makes the difference between a wildly successful planner and a mediocre one, says career and branding coach Amanda Guralski, president of bizMe Consulting. Begin this year with one big career goal,  Guralski advises; smaller goals will follow in time.

Next, ditch the suit. “Clients should view you as partner, not a vendor,” says Richard O’Malley, a 15-year veteran of special events planning and president of The O’Malley Project, a production and tradeshow services company. “When you go on the site visits, dress appropriately. Don’t wear the $3,000 suit to the lighting warehouse, because then you look like a pompous fool.”

It’s also important to remain calm. Clients need to see your consistent enthusiasm, even on tough days. “The planners that get called back time and time again are the ones who don’t let anyone see them sweat,” says Guralski. In a bad mood because of a speeding ticket acquired on the way to a meeting? If possible, reschedule. “It’s not worth losing the client.”

New planners have to cut their teeth in the industry somewhere, and a good place to start is with positions at non-profits. “It teaches you how to talk to people and how to negotiate, because you have to get everything for free,” says O’Malley, who got his start as a wedding DJ in college, then transferred that experience to fundraising events. “Having an endless budget [at a mega firm] is easy. At a nonprofit, you become a better producer. The in-the-trenches experience is unmatchable.”

As you continue to brand yourself, understand that there are times where you’ll be uncomfortable. You need to be uncomfortable to challenge yourself and advance your career. Too many mid-level planners become burned out or lulled into a comfort zone, no longer giving their all. A client’s big day becomes “just another job” to them. “It’s not just the bottom line on this one job,” says O’Malley. Create wonderful memories, add value to events, and clients will return.

Certification

Planners often seek professional certification, but O’Malley cautions against pursuing every certification opportunity presented. Thoroughly investigate the instructor’s credentials before signing up. “There are a lot of charlatans out there who hold seminars to hold seminars.”

While Guralski is an advocate of continual learning and personal growth, she says work experience often outweighs certification. “Anyone can memorize a book,” she says. “Business savvy and maturity come from applying skills and knowledge.”

Social Media

“If you’re not on social media, you don’t exist,” says Guralski, who encourages the business owners she coaches to be very clear in their 140-word bios on Twitter. Make it easy for potential clients and peers to understand what you do, what you specialize in and, eventually, to recognize you as an industry guru. Host Twitter chats on topics relevant to your expertise or form a content-driven group on LinkedIn.

Planners need to provide valuable content on social media. Content is still king. When sharing links via Twitter or LinkedIn, give your audience ideas of substance—articles on how to run their business, for example. “Posting a link to your event’s photos, saying ‘hey, look at me,’ is not content,” says O’Malley.

Marketing

Be smart and include money for event sponsorships in your marketing budget then select opportunities that optimize exposure. “Your stuff should be highlighted, not just thrown in a goodie bag…that’s wasted marketing money,” says O’Malley. “Make sure it’s something that’s seen and experienced by the crowd as important so they’ll take away the memory of it. If you’re a florist, don’t do the centerpieces—build the podium out of flowers. Maybe one or two people will say ‘look how nice that centerpiece is,’ but 500 people will say, ‘Is that podium made out of roses?’”

Maria Carter is an Atlanta-based writer focusing on business, travel and other lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in dozens of consumer magazines and trade publications. You can reach her at maria@marcarter.com.

The airline that puts the customer first

No baggage fees, no change fees and a seating system that aims to get you on and off the plane faster have catapulted Southwest Airlines to the top of the pack. So far up, in fact, that it recently acquired rival discount airline AirTran Airways, so it’s about to be accessible to a whole lot more travelers. Southwest proves that you don’t have to nickel and dime fliers to be profitable. Putting the customer first works, too.

The convention center that breaks the standard design mold

When you turn the corner on to North High Street in Columbus, Ohio, the award-winning Peter Eisenman-designed Greater Columbus Convention Center instantly lifts your spirits. Brightly colored, geometric segments line one side of the building along the city street, and inside, the new Battelle Grand Ballroom electrifies an event with custom lighting options.

The luckiest marketing campaign for a CVB

Search YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos of children screaming in delight when they learn they’re going to Disney World. Well, one little girl wasn’t too happy to find out that her upcoming vacation to Chattanooga, Tenn., was instead going to be a trip to Disney. “I want to go to Chattanooga, not Disney World!” cries the little girl to her mother’s surprise. The family did end up going to Disney and had a great time, but they also planned to put a trip to Chattanooga on the calendar.

The convention center that’s GREEN inside and out

It’s hard for a building the size of a convention center to maintain green standards, but the Vancouver Convention Center in British Columbia has done it. It has the standard recycling and energy reduction initiatives, but sustainability goes beyond practices. The center has a six-acre living roof with indigenous plants, beehives producing honey and beautiful walls made of local British Columbian wood that look like stacked lumber. Everywhere you turn in the center is another green, unexpected surprise.

The enormous hotel that doesn’t overwhelm

Conferences that require a lot of space also require additional attention to traffic flow. The Orlando World Center Marriott has enough room for sizable conventions (2,000 rooms, more than 450,000 square feet of meeting space, multiple ballrooms and up to 73 breakout rooms) and a layout and flow of a hotel half its size.

The city where the local restaurants really are local

Louisville is a city of neighborhoods replete with homegrown restaurants worthy of the short drive or cab ride from the downtown convention center and the KFC Yum! Center. The NuLu neighborhood has sprouted up on a few blocks of East Market Street, about a mile from the convention center. At Harvest Restaurant, at least 80 percent of the bill of fare comes from local farmers, many of whose sepia portraits hang on the walls, along with a food-shed map pinpointing their farms. The Garage Bar occupies a former auto repair shop and gas station: Don’t let its exterior fool you; the restaurant, which features group-sized farm tables in a sleek interior with a retro flair, was renovated by the team that rebuilt the 21c Museum Hotel and Proof on Main. Proof Executive Chef Michael Paley is co-owner and boss chef of the restaurant, which has a menu heavy on locally sourced fare, from country ham tastings and personal-size pizza pies to iconic local soft drinks and regional draft beers and bourbons. Chef Bruce Ucan, a Mayan Indian from Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, prepares authentic Mayan food using local, seasonal produce at The Mayan Café. Nearby, the aptly named Toast on Market prepares breakfast and lunch with a similar commitment to farm-to-table practices. On the same block, you can shop at boutique jewelry and housewares stores, watch glass-blowing artists at work and visit a century-old candy shop.

The place to throw your next party

Discovery World Milwaukee attracts kids and adults alike wanting to learn more about science and is also one of the city’s coolest venues for live concerts. Discovery World’s outdoor Rotary Amphitheater sits right on Lake Michigan, an impressive backdrop for a musical act at an opening or closing reception.

A shoe that looks good and feels good

Nothing ruins a day running around the convention floor like a bad pair of shoes, but nothing ruins a chic ensemble more than a pair of tennis shoes. Opt for something in-between: a pair of really comfortable Naturalizer flats that won’t land you on an episode of “What Not to Wear.” Tip: Take two to three pair to every conference and change shoes once or twice during the day.

The coolest venue—literally

Bundle up. ICEBAR Orlando is cool. In fact, it’s cold: 27 degrees. That’s what’s required to keep the bar’s 50 tons of ice frozen at all times. Planners can rent the space for events, in conjunction with the bar’s adjacent Fire Lounge. Together they provide 4,000 square feet of space, accommodating up to 875 people. Don’t worry—attendees don’t have to pack their parkas. The ICEBAR provides capes and gloves.

These are just a selection of the cool things we found to feature. See the complete feature in the February issue of Rejuvenate magazine.

Many meeting planners attend conferences for continuing education, but it can be difficult to leave behind the role of planner and assume the role of attendee. Approaching new people can be difficult because of obstacles we put in front of ourselves as well as those innate to a conference setting. As a result, many people leave events without making meaningful contacts.

It’s also a planner’s responsibility to provide opportunities for people to network. Until people are given permission to meet others, most feel self-conscious and remain within their comfort zones. Ideally, every conference should begin with intentional networking events in the beginning that encourage attendees to meet new people. Until icebreakers become a standard, however, attendees must take initiative.

Overcoming Obstacles

Whether you’re shy or outgoing, figuring out how to meet people on your own is difficult. Many conferences provide registrants with a list of names of other attendees. Peruse companies and people, connect over social media prior to arriving and make arrangements to meet up before you get there or during the event. Research if the conference has a program for first-timers. Some places give a badge for newbies, prompting others to approach and welcome them. Connect with speakers ahead of time. Research them and meet up at the conference. Challenge yourself to walk up to someone standing solo and introduce yourself. Remember, singles like to mingle.

Being unprepared is easily overcome with strategy. Ask yourself a few questions to determine your goals. Why are you going? What kind of people do you want to meet? Are you looking for sales, business referrals, a mentor?  Stating your objective will make it easier to find the right people.

Being in a group provides security, but it also can be a hindrance. If you do go with a group, plan goals and create a supportive outreach team beforehand. Get together for breakfast, but disperse during lunch, and meet up again for drinks later. There’s no need to be split the entire time, but utilize the conference time to meet new people. Introduce each other to one another’s acquaintances.

Becoming a Natural

How do you become someone who effortlessly connects with others? A trick is to not just approach people, but to make yourself approachable as well. There is nothing more beneficial than a smile and eye contact. A positive disposition is simple, and it makes people want to meet you. Many conferences supply badges, which unfortunately hang around the neck and land on the stomach—not prime placement for people to figure out who someone is. Bring your own badge and place it in an easy-to-see location, which makes you more accessible.

Once you are in a conversation, relate to the person you are talking with. Listening is crucial. Look him in the eye, smile, and make a connection. Ask genuine questions and find common ground. If you are really interested in people, they will want to continue to talk to you and eventually you will be the focus of the conversation.

Do not try to sell the starting point in a relationship. If a business interaction sounds promising, arrange a future time for that, but do not do it at the conference.

Following Up

What you do after the conference is just as important as what you do prior. Schedule a time for follow-up. Whether by phone, email, lunch or social media—make it happen. Find a way to help your connection before you ask for a sale or a favor. Learn about them and give them the opportunity to know you and develop a relationship of trust. It can be as simple as sharing a resource or recommending a book.

Alice Heiman is a sales process consultant focusing on redesign, implementation and reinforcement for a diverse list of corporations, start-ups and growing companies. She is the inventor of The BizTalk Blender, The Ultimate Networking Event. Find more information at aliceheiman.com

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Kansas City, Missouri

Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie, the stunning Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors last September not only to Kansas City’s patrons of the arts, but also to meeting attendes. The defining aesthetic of the dramatic 285,000-sq.-ft. facility is a sharply contrasting blend of steel and glass, curves and angles, which creates a fascinating interplay of light, shadows, reflections and transparency. With an equal emphasis placed on acoustic design, the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre and 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall are the perfect venues for keynote addresses or special events. Both spaces are connected by the large, glass-enclosed Brandmeyer Great Hall, which can be used for receptions or exhibits.

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Crossroads Arts District, a mixed-use neighborhood with a concentration of art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping and residences. Next door is the Kansas City Convention Center, an eight-square-block facility with 388,000 square feet of exhibit space, 48 meeting rooms, ballrooms, a plaza and a 10,700-capacity arena. A few blocks away is the Power and Light District, Kansas City’s premiere entertainment zone, with more prominent dining, shopping, and nightlife, as well as frequent festivals, concerts and special events.

The Tech Museum
San Jose, California

What could be a more appropriate atmosphere for an inspiring and thought-provoking meeting in Silicon Valley than a place called The Tech Museum? This institution of innovation set in the heart of San Jose is the perfect locale to stimulate creativity, discussion and ideas. That’s why the opening party of Rejuvenate Marketplace 2011 was held among the museum’s hundreds of cutting-edge exhibits. But it is not just for receptions. The entire three-story, 132,000-sq.-ft. building can be rented for large events—additionally, galleries, a hall, the rooftop terrace and the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater can be reserved separately or together. Elegant catering is available from on-site restaurant, Cafe Primavera.

Within a couple blocks is the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, which can accommodate large events with 143,000 square feet of exhibit space, 31 meeting rooms and 22,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. Also within walking distance are more museums and theaters, parks, restaurants, shops, and hotels such as the Marriott and Hilton. The Paseo de San Antonio Walk is a pedestrian thoroughfare that leads to San Jose State University, with dining along the way. For explorations outside the city, light rail stations are conveniently located throughout downtown with service to neighboring cities Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Campbell and Mountain View.

Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

An oasis in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City is the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. Since 1988, people have been retreating to this special 17-acre property and its several different types of gardens, two-acre lake and public art. But the star attraction here is the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, a remarkable enclosed jungle-like environment containing reptiles, amphibians, birds, butterflies, fish, exotic tropical plants and a 35-foot waterfall. It can be rented separately for special events (seating capacity is 80), as can Meinders Garden and the Water Stage, which can accommodate several hundred people. Formal meetings can be held in the 5,000-sq.-ft. Dean A. McGee Center, which contains the Terrace Room and Water Plaza Room, each with seating for 120 people.

Across the street from the gardens is the Cox Convention Center, with more than 1 million square feet of flexible meeting space, and Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Thunder. Within a few blocks is Bricktown, a former warehouse district turned entertainment mecca featuring restaurants, nightlife, shopping, hotels and Bricktown Riverwalk. A popular excursion is floating along the Bricktown Canal in water taxis, which can be chartered for private groups.

NASCAR Hall of Fame
Charlotte, North Carolina

A venue for meetings and events that is sure to get hearts and minds racing is Charlotte’s NASCAR Hall of Fame. Opened in May 2010, this homage to stock-car racing champions has interactive, cutting-edge exhibits available for guided group tours, events and meetings of up to 2,500 in size. The entire 150,000-sq.-ft. facility can be rented, as well as individual spaces such as the Great Hall, Legends Room, Belk High Octane Theater or the 32,000-sq.-ft. outdoor Ceremonial Plaza.

The hall of fame is just one component of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Complex, located uptown (don’t be confused—downtown is locally known as uptown or Center City). The complex is connected to the Charlotte Convention Center. The 850,000-sq.-ft. convention center features the 40,000-sq.-ft. Crown Ballroom, part of a recent 102,000-sq.-ft. expansion. Nearby hotels include Hilton Garden Inn and the Westin, and a variety of upscale restaurants are in the vicinity. A few blocks away is Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the NBA’s Bobcats.

Hilton Columbia Center
Columbia, South Carolina

The capital of South Carolina bills itself as “Famously Hot,” and meeting planners should take note—Columbia’s temperate climate makes it a great meeting destination year-round. A block away from the South Carolina State House in its thriving city center is the Hilton Columbia Center, which consistently ranks as one of the top Hilton properties worldwide. The hotel has 5,956 square feet of flexible function space, including a ballroom that can be broken into multiple rooms, two meeting rooms and two boardrooms. It is across the street from the 142,500-sq.-ft. Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

The Hilton is situated on the edge of the lively Congaree Vista district, a historic section of downtown that was once the city’s industrial and rail center. Revitalized in the last 15 years, the area now contains some of the city’s finest dining, nightlife, shopping and galleries. Also in close proximity are the University of South Carolina, South Carolina State Museum and the Riverfront Park and Columbia Canal.