Association Leadership - September/October 2007 - (Page 47)

in focus: Mississippi Gulf Coast Mississippi Gulf Coast: Open for Business The Mississippi Gulf Coast region has made significant progress in rebuilding its tourist interface since Hurricane Katrina and today several meeting facilities are back in operation, with more coming online within the next two years. Hotel room inventory on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is up to 11,000 with several hundred additional rooms opening within the next couple of months. Although some properties may have a new look, the hospitality that you’ve come to expect on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is as strong as ever. Not yet two years after the storm, the Mississippi Gulf Coast now has the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Emeril’s Fish House and Ruth’s Chris Steak House as offerings to its thousands of daily visitors. The expansion of Treasure Bay Casino supplements these new additions to the Coast with all four openings having occurred within days of one another. The Hard Rock will have its own niche in the Mississippi market. The rock ’n’ roll memorabilia, lounges and laid back atmosphere of the new property, as well as its headline entertainment, are targeted to a younger demographic. Adding a new market segment to the Coast’s successful base will inevitably strengthen the destination’s overall appeal. The Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which started in New Orleans, is also its first location in Mississippi and is part of the Hard Rock Casino Hotel’s dining choices. The elegant service and outstanding steaks are famous throughout the United States. Emeril Lagasse, the nationally recognized New Orleans chef and television personality, opened his first Mississippi restaurant at the Island View Casino Hotel in Gulfport. Emeril, whose wife, Alden, was tennis partner to Lynn Meadows, made the opening of the restaurant a fundraiser for the Lynn Meadows Discover Center, Mississippi’s top rated children’s museum, also in Gulfport. New developments along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that have been announced include the $180 million expansion at the Isle of Capri Casino Resort that will include 45,000 square feet of meeting convention space and the $704 million new project of Harrah’s Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi to include 66,000 square feet of meeting space. The Margaritaville project is expected to be completed by early 2010. The Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center is just months away from breaking ground on a 200,000 sq. ft. expansion and renovation of the existing convention center. The existing convention center will re-open in January 2008. The anticipated opening date for completion of the expansion is slated for the first quarter of 2009. Planners can take advantage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB’s outstanding service and “one-stop shopping” approach to planning, promoting and managing meetings in the area. Acting as a liaison between meeting planners and marketing partners, the CVB’s full range of services includes assisting with site and accommodation selection, event promotion, special event and theme party planning, as well as on-site registration services. The Mississippi Gulf Coast offers an exciting array of attractions, including 26 miles of white beaches, fun-filled resort casinos, championship golf courses, award-winning restaurants, and challenging deep-sea fishing, sure to entertain visitors and promote elevated event attendance records. ◆ Information courtesy Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB. Contact us at (888) 4674853 or visit www.gulfcoast.org. This is a special advertising section. For more information please contact Naylor at (800) 369-6220. September/October 2007 | Association LEADERSHIP 47 http://www.gulfcoast.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - September/October 2007

Contents Chairman's Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions An Interview with TSAE’s New Chairman TSAE’s Newest Board Members 7 Measures of Success Association Case Study: Diversity on the Board Assessing Your Association: Texas Nursery and Landscape Association TSAE's Annual Golf Tournament Between the Covers Now Online at TSAE.org – Association Leadership Magazine Getting Found Through Web Searches “I Survived a Year on a Committee!” New Members Community Spotlight San Antonio Mississippi Gulf Coast Index to Advertisers Board of Directors

Association Leadership - September/October 2007

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