Meeting News - September 8, 2008 - (Page 64)

CVB Showcase Alabama Tourism Department Courtesy of the Alabama Tourism Department So much to do and see in sweet home Alabama BIRMINGHAM JEFFERSON CONVENTION COMPLEX Total Exhibit Space: 220,000 sf Largest Ballroom: 15,000 sf Meeting Rooms: 74 Largest Banquet: 6,900 Parking Spaces: Onsite covered and valet parking Glorious Gulf Coast beaches, magnificent mountains, fantastic festivals, and celebrated cuisine make Alabama a diverse destination, limited only by a meeting planner’s imagination. From the mountains to the coast, event venues are plentiful. Bolstered by a wealth of development, each Alabama locale offers its own personality—from the most sophisticated metropolitan city to the quaintest small town— enticing convention-goers to the state. Noteworthy settings include Montgomery’s Alabama Shakespeare Festival (the world’s sixth largest theater of its kind) and Birmingham’s Museum of Art (the Southeast’s largest municipal museum). Climbing aboard the USS Alabama battleship in Mobile or walking along the new Civil War Trail, visitors can experience the state’s rich history. The Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel’s conventions and meetings staff is ready to help stage first-rate events for any size group. MEETING FACILITIES An easy four miles from the Birmingham International Airport, the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex showcases 220,000 square feet of exhibition space and 74 meeting rooms, totaling more than 100,000 square feet of flex- ible space. It features a 19,000seat arena, a 1,000-seat theater, a 3,000-seat concert hall, 770 guest rooms including 54 suites, two ballrooms seating up to 2,000 guests, and ample covered parking. And if high-tech is in order, the complex’s Medical Forum is a one-of-a-kind conference facility equipped with state-of-the-art communications technology. Adjacent to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center is the Sheraton Birmingham—the state’s largest convention hotel —offering 25,000 square feet of space. Nearby in suburban Hoover is the Wynfrey Hotel, which has 32,000 square feet of meeting space. Or consider Montgomery, which houses the state’s newest convention center. The Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa contains more than 70,000 square feet of meeting space, a 14,000-square-foot ballroom, and six levels of parking. Overlooking Big Spring International Park is Huntsville’s Von Braun Center, providing more than 100,000 square feet of continuous space and 82,000 feet of columnfree exhibit space. It has a 500-space covered parking garage, and a 20,000-plussquare-foot lobby and prefunction area. Additional halls provide more than 50,000 square feet of extra flexible exhibit, meeting, and banquet space. ACCOMMODATIONS The 770-room Sheraton Birmingham draws plenty of business groups. The 329-room Wynfrey Hotel is also close by, and The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa is ranked among the top 500 hotels in the world. Montgomery offers 7,000 hotel rooms, including the Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Center. For Huntsville visitors, Embassy Suites has 295 guest rooms and suites next to the Von Braun Center. DINING Delegates can savor freshly cooked vegetables from Alabama’s bounty or expand their palate with the state’s rich global food heritage. Alabama is all about flavor, and its dining choices range from no-frills to fancy. In fact, this area is so taken with its cuisine, it has developed the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die guide. The contenders offer something for everyone—from buttermilk fried chicken with lemon basil sauce from Birmingham’s Cafe Dupont and deviled eggs from Huntsville’s Mullins Drive-In Restaurant to blackened elk with blackberry port sauce from Montgomery’s Vintage Year. ATTRACTIONS Golf is a favorite among meeting-goers, and Alabama delivers. Championship caliber courses of the Alabama Gulf Coast recently ranked third in Golf Digest’s Overall Value for the Money list. For history buffs, the state doesn’t disappoint. Home of the U.S. Civil Rights movement, visitors can walk in the footsteps of African–American heroes who challenged and defeated segregation laws. Theater-seekers will enjoy Montgomery’s Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the sixth largest Shakespeare theater in the world, hosting classical and contemporary theatrical productions year-round. And music, dance, and live theater are encompassed at the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center in Birmingham. GETTING THERE Alabama is easily accessed by Birmingham International, Huntsville International, Mobile Regional, and Montgomery Regional airports. CONTACT Rosemary Judkins Senior Sales Manager Alabama Tourism Department (800) ALA-BAMA; (334) 242-4169 Fax: (334) 353-4349 E-mail: rosemary.judkins@ tourism.alabama.gov www.Alabama.Travel 64 September 8, 2008 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION http://www.Alabama.Travel

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Meeting News - September 8, 2008

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