Successful Meetings - November 2008 - (Page 64) alabama Revitalized and scenic, with a place in history U.S.S. Alabama a taste of By Julie Register A Main Course Birmingham www.birminghamal.org G U E S T R O O M S : 14,000 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex: 20,000+ sf of exhibition space, 100,000+ sf of meeting space A C C E S S : Birmingham Int’l Airport, 10 mins. Alabama’s great diversity of scenery, activities, and culture offers planners a smorgasbord of excellent venues. The state is a meetings stronghold, with a hotel room inventory of 65,000. Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s 11 public courses traverse the state, and resorts situated on the trail offer flexible event space with state-of-the-art technologies to accommodate a variety of groups. To top it off, the Alabama Tourism Department’s conventions and meeting staff is ready to help stage first-rate events. CONVENTIONS IN A HISTORIC CITY Alabama’s capital city has revitalized its downtown riverfront district with new attractions, including the spectacular Riverwalk, a multi-use baseball stadium, and a host of unique meeting and entertainment venues. The centerpiece of Montgomery’s riverfront renaissance is its new Montgomery Convention Center, which recently completed a $29 million renovation and expansion that increased the meeting, exhibition, and ballroom space by Thomasville peaches almost half. A 1,800-seat performing arts center was also added. In June, the 2008 Annual Conference of the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets) made its way to Montgomery—the city leaving a positive impression on the 300 U.S. and international attendees. “The city’s charm and citizens won them over in a huge way,” says Lynn Childs, a public information Mobile Bay www.mobilebay.org G U E S T R O O M S : 6,000+ Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center: 317,000 sf, 16 meeting rooms A C C E S S : Mobile Regional Airport, 10 mins. manager for the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. “We received compliments on the beautiful downtown renovations, and Montgomery’s rich history and progress. One attendee even wrote a letter to say how impressed she was with the Southern hospitality she experienced while in Montgomery.” Another mark of hospitality can be found at the four-star, 347-room Marriott Renaissance, adjacent to the convention center. “Our conference participants commented about the hospitality we received,” says Christal Cherry, whose organization, the United Negro College Fund, was the first group to stay at the new property. Other nearby hotels include the 237-room Montgomery Embassy Suites and the 86-room Hampton Inn & Suites. After settling in, delegates can start exploring Montgomery, a city steeped in history from the Civil War to the civil rights era. At Alabama’s state capitol, Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as president of the Confederacy. Nearly a century later, the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march ended with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering a moving speech from its steps. “The city is rich with civil rights history and is a place of great learning for our students,” says Cherry, who brought the 62nd annual National Alumni Council Leadership Conference to the city on behalf of the UNCF. “Tours allowed our students and alumni to see the city and learn more about Rosa Parks and the bus boycott.” Notable sites to see include the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the First White House of the Confederacy, the Rosa Parks Museum and Library, the Hank Williams Museum, the Civil Rights Memorial Center, Old Alabama Town, the Montgomery Zoo, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the world-renowned Alabama Shakespeare Festival. A sound resource for these and other area attractions, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau delighted groups who did business in Montgomery. “They were extremely helpful from the very beginning. The CVB was instrumental in helping us to make local contacts with the mayor’s office and the local media,” says Cherry, who pointed out in-kind services such as street banners and VIP giveaways. “The CVB worked with us for two years leading up to the conference, and even after it was over, to make sure the experience was positive,” adds Childs. Montgomery www.visitingmontgomery.com G U E S T R O O M S : 8,289 Montgomery Convention Center: 103,000 sf, 1,800seat theater A C C E S S : Montgomery Regional Airport, 10 mins. http://www.birminghamal.org http://www.mobilebay.org http://www.visitingmontgomery.com
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