Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 73

The Kelly Birmingham,
Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Four Spirits Sculpture
SITE INSPECTION: BIRMINGHAM * * *
Brimming
with
Southern
Hospitality
Birmingham spins magic
into meetings
BY SKYLAR SJÖBERG
B
irmingham stands a proud reminder
that meeting can bring communities to
transcend precedent, change lives and
alter the trajectory of history. This critical city
has been tested, broken and rebuilt through the
annals of colonial religious conflicts and political
protests from its beginning through the Civil
Rights Movement. The pursuit of freedom never
sleeps among the best of Birmingham. Still
bustling-now, brighter than ever-Birmingham
is a cultural hub brimming with creativity,
unrivaled Southern-style cooking, and some of
the sweetest hospitality.
Travel and meetings are returning to The
Magic City, and this electric locale has more to
see than one possibly can. As new restaurants
and hotels continue to move into the area, the
city boasts a glittering nightlife and charms
visitors strolling its bright sidewalks.
Getting There
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
(BHM) is the most frequented airport in Alabama
and just a seven-minute ride from downtown
Birmingham. With a surplus of nonstop flights, and
taxis available for arriving visitors on a 24-7 basis,
getting to location B is a warm Alabaman breeze.
Meet and Sleep
The 96-room new face on the block, The Kelly
Birmingham, Tapestry Collection by Hilton,
was once a commerce center built in the 1920s,
and its marble floors and ornately sculpted
ceilings still echo the Art Deco of the building's
dawn, even after its recent remodel. Inside, the
property has its own bar and restaurant serving
Mediterranean cuisine and cocktails. Reopened
as a luxury downtown hotel in December of last
year, The Kelly is just a couple-of-blocks walk
from The Harbert Center, downtown Birmingham's
beloved, premiere event venue since
1986. With 9,000 total sq. ft. of meeting space,
the Harbert Center has several rooms for hosting,
including a windowed, softly decorated room
lined with dark wood wall paneling and its wide
Beeson Hall with projector lights and tall ceilings.
Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex
(BJCC) in the beating heart of downtown
is a focal feature of the city. The massive
structure has more than 107,000 sq. ft. of event
space, including a 222,000-square-foot exhibition
space, two ballrooms that fit up to 2,000
attendees and its 18,000-seat Legacy Arena,
which reopened in December after major
renovations. And one of its most
magical features? BJCC is physically
connected by a skybridge
to both The Westin Birmingham
and Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.
In addition to its 294 guest
rooms, The Westin Birmingham
is a grand event venue with
over 58,000 sq. ft. of warmly lit
meeting space. At 385,000 total
sq. ft., Birmingham's Sheraton boasts the most
meeting space of any hotel in the city. Bright,
high-ceilinged breakout rooms, ballrooms, event
rooms and a designated business center draw
big groups-and its 757 guest rooms make it
easy to accommodate everyone.
Eat- At the " Dinner Table
of the South "
Birmingham's food scene has earned its nickname
and its laurels. Highlands Bar & Grill is a local
favorite, winning two James Beard Foundation
awards in 2018, one of which named the eatery
" USA's Best restaurant. " Run by a husband-andwife
duo, Highlands fuses French and Southern
cooking for fleeting seasonal menus. The Pizitz
Food Hall offers an eclectic mix of Southern eats.
Ghost Train Brewing Co. is the first and only lager
brewery in Birmingham (and even has a new event
space). And if you're up for it, get an aerial view of
the city's botanical gardens from the Habitat Feed
& Social Lounge's rooftop bar and restaurant.
Do
The spring and summertime's temperate weather
makes Birmingham a hot spot for outdoor activities
and entertainment. Just outside Birmingham
proper, Aldridge Gardens is a quiet, 30-acre
green space featuring a six-acre lake and walking
trail. While Birmingham Botanical Gardens is right
downtown, the metropolitan oasis doesn't offer
quite as much outdoor space for meeting and relaxing
as does Aldridge. On a too-hot-for-comfort
afternoon, visit Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
(BCRI) for multimedia learning among archives
and exhibits that help paint a more tangible
picture of the fight for human rights and Birmingham's
place in it. For another historical walk back,
the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum has the
largest collection of motorcycles in the world. Or,
pick up the pace-the race doesn't get bigger or
faster than at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
1,600+ motorcycles
in Barber Museum's
collection
1903
Mary Anderson
invented the first
windshield wiper
11,712
Sq. ft. of
green space
per capita

Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue

October Cover
Table of Contents 1
Table of Contents 2
Online Exclusives
Bright Perspective
Founder/CEO's Letter
Dash of Smart
Dash of Smart
Essential List
Smart Buzz
Smart Recap
New & Renovated
Essential F&B
Smart Moves
Smart Chat
Meetings MBA
Work Smart
Healthy World
Smart Tech
Smart Style
Feature: Airline Outrage
Feature: Incentive Hyperdrive
Feature: Oh the Destinations You Will Go
Destination: Tennessee
Destination: New England
Destination: California's Central Coast
Site Inspection: Louisville, Kentucky
Site Inspection: Birmingham, Alabama
Site Inspection: Reno, Nevada
Smart Space
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - October Cover
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Cover2
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 1
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 2
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 3
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Table of Contents 1
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 5
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Table of Contents 2
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 7
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Online Exclusives
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 9
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Founder/CEO's Letter
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 11
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Dash of Smart
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 13
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Dash of Smart
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 15
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Essential List
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 17
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Buzz
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 19
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Recap
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 21
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - New & Renovated
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 23
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Essential F&B
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 25
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Moves
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 27
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Chat
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 29
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Meetings MBA
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 31
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Work Smart
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 33
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Healthy World
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 35
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Tech
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 37
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Style
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 39
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Feature: Airline Outrage
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 41
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 42
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 43
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Feature: Incentive Hyperdrive
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 45
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 46
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 47
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 48
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 49
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Feature: Oh the Destinations You Will Go
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 51
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 52
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 53
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 54
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 55
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 56
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 57
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Destination: Tennessee
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 59
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 60
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 61
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 62
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Destination: New England
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 64
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 65
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 66
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 67
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Destination: California's Central Coast
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 69
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 70
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 71
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Site Inspection: Louisville, Kentucky
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Site Inspection: Birmingham, Alabama
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Site Inspection: Reno, Nevada
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - Smart Space
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