The gentle sound of waves lapping at the shore, crisp, clean air and stunning sunsets: It’s no wonder lakeside resorts are popular destinations for meetings.
From the dramatic beauty of the Great Lakes to intimate wooded settings, lake resorts in the Midwest offer the ultimate mix of business and pleasure. Set against a relaxing, natural background, attendees often network better and absorb more information from the conference, and many resort areas in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri provide fun during all four seasons.
Wisconsin
Located in southeastern Wisconsin, Lake Geneva has all the ingredients for the resort meeting of your dreams: golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer; top conference facilities; historic sites; and unique group options, such as enjoying some team building with a guided fishing expedition then indulging in a cocktail reception with Lake Geneva Cruise Line.
The area offers a nice blend of recreational activities, with sailing, kayaking, canoeing, waterskiing, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and even downhill skiing, but its selection of nearly two dozen golf courses often seals the deal for groups.
“We pride ourselves on business meetings,” says George Hennerley, executive director of the Lake Geneva Area CVB, “and Lake Geneva is the place to mix business with pleasure. It’s not unusual for a meeting to get out at 2 p.m. so people can go out and play golf.”
Aside from outdoor recreation, visitors can also travel inland and enjoy a variety of other attractions in the area, including a ride through Kettle Moraine State Forest aboard a vintage electric trolley car; a weekend tour through Yerkes Observatory, which boasts the largest refracting telescope in the world; or a fruitful visit to the Apple Barn Orchard and Winery.
Area resorts take full advantage of the region’s natural offerings, with beautiful settings, golf courses and other activities, in addition to amenities such as spas.
Options include the Grand Geneva Resort, which recently unveiled an expanded ballroom; Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark; The Abbey Resort, Marina, Conference Center and Spa; Lake Lawn Resort, which is the midst of a $390 million renovation and expansion that will add 1,000 guest units, 150,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa, a marina, and a water park; and the Cove of Lake Geneva, which recently debuted a new multilevel ballroom.
Meanwhile, the Lodge at Geneva Ridge (formerly Interlaken Resort) is planning to open this May following a major renovation and expansion. The property will feature more than 60,000 square feet of function space accommodating groups of up to 1,500 people.
Northeast of Lake Geneva at the shores of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan County, planners can opt for properties such as Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center.
Farther northwest on Elkhart Lake, the historic Osthoff Resort offers an elegant setting and a high-tech conference center, and farther west, Heidel House Resort, home to a new spa, sits on 20 lovely acres on the shores of Green Lake.
Set on a peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, Door County has more than 300 miles of scenic shoreline and many lakeside resorts. Named one of the top 10 vacation destinations in North America by Money magazine, nearly every inch of the area is picture-perfect.
The area’s tagline for meetings is “Where business meets nature,” and Door County backs it up with unique attractions and activities for groups.
“The atmosphere here is relaxed but invigorating,” says Jon Jarosh, marketing director for the Door County Visitor and Convention Bureau. “Natural beauty is ranked as one of the top 10 reasons people come here, and it definitely inspires meeting attendees.”
In addition to natural charms, visitors can hit the links at their choice of 11 golf courses, take a lighthouse tour, visit a winery, shop in the quaint towns, or enjoy the area’s rich performing arts culture with outdoor Shakespeare or musical theater under the stars.
Fishing charter trips, horseback riding, hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing are also popular, but the one activity nearly every group has to experience is the Door County Fish Boil, a traditional recipe that mixes baby red potatoes, onions and fresh whitefish steaks in a huge kettle planted over an outdoor fire. The crowd-pleasing event is nearly dinner theater in itself, with each ingredient added dramatically, and the final flames thrusting over the kettle top as the water boils.
There are a variety of meetings-ready properties in the area, including Stone Harbor Resort and Conference Center, the largest conference center on the historic Sturgeon Bay waterfront; Bridgeport Waterfront Resort; Eagle Harbor Inn; Wagon Trail Resort, Restaurant and Conference Center; Westwood Shores Waterfront Resort; and Country House Resort.
Michigan
In northern Michigan, several destinations along Lake Michigan and Lake Huron beckon meeting attendees.
With just over 180 miles of shoreline in the Traverse City area, visitors can always find a quiet spot on the beach, as well as fun-in-the-sun activities such as sailing, scuba diving and kayaking, according to Mike Norton, media relations director for the Traverse City CVB.
“The lake is a focal point all year long,” Norton says.
In autumn, scenic vistas and fall colors capture the imagination, and even in winter, when beach bunnies head indoors, active visitors enjoy snowmobiling, snowboarding, and downhill and cross-county skiing.
Even with so many other outdoor activities, one sport rules in the land known as “Michigan’s Golf Coast.” Boasting more than a dozen courses, including layouts designed by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and other golf greats, the region was picked by Golf magazine as one of the top six golf destinations in the nation.
In addition to golf, the area is growing a reputation for its wineries, and many offer guided tours. Add that to shopping, dining and the Interlochen Center for the Arts, which hosts concerts, art exhibits, and theater and dance productions, and attendees can enjoy the best of both worlds with outdoor fun and indoor entertainment.
“You don’t have to choose here,” Norton says. “We have natural beauty plus all the amenities of an urban scene, so you really have it all.”
Area resorts that are well equipped for meetings include Grand Traverse Resort and Spa; Grand Beach Resort; Sugar Beach Resort; and Bayshore Resort.
Outdoor fun, natural beauty and conference facilities also await groups west of Traverse City at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, and to the north is Little Traverse Bay, home to Bay Harbor Resort and the Inn at Bay Harbor.
Farther northeast just below the Upper Peninsula region, Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island offer an interesting mix of history and recreational activities.
The area features unique attractions such as the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, showcasing the recovered bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald; Fort Mackinac, complete with 1880s-era cannon demonstrations; and 18 lighthouses within a 20-mile area. Combined with fishing, hiking, golfing, shopping, and ferry rides, this coastal destination has much to offer meeting planners, yet still retains a cozy, friendly atmosphere.
“Our biggest attraction is the feeling that you can really relax and unwind,” says Marilyn McFarland, executive director of the Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau. “The city is very walkable, and people feel safe and comfortable here.”
The area also plans a winter festival each year for the off-season and invites meeting participants to have some offbeat fun with chili cook-offs and team-building options such as snow sculpture competitions or snowmobile excursions.
Catch the ferry to Mackinac Island, and the warm, hospitable ambience prevails, according to Mary McGuire Slevin, executive director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau.
“Coming to the island is a wonderful opportunity for groups to network and connect, because everyone walks downtown or shares a horse-drawn carriage,” she says.
Vehicles have been banned on the island since 1895, so attendees spend more time together strolling, biking or taking a horse-drawn taxi. The chance to slow down and get to know each other creates a better meeting, Slevin says, and people enjoy the escape from everyday pressures.
Mackinac Island caters to groups with the Grand Hotel, which originally opened in 1887, and Mission Point Resort, and Mackinaw City features Brigadoon Bed and Breakfast, Hamilton Inn, Clearwater Lakeshore Resort, and North Pointe Inn, which will finish a major expansion this summer that includes a 23,000-square-foot indoor water park, a spa and a 1,200-square-foot conference room.
Missouri
Surrounded by the Ozark Mountains and three pristine lakes, Branson may represent the ultimate mix of showbiz glitz and natural beauty. The town boasts more theater seats than Broadway, and draws an estimated 7.8 million visitors each year. With a combination of country, pop and golden oldies music, plus museums, attractions and enough outlet malls to melt a pocketful of credit cards, Branson is developing its own identity, one that is family-friendly and increasingly attractive for groups.
The town’s status as a meetings destination will jump this summer as the long-awaited Branson Convention Center goes on-line in August with 220,000 square feet of function space. Adjacent to the convention center will be the 293-room Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing, also opening in August. Both properties, along with the new Branson Landing retail and entertainment complex, are along the shores of Lake Taneycomo, and are a mere stone’s throw from the town’s historic downtown district. Branson Landing features the only Bass Pro Shop with a marina for test-driving boats on display, along with shops, restaurants and an impressive fountain show.
“With the convention center and hotel opening, we were expecting to move up to the next tier of drive-in business in the Midwest,” says Vienna Bowling, director of meeting and convention sales for the Branson/Lakes Area COC and CVB, “but we’re actually getting interest outside the Midwest, from small national associations and corporations.”
The tri-lakes area is made up of Lake Taneycomo, Bull Shoals Lake and Table Rock Lake, and fishing, boating, kayaking, and hiking are popular outdoor activities, even in winter. A number of shows also stay open year-round, according to Bowling, along with golf courses, shops and attractions.
Area resorts well suited to groups include two properties located at Table Rock Lake: Big Cedar Lodge and Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Convention Center, which recently unveiled a $6 million, 14,000-square-foot spa.
North of Branson, between St. Louis and Kansas City, is the picturesque region around Lake of the Ozarks. More than 200 lodging properties are nestled within the forests and communities of the area.
“We offer anything that a meeting can want,” says Rebecca Green, public relations manager for the Tri-County Lodging Association, which represents all the properties in the Lake of the Ozarks region. “Plus, the lake is such a beautiful setting.”
Golf courses, bike trails, horseback riding, fishing, and public beaches complement the packed amenities of the destination’s resort properties.
Of the dozens of properties available in the Lake of the Ozarks area, five are an especially good fit for groups: Tan-Tar-A Resort, complete with golf, a marina and an indoor waterpark; The Lodge of the Four Seasons Golf Resort and Spa; Resort at Port Arrowhead; Country Club Hotel and Spa; and the Inn at Grand Glaize.
Minnesota
Known as the area of links, lakes and loons, the Brainerd Lakes region, located in central Minnesota, has 465 lakes in a 45-mile radius, all in the geographic heart of Minnesota.
The area was rated one of the top 50 golf destinations in the world by Golf Digest magazine, with its lakes integrated into the courses, providing beautiful settings as well as challenging layouts.
Birdies of a different feather are also renowned here; the forests and lakes create a top destination for birdwatchers.
Meeting planners can take advantage of unique off-site activities like paddlewheel or pontoon wine cruises down the Mississippi River, followed by bonfire cookouts on the beach. Fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and dogsled riding are also popular with groups.
“You’re definitely not going to be in a hotel overlooking concrete,” says Kathy Schroeder, tourism director of the Brainerd Lakes Area COC. “This is a unique experience, and since everyone is in one location at lakeside properties, they’re socializing and networking more.”
Area resorts that cater to groups include Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake; Madden’s on Gull Lake; Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, which is undergoing a multiphase expansion that will include new condos, deluxe cabins and a conference center; Breezy Point Resort, which is undergoing a renovation and expansion; and the Lodge at Brainerd Lakes.
The entire central and northern part of the state is a nature lover’s dream come true, with thousands of other lakes and numerous waterfront communities offering group-friendly properties. Among the options are Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge at Lake Bemidji; Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in the Alexandria Lakes area; Thumper Pond Resort in Ottertail; and Grand Ely Lodge Resort and Conference Center in Ely.
For More Info
MICHIGAN
Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau 906.847.3783
www.mackinacisland.org
Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau 231.436.5664
www.mackinawcity.com
Traverse City CVB 231.947.1120
www.visittraversecity.com
MINNESOTA
Alexandria Lakes Area COC 302.763.3161
www.alexandriamn.org
Brainerd Lakes Area COC 218.829.2838
www.explorebrainerdlakes.com
Visit Bemidji 218.759.0164
www.visitbemidji.com
MISSOURI
Branson/Lakes Area COC and CVB 417.334.4136
www.explorebranson.com
Lake of the Ozarks CVB 573.348.1599
www.funlakemeetings.com
WISCONSIN
Door County Visitor and Convention Bureau 920.743.4456
www.doorcounty.com
Lake Geneva Area CVB 262.248.4416
www.lakegenevawi.com
Sheboygan County CVB 920.457.9495
www.sheyboygan.com
