From the shiny new casino resorts popping up on the glittering beaches of the Gulf Coast to the blues heritage of Clarksdale and the graceful antebellum homes of Columbus and Natchez, the traditional Southern charm and fresh developments in Mississippi are hard for groups to resist.
Gulf Coast
Two years after Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast continues to rebound. Aided by state legislation allowing casinos to move slightly inland, the coastal area is experiencing a wealth of new casino and resort development, and plans are on track to make the area a top-tier destination by 2010, according to Stephen Richer, executive director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB.
“We see tremendous success coming this way,” Richer says. “There’s so much new investment, including the recent announcement of Harrah’s Margaritaville Casino and Resort.”
The resort, an extension of the Margaritaville brand by Harrah’s Entertainment and singer/entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett, will be built at the former Biloxi location of Grand Casino and Casino Magic. The $700 million facility, slated for completion in early 2010, will include 798 guest rooms, a spa, meeting space, retail space, and a casino.
Other upcoming projects include the Bacaran Bay Casino Resort, scheduled to open in fall 2008 with 638 guest suites, 432 condo units, a bowling alley, six movie theaters, and an Arnold Palmer signature 18-hole golf course, as well as the proposed Royal D’Iberville Casino and Hotel, with 400 guest rooms, an open-air market, condo units, and a 60,000-square-foot casino.
Additional proposed projects include a 40-acre development by the Diamondhead Casino Corporation and a development in D’Iberville with guest rooms, meeting space and gaming facilities.
Expansion and renovation projects are also under way at IP Casino Resort Spa and Island View Casino, and the Isle of Capri Casino Biloxi is adding 35,000 square feet of meeting and convention space as part of a new land-based casino.
The Gulf Coast’s room inventory, which was 18,000 before Katrina, is steadily recovering, increasing from 6,800 units in 2006 to 11,000 units today, and the destination continues to open additional guest rooms (see Property Progress sidebar).
Two new properties, the 135-room Hilton Garden Inn and the 108-room Residence Inn by Marriott, have started construction near the Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport, and the Gulfport Beachfront Hotel is undergoing renovations and will be reflagged as a Courtyard by Marriott, with 154 guest units and 6,000 square feet of meeting space.
Plans are also under way for an expansion of the 180,000-square-foot Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. The 250,000-square-foot addition is slated to open in 2009, according to Richer. The convention center reopened earlier this year after storm damage was repaired.
“We’ve come a long way in two years,” Richer says. “We’re moving fast, more than anyone would expect.”
Rebuilding the Gulf Coast involves more than business, however, and one off-site activity for meetings has nothing to do with receptions or banquets. Many meeting planners have scheduled down time for attendees to volunteer their time and skills rebuilding and repairing homes, helping with clean-up duties or just providing comfort and assistance.
“They can volunteer for a half-day, a full day—whatever amount of time they wish. We appreciate volunteers and still need more,” Richer says, adding that many meetings allow people to split their free time between attractions and community service.
Planners interested in offering this option to their attendees can visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB website, www.gulfcoast.org, and click on the “Volunteer” link for more information.
Jackson/River Region
The business-friendly legislation that has jump-started recovery in the Gulf Coast has also proved beneficial for the capital city. Jackson is seeing a burst of development, according to Mara Hartmann, manager of communications and public relations for the Jackson CVB.
“The Go Zone legislations [federal tax incentives and other benefits for locating in Gulf Coast states] really lit a fire under developers,” she says. “We’re seeing more development, and it’s moving at a quicker pace.”
Downtown Jackson has more than $1 billion in revitalization projects under way, including construction of the new Capital City Convention Center, which will seamlessly integrate with the Mississippi Telecom Center to form the Jackson Convention Complex. The convention center will have 246,000 square feet of space, including 90,000 square feet of multipurpose exhibit space, in addition to the 74,000-square-foot Telcom Center, which offers 21,000 square feet of meeting space.
“We’re working on a meeting destination district, with museums, attractions, restaurants, and an outdoor garden with fountains all within walking distance,” Hartmann says.
The downtown area is also seeing more arts venues, including the new International Museum of Muslim Cultures, plus the Mississippi Museum of Art, which opened in its new 54,000-square-foot location in May. With the historic Alamo Theater and the Davis Planetarium also within a short walk, meeting planners have a wide range of unique off-site venues to choose from, and free time can be pleasantly whiled away on historic Farish Street, which continues to bloom with restaurants, shops, blues clubs, and attractions.
Two historic structures also have a bright future. The Old Capital Museum closed after Katrina damaged the building, but now a full restoration is under way. The building will open in 2009 as a statehouse and will be available for tours. The King Edward Hotel, a Jackson landmark, is slated to reopen in 2009 following renovations. The hotel will feature 150 guest rooms, plus condo units, restaurants and other amenities.
Major group venues in Jackson include the Mississippi Telecom Center, and meeting facilities are available at hotels such as the Hilton Jackson, the Jackson Marriott Downtown and the Edison Walthall Hotel.
Just a short distance from the capital city are the charming river towns of Natchez and Vicksburg, featuring paddleboats, beautiful antebellum homes, historic architecture, cemeteries, and museums, and even the thrill of late-night ghost tours, which hit up all the old haunts.
The area isn’t just about history, though; new projects are in the works.
“Natchez is on the cusp of some truly exciting things,” says Sally Durkin, media liaison for the Natchez CVB.
The 119-room Country Inn & Suites Natchez is currently under construction across from the Natchez Convention Center and will serve as the center’s host hotel when it opens in spring 2008. Also debuting next year will be an 86-room Hampton Inn as well as a Best Western property.
Other new projects include the rebuilding of the former Ramada Inn Hilltop by Emerald Star Casino–Natchez into a hotel and casino development, and a proposed casino development along the Mississippi River near downtown.
Group facilities in Natchez include the Natchez Convention Center, with more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as meetings-friendly properties such as the Natchez Eola Hotel and the Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel.
In Vicksburg, the Vicksburg Convention Center is the main group facility, with more than 50,000 square feet of function space, while the Battlefield Inn, the Hampton Inn & Suites Vicksburg, and Diamond Jacks Casino and Hotel Vicksburg accommodate meetings.
Delta
A deep, vibrant history flavors the Mississippi Delta, a land rich in music, literature and life on the river. The legends of bluesman Robert Johnson and playwright Tennessee Williams began in Clarksdale, while a different kind of hero, Kermit the Frog, took shape in Greenville.
The meetings market continues to grow in Tunica, according to Anne Coggins, sales manager for meetings and conventions at the Tunica CVB.
“Our corporate market jumped 11 percent over last year,” Coggins says, adding that the area relies mainly on the corporate and association markets, and appeals to planners looking for better value. “You get a lot in one package with the casinos, which provide entertainment without extra charges.”
If attendees do venture out of the casino resorts, they often enjoy the RiverPark Museum, which documents the Mississippi River in all its glory. Docked by the museum is the Tunica Queen, a riverboat that can handle up to 300 attendees for a reception.
Nearby in Clarksville, the Delta Blues Museum offers an inside look at an original American art form, and visitors can hear history in action at the Ground Zero Blues Club.
Delegates can work up an appetite in Greenville, touring the Highway 61 Blues Museum or the birthplace of Kermit the Frog in nearby Leland, then sit down to dinner at Doe’s Eat Place, a local institution featured on the Food Network.
New projects are also under way in the Greenville area, according to Carmen Walsh, executive director for the Greenville/Washington County CVB.
“We have two casinos currently, and Harlow’s Casino Resort will open this fall,” she says.
Area facilities include the Washington County Convention Center Complex, with a 25,000-square-foot exhibit hall and 4,200 square feet of meeting space, and the Best Western Regency Inn and Conference Center.
In Clarksdale, groups can meet at Coahoma County Expo Center and Arena, and the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium, accommodating up to 1,500 attendees.
The Tunica Arena and Expo Center has 48,000 square feet of exhibit space, and several casino properties in the destination cater to meetings, including the newly renovated Gold Strike Casino Resort, Grand Casino Tunica, Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, and Resorts Tunica Casino and Hotel.
The Hills
The Hills region is truly a place of pilgrimage sites, from the Shiloh National Military Park and other Civil War sites near Corinth, to William Faulkner’s home in Oxford. The largest crowds, however, come from across the globe to visit Elvis Presley Birthplace Park in Tupelo. No matter what kind of history delegates favor, there’s a warm welcome waiting.
“Our talent is our hospitality,” says Linda Elliff, director of sales for the Tupelo CVB. “We hear constant feedback from visitors about how friendly our town is and how wonderful the people are.”
With 1,800 guest rooms and unique off-site venues like the Tupelo Automobile Museum and Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo (recently made famous by resident Oliver the Monkey, who escaped after picking the lock on his cage), the town is a amily-friendly group destination, and it hosts several youth-oriented events with 3,000 or more attendees.
Adding to the destination’s room inventory will be an 80-room Comfort Inn and Suites, scheduled to open in late 2008.
The town of Oxford is home to several literary and historic attractions, including Rowan Oak, where William Faulkner wrote several master works; the extensive Blues Archive at the University of Mississippi; and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, also on the college campus.
“Oxford has small-town charm but all the amenities you need,” says Hugh A. Stump, executive director of the Oxford CVB.
Attendees can enjoy double-decker bus tours, walking history tours and shopping on the town’s historic square.
New developments include the 80-room Ava Boutique Hotel and Spa, opening in fall 2009, and a renovation and expansion of the Inn at Ole Miss, slated for completion by January 2009.
Tupelo meetings options include the BancorpSouth Conference Center, with 5,600 square feet of space; the Ramada Inn Conference Center; and the Summit Hotel and Summit Center.
Also available for meetings are the Corinth Crossroads Arena and the Oxford Conference Center.
The Pines
From riverboats to race cars, a blend of classic and modern fun makes the eastern towns of Meridian, Columbus and Starkville great destinations for groups.
Attendees can enjoy the quiet pleasures with tours of breathtaking historic homes, including the striking Victorian architecture of Meridian’s Merrehope, or learn about Meridian’s own Jimmy Rodgers, a pioneer in country music, at the Jimmy Rodgers Museum. Want the fast lane? Kick it up a notch with water sports on the Tenn-Tom waterway or catch a race at the Columbus or Magnolia speedways.
The new MSW Riley Center has jump-started Meridian’s meetings market, according to Suzy Johnson, executive director of the Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau.
“Prior to this last year, our meetings business was non-existent,” Johnson says. “Thanks to the Riley Center, we’ve had an exceptional year with meetings, especially with the association and education markets.”
Hotel properties are also popping up; the 133-room Hilton Garden Inn Meridian opened this spring, and a new Drury Inn and Suites will open next April.
Roughly 40 miles northwest of Meridian, groups can retreat to the 1,000-room Pearl River Resort, featuring more than 40,000 square feet of meeting space, casino gaming, golf, a spa, and a waterpark.
In Columbus, the 15,000-square-foot Trotter Convention Center is slated to finish an interior upgrade by the end of this year. Another facility, Plymouth Bluff Center, offers 24 guest rooms, an 11,700-square-foot conference center, hiking trails for team building, and an outdoor amphitheater.
Just west of Columbus, the vibrant town of Starkville is home to Mississippi State University, which offers meeting facilities such as the 10,000-seat Humphrey Coliseum and the Hunter Henry Alumni Center.
Starkville boasts more than 700 guest rooms at various meetings-ready properties, and there are more hotels planned for the destination.
For More Info
Coahoma County Tourism Commission (Clarksdale) 662.627.7337
www.clarksdaletourism.com
Columbus CVB 662.329.1191
www.columbus-ms.org
Corinth Area CVB 303.442.2911
www.bouldercoloradousa.com
Greenville/Washington County CVB 662.334.2711
www.visitgreenville.org
Hattiesburg CVB 601.268.3220
www.visithattie.com
Jackson CVB 601.960.1891
www.visitjackson.com
Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau 601.482.8001
www.visitmeridian.com
Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB 228.896.6699
www.gulfcoast.org
Natchez CVB 601.446.6345
www.visitnatchez.com
Oxford CVB 662.232.2367
www.oxfordcvb.com
Starkville CVB 303.442.2911
www.starkville.org
Tunica CVB 662.363.3800
www.tunicamiss.com
Tupelo CVB 662.841.6521
www.tupelo.net
Vicksburg CVB 601.636.9421
www.visitvicksburg.com
Yazoo County CVB 662.746.1815
www.yazoo.org
