Charlotte can set hearts racing, whether or not groups explore the city’s NASCAR roots.
"Motorsports-centric events are starting to catch on," says Bonnie J. Bernat, sales executive for Charlotte Destination Group, a locally based full-service DMC that specializes in motorsports activities. "We’re realizing that groups that might not be initially interested in motorsports are the groups that seem to love it the most."
The Greater Charlotte area serves as the hub for NASCAR racing, and cementing that status is construction of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is expected to open in spring 2010.
Recently, the DMC set up a hospitality suite for a group with NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace signing autographs and posing for pictures.
"People loved it," Bernat says. "Plus, Kenny has this boisterous personality, which made it even more fun for everybody."
Along those same racing lines, or stripes, rather, Charlotte Destination Group has coordinated pit crew team building at local race tracks.
"Groups are loving this. At first, some of them are scratching their heads, saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going to jack up a car like that,’" Bernat says. "But they end up having fun and learning to work together in a whole new way. And not just men are enjoying this; women in the group are having fun with it."
Performance Instruction & Training, or PIT, an outfit based in nearby Mooresville that trains real pit crews, also trains corporate groups at its Pit Crew U.
"The idea is really outside the box, even though the racing saying goes, ‘Think inside the box.’" Bernat points out.
Motorsports crews perform specific roles and responsibilities inside a designated space on the track known as the box or pit box.
A number of different racing experiences can also be coordinated, whether groups want to drive on a special dirt track or maneuver a virtual race car.
For attendees that want other experiences, Charlotte doesn’t disappoint.
Bernat’s company recently put together a coffee tasting and roasting activity at the East Coast Barista and Coffee School. The DMC has also coordinated tastings of North Carolina wines. And it’s not a problem if groups don’t have all day to experience the ins and outs of espresso or hit a winery trail. Groups just need to carve out a couple of hours to sample the city’s tasty beverages. Bernat says that the DMC recently set up an Iron Chef-style fruit smoothie competition for one group.
For visitors who want to combine their meeting with adventure, Bernat recommends the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
"What makes that so perfect is that groups can do so much here, from their meeting to their team building to doing something in their free time," Bernat says. "It’s great for the adventure seekers, plus it’s a great option for folks who bring families."
Groups who are looking for that quintessential Southern hospitality need not look any further than the Levine Museum of the New South.
"This museum probably reflects Southern culture better than anywhere else in Charlotte," Bernat says. "The spaces are amazing. The exhibits are amazing. And its library is first-class, like a presidential library."
