When it comes to down-home culture and entertainment, Mississippi has it all. The state is home to the soul-searching sounds of Delta blues as well as graceful charm, with antebellum homes, sun-soaked beaches and thought-provoking art. The history of Mississippi is strong and rich, providing intriguing off-site venues and enjoyable excursion options, from civil rights historic sites in Jackson to blues and rock heritage in Tupelo, Meridian, Tunica and Clarksdale. Throw in the unique culture and art of the Gulf Coast region, and Mississippi becomes one of the most diverse destinations in the South.
Gulf Coast Region
Casinos, coastal heritage, historic sites and museums make the Gulf Coast region an irresistible lure for groups.
"The destination by itself is an attendance-builder," says Janice Jones, media and public relations manager for the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB. "It’s a great value with wonderful facilities."
One of those facilities is the renovated and expanded Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, which now offers more than 400,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The retooled convention center opened in style this July by hosting the National Governors Conference, and Jones expects the facility to draw in even more top meetings.
"We have a mix of national and regional meetings," she says, noting a healthy increase in the sports market as well.
Most of the other meetings-friendly facilities in the area are casino resorts, including standouts such as Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, IP Casino Resort & Spa and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Several are undergoing renovations and expansions of their own. The IP Casino Resort & Spa, which features more than a thousand guest rooms, has nearly doubled its meeting space to 37,000 square feet, and the Palace Casino Resort is also planning an expansion and complete facility upgrade. New lodging facilities include the 87-unit Comfort Suites Gulfport, and the 200-room Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi will open this December with a small meeting room, restaurant and bar.
For off-site events, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art has a new interpretive center, and the main campus is expected to open by early 2011. Planners can also book the Center for Marine Education Research, an interactive museum with a theater and touch pool.
While off-site receptions are a wonderful part of a conference, the Gulf Coast area also offers another experience for groups: the team-building exercise known as "voluntourism," where attendees can pitch in for a day rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The CVB will help planners make the connection to such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and the United Way. The tourism industry has recovered, but the residential sections continue to rebuild from the disaster.
Capital/River Region
History, music and architecture make this region a standout; as Jackson develops further into a top-notch destination with planned museums and a new entertainment district, Vicksburg and Natchez keep historic charm alive with antebellum homes and plantation tours.
"Jackson is in a renaissance," says Shun Hatten, vice president of sales for the Jackson CVB. "With our new convention center and Farish Street District, downtown Jackson will be the place to meet and have fun."
Progress has whipped up to full speed in the state capital; the new, 330,000-square-foot Capital City Convention Center opened in January with a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 30,000-square-foot banquet hall. The convention center is adjacent to the existing Mississippi TelCom Center and forms part of the Jackson Convention Complex. The historic King Edward Hotel is nearly finished with an $84 million renovation, and will have a soft opening this December as a reflagged, 186-room Hilton Garden Inn. A full opening is planned for January 2010. Additionally, the Edison Walthall Hotel will complete a $12 million renovation by the end of the year, and the new owners may flag it as a Clarion, according to Hatten.
The new development in the Farish Street entertainment district is also nearing completion. Although a date has not been set, Hatten says at least one restaurant could be open by the end of the year, and other businesses are being brought in at a rapid pace.
New, expanded facilities means Jackson is hosting larger meetings with government, association and religious groups, a trend that Hatten expects to continue now that the city can handle meetings with up to 7,000 attendees, although the convention center can accommodate up to 8,000 theater style. With increased attendance, off-site venues have moved into the spotlight as well. The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum has a variety of buildings on the 40-acre complex open to meetings and can accommodate up to 400 for a banquet. The complex also offers farm re-creations, galleries, a 40,000-square-foot heritage center, an old-fashioned Main Street and several gardens. The Russell C. Davis Planetarium can handle groups of up to 200, and the Mississippi Museum of Art remains a popular venue for receptions of up to 600 attendees.
Downtime activities include tours through the Medgar Evans Home and Museum, the Old Capitol Museum and the Eudora Welty Home.
Meeting facilities include the Mississippi Trade Mart and Mississippi Fairgrounds Complex. Hotel facilities include the Jackson Marriott Downtown and the Hilton Jackson.
History and progress share space in Natchez, home to the famed Monmouth Plantation and Natchez Trace Parkway, a driving and outdoor adventure trail traveling all the way to Nashville, Tenn. In addition to the antebellum homes, Natchez also now boasts the Grand Soleil Casino Resort, which opened last year with 3,200 square feet of meeting space and 124 guest rooms. The Country Inn & Suites, host hotel for the Natchez Convention Center, went back to private ownership this summer and is now the 119-room Natchez Grand Hotel, with 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
Other facilities include Natchez Eola Hotel and the Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel.
Perched on a cliff overlooking the Mississippi River, Vicksburg also offers graceful Southern architecture, paddleboat excursions, historic sites and the Attic Gallery, Mississippi’s oldest independent art gallery.
Meeting facilities include the Vicksburg Convention Center, the Battlefield Inn, the Hampton Inn & Suites Vicksburg and Diamond Jacks Casino and Hotel Vicksburg.
Delta Region
The banks of the Mississippi River have spawned many songs and stories. The area has produced hundreds of blues musicians and writers. The Mississippi Blues Trail winds through the Delta with numerous historic markers in Tunica, Greenville and Clarksdale, from Muddy Waters’ home site to Highway 61, made famous in several classic blues tunes.
Museums are plentiful in Greenville, from the Highway 61 Museum noting the history of blues to the new Flood of 1927 Museum, which opened last fall.
"The flood was the Katrina of its time," says Wesley Smith, executive director of the Greenville/Washington County CVB. "It was legendary in size, and most of the Delta was under water."
Indeed, museum artifacts and photos eerily parallel the video footage of Katrina. The museum can hold small events with up to 50 attendees. Another museum, the Greenville Writer’s Exhibit, is located in the Percy Memorial Library. More than 100 published authors made this town their home, including notables such as Shelby Foote and William Alexander Percy, and many original manuscripts are kept in the museum.
In addition to marking history, Greenville also boasts new progress as well. Harlow’s Casino Resort opened last October with 100-plus rooms and several spaces for meetings, from a buffet brunch for 100 to arena seating for 2,500. Additional meeting facilities include Washington County Convention Center Complex and the Best Western Regency Inn and Conference Center.
Nearby in Tunica, the history and science of the Mississippi River is celebrated at Tunica RiverPark, with a museum, interpretive center and cruises along the river. The facility is also a top pick for off-site events, with a lobby that accommodates 200 guests and a meeting room for 125. The Tunica Queen riverboat is also popular with groups. This 400-seat attraction offers groups standard tours or a night out with dinner and entertainment.
Clarksdale has an amazing blues heritage. Sites like the Delta Blues Museum, Ground Zero Blues Club and Clarksdale Station make up Blues Alley, a must-see for attendees who love good food and great music. The area was also home to playwright Tennessee Williams and country star Conway Twitty, both of whom are remembered at sites like the North Delta Museum and Clarksdale’s historic district.
Meeting facilities in Clarksdale include Coahoma County Expo Center and Arena and the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium. Tunica properties include the Tunica Arena and Expo Center, with 48,000 square feet of exhibit space, Gold Strike Casino Resort, Grand Casino Tunica, Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, and Resorts Tunica Casino and Hotel.
Hills Region
In northern Mississippi, the towns of Tupelo and Oxford are known for shaking hips and sharp pens. Tupelo has achieved worldwide fame as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock ’n’ Roll," and Oxford draws literary tourists following the trail of William Faulkner.
All things Elvis can be found in Tupelo; the Elvis Presley Birthplace also offers a museum and chapel on the grounds, and Elvis Presley Lake and Campground is actually a scenic, 850-acre park complete with pavilions for group events.
But there is more to Tupelo than the King; the Tupelo Automobile Museum is a gearhead’s dream come true, with auto displays and antique rides filling 120,000 square feet of space. The museum is also a popular off-site venue for receptions and events. For outdoor needs, planners can look to the Tupelo Garden Club Home, a 1903 Victorian house that can accommodate small groups of up to 50, while the grounds, which include a summer butterfly garden, can handle much larger groups of up to 500.
Meeting facilities include BancorpSouth Conference Center, with 5,600 square feet of space; the Hilton Garden Inn Tupelo; and the Summit Hotel and Summit Center.
Home to Civil War history, defining Southern literature and the University of Mississippi, Oxford is a creative hot spot with art galleries, museums and tour homes. The L.Q.C. Lamar House, once home to the Oxford native who served in Congress, the Senate and the Supreme Court, offers its grounds as an off-site venue to groups. Rowan Oak, former home of William Faulkner, is open for tours, and Cedar Oaks, a stately Greek revival home that barely survived the Civil War, makes an unforgettable setting for receptions and events. Add the university’s attractions like the Blues Archive and Center for the Study of Southern Culture, and Oxford has plenty to keep any attendee intrigued.
Space for meetings is available at the Oxford Conference Center, Downtown Oxford Inn and Suites and the Hampton Inn Oxford.
Pines Region
South of Tupelo is the Pines region, where Victorian architecture and Southern arts meet down-home entertainment. A bevy of antebellum homes decorate Columbus, including Rosewood Manor, which offers a wide lawn for receptions and events. With so many structures on the National Register of Historic Places, most off-site venues are historic and one-of-a-kind, like Temple Heights, which has been featured on HGTV, or Waverley Mansion, filled with gorgeous period furniture.
Columbus is also home to the Tennessee Williams birthplace; the house serves as a city visitor center and reception site as well. Meanwhile, Columbus features the Trotter Convention Center and Plymouth Bluff Conference Center.
In nearby Meridian, off-site venues are a specialty, according to Suzy Johnson, executive director of the Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau.
"For a town our size, it’s amazing that we have so many cultural venues available," she says. "Downtown, we have five art galleries and several museums we use to give meetings a twist."
The main facility is the MSU Riley Center, owned by Mississippi State University. The center includes a 900-seat restored opera house and conference center with 30,000 square feet of space. Other venues include the Railroad Museum and the Meridian Museum of Art. For downtime activities, the Jimmy Rodgers Museum nicely complements the Mississippi blues experience, and the 65-foot waterfall at Dunn’s Falls is the perfect picnic backdrop.
New meeting facilities on the horizon include the 122-room Holiday Inn Meridian, opening early next year, and the 182-room Drury Inn.
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.
