Alabama is not only geographically diverse—think mountainous Birmingham terrain and a sugar-white, sandy Gulf Coast—it’s also a bastion of history, cuisine, sports and recreation. Native American, Civil War and civil rights heritage run through Alabama’s veins. Golf and spas are increasingly popular lures. Beach adventures figure into the mix, too, along with a culinary parade of choices that go way beyond grits.
And there’s more good news: Being cost-conscious is easy when you choose Alabama’s array of modern meeting facilities, attractions and amenities for after-business networking and fun.
Mountains Region
Space—the outer kind—is one of northern Alabama’s main attractions, and NASA’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville offers groups several options. It’s not only a unique touring attraction but also an exciting site to stage events close to rockets and other space paraphernalia.
Groups can take advantage of the 6,000 hotel rooms in Huntsville and Madison County, including Alabama’s first Westin hotel, The Westin Huntsville. Other major Huntsville lodgings in and around the USSRC include the Huntsville Marriott, the Holiday Inn Research Park Huntsville Hotel and the Embassy Suites Huntsville, which connects to the Von Braun Center (VBC). The VBC has 170,000 square feet of space, a 9,000-seat arena and a 2,100-seat auditorium that make the complex one of the nation’s leading midsize convention centers. A $24.5 million renovation is under way at the VBC, which is slated for completion by the end of 2010.
Also coming adjacent to the VBC is the Constellation, a mixed-use development that will include a 160-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott and a 160-room Residence Inn by Marriott, as well as retail and restaurant outlets.
It’s not only one of Huntsville’s great facilities but also its location that combine for a prime meetings choice, says Charles Winters, spokesperson for the Huntsville/Madison County CVB.
"Our great facilities and outstanding lodging options, combined with our central location in the South, make Huntsville the right choice for meetings," he says.
Huntsville International Airport offers service from several major carriers to airports across the nation, including Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; and Washington, D.C.
The USSRC is not the only learning repository in the northern Alabama region. Huntsville has Alabama Constitution Village, the Historic Huntsville Depot and EarlyWorks Children’s History Museum downtown. The State Black Archives Research Center and Museum is a repository of African-American history.
Florence has more heritage to explore at the Indian Mound and Museum, which recalls prehistoric lifestyles of Native Americans. The Lauderdale/Florence area is also rich in Civil War history. Though no battles were fought there, Popes Tavern served as a troops hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers. Groups in residence enjoy floats on the Tennessee River, and waterborne choices include the Pickwick Belle paddlewheel riverboat, which can host meal functions.
Meeting and lodging facilities in the Florence vicinity include the Marriott Shoals Hotel, Spa & Conference Center and the Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge, a rustic riverside lodge and convention hall that accommodates up to 600 for a reception.
Metro Region
Birmingham and its urban neighbor Tuscaloosa comprise Alabama’s metro region, where meetings are big business and sure to get bigger with the upcoming expansion of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). The new building will add 160,000 square feet of exhibition space to the facility, which currently boasts 220,000 square feet. Included is a 57,500-seat arena. The expansion will accommodate entertainment tours and major sporting events, but the primary use of the building will be for conventions and trade shows. Jack Fields, BJCC executive director, says the new facility will allow the BJCC to compete for events that require a larger seating capacity and amenities such as private suites not currently available in the complex’s 18,000-seat arena. The expansion is scheduled to be finished in 2014.
Meanwhile, as part of the changes under way at the BJCC, the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel completed a $22 million renovation on its 757 guest rooms, lobby and atrium.
One of the newest lodging choices in town is Hyatt Place Birmingham/Downtown Birmingham, now open with 150 rooms near the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the city’s financial and legal districts.
Birmingham is a leafy green city that surprises many who visit for the first time, as they discover its dramatic rolling topography and sophisticated business climate, coupled with a good measure of Southern hospitality and affordability.
Out and about, groups have Birmingham’s diverse culture to enjoy, especially the food. There’s a lot more than grandma’s grits on the city’s dining scene, which continues to get accolades. Highlands Bar & Grill has received awards from Bon Appetit magazine and the James Beard Foundation for its dishes made with fresh, rural ingredients and French-inspired techniques.
Attendees also enjoy WorkPlay, an entertainment complex that includes live music and a professional sound stage on the edge of the city’s warehouse district. A must-visit is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which chronicles the civil rights movement with an emphasis on Birmingham’s role in that era.
The University of Alabama’s legendary Crimson Tide football legacy lies 60 miles from Birmingham in Tuscaloosa. This midsize city of about 100,000 people has been called an All-America City by the National Civic League, and is home to the only Mercedes-Benz Museum outside Germany, where tours of the manufacturing plant are popular.
Many of Tuscaloosa’s meetings are associated with university business and utilize the facilities of the Bryant Conference Center and the nearby Four Points by Sheraton.
River Heritage Region
Visitors to the towns of Auburn, Opelika and Montgomery find a cache of American history stops and Alabama’s river heritage to experience.
The state capital of Montgomery had a role in both the Civil War and the civil rights movement. The Alabama State Capitol chronicles events leading to state secession, and the First White House of the Confederacy is near the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where a young Martin Luther King Jr. began his ministry. The Rosa Parks Museum tells yet another story associated with the mid-20th century upheaval that focused on racial inequality.
Other famous people—Hank Williams, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole—have all called Montgomery home, and their cultural contributions are highlighted in other sites around the city. Nearby Tuskegee Airmen Museum tells an impressive story from the World War II era. The George Washington Carver Museum and Booker T. Washington’s home are also in Tuskegee.
Meetings properties in downtown Montgomery include the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, Embassy Suites Hotel & Montgomery Conference Center, and Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Center at Capitol Hill, which recently finished a renovation. Tuskegee offers the Tuskegee University Kellogg Conference Center.
The region also includes the adjacent cities of Auburn, home to Auburn University, and Opelika. Golf courses are plentiful around these cities, and Grand National Golf Course is one of the headliner greens. Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel & Conference Center at Grand National and the Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center lead in the local facilities portfolio.
According to Robyn Bridges, spokesperson for the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau, groups have something to anticipate in the new Event Center Downtown that will open in early 2010.
"This is a unique special events venue, and we expect to host a wide variety of clients in the 33,000-square-foot facility inside the former Coca-Cola building—from local weddings to trade shows," Bridges says. "It will be the single largest conference space available in Lee County."
The center is part of an emerging 530-acre retail, entertainment and lifestyle destination.
About two hours southeast of Montgomery in the city of Dothan, Country Crossing, an entertainment destination, is scheduled to open by the end of 2010. The project will feature country music star performances, shops, restaurants and hotels.
Gulf Coast Region
The Alabama Gulf Coast presents groups with a delectable mix of business and pleasure along its 32 miles of white sandy beaches. The destination is a big draw for state and national associations, along with corporate groups that are attracted to the area’s natural beauty, family atmosphere, Southern hospitality and recreational options.
One of the region’s newest group facilities is The Conference Center at The Wharf, a multiuse resort property in Orange Beach. With its 27,000 square feet of gathering space, it has an exhibition hall that is divisible into smaller meeting spaces, contemporary technology features and a catering kitchen.
"People find coming to the beach makes for a productive and fun meeting," says Beth Gendler, director of sales for the Alabama Gulf Coast CVB. "We are having quite a lot of success with booking religious groups with the opening of The Wharf because it lends itself to their needs, which include large meal and meeting functions."
Other facilities include condominium properties with meeting space at The Beach Club, Caribe Resort and Brett-Robinson Gulf Shores Vacation Condo Rentals.
Gulf State Park Pavilion offers views of the Gulf and two miles of undeveloped beach habitat. The pavilion is a year-round facility for up to 450 people, with picnic tables, air-conditioned bathrooms and a seasonal concession stand.
Mobile Bay’s centuries of colorful heritage connected to America’s first Mardi Gras and other events are just part of the draw for groups. Waterfront activities, golf, museums and attractions like the historic USS Alabama battleship add to the area’s group appeal. The legendary Bellingrath Gardens & Home is a must-see for Mobile visitors. Coming in 2011 is GulfQuest, a maritime museum dedicated to the maritime heritage and culture of the Gulf Coast. The museum will feature interactive exhibits relative to early Gulf settlements, marine archaeology, deep-sea exploration, shipbuilding, navigation techniques and weather.
Margo Gilbert, general manager of Mobile’s historic Battle House Hotel, says Mobile has downtown facilities to accommodate up to 10,000 attendees in eight hotels located within four blocks of the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center.
"We are a great place to meet because of the downtown hotel and convention center package we offer," Gilbert says. "Mobile is an easy-to-navigate town with lots of restaurants and clubs. Groups that book us find they enjoy being big fish in a smaller pond compared to some of our competitors. We have always been affordable, and we continue to be."
Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa, a historic resort overlooking Mobile Bay, recently completed a multimillion-dollar amenities center that includes waterfalls, a hot tub, a restaurant, a lake, a fitness center and a new tennis complex with 10 lighted courts. The property is currently renovating its 406 guest rooms.
Attendees enjoy golf on local courses such as The Crossings at Magnolia Grove, which recently unveiled its $6 million facelift, just in time for the LPGA Bell Micro Classic in spring 2010. It’s part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which has plans to renovate The Falls, the other 18-hole course at Magnolia Grove.
