Grady C. Wray, PhD., is certainly a man of letters, being an associate professor of Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages, Literature, and Linguistics for the University of Oklahoma, but he’s also become an ad hoc meeting planner in his role as executive director for the South Central Modern Language Association.
His 350-strong group of English and modern language professors and graduate students—located in the six-state area of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee—recently wrapped its Oct. 29-31 annual meeting in Baton Rouge, and the city’s affordability, walkability and agreeable price point proved to be a real "page-turner" in his eyes.
The association booked the downtown Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center for its headquarters hotel, and also held some sessions at the LSU Shaw Center for the Arts, located next door.
"What was nice about Baton Rouge for us is that within walking distance of the hotel you have several restaurants on Third Street—pizza, sushi, a ‘po-boy’ shop," Wray says. "You didn’t have to walk too far to get to somewhere to eat outside of the hotel.…The Old Capitol Museum is very close, as well as other museums, so if you’re having people fly into the area they can get around without having to use a lot of taxis, and the other great thing about the Hilton is they have great shuttle service from the airport."
The group had originally wanted to hold the meeting in New Orleans, but since the event was planned nearly three years out, was still a bit nervous about the status of The Crescent City in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"We had previously had conferences in New Orleans, but after Katrina we didn’t know what would happen in New Orleans, and we were sort of displaced," Wray remembers. "So we wanted a somewhat smaller city with a smaller price. We went on a site visit and the Hilton was what I thought would be perfect for our group. The Capitol Center was really a jewel on the Mississippi for a group our size."
The association used the Hilton for social events on its pool deck and Riverview and Heidelberg ballrooms, which offer commanding views of the Mississippi River, and also utilized the LSU Shaw Center for the Arts for some sessions, which the Hilton works with if a group needs additional space.
Wray says Visit Baton Rouge "bent over backwards" to assist by providing tote bags, help staffing the registration desk and Mardi Gras beads to help promote the meeting.
And being an ad hoc planner, the professor must surely have a lesson for other part-timers?
"Always ask the questions—don’t be afraid to ask the questions," Wray advises. "Clarify food and beverage minimums early on and keep clarifying the title of the breakout session rooms for a full year before you get there."
A must-read recommendation.
