Pete Poe
Executive Director, Missouri Association of Fairs and Festivals, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
- Describe your event. We held our annual convention in Columbia from Jan. 28-31, 2010, at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Executive Conference Center. The meeting was an educational and entertainment conference for the fairs and festivals industry. We brought in 1,100 delegates and 90 of Missouri's 114 counties were represented. The convention consisted of 12 educational seminars and three main stage event showcases.
- Why did you decide to host your meeting in Columbia? We went to Columbia because it is centrally located and provides the physical hotel setting with the space we need. It was really important for our attendees to move from one session to the next as quickly as possible and since the Holiday Inn could provide us with a ballroom and expo center, it was a great fit. The accommodations were also very affordable. The majority of our convention goers are volunteers, and many of them pay their own expenses, so price and location are definitely considerations. Columbia provided both of those for us.
- What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most? Our attendees really enjoyed just being in Columbia. The city has a host of quality restaurants and shopping right at the back door of the hotel. There is also ease of access with I-70 right there, and everything is affordable.
- Was anyone particularly helpful? Jennifer Glenn at the Holiday Inn was really helpful. We remained in contact every couple weeks and she kept me up-to-date on renovations to the hotel. She was always very willing to work with us. She always said she could make it happen. A lot of times, properties have a list of rules and regulations and some are very strict. The Holiday Inn understood that sometimes you have to be flexible.
- What would you have done differently in retrospect? I would have loved to have given our attendees an opportunity to explore Columbia. Unfortunately, the meeting does not allow for a lot of free time. It would have been fun if we could have built in time for a basketball game, for example.
- What other types of groups would fit well with the property? With their physical layout and the amenities, I think any group would fit. Their ballroom is well appointed and the expo center can fit anything from motor vehicles to live acts and even livestock.
- Would you return? Absolutely. Our group loves Columbia. We are coming back for our annual meeting in 2011, 2012 and 2013.