Would your next meeting group be more appreciative of some traditional Southern comfort—or modern high-tech venues and off-site attractions that are more “space-age” than antebellum?
If you answered “both,” then Alabama—aka the “Heart of Dixie”—might be the ideal choice for your next event. The state is steeped in the charms of the Old South, but has taken major steps when it comes to 21st century meetings amenities and attractions that can satisfy the needs of any group.
Mountains Region
Nicknamed the “Rocket City,” Huntsville is a blast when it comes to high-tech fun, but it offers plenty of traditional temptations as well.
“Huntsville is a unique mix of old South charm intermingled with 21st century technology,” remarks Charles Winters, executive vice president of the Huntsville/Madison County CVB, adding that the city’s central southeast locale and affordability are huge draws for groups as well.
Larger groups than ever before can now be accommodated with the expansion and transformation of the Von Braun Center, which just wrapped up a $31 million upgrade and now offers more than 170,000 square feet of space, with a capacity for groups of up to 9,000. An expanded lobby, $1 million video board and four new VIP suites are just a sampling of the improvements.
Equally cutting-edge but with a big focus on fun, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is the largest space museum in the world. Its highlights include a 3-D digital theater, the simulated firing of an F-1 rocket engine and a g-force accelerator that lets visitors experience three times the force of gravity. Group possibilities include daylong “outer space adventure” tours throughout the facility and “Area 51” team-building programs.
As for Huntsville and Madison County’s more time-tested pleasures, great golf and gorgeous gardens leap instantly to mind. Hampton Cove is a wonderful way to get your group into the swing of things, and is part of the popular Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Meanwhile, the Huntsville Botanical Garden showcases not only 112 acres of extremely eclectic flora but some superb event facilities as well.
In nearby Florence, fishing, shopping, music and other draws are highlights.
“Our area in northwest Alabama is unique due to the diversity of sights, sounds and unique Southern culture,” says Debbie Wilson, executive director for Visit Florence. “Our landscapes feature vast areas of water frontage—on streams, rivers and creeks—which provides visitors with world-class fishing and plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation. Our lodging properties range from nostalgic drive-ups to the [AAA] Four Diamond Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. Music is in the heart of Florence and the Shoals, with numerous live music venues that are imbued with the spirit of natives W.C. Handy and Sam Phillips.”
Wilson adds that several of the area’s hotels have opened in Florence in recent years, including a Comfort Suites that debuted less than a year ago, a Residence Inn that is a year-and-a-half old and a Holiday Inn Express that is about three years old.
She also touts the tempting downtown, which has seen the opening of several new restaurants in recent years, plus the relocation of national fashion designer Billy Reid’s clothing store and factory from Texas. And when it comes to exploring Florence’s past, the city is home to Alabama’s only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, the Rosenbaum House, open for public visits Tuesday through Sunday.
Metro Region
In Alabama’s centrally located Metro Region, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa are the main hubs for meeting groups, each offering their own blend of new and old.
“If diversity were a place, it could very likely be Birmingham,” says Dilcy Hilley, vice president of marketing and communications for the Greater Birmingham CVB. “People who visit here get a taste of that variety—in entertainment, cuisine, the arts, shopping, nightlife—that brings them back time and again.”
Yet another lure is on the way that will make the city even more appealing for meeting groups, with a brand-new $70 million Westin Hotel and 50,000-square-foot entertainment district in the works adjacent to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, which already boasts its own 220,000 square feet of event space. A neighboring 757-room Sheraton adds to the possibilities, with the new hotel and district slated to open in early 2013.
Birmingham, of course, provides a gamut of established draws as well. Among the best of them are the Birmingham Museum of Art—the largest municipal art museum in the Southeast—and Red Mountain, providing meeting groups with sweeping vistas of the city alongside the state’s most famous statue, Vulcan, the symbol of the city.
In nearby Tuscaloosa, meeting groups have a wealth of choices for making the most of their Alabama getaways, according to Beakie Powell, director of meetings and conventions for the Visit Tuscaloosa.
“Tuscaloosa is a spirited community that enjoys its Southern hospitality, where planners can choose facilities and resources that create an event to remember—an antebellum reception, starlight river dinner cruise, fried catfish in the woods, children’s activities, bird watching, championship golf, packaged area tours and varied visual and performing arts,” Powell says.
As for the city’s modern side, the brand-new Tuscaloosa Amphitheater that opened last summer is already a pride of the city. With capacity for almost 7,500, and resting along the banks of the Black Warrior River on handsome 15-acre grounds, the venue adjoins a riverwalk offering additional space—including picnicking grounds, walking and cycling trails, fountains and pavilions.
River Heritage Region
In Alabama’s River Heritage realms in the state’s east-central area, the capital of Montgomery—plus the twin cities of Auburn and Opelika— attract meeting groups with a host of traditional temptations. But planners won’t feel shortchanged when it comes to modern venues and attractions, which are on hand in quantity.
“What makes Montgomery so special, aside from being known as the ‘Cradle of the Confederacy’ and the ‘Birthplace of the Modern Civil Rights Movement,’ is its walkable downtown convention center district,” says Dawn Hathcock, vice president of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitor Bureau. “Convention attendees have complete access to multiple attractions, dining, shopping and entertainment options within six blocks of the Montgomery Convention Center as well as the beautiful scenery and activities at Riverfront Park.”
For groups intrigued by the city’s days of yore, Old Alabama Town serves up six blocks of beautifully restored structures from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and can provide tours for groups of 10 or more. Old-time edifices are even available for events, from a historic church to a grange hall built in 1874.
More recent historic lures abound as well. The Rosa Parks Library & Museum is a superb way for groups to get an in-depth grasp of the incident that helped spur the civil rights movement. Similar history can be appreciated at the Civil Rights Memorial Center, with exhibits about the civil rights movement, plus a 56-seat theater, a classroom for educational activities and the Wall of Tolerance, where visitors can add their names to the list of more than a half-million individuals who have already made a vow of tolerance.
Fresh dining and lodging possibilities are at the heart of the city’s newest offerings. A short walk from the Rosa Parks Museum, the Renaissance Montgomery and its convention center offer state-of-the-art meeting facilities that include an 1,800-seat performing arts center, 32 meeting rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of event space. The meetings mecca celebrates its fourth year in January.
More recent additions that might interest planners include the recently opened Holiday Inn Montgomery Airport South, a 90-room lodging with a capacity for groups of up to about 120. Meanwhile, groups seeking to savor a creative take on classic Southern and Creole flavors should look no further than Roux, which opened in late spring near the city’s Historic Garden District. The restaurant is available for buyouts and recently hosted an affair of over 150 guests, and it has a private dining area in the works.
Not far away, planners can consider a pair of communities that emanate Southern charm without bypassing modern amenities.
“In a quiet university community located only a short distance from Atlanta, Birmingham or Montgomery, you’ll find the twin cities of Auburn and Opelika,” says Robyn Bridges, public relations and communications director for the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau. “Featuring over 50,000 square feet of cutting-edge, affordable meeting space, you can make your choice of a beautiful resort setting on the renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail or the vibrant campus environment of Auburn University.”
A sleek modern setting can be experienced at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, which focuses on modern American artists but also includes works by such masters as Picasso, Matisse and Renoir. Opened on the Auburn University campus in 2003, it’s the only university art museum in Alabama and showcases several superb event spaces in addition to its admirable artwork. Among the varied venues are a 127-seat auditorium, a rotunda highlighted by a breathtaking Dale Chihuly blown-glass work and an open-air, lakeside terrace with a capacity for up to 300 people.
Neighboring Opelika just added an impressive new facility of its own that has the community buzzing, the Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatic Center. The venue features extensive swimming areas and a gymnasium for groups that are looking to stay active between or after meetings, but also furnishes some intriguing event spaces.
Gulf Coast Region
In Alabama’s southern stretches, business and pleasure—and urban and rural—blend seamlessly along the Gulf of Mexico.
“Mobile Bay is a great meeting destination, with top new hotels, a state-of-the-art convention center, plenty to see and do during down-time and team-building activities,” says Jerry Buzzard, director of sales for the Mobile Bay CVB. “Our famous Southern hospitality and delicious food make it ideal for groups of any size.”
A number of modern venues are available for events or group tours, including the Gulf Coast Exploreum and Science Center and the handsome Mobile Museum of Art. But the current buzz is probably loudest around 5 Rivers, an outdoorsy enclave of 88 acres, where groups can hike, picnic, take a delta safari aboard a pontoon boat and much more. The setting is also a hive of events, from school field trips to social gatherings to company meetings—and offers a museum, gift shop and 90-seat theater to boot.
Time-tested temptations also await and can serve as awesome off-site venues. Two of the best are undoubtedly the USS Alabama battleship, where groups can have seated dinners or a theme party under the stars, and the historic Saenger Theater, with a 2,000-seat auditorium as well as smaller spaces that groups can use for more-intimate events.
And in the state’s Gulf Shores and Orange Beach region, a bevy of outdoor offerings and a wealth of appealing dining and lodging choices are at the center of it all.
“Alabama’s Gulf Coast has meeting facilities that can hold up to 800 and luxury beachfront accommodations to suit groups of all sizes,” says Kim Chapman, public relations manager for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism. “With 32 miles of sugar-white sand and ideal meeting venues, groups are attracted to all that this family-oriented area has to offer. From world-class fishing and golfing to authentic cuisine and true Southern hospitality, the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area is a hidden jewel.”
Among the numerous possibilities Chapman suggests are a dolphin watch cruise, exploring the coastal estuaries to learn about crabbing and shrimping techniques, visiting the 7,000-acre Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and saying hello to the record-setting gator “Captain Crunch” at Alligator Alley. History and culture can also be enjoyed with a stop at the Hot Shop, the state’s only public-use glass-blowing studio, or via tours of Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, set on each side of the Mobile Channel entering Mobile Bay and rich with historical significance.
Among the fresh choices in the region are a new Hampton Inn and Suites in Orange Beach, a nine-story, 160-room hotel that features 3,750 square feet of Gulf-front meeting space that accommodates up to 275 people. Coming in 2012 are the openings of the Alabama Gulf Zoo’s new facility and the Oceans Park indoor waterpark, which will include a 30-foot-deep aquarium where visitors can dive with sea life and explore a shipwreck.
