Museums & Attractions
- Running through early November at the The Charleston Museum, Charleston Couture displays fashion and textiles from the 1770s to the 1970s, including rare haute couture pieces and Low Country accessories. The museum also continues its recognition of the Civil War sesquicentennial with exhibits including Blasted: Assorted Projectiles and Explosives of the Civil War, which runs until September. Groups of 10 or more qualify for ticket discounts and the museum offers a number of themed tours. For more information, call 843.722.2996 or visit www.charlestonmuseum.org.
Programs & Packages
- Planners booking summer events in 2013 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center may receive free exhibit space, hotel transportation, wireless Internet and discounted food and beverage service. For more information, call 561.233.2026 or visit www.palmbeachfl.com.
- The Pick Your Perks promotion in North Carolina’s Charlotte SouthPark neighborhood offers planners booking incentives at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark and the Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel. The Charlotte Marriott SouthPark offers 8,750 square feet of meeting space, while the Renaissance property offers 8,775 square feet. Planners booking 50 total room nights at the Marriott or 100 room nights at the Renaissance can pick from a list of perks including discounts on food and beverage, rebates, complimentary Internet, AV discounts and room upgrades. Rooms must be booked for 2013 by September 30 and fall on special value dates. For more information, visit www.marriott.com or www.renaissancecharlottesouthpark.com.
Destination Dispatch
- The French Quarter Connection is a partnership between the New Orleans Marriott and the Sheraton New Orleans designed to accommodate meeting groups of up to 8,000 and offer booking incentives for planners, including receptions and connectivity centers. The adjacent properties offer a combined 170,000 square feet of meeting space, 2,400 guest rooms, eight ballrooms and 97 meeting rooms. For more information, call the Sheraton at 504.595.5527, the Marriott at 504.553.5520 or visit www.fqcmeetings.com.
- The Baton Rouge CVB’s named was officially changed to Visit Baton Rouge by Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signing of house bill 414. The name has been used unofficially since 2006. For more information, visit www.visitbatonrouge.com.
- Continuing through 2012, Year of Alabama Food celebrates the state’s famous dishes, restaurants and farmers markets. Numerous food festivals are on the calendar, from the Alabama Pecan Festival in Mobile to Burkville’s Okra Festival in August. A list of “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before you Die” is available for download, with items such as soft-shell crab poboys, peach ice cream, catfish and classic barbecue at the Golden Rule in Birmingham. For more information, visit www.yearofalabamafood.com.
- Destination Hotels & Resorts will take over management of Houston’s 314-room Derek Hotel and implement a $4.5 million property upgrade. The Derek offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space for groups of up to 500, including two boardrooms and a 4,800-square-foot ballroom. For more information, call 713.961.3000 or visit www.hotelderek.com or www.destinationhotels.com.
Tech Update
- The Austin CVB launched a newly redesigned website showcasing The Live Music Capital of the World’s food scene, museums, attractions and meeting venues. The site includes a music guide, local tips and a social media lounge and is tied to the city’s new “What You Hear is True” ad campaign. For more information, visit www.austintexas.org.