So, where do Native American tribal associations go to meet? Some members are bound to operate casinos so the chances are pretty good they are going to stay at a gaming facility.
In fact, for two out of the three major annual meetings held by the Nashville, Tenn.-based United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET), a tribe usually steps forward to host it so there is little competition in deciding the destination.
USET has a membership of 26 federally recognized tribes in the south and east in 12 states, from Texas across to Florida and up to Maine. Each of its trio of meetings attract between 150 and 350 or more attendees, sometimes topping 400; other smaller events that deal with subjects ranging from the environment to health are also held.
For the semi-annual in May, the group met this year at Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville in the middle of Louisiana, where it has met before.
Day one of USET’s meeting at the Paragon featured a golf tournament with proceeds going to its scholarship fund. Four days of meetings followed. The only organized time away from the resort was an excursion to the hydroponic greenhouses in southwest Louisiana pioneered by the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana.
“The golf course is right there, just across the parking lot, and that helps,” says Wanda Janes, USET’s deputy director. “The lobby is unique, relaxing and entertaining, with turtles and live alligators. The movie theaters are great for families. Having all the entertainment and facilities is really beneficial to the Marksville community.
“We have 12 functioning committees so we need a lot of breakout space, which the resort has,” she continues. “And there are lots of places to eat lunch, including a big buffet, so everyone has a choice and can be back to the meeting on time. Also, the staff is superb, which makes my life easier.”
Gaming properties often are a wise choice for groups needing to be particularly fiscally responsible, says Cindy Torian, Paragon’s director of convention sales.
“Casinos tend to be fantastic venues for budget-conscious groups that have flexibility,” she says. “It can be very attractive and very affordable.
“They can have a fabulous event midweek when casinos are looking to fill in and need the business, she continues. “You can get spectacular deals for Sunday and Monday arrivals and out by Thursday. The value can be huge.”
Owned and operated by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, the resort features a hotel with more than 500 rooms and suites, a casino with more than 2,000 slots, plus table games and a poker room, and an 18-hole championship golf course.
The Paragon Casino Resort Mauri Center has more than 75,000 square feet of function space. It includes a 2,600-seat showroom and an 8,000-square-foot ballroom. It has an outdoor pool and indoor tropical pool with swim-up bar, a bayou-themed atrium, a 550-seat buffet (among seven dining outlets), a three-screen movie theater, and family fun center. It expanded in 2007 and 2008 with the addition of a third hotel tower and convention space addition.
