While Mississippi does a fine job of taking care of business throughout its meetings-friendly, musically gifted and historically rich terrain, it's also a wonderful place for groups looking to let the good times roll.
They can do this quite literally inside Tunica's and Biloxi's casinos. And from Tupelo to Jackson to the Gulf Coast, via everything from intriguing tours and waterborne pursuits to pub crawls and shrimp boils.
Read on for a top to bottom peek at how planners can incorporate a bit of fun into a meeting itinerary in the Magnolia State.
Gulf Coast Region
When groups wrap up business
in the Mississippi Gulf
Coast, there are numerous
options for a fun time, according
to Crystal Johnson,
the Mississippi Gulf Coast
CVB's director of sales.
"Groups have a wide variety of group-friendly activities to choose from," she says, "including golf tournaments at one of our award-winning courses, deep-sea fishing tournaments aboard one of our charter fishing boats, and painting their own masterpiece with Canvas & Cocktails."
Additionally, she says groups are sure to enjoy the Biloxi Shrimping Trip, an outing through old Biloxi on the Biloxi Tour Train, an authentic Mississippi Gulf Coast shrimp boil or shopping in Bay St. Louis or Ocean Springs, two of the area's art shopping communities.
"They may even like just lounging on the beach," she adds.
In Hattiesburg, says Kristen Brock, sales manager for Visit Hattiesburg, the good vibes start with superior Southern hospitality.
"We offer an urban, cosmopolitan feel for meetings and conventions but are just as comfortable serving sweet iced tea and cheese straws with a welcoming smile," she says.
She says groups like visiting the Saenger Theater, an elegant circa-1929 movie palace turned meeting space and live performance venue that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
"Whether catching a keynote address or behind-the-scenes tour, complete with a black-and-white flick and bottled soda and popcorn, the options at this facility are as abundant as the history of the building itself," she says.
One of Hattiesburg's newest meeting venues, the circa-1899 Oddfellows Building, has been beautifully restored as a gallery and special event space where groups will enjoy a memorable event.
"Fourteen-foot ceilings give the expansive building excellent acoustics throughout, and the restoration includes original wainscoting, plaster walls, and tin-tile ceilings that are the icing on any event," she says.
Outings to the Hattiesburg Zoo for afterhours team-building activities or receptions including hands-on interaction with some of the nearly 80 species of animals residing there, and exploring historic downtown Hattiesburg, which is filled with shops, art galleries, eateries and meeting spots like the recently renovated Historic Train Depot, are two more popular good-time experiences for groups. PageBreak
Capital/River Region
Known as the City with Soul, where homegrown
gospel, blues, jazz and rock music can
be heard all around town, Jackson is another
Mississippi fun zone.
According to Shun Hatten, vice president of sales at the Jackson CVB, groups convening here enjoy museums, restaurants, three historic cultural districts and a calendar brimming with visual and performing arts.
"Try the tour of actual locales in Kathryn Stockett's New York Times best-selling novel The Help, also a major motion picture filmed here," she says. "Explore Jackson's portion of the Mississippi Blues Trail with 11, and counting, descriptive markers, or relive history through four driving tours of significant Civil Rights Movement sites in the city and discover our growing Mississippi Freedom Trail markers."
Groups will also enjoy an outing to the Russell C. Davis Planetarium.
History buffs will be especially tickled in Vicksburg, a picturesque river town with notable ties to the Civil War.
"Vicksburg is the sight of arguably the most significant battle of the Civil War," says Ashley Gatian, group services manager at the Vicksburg CVB.
She explains President Lincoln once said "Vicksburg is the key," and that today its attributes, including beautiful antebellum homes, unique dining options and fabulous entertainment, are the keys to successful meetings.
"Take your group on a tour of Vicksburg National Military Park," she suggests. "Take along one of our licensed guides to keep your group entertained with stories and history of The Civil War. Whether you are a serious student of history, an art lover, a naturalist, or just love a good story, we know you won't be disappointed."
In Natchez, where facilities including the Prentiss Club and Dunleith Historic Inn are sought-after spots for group gatherings, the CVB works with planners to arrange "cool events," according to Selah Havard, director of sales at the Natchez CVB.
She explains a recent event for a visiting group at the Natchez Visitor Center, called Savor the Flavor of Natchez, involved local restaurants offering samples of their popular dishes.
"We also asked local artists, potters, authors and jewelry-makers to come down to showcase and sell their unique items," she says. "During all that we had a band playing and an open bar."
The "Party Gras" pub crawl is another possibility that recently received rave reviews.
"The group was greeted by a brass band and given beautiful feather masks and beads," Havard says. "The band played walking down the streets of Natchez and guiding our group to its next few stops at Andrew's Tavern then down to Bowie's Tavern on the river. It was such a fun and exciting event for our attendees." PageBreak
Delta
Tunica, located 30 minutes south of Memphis
along America's Blues Highway 61, has
nine casinos, headline entertainment, golf,
museums and unique dining options awaiting
groups.
According to Webster Franklin, president and CEO at the Tunica CVB, delegates can meet during the day and let their hair down at night at gaming tables.
Notable attractions here include Tunica RiverPark and the newly opened Gateway to the Blues Visitor Center.
"The depot stage is the perfect location for an outdoor blues music event that will give your attendees a slice of the unique history and culture that can only be found in the Mississippi Delta," he says, adding that coming in 2013, the visitor center will expand with a 4,000-square-foot museum addition that will be available for tours and opening night receptions.
Tunica is also home to Willows Sporting Clays and Hunting Center, a safe and controlled simulated Mississippi Delta hunting environment.
According to Catherine M. Gardner, spokeswoman for the Greenville and Washington County CVB, Greenville touts its lakes, which set it apart as a particularly fun waterborne Mississippi locale.
"Take a ride on our lake's airboat for gator viewing, snake grabbing or water sports," she says, adding Warfield Point Park and Walnut Street Entertainment District are two more options for groups seeking a good time.
Clarksdale, according to Clarksdale and Coahoma County Tourism, is "the crossroads of culture and quirkiness with a heavy dose of the blues."
Here, attendees might find themselves in the middle of a blues festival, dancing to live music at Ground Zero Blues Club or venturing out for a custom-guided outing on the lower Mississippi River with Quapaw Canoe Co.
The Hills
Tupelo, where hospitality is taken very seriously,
is the birthplace of Elvis Presley and therefore one of the most unique destinations
in the world.
"It's here that he learned to love music, bought his first guitar and performed for the first time in front of a crowd," says Stephanie Coomer, deputy director at the Tupelo CVB. "For Elvis fans, it's ground zero, and for music fans, it's one of the most important sites in music history."
The Elvis Presley Early Years Tour, with 10 stops at important sites from Elvis' formative years, and the rooftop at Park Heights Restaurant provide two distinct ways for groups to celebrate The King.
The rooftop overlooks downtown Tupelo, including views of the larger-than-life Elvis statue, Coomer explains, and is a favorite for receptions and entertainment.
Other opportunities include geocaching, and outings to Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo, where attendees can visit with wild animals and engage in team-building activities including tug-of-war.
In Oxford, off-session options include exploring historic downtown square, which is filled with fine dining, eclectic shopping, local art and historic treasures, according to Mary-Kathryn M. Herrington, director of tourism and marketing at the Oxford CVB.
"Taylor Grocery is a popular spot for groups wanting to see the countryside and enjoy live music and fried catfish," she says. "We can also set up a tour on one of our two double-decker buses."
The Pines
In Meridian, which touts several markers on
the Mississippi Country Music Trail, groups
will find historic attractions, shopping opportunities,
museums, a variety of entertainment,
and a number of weekend festivals that
groups can attend.
"We also have a very active Meridian Main Street program and work closely with them to produce Art Crawls when we have sizable groups in town, says Stephen Martin, interim director at the Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau. "The downtown merchants remain open and serve light refreshments and live entertainment."
And as the birthplace of Jimmie Rodgers, known as the Father of Country Music, Martin adds "we pride ourselves on showcasing local talent along with entertainers of note."
Unique attractions here that double as off-site venues include Soulé Steam Feed Works, showcasing the long history of steampowered machinery, Binachi Shooting Sports and Temple Theater for the Performing Arts, a Moorish Revival-style theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Columbus, the birthplace of Tennessee Williams, is a friendly Southern meetings destination that promotes classic Southern architecture, good eats and a relaxed vibe.
Here, groups can unwind after a meeting with a round of golf, a shopping or fishing excursion, and great nightlife.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus South.
