The Magnolia State has many options for group functions, from traditional conference spaces specifically designed for meetings, including the Jackson Convention Complex, to special spaces at local attractions that are available for various gatherings away from the host meeting site, among them the Hattiesburg Zoo and the Tupelo Automobile Museum.
Gulf Coast Region
In Mississippi’s popular Gulf Coast area are several venues that planners can tap for group events.
The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, according to Crystal Johnson, director of sales at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional CVB, showcases the maritime history and heritage of the area, and accommodates events in its unique “ship in a bottle” setting.
“The raised design of the museum allows for events to take place outside, under the actual museum, as well as inside or on the west lawn,” she says of the Biloxi attraction that just opened in August. “Groups may hold casual meet-and-greet type functions or sit-down formal functions.”
Located in Bay St. Louis is 100 Men Hall, a 1920s venue that hosts music performances and is available for private functions and events; the new Bay St. Louis Community Hall; and the historic Bay St. Louis 1928 Train Depot, which houses a Mardi Gras Museum.
“The grounds are large enough for the group to hold their own parade,” says Myrna Green, manager of Hancock County Tourism Bureau. “You could also host a catered Southern barbecue under the 100-year-old oaks.”
One of the region’s more traditional group venues is the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg.
According to Kristen Brock, sales manager for Visit Hattiesburg, it’s located near 2,500 hotel rooms in a 32-acre park-like setting and is large enough to accommodate up to 1,500 people.
“For the more adventurous, the Hattiesburg Zoo is the perfect venue,” Brock adds, explaining that the zoo’s recently opened Asbury Discovery Center offers space for up to 50 people, and several pavilions and covered spaces have hosted events for more than 1,000 people “and provide the opportunity for fun animal encounters and immersive environments.”
Capital/River Region
The Jackson Convention Complex (JCC) offers more than 150,000 square feet of flexible exhibit, ballroom and meeting space, as well as on-site catering.
“The JCC is one of only 10 convention centers in the country to be LEED-certified as a green facility,” adds Yolanda Clay-Moore, spokeswoman for Jackson CVB. “Nearby arts and entertainment help complete a great meeting experience with a variety of leisure activities.”
Also in Jackson is the Mississippi Museum of Art, where groups will find indoor event spaces as well as a 1.2-acre Art Garden that Clay-Moore says “serves as the museum’s ‘front yard’ and is designed to be an inviting space in which everyone can engage comfortably with art.”
An affiliate of the Mississippi Museum of Art is the Vicksburg-based Southern Cultural Heritage Center (SCHC), a venue that Ashley Gatian, group services manager for the Vicksburg CVB, says is “visually pleasing to any attendee.”
The SCHC can accommodate meetings, receptions and meal functions.
“It has a large auditorium—used in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?—four classrooms and a large outdoor courtyard area,” Gatian says, adding that there is an on-site catering kitchen.
And in Natchez is the Natchez Convention Center, the area’s “top venue” for groups, conveniently located in the heart of downtown and boasting 32,000 square feet of meeting space, according to Lynsey Smith, director of sales at Visit Natchez.
“Also, we are lucky enough to have meeting space in our plantation and bed-and-breakfast homes that can accommodate board meetings or receptions,” she says. “We are working on an Entertainment District [scheduled for completion in 2016] to enhance networking at any meeting.”
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Delta
Tunica is home to several group-friendly casinos where groups can try their luck after getting some work done.
Among the options are Gold Strike Casino Resort, Sam’s Town Casino Resort, Hollywood Casino and Bally’s Casino.
And in Greenville is the Washington County Convention Center, where highlights include a 25,000-square-foot exhibit hall and an outdoor arena.
The Hills
The largest venue for group events in Tupelo is BancorpSouth Arena and Conference Center, which has over 32,000 square feet of function space and seating for 10,000 people.
Tupelo is also home to the Elvis Presley Birthplace Event Center, which includes over 3,000 square feet of meeting space, a 126-seat theater and a full catering kitchen.
According to Jennie Bradford Curlee, spokeswoman for the Tupelo CVB, groups enjoy the chance to meet in the birthplace of the King.
“It is a memorable spot for your event,” she says.
There is also the Tupelo Automobile Museum, which accommodates receptions and meal functions, and allows attendees to browse over 100 antique and classic cars, including one once owned by Presley.
In Oxford is the Oxford Conference Center and the Lyric Theatre.
“The Oxford Conference Center offers small-town charm with big-city services,” says Katie Kaiser, spokeswoman for Visit Oxford MS, citing its 282-seat auditorium, business center and executive boardroom, among other spaces.
The historic Lyric Theatre was originally constructed in the late-1800s as a livery stable owned by William Faulkner’s family in the early part of the 20th century, Kaiser says, and during the 1920s it was converted into a theater for live performances and silent films.
“In 1949, William Faulkner walked from his home in Oxford to his childhood stable for the world premiere of MGM’s Intruder in the Dust that was adapted from one of his novels,” she says, adding that today the bilevel venue has a spacious lobby, multiple bar and green room areas, and top-of-the-line sound and lighting equipment.
The Pines
Meridian, says Dede B. Mogollon, executive director for Visit Meridian Tourism, is blessed with many exceptional venues for group events, including two that are considered “most unique.”
The MSU Riley Center for Performing Arts and Education, formerly the Mississippi Grand Opera House and Marks Rothenberg Department Store, dating back to the late 1800s, is a fully functioning conference and performing arts center that can accommodate from 20 to 1,000 people, she says.
And the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum at Soule Steam Feed Works, referred to locals as Soule, dates back to 1892 and is filled with working steam engines.
“Soule is an exceptional reception venue that can accommodate up to 400 comfortably,” Mogollon says, adding that Soule has both indoor and outdoor spaces and is composed of two buildings joined by a cobblestone breezeway. “This rustic venue can accommodate live bands, eclectic themes and almost anything your creative mind can conjure up.”
