Whether they’re trying their luck at area casinos, hitting the links or dancing to the blues, groups will quickly learn that the Mississippi Gulf Coast encourages fun among meeting attendees.
From Hancock County in the west to the Biloxi area along the central coast to Ocean Springs in the east, the Magnolia State’s stretch of shoreline awaits groups seeking a good time after the business end of the meeting has concluded.
Though they come with additional goals like establishing camaraderie and better communication, teambuilding activities are most certainly considered fun.
According to Crystal Johnson, director of sales for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional CVB, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Estuarine Education Center offers outdoor teambonding options that include ropes courses, rock-climbing and kayaking, and Biloxi Schooners is available for sailing excursions during which attendees have to work together as a team to pull up the sails and accomplish other tasks.
In Waveland, according to Jane Byrne, spokeswoman for Mississippi’s West Coast/Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau, planners can arrange a tournament using the four lit volleyball courts on the beach.
Most of the teambuilding opportunities in Ocean Springs “will be in arts or food,” says Cynthia Dobbs Sutton, spokeswoman for the Ocean Springs COC-Main Street-Tourism Bureau. “Depending on the season, we have classes at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art and the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts& Education’s cafe.”
At the Mary C., as it’s known by locals, groups can sign up for a cooking class or partake in the weekly Lunch & Learn Series, during which attendees will watch a cooking demo from a local chef and then taste the culinary creation.
Group tours, like one facilitated by the Hurricane Hunters at Biloxi-based Keesler Air Force Base, provide attendees an entertaining peek into the host destination.
“Groups are able to see first-hand the planes and equipment used in hurricane hunting,” Johnson says, adding eco-tourism is popular on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. “Boating tours along our marshes allow visitors to see the animals of our region. We also have birding trails scattered throughout the coast.”
Byrne adds groups will enjoy the Old Town Bay St. Louis Historic Walking/Biking Tour, which features 28 historic buildings.
“It’s an opportunity to exercise your body and your brain,” she says, adding groups also like exploring the Heritage Trail Possum Walk, which is located next door to the Pearlington-based Infinity Science Center. “Visitors will learn about and view the Birds of Logtown.”
Ocean Springs, says Dobbs Sutton, is known for its arts so groups are encouraged to swing by the Ocean Springs Chamber for a downtown walking guide filled with oodles of shops and galleries.
“You can also pick up the Live Oaks bicycle route and ride up to 15.5 miles throughout Ocean Springs, Gulf Islands National Seashore Park and along the beachfront,” she says.
After working up an appetite on a long bike ride, attendees can spend an evening in downtown Ocean Springs hopping between a great variety of restaurants and about 30 fun nightlife venues.
“Murky Waters hosts live blues bands, Government Street Grocery boasts award-winning burgers and live music, including the Coast Big Band, and Leo’s Wood Fired Pizza has live music, excellent Italian cuisine and fun trivia nights,” says the Ocean Springs COC-Main Street-Tourism Bureau’s Dobbs Sutton.
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Enjoyable nightlife options are also plentiful in the Biloxi area, according to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional CVB’s Johnson.
At Kress Live, a new entertainment venue in downtown Biloxi, she says music lovers are in for an unforgettable experience due to the venue’s eclectic decor, spirited ambience and great sound system.
“Pub crawls are also available through our communities,” she says, citing Main Street Biloxi, Downtown Gulfport and Old Town Bay
St. Louis.
Located on the Mississippi Blues Trail is the Bay St. Louis-based 100 Men Hall, home to some of the best live music on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, according to Byrne, who says entertainers here over the decades have included B.B. King, James Brown, Etta James and Ike and Tina Turner.
Nighttime might also be the best time for groups to explore area casinos, including Gulfport-based Island View, Biloxi-based Beau Rivage, Boomtown, Hard Rock and Golden Nugget, and the Bay St. Louis-based Hollywood Casino and Silver Slipper.
At many of these, according to Johnson, attendees will find slot tournaments to join in on, as well as other games and activities, including chef demos at Biloxi-based Harrah’s Gulf Coast.
“Casinos provide a one-stop-shop for groups,” she says. “There are restaurants, spas, gaming and entertainment.”
Mississippi’s West Coast/Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau’s Byrne says attendees can “relax like rock stars” on Hollywood Casino’s 350-foot winding Lazy River.
“It has an island, sun deck, hot tub, swim-up bar and more,” she says.
Planners are of course encouraged to incorporate some memorable waterborne Gulf pursuits into the meeting itinerary.
Paddles Up in Ocean Springs offers paddle boarding classes and the Ocean Springs Yacht Club holds sailing camps.
“The Biloxi Shrimping Trip is a 70-minute cruise aboard the Sail Fish,” Johnson adds. “Guests experience firsthand exposure to the spectacular world of sea life, and after the cruise, groups may arrange to have a shrimp boil to eat their fresh catches.”
And operating out of Gulfport is Ship Island Excursions, which Johnson says provides daily passenger service to Ship Island and Fort Massachusetts, part of the Gulf Island National Seashore.
For groups accustomed to hitting the links for some fun competition, Mississippi Gulf Coast’s group-friendly golf courses are standing by to arrange tournaments.
Grand Bear Golf Course in Saucier and the Bridges Golf Club, located on-site at Hollywood Casino, both coordinate tournaments and offer dining experiences, according to Johnson.
“Their clubhouses are phenomenal and perfect sizes for on-site banquets,” she says.
Dobbs Sutton adds players at Gulf Hills Golf Club in Ocean Springs will enjoy scenic bayou views and, if it’s so arranged, will spend the night in Gulf Hills Hotel & Conference Center, the same hotel that Elvis spent time in.
“Or take a swing at the Preserve Golf Club,” she says. “Housed in Ocean Springs, it is the Palace Casino’s golf resort set on one of the most beautiful nature areas around.”
CAROLYN BLACKBURN is a regular contributor to Meetings Focus.
