With a distinct culture and history, smooth musical styles and delicious Southern cuisine, there is much to adore about the cluster of states that make up the Mid-South and Southeast regions of the country. From the swanky and trendy to the historic and charming, each locale provides a distinct vibe. Whether it’s a bustling city like Charlotte or a more laidback one like Macon, the area offers traditional meeting spaces and some unconventional ones, too (Think: horse racing venues and sustainable farms). Chances are, you’ll find the South just as sweet as a tall glass of tea.

Charlotte, North Carolina

When it comes to meeting venues in the “Queen City,” the Charlotte Convention Center is often the first to be considered. This impressive space offers up more than 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a 35,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and a full-service, award-winning catering staff.

The light rail system in Charlotte

And when planning an event at the Charlotte Convention Center, or another location, the Visit Charlotte staff is an excellent resource. From the initial inquiry to lodging assistance to site visits, the knowledgeable team will ensure that your event is a success from start to finish. Visit Charlotte has access to a vast network of partners, comprised of vendors, hotels, restaurants, attractions and more, and is always on hand to provide any services you may need.

From housing enabled by Passkey software (a dynamic software allowing meeting attendees to make reservations quickly and efficiently via a link on the association’s website) to promotional material that generates attendee excitement to media relations assistance, Visit Charlotte offers a wide array of services to support any event.

Rock climbing at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, just outside Charlotte proper.

Take it from Keith Burden, executive secretary for the National Association of Free Will Baptists, who greatly appreciates such a dedicated staff. The association’s recent convention at the Charlotte Convention Center, he says, was one of the best to date due to the attentive Visit Charlotte staff members. “Meeting planning by its very nature can be a very stressful occupation. I can honestly, and happily, say our stress level was greatly reduced because we always knew the Visit Charlotte staff was there for us.” Just outside the convention center is a thriving city, alive with world-class museums, cultural offerings, contemporary entertainment and outstanding dining and nightlife spots. It also offers year-round spectator sports including the NFL, NBA and NASCAR. In other words, this city packs a whole lot of punch. To top it off, Visit Charlotte provides exceptional support for planning an event here.

Needless to say, there is a lot to explore in this vibrant city beyond the major meeting facilities. Consider a themed tour hitting the high notes of Charlotte’s foodie scene, NASCAR roots, artistic expressions or haunted history. Whether you choose a walking tour, zipping around on a Segway, or cruising in a horse-drawn carriage, Charlotte offers a plethora of activities. The city even has a free “Charlotte’s Got a Lot” app, which identifies your location then points out nearby restaurants, attractions and more.

Columbia, South Carolina

Set in the heart of the state, South Carolina’s largest city offers all the excitement of a thriving metropolis without any of the gridlock of a big city. Its famously sunny weather means an abundance of year-round attractions to explore.

Kayaking the upper Congaree River in Columbia

For starters, there’s a wildlife tour of the world at the Riverbanks Zoo, which is home to more than 3,000 animals. The Congaree National Park is located nearby, too. Or experience the local theatrical scene at the South Carolina Shakespeare Company. Altogether, Columbia boasts 537,449 square feet of meeting space with numerous conventional and unconventional venues for meeting planners to choose from. They range from upscale and elegant venues to charming historic homes and gardens. One of the cities most popular unconventional spaces is City Roots, an in-town sustainable farm. The beautiful property is comprised of a contemporary barn hall featuring high ceilings, exposed studs, poured concrete floors and ground-level windows, a front porch with ceiling fans and back porch outfitted with a porch swing.

Guests also have access to the surrounding 2.8 acres of farm grounds, outdoor fire circle and a portion of the greenhouse with an indoor tilapia pond (note: you can actually catch a fish and the chefs will prepare it come dinnertime). Best of all, treat the meeting goers to a guided farm tour, which exposes the benefits of locally grown food, composting and other environmentally friendly farming practices. Tracie Broom, partner at Flock and Rally, an event planning and communication company, says she likes City Roots because there “you can have a Lowcountry shrimp boil, a bluegrass band and a burn-barrel fire with a sky full of stars, or you can host an organic luncheon and educational seminar on aquaculture and vermicomposting. By design, City Roots affords planners the casual rusticity of a Southern family farm mixed with cutting edge sustainable technologies and green architecture, reflecting Columbia’s growing progressive scene.”

And it doesn’t end there, Columbia also offers top-notch facilities and natural settings for sporting events. The lakes and rivers are calm and warm year-round, there are ample green spaces perfect for mountain biking, cycling and running and the city has several state-of-the-art arenas and stadiums. It’s no surprise that it is quickly becoming one of the hottest locations for amateur sports marketing.

Huntsville, Alabama

Identified as one of Forbes’ top 20 leading metros for business, the “Rocket City” remains the center of rocket-propulsion research with many aerospace and defense contractors’ facilities located in the area. Beyond the innovative high-tech ventures, though, Huntsville offers Southern hospitality, a historical downtown area, a picturesque mountain-view setting and thriving social scene.

U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville

One of Huntsville’s most popular meetings facilities is the Jackson Center located in the heart of Cummings Research Park, the second largest technology center in the United States. This 22,400-sq.-ft. facility provides five meeting areas, all equipped with the latest audiovisual technology as well as complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the building. Dedicated to providing a distraction-free space for professional meetings, each meeting room houses comfortable ergonomic chairs, wide glare-free tables and windows featuring light-filtering and room-darkening shades.

No meeting itinerary is complete without a budget-friendly, yet delicious catering menu. The Jackson Center offers a wide range of catering options to fit any budget, and all menus are created with super-fresh ingredients. After the meeting, visit one of the nearby popular gathering spots like The Space and Rocket Center or the Bridge Street Town Centre featuring 70 upscale shops and restaurants, a movie theater and nightlife venues.

For breakfast meetings, company cookouts or an elaborate private reception, consider the Huntsville Museum of Art, North Alabama’s leading visual arts center. It has five exquisite areas to rent and is an ideal location to mix culture and business. Or rent a space at the historic Alabama Constitution Village, the gathering place of the 44 delegates of the constitutional convention who assembled on July 5, 1819, to organize Alabama as the 22nd state.

Louisville, Kentucky

Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville

Did you know that one-third of the world’s bourbon comes from Louisville? It is also known for the nation’s largest urban forest, produces the official bat of Major League Baseball, has more than 120 parks, produces 90 percent of the world’s disco balls and is home to the largest Victorian neighborhood in the U.S. It’s a foodie’s haven, too, with more than 2,500 restaurants, a history buff’s dream come true with the Muhammad Ali Center, and the ultimate shopping destination for those who like to splurge. Very impressive, indeed.

Home to the Kentucky State Fair, the National Farm Machinery Show and the North American International Livestock Exposition, The Kentucky Exposition Center is the seventh largest facility of its kind in the nation. It houses more than 1.2 million square feet of indoor space, meeting rooms and public areas including Freedom Hall, a 19,000-seat indoor arena. Recent events include the 2011 United Pentecostal Church International General Conference with nearly 12,000 attendees and approximately 5,000 participants for the Pentecostal Fire Youth Conference.

Churchill Downs in Louisville

The ample space available at the Kentucky Exposition Center is what keeps The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the largest Christian music tour in the country, coming back each year.  “The event is highly anticipated, and this year was no exception,” says Shannon Habas, the show’s media relations director. “Freedom Hall was filled with more than 15,000 in attendance to see the unbelievable rock show and the message of Christ leading nearly 3,000 people to make a decision for the Lord. This is not just any concert; it is an experience.”

The area also plays host to The Kentucky International Convention Center, located in downtown Louisville, which has 300,000 square feet of space, a 30,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and 52 meeting rooms. This location is supported by a dedicated and professional full-time staff, in-house catering and technical production specialists. For large events numbered in the thousands, these two facilities can accommodate.

For a more intimate setting, opt for the Holiday Inn, a 271-room full-service upscale hotel. The property features 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, teleconferencing and audio/visual equipment. Or choose the Ramada Plaza Louisville East with more than 300 guest rooms and 44,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Both options have incredible staff ready to help with the planning of every detail to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Macon, Georgia

Known as the “Song and the Soul of the South,” Macon has a wealth of history, culture and heritage. Founded in 1823, the city of Macon grew largely due to the railroad and cotton industry, which flooded the city with wealth. Many neighborhoods still display the grandiose Gone-with-the-Wind-style homes and brick commerce buildings, which were established during that period. Possibly most famous for its musical past, Macon is home to some of the greatest musicians of all time including Little Richard, Lena Horne, soul legend Otis Redding, R.E.M. founding members Bill Barry and Mike Mills, rapper Young Jeezy and CMT Artist of the Year Jason Aldean. The modern-day Macon has rolled all of these influences into a city rich with activities and culture.

An antebellum home in Macon

The Macon City Auditorium sits within the historic district of downtown Macon and is listed as a historic landmark in the National Register of Historic Places. It sports a unique copper dome and a Doric-style limestone colonnade, which surrounds three sides of the building. On the inside, the Great Hall seats approximately 2,600. Its main attraction: a centerpiece mural over the stage by Don Carlos Dubois and Wilbur Kurtz depicting DeSoto’s visit to the area in 1540. This stage has seen the likes of headlining entertainers, local events and keynote speakers.

The Georgia Bridal Show has returned to Macon every February since 1996 for its annual show. The Macon City Auditorium is the perfect central location to assist middle Georgia brides-to-be, says Tommy Vaughan, the show’s producer. “We bring together 50 vendors from the Macon area to provide a one-stop resource when planning a wedding. With almost 10,000 attendees each year, the Georgia Bridal Show is the South’s most attended bridal show.” Not surprisingly, the city hosts a range of events every year, including the International Cherry Blossom Festival, a citywide festival with 10 days of events, concerts and exhibits against a backdrop of more than 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees, the most in the world. Each March the crowds enjoy activities such as authors’ luncheons, a street party and parade, a bed race, Cherry Blossom Gala and even an alligator show, just to name a few. Also, the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration is held in September and the Macon Film Festival in February.

“Attracting an average of 300,000 participants each year, this festival will feature over 500 events,” says Stacy Campbell, director of sales and marketing for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  “With so much to offer, including plenty of Southern hospitality, the entire town hums with excitement.”

New Orleans, Louisiana

A carriage ride in the historic French Quarter in New Orleans

Sometimes, bad things can create good opportunities for a city. Consider New Orleans, which has always been a popular destination for meetings and events because of its culture and diversity. But in 2005, disaster in the name of Hurricane Katrina struck, more or less crippling the city. But since the hurricane, New Orleans has undergone massive revitalization efforts with more than $500 million invested in hotel renovations, and that’s one reason why even after Katrina, tourism is still a $5 billion-plus industry for the Louisiana coastal city.

Another good to come from Katrina: ramped-up voluntourism efforts, which many churches and faith-based groups become involved with while meeting in the city. Attendees help rebuild homes and schools, donate and hand out canned goods to hungry families, and volunteer at local children’s organizations. A few of the resources planners can connect with for voluntourism opportunities include Habitat for Humanity, HandsOn New Orleans, Hike for KaTREEna and Rebuilding Together New Orleans.

The convention and visitors bureau estimates that about 75,000 attendees for faith-based events will travel to New Orleans this year, having a $76 million economic impact. From 2008 through the end of this year, almost 190,000 participants in faith-based events will have traveled to New Orleans. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Youth Gathering alone will bring 35,000 young people to the city in July. With more than 38,000 hotel rooms and a convention center with 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space, the city has the space to accommodate that group and any size group, really.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center spans 10 city blocks, is the sixth largest facility of its kind in the country and will have New Orleans' largest ballroom when the 60,000-sq.-ft. Great Hall is complete next year.

Downtown New Orleans has more than 22,000 overnight rooms within a two-mile radius of one another. A mile south of the French Quarter riverfront, the sprawling Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is the country’s sixth largest convention center. Built the year after the 1984 World’s Fair and renovated in 2006, the convention center has 3.1 million square feet of total space. More than 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space is complemented by two ballrooms, a 4,000-seat theater and 140 key-card-access rooms. In January next year, The Great Hall, a 60,000-sq.-ft. ballroom, opens at the center. Also downtown, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (formerly the Louisiana Superdome) provides ample space for large-scale faith-based events.

The Hilton New Orleans Riverside, adjacent to the convention center, has 1,622 rooms and 122,000 square feet of function space. After a $275 million redesign and overall hotel upgrade in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Hyatt Regency New Orleans reopened recently. The hotel doubled its meeting space, now totaling more than 200,000 square feet. The 1,193-room property also has a new food and beverage program.

The Hyatt is now the largest meeting and convention hotel in the city with 80,000 square feet of exhibit space. It has five Meeting Planner Suites, which have oversized work areas with access to a printer, fax machine and copy machine. When in New Orleans, “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll,” by scheduling receptions and other events at some of the city’s more distinctive venues, such as Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, where colorful floats are created for the annual Mardi Gras parade. The facility also rents out Grand Oaks Mansion, a replica of an antebellum mansion. Attendees can spend free time dining at a jazz brunch, cruising the Mississippi River on a paddle wheeler or just wandering the French Quarter.

Libby Hoppe contributed to this article.

Situated in the heart of Coastal Virginia, Chesapeake’s convenient mid-Atlantic location is within 750 miles of two-thirds of the U.S. population. And thanks to the nearby Norfolk International Airport (ORF), getting your group here couldn’t be easier. With hotels ranging from traditional to trendy, you can tailor your group’s surroundings to its tastes and your budget. The city’s winning combination of accommodations, meeting venues, attractions and activities provides plenty of options for your group’s agenda.

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The cliche is that everything is bigger in Texas. But is it? And what if small can have a big impact, too? Frisco, Irving, Laredo, Lewisville and Odessa don’t have the big footprints of a Dallas or San Antonio, but that hasn’t stopped them from creating thriving meeting and convention cultures on their own. These smaller towns complement big convention cities like Houston to create a state with vibrant, varied cultures. Take a look.

Austin

Deep in the heart of Texas, cowboys, musicians and state legislators all come together in strange harmony to “Keep Austin Weird,” an unofficial slogan promoted by the city’s small business alliance. It’s a town that hosts some of the coolest events in the country (SXSW music, film and tech conference; Austin City Limits music festival), but has remained under the radar as a major meetings city compared to some of its neighboring towns, says Steve Genovesi, the new senior vice president of sales for the Austin CVB. “Austin is a vibrant, cool, hip, livable city,” says Genovesi, but really sizeable events haven’t had the space they need, he adds. That’s about to change.

Construction begins this year on a Marriott hotel in Austin. It will be the largest hotel in the city, located just blocks from the convention center. The hotel will have more than 103,000 square feet of meeting space and 1,003 guest rooms. “The new Marriott is going to parlay us into a whole new level of convention planners that will be looking at us for the first time,” says Genovesi. The hotel is expected to be complete by late 2015.

Austin Convention Center

The Austin Convention Center is a LEED Gold-certified facility that sits in a convenient location in the heart of downtown, right off I-35, near Lady Bird Lake and Sixth Street. The new Marriott will add to the already 6,000 hotel rooms near the center. Built from native Texas materials including limestone, the building is as close to sustainable as a building that stretches six city blocks can be. It has almost 881,400 square feet of space, including 246,097 square feet of exhibit space. In Austin, a town that’s proud of its local businesses, it’s no surprise that the convention center has an Austin original, Jo’s coffee, serving drinks, pastries and sandwiches to droopy-eyed convention goers. The funky little shop opened its first location on South Congress Avenue more than 10 years ago.

One of the best things about Austin as a meetings city is its safe nature and extremely walkable downtown. In some cities, the downtown area is a business center, but in Austin, downtown is where people work, live, shop, exercise, hear live music, go out to dinner and more. It’s also where meeting attendees feel safe and not overwhelmed. Downtown’s Warehouse District is filled with local eateries, and the burgeoning Second Street District has upscale shopping and al fresco, but comfortably approachable, cafes. Austin’s most famous downtown area, though, is Sixth Street, a historic district where restaurants, music venues, theaters and comedy clubs are open to visitors morning through night.

And among all that activity are a number of hotels that can accommodate groups, including the Hilton Austin, Four Seasons Hotel, Omni Hotel and Hyatt Regency. The Hyatt, a 448-room convention hotel that sits across the lake from downtown, between the Congress Avenue and First Street bridges, has impressive views of the downtown skyline from guest rooms and meeting rooms. In 2009, the hotel completed an $18 million renovation, updating its exterior, lobby, meeting space and restaurant. The AAA Four-Diamond hotel has 23,000 square feet of meeting space.

For something a little out of the ordinary, local hotelier Liz Lambert added two cool hotels to the fray. The small, boutique hotels are less large-scale and more VIP kinds of places. Hotel San Jose came first; located in the hip SoCo (South Congress) area near downtown, the once-seedy motor court was transformed into an uber-cool, bungalow-style hotel hidden behind ivy-covered stucco walls. The hotel’s courtyard could be an intimate setting for an evening event. Lambert’s other property, Hotel St. Cecilia, is just a few blocks away on a secluded estate. With rooms inspired by artists, poets and musicians, the property is an urban fantasia of style and originality.

Frisco

Bronze cattle drive sculptures in Frisco

Frisco was born as a tiny town along the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad 25 minutes north of Dallas. It has emerged as a powerhouse in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. It is a city loaded with activities for its 122,822 residents, as well as enough cultural and social activities to draw myriad conventions, sporting events and conferences.

Dr Pepper Arena is the home of the North American Hockey League’s Texas Tornadoes, Frisco’s minor league hockey franchise. The 6,000-seat arena is also the practice facility for the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. Dr Pepper Ballpark is home to the Frisco RoughRiders, the Texas Rangers’ minor league affiliate baseball team. The ballpark has seating for 10,000 fans, as well as an upscale restaurant that can host banquets or large parties. Both the ballpark and the arena can be rented in whole or in part for meetings and events.

The city also has the 117-acre FC Dallas Stadium (formerly Pizza Hut Park), which has housed national and international major league and youth soccer games, in addition to concerts, high school football games and other events. For meeting planners, the stadium includes video displays on both corners of the north side of the stadium, a private 6,000-sq.-ft. stadium club area and 18 luxury suites. Shopping is plentiful in Frisco. There is the Stonebriar Center, an upscale mall and shopping area; an IKEA store, one of only three in Texas; and dozens of restaurants, shops and boutique shopping opportunities. Then there are the museums. The Frisco Discovery Center is a hands-on museum showcasing visual and performing arts, science, math and technology.

Heritage Museum grounds in Frisco

The Heritage Museum is a two-story, 18,000-sq.-ft. tribute to Frisco’s Old West past. The Texas Sculpture Garden at Hall Office Park features 40 large-scale public art pieces, and an additional 100 smaller pieces of artwork are on display throughout the open-air office park.

Holding a meeting or convention in Frisco doesn’t mean giving up all of the amenities found in a larger city. “We have one of the highest concentrations of retail and cultural events for a city of our size,” says Marla Roe, executive director of the Frisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. “And everything is pretty close to everything else, so we’re slowly getting the resemblance of somewhat of a cultural center.”

Large groups use the Embassy Suites Hotel and Frisco Conference Center, which features 1,479 guest rooms and 90,000 square feet of exhibit space. Other popular meeting hotels include the Westin Stonebriar, Sheraton Stonebriar, Comfort Suites at Frisco Square, and Hampton Inn and Suites. Convention attendees wanting a break from business or looking to close a deal amid the greens can tee off at one of four top-ranked golf courses. The city has dozens of golf courses, many of them open to the public or guests at various hotels and resorts. Three courses stand out: The Trails of Frisco, The Tom Fazio course at The Westin Stonebriar and Plantation Golf Club. The courses can often accommodate tee time requests with reservations.

Houston

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts and public art designed by Robert A.M.Stern in Houston's Theater District

The fourth-largest city in the U.S. had rather humble beginnings as a settlement established along the banks of Buffalo Bayou in 1836, the year Texas gained independence from Mexico and became a republic. During the 1850s, Houston’s roots as a commercial center took hold as it grew into an important railroad hub.

This status was firmly implanted after the Galveston hurricane of 1900 necessitated the dredging of a deepwater inland shipping channel. With the fortuitous timing of the Spindletop oil discovery in Beaumont in 1901 and the already-established rail industry, the Port of Houston would quickly grow into its current ranking as the busiest port in the nation, and Houston would become an epicenter of the oil and gas industry.

The city’s reputation for its suburban sprawl and hot, humid climate precedes it, but there is an incredible upside that should not be overlooked by meeting planners. Houston has a rich cultural-arts scene and a racial diversity unmatched in Texas due to its large international community.

People from around the world come for the Texas Medical Center, the largest health-related district in the world, and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where mission control is located. Throughout the city, but especially concentrated in the Museum District, are hundreds of art galleries and world-class museums such as the Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel.  Fine dining abounds, reflecting the city’s multicultural makeup and placing Houston squarely upon the map as a serious foodie destination. Downtown embodies the city’s ever-changing, vibrant spirit.

Once considered a place to avoid except for work, the district has transformed over the last couple decades into an exciting core of restaurants, shops, lodgings and entertainment, in addition to business.  Contributing to the work-play-live ethos are anchors such as the 12-acre Discovery Green park; the Toyota Center sports and entertainment facility, home of the NBA’s Rockets; Minute Maid Park, home of MLB’s Astros; and METRORail, which connects downtown with the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park.

Located directly across the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center is Discovery Green, a near 12-acre park with a lake, performance venues, gardens, jogging trail and more.

The latter complex contains Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Texans, and the Reliant Center, an event facility with more than 706,000 square feet of exhibit space and 61 meeting rooms. Downtown also has one of the largest conference/hotel facilities in the country:  The George R. Brown Convention Center and attached Hilton Americas-Houston combine for nearly 1.3 million square feet of meeting space and 1,200 guest rooms.

The Hilton recently completed an $11 million upgrade, adding high-definition TVs, Hilton Serenity beds, new artwork and furnishings to guest rooms. Bathrooms are now equipped with granite countertops and water-conserving showerheads.  The 19th floor executive lounge was also upgraded with new computers and meeting spaces, and the hotel’s 91,500 square feet of meeting and function areas has new  carpeting throughout.

Irving

The home page of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau is to-the-point: flight times from both Los Angeles and New York City to DFW are about three hours. The message is as clear as a blue sky: Irving is competing with the big boys.

Proof: The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, a state-of-the-art center that opened in 2011. The 275,000-sq.-ft. building has a 50,000-sq.-ft. column-free exhibit hall, a 20,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and 20,000 square feet of breakout meeting space.

"The Mustangs of Las Colinas," in Irving, is one of the largest equestrian sculptures in the world.

“We’re chasing after the same business as Dallas,” says Mara Gast, executive director of the Irving CVB. “It’s mainly about educating decision makers about an area they may not have heard of before. They have all heard of Dallas, but we would like them to consider Irving.”

Even with the size of the new convention center, Irving is still able to accommodate smaller groups and meetings. “We can find something within everyone’s budget. If it’s a group of 100, we can help them and put them in one of our smaller spaces and they’re not going to feel that they’re lost in the galaxy. We will still give them that personal attention,” Gast says. Irving also has a variety of accommodations. Luxury, full-service hotels include the Four Seasons, Wyndham, Omni, Embassy Suites, Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Westin and Doubletree. Limited-service budget hotels include Best Western, Drury, LaQuinta, Hilton Garden Inn and Days Inn. Most of the hotels have meeting space. For example, the Four Seasons has 32,000 square feet of available meeting space.

Laredo

Laredo was founded on the north bank of the Rio Grande River. The city is currently the largest inland port on the southern U.S. border, and the city’s rich Latin American heritage is on display throughout the town. In Laredo, seven flags fly over the city (the Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande in addition to the six flags of Texas). They are symbolic of Laredo’s historic link to seven countries: France, Spain, Mexico, Republic of the Rio Grande, Texas, the Confederacy and the United States of America. Laredo was the capital of its own country for a short period of time (the Republic of the Rio Grande) from January 1840 to late fall of that same year. The capitol building still stands and serves as The Republic of the Rio Grande Museum.

The seven flags of Laredo are symbolic of Laredo's historic link to seven countries.

The city has undergone a downtown revitalization of sorts over the last several years, with new parking, increased retail and more restaurants cropping up. With a population of 215,000, Laredo isn’t exactly big for Texas, but it’s not small either.

It’s easily accessible: The city is served by Interstate Highway 35, U.S. Highways 59 and 83, and Texas Highway 359. Laredo International Airport is anchored by American Airlines, Continental and Allegiant Air, with daily connecting flights to Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Las Vegas.

In addition to the Laredo Civic Center, meeting planners also have Laredo Energy Arena as an option for planning events. The arena seats up to 10,000 and can be custom-tailored for events. Laredo Energy Arena also has 14 suites, two conference rooms, and a bar on the concourse that can host private parties and events.

Lewisville

Lewisville is one of the oldest cities in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Incorporated in 1925, the city is anchored by Lewisville Lake, a man-made reservoir that is immensely popular for water sports and outdoor recreation in the area. Lewisville Lake Park, a 622-acre park on the south shore of the lake, offers picnic areas, RV and tent camping and other amenities. The lake features world-class fishing.

Lewisville CVB specializes in hosting smaller meetings and conventions of 300 to 500 people. The city is fine with operating on a small scale, and in fact considers its small-meeting focus a unique selling proposition. “A meeting that size might get lost in the big city,” says James Kunke, director of community relations and tourism. “We’re seeing a lot more planners and smaller companies that want to be catered to and want the personal touch. We can provide that. Also, we’re just outside of Dallas. They land at DFW, and not too long after that they can be at our convention center. So, they still have access to Dallas. Just because you’re choosing one of the outlying cities doesn’t mean you’re giving up the culture and environment of the big city.”

In 2007, the city opened the Lewisville Convention Center, featuring 17,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space able to host up to 840 people. The CVB upgraded audio and visual services at the center, and made the venue non-smoking. There are 865 hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center, including Hilton Garden Inn, which is attached to the center, with 155 rooms and 10 suites.

Kunke says the new facility has definitely helped with increased business. “Our challenge used to be getting people to understand that they can have an event here. We didn’t have the meeting space before. Now there are people who understand they have options.” For meeting planners considering day trips, a federal preserve is located just outside of town. The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area is a 2,000-acre preserve featuring abundant wildlife, including bobcats, white-tailed deer and mink, as well as birds, wild turkeys, painted buntings and dozens of waterfowl species. The area also features four hiking trails, camping and fishing areas, paddling and canoeing and picnic areas. Entrance fees are $5 per person; children 5 and under are admitted free.

Odessa

Amid the pivoting oil derricks and beautiful sunsets, far west of the Texas Triangle and halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso, Odessa sits. The city is located in the Permian Basin, an oil and natural gas producing region that has become one of the key energy areas in the United States. The city offers a unique balance between the benefits of a small town, such as a moderate cost of living and a high quality of life and the benefits of a large community, including high-quality educational, cultural and health care facilities.

University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa

Today, Odessa is thriving. Although oil and gas still remain the city’s largest industry, other industries have relocated to the region, diversifying the economy. Odessa is quickly being recognized as a major health industry hub with three hospitals, a cancer center and several medical specialists in the area. Odessa is the 23rd largest city in Texas, and is home to three higher-education institutions, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and Odessa College. Odessa also has several former residents that have gone on to fame and fortune. Past residents include former United States Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush, country and western band The Gatlin Brothers, and Roy Williams, professional football player.

For fun, a visit to Odessa would not be complete without a visit to the rabbit. The city is home to what some have said is the “World’s Largest Jack Rabbit,” an eight-foot-tall rabbit sculpture that has become the symbol for the city. The rabbit was created in 1962 by former Attorney General John Ben Shepperd during his term as Odessa Chamber of Commerce president. In 1962, the statue was erected in the middle of town.

The Odessa CVB staff makes sure to reach out to meeting planners, enlisting local volunteers to help plan events as well as ensure that the city puts on the best face for visitors. According to the Odessa CVB, travel and tourism is a $206 million industry for the city, fueling 2,320 jobs and generating $4.4 million in local tax revenue.

Meeting planners will find plenty of options in Odessa. The city has nearly 2,000 guest rooms, and the main convention center is the Ector County Coliseum Complex, which has 150,000 square feet of space in six different buildings.

SITE VISITS | Click on the images below for more information

RETREAT | Barton Creek Resort

EXPLORE | San Antonio's Riverwalk

Libby Hoppe contributed to this article.

There are many reasons to meet and play in the largest city in Northern California. Here are a few:

Unconventionally Great Customer Service
Team San Jose, a new breed of CVBs changing the face of the event services industry, puts the customer first, which is part of the reason why 97 percent of meeting planners say they would return to San Jose for a future meeting. Recently certified by DMAI by a rigorous 22-point service standard, TSJ coordinates everything from housing, event services and customized food and beverage menus to permits, marketing support and technically-savvy special events.

Convention Center Expansion and Renovation
In April 2011, the City of San Jose and Team San Jose announced plans to expand and renovate the San Jose Convention Center, which currently offers 143,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, a 22,000 sq.-ft. ballroom and up to 31 meeting rooms. The $120 million project will add 125,000 square feet of flexible meeting and ballroom space, increasing San Jose’s convention center space to 550,000 total square feet. The center remains fully operational throughout the project, which will debut in 2013.

Easy, Accessible Airport and Destination
San Jose offers a walkable, clean and safe downtown, conveniently located 10 minutes from the Mineta San Jose International Airport, which now has larger lounges featuring free Wi-Fi and public art installations.

Fun Gateway to the Bay Area and Northern California
After your event is over, attendees will love the San Jose experience. With 300 days of sunshine, they will be eager to get outdoors for a walk downtown, which is packed with tree-lined streets, stylish hotels, diverse restaurants, parks and an abundance of cultural activities, before and after meetings. The Tech Museum, HP Pavilion—home to the NHL’s Sharks—and the San Jose Civic are popular nearby attractions. A short drive puts you smack in the middle of Santa Cruz Mountain wine country, and great beaches and attractions are a day-trip away in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas.

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Charlotte’s Center City is the convention district, an area boasting nearly 100 restaurants plus attractions ideal for after-meeting entertainment. Charlotte’s compact layout combined with a winning hotel package will make your next meeting a success; both from the perspective of easy planning and from an attendance point of view.

Once you’re here, explore off-the-beaten-path Charlotte neighborhoods, high-octane adventures at attractions like the NASCAR Hall of Fame and time-tested, year-round things to see and do. No matter where you go in Charlotte, you’ll find a lot to your liking…not to mention plenty of Southern comforts and urban excitement along the way.

For more information, visit charlottesgotalot.com.

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Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Kansas City, Missouri

Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie, the stunning Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors last September not only to Kansas City’s patrons of the arts, but also to meeting attendes. The defining aesthetic of the dramatic 285,000-sq.-ft. facility is a sharply contrasting blend of steel and glass, curves and angles, which creates a fascinating interplay of light, shadows, reflections and transparency. With an equal emphasis placed on acoustic design, the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre and 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall are the perfect venues for keynote addresses or special events. Both spaces are connected by the large, glass-enclosed Brandmeyer Great Hall, which can be used for receptions or exhibits.

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Crossroads Arts District, a mixed-use neighborhood with a concentration of art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping and residences. Next door is the Kansas City Convention Center, an eight-square-block facility with 388,000 square feet of exhibit space, 48 meeting rooms, ballrooms, a plaza and a 10,700-capacity arena. A few blocks away is the Power and Light District, Kansas City’s premiere entertainment zone, with more prominent dining, shopping, and nightlife, as well as frequent festivals, concerts and special events.

The Tech Museum
San Jose, California

What could be a more appropriate atmosphere for an inspiring and thought-provoking meeting in Silicon Valley than a place called The Tech Museum? This institution of innovation set in the heart of San Jose is the perfect locale to stimulate creativity, discussion and ideas. That’s why the opening party of Rejuvenate Marketplace 2011 was held among the museum’s hundreds of cutting-edge exhibits. But it is not just for receptions. The entire three-story, 132,000-sq.-ft. building can be rented for large events—additionally, galleries, a hall, the rooftop terrace and the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater can be reserved separately or together. Elegant catering is available from on-site restaurant, Cafe Primavera.

Within a couple blocks is the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, which can accommodate large events with 143,000 square feet of exhibit space, 31 meeting rooms and 22,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. Also within walking distance are more museums and theaters, parks, restaurants, shops, and hotels such as the Marriott and Hilton. The Paseo de San Antonio Walk is a pedestrian thoroughfare that leads to San Jose State University, with dining along the way. For explorations outside the city, light rail stations are conveniently located throughout downtown with service to neighboring cities Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Campbell and Mountain View.

Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

An oasis in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City is the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. Since 1988, people have been retreating to this special 17-acre property and its several different types of gardens, two-acre lake and public art. But the star attraction here is the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, a remarkable enclosed jungle-like environment containing reptiles, amphibians, birds, butterflies, fish, exotic tropical plants and a 35-foot waterfall. It can be rented separately for special events (seating capacity is 80), as can Meinders Garden and the Water Stage, which can accommodate several hundred people. Formal meetings can be held in the 5,000-sq.-ft. Dean A. McGee Center, which contains the Terrace Room and Water Plaza Room, each with seating for 120 people.

Across the street from the gardens is the Cox Convention Center, with more than 1 million square feet of flexible meeting space, and Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Thunder. Within a few blocks is Bricktown, a former warehouse district turned entertainment mecca featuring restaurants, nightlife, shopping, hotels and Bricktown Riverwalk. A popular excursion is floating along the Bricktown Canal in water taxis, which can be chartered for private groups.

NASCAR Hall of Fame
Charlotte, North Carolina

A venue for meetings and events that is sure to get hearts and minds racing is Charlotte’s NASCAR Hall of Fame. Opened in May 2010, this homage to stock-car racing champions has interactive, cutting-edge exhibits available for guided group tours, events and meetings of up to 2,500 in size. The entire 150,000-sq.-ft. facility can be rented, as well as individual spaces such as the Great Hall, Legends Room, Belk High Octane Theater or the 32,000-sq.-ft. outdoor Ceremonial Plaza.

The hall of fame is just one component of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Complex, located uptown (don’t be confused—downtown is locally known as uptown or Center City). The complex is connected to the Charlotte Convention Center. The 850,000-sq.-ft. convention center features the 40,000-sq.-ft. Crown Ballroom, part of a recent 102,000-sq.-ft. expansion. Nearby hotels include Hilton Garden Inn and the Westin, and a variety of upscale restaurants are in the vicinity. A few blocks away is Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the NBA’s Bobcats.

Hilton Columbia Center
Columbia, South Carolina

The capital of South Carolina bills itself as “Famously Hot,” and meeting planners should take note—Columbia’s temperate climate makes it a great meeting destination year-round. A block away from the South Carolina State House in its thriving city center is the Hilton Columbia Center, which consistently ranks as one of the top Hilton properties worldwide. The hotel has 5,956 square feet of flexible function space, including a ballroom that can be broken into multiple rooms, two meeting rooms and two boardrooms. It is across the street from the 142,500-sq.-ft. Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

The Hilton is situated on the edge of the lively Congaree Vista district, a historic section of downtown that was once the city’s industrial and rail center. Revitalized in the last 15 years, the area now contains some of the city’s finest dining, nightlife, shopping and galleries. Also in close proximity are the University of South Carolina, South Carolina State Museum and the Riverfront Park and Columbia Canal.

Latest and Greatest

The newest addition to Denver’s burgeoning Cultural Arts District is the Clyfford Still Museum, located adjacent to the Denver Art Museum. The bold, iconoclastic building was designed specifically to display the works of Still, considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Opened in November of last year, the two-story, 28,500-sq.-ft. museum is filled with approximately 2,400 pieces by the abstract expressionist pioneer, the bulk of whose work has been hidden from public view for more than three decades. Created with events in mind, the museum can host receptions for 250 or sit-down dinners for 60 people.

Hang Out, LoHi Style

Denver is a city of neighborhoods with original boutiques, galleries, brewpubs, bookstores, locally owned coffee houses, chef-owned restaurants and music clubs. But none has experienced more growth recently than the LoHi (Lower Highlands) District, located northwest of downtown. Pedal along the Cherry Creek bike path on a shiny red cycle rented through the city’s B-Cycle program and check out the area’s highlights along the way, including Confluence Park and the massive REI flagship store. As the sun sets, hang around and enjoy a bite at one of the district’s eclectic eateries.

Meet Greener Than Green

At the heart of downtown Denver is the two-level, environmentally friendly Colorado Convention Center, featuring 584,000 square feet of exhibit space, two ballrooms (one measuring 50,000 square feet; the other at 35,000), 63 meeting rooms and a 5,000-seat theater. Thanks to the center’s ambitious sustainability program, the state-of-the-art facility received LEED certification for an existing building, making it the largest building in Colorado and one of the largest  convention centers in the U.S. to do so.

Pachyderm Paradise

The din of trumpeting trunks will be a common sound when the Toyota Elephant Passage opens at the Denver Zoo this June. The landmark, $50 million, 10-acre exhibit will become the nation’s largest bull elephant habitat (capable of housing up to 12 males) and will also house a variety of Asian elephants, Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs. The Denver Zoo has a complete on-site meeting facility able to handle conferences up to 300, banquets for 700 and receptions up to 8,000 people.

Anaheim, California

Anaheim Convention Center

If theme-park icon Walt Disney were around today, he’d be impressed by how the home of Disneyland, his first venture, has evolved. Disneyland opened in the 1950s, and Anaheim has since blossomed into a self-contained, all-around group destination, home to a first-tier convention center and a series of major meeting properties, generously complemented by family-friendly amenities (e.g., shopping, dining, entertainment). It’s all available in this compact, accessible and very walkable city. “There really is a purpose to our design here. It’s really a campus now,” says Charles Ahlers, president and CEO of the Anaheim/Orange County CVB.

Ahlers is enthused about what lies ahead for his campus, notably the new Grand Plaza. “It’s a splendid idea,” he says of the $20 million project, which, when completed by January of 2013, will reroute Convention Way traffic to the rear of the Anaheim Convention Center and nearby hotels, turning what’s now the area’s main thoroughfare into a park-like pedestrian mall. “There will be cultural events conducted in this common area when it’s completed,” says Ahlers, adding that “a lot of the key shows that come here regularly will also be able to hold outdoor exhibits and concerts in this space as part of their programs.”

Upgrades, renovations and expansions are buzzwords elsewhere around Anaheim these days. John Wayne Airport is in the midst of a $543 million redo that includes a new 282,000-sq.-ft. third terminal, additional parking spaces, dining concessions and extensive retail set for completion any day. Area hotels also have kept busy upgrading, with the Hyatt Regency Orange County recently wrapping up a $25 million renovation and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa finishing its own $6 million makeover. The Wyndham Orange County in Costa Mesa is about to launch a $14 million renovation, while Great Wolf Resorts plans a 2013 opening for its new resort in Garden Grove featuring a 600-room hotel, 30,000 square feet of meeting space and an attached water park.

Portland, Oregon

Oregon Convention Center

While Oregon did not invent the green movement, it certainly exemplifies it. In fact, the Beaver State and its largest city (population 570,000) have long been leaders in developing a cleaner, greener lifestyle, dating back more than 40 years to then-Governor Tom McCall’s campaign to clean up the Willamette River. Those early efforts bear fruit today at Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a 1.5-mile stretch of green along the Willamette in downtown Portland that’s a favorite for group events and city festivals.

“We put sustainability as one of our major priority areas and Portland is a great match for us,” says Jan Sneegas, director general assembly and conference services for the Unitarian Universalist Association. Since Sneegas first brought her general assembly meeting to the Rose City in 2007, she has become a huge fan of how Portland works in sync with her needs. “They have an affordable range of housing that’s close to the convention center and their light rail system really works well—it’s both inexpensive and easily accessible,” she says. “And as a planner, you can draw on the entire city and all of its interesting green spaces.”

For Mike Smith, vice president of convention sales at Travel Portland, what ultimately makes his city a meetings winner is its overall value. “We’ve got everything that a planner looks for when they ask the question, ‘Will my attendees be happy meeting here?’” says Smith. “We have no sales tax and no food or beverage taxes, and our 12.5 percent room tax is well below the median level across the country.” At $125, the city’s average 2011 daily room rate remains a big draw among the many competitive West Coast destinations.

Outdoor enthusiasts also enjoy meeting here because of Portland’s natural assets. Besides its urban parks, greenways and area golf courses, the city is also a great jumping-off point for recreation and group day trips, lying within a few hours drive of Mt. Hood, the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon’s wine country and the Pacific Ocean.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Moscone Center

First-time attendees can be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu here, as it’s likely due to San Francisco’s status as one of America’s venerable pop culture icons. The city’s landmarks—Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge (75 years young in 2012), Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown and those cheery, ubiquitous cable cars among them—are legendary, as are its quirky neighborhoods (e.g., Haight-Ashbury, Union Square, Balboa Park, the Presidio), burned into our subconscious through films, TV shows and by the smoky intonations of Tony Bennett. Overlay this onto a first-rate hospitality system and it’s no surprise to find San Francisco ranked consistently high among planners and attendees as a favorite meeting spot.

While those inherent attendance-building factors have hooked many a delegate, planners have learned to rely on San Francisco for a hospitality infrastructure that supplies a wide range of hotel rooms (both in style and price points) and the city’s adaptable, 1.2 million-sq.-ft. Moscone Convention Center. If anything, the 30-year-old center continues to evolve along with the meeting groups that book business there. With a better meeting spot in mind, Moscone is working its way through an extensive $56 million renovation (the biggest in two decades) of its lobbies, meeting rooms, exhibit space, ballrooms and public restrooms that, when completed by late spring of 2012, should make the entire facility more environmentally friendly and sustainable in its operations.

The upgrade is also designed, per San Francisco Tourism Improvement District Chairman Dan Kelleher, to bring more of San Francisco’s delightful pop-culture persona into the actual center itself. “In its current state, Moscone Center gives meeting attendees very little sense that they are in San Francisco,” according to Kelleher. “A major part of this renovation is incorporating recognizable colors like the Golden Gate Bridge’s international orange and integrating the city’s iconic images into [Moscone’s] public spaces and meeting rooms.”

In that spirit, several city and area properties have spruced up as well, including the 489-room Oakland Marriott City Center, Sausalito’s Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa, and the boutique Hotel Diva on Geary Street. The historic Starlight Room lounge on the 21st floor of Kimpton’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel has reopened after a multimillion-dollar makeover, while the city’s newest cultural venue, the International Art Museum of America, opened its doors in October.

Tacoma, Washington

Tucked into the southern edge of scenic Puget Sound and flanked by a pair of equally picturesque national parks (Olympic to the west and Mt. Rainier heading east), Washington’s third-largest city often reminds visitors of home. That’s due in great part to Tacoma’s friendly attitude—always a plus for faith-based attendees—and a comfort factor that derives from being a big city with a smaller-town ambience.

While getting there is easy—20 minutes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the I-5 corridor—holding a meeting in Tacoma is easier still. “We have a very walker-friendly destination,” says Shauna Lunde-Stewart, director of sales and marketing for the Tacoma Regional CVB. “The facilities are compact, you don’t need a car, and everything is right there in downtown for the attendees: great shopping, dining and museums. You check into your hotel and the convention center is right across the street.”

Indeed, the Great Tacoma Convention and Trade Center works nicely for both its central location (it’s also on the free Link Light Rail line) and green policies, using local, organic and sustainable cuisine in many of its menus. The center is also a short stroll from downtown’s trio of cool museums—the Tacoma Art Museum, Washington State History Museum and the Museum of Glass—all of which feature creative meeting and elegant reception space.

Cheney Stadium in Tacoma

“There’s definitely a city life, but it’s not as expensive as being in a major city,” says Krista Fleming, president of KF Events in Shoreline, Wash. “The hospitality community also works really well together. You feel that as a community they’re coming together to work with you for a full-package experience.” And come June of 2012, the city will officially unveil its newest cultural “vehicle,” the snazzy LeMay—America’s Car Museum, with a cafe, meeting rooms, banquet hall, 3.5-acre show field and some 500 nifty cars, trucks and motorcycles on display.

Planners also can count on Tacoma to supply plenty of recreational options. Fresh from a $30 million renovation, Cheney Stadium, home of baseball’s AAA Tacoma Rainiers, provides a lively setting for group outings, team-building and pre/post family activities. Area golf courses prove challenging and rewarding for group play, and come with the built-in backdrop of snow-capped mountains and Puget Sound. For post-meeting fun, downtown Tacoma is renowned as a home for two attendee favorites: dine-arounds and pub crawls.

Tri-Valley, California

With its quaint downtowns, county fairs and golden rolling hillsides, this triangular swatch of Northern California could easily be mistaken for Northern Vermont or Virginia’s horse country. Instead, the scenic, laid-back Tri-Valley area, stitched together from the Amador, San Ramon and Livermore valleys, is centrally positioned just a short drive (via I-5, 580, 680 and 880) from the cities and airports of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento. Not to mention, it’s in the heart of California’s hottest new wine country.

Tri-Valley's Livermore is California's oldest wine region

“We have over 50 wineries here, which are a huge draw,” says Tri-Valley CVB Executive Director Grant Raeside. “A lot of them are mom and pop operations, so chances are you’ll get to meet the owners who are also the winemakers. Attendees definitely want to come here and enjoy that experience as part of their overall itinerary.”

What attendees also want is value, an area in which Raeside says the Tri-Valley compares well to its competition. “We have over 4,500 hotel rooms in the area and are certainly priced right with top-of-the-line amenities,” he says. “If your group really wants to spread out, we also have the Alameda County Fairgrounds right smack in the middle of the area.”

Many Tri-Valley hotels and restaurants are either embarking on or in the midst of renovation and expansion projects to suit the needs of their growing meetings business. The 368-room San Ramon Marriott, for example, is wrapping up a $4 million redo of all its meeting space, including the property’s junior and grand ballrooms, part of a valley-wide effort to enhance meeting and function space for incoming groups. “We have a great number of special event venues throughout the Tri-Valley area,” says Marriott General Manager Tom David. “That means groups coming here can find a unique setting for their evening functions without taking on the travel and travel expenses of areas like Napa and Sonoma.”

Planners should also pencil in outdoor activities for their Tri-Valley meetings, as attendees can take advantage of the area’s accommodating climate with such group adventures as golf, cycling, farmers markets and year-round festivals.

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EXPERIENCE | Asilomar Conference Grounds

STAY | Fairmont San Jose Hotel

MEET | Palm Springs Convention Center