Christina Lewellen, executive director of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS), wanted to splurge on her attendees at the organization’s annual meeting in spring 2023. That meant serving sushi—but sushi is notoriously pricey. That was among the reasons ATLIS gathered in Grand Rapids, Mich., a year after meeting in Orlando, one of the country’s busiest destinations for meetings.
One of the many charms of Grand Rapids is that its hospitality community can keep costs down because it’s not a metropolis. By spending less on hotel rooms, event venues, and other amenities, ATLIS could pony up for sushi, charcuterie, and other niceties.
“I really want to show them a great time and make them feel like a VIP, because they don't always get that recognition,” says Lewellen of her attendees, who are chief technology officers and similar professionals working at private primary (K-12) schools.
As events return to pre-pandemic levels, planners looking to create experiences are increasingly turning to midsize destinations over top-tier cities. Perks, including lesser costs and increased attention to the event, are attractive in an era when attendees expect more from meetings and planners are struggling with high costs and reduced budgets.
Here, we look at three case studies—featuring Grand Rapids (home of Connect Midwest 2024); Little Rock, Ark.; and Scottsdale, Ariz.—to explore this phenomenon. Knowland, a hospitality group and business performance index, has found significant growth in each meeting market:
- Grand Rapids enjoyed a 9% year-over-year increase from 2022 to 2023.
- Little Rock skyrocketed 141% higher than 2022, when Connect Faith occurred there.
- Scottsdale was part of an overall 28% increase in the Greater Phoenix area.
Grand Rapids
At just over eight years old, ATLIS is as young as many of the students its member schools serve. The Winchester, Va.-based association and its event were devised as a purposeful way for educational CTOs to meet rather than bump into each other at different conferences.
Lewellen took over as executive director in 2019 to hone the group’s mission and outreach. Among the changes has been a new approach to the annual meeting. Since its inception, ATLIS has rotated its conference among Tier 1 destinations, which hold an advantage in airlift and name recognition over second- and third-tier regions.
But 2023 began an experiment in which the association will meet two consecutive years in a midsize market before heading to a major city. Grand Rapids played host in spring 2023, while Reno will do the honors in 2024, and Atlanta will close out the three-year cycle.
Leading growth sectors for events in Grand Rapids include nonprofit/charity, health care, financial, retail, and manufacturing, according to Knowland.
Experiences in Grand Rapids include kayaking by the iconic Blue Bridge.Photo: Courtesy of Experience Grand Rapids
Experience Grand Rapids Vice President of Sales and Services Mary Manier acknowledges she often educates planners about the destination when attending industry trade shows. She knows once a site visit is set, Grand Rapids will stand out.
“Our convention and hotel package downtown is a really good package for a city our size, and our price is good,” says Manier, noting three national groups held meetings in Grand Rapids in summer 2023.
ATLIS put the theory to the test. In 2022, Lewellen provided a sneak preview of sorts by holding the association’s board of directors meeting in Grand Rapids. Not only did she know VIP attendees would get a grand experience, but it was a chance to create 15 ambassadors for the larger event in 2023.
“I was not clandestine about it,” says Lewellen of the chance to upsell the city.
All told, about 350 attendees were in Grand Rapids in the spring—three-fourths of pre-pandemic levels. The executive director anticipates a larger group in Reno as travel numbers continue to rebound across the board.
It was all smiles from everyone there, reports Lewellen, who says she would “absolutely” return to Grand Rapids. Attendees eating sushi enjoyed being the big fish in a smaller pond. Lewellen, who tapped ConferenceDirect’s Deborah Borak to handle the event planning, says being the only meeting within a property allows hotel and venue staff to grant flexibility for late changes, which in turn provided the attendees with a better experience.
“I don't think we're doing anything different,” says Manier. “We’ve always gotten to know our customers and found what their needs are.”
Little Rock
One of the distinctions that sets Little Rock, Ark., apart is that it’s not easy to classify. Bordering seven states, it could just as easily be seen as a Southeastern destination as a Midwestern city. And while planners may not know the full capabilities of the CVB and local venues, they will know about its history, particularly from the Civil Rights era through the Clinton administration.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum is arguably Little Rock’s best-known attraction—it is one of 15 presidential libraries in the country. Even then, it stands out from the others. “It's really the history of America in the 1990s, including the technology boom and everything that led to where we were at the turn of the century,” notes Adam Berrios, vice president of sales and services at Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.
While history is on Little Rock’s side, Berrios is mindful of the future. Convenience, location, and service helped the destination experience a 141% growth in meetings in 2023. Top industries include charity/nonprofit, training/education, arts/performing arts, manufacturing, and health care.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum is arguably Little Rock’s best-known attraction.Photo: Courtesy of Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau
This year is shaping up quite nicely. Longtime third-party event planner Hazel Myers is organizing the annual conference of a five-state regional association, whose members are highly educated professionals managing youth and veteran programs in colleges and universities. The event in November 2024 will not be the group’s first in Little Rock, but figures to be an improvement from its most recent visit, in which the group elected to meet without a planner or the CVB assisting.
The five-day meeting will be filled with board meetings, plenaries, workshops, and specialty/honorary meal functions, says Myers. While Little Rock Marriott and the Statehouse Convention Center will be the primary venues, Myers is negotiating to lock in the Clinton Library and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site to take advantage of the city’s unique history.
Such venues will be a hit, says Myers, but Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau is going above and beyond to make the group feel welcomed. “Offerings such as airport signage, airport meet-and-greets, and signage throughout city outlets will excite the attendees upon arrival and during their stay,” she says. “The most magnificent offer is to illuminate the Junction and Main street bridges with the association’s colors for the duration of their meeting. Imagine your group seeing their colors on the bridges from the ground to the sky every night they are in town. This will be an awesome experience.”
Berrios says his team prides itself on signature touches that demonstrate an event’s value on the destination. “We will do whatever it takes to get a group that is interested in our destination to come here,” he says.
Myers was impressed that the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau staff attended the association’s 2023 convention in New Orleans to provide a firsthand account and virtual tour of the 2024 event.
An advantage Little Rock has over larger destinations is the CVB owns many of the facilities a meeting planner would book. This facilitates negotiations to lower rates and ensures top-level service, Berrios notes. Myers can attest to this value.
“I look for a host city with meeting venues that have upscale, quality, and luxury accommodations at a reasonable cost,” she says.
Scottsdale
Jeff Welger, director of corporate meetings and events for Arch Insurance Group, says Scottsdale is a perennial favorite for his clients. In 2023, Welger hosted four events in the Phoenix suburb because of the destination’s unique combination of properties and proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
“I don’t consider Scottsdale a Tier 2 destination,” says the veteran planner.
But the city’s distance from Phoenix is a plus. Attendees can enjoy top-tier resorts with myriad amenities—including elite golf and spa facilities—without feeling like they're in a big city.
“The variety of resort product and experiences allow planners and attendees to return to the destination again and again, while still making it feel new and different each time,” says Kelli Blubaum, vice president of sales and services at Experience Scottsdale.
A popular event space at The Scottsdale Resort & Spa? The Paradise Park Lawn.Photo: Siegle Photography
Welger echoes the sentiment and admits he is surprised by the activities attendees are most drawn to. For instance, more than half of a 250-person group elected to go on a scenic hike for an excursion—a far cry from the traditional golf and spa trips most associated with corporate agendas.
Scottsdale’s proven track record as a top destination for corporate travelers is a major asset. According to Knowland, Scottsdale accounted for 39% of the meetings business in the Phoenix area in the past year. Groups taking the most advantage of the region’s dry and warm climate most often include training/education, health care, tech, charity/nonprofit, and financial/banking.
Among Western destinations, only San Diego draws as much interest from Arch. The region’s ability to host events outdoors during the height of the pandemic served as a reminder of the versatility and amenities available in Scottsdale, says Welger. Even with meetings moving back to being mostly inside, that lasting favorable impression lingers.
“We just want a consistent, good-quality product that I have no concern about. There’s an elevated experience in Scottsdale,” says Welger, who adds the destination has “panache.”
Blubaum suggests targeting shoulder seasons to keep costs down and because the resorts will have greater availability. The climate and environment play right into a planner’s hands, she adds.
“Whether eventgoers are getting out and exploring the desert on a hike or bike, or even in a kayak, or enjoying dinner in our charming downtown, the majestic saguaro cacti are always in sight," says Blubaum. This picturesque backdrop completes any outdoor event, which can be put on the agenda with confidence, with more than 330 days of sunshine each year.”
