It’s the home of both Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee, but Arkansas isn’t just politically diverse. The state also offers a broad geographic palette – wilderness, lakes, mountains and metropolitan areas, including portions of the Ozarks, the Mississippi River and Delta wetlands. Groups convening in Arkansas can choose from nature-oriented activities like hiking and fishing, historical attractions such as Civil War battlegrounds or a dazzling new presidential library, or exploring natural sites like a real diamond mine or an ancient cave. Arkansas offers a diversity of attractions, meeting facilities, and destinations – whatever your needs are, there’s a place in Arkansas that’s perfectly tailored to them.
Little Rock’s Unique Charm
The state’s capital city is “accessible, accommodating and affordable,” says Gretchen Hall, Director of Merchandising and Communications at the Little Rock CVB.
In addition to its accessibility, Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center offers more than 200,000 square feet of space, including 80,000 square feet of exhibit space and an 18,000-square-foot ballroom. Other nearby facilities include the Robinson Center Music Hall, with a 2,600-seat performance theater, more than 14,000 square feet of exhibit space and 4,000 square feet of meeting space; the Alltel Arena, with seating for 18,000; and the River Market Amphitheater and open-air pavilions for gatherings of unlimited numbers.
The city’s convention hotels include the exclusive Peabody Hotel, attached to the Convention Center. Across the street, the newly renovated Capital Hotel “has offered intimate and unique charm for over 130 years,” Hall says. The newly renovated Doubletree Hotel is attached to the Robinson Center. In addition to these hotels, all of which are less than five minutes from the Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock offers 1,600 rooms in the downtown area.
A number of historic neighborhoods offer trendy shopping and distinctive local flavor, and the city boasts more than 550 restaurants representing a variety of cuisines. “With the rebirth of downtown Little Rock and the preserving of our historic neighborhoods, we have the perfect mix of small town hospitality with a metropolitan feel,” Hall sums up.
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Springdale Defines Diversity
SMERF groups have a number of reasons to visit Springdale. “From a military standpoint, Springdale is centrally located in Northwest Arkansas between the Pea Ridge National Military Park and the Prairie Grove State Battlefield Park, both of which saw action during the Civil War,” says Brandi Hinkle, spokesperson for the Springdale CVB. “From a religious standpoint, Springdale is home to First Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, as well as the largest Catholic church in the state of Arkansas. Springdale and the region also have a connection to the Trail of Tears and the Butterfield Coach Trail, as they both weaved through the region on their way westward.”
Groups meeting in Springdale can take advantage of a first-class convention center, the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center, which offers 49,000 square feet of meeting space and is adjacent to the Holiday Inn of Northwest Arkansas, the area’s top full-service hotel. The 7,500-seat Arvest Ballpark is home to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals minor league baseball team and offers an excellent venue for groups.
Summertime meetings may want to incorporate a trip to the Rodeo of the Ozarks, one of the nation’s top outdoor rodeos. Other attractions in the area include the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, the two aforementioned military parks and two sports museums at the nearby University of Arkansas.
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Rogers is a Natural
A growing metropolitan area, Rogers offers a wide assortment of hotels, attractions, shopping and dining, all within close proximity. With more than 200,000 square feet of available meeting space, the city can meet planners’ needs in a variety of venues, including the John Q. Hammons Center and Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Shewmaker Center. Meeting space can also be booked at a number of hotels, including the Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas, Candlewood Suites, Starwood’s aloft Rogers-Bentonville and Hyatt Place.
“Rogers has a natural beauty around a thriving business community, with a small-town feel from friendly folks,” says Kinya Elenbarger, spokesperson for the Rogers CVB. “There are so many facets to Rogers that people want to experience them all.” Some of the most popular attractions for groups include tours of Wal-Mart 5 & 10, where Wal-Mart first began, and the Daisy Airgun Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of antique air guns, BB guns and commemorative rifles, along with original advertising, toys, modern movie memorabilia, vintage Daisy products and Red Ryder collectibles.
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Hot Springs: History and Hospitality
In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto became the first European to visit what is now called Hot Springs, where Native American tribes had long gathered to experience the area’s natural thermal waters. Almost five centuries later, convention-goers still flock to the area’s springs and spas. Historic bathhouses such as Buckstaff Baths and Quapaw Bathhouse offer authentic experiences, and guests can also indulge in the Hot Springs experience at a number of local hotels and day spas.
In addition to ultimate relaxation, Hot Springs also offers golf, boating, fishing, skiing and a thriving arts community. Attendees can visit the Gangster Museum of America, the Belle of Hot Springs Riverboat, the Hot Springs Duck Tours, the National Park Aquarium and a number of other attractions.
And it’s easy to hold your a meeting in Hot Springs. The Hot Springs Convention Center is the largest facility of its kind in the state, with 360,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. A number of local hotels also offer meeting space, including the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, the Austin Hotel & Convention Center, the Clarion Resort on the Lake and numerous others.
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