"We're going to Pittsburgh in 2008, and I realized my first thought was, 'I don't even want to look at Pittsburgh - that's a dirty, crummy town with all the pollution,'" said Pam Nicholls, training and conferences manager for the Land Trust Alliance. "Well, that's simply not true. Pittsburgh's convention center has been certified green, and it's only the second in the country to be certified. I could not believe how environmentally friendly they are. It was such a total surprise. I'm going to have to market that the old city has been razed and what has sprung up is this clean, exuberant city with so much to do."

For many second-tier cities, you hear some of the same descriptors - affordability, walkability, and ability to provide personal attention. Of course, for all the talk of image, often the draw of a destination for planners is much more concrete … literally. More than sing the praises of culture or entertainment options, planners need to extol the pragmatic virtues of a well-laid-out city and the right complement of hotels and convention center. What follows is the tale three cities - Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Nashville - tell about themselves and how associations meeting in those cities made those stories work for their groups.

CAPITALIZING ON SPORTS

In the mid 1970s, Indianapolis city leaders decided the city had an image problem: Simply put, it didn't have one. Only the Indianapolis 500 auto race drew people to the city. So the city decided to make sports it strategy, using it to leverage broader goals. The city invested in building downtown sports venues to pump money into the economy, elevate the profile of the city, and, simultaneously, create venues and appeal for meetings.

The investment in infrastructure included the Market Square Arena (the Indiana Pacers' old home) in 1974, the Indianapolis Tennis Center in 1979, and the RCA Dome in 1984. In 1999 came Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers; and Lucas Oil Stadium will be completed in 2008, giving the Colts and conventions a new home.

Having these facilities attracted numerous events - from the 1982 Olympic Festival to the 1987 Pan American Games to the NCAA Men's Final Fours in 1980, 1991, 1997, 2000, and 2006. With the exposure of these events came a wave of more than a dozen sports-related organizations, including the NCAA.

"At the same time we had the sports strategy, we were also very focused on developing the meetings industry," said Bob Bedell, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. "We built a sports infrastructure, but it was built for both."

Then there's the show-and-tell factor of a major event like the Indy 500, the largest one-day sporting event in the country, with hundreds of thousands of fans converging on the city. Site visits can have a certain wow factor: Meeting planners can come to the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard - along with 300,000 people who descend on the city - and see how the city handles it. Or they might see the city on a visit to the Final Four.

"It translates into self-confidence on our part; we have credibility with groups that we can handle their event because we handle the largest sporting events in the world," Bedell said.

The city can accommodate groups of 30,000 to 50,000, but the compactness of the downtown convention package sets the city apart. With eight hotels (and 3,000 rooms) connected to the convention center by skywalk, the layout plays into the city's sense of efficiency and competency. Here's how the city's compact nature appealed to three groups with very different demographics for very different reasons.

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: THE BARBERSHOP HARMONY SOCIETY

 This hobby organization of 30,000 men has seen a slight decrease in attendance over the last three years, having dropped below 9,000 attendees compared to the previous average of 10,000 attendees. The 2006 annual meeting in Indianapolis drew 8,800 attendees.

The convention takes place over July 4, with organizers anticipating the meeting will double as a family vacation. With the average member's age 62, the society wanted to promote a city that would offer plenty of activities for families and still provide an easy, low-maintenance convention experience.

Financial incentives helped draw the society to Indianapolis, but the logistics struck the right note as well.

"One of the best benefits was everybody stayed right downtown in a nice, tight hotel package," said John Schneider Jr., director of events for the society. "Although ours is an aging population, most could walk to Conseco Fieldhouse and to lots and lots of restaurants downtown. It's a very convenient city, and people thought it was easy to get around."

Schneider was concerned when he realized the headquarters hotel had one restaurant, and an upscale one at that, but the diversity and number of eating places nearby balanced any concerns he had.

The society wanted to counter any perception that "there's not a lot to do in Indianapolis," said Schneider. So attendees could take advantage of tours of the NCAA facilities, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Riverwalk, and Brown County. The range of the activities and tours was promoted heavily ahead of time.

"Indianapolis doesn't have a bad image; Indianapolis just doesn't have much of an image at all," Schneider said. "It works well for a meeting, the bureau is delightful, and the package is very convenient … but it takes extra marketing."

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: DEALER EXPO

Produced by Advanstar, the Dealer Expo provides a marketplace where dealers and distributors can view and order motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. Held in Indianapolis since 1998, the show has committed to staying in the city through 2011.  The 2006 convention drew 23,000 attendees.

For the first 30 years of its existence, Dealer Expo was held in Cincinnati. The expo outgrew that city a full six years before it moved to Indy in 1998, according to Tracy Harris, vice president of Advanstar, but the infrastructure suited the show so well that organizers made do with using all available public space to handle the overflow. When growth made a move inevitable, the geography of the membership - about 55 percent drive to the convention - made staying in the Midwest essential.

"We pretty quickly concluded that Indy had everything we needed," Harris said.

In part, everything they needed was what the show already had … only bigger. With decades in one city, attendee expectations were largely set by Cincinnati.

"They need to be within in walking distance of everything - I mean really within walking distance, like across-the-street walking distance. That's the only thing they've ever known because that's how Cincinnati is structured," Harris said.

Harris also liked how far-reaching the skywalk system was, the comprehensive plan to continue upgrades to downtown, and the ability to enjoy a multi-day stay without ever taking a cab. The group had become used to taking over a city, and they wanted the same sense of personal attention and cohesiveness.

"It's a sense you have from the community, and I do think of it as the community. It's very service-focused, very warm, and for our group that's very important."

Along with that sense of community, she was drawn to the hotel rates and the labor situation in Indy. A significant percentage of exhibitors drive to the show, bring their displays and product, and they do much of the manual labor themselves.

"About the only thing they can't do is drive a forklift, and they've never had to have a laborer unload their truck," Harris said. "That's what they're used to, so there's a lot to be said for flexibility and freedom in the work environment."

The power sports group is predominately male, and they are "active" enthusiasts, Harris emphasized.

"If you look at our numbers, you probably wouldn't expect the amount of entertaining we do," she said. "A few places ran out of beer and steak by the end of our first time in the city. The owner of St. Elmos told us that they do more volume on our show weekend than they do at the Brickyard or the Indy 500 … and we're 23,000 compared to hundreds of thousands."

She was concerned at first about the number of restaurants in the downtown area, but the "unbelievable" number of restaurants that quickly appeared assuaged any fears. For the first few years, organizers arranged for a shuttle to the Broad Ripple district in the evenings: No one used it, so the shuttle was scrapped.

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: GEN CON

At around 25,000 attendees, Gen Con has spent the last four years in Indianapolis and has signed on for another four years. The consumer show draws science fiction and adventure game fans from all over North America for a weekend of interactive game play.

The focus is most definitely on the games. The show stays open 24 hours a day with gaming centers set up for play at any time. So the proximity of downtown hotels is a must. "Gamers want to be able to play 'Dungeons and Dragons' for 12 hours straight. They love to eat and places tend to stay open late." for 12 hours straight," said Peter Adkison, Gen Con CEO. "They like having that ready access to the hotels, and downtown businesses have been very receptive to us. Gamers love to eat, and places tend to stay open late."

Since these fans are committed to the cutting-edge gaming exhibits morning and night, the offerings of the city take a back seat to the square mileage around the convention center. To target attendee goals, Adkison wanted to highlight the convenience and accessibility of the downtown area.

"With so many fine restaurants and fast food places and hotels connected by skywalk, it was nearly an ideal layout," Adkison said. The convention center itself, attractive union policies, and geographic location also played into the city's appeal.

"Any concerns had to do with resistance to change, but everybody came and gave it a try," Adkison said. "Then they said they loved the city, that it was great and fabulous."

And the city's reputation for handling high traffic proved valid.

"We had our event with almost 30,000 people going on in full swing on a Saturday with a Colts game going on the other side of the wall, and it was no problem," he said.

FROM BREW CITY TO NEW CITY

With more than $2.5 billion in new tourism-related investment, Milwaukee's brewing heritage has been complemented with progressive new additions like the Santiago Calatrava-designed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. A brand new convention center opened fully in 2000. New hotels arose, and the city's Riverwalk has been restored. Then there's the Milwaukee Theater, Miller Park (home of the Milwaukee Brewers), and the downtown public market. Altogether, the additions create a richer - and sometimes surprising - cultural experience.

"Planners are surprised when they come here," said Doug Neilson, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee. "The surprise is part and parcel of the $2 billion invested in tourism. We go out and tell people every day - brewing is part of our heritage, but there's so much more here than that."

Along with cultural and entertainment options, the aesthetics can be surprising.

"There's the sheer beauty of the city," Neilson said. "The architecture is truly beautiful. We have the art museum and the new architecture, but we also have the historic buildings we've preserved."

Beauty comes up frequently in descriptions of the city. "Visitors do not expect Lake Michigan," he explained. "They hear 'lake' and think it will be a little pond with a sailboat, then they stand here and it looks like the ocean. People weren't expecting to see the amount of green space, to see all the urban adventure stuff to do here. The river goes right through the city, and there are always boats on it. We truly are an urban destination with a rural feel."

Another common comment from planners is about the reception attendees get from the community.

"People really feel that there is truly a warm brand of hospitality, that people are extremely helpful to other people," Neilson said. "That's very often talked about."

The transformation of the city has been a community-wide effort; successful entrepreneurs have sponsored some of the new renovations and developments.

"It was a community effort to bring Milwaukee back to prominence," he added. "People want to leave a legacy."

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) annual convention typically draws around 3,500 attendees; the 2005 convention in Milwaukee drew 5,000 attendees.

The central location helped bolster attendance numbers, as well as a strong affiliate branch. The two years previous to Milwaukee, the association met in Philadelphia and Miami in 2006 the Annual was held in Washington, D.C.While the group frequently meets in first-tier cities, the strength of the local affiliate plays a major role in attendance and overall success of the convention. But the association still needed to sell the city more strongly than Miami or other big-name cities.

"I think members had some apprehension over whether or not Milwaukee was a convention city, but once they got there, they left saying it was one of the better conventions we've had," said Ana Aponte-Curtis, NAACP director of event planning.

 Attendees lean toward combining the convention with personal and family time, so they need to feel confident of the entertainment options. The NAACP made sure to provide dynamic entertainment - like Gladys Knight at the Milwaukee Theater - but the city needed to add another layer of possibilities.

"Their vacation is the convention, so you have to make it convenient and accessible not only there at the convention center, but outside the convention," Aponte-Curtis said. "And there was an enormous amount for the kids and the families to do."

"From a meeting planner perspective, Milwaukee was very easy," she added. "And Milwaukee was definitely a hit. I'm sorry people don't know what's there until you get there."

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

The National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual convention typically draws around 40,000 attendees, a largely drive-in market that resists staying in a trackable room block. People within a 300-mile radius of a meeting tend to make up the majority of the attendance. The NRA met in Milwaukee in 2006 for the first time since 1984, and, as was the case two decades ago, a central location and affordability played a role in the selection.

The city itself has changed substantially, while keeping its strengths, found Jackie Mongold, NRA's assistant secretary.

"The most memorable thing for me from the first time I was there was how clean the city was in general. I remember thinking the buses were spotless. The whole city was spotless," said Mongold. "They've held on to the cleanliness, but there's a lot more going on than there used to be. They've worked very hard to enhance what the city has to offer."

The largely drive-in attendance base likes its freedom when it comes to meeting time: In their own cars, on their own schedules, attendees often explore the city their own way.

"Our people are pretty independent minded, which is why it's hard to capture them in a housing block," Mongold said. "They're driving around, walking, and parking on their own."

The association didn't provide shuttles to the convention, though two hotels offered their own services. Parking, despite some concerns, did not turn out to be an issue. The city provided a parking map for attendees, anticipating the high number of drivers. Since the city was undergoing major highway construction during the convention, a representative from the highway department came to a pre-con meeting to explain where the construction would be, how to avoid it, and where to find up-to-date information. Smooth logistics weren't the only thing that made the city a good fit.

"They liked the feel of the city; they liked its walkability," Mongold said. "It's also one of the nicest cities you could ever go to: The people are Milwaukee's greatest asset. I don't think our people viewed it as a brewing town at all."

TWO UNIQUE EXPERIENCES IN ONE CITY

It's still the Music City, but Nashville is concentrating on broadening the notion of what that means. The bureau showcases a variety of musical styles and can create an entertainment package that best fits a group's needs.

"What we have attempted to do is put a stake in the ground regarding music, but focus on broadening the perception of how deep the music really goes here," said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It's always the home of country music. But you might lean toward jazz and blues or gospel, and we can create just about any atmosphere.

There's enough talent that lives here in all of the those genres." With up to 5,000 attendees comfortably held downtown, the city can place larger groups at the Gaylord Opryland.

"We think it's a unique advantage that we have two completely different experiences, so it depends on what you want and how often you're coming back," Spyridon said. "You could do Opryland one year and downtown another year, so it's not like coming back to exactly the same city."

Location and accessibility continues to play big. "One of the great messages that we have carried forward is that if you meet in Nashville, your attendance is going to be strong," Spyridon said.

But staying on message for Nashville is little less complicated than it is for many other similarly sized cities.

"For a lot of cities branding is the big thing," he said. "Well, we took brand name off the table and said, 'Music's the brand and Music City's the brand name, so now let's talk about embracing it in some different ways.'"

A new service kit themed around music will help clients leverage that brand. "We needed to make it easy for clients to leverage the brand," Spyridon said. "We can't force feed it, but we can make it creative, useful, and productive."

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: NATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

After holding smaller meetings in downtown Nashville, the National Middle School Association (NMSA) held its 2006 annual conference at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. The hotel was the only venue in the city able to accommodate the 10,500-attendee conference.

NMSA had been in Indianapolis for three years, and that city's accessibility worked well for members.

"From the attendee perspective, we have to work a little harder to make people aware of the cool stuff to do in Indianapolis," said Sally Ann DeBolt, CMP, NMSA's meeting manager. "Nashville has a little more glam, has a little more natural pull. But that's a matter of marketing, not really a matter of what's available to you when you get there."

The Opryland struck DeBolt as a totally separate destination from Nashville as a whole, though.

"It's not like saying, 'We're in Nashville," she said. "Our concern was that because we were at the Opryland, folks weren't going to be able to take advantage of what the city was able to offer. It turned out our people were very happy, and travel-wise it's fantastic. But we had a high percentage of people who never left the building versus the downtown experience, which offers a lot more of that city to explore.

"Our staff never left the building - the first fresh air we got was on Monday after the conference over the weekend."

The Grand Ole Opry moved downtown to the Ryman Auditorium the week of the conference, which turned out to be an incentive to pull members downtown. And the Opryland ran a shuttle downtown, which members could access for day and night trips. Members could see the city, but it took a little more effort than a downtown meeting, making it easier to see the Opryland Hotel itself as the destination.

WHAT THEY PROMOTED: LAND TRUST ALLIANCE

The largest conservation conference in the nation, the Land Trust Alliance draws attendees from across the United States and internationally, rotating through different regions so local land trusts can showcase their work.

The 2006 annual meeting in Nashville drew 1,900 attendees, on par with standard numbers. Not exhibit driven, the conference requires a facility that can have 25 concurrent breakout sessions. Recycling is a must, and the opening dinner must be organic. Local restaurants are preferred to chains, and organic options are even better. Then there are other specifications that are less logistical.

"We don't go where anything's caused sprawl," said the alliance's Nicholls. "We look for a facility that's inspirational. We need somewhere people can get outdoors and sit in the sun, even if it's 20 degrees below zero, places that have parks and paths. "The reason Nashville won the bid is that the city is so clean," she added. "There are multiple things to do within walking distance, great music, and assistance from the city was great."

On the first days of the convention, local conservation organizations host field trips in the local area to show off the scenery and the conservation work. A good driving situation is helpful: The trust has ruled out some cities because the traffic would prevent field trips from escaping the city. "Anything outside will be popular with this group," Nicholls said.

It's clear that once a group has experienced a city and had a successful meeting, getting them to return is a cinch. "A big part of it is being there and experiencing it," said NRA's Mongold. "We as meeting planners tend to rely a lot on people in the industry and what their experience has been. Word of mouth is so important. Getting out what a city has to offer takes a lot of people talking."