Memphis. The very name is music to your ears … rock 'n' roll and Elvis Presley, the blues, Beale Street, and B. B. King. This home of barbecue and Southern hospitality is also associated with the struggle for civil rights, marked by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Lorraine Motel. For planners, the name Memphis can now conjure up another association - as a premier meetings destination.

"With the expansion of the Memphis Cook Convention Center and construction of additional hotels and event sites, our convention product has caught up with the leisure attractions that make Memphis so special," said Kevin Kane, president and CEO of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau. Barbara Stark, CMP, CMM, manager, meetings and travel, AgriBank FCB, concurred, "It's not just Elvis' hometown anymore. There is so much more to offer meeting attendees."

"We have gone from a regional association destination to a national and international destination," said John Oros, executive vice president/chief operating officer of the Memphis CVB. "Developers have targeted the city for additional four- and five-star hotels. By 2009, our hotel inventory in the downtown area alone will reach 3,000 sleeping rooms." Tia Hall, marketing support manager, NSA, the maker of Juice Plus+, headquartered in Memphis, can now host NSA's national leadership conference, attracting 5,000 attendees from around the world, at home. "The expanded space at the convention center, the growing hotel inventory, the booming downtown with its many attractions and services, the easy access to interstate highways, and direct international flights from Amsterdam make Memphis a perfect venue!"

Oros added, "Meeting organizers come to us and say, 'I didn't know all of this was here.'" Stark agreed: "Memphis is so full of surprises. Our meeting was held at The Peabody Hotel, and attendees could walk or take the trolley to so many attractions - Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Mudd Island recreation area on the Mississippi River - all in the heart of the city."

Memphis Cook Convention Center and Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

In January 2003, the Memphis Cook Convention Center underwent a $100 million expansion - a complete renovation of the nearly 30-year-old convention center that included a few impressive additions: a 28,000-square-foot ballroom; 31 additional adjacent meeting rooms; a 125,000-square-foot column-free exhibition hall with an additional 35,000 square feet of exhibit space; and the Cannon Center, a premier performing arts venue.

The result is stunning. Dark woods and high ceilings create an atmosphere akin to a five-star hotel. Five of the breakout rooms overlook the Mississippi River, and can be darkened for AV presentations, while the exhibit halls provide WiFi throughout - an especially important feature for Bailey Slaton, who heads up a user group for Computer Programs and Systems, a supplier of information systems to small hospitals. "The people attending our annual meeting had to stay in constant touch with their hospitals. WiFi was essential for them," he said.

Rita Beem, event planner for the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), founded by entertainer Danny Thomas as the fundraising arm of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, is now able to hold her annual convention here. "This year, we introduced a high-production component to our general session. The ballroom was the perfect location. The high ceilings helped to dampen sound, even for our breakouts, which were held in other sections of the ballroom. The acoustics are wonderful," she said.

You can walk directly from the convention center to the Cannon Center without realizing you are in another facility. Home of the Memphis Symphony, the Cannon is also available for convention use when not scheduled for other performances. With fixed, tiered seating for more than 2,000 people, the magnificent concert hall has near-perfect acoustics. As a planner, I was impressed that one could hold an opening session for 2,000, walk the short distance to the ballroom and have lunch for 2,000, and then use the breakout rooms for afternoon sessions.

Lest historic preservationists mourn the passing of the Ellis Auditorium, which the Cannon Center replaced, mementoes of that bygone era are still preserved in the new center, evident in the decorative scrollwork rosettes used as décor, and the original auditorium seats, which provide additional seating around the lobby areas.

The adjacent headquarters hotel, the Memphis Marriott, has been contracted to handle all of the catering for the convention center, allowing for greater flexibility in planning, especially when using both properties. "A food service company can hold both the planner and the headquarters hotel hostage in some cases," Oros observed. "This way, the caterer has a vested interest in the success of the entire event, both in the center and the hotel."

Hotels

Memphis has a total of 20,500 hotel rooms throughout the city. The hotels mentioned here represent those that would interest planners organizing meetings from large citywide conventions to small, executive business sessions.

Memphis Marriott Downtown - Directly connected to the convention center, the Memphis Marriott offers 600 sleeping rooms, including 10 suites. The hotel also features 12,434 square feet of meeting space in 16 meeting rooms - all conveniently located on the second floor, near the walkway to the convention center. The 4,692-square-foot ballroom can be divided into four sections. One wing of the hotel features an area that easily could hold a smaller meeting of 150 with one large room for general sessions and five breakouts, as well as a generous prefunction area for registration and breaks.

Planners booking the Marriott can also use function rooms in the convention center. The catering contract with the Marriott also means seamless "one-stop shopping," according to Leslie Hutcherson, sales manager. "They can book their meeting with us, including meeting rooms in the center, or they can work with a sales manager from the CVB. We all cooperate as one team."

This arrangement worked particularly well for Slaton. His annual meeting, scheduled for the fall of 2005 in New Orleans, was moved on short notice to the Marriott and convention center for January 2006. "We were working with a Marriott hotel for the original convention. When we had to cancel, the national sales office helped us relocate. Usually we hold our 750-attendee meeting under one roof in a large hotel. This was our first experience using a convention center. I was a nervous wreck going into the meeting. But the Marriott folks worked so well with the CVB and the center that the meeting was totally seamless," Slaton said.

Beem holds large and small meetings alike at the Marriott. "We like the fact that you can look out and see the hospital; it reminds our staff of why we're here. We like the flexibility of using the convention center for our annual meeting of 500 people. Our program is organized into several breakout sessions of up to 150 people, and we want those sessions close together so we don't lose attendees. The hotel/convention center arrangement is perfect for us."

The Peabody Hotel - Long called "the South's Grand Hotel," The Peabody still retains its old glamour while offering state-of-the-art facilities. The warmth and charm of the lobby particularly appeals to Allan Ramsaur, Tennessee Bar Association, who holds his meeting at The Peabody every three years. "The lobby is truly Memphis' living room," he said. "The historic rooms are unique; they just don't make meeting rooms like these anymore."

John Ryder, who chaired the Southern Republican Leadership Conference at The Peabody in March 2006, was impressed by the hotel's atmosphere as well as its close proximity to a number of other hotels. This enabled him to offer a variety of pricing and amenity options for overflow lodging.

Of course, The Peabody Duck Parade - when five Mallard ducks march to or from the fountain in the lobby - held daily at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., is well known. This is an added attraction for conference attendees, who can conveniently watch the show from the second floor/mezzanine meeting rooms' prefunction areas.

With 464 guest rooms and 80,000 square feet of versatile meeting space, The Peabody can easily accommodate a group of 1,200 attendees utilizing 350 - 400 guest rooms on peak night. The function space includes the Grand Ballroom. With its almost 17,000 square feet of space, the ballroom can be divided into six sections, including two distinctive junior ballrooms; the 5,200-square-foot Continental Ballroom, and the 4,200-square-foot Venetian Ballroom.

The Tennessee Exhibit Hall can easily accommodate 10' x 10' booths in its 11,000-square-foot space. Other captivating spaces include the Plantation Roof, which offers a panoramic view of Memphis, and the adjacent Skyway Room. With its own reception and conference staff, The Peabody Executive Conference Center (PECC), features its own lounge/reception area and 12 meeting rooms. Susan Chase, from the Leadership Academy in Memphis, conducts training in the PECC four times a year for chief executives from a variety of organizations. "We use one room for lunch and dinner, and the other rooms for training. It is important that the rooms be close together and free of distractions. And, the staff is just stellar," she said.

Madison Hotel - Near The Peabody and Beale Street stands the stylish, Art Deco Madison Hotel, offering 110 rooms, 40 of which are suites, a 1,600-square-foot ballroom, divisible into two sections, and an adjacent board room. Planners also can organize a reception on the rooftop terrace, which affords 1,100 square feet of space and views of the Mississippi River. "Our perfect group would be up to 50 people, meeting and eating under one roof," said Donna Pope, director of sales. Planners of citywide conventions might also consider using the hotel for certain VIP groups that would prefer to be in a quiet location away from the general convention.

The Hilton Memphis - Located in the East Memphis business district - home to the headquarters of Federal Express, International Paper, and Service Master - the Hilton Memphis offers 406 sleeping rooms, seven suites, and 30,000 square feet of meeting/exhibit space. The hotel can easily host groups up to 1,600 under one roof. Floor-to-ceiling windows in each guest room provide a view of a surrounding lake that "really wows the attendees," said William Jackson, who held a five-day meeting at the Hilton for 600 people from the Tennessee Counseling Association. The hotel is only 12 miles from the Memphis International Airport, and provides complimentary shuttle service. The ideal group would be 300 to 350 people, using 200 guest rooms on peak night, although larger groups can be accommodated. The hotel also participates in citywide conventions working with the CVB.

Alternate Sites

Agricenter International, a 1,000-acre nonprofit site to advance agricultural technologies, boasts several versatile meeting and exhibition venues, including 80,000-plus square feet of column-free exhibit space, a 575 fixed-seat amphitheater, which can be expanded to accommodate up to 800 people, and a 2,900-square-foot banquet room. Its multipurpose facility, Show Place Arena, has fixed, numbered seating for 6,000; an outdoor arena with seating for 2,000; a multipurpose arena with seating for 200, and a warm-up area for animal-featured events.

FedExForum, home to the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA), offers a variety of venues when games are not in progress. The basketball court of the main arena can be covered, and additional chairs added for large opening sessions for citywide conventions. Opus Restaurant provides a venue for meeting and eating, for up to 350 people.

Close by the FedExForum is the Rock 'n' Soul Museum, a part of the Smithsonian Institution. This venue can be used for special events for groups up to 400 people. The lobby, patio area, and the entire museum can be utilized.

What could be more "uniquely Memphis" than a special event at Graceland, Elvis Presley's home? Several venues are available: the ticket pavilion, replete with photos of Elvis, which can be turned into a special function room in just 45 minutes; Elvis's automobile museum; the Sincerely Elvis Museum; or the Rockabilly Restaurant. The entire welcome plaza can be utilized and the stores can stay open during the evening, although events are not held in the mansion itself.

Attractions

"You can't be a convention destination if people don't find it interesting," said Pierre Landaiche, general manager of the Memphis Cook Convention Center and the Cannon Center. Visitors will find Memphis rich in history, for music, business, and civil rights history have been made here.

Rock 'n' roll was born in 1954, during a jam session with Elvis Presley in the recording studio of Sun Records. B. B. King, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Louis all got their start at Sun Studio. This National Historic Landmark is a special attraction in Memphis, with tours available for individual visitors or for groups up to 25.

The Lorraine Motel is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum, which chronicles key episodes of the American civil rights movement. The museum offers not just exhibitions, but also educational programs.

Beale Street is alive! Visitors can stroll to 25 shops, restaurants and clubs, while listening to live music every night of the week.

Close by are the W. C. Handy Performing Arts Park, and AutoZone Park, home to the Memphis Red Birds. With Mississippi River Boat rides, a world-class zoo, and other attractions, Memphis truly has something for everyone.

Help With Planning Your Meeting

"If you come to Memphis with a group of 1,500 - 1,600 on peak night, you will own the city," said Oros. "You will get our utmost attention, with signs, banners, and special offers for delegates, such as dine-around programs," he added. But smaller groups are equally welcome. Sales and marketing of the city and the convention center are managed by the CVB staff. They will also coordinate hotel meeting space and guest rooms, suggest alternate venues, organize site inspections, give a formal presentation on Memphis to your board or executive committee, and attend your prior event to promote the destination.

The CVB staff received especially high marks from Terry Dempsey, CEM, CAE, DeckExpo Inc., who runs an annual convention and trade show. "We were planning to hold our meeting in New Orleans in February 2006. In September, after our show floor had been configured and the show was just about sold out, Katrina hit. We were so lucky to relocate to the perfect space in the Memphis Cook Convention Center," he said. "We only had to shift our dates by one day, which was a huge relief. The CVB staff worked with the convention just prior to ours to speed their move-out, and consummated a deal for our show in just two weeks! This is a classic case of what a CVB is all about. They bring all the pieces together to attract groups to their destination. When the general public asks, 'What do they do with our tax money?', here's the perfect example."

Contributing Editor Sara Torrence, CMP, is the president of Sara Torrence & Associates, a meeting and events planning consulting firm in Gaithersburg, Md. She is the author of How to Run Scientific and Technical Meetings.