Tupelo & The Golden Triangle
New Conference Center Spurs Regional Growth
By Angie Baldwin Best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, hospitable Tupelo, Miss., has been shaking things up lately. With its invigorated downtown, improved attractions, new hotels and improved access, local officials say this northeast Mississippi town has been gaining attention as a regional meetings destination. “Downtown Tupelo is red hot right now,” said Shari Long, director of sales for the BancorpSouth Conference Center and Hilton Garden Inn. “It truly is an unprecedented time for the city. We have a new conference center and a new downtown hotel. New restaurants are popping up all over town. And all of our facilities are working in conjunction with one another.”
Much of Tupelo’s new vibe is surrounded around the BancorpSouth Conference Center, which opened in January. The center features 10,200 square feet of meeting space and can accommodate groups of up to 900 guests with seven separate rooms.
In October, the Mississippi Nurses Association (MNA) and the Mississippi Student Nurses Association, which welcomed approximately 1,000 attendees combined, held their annual meeting in Tupelo for the first time. “We require a large venue, a lot of hotel rooms and a variety of spaces,” explained Ricki Garrett, MNA executive director. “We were pleased with the facilities in Tupelo, including the Hilton Garden Inn, the BancorpSouth Arena and the new BancorpSouth Conference Center—and the staff at each facility.”
Linda Elliff, director of sales for the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), emphasized how groups, large and small, now have new opportunities to meet in a state-of-the-art meeting venue. “Having this conference center has given us the space we needed to accommodate larger groups. And, we’re getting great feedback from planners and attendees—they love the level of service they’re receiving. We believe that beyond having a great venue, our talent is hospitality.”
Located adjacent to the center is the BancorpSouth Arena, a multipurpose facility with 32,000 square feet of meeting space, said Kevan Kirkpatrick, director of marketing. “Because of our abundant space on the arena floor, we are able to arrange different configurations for groups.”
Supporting the center and the arena are new hotels. According to Elliff, a new 80-room Comfort Suites and a 94-suite Candlewood Suites are set to open downtown in 2008. Elliff said the two hotels will join a Hilton Garden Inn to transform the city into a more viable meeting destination.
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Tupelo, Miss., and The Golden Triangle area is growing. In fact, 2007 brought the opening of the BancorpSouth Conference Center, pictured here.
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The 1-year-old, 110-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel recently announced a 48-room expansion, Long said, explaining that plans call for the additional guest rooms to open by fall 2008. The hotel also offers two small-sized meeting rooms, high-speed Internet access and audio/visual equipment.
The Ramada Inn and Convention Center has been divided into two properties, Elliff explained. “We now call the spaces the Summit Hotel and Summit Center.” The Ramada Inn features 106 guest rooms, while the Summit Hotel offers 116 renovated guest rooms as well as the Summit Convention Center, which features six meeting rooms and can accommodate 800, theater style.
In the way of attractions, The Birthplace of Elvis Presley Museum reopened in January following a 12-week reorganization, according to Executive Director Dick Guyton. “We have improved it by adding more information about Elvis’ early life and influences. It now tells a story.”
The Tupelo Automobile Museum is implementing new events such as drive-in movie opportunities, said Cindy Hale, museum spokesperson. “The museum’s showroom is available for groups of up to 400 guests. It makes for an interesting dinner when you are surrounded by antique, rare and classic cars.”
The Golden Triangle
Columbus, Tupelo’s neighbor and part of what’s referred to as the Golden Triangle, is most ideal for small groups, said Yvonne Sanders, conference and reunion meetings manager for the Columbus CVB. “We generally attract the religious market as well as the real estate and health markets.”
Columbus is also welcoming new hotels, restaurants and expanded attractions to its repertoire, according to Sanders. A new Santa Fe Restaurant opened in November, and a Chili’s Restaurant is scheduled to open next year. Also, Lake Lowndes State Park is in the midst of adding a water park to its grounds, according to Sanders.
The Trotter Convention Center recently refurbished its lobby and meeting rooms with new carpet, wallpaper and fresh paint, said General Manager Frank Goodman, adding that the facility features three meeting rooms and can accommodate 800, banquet style.
On the banks of the Tennessee-Tombigbee River, the Plymouth Bluff Center offers 24 guest rooms as well as a conference center with six rooms, wireless Internet access and recreational opportunities, according to Director Dave Haffly.
Key Info · Sales Tax: 7.25 percent in Tupelo.
· Hotel Tax: 9.25 percent in Tupelo. |
Another part of the Golden Triangle, Starkville, is home of Mississippi State University (MSU) and offers meeting-goers the unique setting of a college town with state-of-the-art meeting facilities, said Arma delaCruz Salazar, vice president of tourism and retirement development for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. “You can meet on campus or in Starkville and walk to Main Street or the historic Cotton District for some shopping, a bite to eat or to tour one of our attractions such as the Aspen Bay Candle Factory or the John Grisham Room.”
A Hilton Garden Inn and Suites and a Candlewood Suites are under construction and should be completed by the end of 2008. “When both hotels are ready, Starkville will have more than 1,100 hotel rooms, and the two hotels together will offer more than 8,000 square feet of additional meeting space,” delaCruz Salazar said.
