Northwest Arkansas
'Old West' Region Forging New Frontiers
Ben Bruner, facilities coordinator for Great Plains Leadership Training for Christ, recently organized an annual youth convention in Rogers, Ark., and said, "The first feature of this area that caught my attention as a meeting planner was the incredible convention facilities. "The John Q. Hammons Convention Center [in Rogers] is an amazing property that surpasses many 'big-city' convention facilities in aesthetics, layout and technology," Bruner said. "Rogers provides big-city convention facilities with a small- town spirit. That's a perfect combination for our convention." The event will continue to be held in Rogers through 2010.
Throughout Northwest Arkansas, which includes the cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, "Old West" historical flair is intermingled with progress and possibilities for groups, destination officials said.
Due to rapid growth in the region, in 2007, airport officials with Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Bentonville announced the construction of a new concourse that will allow the airport to add six to eight additional airplane parking/boarding sites to the current 12 sites.
However, that's not the only hot news in the area. Here's an overview of the latest meeting site and destination news for Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, and nearby Fort Smith.
Fayetteville
"Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, [Fayetteville's] springs and falls are absolutely gorgeous," said Allyson Twiggs, director of the Fayetteville Visitor Bureau. "We have 3,000 acres of parks and more than 17 miles of trails for people to get out and enjoy our great outdoors."
Fayetteville is also enhancing its appeal to groups; the downtown area is undergoing a beautification makeover to better mesh with the city's outdoor appeal, according to Twiggs. "Our entire downtown square is being renovated with new light fixtures, sidewalks, trees, plants, and we've added native stone planters for all the gardens," she said.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel offers 235 guest rooms and 14 meeting rooms providing more than 14,000 square feet of space. The entire property is undergoing renovations, according to Tyler Barham, sales manager, who said enhancements to the hotel's meeting space are set to be completed in the upcoming months. "With our veteran banquet crew, we can accomplish anything from lavish weddings to major conventions without complication," Barham said.
Fayetteville Town Center provides 14,000 square feet of column-free facility space. Director of Sales Jamey Goddard said the property also includes an attached covered parking garage where planners may bring in their own food and beverage. "We have excellent service, professional on-site managers, on-site stage pieces, a dance floor, a sound system, a convenient parking deck, a downtown location, and staff ready to coordinate your large or small event," Goddard said.
Springdale
"Springdale has experienced amazing growth in the last 15 years," said Bill Rogers, vice president of communications and special projects for the Springdale Chamber of Commerce. "A report by the U.S. Census Bureau recently ranked Springdale's metro area as the 17th fastest growing in the United States."
One result of the city's progress is a $105 million street program that is currently in its final stages. The project includes the construction of three east/west corridors that cross the town and are set to ease traffic congestion, Rogers said.
Arvest Ballpark, a $50 million, municipally owned baseball stadium, opened in April and brought the Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball team to the area. "The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and brings professional sports to the region for the first time," Rogers said. "Arvest Ballpark, which seats 6,500, is also an excellent venue for outdoor events."
Springdale is also home to the Holiday Inn Northwest Arkansas Convention Center, providing 206 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet of meeting space, said Aleta Travis, director of sales.
Rogers
"Noted as one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States, yet maintaining the quaint feel and warmth of a small town, Rogers is widely recognized as one of the most unique places to live in America," said Tom Galyon, CDME, executive director of the Rogers Arkansas CVB. "We've grown from a city that focused its efforts on leisure and corporate to one that's now centered on the convention and meetings market."
Key Info · Sales Tax: 9.25 percent in Fayetteville, Springdale and Fort Smith; 9 percent in Rogers; and 6 percent in Bentonville.
· Hotel Tax: 2 percent in Fayetteville; 1.5 percent in Springdale; 2 percent in Rogers; 7 percent in Bentonville; and 6 percent in Fort Smith. |
The city is home to the headquarters of Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transportation Services and several other Fortune 500 companies, Galyon noted, adding that "visitors will revel in the luxurious, upscale atmosphere and friendly hospitality in Rogers."
Several enhancements and additions are adding to the city's appeal, according to Galyon, who said that more than $100 million has been spent on road improvements. And, for an unsurpassed shopping experience, Pinnacle Hills Promenade Lifestyle Center opened in 2007 and has several nationally known chain stores such as Dillard's, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn, Galyon said, adding that it's "more than a million feet of shopping delight." The Pinnacle Hills area now includes the recently opened Ruth's Chris Steak House; more high-end restaurants are planning to open in the near future, according to Galyon.
The 130-room aloft Rogers-Bentonville is scheduled to open this month and offers 550 square feet of meeting space, according to Director of Sales and Marketing Jodi Lightner. "aloft is Starwood Hotels' first hotel in Northwest Arkansas and the newest twist in travel." The hotel offers 9-foot-high ceilings in the guest rooms, state-of-the-art technologies, signature bedding, and sensory elements such as music and aroma.
A hotel that recently opened is the Hyatt Place Rogers/Bentonville with 103 guest suites and 800 square feet of meeting space that can seat up to 60 guests, according to General Manager Annette Nichols. In its meeting space, the hotel features state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, a 42-inch high-definition plasma TV, and food and beverage catering. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the hotel. "At certain times of the year, we can offer complimentary meeting space for a group with at least 10 guest rooms," Nichols said.
The 400-room Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas Hotel, Spa and Convention Center recently completed a $1 million renovation of the lobby and public areas and built a new fitness center, said Scott Beal, director of sales and marketing, adding that in mid-2007, the hotel completed room expansions and opened the spa. The property provides 120,000 square feet of meeting space with the hotel and John Q. Hammons Convention Center combined. "We are one of the few hotel and convention center facilities in the United States," Beal said, "where you only work with one contact to book the hotel and the center; meeting planners have 'one-stop-shopping.'"
Bentonville
"Bentonville is the best place to mix business and pleasure with state-of-the-art meeting and sports facilities as well as some of the best outdoor recreation, including fishing and skiing at Beaver Lake, awesome mountain biking at Slaughter Pen Hollow, and hiking in Hobbs State Park," said Kalene Griffith, president of the Bentonville CVB, further explaining that the city has new enticements to add to its allure.
Coming in 2010, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is expected to be one of the nation's top art museums, according to Blair Cromwell, director of sales for the Bentonville CVB. The museum complex will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery, library, meeting and office space; a 250-seat indoor auditorium; areas for outdoor concerts and public events; gallery rooms suitable for large receptions; and sculpture gardens and walking trails.
The city expects continued growth as Bentonville voters recently approved a bond for $110 million with $85 million for infrastructure enhancements, $15 million for park improvements, and $460,000 for Bentonville Municipal Airport, Cromwell said, adding that monies were also allotted for the local police and fire department.
Bentonville just opened a new laser tag facility, Blaster's Laser Tag, that Cromwell noted is not only popular with kids but is also "popular with local companies and visiting conferences looking for something for their employees or attendees to do to blow off steam after a long day of meetings."
The new Doubletree Guest Suites Bentonville/ Rogers has 140 suites featuring a separate living room area with a pullout sofa, microwave oven and refrigerator, and other Doubletree in-room amenities, said Dave Horton, senior vice president of brand management for Doubletree Hotels. "The Doubletree Guest Suites Bentonville/Rogers is a great example of a hotel that will offer our unique blend of a friendly, personable atmosphere with contemporary accommodations that create an ideal hotel experience where guests can feel free to be themselves." The hotel offers 8,690 square feet of meeting space.
The Clarion Hotel and Convention Center offers 105 rooms and 26,000 square feet of meeting space, according to Jason Moll, director of sales and marketing for the hotel and the Sleep Inn, which is located within the same compound. "With both properties, we can offer flexibility in price ranges," Moll said, adding that the hotel completed a renovation of public and meeting spaces in 2007.
Hilton Garden Inn Bentonville/Rogers Hotel features 133 guest rooms and The Walton Room, providing 675 square feet of meeting space. "This space," said Steve Wright, director of sales, "is ideal for the corporate meetings held daily by retail supplier corporations and the
Fortune 500 companies that visit Northwest Arkansas year round." The hotel has upgraded its guest rooms to Hilton Garden Inn brand's Evolution Solution Room, which includes Adjustable Sleep System beds, an ergonomic Herman Miller desk chair, complimentary wireless and wired high-speed Internet access, and remote printing. Current enhancements under way include the addition of 32-inch, high-definition flat-panel TVs and wood-stained crown molding.
In Vicinity: Fort Smith
Located about an hour south of the Northwest Arkansas cities is Fort Smith. "Known as the city 'Where the New South Meets the Old West,' Fort Smith, Ark., offers exceptional accommodations, beautiful scenery and outstanding area attractions," said Elizabeth Naculich, communications/event services manager for the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). With its colorful frontier past, the city provides a historical adventure for meeting attendees, Naculich said, explaining that this begins with a visit to Miss Laura's Social Club, a former brothel now on the National Register of Historic Places and home to the city's visitor's center.
A new attraction, the U.S. Marshals Museum, is expected to open in 2012 and feature artifacts and special exhibits from America's oldest federal law enforcement agency. "We want to create an educational environment to inspire visitors, including the display of key artifacts and interactive exhibits to illustrate our many historical missions," said Museum Historian David Turk.
The museum is the first project under way for the development of the Fort Smith River Front, said Jayne Hughes, director of the city's Central Business Improvement District, who added that the city has spent $30 million on an ongoing downtown development and renovation projects with five new businesses opened in 2007, including restaurants and retail outlets.
A new lifestyle center will open in October with upscale shopping outlets, and downtown will soon be enhanced with a streetscape improvement project scheduled for completion this fall.
Meeting venues include the Fort Smith Convention Center, which includes 40,000 square feet of event space, theater-styled seating for up to 5,200 people, and a performing arts theater with seating for more than 1,330, Naculich said.
The 255-room Holiday Inn Fort Smith - City Center, with 17,640 square feet of meeting space, completed a $6 million renovation in March that included all meeting space, new carpet, new wall coverings and a new bedding package, according to Sales Director Becky Murphy.
And, the 138-room Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Fort Smith opened in 2007 with 2,500 square feet of meeting space.
