^{May 2002}

In New Orleans, they use the French term lagniappe: “an unexpected surprise” or “a little something extra.” To achieve this unexpected extra or creative something that show managers and attendees seek, many convention and visitor bureaus refer their clients to DMCs (Destination Management Companies) to manage the myriad of details — such as catering, entertainment, décor, staging and lighting, security and more — required to pull off a successful event.

Ideas and themes for such events are as diverse as the places in which they can be found. Here are just 10 cities that can provide Lagniappe for your next event.

Saluting San Diego

San Diego possesses a strong military heritage and presence, with more than 80 Navy and Marine Corps Commands in the area. To capture that history, flavor, and excitement, PRA Destination Management, a local DMC, designs events for show attendees at many of the commands.

First, the attendees’ motorcoach is met by a member of the air squadron who explains the base’s mission while en route to a Flight Line, which consists of personnel, specialty aircraft and weaponry. The next stop may be the Officer’s Club, or to a hanger that has been “transformed into an event area themed to the client’s liking,” explains Claudia Wehrman, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing for PRA. Past themes have encompassed “Top Gun,” “M*A*S*H” and “China Beach.” And because the bases are active 24/7, guests encounter first-hand the flurry of daily activities, such as jet landings and take-offs.

Denver’s Rocky Mountain High

Although Denver is known for its scenic snow-covered mountains, the city also enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year (more than San Diego or Miami Beach), which means that outdoor activities abound.

One such fun outdoor destination is Civic Center Park, which sits in the heart of the city between the State Capitol and Civic Center. The park is adorned with stately Greek architecture, flower gardens, reflecting pools and a Greek amphitheatre. And it affords a glimpse of gorgeous views of Denver in all directions, which made it the perfect backdrop when DMC Colorado Event Organizers Inc. decided to create, design and produce a Greek-Roman Empire-themed oasis for 2,500 people attending a Schwab Institutional conference.

The park was completely transformed with faux-painted columns, a ruin-styled peaked archway, themed dining tents and costume-clad caterers serving Greek delicacies. In addition, trumpeters, strolling musicians, an authentic Greek band and dancers, and a re-creation of the Greek Olympic games delighted the crowd.


Detective Work Detective Work Chicago Style

Numerous Chicago landmarks touch upon the diverse eras of the city’s past. One of them is the historic Francis J. Dewes Mansion, inspired by German architecture.

Located in Lincoln Park, it has been used for mystery dinner theaters themed to acquaint guests with the history of Chicago near the turn-of-the-century. After a trolley tour of Old Chicago chaperoned by “Lady Dewes,” characters in period costume greet attendees at the mansion for a cocktail reception. Tips are provided for solving a mystery: clue cards, magnifying glasses, “case” files, and the like, and the stage is set. “This event allows people to meet and mingle in a way that opens up conversation,” says Bonnie Hansen, Executive Producer of G/M! Productions, a local DMC. Groups from major medical conventions to more intimate incentive groups have taken advantage of this unique offering.

Dinner for 120 in the upstairs ballroom encompasses crime scenes acted out between courses, followed by a re-creation of the crime revealing the culprits, motive, method and guests who solved the mystery, all before dessert.


A Fly Over in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas, where entertainment is king and “unusual” is their middle name, DMCs can do almost anything. So choosing a unique event in Vegas may sound like an oxymoron.

“That’s one of the nice things about Las Vegas,” says Chris Meyer, Manager of Convention Center Sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority. “We do more shows than anyone in the country. So from an idea concept, you don’t have to go over the top because all of those elements that are after-show activities are already here.”

One of the more popular events organized for groups is a helicopter ride to a private landing area on an Indian reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. After a champagne reception and lunch, attendees re-board the ’copters for an area tour, culminating with a whirl right down the Las Vegas Strip.


Philanthropic Orlando

Many show managers focus on philanthropy, so the Orlando/ Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau helped found the Central Florida Hospitality Industry Charity Organization (CFHICO), an organization designed to match charitable show managers with needy charities.

“Show managers are busy, so CFHICO makes it easier for organizations to come into our community, go to a location, and make a donation of goods or services, a financial donation, etc.,” says Danielle Courtenay, Vice President of Public Relations for the CVB. “It is just one more service our organization can provide to help them enhance their show.”

Charities looking for assistance are numerous and run the gamut. One organization recently donated half of a semi-trailer’s worth of surplus materials from their convention (pens, pads, folders, etc.) to “Gifts for Teaching,” a fee-free store where area school-teachers can choose items to enhance the learning experience in their classrooms.


The Yellow Rose of Houston

“Get out and do something Texas at least one night while you’re in Houston,” is the advice of Lance Livingston of Houston DMC Lance Livingston Productions. His organization can arrange a private rodeo for groups of 300 to 5,000 that goes one step beyond simply eating a plate of barbecue and watching the animals. First, your VIPs are brought into the grand entry arena via mule-led stagecoach or covered wagon, while dodging shooting gun-slingers and hungry buzzards flying overhead.

All guests are active rodeo participants for the Texas Frisbee (cow patty) Toss, mechanical bull rides, (faux) calf roping, baby bottle beer guzzling competition, armadillo races, and men’s and women’s garment calf dressing contest. You can even scare your boss with a ride on a “mean-lookin’-but-tame-as-a-pussy-cat” 2,000-pound Brahman bull. According to Livingston, “They expect it (a Western theme) when they come to Texas, so come here to get something they expect.”


New York: Still the Big Apple

Despite the events of Sept. 11th, New York remains a sentimental favorite among show managers. And the wealth of historic, ethnic and cultural offerings here continues to captivate all who take part.

For example, the “Cultural Program for the World Economic Forum” offered private, behind-the-scenes tours at several of the city’s cultural treasures. The visit to the American Museum of Natural History, for example, encompasses a scientist-led tour and science show of the Hayden Planetarium and Rose Center for Earth and Space. At the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, show attendees meet resident artists from around the world while they are actively working in their studios. And the guided tour of the architectural models at the Museum of Modern Art is highlighted by a presentation and informal discussion with the museum’s director.

The program can span several hours over one to four days, depending on attendees’ schedules, for groups of up to 150 people at
a time.


Flex Your Political Muscle

Because of its prominence as the nation’s capitol, Washington, DC, can provide an opportunity no other city can offer: incorporating a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill into your agenda.

The primary function of some organizations with offices in the capitol city is to maintain a presence on The Hill. Therefore, these organizations regularly coordinate meetings, receptions, lunches, dinners and other events for their members with their respective state’s Representatives and Senators. However, word is that this option is available for virtually any organization. And although you may not meet directly with the bigwigs (contingent upon who you are and the particular issue to be discussed), you can always meet with someone, be it a Legal Administrator, Lobbyist, Legislative Liaison or other important political associate. The American Academy of Physician Assistants is one group that takes time for politics at its Capitol Constituent Organization Workshop.

The best time to take advantage of this offering for your show is when Congress is in session. Simply contact the appropriate office through the Congressional Directory, which is available on the Internet.


Not Quite Six Feet Under

Going to a party at a funeral home may not sound very inviting, but it can be in New Orleans. Here in the home of lagniappe, several organizations have used the 8,000-square-foot private home of Johann and Bethany Bultman behind their Bultman Funeral Home for fun events.

After a brass band second-lines — dances in a staggered line while holding umbrellas or waving handkerchiefs — from a nearby streetcar, a gospel choir singing “When The Saints Go Marching In” meets delighted attendees at the front porch. Hors d’ouevres and tarot card reading in the formal parlors upstairs are followed by a formal dinner in the dining room, then dancing to live Jazz in the two-story solarium.

One meeting planner remarked, “I would have never thought I could rent a home for my party, instead of a public venue. Nothing can compare with the warmth and excitement for your attendees to walk away with a true flavor of the local community.”

Nashville — Athens of the South

Recognized as the Home of Country Music, Nashville is also nicknamed the “Athens of the South.” And a popular venue in this city for events is the replica of the famous Greek temple, The Parthenon. Part fine art museum, “It’s one of my favorite places to do an event,” remarks Mears White of The Key Event and Helen Moskovitz Group, one of several DMCs the Nashville CVB uses. “We’ve done events ranging from a simple cocktail party for 10 to 200, to an upscale seated dinner for 120. Entertainment can be anything from a classical trio to country music artists paired with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.” Associations and corporate groups have offered the Parthenon as a tour venue and off-property event site. The property is also well-suited to staff programs, which investigate the building even more in-depth.

After a cocktail reception in the gallery exhibit areas on the ground floor, guests are led to the feet of an impressive 42-foot high statue of Athena, then upstairs to the main gallery for a lavish sit-down dinner. Sans air conditioning, Spring or Fall are the best times of the year to hold a function here.


Lysa Allman-Baldwin is a freelance writer based in Kansas City, MO. Her feature articles and travel and neighborhood reviews appear regularly in print and online publications across the country, and she’s a national travel columnist on African American travel, her features published as Ebony Escapes! Lysa is also the Travel Writer and Editor for Soul Of America, the first travel Web site dedicated to providing information about African American sites, establishments and travel atwww.SoulOfAmerica.com.
She can be reached at Lyallman@swbell.net.