Courtesy Daytona CVB
Daytona Beach, Florida
How about a warm, oceanside meeting site? Daytona Beach, Fla., may meet your criteria.
“We’re an affordable beach destination and easy to get to by driving or flying,” said Linda McMahon, director of group sales at the Daytona Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have many repeat religious groups visit us. Our summers are packed with religious youth groups.”
Daytona Beach will host 400 to 500 faith-based meeting planners and 750-plus industry suppliers Oct. 27-30 for Rejuvenate Marketplace. The Christian Meetings and Conventions Association has also met there.
Youth groups also come to town, especially in the summer. Groups like Student Life, an interdenominational ministry, and BigStuf, also known as Youth Ministry Resources, “use our Ocean Center convention complex and hold general sessions with music and area activities. It’s motivational but structured. Then they enjoy the beach,” said McMahon.
A band shell on the beach can be used for sunrise prayer sessions.
“One of our attractive selling points is when you meet here, you’re ‘the’ meeting, the only game in town, the star of the show,” McMahon said. “We have strong partnerships with hotels and our convention center, so we help planners connect all the dots for a seamless event.”
386-255-0415
www.daytonabeachcvb.org
Little Rock, Arkansas
The Little Rock, Ark., Convention and Visitors Bureau is “across the board with churches,” said Celia Anderson, national sales director. “This work is just in our hearts. I handle the religious market. We’re genuine and just care about the mission these groups push forward. We get it.“
The African Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist and Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) churches and Jehovah’s Witnesses are some of the denominations that meet regularly in Little Rock.
“They come for national conferences. Many bring youth conferences here because we have so many great things in our community. For example, we’re home to Heifer International, an international charity based on the biblical premise ‘Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat today; teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for his lifetime,’” said Anderson.
Heifer International helps communities end hunger and poverty by providing people with cows, goats, geese, guinea pigs, bees, silkworms and water buffalo so they can provide for themselves. The program is born of Christian faith.
The popular Joel Osteen Ministries and Joyce Meyer, the Christian author and speaker, recently had programs in the city. “Little Rock has branded itself a great place for religious groups,” said Anderson.
800-844-4781
www.littlerock.com
