Stunning scenery and close-knit communities await attendees of the 2024 Small Market Meetings Conference.
The conference will be held September 25–27 in St. George, Utah, at the Dixie Convention Center. It will be hosted by the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. Attendees can look forward to two engaging marketplace sessions, educational seminars, sponsored meals, plenty of networking time and excursions into the Greater Zion area. St. George is just a 45-minute drive away from Zion National Park, one of the country’s most visited park sites. In 2022, the park drew an estimated 4.5 million visitors.
Conference attendees will stay at the Best Western Plus Abbey Inn, which has 154 guest rooms and 5,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is within walking distance of the Dixie Convention Center.
Welcome from Greater Zion
Conference attendees will get to explore the Greater Zion area, which includes St. George and many other small communities in Washington County.
“We’re just really excited for them to come and experience the area,” said Joy Schroeder, meeting, convention and event sales manager at Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. “We realize a lot of them maybe haven’t had a chance to make it out our way. We’re in a market that’s growing.”
That growing market includes the brand-new Black Desert Resort, which will host the PGA Tour’s Black Desert Championship this October. The resort’s 200-plus rooms will open following the tournament, and its luxurious amenities will be a big addition to the area’s meeting and events offerings.
To kick off the conference, an opening event will be held at BigShots Golf St. George, an entertainment venue and restaurant with a focus on golfing and gaming. In addition to golf swing suites, there’s also a putting course, table tennis, cornhole and other games. The attached restaurant serves pub food and beverages.
“It’s a fun place with something for everyone,” said Schroeder. “And it includes meeting and banquet space we will be using for the event.”
What to Expect
Marketplace sessions at the Small Market Meetings Conference let meeting planners make appointments with industry partners to learn about the meeting and convention offerings available at different destinations.
“Where else can you go in two days and meet with 150-170 industry partners there?” said Jennifer Ferguson, general manager of The Group Travel Family, which organizes the conference. “This marketplace really gives amazing opportunities for meeting planners to see what’s out there destination-wise. It’s a one-stop shop.”
In addition to the marketplace sessions, the conference provides opportunities for planners and industry partners to mingle at the sponsored meals and educational sessions. This year’s meal sponsors include Visit Henderson Nevada, ASM Global and Visit Buffalo-Niagara.
“With Small Market Meetings, we bring together all the meeting planners and all the travel industry for extra networking time,” Ferguson said. “You get that extra networking time with the meal functions.”
Evening events are designed not only for networking but also to show off the host city’s top selling points. Planners will get to learn about the extensive destination appeal of St. George while spending time with their industry peers.
“The conference is really an opportunity to grow relationships, do business on the marketplace floor, but also have fun,” Ferguson said.
Sightseeing Tours
The conference will include sightseeing tours designed to showcase Greater Zion’s charms. Instead of the usual four back-to-back sightseeing tours, attendees will have the choice of one of five tours. This will give them plenty of time to explore the sprawling Washington County’s many offerings for meetings.
The first tour on offer involves exploring downtown St. George. It will feature stops at historic buildings, where attendees can learn about the history of the town and the area. There will also be a stop at an art museum, where there will be a showcase of art from around Utah. They will also see the visitors center, where they’ll enjoy a presentation with live animals from the region. They’ll get to meet these local animals while learning about their natural habitat and their care.
In addition to its crown jewel, Zion National Park, the Greater Zion area is home to several state parks that also showcase the stunning natural features of the rugged Southwest. Two tours will highlight the area’s natural beauty. One will feature a trip to Pioneer Park, with a short hike to see the desert gardens.
The other outdoor sightseeing tour will be at Snow Canyon State Park. There, participants will hear a talk from a park naturalist about the geography and ecology of the park, as well as enjoy a short interpretive hike.
Another tour attendees can select is called “Taffyology,” where attendees will head to nearby Santa Clara to visit a well-known taffy shop. They will take a guided tour of the shop and factory, then have the chance to make a taffy with their own flavor. They will leave with samples of their own creation.
The final tour attendees can choose from is a behind-the-scenes tour of Tuacahn Amphitheatre, a 2,500-seat red-rock outdoor theater that puts on Broadway-style entertainment with a stunning background. Groups will learn what goes into producing one of these shows, get a look backstage and have a question-and-answer session with theater staff.
