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B M & T ••• November/December 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 52 MEETING IN ARKANSAS CAPITOL CITY PROVES TO BE AN ECONOMICALLY SOUND OPTION FOR PLANNERS B Y R U F U S M C K I N N E Y Known for its charming hospitality and rich history, Little Rock has recently undergone a vibrant renewal and wel- comes you and your attendees to explore Arkansas's capital city as a breath of fresh air for your next event. Little Rock has a variety of affordable meeting venues and over 7,000 hotel rooms citywide, includ- ing over 2,000 guest rooms in the down- town convention district. Explore the city and you'll be "Big on Little Rock," too! Little Rock's Statehouse Convention Center is home to more than 220,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space featuring on-site audiovisual, security and telecommunications professionals and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout. The pre-function space of the 18,000-square foot ballroom offers majestic views of the Arkansas River. The venue is also equipped with 12 meeting rooms and 82,892 sq. ft. of hall space. Adjacent to downtown's River Market Entertainment District, the convention center is connect- ed to the Little Rock Marriott with 418 guest rooms and an additional 40,000 square feet of meeting space, making your meetings convenient and accessible with everything under one roof. The historic 1939 Robinson Center serves as Little Rock's premier performing arts facility and recently underwent a $70 million renovation. The facility includes a multipurpose performance hall featuring 2,222 seats and a contemporary 25,000- square foot conference center. The cen- ter's four flexible meeting rooms also offer access to a 5,000-square foot out- door terrace with beautiful views of the Arkansas River. As a LEED Gold-certified venue, the building is also one of the few in the country to be both LEED certified and designated on the National Register of Historic Places list. Robinson Center is attached to the DoubleTree by Hilton Little Rock, with 288 guest rooms. Combined, the two properties provide close to 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. When most people think of Little Rock, they think of Central High School and the desegregation crisis of 1957, and they do so for good reason. The story of the Little Rock Nine is one of courage in the face of fear and righteousness in the wake of hate; a story that still, to this day, guides this city on the path to justice. Today, Little Rock's historic civil rights sites are a backbone of the community. Six of these sites are included on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, on which Little Rock is con- sidered a "Top 10" destination. They dot the city, offering tangible connections to the past. Little Rock's dining scene, widely acclaimed as one of the best in the South, is pillared by a bevy of Black- owned restaurants that can trace their history of service back not just decades but generations. Located in the heart of Arkansas, Little Rock is easily accessible by plane or car. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport is Arkansas's largest airport, serving nearly 2 million passengers each year. With seven airlines and over 50 arrivals and departures daily, the airport is home to 15 non-stop connections across the country and 15 minutes from down- town. Driving into the city? Both Interstate 40 and I-30 connect to the city, making it only five hours from Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis and Oklahoma City and eight hours from Atlanta and Houston. Little Rock is also easily accessible via Amtrak's Texas Eagle service connecting Chicago, St. Louis and 38 other cities. AREA GUIDES L I T T L E R O C K • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS DoubleTree by Hilton Little Rock 288 Little Rock Marriott 418 Holiday Inn Presidential Little Rock Downtown 150 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Little Rock Statehouse Convention Center Total Space 220,000 sq. ft. Largest Hall 89,892 sq. ft. Largest Ballroom 18,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 12 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Little Rock CVB – (501) 376-4781 www.littlerock.com Little Rock skyline photo credit: Wikipedia