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LITTLE ROCK: WALKABLE CORE, RIVERFRONT OPTIONS BY NAOMI C. ELLIS Little Rock gives planners a compact downtown where transfers stay short, routes read clean, and venues scale to the plan. The Statehouse Convention Center sits by the river a block from the River Market, and the Little Rock Marriott con- nects to the facility for weather safe movement between general session and breakouts. Robinson Center adds a mod- ern performing arts hall and meeting suites within an easy walk, useful for keynotes, concerts, and awards. Across the river in North Little Rock, Simmons Bank Arena offers a full bowl, concourses, and meeting rooms for rallies, concerts, and consumer shows. Arrivals are straightforward. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport is a quick drive from downtown, and highway times stay steady outside peak hours. For car free circulation once on site, the fare free METRO Streetcar loops through downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock seven days a week, linking hotels, the convention center, Robinson Center, the River Market, and arena stops. That circuit trims rideshare spend on short hops and keeps the day on schedule. Clear curb zones near the halls support coaches, and walk routes are intuitive along the river. Program design benefits from a district layout that reads well. Start mornings in Statehouse for plenary, set workshops in divisible rooms, and place sponsor labs close to the exhibit hall. Use Marriott ball- rooms for board sessions and press moments, then move to Robinson Center for a keynote with professional sound and lighting already in place. For citywides or rallies, the arena bowl adapts to large audiences while back of house teams manage coach staging, security lines, and floor builds without chaos. Off site choices carry a strong sense of place. The Clinton Presidential Center offers glass walled rooms with river views plus galleries for private tours that add context between sessions. The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in MacArthur Park rents indoor rooms and a lawn that pho- tographs well at sunset. Riverfront Park, the Junction Bridge, and the Argenta arts district add outdoor pads and galleries within minutes of headquarter hotels. Menus range from barbecue institutions to chef driven rooms with private dining for boards; many operators here are practiced with plated service and quick resets. Load in and show flow are efficient across the core. The convention footprint covers exhibit, ballroom, and meeting space with docks and clear internal routes. The attached hotel supplies added breakouts without bus time, which pro- tects session minutes and sponsor face time. Streetcar proximity improves wayfinding for attendees, and the river- front setting gives your photographer easy b roll between segments. With coop- erative city teams and vendors who han- dle tight turns, Little Rock delivers a meet- ing week that holds its schedule. For partner programs and off hours, the district makes planning simple. Morning wellness can live on riverfront greens or hotel terraces. Midday, small groups can cross the bridge to Argenta studios or ride the streetcar to lunch. Evenings stretch naturally from reception to dinner to show, all inside a small radius. If you need overflow for a consumer day, set the arena floor for good measure and keep education in Statehouse, then reunite the crowd downtown for a clos- ing set and a final photograph. • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Little Rock Marriott 418 Holiday Inn Little Rock Conference Center 201 Embassy Suites Little Rock 251 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Statehouse Convention Center Total Meeting Space 220,000 sq. ft. Largest Hall 40,000 sq. ft. Largest Ballroom 18,362 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 12 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Little Rock CVB – (501) 376-4781 www.littlerock.com AREA GUIDES View of Little Rock downtown skyline L I T T L E R O C K B M & T ••• November/December 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 51