Small-town conventions: big time economic engines.

• Author: Bohi, Heidi
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: CONVENTIONS

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Tell the truth: Given the choice between attending a business conference or convention in Fiji or Fairbanks, which one would you pick?

Unless you are certifiably crazy--or flat out lying--you, like most of the country's business professionals, would chose Fiji. Who doesn't want to mix business with pleasure, especially when that downtime might mean taking in the tropical breezes and listening to island music as the palm trees sway in the sunset?

While a nationwide poll found that 43 percent would chose some place tropical, cities such as San Francisco, Calif.; Santa Fe, N.M.; and Austin, Texas, came is second with 40 percent of the vote. Las Vegas, Nev., and Atlantic City, N.J., got 13 percent of the vote, and the Disney destinations in Florida and California brought in the remaining 4 percent.

Although smaller Alaska communities may not be measurable vote-getters in such market-research surveys, out-of-the-way gems like Homer, Valdez, Fairbanks, and the Mat-Su Valley have the small-town charm, intimate settings and natural beauty to tap into the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and incentive travel industry. The 365-day-a-year economic engine generates $125 billion a year in direct spending, making it one of the top contributors to the gross national product. It is also one of the few industries where spending ripples through every sector of a local economy, including lodging, restaurants, transportation and retail, supporting 1.7 million jobs nationwide.

More and more, businesses and organizations statewide and Outside are starting to bring their convention and meeting delegates to rural communities in Alaska, finding whether they are planning a retreat for 15, or a conference for hundreds, small-town welcome and free time opportunities are consistent crowd-pleasers. Although the lack of big hotels and convention centers can be challenging for booking groups larger than 300 to 500 people, local meeting planners and the communities work together to package innovative solutions. Offering community-wide lodging, transportation and meeting space adds grassroots charm absent in larger cities moving groups along a convention conveyor belt.

FAIRBANKS

Palm trees to pyramids, roller coasters to indoor lakes--when it comes to selling meetings and conventions, from city to city no gimmick is, well, too gimmicky. While Fairbanks was bringing this business to the Golden Heart City long before visitors were drinking appletinis out of martini glasses hand-carved from ice, the attraction is now one of the most talked-about features of every booking that includes the Aurora Ice Museum on its agenda.

Located at Chena Hot Springs Resort, it is the only year-round ice environment in the world, created from more...