Lights! Camera! Action! Memphis!
That’s right….the city of Good Abode is on Hollywood’s speed dial when it comes to finding the perfect location for making a movie. A short list of flicks with scenes filmed in Memphis includes “Black Snake Moan,” “Hustle and Flow,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “The Firm,” “Cast Away,” “Walk the Line,” “Mystery Train,” and more.
Why Memphis? Well you could ask Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Dennis Quaid or Tom Cruise, all of whom have enjoyed the hospitality of Memphis, but we think we can shed some Southern light on the subject.
First, it’s the people. Memphis is consistently named one of the friendliest cities in the U.S. Then there’s the food: all kinds, and lots of it. Barbecue is definitely king and every May you can find hundreds of thousands cooking up a storm during the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on the banks of the Mississippi River. But every day of the year, you’ll detect the sweet aroma of barbecue, wet and dry, in restaurants, cafes, and corner eating spots all over the city. And if you’re hankering for a serious Southern experience, tuck that napkin into your shirt and sit down to some fried chicken, grits, corn bread, creamed corn, greens—the list goes on. Leave room for the freshly made cobbler.
Next is our location. Few cities can compete with Memphis’ central location and easy accessibility. The Memphis international Airport with daily non-stop trans-Atlantic service to Amsterdam with convenient connections to and from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Then, there’s the music and nightlife. Home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll, Memphis has something for everyone. Historic Beale Street is home to over 25 shops and clubs and free impromptu entertainment on every corner. B.B. King’s, Rum Boogie’s and the Hard Rock Café pack in visitors nightly. Walk over to the Gibson Guitar Factory & Beale Street Showcase and take a tour and go shopping. If you love rock ‘n roll, you’ll love Smithsonian’s Rock ‘n Soul Museum, with its galleries examining the history of Memphis music. Not far away is Sun Studio, the place where legends such as Elvis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins were recorded and their careers launched. Stax Museum of American Soul Music houses more than 2,000 cultural artifacts, music exhibits, video footage, and items of memorabilia.
And what musical tour of Memphis is complete without a visit to Graceland, the 14-acre legendary home of Elvis. Here, you’ll take an amazing journey into the beloved star’s home and career.
You can see why Hollywood loves us, but we’re just as good at turning your convention or meeting into a star-studded experience. Memphis offers costs and rates that average half of nearly all first-tier and many second-tier cities. The multi-billion dollar downtown renaissance convention center expansion and renovation project have resulted in outstanding facilities and space. In fact, no other convention center in the country can offer an in-house performing arts center that connects to the exhibit space.
Meeting space includes:
• 350,000 sq. ft. of exhibit and meeting space
• 31 break-out meeting rooms
• 28,000 sq. ft. ballroom which can serve banquet for up to 2,000 delegates
• 2,100 seat Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, perfect for general assembly sessions and special presentations, with near-perfect acoustics
Need a place to stay? New hotel rooms have been added, adjacent to the convention center, for ease and convenience.
Hotel space includes:
• 2,900 hotel rooms within walking distance of the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Downtown Memphis. Of these, 2,000 rooms are committable to citywide conventions
• Over 23,000 rooms citywide
The award-winning Marriott Downtown, which is attached to the convention center, completed a $14 million expansion that included the construction of a new 14-story, 200 room tower for a total of 600 rooms. Ideally located in the heart of downtown Memphis, the Memphis Marriott Downtown is Memphis’ largest hotel and is only 20 minutes from the Memphis International Airport.
In a unique arrangement that guarantees quality food and beverage services, Marriott also handle the food service at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.
Just a trolley ride away is the newest addition to downtown Memphis, the historic Residence Inn by Marriott, which offers 90 beautifully appointed suites. Registered with the National Historic Registry, the property has been carefully restored to reflect its original Art Deco architecture. And on the corner of world-famous Beale Street is the 144 room Hampton Inn and Suites.
The” South’s Grand Hotel,” the Peabody, specializes in meeting the needs of business travelers and meeting planners. Conveniently located downtown near the city’s major attractions, The Peabody has 464 elegantly appointed guestrooms and suites and 84,000 sq. ft. of meeting space to meet your needs. The Peabody is minutes to fine dining, shopping and entertaining. And don’t forget to catch the famous ducks in the beautiful lobby fountain.
And of course there is excellent hotel and meeting space across town as well, beginning with the Hilton Memphis. Located in the heart of the East Memphis business district, this 405-room hotel underwent an extensive $12 million renovation. Best of all, it is only 15 minutes from Memphis International Airport. This luxury hotel features more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space and can handle a meeting or reception up to 1,600 persons, which makes the Hilton Memphis a premier hotel and conference center in Memphis.
We haven’t even mentioned our 60+ one-of-a-kind attractions, museums, theme parks, 200+ festivals and special events, NBA Memphis Grizzlies, AAA Memphis Redbirds baseball, or Mississippi RiverKings hockey.
And did we point out how beautiful Memphis is? The magnificent Mississippi River makes for some unforgettable sunsets and lovely early morning strolls. The city is blessed with an abundance of trees and in the spring, azaleas and flowers bloom colorfully.
Memphis is committed to serving all the business needs of convention and meeting planners with a convenient and affordable package. We love turning convention delegates into stars. If we’re good enough for Hollywood, we’re a great location for you!