November 28, 2025 • 18 mins
Tired of conferences that keep everyone indoors and restless? We sat down with Wes Oliver, director of sales at Visit Bentonville, to unpack a NEW WAY: The Unconventional Convention concept is a walkable, multi-venue model that trades hallways and windowless ballrooms for light, movement, and a sense of place. Bentonville stitches together high-quality spaces around downtown—think the Ledger, the Record, Compton Gardens, and new capacity at The Heartland Whole Health Institute and The Compton Hotel.
Beyond meeting rooms, Bentonville’s strengths show up in curated experiences: guided rides on nearby trails, docent-led tours at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and family-friendly stops at the Amazeum. The result is a destination conference model that boosts attendee satisfaction, supports sustainability with car-light movement, and turns a free afternoon into a meaningful part of the program.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Beth Bobbitt (00:10):
This is a new American town, and I'm your
host, Beth Bobbitt.
Today I get the pleasure ofspeaking with Wes Oliver, sales
director at Visit Bentonville.
We're going to jump into theexperiential concept,
unconventional convention.
Wes, your legend.
Welcome to the podcast.
Wes Oliver (00:28):
Thank you, Beth.
Beth Bobbitt (00:29):
So glad you're here.
So before we start talkingabout the concept, I'd love to
hear a little bit about yourbackground, your role at Visit
Bentonville, and how you cameto Bentonville.
Wes Oliver (00:40):
Yeah, so my role at Visit Bentonville is director of
sales.
So I lead the team that dealswith all sorts of group events:
sports tournaments, cyclingraces, meetings, conferences,
anything that brings a largegroup of people together in
Bentonville.
That's that's what we workwith.
And we set up hotel roomblocks, we'll secure venues for
(01:05):
them, tournament space, we canassist with logistics.
I will set up tents and haulsandbags too.
It's just kind of all over theboard.
Yeah.
How I got into this line ofwork is uh well, I I actually
kind of always worked in uh fororganizations like Visit
Bentonville.
I started working part-time forthe Convention and Visitors
(01:28):
Bureau in Charleston, SouthCarolina when I was in college
and just kept going.
So I've always been doing thissort of stuff.
Beth Bobbitt (01:37):
Amazing.
And did you come to Bentonvillefor this job or had you been
here before?
Wes Oliver (01:44):
No, so my family and I, we moved to Northwest
Arkansas about a little morethan five years ago, five and a
half.
Um, and we moved for my wife'swork.
She was teaching at theUniversity of Arkansas at the
time.
Uh, and so I've been with VisitBentonville for about a year
and a half.
Uh before that, I was with theSpringdale Chamber of Commerce
for three years.
(02:04):
Before that, I spent about twoyears as a stay-at-home dad.
We actually moved here, wemoved into our apartment at
Fayetteville March 1st of 2020,uh, right when COVID hit.
So that was that was aninteresting time to be looking
for a job.
Uh eventually I just gave up onit and you know did the stay-at
home dad thing and had a lot offun.
Beth Bobbitt (02:22):
Yeah, and I bet you you got a chance to explore,
and now you're kind of on theother side of that, promoting
all of the amenities that you'vebeen experiencing.
So that's that's great.
Wes Oliver (02:34):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That was actually my first realinteraction with the trail
system, especially, because wespent a lot of time just riding
bikes around Northwest Arkansason the trails.
Beth Bobbitt (02:44):
Yeah.
So what is the model ofunconventional convention?
What is it?
Wes Oliver (02:51):
So unconventional convention is kind of just this
umbrella term that we use todescribe Bentonville's unique
situation from a meetingstandpoint, which is that unlike
a lot of places where, unlike alot of destinations where
people go for conferences, wedon't have a big hotel and
(03:12):
convention center whereeverything just happens under
the same roof.
What we have are a lot ofreally high-quality small and
medium-sized meeting spaces andhotels that are kind of spread
out, but a lot of them areclustered together.
And so an unconventionalconvention is really just any
(03:34):
combination of those hotels andvenues, depending on what the
group's needs are.
So some will use this subset ofproperties, some will use that.
So it's really more of areference to how it works, which
is you know having peopleflowing between buildings in
close proximity rather thanspecifying exactly which
properties they're using.
Beth Bobbitt (03:55):
Right.
So it it kind of came about ascreative problem solving, but
it's working in your favor.
It's actually ideal for them toexperience multiple venues and
yeah, exactly.
Wes Oliver (04:06):
Yeah, it came about because you know, we we've got
to do a little extracommunication and legwork on the
planning, and especially whenwe're selling the idea, because
all the planners are familiarwith, you know, a box hotel
where you know, here are yourrooms and then you go down this
hallway, and then there's allthe meeting space, and it's just
right there.
Whereas for us, we have to talkto them, okay, well, you know,
(04:29):
yes, they're different, they'redifferent buildings, but they're
across the street.
It's really easy to movebetween them, and you know, it
also ends up being kind of fun.
Beth Bobbitt (04:36):
Yeah.
And you talked a little bitabout this, but one reason that
connectivity is so great isbecause of the trail systems and
because the downtown is now sowalkable.
And um, what other reasons isBittenville perfect for this
model?
Wes Oliver (04:52):
Well, you know, there's a lot of attractions
that are right downtown.
So you know a lot of a lot ofthese conferences, they'll have
a free afternoon where theattendees can get out and do
things.
And, you know, if they'restaying at the downtown
properties and meeting at someof the downtown venues, they can
walk diagonally across thestreet and there's the Walmart
(05:13):
Museum.
They can fall, they can followthe path through the square and
then down through the forest toCrystal Bridges and visit this
world-class art museum.
They can hop on a bike and rideover to Color or get on the
greenway and go explore.
So there's all these thingsthat they can do from the
downtown area without needing toget into a car.
(05:35):
So it's it's it's very engagingfrom an experiential
standpoint.
Speaker (05:41):
Yeah, yeah.
This is Alison Nation withVisit Bentonville, and I've got
your trip planning secretweapon.
Our seasonal guides and blogare packed with insider tips on
what's happening right now inBentonville.
From fall festival guides tospring adventure itineraries and
everything in between.
Whether you're planning aweekend getaway or a longer
(06:02):
stay, we'll show you the bestexperiences for every season.
Head to visitbentonville.comand check out our blog.
Your perfect BentonvilleAdventure starts with the right
information and we've got youcovered.
I guess who is the ideal clientfor this?
Beth Bobbitt (06:18):
Can you talk a little bit about who you've
hosted in the past, who you'rereaching out to?
Wes Oliver (06:24):
Uh a few good examples of the format.
Uh the International SportsVision Association Conference,
which was um optometrists whowork with sports teams on vision
issues.
Uh they they utilized a numberof different properties.
The Arkansas Governor'sConference on Tourism back in
February.
Beth Bobbitt (06:44):
That was a big one.
Wes Oliver (06:45):
Yeah, that was that was that that one kind of it
strained the capacity of themodel.
Uh, you know, four to fivehundred is that kind of pushes
what we can fit in any one ofthose venues.
And there are all kinds of waysthat we can creatively problem
solve for larger sizes.
That's kind of the point atwhich it goes from all right, we
(07:06):
can easily do this to, oh, weneed to figure out a plan.
Beth Bobbitt (07:09):
Yeah, staggering groups or whatever that might
be.
Wes Oliver (07:12):
But our our sweet spot for this Unconventional
Convention model is right around300 people.
So anything 150, 200, 300, evenup to 400, it all fits pretty
neatly into the spaces that wehave to work with and with the
properties that are nearby thatcan house them.
Beth Bobbitt (07:31):
And you've talked about a few of the spaces, but
you know, there's new onespopping up every day.
So what are the sort of newvenues that you're looking at or
you're utilizing?
Wes Oliver (07:41):
Yeah, new venues.
Well, so The Compton Hotel,it's opening downtown, they're
gonna have some ballroom spaceon the second floor that I mean,
that'll certainly get used.
Some of our stalwarts, youknow, ones that get used a lot
uh are the ledger and therecord, because those are two of
the biggest spaces downtown.
Another, not exactly new, butnewly open, uh reopened, is the
(08:04):
Compton Gardens building that'syou know right along that trail,
Crystal Bridges.
Beth Bobbitt (08:09):
That's a space.
Wes Oliver (08:10):
Yeah, that's i especially for like an opening
night reception or something,it's it's kind of perfect for
that use.
And so that's nice to be ableto add that into the inventory
as well.
Beth Bobbitt (08:20):
Yeah.
So what have you heard fromattendees or from you know these
groups that have come through?
Do they give you feedback oranecdotes?
Wes Oliver (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, they I mean love it.
I it's it's a little morechallenging up front to plan it,
but then once they live it, Idon't think I've heard any bad
feedback.
They all love it, you know,because it's fun.
You you're not trapped in thisyou know windowless room all
day.
Beth Bobbitt (08:46):
Right.
Wes Oliver (08:46):
You get out and you walk between the buildings, and
even when you're in thebuilding, you know, our our
buildings are you know, like theledger, it's got floor to
ceiling windows, there's tons ofnatural light.
Um uh uh one of my favoriteexamples to cite is uh Delaney
with Arkansas Tourism.
Uh, when we were talking to herfor the about the governor's
(09:07):
conference, uh, whenever wefirst started those
conversations, the team atArkansas Tourism, they were, you
know, uh to be honest, theywere a little bit skeptical
about the idea, uh, you know,because it's you know, it's uh
it's logistically morechallenging.
Like I talked about, it's not,you know, simple plug and play
where all the meeting rooms areright next to each other.
You've got to move peoplebetween venues for the meals and
(09:30):
the general session, and thenyou go down to these different
floors for all the breakoutsessions.
And you know, it's if you'venever done a different kind of
meeting before from a planningperspective, it's a little bit
scary.
Uh, but on the last night ofthe governor's conference, uh,
up on stage, you know, Delaney,you know, she said in front of
the crowd that, you know, shewas a little bit skeptical when
(09:52):
it all started, but you know,now that she's experienced it,
she was blown away by it.
So that was really gratifyingto hear that not only are the
are the attendees having thisreally cool experience, but even
the planners who are are maybekind of leery of it at first,
then they get to experience itand they say, wow, this was
(10:13):
really cool.
Beth Bobbitt (10:14):
Right, right.
Yeah, I would I would thinkthat that would add a lot to it.
I mean, we've all been in theseconferences where they just
seem to like go on and on, andthen you know, you get up and go
to the restroom and get a snackand come right back in the same
seat, and it can affect yourexperience.
And so to be able to like getsome fresh air and exercise and
(10:36):
see, you know, and experiencethe town that you're in.
Wes Oliver (10:40):
Yeah, I mean, what a novel concept seeing the sun at
two in the afternoon.
Beth Bobbitt (10:44):
Yeah.
I wonder how catching this willbe if other cities will start
to notice and and maybe adoptthe model.
Wes Oliver (10:52):
Yeah, I mean, I think it kind of just depends on
the dynamics of a city.
You know, Bentonville's kind offortunate in that we've got
these developers who really youknow are interested in
experimenting with differentkinds of constructions, with
buildings that can suitdifferent purposes.
Speaker (11:10):
Right.
Wes Oliver (11:10):
Uh, you know, it's it's easy from a developer
standpoint.
It's easy and it's cheaper tojust throw up a big box hotel
and convention center and callit done.
You know, windows cost money.
Beth Bobbitt (11:21):
Yeah.
And I've also heard about thenew Heartland Whole Health
Institute.
Can you talk a little bit moreabout that space?
Wes Oliver (11:28):
Yeah.
So that's a beautiful newspace.
It opened, I think it opened tothe public back in May.
Uh, and their biggest spacethere is the ballroom.
And it can divide into threesections with air walls.
Uh, I mean it's just it'sgorgeous inside.
You know, you look up at theroof and it's uh these wooden
beams that are kind ofundulating.
(11:50):
It's supposed to be shaped likethe underneath of a mushroom.
They said that's what thearchitect designed it to be
reminiscent of.
Uh and you know, it's justincredible.
You can fit, I mean, over 500people in there for reception
event.
Uh they can set it up alldifferent ways, of course.
And the ballroom, it opens uponto this nice green lawn
(12:10):
outside, and then there's anoverlook uh into the woods.
And then, you know, you stepout into the hallway, and
there's just art installationsall up and down the hallway and
into the lobby.
They've got a few littleconference rooms, a couple of
green rooms.
So it's it's also a really goodspace for you know, if you're
(12:31):
looking for a uh a keynote witha high-caliber speaker or you
know, performer of some style uhsome type, they've got really
nice green room spaces for themto wait in.
Beth Bobbitt (12:42):
Yeah, it's beautiful.
I mean, as soon as you walk in,it's immediately your shoulders
drop.
The way that it's designed, theopenness, the art, like you
said, just gorgeous.
Wes Oliver (12:53):
Yeah, and that that lobby and hall space with the
art that's open to the public.
Right.
Uh so you can just walk inthere and look at it, and it's
it's worth a visit.
And you know, you step in andyou look down the hall, and
there's this giant uh TV, Iguess, uh on the wall.
And it's it's a permanent artinstallation.
(13:13):
It you know, it shows you knowbubbles and plants, and it's
just constantly moving.
And it's it's kind ofhypnotizing to look at.
And we've we've already had afew planners who have seen the
space and asked, like, oh, canwe use that TV wall to put
sponsor logos up?
And you know, the answer is isno, because the Heartland Hole
(13:33):
Health Ins Institute, the theycontracted with an artist where
that that piece is up on thatwall on that screen through I
think it's through the end of27.
It's for a few years anyway.
Beth Bobbitt (13:46):
Yeah.
Wes Oliver (13:47):
Um, and and I was actually really excited when I
heard that was the answerbecause it you know it it'd be
such a shame to take that offthe screen instead of putting up
sponsor logos.
But you know, because it reallycreates the ambiance of the
space.
Beth Bobbitt (14:02):
Yeah, and there's a coffee shop.
Sometimes I just go in thereand work and yeah, it's worth
checking out for sure.
Wes Oliver (14:09):
Yeah.
Beth Bobbitt (14:10):
Wes, anything else you want to touch on related to
unconventional convention?
Wes Oliver (14:15):
I don't know that it's necessarily related to
Unconventional Conventionsspecifically, because you know,
we'll do it even if a group'ssmall enough to just be under
one route.
But something that we do for alot of groups and for those
examples of theUnconventional Convention, we
definitely saw pickup on it isthat we'll arrange excursion
tours around town.
(14:36):
So we can create guidedexperiences for the attendees.
You know, if that conferencedoes have a free afternoon, you
know, we can get guides to leadthem on bike rides.
We can set up a guided tourthrough Crystal Bridges, through
the collection to you know talkabout specific artworks.
Uh so you it it's really kindof going the extra mile to give
(14:56):
them a uniquely Bentonvilleexperience.
Beth Bobbitt (14:58):
Right.
Wes Oliver (14:59):
Not just cutting them loose for three hours and
they figure things out on theirown.
Yeah, we can help them planthat time.
Beth Bobbitt (15:05):
Right.
Yeah.
And then they come back becausethey love it as they always do.
Wes Oliver (15:09):
Yeah.
Beth Bobbitt (15:10):
So wrapping up, I'd love to hear about some of
your favorite hot spots inBentonville, what you do with
your family when you have somefree time, bonus points if you
have secret spots that you knowwe may not know about.
Wes Oliver (15:23):
Uh, you know, secret spots, one of the I don't know
that it's I don't know that'sexactly it's kind of an open
secret, I would say.
Uh I've taken my daughter acouple times, but I think it's
kind of funny and also just soBentonville that, you know, the
parking garage that's rightnext to the Amazeum and Crystal
(15:43):
Bridges, the garage itself hasa very different design.
So, you know, it's it's a lotmore aesthetically pleasing than
what you would expect of agarage.
But then down the bottom level,there's some uh commercial
space where there's a littlecoffee shop, and then there's
right outside of that, there's asplash pad that's on this like
natural stone terrace and itconnects to the trails that go
(16:06):
down through the woods toCrystal Bridges.
And you know, it's uh there's afew times when I've taken my
daughter and I'll just sit therein the Adirondack chairs while
she splashes in the water, andthere's this beautiful view of
the forest.
And but then you also have thiskind of surreal moment where
you realize I'm sitting on thebottom level of a parking
garage.
I'm doing it.
(16:27):
You're sort of tricked.
I mean, there's art all aroundyou, right?
Yeah, there's art installationsthere.
Yeah.
Um, so that's one of thoseonly in Bentonville kind of
places.
Um I've got a young kid, soI've also spent a lot of time at
the Amazeum here.
Um that's a classic.
(16:48):
Uh I would also draw attentionto the Native American Museum.
I think that there are a lotof people who come to Bent
Bentonville and that doesn't,you know, register on their
radar.
You know, it's not in thedowntown, it's a little bit out,
or you know, maybe they justdon't think to look for it.
Beth Bobbitt (17:05):
Right.
Wes Oliver (17:06):
Uh but it's one of those neat little places that's
definitely well worth a visit.
Beth Bobbitt (17:10):
Yeah.
I mean, uh for the arrowheadhunting alone, that's such a fun
kid activity that they have.
Wes Oliver (17:17):
Yeah, and it's so close to Coler that it'd be
really easy to tie it into youknow, like a full afternoon.
You can stop at the museum foran hour and check it out and
then kind of bop right acrossthe street to park at you know,
Coler and then, you know, walkor ride around on the trails
there.
Beth Bobbitt (17:34):
Love it.
Yes.
Well, now we have all thesegreat ideas.
It's a beautiful day.
Let's get out and dosomething.
Wes Oliver (17:40):
Yeah, absolutely.
Beth Bobbitt (17:42):
Thanks for coming in today, Wes.
Appreciate your time.
Wes Oliver (17:44):
Thanks for having me, Beth.
This was fun.
Beth Bobbitt (17:47):
Don't forget, Visit Bentonville is here to
help navigate things to do,where to eat and stay, and
what's going on in Our NewAmerican Town.
Check out the show notes,follow us on social, sign up for
our newsletter, and get on ourwebsite at
visitbentonnville.com.
Thanks for listening.
This is a new American town, and I'm your
host, Beth Bobbitt.
Today I get the pleasure ofspeaking with Wes Oliver, sales
director at Visit Bentonville.
We're going to jump into theexperiential concept,
unconventional convention.
Wes, your legend.
Welcome to the podcast.
Wes Oliver (00:28):
Thank you, Beth.
Beth Bobbitt (00:29):
So glad you're here.
So before we start talkingabout the concept, I'd love to
hear a little bit about yourbackground, your role at Visit
Bentonville, and how you cameto Bentonville.
Wes Oliver (00:40):
Yeah, so my role at Visit Bentonville is director of
sales.
So I lead the team that dealswith all sorts of group events:
sports tournaments, cyclingraces, meetings, conferences,
anything that brings a largegroup of people together in
Bentonville.
That's that's what we workwith.
And we set up hotel roomblocks, we'll secure venues for
(01:05):
them, tournament space, we canassist with logistics.
I will set up tents and haulsandbags too.
It's just kind of all over theboard.
Yeah.
How I got into this line ofwork is uh well, I I actually
kind of always worked in uh fororganizations like Visit
Bentonville.
I started working part-time forthe Convention and Visitors
(01:28):
Bureau in Charleston, SouthCarolina when I was in college
and just kept going.
So I've always been doing thissort of stuff.
Beth Bobbitt (01:37):
Amazing.
And did you come to Bentonvillefor this job or had you been
here before?
Wes Oliver (01:44):
No, so my family and I, we moved to Northwest
Arkansas about a little morethan five years ago, five and a
half.
Um, and we moved for my wife'swork.
She was teaching at theUniversity of Arkansas at the
time.
Uh, and so I've been with VisitBentonville for about a year
and a half.
Uh before that, I was with theSpringdale Chamber of Commerce
for three years.
(02:04):
Before that, I spent about twoyears as a stay-at-home dad.
We actually moved here, wemoved into our apartment at
Fayetteville March 1st of 2020,uh, right when COVID hit.
So that was that was aninteresting time to be looking
for a job.
Uh eventually I just gave up onit and you know did the stay-at
home dad thing and had a lot offun.
Beth Bobbitt (02:22):
Yeah, and I bet you you got a chance to explore,
and now you're kind of on theother side of that, promoting
all of the amenities that you'vebeen experiencing.
So that's that's great.
Wes Oliver (02:34):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That was actually my first realinteraction with the trail
system, especially, because wespent a lot of time just riding
bikes around Northwest Arkansason the trails.
Beth Bobbitt (02:44):
Yeah.
So what is the model ofunconventional convention?
What is it?
Wes Oliver (02:51):
So unconventional convention is kind of just this
umbrella term that we use todescribe Bentonville's unique
situation from a meetingstandpoint, which is that unlike
a lot of places where, unlike alot of destinations where
people go for conferences, wedon't have a big hotel and
(03:12):
convention center whereeverything just happens under
the same roof.
What we have are a lot ofreally high-quality small and
medium-sized meeting spaces andhotels that are kind of spread
out, but a lot of them areclustered together.
And so an unconventionalconvention is really just any
(03:34):
combination of those hotels andvenues, depending on what the
group's needs are.
So some will use this subset ofproperties, some will use that.
So it's really more of areference to how it works, which
is you know having peopleflowing between buildings in
close proximity rather thanspecifying exactly which
properties they're using.
Beth Bobbitt (03:55):
Right.
So it it kind of came about ascreative problem solving, but
it's working in your favor.
It's actually ideal for them toexperience multiple venues and
yeah, exactly.
Wes Oliver (04:06):
Yeah, it came about because you know, we we've got
to do a little extracommunication and legwork on the
planning, and especially whenwe're selling the idea, because
all the planners are familiarwith, you know, a box hotel
where you know, here are yourrooms and then you go down this
hallway, and then there's allthe meeting space, and it's just
right there.
Whereas for us, we have to talkto them, okay, well, you know,
(04:29):
yes, they're different, they'redifferent buildings, but they're
across the street.
It's really easy to movebetween them, and you know, it
also ends up being kind of fun.
Beth Bobbitt (04:36):
Yeah.
And you talked a little bitabout this, but one reason that
connectivity is so great isbecause of the trail systems and
because the downtown is now sowalkable.
And um, what other reasons isBittenville perfect for this
model?
Wes Oliver (04:52):
Well, you know, there's a lot of attractions
that are right downtown.
So you know a lot of a lot ofthese conferences, they'll have
a free afternoon where theattendees can get out and do
things.
And, you know, if they'restaying at the downtown
properties and meeting at someof the downtown venues, they can
walk diagonally across thestreet and there's the Walmart
(05:13):
Museum.
They can fall, they can followthe path through the square and
then down through the forest toCrystal Bridges and visit this
world-class art museum.
They can hop on a bike and rideover to Color or get on the
greenway and go explore.
So there's all these thingsthat they can do from the
downtown area without needing toget into a car.
(05:35):
So it's it's it's very engagingfrom an experiential
standpoint.
Speaker (05:41):
Yeah, yeah.
This is Alison Nation withVisit Bentonville, and I've got
your trip planning secretweapon.
Our seasonal guides and blogare packed with insider tips on
what's happening right now inBentonville.
From fall festival guides tospring adventure itineraries and
everything in between.
Whether you're planning aweekend getaway or a longer
(06:02):
stay, we'll show you the bestexperiences for every season.
Head to visitbentonville.comand check out our blog.
Your perfect BentonvilleAdventure starts with the right
information and we've got youcovered.
I guess who is the ideal clientfor this?
Beth Bobbitt (06:18):
Can you talk a little bit about who you've
hosted in the past, who you'rereaching out to?
Wes Oliver (06:24):
Uh a few good examples of the format.
Uh the International SportsVision Association Conference,
which was um optometrists whowork with sports teams on vision
issues.
Uh they they utilized a numberof different properties.
The Arkansas Governor'sConference on Tourism back in
February.
Beth Bobbitt (06:44):
That was a big one.
Wes Oliver (06:45):
Yeah, that was that was that that one kind of it
strained the capacity of themodel.
Uh, you know, four to fivehundred is that kind of pushes
what we can fit in any one ofthose venues.
And there are all kinds of waysthat we can creatively problem
solve for larger sizes.
That's kind of the point atwhich it goes from all right, we
(07:06):
can easily do this to, oh, weneed to figure out a plan.
Beth Bobbitt (07:09):
Yeah, staggering groups or whatever that might
be.
Wes Oliver (07:12):
But our our sweet spot for this Unconventional
Convention model is right around300 people.
So anything 150, 200, 300, evenup to 400, it all fits pretty
neatly into the spaces that wehave to work with and with the
properties that are nearby thatcan house them.
Beth Bobbitt (07:31):
And you've talked about a few of the spaces, but
you know, there's new onespopping up every day.
So what are the sort of newvenues that you're looking at or
you're utilizing?
Wes Oliver (07:41):
Yeah, new venues.
Well, so The Compton Hotel,it's opening downtown, they're
gonna have some ballroom spaceon the second floor that I mean,
that'll certainly get used.
Some of our stalwarts, youknow, ones that get used a lot
uh are the ledger and therecord, because those are two of
the biggest spaces downtown.
Another, not exactly new, butnewly open, uh reopened, is the
(08:04):
Compton Gardens building that'syou know right along that trail,
Crystal Bridges.
Beth Bobbitt (08:09):
That's a space.
Wes Oliver (08:10):
Yeah, that's i especially for like an opening
night reception or something,it's it's kind of perfect for
that use.
And so that's nice to be ableto add that into the inventory
as well.
Beth Bobbitt (08:20):
Yeah.
So what have you heard fromattendees or from you know these
groups that have come through?
Do they give you feedback oranecdotes?
Wes Oliver (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, they I mean love it.
I it's it's a little morechallenging up front to plan it,
but then once they live it, Idon't think I've heard any bad
feedback.
They all love it, you know,because it's fun.
You you're not trapped in thisyou know windowless room all
day.
Beth Bobbitt (08:46):
Right.
Wes Oliver (08:46):
You get out and you walk between the buildings, and
even when you're in thebuilding, you know, our our
buildings are you know, like theledger, it's got floor to
ceiling windows, there's tons ofnatural light.
Um uh uh one of my favoriteexamples to cite is uh Delaney
with Arkansas Tourism.
Uh, when we were talking to herfor the about the governor's
(09:07):
conference, uh, whenever wefirst started those
conversations, the team atArkansas Tourism, they were, you
know, uh to be honest, theywere a little bit skeptical
about the idea, uh, you know,because it's you know, it's uh
it's logistically morechallenging.
Like I talked about, it's not,you know, simple plug and play
where all the meeting rooms areright next to each other.
You've got to move peoplebetween venues for the meals and
(09:30):
the general session, and thenyou go down to these different
floors for all the breakoutsessions.
And you know, it's if you'venever done a different kind of
meeting before from a planningperspective, it's a little bit
scary.
Uh, but on the last night ofthe governor's conference, uh,
up on stage, you know, Delaney,you know, she said in front of
the crowd that, you know, shewas a little bit skeptical when
(09:52):
it all started, but you know,now that she's experienced it,
she was blown away by it.
So that was really gratifyingto hear that not only are the
are the attendees having thisreally cool experience, but even
the planners who are are maybekind of leery of it at first,
then they get to experience itand they say, wow, this was
(10:13):
really cool.
Beth Bobbitt (10:14):
Right, right.
Yeah, I would I would thinkthat that would add a lot to it.
I mean, we've all been in theseconferences where they just
seem to like go on and on, andthen you know, you get up and go
to the restroom and get a snackand come right back in the same
seat, and it can affect yourexperience.
And so to be able to like getsome fresh air and exercise and
(10:36):
see, you know, and experiencethe town that you're in.
Wes Oliver (10:40):
Yeah, I mean, what a novel concept seeing the sun at
two in the afternoon.
Beth Bobbitt (10:44):
Yeah.
I wonder how catching this willbe if other cities will start
to notice and and maybe adoptthe model.
Wes Oliver (10:52):
Yeah, I mean, I think it kind of just depends on
the dynamics of a city.
You know, Bentonville's kind offortunate in that we've got
these developers who really youknow are interested in
experimenting with differentkinds of constructions, with
buildings that can suitdifferent purposes.
Speaker (11:10):
Right.
Wes Oliver (11:10):
Uh, you know, it's it's easy from a developer
standpoint.
It's easy and it's cheaper tojust throw up a big box hotel
and convention center and callit done.
You know, windows cost money.
Beth Bobbitt (11:21):
Yeah.
And I've also heard about thenew Heartland Whole Health
Institute.
Can you talk a little bit moreabout that space?
Wes Oliver (11:28):
Yeah.
So that's a beautiful newspace.
It opened, I think it opened tothe public back in May.
Uh, and their biggest spacethere is the ballroom.
And it can divide into threesections with air walls.
Uh, I mean it's just it'sgorgeous inside.
You know, you look up at theroof and it's uh these wooden
beams that are kind ofundulating.
(11:50):
It's supposed to be shaped likethe underneath of a mushroom.
They said that's what thearchitect designed it to be
reminiscent of.
Uh and you know, it's justincredible.
You can fit, I mean, over 500people in there for reception
event.
Uh they can set it up alldifferent ways, of course.
And the ballroom, it opens uponto this nice green lawn
(12:10):
outside, and then there's anoverlook uh into the woods.
And then, you know, you stepout into the hallway, and
there's just art installationsall up and down the hallway and
into the lobby.
They've got a few littleconference rooms, a couple of
green rooms.
So it's it's also a really goodspace for you know, if you're
(12:31):
looking for a uh a keynote witha high-caliber speaker or you
know, performer of some style uhsome type, they've got really
nice green room spaces for themto wait in.
Beth Bobbitt (12:42):
Yeah, it's beautiful.
I mean, as soon as you walk in,it's immediately your shoulders
drop.
The way that it's designed, theopenness, the art, like you
said, just gorgeous.
Wes Oliver (12:53):
Yeah, and that that lobby and hall space with the
art that's open to the public.
Right.
Uh so you can just walk inthere and look at it, and it's
it's worth a visit.
And you know, you step in andyou look down the hall, and
there's this giant uh TV, Iguess, uh on the wall.
And it's it's a permanent artinstallation.
(13:13):
It you know, it shows you knowbubbles and plants, and it's
just constantly moving.
And it's it's kind ofhypnotizing to look at.
And we've we've already had afew planners who have seen the
space and asked, like, oh, canwe use that TV wall to put
sponsor logos up?
And you know, the answer is isno, because the Heartland Hole
(13:33):
Health Ins Institute, the theycontracted with an artist where
that that piece is up on thatwall on that screen through I
think it's through the end of27.
It's for a few years anyway.
Beth Bobbitt (13:46):
Yeah.
Wes Oliver (13:47):
Um, and and I was actually really excited when I
heard that was the answerbecause it you know it it'd be
such a shame to take that offthe screen instead of putting up
sponsor logos.
But you know, because it reallycreates the ambiance of the
space.
Beth Bobbitt (14:02):
Yeah, and there's a coffee shop.
Sometimes I just go in thereand work and yeah, it's worth
checking out for sure.
Wes Oliver (14:09):
Yeah.
Beth Bobbitt (14:10):
Wes, anything else you want to touch on related to
unconventional convention?
Wes Oliver (14:15):
I don't know that it's necessarily related to
Unconventional Conventionsspecifically, because you know,
we'll do it even if a group'ssmall enough to just be under
one route.
But something that we do for alot of groups and for those
examples of theUnconventional Convention, we
definitely saw pickup on it isthat we'll arrange excursion
tours around town.
(14:36):
So we can create guidedexperiences for the attendees.
You know, if that conferencedoes have a free afternoon, you
know, we can get guides to leadthem on bike rides.
We can set up a guided tourthrough Crystal Bridges, through
the collection to you know talkabout specific artworks.
Uh so you it it's really kindof going the extra mile to give
(14:56):
them a uniquely Bentonvilleexperience.
Beth Bobbitt (14:58):
Right.
Wes Oliver (14:59):
Not just cutting them loose for three hours and
they figure things out on theirown.
Yeah, we can help them planthat time.
Beth Bobbitt (15:05):
Right.
Yeah.
And then they come back becausethey love it as they always do.
Wes Oliver (15:09):
Yeah.
Beth Bobbitt (15:10):
So wrapping up, I'd love to hear about some of
your favorite hot spots inBentonville, what you do with
your family when you have somefree time, bonus points if you
have secret spots that you knowwe may not know about.
Wes Oliver (15:23):
Uh, you know, secret spots, one of the I don't know
that it's I don't know that'sexactly it's kind of an open
secret, I would say.
Uh I've taken my daughter acouple times, but I think it's
kind of funny and also just soBentonville that, you know, the
parking garage that's rightnext to the Amazeum and Crystal
(15:43):
Bridges, the garage itself hasa very different design.
So, you know, it's it's a lotmore aesthetically pleasing than
what you would expect of agarage.
But then down the bottom level,there's some uh commercial
space where there's a littlecoffee shop, and then there's
right outside of that, there's asplash pad that's on this like
natural stone terrace and itconnects to the trails that go
(16:06):
down through the woods toCrystal Bridges.
And you know, it's uh there's afew times when I've taken my
daughter and I'll just sit therein the Adirondack chairs while
she splashes in the water, andthere's this beautiful view of
the forest.
And but then you also have thiskind of surreal moment where
you realize I'm sitting on thebottom level of a parking
garage.
I'm doing it.
(16:27):
You're sort of tricked.
I mean, there's art all aroundyou, right?
Yeah, there's art installationsthere.
Yeah.
Um, so that's one of thoseonly in Bentonville kind of
places.
Um I've got a young kid, soI've also spent a lot of time at
the Amazeum here.
Um that's a classic.
(16:48):
Uh I would also draw attentionto the Native American Museum.
I think that there are a lotof people who come to Bent
Bentonville and that doesn't,you know, register on their
radar.
You know, it's not in thedowntown, it's a little bit out,
or you know, maybe they justdon't think to look for it.
Beth Bobbitt (17:05):
Right.
Wes Oliver (17:06):
Uh but it's one of those neat little places that's
definitely well worth a visit.
Beth Bobbitt (17:10):
Yeah.
I mean, uh for the arrowheadhunting alone, that's such a fun
kid activity that they have.
Wes Oliver (17:17):
Yeah, and it's so close to Coler that it'd be
really easy to tie it into youknow, like a full afternoon.
You can stop at the museum foran hour and check it out and
then kind of bop right acrossthe street to park at you know,
Coler and then, you know, walkor ride around on the trails
there.
Beth Bobbitt (17:34):
Love it.
Yes.
Well, now we have all thesegreat ideas.
It's a beautiful day.
Let's get out and dosomething.
Wes Oliver (17:40):
Yeah, absolutely.
Beth Bobbitt (17:42):
Thanks for coming in today, Wes.
Appreciate your time.
Wes Oliver (17:44):
Thanks for having me, Beth.
This was fun.
Beth Bobbitt (17:47):
Don't forget, Visit Bentonville is here to
help navigate things to do,where to eat and stay, and
what's going on in Our NewAmerican Town.
Check out the show notes,follow us on social, sign up for
our newsletter, and get on ourwebsite at
visitbentonnville.com.
Thanks for listening.
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