Mixing business with pleasure?

From quilters to dog owners, borough employees and soccer teams, Valley residents are busy conducting business outside the office. These hobbies, sports and professional organizations meet or compete regularly throughout the year in our state.

Where do they meet and how do they choose a location? There are many factors, but people here in the Valley can influence their decisions.

First, extend an invitation. It's the easiest way to get the ball rolling. Dust off the welcome mat.

When discussion of selecting a future meeting site or group event comes up, stand up and recommend the Valley. Shout our slogan "Minutes from Anchorage, Miles from Conventional." Encourage your organizations to "Meet in the Mat-Su."

From groups of three to more than 300, the Mat-Su Valley has well-appointed facilities and excellent staff to accommodate any group.

The Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau is a valuable resource for helping plan the next group meeting. We can help you select the best site by discussing the needs and goals of your group. Then we can send bids and announcements of your meeting out to appropriate properties to gather the best rates and benefits for your group.

From lakeside resorts, luxury bed and breakfasts, historic inns and remote wilderness lodges, the Mat-Su Valley is ideal for getting work done and opportunities for having fun when the agenda is complete. And the best part is our properties are affordable and less expensive than other areas of the state.

We can also help you arrange personalized tours and transportation services, even a private train charter or air taxi services. We can provide visitor and planning information including visitor guides, promotional information and photography for welcome packets.

Here's a recent example -- the MSCVB board of directors meets annually for a two-day retreat to prioritize projects for the coming year. How many organizations hold a similar meeting each year?

The board selected Gate Creek Cabins near Trapper Creek on Petersville Road for the meeting. The property has nine fully-equipped cabins and is road accessible. Each cabin had multiple rooms and beds, so we reserved five cabins for our group of 14. Several of the cabins were large enough to hold our full board and staff with even extra room available, but we chose one cabin as the central meeting place.

We brought our own food and it was easily prepared and served in the main cabin. We even ordered from Trapper Creek Pizza one evening.

We planned an afternoon snowmachine ride with owner and guide Craig Seibert. He took our entire group on an unforgettable 27-mile tour through the backcountry.

Our group came back exhilarated from the ride, and continued with the meetings.

The wilderness setting, family-style meals and the snowmachine tour created a unique bond between board members. Serious issues discussed in a casual setting created positive results.

Just imagine if our group would have met at the Captain Cook Hotel or the Anchorage Hilton. Would our results have been the same? At the close of the meeting, board members commented on the success of our retreat and gave credit to the location and facility.

At MSCVB, we are not advocating and promoting to the large national convention groups like the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau is targeting. We are instead targeting the in-state small group market like board meetings, corporate retreats and sporting events.

Contact the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau, and tell us a little about organizations you belong to and how often they meet or coordinate events, the average size of the group and where the last place your group met.

It helps MSCVB to know that type of information, so we can better serve your organization.

And, ask to receive copies of the Mat-Su Meeting Planner Guide to distribute to your peers and decision makers.

Become an ambassador for "Meet in the Mat-Su" and help our community become a successful meeting destination.