The Mississippi Gulf Coast features 62 miles of scenic shoreline, including 26 miles of man-made beach. The area is known for its local seafood, golf courses designed by the likes of Nicklaus, Palmer, and Fazio, and an array of watersports.
This region has been hit hard over the last six years, suffering one setback after another from the 2005 tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to the BP oil spill. But at long last, things are looking up—and groups are beginning to take notice.
On the Run
The Mississippi Tourism Association’s Governor’s Conference on Tourism, which came to Biloxi’s Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in September, kicked off with a competition patterned after The Amazing Race television show. Event organizers hoped to showcase the versatility and beauty of the area to participants, who were in town to learn more about the business of tourism through conference programming that explored topics such as “Integrated Brand Communication: Shifting Gears from Impression to Expression Marketing,” “Dealing with the Hostile Media,” and “The Creative Economy and Tourism.” Attendees enjoyed a dine-around at local restaurants in addition to the race activity.
“Teams had to figure out clues directing them to different locations, where they performed certain tasks before receiving a clue to their next stop,” explains Janet Harrington, manager of group travel and leisure sales with the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB. “The ultimate goal was to be the first team finished, but in the process they learned about the different museums, attractions, and history of the coast. Many of our museums and attractions are new or newly rebuilt since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.”
The first stop was the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, located on a four-acre campus in Biloxi. Construction on the museum began in 2004, but Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged the buildings, which were then 18 months from completion. Rebuilding began in 2008 and Phase 1 of the campus opened in November 2010 with Phase II set to open in 2012. Designed by celebrated architect Frank Gehry, the museum, which consists of a series of “pods,” is a symbol of Biloxi’s renewal.
But the group wasn’t there to take in the collection of glazed ceramics by George Ohr, the self-described “mad potter of Biloxi,” who died in 1918 and who art critics regard as a forerunner of the American modern art movement.
They were there to find moustaches and take a group photo in front of the main building, as an homage to Ohr, who was well known for his long moustache, which he would tuck behind his ears.
Next up: the new Lighthouse Park and Biloxi Visitor’s Center with dozens of interactive exhibits that explain the city’s past, present, and future. The group had to go through the museum, correctly answer a question about the lighthouse, and take a group photo on the front porch.
The aptly named Biloxi Schooner Pier, home to two Biloxi Schooner ship replicas, was the next stop, where the group had to get a rubbing of a fish plaque and a group photo.
After a visit to the temporary home of the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, it was time for go-karting at the Big Play Family Fun Center.
Then it was off to the tourism office’s new location at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center, followed by the “What It’s Like to Be Me” exhibit at The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, which helps visitors understand differences and disabilities. The teams had to make two baskets while seated in a wheelchair on the center’s basketball court.
The Bridge Mosaic Mural at the Ocean Springs-Biloxi Bay Bridge was next and the group’s mission was to discover the name of the artist who created the mural, which is the longest mosaic in Mississippi.
Then it was time to hit the beach. The group had to keep a beach ball off the ground for a designated period and then, following a group photo, it was off to the Biloxi Town Green where each team crossed the finish line.
Every team went to seven of the nine locations transported by limousine and escorted by a local guide. Each route was different so no two teams would be at the same location at the same time, and they traveled approximately 40 miles back and forth along the coast. The winning team took one hour and 25 minutes to complete the race.
Not bad for a crash course in everything the Gulf Coast of Mississippi has to offer.