Did you know that many meeting attendees extend their meeting dates into vacations and often bring family along with them?

The destination is a driving factor on whether to attend a meeting for 78 percent of attendees.

Decision to Attend Study

Rogers and Northwest Arkansas is perfectly tailored for business and leisure travel. Meeting attendees will be excited to experience everything from the the booming craft beer scene to exciting outdoor activities. Here are a few ideas for extending their trip:

1. Experience Craft Beer & Breweries in Northwest Arkansas.

Craft beer enthusiasts will love sampling some fresh brew at local brewery taprooms. Grab a pint at Ozark Beer Company, Rendezvous Junction, or Bike Rack Brewing Co.  At Rogers’ New Province Brewing Co., grab a bite to eat at the food truck outside, then sip on an experimental small-batch beer. They release a new brew every Tuesday. In Fayetteville, stop by Fossil Cove Brewing Company or Mad Rooster, for tasty brews.

For a bar with a great beer list, scoot up to the bar at The City Pump in Rogers: a former gas station turned bar with a tap of mostly local beers beer, as well as wine, and several food trucks to choose from outside: Takashimura Hibachi, Nunas Gorditas and Son’s Cuisine.

2. Explore the Outdoors.

Conference attendees might want to stretch their legs after a long day of meetings. They can hike along the 24-mile Hidden Diversity Multi-Use Trail in scenic Hobbs State Park or explore more than 4 miles of underground passageways and caverns at War Eagle Cavern on Beaver Lake, which offers guided cave tours daily.

3. Experience Mountain Biking in Northwest Arkansas.

If any of your meeting attendees love to mountain bike, coming to Rogers will be an easy choice. After a day of meetings, head to The Railyard bike park, where riders of all skill levels can enjoy the unique features, such as dirt jumps, wall rides, whale tales and concrete lips. Lake Atalanta has beginner to expert trails with natural scenery and a choice of easy flow or fast singletrack. Mountain bikers can follow the 24-mile Hidden Diversity Multi-Use Trail at Hobbs State Park for views of towering pine trees and native flowers lining the trails or the new Monument Trails. The 45-mile Razorback Regional Greenway is a primarily off-road trail featuring historic sites, parks and playgrounds, stretching from Fayetteville through Rogers to Bentonville. For unbeatable singletrack trail in Bentonville, Slaughter Pen Trail boasts thrilling downhill runs, huge berms, drops and log rides.

4. Watch Live Music at Walmart AMP.

During warmer months, visitors will want to buy tickets to one of the many exciting live music events at the Walmart AMP. This venue is a 12,000-person outdoor music pavilion that has hosted the likes of Zac Brown Band, Kiss, Sting, Peso Pluma, Dierks Bentley, Jelly Roll, Foo Fighters, Lana Del Rey, Sammy Hagar, Third Eye Blind and more.

5. Go Shopping at Pinnacle Hills Promenade.

As Trip Advisor’s #1 rated shopping mall in Arkansas, Pinnacle Hills Promenade is a must-visit destination for visitors who love to shop. This outdoor shopping experience showcases more than 100 shops. It features department stores like Dillard’s and JCPenney to upscale stores like Banana Republic and Kendra Scott. When you get hungry, you can stop into one of the 15 restaurants.