New England’s eventful history is as famous as its autumn colors—two assets that attract millions of eager visitors each year—but today’s meeting planners tend to focus on the “new” in New England, with good results.
Thanks to a still-revolutionary spirit, from city to shining sea, the states within this region continue to reinvent themselves with fresh and updated venues, hotels and attractions, which means their capacity to welcome groups is now bigger than ever.
Massachusetts: A Land of Firsts
Boston, renowned as one of America’s more historic destinations, attracts visitors from all over the globe (even the English want to see just where the tea was spilled), but it’s the city’s wide array of event facilities that seal the deal when it comes to business. Each year, a diverse group of organizations select Boston for functions; more recently, these have included the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), whose 42nd annual session attracted some 7,000 attendees.
“Boston is a city of firsts, and with such rich history, it’s impossible not to feel it and be moved by it,” said Karen Bradley Burnett, senior conference and meetings director for the AAPA. “Also, it is a mecca for medical meetings; we drew heavily from the Boston medical community for our programming. And lastly, the Boston hospitality community gets it—they believe in forging genuine partnerships with their clients.”
Dale Shuter, meetings and expositions manager for the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, agreed. “Boston is a fabulous city. It’s walkable and historic, with so much to see and do. Our attendees couldn’t stop raving about it.”
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry session, which took place in May, enjoyed record-breaking attendance, said Tonya Almond, the group’s vice-president of meetings and continuing education. In order to accommodate everyone, the hotel block required eight properties. Almond said highlights of the event included a new dentist happy hour and group reception at Jillian’s, a bar across the street from Fenway Park, and its foundation gala, held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. “We had a police escort to the museum, making it an unforgettable experience,” she said.
Making hospitality headlines is the expected March opening of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, a 68,000-square-foot building on the University of Massachusetts/Boston campus adjacent to the JFK Presidential Library & Museum. Across the street is the Commonwealth Museum, where attendees can view the original Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. The museum also welcomes events of up to 1,100 people.
One of the city’s biggest venues, the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, is going to get bigger. This summer, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick authorized a 1.3 million-square-foot expansion of the facility, which currently has 516,000 square feet of exhibit space, 160,000 square feet of meeting space and a 40,020-square-foot ballroom. Groups will be able to benefit from the $1 billion upgrade as early as 2019.
For other sizable options, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in the Back Bay has 193,000 square feet of exhibit space, 71,644 square feet of meeting space and a 24,544-square-foot ballroom. Another space is the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center, whose Commonwealth Hall can accommodate up to 570 trade-show booths or as many as 3,500 people. On the Charles River, the Museum of Science can be rented for functions of up to 4,500, and late next year, a 5,000-square-foot special-event space is expected to open on-site as well.
Sports fans make pilgrimages to Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium, home to Major League Baseball’s Red Sox and the NFL’s Patriots, respectively. Both offer special-event space and group tours. For the literary bunch, the Boston Public Library’s McKim Building in Copley Square serves up cocktails for up to 2,100 in a stately setting. Groups with their families in tow can delight the kids at the new Legoland Discovery Center, which opened in the suburb of Somerville.
Another new hub for groups is the Cambridge Innovation Center’s newest branch in Boston’s Financial District, which opened this spring with conference space, test kitchens and a cafe with microbrewed beer. The original CIC, located in Cambridge just west of downtown Boston, has more than 65 meeting rooms and is home to numerous startup companies. Other spots include the Harvard Art Museums, scheduled to reopen in an expanded and renovated space on November 16. Plans include a new courtyard and 300-seat lecture hall. A little more than a mile away, construction has begun on the Porter Square Hotel, expected to open in spring 2015 with 65 guest rooms as well as meeting facilities.
Several communities just outside Boston also offer meeting spaces. About 20 miles west of downtown, in Framingham, the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center has renovated event space. Farther west, in Worcester, the DCU Convention Center has more than 150,000 square feet of space or the historic Mechanics Hall welcomes up to 1,600.
North of Boston, in Danvers, the DoubleTree by Hilton/Boston–North Shore has upgraded event space. And if you are meeting up on the North Shore, don’t miss the whale-watching tours, which depart from nearby Gloucester.
Groups whose members hail from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut might hold their gathering in Springfield, which is just 90 miles west of Boston, 85 miles from Providence and 25 miles north of Hartford, respectively. Its main venue is the 100,000-square-foot MassMutual Center, while the major meeting hotel is the downtown Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place, located on the Connecticut River.
In June, the National Shooting Sports Foundation held its industry summit at the Sheraton, an event that drew a record number of attendees. According to Chris Dolnack, its senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, the foundation chose Springfield for its historic relevance and convenience. “Springfield and the Pioneer Valley have special significance for our industry: It’s where the Industrial Revolution began, and many firearms manufacturers were located on the banks of the river in what became known as ‘Gun Valley,’” he said. “Also, Bradley International Airport is located nearby (in Windsor Locks) and offers what, in my view, is as close as it gets to a hassle-free flying experience.”
One of the best-loved attractions in Springfield is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which has more than 80,000 square feet of function space. Its Center Court, a regulation-sized basketball court, can be used for events. Just as beloved, but somewhat more whimsical, is the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, a landscaped park at the center of the Springfield Museums campus. In West Springfield, the 175-acre Eastern States Exposition has 355,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 5,500-seat arena.
Associations and tourists alike look forward to visiting Cape Cod, with its shingled buildings, fresh seafood, more than two dozen public golf courses and national seashore. Captivating properties include the mid-1700s Dan’l Webster Inn & Spa in Sandwich; the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, which is home to the Nauset Conference Center; the newly renovated Wequassett Resort & Golf Club in Harwich; the Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Brewster, whose historic, 90-room Mansion Wing benefited from a $40 million, property-wide renovation last year; and the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, which is celebrating its centenary this year. Additionally, in Hyannis, the Cape Codder Resort & Spa features function space spread among nine rooms, and construction has begun on the 125-room Fairfield Inn & Suites/Cape Cod-Hyannis, expected to open in May 2015 with a small boardroom. On Martha’s Vineyard, the Harbor View Hotel was recently renovated.
Few places are better known for their past than Plymouth, but there’s much more than the Mayflower here. The Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills opened this summer with 50 guest rooms and event spaces for groups of up to 250. Themed events of up to 220 can be organized at the Plimoth Plantation, and the Radisson/Plymouth Harbor is the largest venue in the area.
Rhode Island: Small State, Big Business
With more than 400 miles of coastline to explore, Rhode Island might be small when it comes to terrain, but there’s no shortage of activities and sites for events. The Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum in Bristol is home to 33 acres of bayfront space that can host clambakes for up to 225. And just 14 miles south, in Newport, grand manses from the Gilded Age welcome groups. (Planners should look to the Preservation Society of Newport County, which preserves 11 historic properties.) For more modern settings, the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa and the Newport Marriott offer dedicated event space.
Groups that have recently held events in Newport include the New England Museum Association, the Rhode Island Library Association and the Association of Field Ornithologists. And the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade has held 16 of its 18 spring conferences in town, most recently at the Hyatt Regency. According to Carol Turner, the group’s executive director, “Newport (and its environs) is a fantastic location for meetings and conferences of any size. It’s a beautiful small city with so much to offer. And an airport is only a 30-minute cab ride away for travelers,” Turner said.
“This year, we hosted 300 attendees over the course of the conference, hailing from all over the U.S. and Canada,” Turner continued. “Trolleys were hired on our opening night for a very casual cocktail event with live music at the Rhino Bar downtown. Afterward, guests scattered all around downtown for dinner, and many of them ended up in the new Midtown Oyster Bar. The following evening we had our Spring Fling Gala at Ochre Court, the gorgeous mansion owned by Salve Regina University on Newport’s Cliff Walk.”
From Newport, it’s just 30 miles to Providence, the state capital. The Rhode Island Convention & Entertainment Complex is the city’s largest venue and incorporates the Rhode Island Convention Center, which has a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 23 meeting rooms and a ballroom. Also on-site are Dunkin’ Donuts Center, with 31,000 square feet of space, and the 1,900-seat Veterans Memorial Auditorium, home to the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Festival Ballet Providence. Other choices include the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, which can host groups of up to 300; the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, with space for up to 5,000; and in nearby Warwick, the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings has 21 different meeting locations.
In Westerly, tucked away in the state’s southwest, the five-diamond Ocean House at Watch Hill has a private beach for events of up to 800.
Connecticut: Ties to the Past
History attributes the “discovery” of Connecticut to Dutch explorer Adriaen Block in 1614, and many groups choose to meet within the state for historical reasons. Such was the case of the American Radio Relay League, which held its national centennial convention in July in Hartford with 3,400 attendees.
“We chose Hartford since amateur radio began here. Our founders were from Hartford, and our national headquarters is still here,” said Harold Kramer, the group’s chief operating officer. “The area itself has a lot of attractions—for example, our event featured tours of the Wadsworth Antheneum and the Mark Twain House—and it’s easily accessed through major airports.”
More than 23 million people live within a two-hour drive of Hartford, which bodes well for maximizing attendance. Once in town, many groups get together at the 540,000-square-foot Connecticut Convention Center or the 16,000-seat XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic Center). The striking Connecticut Science Center has several event spaces, including a 200-seat theater, and Marquee Events & Catering has 18,000 square feet of function space. On the hotel front, the former Ramada Plaza/Hartford Downtown is now a Radisson.
In Bristol, to the southwest, Lake Compounce Festival Park has event space for up to 10,000. In nearby Southington, a Homewood Suites by Hilton has 1,000 square feet of meeting space. Farther west, in Washington, groups can hide away at the Mayflower Grace, which offers event space for up to 50.
East of Bristol, near Portland, is the 12,000-square-foot St. Clements Castle, built in 1898 on the Connecticut Riverfront. It offers event space such as an art gallery, several courtyards and two ballrooms. Smaller groups can be accommodated in nearby Cromwell at the recently renovated Courtyard by Marriott.
While a plethora of New England destinations date back to the arrival of English or European explorers, the coastal area around Mystic was settled much earlier by the Pequot tribe. Attendees can tour one of three historic districts or Mystic Seaport, a maritime museum with event space for up to 500 as well as a steamboat that heads down to Fishers Island Sound. Mystic Aquarium also welcomes special events, and across the street is the Mystic Hilton. Downtown, the Inn at Mystic has newly renovated guest rooms, a redesigned lobby and a restaurant with a waterfront deck.
About 18 miles inland is the Mohegan Sun Casino near Uncasville, which features a 10,000-seat arena and a golf club.
Smart groups—like smart students—are drawn to Yale University in New Haven, which has event space. And just north in North Haven, the former Holiday Inn is now the Best Western Plus.
Farther down the coast, in Norwalk, the InterContinental Hotel Group recently debuted its new wellness-focused Even Hotel brand with the June opening of the 129-room Even/Norwalk. Twenty miles north, in Danbury, the Ethan Allen Hotel’s grand ballroom can accommodate up to 500 people.
Vermont: Mountain Gatherings
Secluded retreat spots dot Vermont’s verdant landscapes. As the nation’s second-least-populous state, it’s great for getting away from it all. In its biggest city, Burlington (population: 42,000), two major meeting hotels recently wrapped up significant renovations: the Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center, which is located next to the University of Vermont, and the Hilton/Burlington on Lake Champlain. Off-site venues include the LEED-certified ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center, which can host groups as large as 1,000.
Vermont’s resort towns are ideal for those who enjoy the outdoors, and there’s plenty to please meeting planners, too. In Stowe, the Stowe Mountain Resort features condominium accommodations and a golf course. Also popular are the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa and the Topnotch Resort.
Seventy miles south is Killington, boasting the highest slopes in the state. At the base of the resort, the Killington Grand Resort Hotel is steps from the Killington Golf Course. Southeast of Killington, in Woodstock (not to be confused with the more famous town of the same name in New York), the Woodstock Inn & Resort has 10,000 square feet of space.
Planners who want to treat attendees with a grand retreat can do so at the Equinox Resort & Spa, about 45 miles south of Killington in Manchester. It offers all kinds of recreational options such as golf, fly-fishing and shooting.
New Hampshire: Urban Spaces & Quiet Places
The Manchester found in New Hampshire is the state’s largest city, named in honor of Robert Montagu, third duke of yet another Manchester—that in central England. Large venues that welcome groups include the Radisson/Manchester Downtown; the adjacent Verizon Wireless Arena, which can seat up to 11,770; and the SEE Science Center, which can host up to 750.
From Manchester, it’s just 40 miles to the Atlantic Coast, where you’ll find Portsmouth. The main place to meet, with views of the Piscataqua River, is the Sheraton/Portsmouth Harborside. Hungry guests can go to Portsmouth’s oldest running restaurant, The Rosa, which was recently remodeled.
The largest event venue in New Hampshire is the Margate Resort, located on Lake Winnipesaukee near Laconia. The property offers plenty of leisure facilities such as a beach, two pools and a spa. Ten miles north, on the lake’s Meredith Bay, the Inns & Spa at Mill Falls in Meredith features seven restaurants, shops and an activity center.
An hour west, Hanover is home to Dartmouth College. On campus, the meeting space at Hanover Inn includes a 3,933-square-foot ballroom.
Maine: Make for “Meetingland”
Renowned for natural beauty and idyllic holiday locations, Maine deserves all the accolades that prompted the nickname “Vacationland.” What’s less known is the state’s event prowess (though perhaps “Meetingland” just doesn’t have quite such a ring to it), but first-time groups need no convincing.
The steering committee of the annual Northeast Biomass Heating Expo chose to hold this year’s event in Portland, the state’s largest city. The three-day conference, which attracted approximately 600 attendees, divided its events between Cross Insurance Arena (formerly known as the Cumberland Civic Center and fresh from a $30 million upgrade) and the downtown Westin/Portland Harborview, which reopened last year after a multimillion-dollar expansion.
“The big draw for holding the conference in Portland was twofold,” said Philip Bibeau, executive director of the Wood Products Manufacturers Association and a member of the steering committee. “The first is the amount of biomass heating and manufacturing that is occurring in the state of Maine—it’s one of the leading states in the country for this. The second is the fact that Portland is a tremendous city for exhibitors. We had exhibitors and attendees from around the world who were all impressed with all the city has to offer. We are excited to be bringing the conference back to Portland in 2015.”
Several new and improved hotels have strengthened the city’s meeting infrastructure. This spring saw the opening of the 132-room Courtyard/Portland Downtown-Waterfront and the 130-room Hyatt Place/Portland–Old Port, each with small meeting space. The Hilton Garden Inn/Portland Airport now has 123 rooms. And the Press Hotel is scheduled to open in April in the former Portland Press Herald Building; plans include 110 guest rooms and conference rooms. Ten miles off the coast, the Chebeague Island Inn on Chebeague Island is another historic choice.
Farther up the coast, in Bangor, groups can gather at the year-old Cross Insurance Center in downtown. With 18 meeting rooms, an 8,000-seat arena and 4,500 square feet of pre-function space, the venue can host groups as large as 1,750. Forty miles south, the Point Lookout Resort & Conference Center in Northport overlooks Penobscot Bay.
Traditional vacation spots like Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are also favored meeting places. The Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Conference Center has event space for up to 500, and the Schoodic Education & Research Center near Winter Harbor (connected to Bar Harbor by a free ferry in summer) offers lodging and welcomes groups to its 10,000-square-foot Moore Auditorium.
Old Names, New Ways
Though countless destinations in New England are named after sites in Old England and the European continent, stodgy has never been this region’s style. While Maine excels in its role as a leader of biomass technology and Boston continues to champion medical meetings, it’s evident that each state plays a leading role in various association industries, making them obvious choices for forward-thinking group events.