Today's Conference Centers: More Than Meeting Rooms

At first glance, conference centers, those purpose-built facilities catering to small meetings, might not seem to have much in common with resorts, with their myriad recreation options, but take another look. The centers profiled here are all members of the International Association of Conference Centers. As such, they follow an exacting set of standards for meetings yet also offer lots of play, whether in the service of company objectives or personal downtime.   

Château ÉlanBraselton, Ga., (678) 425-0900

Food fun is on the menu at Château Élan, with its on-site culinary studio and 75-acre winery.

Executive chef Marc Suennemann and his staff run interactive classes for 12 to 22 in the 1,600-square-foot facility, which sports Viking appliances such as a six-burner induction cooktop, a 48-inch gas range, an eight-burner rangetop with griddle and a double oven. Any number of cuisines can be taught, as the kitchen team includes members from Guatemala, Germany, Mexico, Turkey and Venezuela, along with various regions in the United States. Winemaker Karen Van der Vort helps with the pairings for the meals. Participants receive toques and aprons marking the event.

In the main building, fashioned after a 16th-century French château, the conference center offers 25,000 square feet of space. The 322-room Château Élan also features 63 holes of golf, seven restaurants, the Stan Smith Tennis Center and a Dave Pelz Golf School.

Cheyenne Mountain ResortColorado Springs, Colo., (719) 538-4000

Swimming, golf, tennis, spa -- all of these are available at Cheyenne Mountain. But outings into the nearby hills, capped by beautiful Pike's Peak (whose "purple mountain majesties" are celebrated in "America the Beautiful"), really set this conference resort apart.

The gorgeous red rocks of the region are on dramatic display at the Garden of the Gods, where 15 miles of hiking trails wind through the park.

Set into the mountains is the Cave of the Winds. The basic Discovery Tour here runs 45 minutes and is great for the uninitiated. The 90-minute Lantern Tour suits the more adventurous, who don safety harnesses and traverse the Wind Walker Challenge Course, a maze of steel beams, swinging ropes and ladders on the rim of a dramatic 600-foot drop into Williams Canyon.

Then there's the ride on the cog-wheel train up Pike's Peak itself (a roundtrip takes little more than three hours; cograilway.com). Groups are welcome and box lunches are available. Those with the legs for it might like to ride down from the pinnacle on mountain bikes. Giveaway suggestion: It's almost always cold at the top, so fleece jackets embroidered with the event or host's logo will be appreciated.

An exciting event hosted on-property is the Amazing CMR Race, a takeoff on the popular television show. Teams of four to 12 participants are given a series of clues and physically challenging activities to complete in an effort to amass points. An extra catch: Each participant carries a dozen eggs in a bag during the activity, and time is deducted for every lost or broken egg.

To complete the agenda, Cheyenne Mountain has approximately 40,000 square feet of meeting space divided among 38 rooms, as well as four outdoor pools, 18 tennis courts, a fitness center and a golf course designed by legendary architect Pete Dye.

IACC Refines Its Mission

The International Association of Conference Centers, with more than 300 center members around the world, has redefined its mission statement beyond describing its affiliated properties as the best physical facilities at which to hold meetings for about 300 people.

The new mission emphasizes IACC's aim to help clients create unique events. "Rather than simply provide first-class meeting venues, IACC members deliver more broadly conceived meeting experiences," said IACC global president Neil Pompan. "Our new vision statement captures the wider lens of the IACC Meeting Concept." The updated vision statement describes IACC as "a community of people and organizations with a passion for delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences."

The organization also has released its new IACC Quality Standards, which replace its Universal Criteria and serve as a new blueprint for IACC facilities. "The physical attributes of a conference center will always remain important, but they are only one piece of the puzzle," Pompan said.

Visit iacconline.org for more information.  

Lancemore HillKilmore, Victoria, Australia

Getting outside is easy at the 71-room Lancemore Hill, an IACC-certified center in Kilmore, Australia, set on 274 acres. The main draw here is an orienteering activity: Groups of up to 70 people are split up, given maps and compasses, and sent off to find the corresponding points around the property. Four courses have been set up, ranging from beginner to advanced.

Lancemore Hill also features high and low ropes courses and laser-tag games through the bushland.

The property offers 4,400 square feet of meeting space divided into five rooms. Other amenities include tennis courts, croquet, a pool, volleyball, the Laughing Duck restaurant, a winery and gardens.

Airlie CenterWarrenton, Va., (540) 347-1300

Remember in high school, looking out the window on a nice day and thinking, can't we hold class out there? From September through November, groups can do just that at the Airlie Center by meeting in an outdoor conference area tucked into a maze carved out of an organic cornfield.

The maze, created anew each fall, also can be used for team-building races or as the backdrop for dinners al fresco, with tables set up alongside the corn field overlooking the property's organic garden and the foothills that lead to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The 150-room Airlie Center, about 50 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., also can host a softball tournament and ropes-course contests, and during free time attendees can enjoy the property's xtensive walking and biking trails, two outdoor wimming pools, tennis courts, volleyball and skeet-shooting range. The center offers 19,000 square feet of meeting space.

Skamania LodgeStevenson, Wash., (509) 427-7700

Set in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the 254-room Skamania Lodge provides guests with a flood of activities and amenities, many of which take advantage of the river.

Nicknamed the "Windsurfing Capital of the World," the gorge attracts windsurfers and kite surfers year-round, while boating, kayaking and fishing also are available. The selection of things to do with a group is so vast, in fact, that an itinerary-building tool is provided on the property's website.

The river and its subsidiaries are ideal settings for team-building rafting trips. Rivers in the area include the White Salmon, Klickitat, Wind and Dechutes. Another option is to arrange a trip to one of the area's most revered sights, the 620-foot-high Multnomah Falls.

Other amenities include the Skamania Lodge Golf Course, and the Waterleaf Spa and Fitness Center. When getting down to business, Skamania offers 22,000 square feet of indoor meeting space split into 23 rooms.   

This 91-room property specializes in helping planners enhance their meetings with outdoor activities and providing facilitators who keep the fun oriented on the event's goals.

Beaver Hollow has a purpose-built team-building park, made up of a large ropes course, climbing walls and more. The facility's private lake allows for a variety of water sports, while activities along the nature trail can include a zipline ride over a creek. Other choices, whether for team-building or recreational purposes, include tennis, boccie, basketball, fishing and volleyball.

The property offers about 11,500 square feet of space, plus a 6,200-square-foot pavilion for outdoor events.

Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference CenterGrapevine, Texas, (817) 481-8444

The Hilton DFW Lakes, which owns the neighboring Austin Ranch, takes the Western theme about as far as it can go. While the dude ranch has ample event facilities (including the 11,000-square-foot Western Roundup Room, the 5,000-square-foot sun patio and the 1,200-square-foot Silver Lake Saloon with a 4,000-square-foot covered patio), the real fun is found in the property's surrounding 90 acres, where groups can head out on trail rides or even herd cattle. Team-building activities include a Texas chili cook-off, golf-cart polo in the rodeo ring and scavenger hunts.

At the 395-room Hilton, the conference center is one of the larger ones in IACC's stable, with 63,000 square feet of space. Among the more traditional amenities are racquetball, basketball and tennis courts; a private lake; a jogging trail; indoor and outdoor pools, and four restaurants.

Hotel KoldingfjordKolding, Denmark, (+45) 76 20 86 00

Yes, that suffix "fjord" on the end of the hotel's name means it sits on a Northern waterway, about two and a half hours west of Copenhagen.

Groups can set sail from the hotel in an old two-masted ship that holds up to 69 people and a prepared picnic. Outings can include fishing and kayak-sailing excursions. Add another dash of the Old World by offering fencing instruction at Koldinghus castle, which dates from the 13th century. The hotel also arranges Knights Templar–themed Da Vinci Code events at the castle for groups.

Built in the early 1900s as a sanatorium for children with tuberculosis, the 134-room Hotel Koldingfjord has been restored in spare Scandinavian style and features 13,000 square feet of meeting space. Running trails wind through the surrounding forest, bicycles are available for rent and a croquet lawn is set up during the warmer months.