Convention Insider (Conventions.net)

The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is truly unique: approximately 200 acres of facilities capable of expertly hosting your convention, conference, retreat, and trade show, as well as sporting events and pretty much any kind of special event you could imagine. 3.9 million square feet with 1.4 million square feet of prime exhibit space can accommodate anything!  Add to that 12 exhibit halls 106 meeting rooms, and 2 ballrooms, and there is nothing this venue can’t hold!

Besides, the Georgia World Congress Center is complemented by the Georgia Dome (think SPORTS!) and Centennial Olympic Park.  All together, these facilities make the finest venue for anything in the world .

The venue is right in the middle of downtown Atlanta, making it convenient to almost anything and everything you and your attendees might want to visit after hours or during breaks.  Your speakers and exhibitors will have access to the venue’s many amenities, including WiFi.

Oh, and not only is the Georgia World Congress Center the 4th largest convention center in the world; it’s also one of the most popular!

This is a green venue, as well.

The Georgia World Congress Center is also very much into social media; interested potential customers can find it on Twitter and Facebook, as well as Linkedin.

If you are seeking a venue for your conference/convention/retreat/trade show/etc, seek no further than downtown Atlanta, Georgia, and the Georgia World Congress Center!

The fabulous Gaylord Opryland Resort & C0nvention Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, might be down but it’s far from out!

This spring’s catastrophic floods might put conferences and conventions on a delayed schedule, but officials at the venue are confident that before long, the building will be ready for conferences again.  Waters ten feet above room level are no laughing matter, and several newspapers have predicted that it might be several months before this resort, and others, can reopen.

Most conferences that had reserved space at the venue are taking a “wait-and-see” attitude.  For example, the Romance Writers of America, with a conference scheduled in three months, has officially stated that “RWA is contractually obligated to hold its conference at the Gaylord Opryland over the dates stipulated in the contract.  It is up to Gaylord to notify RWA if it cannot uphold its end of the contract. . . .” Most organizations have been most understanding, and it’s also interesting to note that the Gaylord is such a fine venue, the majority of reserved conferences are taking this same “wait and see” attitude.  Good vibes.  When there is open and honest communication, things will almost always work out fine.

In a grand example of social media at its best, Gaylord officials sent an email to individuals with reservations at the venue that said, in part, that “. . . we are disappointed that we will be unable to welcome you at this time.  We will be refunding deposits and payments for all reservations scheduled for arrival over the next 90 days.  We greatly appreciate your patience and request that you allow several weeks for processing.  We are also working with the organizers of all meetings scheduled to be held at Gaylord Opryland to possibly reschedule the meeting at another of our Gaylord Hotel properties.  Please check with your meeting organizer regarding the status of your meeting. . . .”

Another message sent by Gaylord Opryland to its customers stated that “. . . We are continuing to monitor the flood situation in Nashville, and will assess any hotel damage with the appropriate teams.  When there is new information regarding the hotel’s condition, we will poast the news on our website at http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-opryland/. . . .”

The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center is not taking any incoming reservations at this time.  The hotel evacuated all of its guests to a shelter and provided them with food, drinks, and bedding.  These guests will have their luggage shipped to them by Gaylord as soon as possible.

In my opinion, this venue is handling this unfortunate situation with great skill, tact, and understanding of the frantic guests and drastically changed plans of conference planners, caterers, vendors, suppliers, and corporations.

Washington D.C.’s Renaissance Hotel, in the heart of downtown and convenient to almost everything in the district, is a very popular venue for conventions, conferences, trade shows, meetings, and retreats. With over 64,000 square feet of meeting space, including 36 meeting rooms and a Grand Ballroom with more than 19,000999 square feet and a seating capacity of 2,500, and all the exhibition space you could possibly need, what else is necessary?

All of the meeting rooms and public areas are wired, as are the guest rooms.

The venue offers complete AV and teleconferencing capabilities, and the hotel furnishes an event services manager, on duty 24 hours.

Computers and printers, copy and fax services are also available at the Renaissance.

Got packages?  This venue can take care of those, too, whether they’re coming in or going out.

The hotel can also furnish your conference people with walkie talkies.

As for location, downtown D.C. is as handy as it gets.  The Renaissance is next door to the Washington Convention Center and only a few blocks from the Metro. The Renaissance also offers complementary use of the vida Fitness Center and aura Spa.

The Renaissance is a Marriott, and you can use your rewards here.

The hotel is smoke-free, and no animals are allowed except for service animals.

Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel
• 999 Ninth Street NW
• Washington, DC 20001 US
• Phone: 1 202 898 9000
• Fax: 1 202 289 0947
• Sales: 1 202 898 9000

If you are looking for a convention/conference/retreat venue that is located near a myriad of local wonders for evenings and free time, look no further than the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper, Wyoming.  Whether your attendees are golfers, fishermen or outdoor adventurers, historians, sports fans, or just interested in local color, this venue is only a short distance from all of those, and more.

The Parkway can offer your convention a large conference center along with many meeting rooms.  The hotel’s catering service can take good care of a group of any size with cuisine so good, your attendees -and you – will remember it for a long time thereafter.

This venue has, in fact, 20 meeting rooms and over 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting and conference space that can accommodate up to 1,500 people.  You’ll have access to any audio-visual equipment you might need, as well as high speed internet and teleconferencing capabilities.

The Parkway Plaza Hotel & Convention Center also offers your attendees transportation to and from the airport or group outings.

It’s always best, in my opinion, when the conference venue also houses the hotel and dining room, and the Parkway Plaza Hotel & Convention Center does all of that, and much, much more.

Want a virtual tour of this venue?

Questions about this venue?

Planning a corporate retreat?

Got a small or medium-sized conference?  The Dallas Convention Center can accommodate you, and easily.

Got a huge conference?  The Dallas Convention Center can accommodate you, too, and just as easily.

After all, this is the venue chosen for Super Bowl XLV.

Whatever the size or type of conference/convention/meeting/retreat you are planning, the Dallas Convention Center is the perfect venue.  Almost daily, this venue is host to pretty much any and every kind of gathering you could imagine: shows, plays, music, sports, art, and culture beyond description.  No matter what kind of gathering you have in mind, the Dallas Convention Center can handle it.  This is one of the largest convention centers in the nation.

The Dallas Convention Center has over a million square feet of exhibit space, after all. This includes an arena that seats over nine thousand people, a theater that accommodates almost two thousand people, and nearly a hundred meeting rooms of various types and sizes.

Did I mention that this venue also has the largest column-free exhibit hall in the United States?

There is plenty of easily-accessible parking here, too.  Free parking for the show management team.

The Dallas Convention Center was the first convention center in the world to offer wireless internet services.  It has also been recognized as “The Best-Run Convention Center in America.”

This April, the Dallas Convention Center was awarded the LEEDS EB Silver Certification for its efforts to “be green.”   Interim Director Al Rojas said that The LEED Certification exemplifies our commitment to providing the highest quality space for our customers and employees.  We understand the importance of these efforts which not only lower costs but improve the environment for generations to come.

Contact information for the Dallas Convention Center can be found by clicking HERE.

Dallas Convention Center

650 South Griffin Street

Dallas, TX 75202

(214)939-2700

Take the Dallas Convention Center 3-D Tour!

The Albuquerque Convention Center is the perfect venue for your convention/conference/trade show/retreat.  This venue has a LOT of exhibit space: 167,000 square feet, most of it column-free.  The building has 27 meeting rooms capable of hosting small intimate meetings as well as huge breakout space for up to 1,110 people.

Add to this space the 31,000 square feet of ballroom, which could also be a banquet space for up to 2,000 attendees.  If your conference requires a large space in which all the attendees at once listen to a keynote speaker, the 2,300-seat Kiva Auditorium is exactly what your conference needs!

The Albuquerque Convention Center has any and all of the services your convention could possibly require.  A few of these services include room set-up, rentals, catering, sound operation, audio-visual services, and internet connection.  This is only a partial list, remember; there are many more services available!

This venue has its own airport transportation, as well!  Not only does the venue get your attendees to and from the airport, it is also convenient to the Rapid Ride system and the historic trolly to Old town.

The Albuquerque Convention Center is right in the middle of downtown Albuquerque, but it has plenty of handy parking space for your attendees.

In the evenings, there is much for your attendees to see and do in Albuquerque.  No matter what the season, Albuquerque has something for everyone!

For a truly unique Victorian experience, why not bring your small conference to Delaware?  The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel is right on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, at #2 Olive Avenue.

The hotel is filled with Victorian antiques and reproductions, and, in direct contrast to the vintage look of old England, you’ll also find high speed internet, climate control in each room or suite, a heated indoor-outdoor pool, a fully equipped exercise room, and several pubs/restaurants of every kind, from inexpensively informal to elegant.  On weekends, there is live entertainment.

Your conference attendees will enjoy banquet rooms with ocean front views, state of the art electronics, high speed T-1 internet, and complimentary valet parking.  Whether you have 10 – 15 people or up to a hundred, the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel can offer you excellent meals: the wide selection of menu items and buffets for all three meals and in-between, will be a real crowd-pleaser.

The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel is perfect for small executive meetings, receptions, seminars, lectures, retreats, and any small conference or convention.  The hotel can offer your group a conference-style room, banquet hall, reception, classroom, and a theater, all of which accommodate at least sixty people, and some rooms up to 150.  There are also breakout rooms, which can accommodate up to 25 people each.  Several of these areas are wheelchair-accessible, and the glass elevator makes access even easier.

The Boardwalk Plaza is the only AAA Four Diamond oceanfront hotel in the Mid-Atlantic!

During the evening, your conference attendees can relax in the adults-only spa and hot tubs, or stroll the boardwalk and take advantage of the beach.

Downtown Rehoboth Beach is well within walking distance for those who wish to do a little shopping in their free time.

For more information about group/conferences/conventions, contact the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel’s group sales manager.

Boardwalk Plaza Hotel
2 Olive Ave. & the Boardwalk
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Phone: (302) 227-7169
Toll Free: 800-33-BEACH
Fax: (302) 227-0561

Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center, in the heart of West Virginia’s beautiful Canaan Valley Resort State Park, looks a lot like a chalet you might encounter while skiing in the Swiss Alps, doesn’t it!    Well, while it might not be in the Alps, it’s in the Allegheny Mountains, and many people believe the Alleghenies are as beautiful as any mountain you’d find in Europe or anywhere else!

Heidi would be right at home here.  The skiing is magnificent, and the views even more so!

Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center can handle a large gathering – up to 900 attendees can be comfortably accommodated here.  No matter what kind of rooms – large or small – that you need for your convention/conference/retreat/trade show, etc, this venue can handle it.  With an assortment of floor plans, from theater-style to classroom to small group, etc, Canaan Valley’s got your number.

I am of the belief that the best conference venue is one that is also a hotel, so your attendees will have the luxury and convenience of having it all in one place.  Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center has 250 guest rooms or suites, enough to give all of your attendees a good night’s rest.  Breakfast?  Lunch?  Dinner?   This venue can accommodate your attendees’ stomachs, too!

Your guests won’t have to leave Fido or Fluffy at home alone, either.  Small pets are welcome at Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center.

There are also 23 private cabins and cottages at Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center!

Oh, and I mustn’t forget to mention the free high-speed internet access. . . .

Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center is on Flickr; check us out and see why people love us so!  To see us in motion, check our YouTube videos! We’re on Facebook, too!

Canaan Valley is the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains, with a base elevation of 3,100 feet, but it’s situated on a plateau, which makes it ideal for skiing and golf.

To make your convention/conference/trade show/retreat/large group reservation, contact Alicia Lewis in Group Sales, at 304-866-4121, ext. 2686, or fill out the online request form.

For more information, please feel free to download Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center’s free brochure.

Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center

HC 70, Box 330, Davis, WV 26260
1 800-622-4121 | 1 304-866-4121
Email Us reservations@canaanresort.com

Jekyll Island is one of the best-kept secrets of the southern coast!  So beautiful that these islands are called The Golden Isles, your e, convention, trade show, corporate retreat, meeting, reception, or any other kind of gather imaginable will be well-attended and always remembered.  I would also bet that most of your attendees will return to Jekyll Island on their own as soon as they possibly can.

Located at 1 North Beachview Dr., Jekyll Island, GA 31527, the convention center is easy to find; the drive itself is one of the most memorable and beautiful things your people will ever do, in fact.

Planning your gathering is easy here; there are 55,000 square feet of space within a complex of buildings. All in all, there are three large convention halls, thirteen breakout rooms, all in one way or another connected. Don’t worry about your attendees having to go out into the rain to get from one building to another, either; the buildings are all connected or adjoined.

As for food, the Jekyll Island Convention Center has whatever you want.  If you want a simple fare, they’ve got burgers and beach barbecues.  If you want a black tie, eight course dinner, they’ve got that, too, and everything in between!

There are fantastic hotels on the islands, but the convention center itself has 1,500 guest rooms, which will surely take care of most of your attendees.

Why not call now, and reserve a spot for your convention?  (888) 413-9127

I love it when a conference is held in a venue that is both hotel and convention center!  It’s so much handier to have everything in the same area.  When the venue and the hotel are far apart, attendees have to carry their swag and even their luggage around with them, which discourages people from even wanting more swag.  This is not a popular attitude with trade show booth proprieters; they’re counting on people taking their samples and remembering their company’s name by looking at those same samples all year long.  Separate venues for the hotel and conference are just plain inconvenient and annoying.

But, when the venue can accommodate both the conference AND the attendees’ rooms, it’s much more popular!  The swag bag gets full?  We just carry it upstairs and come right back down again.  Spill something on your shirt?  Just excuse yourself and run up to your room and change; you’ll be back at the conference in minutes.

New Hampshire’s New England Center is both hotel and venue, and both facets are nestled right on the campus of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, and a lovely campus it is, too.  When you hold your convention, conference, trade show, retreat, meeting, flea market, etc, at this venue, you’ll bask in the collegiate atmosphere while remaining apart from it; in other words, it’s the best of both worlds!

The New England Center is located at 15 Strafford Avenue, Durham, NH 03824. Phone number is: 1-603-862-2801. The convention center number is: 1-800-909-6931.

Whether your conference is large or small, The New England Center’s 12,00 square feet of adaptable meeting space  can accommodate your program.  The center also has several meeting “specials” at incredible prices.

Hungry?  The New England Convention Center’s Acorns Restaurant can take care of you there.  Located right in the center, you’ll be able to satisfy your hunger with fantastic food and never have to leave the venue!

Concerned about sustainability?  New Hampshire’s New England Convention Center is, too.  In fact, it was one of eleven universities nationwide to receive a top score in the sustainability rating system.

Oh, and after your meetings are over for the day, just look at what the convention center’s locale can offer you!