The historic French Lick Resort and Casino in southern Indiana is one of the most classically beautiful and genuinely unique conference centers in the world!

Its history is fascinating:  John Dillinger had his own suite here at one time.  FDR did, too, and in fact came here regularly to enjoy the Pluto Water Spas!  (Google it; it’s amazing!)

People come here for many reasons: the golf courses, the casinos, and frankly, just to stay in the hotel and gawk.

Gawk at what?  The sights, both in and out of the building.

You’ll find, at the French Lick Resort and Casino, fantastic catering, restaurants, bars, spas, golf, swimming, formal gardens, and  ballrooms, among other things.

Did I say “golf?”  I should have said “PGA Championship!”

Don’t let the vintage look fool you:  your conference/convention/getaway/reception/trade show will have access to the most modern, up-to-date facilities imaginable.

Take a walk around historic French Lick itself.  Pretty much any person you meet will have interesting tales to share about the town’s origins, it’s past (WOW!) and the present, which is a recreation of much of that past.

The hotel is also just a stone’s throw from the historic West Baden Dome, which will be a post in and of itself.

Take the train ride.  Drive down to Patoka Lake.

Your attendees will beg to come back again for next year’s function.

P.S.  Dry-land midwestern French Lick is in Indiana, and Indiana law states that no casino can exist here unless it’s floating on water, hence all the riverboat casinos in the vicinity.  However, the French Lick Resort and Casino got around that law, quite legally.  Come on down and see for yourself.  It’s really awesome.

Check out the tiled floors.

If you are looking for a conference center, convention center, or trade show location that is paradise, inside the building and out – especially out – look no further than the Ramada Plaza on Nag’s Head Beach.

Nag’s Head, North Carolina, is part of the breathtakingly beautiful Outer Banks, home of the planet’s loveliest beaches.  Some of the most famous lighthouses of our time are here, along with much of our country’s pirate history.  That’s right:  I said PIRATE.  Ocracoke Island, also part of Nags Head, was home to the notorous Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. 

The Ramada Plaza itself is a place of comfort, convenience, and plenty of room for whatever function you are planning, be it a reunion, party, reception, retreat, wedding, conference, convention, or trade show – of almost any size, too.  Small?  Medium?  Large?  Extra Large?  the Nag’s Head Beach Ramada Plaza can accommodate your every need.

Just look at that view from this conference room!

All of this can be found at the Ramade Plaza Nags Head Beach Hotel, 1701 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil HIlls/Nags Head, NC 27948

Contact information: Phone: 252-441-2151    FAX:  252-441-1830

E-mail:  info@ramadainnnagshead.com

After your meetings, dinners, etc. are over, your attendees can step out of the hotel onto the beach, and experience the wonder that is the Outer Banks. There are many historic places within a short drive from the hotel, too. The Lost Colony of Roanoke and Kill Devil Hills (where the Wright Brothers flew that first airplane) are two of many fascinating places to visit.  Drive a little south onto the ferry at the southern tip of the islands, and your car and you will be on your way to Ocracoke Island, where you can eat at the famous Howard’s Pub, visit the British Cemetary, and explore the pirate museum, among other things.

The Kentucky International Convention Center, right in the heart of downtown Louisville, is large, lush, and beautiful to behold.

I’ve never actually seen a convention center with so many rooms, in fact.  The Kentucky International Convention Center has over 300,000 square feet of space, a 30,000 square foot ballroom and 52 meeting rooms, and all under one roof.

WiFi, and plenty of outlets, too.  I know, because I’ve personally been to two education conferences and an electronics trade show here.

The venue’s many and varied world-class facilities may be found if you click here.

Handy parking, too!  And, of the 10,00 hotel and motel rooms in Louisville, 2,00 of them are within walking distance of the convention center. 

Kentucky International Convention Center

221 Fourth Street

Louisville, KY  40202

Phone:  (502) 595-4381 or 1-800-701-5831

Fax:  (502) 595-3675

For ticket office information call:  (502) 595-3555

The Sheraton Denver West Hotel is not only a beautiful and almost perfect venue for any kind of event imaginable, large or small;  this hotel also has one of the most gorgeous views EVER.

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, the view from my window was breathtaking.

The conference I was attending was three days long and was attended by several hundred people.  However, both rooms used by the conference were large enough for even more; it wasn’t crowded in the least.  All of us could easily fit into each individual room!  The chairs were comfortable and the tables were perfect.

I had only two non perfect items in my memory of this venue:  The Wifi, which was excellent, was NOT free, and the tables in the middle of the room had no access to outlets.  Everything else about this venue was FANTASTIC.

I do love an elegant staircase, and the Sheraton Denver West Hotel did not disappoint.  The elevators were large, roomy, and FAST.

The hotel’s catering service was great, and the several restaurants and pubs within were also good.

The Sheraton Denver West Hotel is located at360 Union Blvd, Lakewood, Colorado 80228.  Phone: (303)987-2000.

If the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco looks familiar, it might be because this hotel is in more movies than any other American hotel!

While the outside of the Westin St. Francis is pure Hollywood, the inside is pure vintage.  Tall ceilings, huge elevators covered with brass and carved wood, staircases that just stepped out of a Bette Davis movie. . . Walking into the Westin St. Francis Hotel is like walking into a time machine.  Where else can you find a pink marble staircase?

Make no mistake, though; the venue might appear to be a blast from the past, but it’s one of the most technologically up-to-date venues you’ll ever see.

Each meeting room that I saw was HUGE, and fully equipped with enough electrical outlets for the huge masses of conference participants when I was there.  The building’s WiFi was easily connected and the signals were strong and reliable.  This is of vital importance for almost any kind of conference, convention, trade show, meetup, reunion, wedding, etc.

San Francisco’s famous cable cars stop right outside the door of the Westin St. Francis.  Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown are within easy walking distance, too.

Reservations: (800) Westin 1 | General Inquiries: (415) 397-7000 | Meetings, Banquets, &Weddings : (415) 774-0126 | General Sales: (415) 774-0112 | Fax: (415) 774-0124

The beautiful Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers is the perfect venue for your conference, convention, trade show, or any other collection of people!

I was there only last year at the huge BlogHer conference, and the meeting rooms were large, lovely, and equipped with comfortable chairs and tables.  Most important of all, in this day and age of technology, each room had plenty of outlets!

This venue also has WiFi throughout – both in the conference and restaurant areas AND in the hotel rooms.

This brings me to another point:  A conference venue is always best when the building is also a hotel!  It’s awkward and expensive if your attendees have to hail a cab to get from their hotel to the conference venue.

The Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers is right in the middle of downtown Chicago: handy to everything!

301 East North Water Street Chicago, IL 60611
Main 312-464-1000 Fax 312-464-9140

Click here for a virtual tour of the Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

Nashville, Indiana is a former artists’ colony that has become the autumn haven for conferences, conventions, trade shows, reunions, retreats, meetings, and just plain shopping for people from all over the nation.  It’s open year-round, of course, but the fall is the prime season here.  This picture doesn’t begin to show the beauty of this place; it’s too breath-taking to be captured on film.  Or disc, as the case may be.

Nashville is the county seat of scenic Brown County, Indiana.  It’s nestled in the heart of the majestic Hoosier National Forest, and I defy any other place on earth to lay claim to being more lovely than this place!

Nashville, and Brown County in general, have many inns from which to choose for your conference. Whether you’re planning something for several hundred, several dozen, or just several, Brown County has the perfect venue for your function.  You can count on having the most modern, up-to-date facilities and technology at your disposal, even if you have chosen a venue that appears to be on the rustic side!

In your attendees’ free time, there are shops and sights the likes of which they’ll never find anywhere else: works of art, musical instruments made by hand, pottery, museums, galleries, studios, bakeries, glassware, furniture – even the kitchen (or bathroom) sink – all unique to Brown County.

When your employees or attendees find out that their convention, conference, or trade show, is being held in Brown County, Indiana, you can bet you’ll have fabulous attendance!

The Brown County Indiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, 10 North Van Buren Street, Nashville, IN 47448, can be reached by calling 1-800-753-3255.

For more information about group resources, check out the Brown County CVB website.

Be sure to put your camera in your briefcase before you leave your house.

Chicago’s Navy Pier is a fabulous convention center, mall, carnival, theater, riverfront, and you name it.  One thing it is not is a hotel, but there are many fine hotels within walking distance of the Pier.

From the Navy Pier website, here are its handy FAQ:

Frequently Asked Questions about Event Planning

6. Where do buses stage at Navy Pier?
There is no staging at Navy Pier. Our marshalling yard is located 31st Parking Lot (one block west of Lake Shore Drive. As an alternative, buses can stage on Elston Avenue between Potomac Avenue and LeMoyne Street.
Additional locations:

• 1200 South Canal Street (except Sundays) – parking available only on the east side of
  Canal Street, south of Roosevelt Road
• 420 South Franklin Street
• Clybourn Avenue at Division Street
• McCormick Place Marshalling Yard
  Click here for Motorcoach information.
  
  7. What are the height restrictions for the East and West Garages?
  The West garage is 6ft. 3 in., and East garage is 7ft. 9in.

  8. Where can I park when I drive to Navy Pier?
  Navy Pier’s on-site parking garages accommodate 1,740 vehicles. Please click here Parking, for detailed information on Navy Pier garages and prices.

  9. Where can I get a taxi?
  There is a taxi line formed throughout the day at the front of the Pier. There are cab phones available at Entrance 1 and 2.
  
  10. How do I get to Navy Pier?
  Click here for information about “Getting Here!”

  11. I have an event in Festival Hall or the Grand Ballroom, where should I be dropped off?
  Once you have arrived to Navy Pier, there is only one road leading you toward the East End, proceed down the North Dock to Entrance 2, which is the farthest drop off point at Navy Pier.
  
  12. If I wanted to buy Pier Park tickets in conjunction with my event, who do I need to speak to?
  Your Sales or Event Manager will gladly assist you in securing group tickets for Pier Park.

  13. Does the trolley service run all year long?
  Yes. Trolley hours vary based on time of year or events held at Navy Pier. Please click here to view current hours.

  14. How do I report or claim lost property?
  Click here to complete the claim form. We will contact you within 48 hours during the standard business work week (Monday through Friday).

  15. Is there a general information number for Navy Pier?
  Our general number is 312-595-PIER or 1-800-595-PIER.
  
  16. Where is the food court?
  Located at the front of the Pier in the Family Pavilion.

There are many different venues within the Navy Pier.

The beautiful Walter E. Washington Convention Center is brand new as far as the usual D.C. building is concerned, but its history is long and interesting.

The city’s first convention center was built in 1874, and a second floor was added in 1893.  This conference hall served D.C. for a little over fifty years!  The present Washington Convention Center opened in 2003.

Click here to see the center’s interactive map.

I’ve been to Johnson City, Tennessee several times, and I can tell you first-hand that it’s a beautiful place for a gathering of any kind. Straight from the Sodexo Properties website, just look at what Tennessee’s Millennium Centre can offer your conference, convention, or trade show!

Experience Tennessee’s Premier Conference Center Five-Star excellence in meeting facilities, service and technology awaits you at the foothills of East Tennessee. Focused on convenience, service and technology, the Millennium Centre is committed to making your function a success from start to finish. It’s the ideal choice for your next event – Meet You in the Mountains!

Property Highlights

Property Type: The Millennium Centre developed at the turn of the Millennium provides exceptional services tailored to the needs of large conference events as well as small corporate executive meetings and continuing education based functions. Open to Public: Yes Conference Center Location: Located in historic Johnson City, minutes from the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. Meeting Facilities: The Millennium Centre with 23,000 square feet of meeting space features 16 conference rooms, an Executive Board Room with an adjoining private lounge, two amphitheatres and numerous break out rooms. Several of the rooms feature built-in presentation technology, and all provide ergonomic chairs for individual comfort and individual climate & lighting controls. Complete Meeting Package (CMP): No Overnight Accommodations: Connected by a walk way to the Carnegie Hotel, the regions finest hotel accommodations with a 5 star rating, providing 141 beautifully appointed guest rooms. Conference Facility Amenities: Beautiful outdoor courtyard with views of the   water features and paved outdoor areas provide the perfect location for team building. Meeting Room Technology: Specialized audio visual equipment with built-in sound amplification, and video and satellite conference capabilities. On site audio visual technicians are available, providing dedicated support. Food & Beverage Service: Serving extraordinary cuisine in upscale dining areas, The Centre’s conference planner and renowned executive chef can assist you in planning luncheons, receptions, and events for up to 600 guests.

Contact Information