The reasoning behind two of Delaware’s historic nicknames—The “Diamond State,” presumably coined by Thomas Jefferson, who described it as a “jewel” due to its strategic location on the Eastern seaboard, and “Small Wonder,” alluding to its geographically petite size yet abundant beauty and contributions—perfectly ties into why it’s a great choice for a meeting.
Delaware is in fact a strategically positioned mid-Atlantic destination that is easily accessible for groups driving from nearby Pennsylvania, New Jersey and even New York. Also, Wilmington’s New Castle Airport is only a 25-minute drive from Philadelphia.
In keeping with its “Small Wonder” designation, Delaware packs a lot into its small frame. It’s a handsome state that enjoys a superb state park system, lovely beaches, charming small towns, and several major meetings-equipped players, including Dover and Wilmington.
According to state representatives, attendees will be thrilled to shop and dine out in Delaware, as there is no sales or food tax. Since it’s tax-free, idyllic and removed from the bustle of nearby metropolitan hubs, planners should count Delaware among top contenders to deliver affordable, stress-free events—from executive retreats to larger association meetings.
Greater Wilmington
A diverse area with strong historic roots—it was the last stop to freedom on the Underground Railroad—Wilmington is located within 350 miles of one-third of the U.S. population and only 20 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport, according to Esther Lovlie, CMP, director of meeting sales at the Greater Wilmington CVB.
“Wilmington isn’t cookie-cutter and franchised; we’re unique because we combine old and new money,” she says, citing the DuPont legacy and the incorporation of many Fortune 500 companies in the area.
Lovlie describes the Hotel du Pont, one of Wilmington’s main meetings hotels, as a destination unto itself. Built at the turn of the 20th century, she says Italian craftsmen worked on the property’s famed gold ballroom for three years alone.
“The hotel raises up the DuPont name and offers luxury to the max,” she says.
Because of the DuPont family’s presence in the area, there are several mansions that are wonderful for both tours and group functions, including the Hagley Museum and Library. Home to five generations of the DuPont family, the facility is situated on 235 acres along the banks of the Brandywine River.
“Everyone wants to do a unique event, to entertain. So they look at fabulous off-sites like our mansions and museums,” Lovlie says, adding that Wilmington’s compact downtown is 10 minutes away from lovely, rolling countryside. “There is a corporate feel to downtown but in minutes you could remove yourself, which you can’t do in Manhattan or Philadelphia where it’s a logistical nightmare.”
Among the city’s major group properties is the Chase Center. Located on Wilmington’s revitalized riverfront—a 1.2-mile lighted, landscaped river walk with many historic buildings that have been reclaimed for modern use—the Chase Center offers more than 87,000 square feet of flexible space. According to Lovlie, a proposed hotel to be located adjacent to the Chase Center is in the works, and would join the city’s other meetings-ready hotels: the Sheraton Suites Wilmington, the Doubletree Hotel Downtown Wilmington, the Hilton Wilmington Christina, and the Courtyard by Marriott Wilmington Downtown.
“All of these hotels have gone through renovations within the past two years, so it’s like we’re selling a brand-new area,” she says.
Outside Wilmington proper, the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall Conference Center provides a turnkey experience, Lovlie says, including on-site registration and a helpful convention services staff.
Dover
Whereas Wilmington proper is a metropolitan corporate hub, according to Kimberly Bailey-Thomas, director of convention sales and marketing at the Kent County and Greater Dover CVB, Dover, Delaware’s capital city, has a small-town feel.
“We’re a drive-to destination in the center of it all—45 minutes to Rehoboth Beach and 45 minutes to Wilmington,” she says, explaining that groups meeting in Dover are only a “hop, skip and jump away” from other Delaware highlights.
Within 20 minutes there are state parks to explore, as well as fishing opportunities; Kent County beaches are 20 to 30 minutes away; there are nearly 20 museums in the area that double as off-site venues; and tax-free shopping is popular on downtown Dover’s Loockerman Street.
“We host events as small as 50 per group and up to 2,000 people,” Bailey-Thomas says, adding that after the expansion at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, scheduled for completion next year, Dover will be poised to accommodate the largest meetings in the state.
“It’s new for us to be bringing in larger conventions and meetings,” Bailey-Thomas says. “We’re able to go after them now with all of the developments we’ve had here in the past few years.”
Among those developments, the 153-room Sheraton Dover Hotel (the second prominent meetings player after Dover Downs Hotel & Casino), with 14 meeting rooms, completed a multimillion-dollar renovation last summer. It’s also worth noting that Dover’s Duncan Center is available for smaller groups of about 150 people, according to Bailey-Thomas, and the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington offers various options for planners.
Southern Delaware
Like their neighbors in Dover, Southern Delaware—home to beach destinations such as Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, and Fenwick Island—is going after more meetings business, but on a smaller scale.
“We’re pushing to generate more meetings this year,” says Scott Thomas, executive director at Southern Delaware Tourism. “We’re targeting small to midsize organizational retreats.”
Thomas says a lot of the area’s bookings come from the Washington, D.C., metro market, which is two-and-a-half hours away.
“Corporate, reunion and church groups—we welcome anyone looking to get away for a couple days,” he says. “We try to accent the benefits of having retreats here in the fall and the spring; since summer is high season, fall and spring open up and there are deals to be had.”
Fall is festival season, Thomas adds, and planners might consider booking around, for instance, the Rehoboth Beach Autumn Jazz Festival in October.
“That festival is a big draw and the weather’s great,” he says, adding that birding is another top attraction in October, and in April and May. “Our hotels and B&Bs, combined with team-building opportunities like historical walking tours, kayaking and boating, make for great opportunities here all year-round.”
Historical societies in Lewes, Milton and Seaford are available to arrange walking tours for groups, and Quest Fitness Kayaking and Coastal Kayak are two standby outfitters.
In addition to a high density of great restaurants in Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany, which all possess small-town charm and walkability, Thomas says planners might look to Nassau Valley Vineyards for an off-site corporate function. Plus, due to Delaware’s great state park system, he says there are various trails in the region that “speak close to the heart” of World War II groups and other military groups.
Among the area’s meetings-friendly properties are Rehoboth Beach’s Atlantic Sands Hotel and Conference Center, and The Bellmoor; Lewes’ Inn at Canal Square and the University of Delaware’s Virden Center; Long Neck’s Baywood, a golf destination; and Bridgeville’s Heritage Shores Club, another golf destination featuring an Arthur Hills-designed golf course and a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse.
For More Info
Greater Wilmington CVB 302.652.4088
www.wilmcvb.net
Kent County and Greater Dover CVB 302.734.1736
www.visitdover.com
Southern Delaware Tourism 302.856.1818
www.visitsoutherndelaware.com
