Groups consisting of admirers—from baseball and Corvette fans to horse lovers, bourbon devotees and Civil War aficionados—will be tickled to meet in the Bluegrass State, a place that prides itself on its strong heritage. Indeed, the concentration of Civil War sites in Kentucky exceeds that in most areas of the country, more bourbon is produced here than anywhere else in the world, and at least once a year this land of Thoroughbred racehorses attracts an international audience to watch the Kentucky Derby.
“What we’re all about—the bluegrass, the bourbon, the history—there really is no place like Kentucky in the United States,” says Dennis Johnston, vice president, destination sales, for the Lexington CVB. “It’s a pretty intriguing place.”
Like Johnston, those who visit Kentucky are enamored with both its surroundings—from the mountains of the eastern Appalachians and the rivers and lakes flowing in the western portion of the state, to the rolling bluegrass hills of its core—and its cultural traditions, which planners are encouraged to incorporate during conventions via off-site venues.
With the Louisville Slugger Museum, home of Major League Baseball’s standby baseball bat; Covington’s Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, located in a building that was once the first integrated library in the South; and Bowling Green’s National Corvette Museum, options for memorable events are as abundant as the sea of flamboyant hats on display at the Kentucky Derby.
If meeting attendees aren’t admirers of this richly diverse and friendly state upon arrival, they will be by the time they leave.
Louisville
The original Louisville Slugger has had a couple years to grow accustomed to sharing the stage with another renowned slugger, Muhammad Ali. Both baseball bat and champion boxer are celebrated in town at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, and the Muhammad Ali Center, which opened in 2005.
According to Jennifer Barnett, vice president of convention development for the Louisville CVB, these two iconic venues are highlights of Louisville’s off-site venues celebrating the area’s culture and heritage.
“The top floor of the Muhammad Ali Center is available for receptions and dinners,” she says, adding that during an event attendees could tour the facility and visit the gift shop. “The center doesn’t just tell the story of Ali’s boxing career, but also his six core principles of respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, spirituality, and giving, which tie in well with religious and education groups.”
The Louisville Slugger Museum boasts function space for lunches and receptions, accommodating up to 500 people if the entire facility is used.
“Attendees can also just tour the museum and have a personalized bat made while they’re there,” Barnett says.
It’s tough to get tickets to Churchill Downs, as one might expect, during the Kentucky Derby, according to Barnett. But during the regular season of races—from the week before the first Saturday in May (the day of the Derby) until July 4 weekend, plus the month of November—events, featuring the opportunity to take in a race, are smash hits. Functions, according to Barnett, are generally positioned next to the Twin Spires, the signature of Churchill Downs. She adds that Churchill Downs did a major renovation in 2005. The facility’s banquet and event space can accommodate up to 600 people.
Based in nearby Loretto, Maker’s Mark, purveyor of bourbon whisky, works with the Louisville CVB to spice up events at Churchill Downs, according to Barnett.
“After speaking, Bill Samuels, a sixth-generation member of the family who founded Maker’s Mark, hand-dipped bottles in red wax and personally autographed them for one group,” she says.
A stop in Louisville isn’t complete without a stroll along the Ohio River—the city exists because of the Falls of the Ohio, around which (before the dam and lock system was built) travelers had to portage their goods. Because of this, according to the Louisville CVB, the city was born.
“The river plays a huge part in our heritage and culture, and is today a focal point of many festivals and events,” Barnett says, citing Abbey Road on the River, the largest Beatles festival in North America; and the Belle of Louisville, the oldest operating steamboat in existence today, floating up to 650 people on the river for everything from luncheons to Halloween costume parties.
Northern Kentucky
Encompassing Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, and communities such Covington, Newport, Hebron, and Florence, Northern Kentucky is a diverse region with plenty of unique experiences in store for groups.
“Northern Kentucky offers a rich architectural history that is evident in buildings like Odd Fellows,” says Marie Fuehner, director of convention services at the Northern Kentucky CVB, citing the Grand at Fifth and Madison, a banquet hall housed in Odd Fellows that opened in December.
Another long-standing attraction that is extremely popular for off-sites is BB Riverboats; planners can book the entire boat or reserve a deck or a room for smaller groups.
“It’s the oldest and largest riverboat cruise company in the region,” Fuehner adds.
No matter where planners book a group, Fuehner says a major cultural draw for meeting in the area is its proximity to Cincinnati, situated directly across the Ohio River.
“We’re the southern side of Cincinnati,” she says. “There is the Southern hospitality aspect and an urban feel of a larger town. It’s the best of both worlds.”
According to Fuehner—and many might not know this—some of the most beautiful signature photos of Cincinnati in brochures and magazines are shot from Northern Kentucky.
“The view out the front window of Drees Pavilion at Devou Memorial Overlook illustrates that well,” she says.
The $2 million, 10,000-square-foot Drees Pavilion, a reception center featuring an outdoor terrace, a covered patio and a 2,500-square-foot gazebo overlooking the city, accommodates more than 200 guests.
Much like the aforementioned Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, Newport’s Carnegie Events Center was once the home of the city’s historic public library. The site, which now caters to business groups, corporate parties and sit-down dinners, features a permanent outdoor tent and outdoor seating in a rose garden.
Lexington
A progressive college town with a happening mix of bars and music venues, Lexington, home of the University of Kentucky, is also the starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which, according to Johnston of the Lexington CVB, ties in hugely to the city’s unique heritage.
“It’s a big deal,” he says. “When someone says Napa, you know what they have in mind. We’re really trying to grow bourbon awareness. We want people to know there is more than just horses here. We’ve got horses, history and hooch.”
Kentucky, in fact, produces the vast majority of the world’s supply of bourbon, Johnston says, so meeting planners looking to give their attendees an authentic Lexington/Kentucky experience should consider holding an event at Buffalo Trace Distillery in nearby Franklin County or Woodford Reserve Distillery in nearby Versailles.
“Holding off-site events at area distilleries is a wonderful way to showcase part of the heritage of our region,” he says. “Distilleries have been part of the Bluegrass landscape since settlers began populating the area in the late 1700s.”
Of course, groups will want to see something related to horses, Johnston adds. He suggests the 1,200-acre Kentucky Horse Park, which has function space for group outings; a visit to Keeneland Thoroughbred race course; or a stud farm where visitors can “actually go and see some very famous race horses.”
It’s also worth mentioning America’s largest restored Shaker community, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, located south of Lexington in Harrodsburg. The 3,000-acre National Historic Landmark, according to Johnston, accommodates everything from corporate retreats to team-building events.
Bowling Green
Meeting attendees in Bowling Green, known as the home of the Corvette, will have a memorable experience when planners incorporate a number of standout venues that are rich in both heritage and hospitality.
Groups from the Kentucky Society of Association Executives to Harley Davidson rally members have had events at Lost River Cave and Valley, a 68-acre urban wildlife sanctuary that features a large dance floor in the mouth of a cave. Attendees will be fascinated to learn that Lost River was once the home of an underground nightclub and a resting spot for Native Americans, Civil War troops and even the notorious Jesse James, according to Duncan Hines, sales manager for the Bowling Green Area CVB.
The National Corvette Museum is another unique meeting venue, with function space such as the skydome, which holds up to 300 reception style; the Chevrolet Theater, with 165 seats and audiovisual capabilities; and a 10,000-seat amphitheater.
“Bowling Green and the Corvette inspire speed, so a racing-themed meeting is the perfect way to encourage your team to take the lead,” Hines says, explaining that the event staff incorporates items from the Corvette Store to decorate and create giveaways for groups.
Groups also adore meetings “aboard” the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, located in the renovated 1925 L&N Depot. The two-story museum celebrates the economic and cultural influence the railroad had on south-central Kentucky, and the original waiting room is now a beautiful reception space for up to 200 people. Other options include a vintage dining car that seats up to 48 people.
Paducah
Paducah’s cultural uniqueness comes increasingly from ties with its Lowertown Fine Arts District, which came about because of an artist relocation program that persuaded artists to move here from all over, according to Mary Hammond, executive director of the Paducah CVB.
“We changed our whole community and we’re now more aware of the arts,” she says. “The program started seven years ago and is still in the growth stage; we’re not Santa Fe yet.”
Hammond adds that the River Heritage Museum, which includes exhibits that tout the music of Kentucky’s River Region, is wonderful for receptions.
“The Founders Room overlooks the river and is refurbished with Victorian furniture,” she says.
Two more sought-after off-site venues are Maiden Alley Cinema and the $50 million Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center, a performing arts facility that seats 200 people on its stage.
“It’s real special to have an event on the stage, to dance or for a meal,” Hammond says. “The acoustics are fabulous—artists like David Crosby, who was here recently, fall in love with it.”
Kentucky is an old state, the 15th in the union, Hammond points out, and so it’s a particularly traditional destination.
“People going west came through here via the Cumberland Gap or the Ohio River,” she says. “Kentucky’s heritage is very strong, from horse racing to bourbon crafters, but Paducah’s contribution is much more fine arts and music. Our tagline is ‘Art, Rhythm and Rivers.’”
For More Info
Bowling Green Area CVB 270.782.0800
www.visitbgky.com
Kentucky Department of Tourism 502.564.4930
www.kentuckytourism.com
Lexington CVB 859.233.1221
www.visitlex.com
Louisville CVB 502.584.2121
www.gotolouisville.com
Northern Kentucky CVB 859.261.4677
www.nkycvb.com
Paducah CVB 270.443.8783
www.paducah-tourism.org
