Baltimore is a city that was seemingly built from the ground up with meetings in mind. One of the most foot-friendly destinations in the country, “Charm City” continues to gain recognition and accolades as one of the East Coast’s most formidable meetings contenders. With billions of dollars invested in an ongoing renaissance, Baltimore intends to hold onto its favorable reputation.
Across the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore’s neighbors along the Eastern Shore provide varied and exciting options for group gatherings. Destinations here include the upscale Talbot County, Wicomico County’s perfectly situated and affordable Salisbury, and the fun, seaside Ocean City.
Baltimore
Tom Noonan, president and CEO of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA), wants planners to check out VisitMyBaltimore.com, a virtual lovefest featuring Flickr, Twitter and other Web 2.0 outpourings of Baltimore affection.
“It’s a collection of images and videos from locals and visitors, and we think if people see it they’ll be able to experience Baltimore and want to come here,” he says.
Prominently displayed on the site is a YouTube spot featuring Baltimorean David Simon, who admittedly has a chip on his shoulder. The creator and head writer behind the TV series The Wire, which is set in Baltimore, offers high praise indeed.
“Once you acknowledge that our food is better and our beer is colder, that our neighborhoods are worth living in, and this a city more real than yours—once you do all that, we’re ready to embrace you,” he says.
The folks at the BACVA, while they relish Simon’s sentiment, will embrace groups before such acknowledgment. They might, however, challenge planners to find a more walkable, business-friendly playground.
“Everything is two feet away, and it sets us apart,” Noonan says. “To our core, we are a meetings destination, with the convention center near the water, public transit in place, plenty of shopping, great restaurants, football and baseball—you can park your car here and not use it for days.”
From Baltimore’s downtown convention block, which will total 9,000 guest rooms by the end of 2010, delegates can easily explore the different (and yes, charming) neighborhoods of “Charm City.” Harbor East and Mount Vernon, for starters, are easily accessible by foot or, starting in July, via an expanded free shuttle service.
Among the city’s main meetings players are the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel and the new Hilton Baltimore, all connected to the Baltimore Convention Center, as well as the InterContinental Harbor Court, located across the street. High-end boutique properties are also vying for meetings business, including the upcoming Hotel Monaco and Hotel Indigo, opening this summer.
A huge advantage of meeting in Baltimore is an attractive bottom line, starting with savings on shuttle programs that are necessary in other cities. If the group isn’t driving or taking Amtrak, affordable flights are also available via the city’s two major carriers, Southwest and AirTran.
“We’re also pushing our culinary and cultural message,” Noonan says, citing an exceptional dining scene (Baltimore is the home of the crab cake), the world’s largest collection of Matisse works in the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, lead by Marin Alsop, the first woman conductor of an American orchestra.
Eastern and Atlantic Shores
Situated an hour-and-a-half from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Washington, D.C., Talbot County was recently tagged “The Hamptons of the Chesapeake Bay,” according to Debbi Dodson, executive director of the Talbot County Office of Tourism. The area features meetings destinations such as St. Michaels, a historic, hip waterfront town; Tilghman Island, a slower-paced water playground; and Easton, where metropolitan offerings such as fine dining meet small-town charm.
“We wanted groups thinking about coming here to know we have a diverse set of destinations with a wealth of fabulous restaurants, great shopping, art, pristine beaches and upscale accommodations and meeting spaces,” she says, explaining that the recent marketing shift highlights the overall upscale nature of the area, which is ideal for board retreats and incentive group outings.
“What makes us unique is that experiences here are authentic,” Dodson says, citing a preservation effort that protects the area’s Victorian architecture, and landmarks including the Hooper Strait Lighthouse. “Visitors can get on the water on a skipjack or learn about the history of our people at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.”
Among the standby meetings properties in Talbot County are the Inn at Perry Cabin, Harbour Inn, Marina & Spa, and Harbourtowne Golf Resort & Conference Center, all in St. Michaels; the Tidewater Inn in Easton; and the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, located south of Easton in Cambridge.
Activities include biking and kayaking, and according to Dodson, a number of outfitters and hotels provide the appropriate gear to take to the area’s 14 different waterways for kayakers and six bike trails for cyclists.
Salisbury, dubbed the “Crossroads of Delmarva” because it sits conveniently between Delaware and Virginia, is Wicomico County’s accessible meetings magnet.
“We’re the largest town on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland and we pull from different states for meetings,” says Sandy Fulton, tourism manager at the Wicomico County CVB. “Salisbury has the ocean to the east and the bay to left, so we’re in the middle of two states and two bodies of water.”
Fulton explains Salisbury is a branded destination and the CVB encourages tourists and planners to “Discover Delmarva’s Hidden Treasures.” Among the gems to uncover is a park system that allows for outdoor group events; the famed wild ponies at Assateague Island 30 minutes away; more than 20 nearby golf courses; bird watching that includes bald eagle sightings; antiquing at outlets such as The Country House; and the free Salisbury Zoo.
“As well as our location and affordability, people tell us the area itself and the way of life here is our biggest selling point,” Fulton says, citing the Poodle Club of America, an international event that initially booked Salisbury because another destination didn’t work out. “We had an opening so they came here and they keep coming back because hospitality is huge here.”
Among Salisbury’s meetings-friendly venues are the multipurpose Wicomico Youth and Civic Center for up to 7,000 people; the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Marriott Courtyard, Residence Inn, Country Inn and Suites, and Hampton Inn properties; The Fountains Wedding & Conference Center; and meeting facilities at Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, both situated about 20 minutes from downtown.
“All of this along with 69 parks has made our sports market a successful niche,” Fulton says, citing five national youth-oriented sports championships in 2009.
According to Fred Wise, director of sales and marketing at the Ocean City CVB, no one can visit the Eastern Shore without strolling along Ocean City’s Victorian boardwalk, where sights include beachside cottages, Trimper’s Amusement Park and wonderful eateries including Phillips Seafood House, Thrashers Fries and Fisher’s Popcorn.
“The overall appeal of Ocean City is the flavor of the ocean and all that goes with it,” Wise says. “It’s a perfect place to mingle fun times with business for a memorable and affordable meeting.”
Indeed, Ocean City has for years been a getaway destination for Baltimore, and it has grown into a premier convention destination on the East Coast, Wise says.
Among its meeting facilities are the Ocean City Convention Center; the recently opened Hilton Suites Ocean City Oceanfront; the upcoming Courtyard by Marriott Ocean City, slated to open this summer; Clarion Resort Fontainebleau; and the Princess Royale Oceanfront Hotel and Conference Center.
Aside from people-watching along the famed boardwalk, delegates in Ocean City often hit the links at one of 18 championship golf courses within 20 minutes of town or let their hair down at Macky’s Bayside Bar and Grill or Seacrets, a three-block nightclub complete with gazebo bars and several stages for live music.
For More Info
Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association 410.659.7300 www.baltimore.org
Ocean City CVB 410.289.8181 www.ococean.com
Talbot County Office of Tourism 410.770.8000 www.tourtalbot.org
Wicomico County CVB 410.548.4914 www.wicomicotourism.org
