Beautiful New England is a diverse meetings destination that hosts all manner of group gatherings, from citywide conventions in Boston and Hartford to corporate retreats in tucked-away portions of New Hampshire and Vermont, and networking sales meetings in Newport and Bar Harbor.
Throughout the six states of New England, planners will find a wealth of unique off-site venues to charm attendees during any of its distinct seasons. Museums, aquariums and waterfront venues are among the popular options.
Whether it’s a turn-of the century manor like the handsome Willowdale Estate in North of Boston’s Topsfield, Mass., or the new Connecticut Science Center, which just opened in Hartford in June, New England is filled with options to stage everything from small strategic sessions to large banquets or galas.
Museum Mingling
There are oodles of museums, which have long been standby venues for off-site functions, scattered throughout New England.
Connecticut’s capital is prized as a meetings destination for its accessible location and vibrant arts and culture scene, according to H. Scott Phelps, president and CEO of the Greater Hartford CVB, and the Mark Twain House & Museum is often used for group tours and events.
"It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Connecticut," Phelps says of the Victorian Gothic home with meeting and reception space inside its visitors building.
As the home of six institutions of higher learning, including Yale University, New Haven is a community of great minds, says Ginny Kozlowski, president and CEO of the Greater New Haven CVB.
"The Greater New Haven region specializes in the small to midsize event," she says. "We view your event of 100 to 400 attendees as our core business."
Among the area’s popular off-site attractions is the New Haven Museum and Historical Society. Built in 1929 in the Colonial Revival style, the museum features a 1,300-seat auditorium, a foyer and an upper rotunda for learning sessions and receptions.
In Boston, another renowned college town, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston accommodates seated dinners for 50 guests and cocktail receptions for up to 3,000 people. The museum’s Americas Wing expansion, which will include a new wing for Art of the Americas, extensively renovated Art of Europe galleries and an enclosed glass courtyard that likely will become one of Boston’s most popular off-site reception venues, is scheduled for completion in November 2010.
While not a major urban setting, Manchester, N.H., according to Charlene Courtemanche, spokesperson for the Greater Manchester COC, has all the benefits of a large city.
"Manchester is considered a historic and cultural community with a walkable downtown with access to just about everything," she says, citing the Millyard Museum and the Currier Museum of Art (CMA), which double as off-site function options.
The CMA, which houses works by Picasso, Monet and Sargent, features the Winter Garden Cafe for up to 200 people and a theater.
In Worcester, Mass., the Higgins Armory Museum has the largest collection of armor in North America, with artifacts including Corinthian helmets of ancient Greece. The museum’s Great Hall accommodates up to 250 people for receptions and up to 120 people for seated dinners.
Plymouth is also in Massachusetts and is known as the landing place of the Pilgrims who arrived here onboard the Mayflower in 1620. According to Paula Fisher, marketing manager at the Plymouth County CVB, the area’s allure is due to its strong heritage, lovely coastline and picturesque antique architecture.
Known as New England’s home for contemporary craft, the Brockton, Mass.-based Fuller Craft Museum hosts everything from cocktail parties and banquets to business seminars.
The Berkshires, says Jo Ann Lipa Bates, travel trade manager for the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, provides an excellent alternative to convention center meetings.
"We are a great destination for small to midsize meetings," she says. "Nowhere else in the country will you find Berkshire County’s collection of world-class cultural attractions in a single, spectacular, rural setting."
The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge and Pittsfield’s Hancock Shaker Village (HSV), where groups can dine in the same setting as the Shakers, are two popular attractions in the Berkshires.
"The candlelit Community Hall can accommodate up to 100 people," Lipa Bates says of HSV. "The decor is simple and elegant and allows for conversation and food to become the primary focus of the evening."
Mobile Meetings
Just as museums are in abundance throughout New England, so are opportunities to attach wheels or sails to an off-site event.
Vermont, situated between the 120-mile-long Lake Champlain to the west and the Connecticut River to the east, is as well-known for its water as for its 4,000-foot-high Green Mountains, says Gigi Valley, director of sales at the Vermont Convention Bureau.
A wonderful way for groups to take in the splendor of Vermont’s surroundings is to book the 424-passenger, triple-deck Spirit of Ethan Allen III for a scenic social gathering on Lake Champlain. Onboard meetings can include a lunch buffet and team-building activities while surrounded by views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks.
Situated in and around the White Mountain National Forest, the White Mountains area of New Hampshire is another photogenic destination filled with covered bridges and waterfalls, says Mikey Duprey, spokesperson for White Mountains Attractions.
"We have the highest peak in the Northeast, Mount Washington, and the summit can be reached by a variety of hiking trails, the Mount Washington Auto Road and the Mount Washington Cog Railway," Duprey says, explaining the Cog Railway accommodates inspirational off-site networking events.
Marti Mayne, spokesperson for New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley COC and Visitor’s Bureau, says golf outings and the Conway Scenic Railroad are two of the best ways for groups to gather off-site.
The Conway Scenic Railroad’s Valley Train departs to Conway and Bartlett, and the Notch Train travels through spectacular Crawford Notch.
Located just 18 miles from Boston with more than 3,500 reasonably priced guest rooms, meeting space for up to 1,200 people and 200 miles of shoreline, the North of Boston region features mansions, museums and boats for off-site events, according to Susan Middleton Campbell, convention sales manager at the North of Boston CVB.
Aboard the 65-foot wooden schooner, Thomas E. Lannon, groups of up to 30 people learn to navigate, set and trim sails, and steer the boat in the waters of Gloucester Harbor. Planners can arrange an all-day program, including business sessions during breakfast and lunch.
Take It Outside
During those New England months that invite attendees to enjoy the weather, planners not interested in a moving meeting might book one of many standstill outdoor venues.
Courtney McMennamin, spokesperson at the CVB of Greater Portland, is certain groups will enjoy the quintessential Maine coast, plus more.
"Greater Portland hosts a vibrant arts scene, exceptional shopping, gourmet cuisine and fabulous outdoor recreation, all set amid a backdrop of stunning natural beauty," she says.
Uniquely set in rolling pastures with views of the White Mountains, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine, is a 5,000-acre working farm that welcomes groups. It has a conference center and banquet facility as well as a garden, a banquet tent and Victorian-style gazebos.
In Litchfield Hills, Conn., according to Janet L. Serra, director at the Northwest Connecticut CVB, there is an abundance of off-site options for groups.
Tyrone Farm in Pomfret Center is a 160-acre country estate that was built in 1742. The property, which boasts scenic views, gardens and outdoor sitting areas, is ideal for corporate retreats and off-site training.
Over in New Haven, the Greater New Haven CVB’s Kozlowski says Lighthouse Point Park & Carousel is the "quintessentially New England location for an outdoor event." The venue can host receptions of up to 300 people.
Plymouth, Mass.-based Plimoth Plantation accommodates meal functions for up to 300 people and receptions for up to 400. The museum’s venues include tiered gardens, a pavilion with water views and a courtyard area.
Finding Nemo
Aquariums are plentiful throughout New England, and many double as standout group venues.
In Boston, colonial charm, urban sophistication and world-class meeting facilities make it a dynamic destination for any group, and attractions such as the New England Aquarium make memorable off-site venues. The aquarium recently completed a new 20,000-square-foot addition, the Marine Mammal Pavilion, which hosts popular wine and seafood dinners.
The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington, Vermont, enjoys a lakefront location with views of the Adirondacks, three floors filled with aquariums and elegant indoor and outdoor spaces for dinners, meetings and parties for up to 242 attendees.
In Connecticut’s Fairfield County, situated close to New York City and featuring 30 miles of coastline, the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk offers a fabulous atmosphere for a variety of special events. A dramatic 110,000-gallon Open Ocean exhibit is the backdrop for receptions.
Farther east, the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration is another unique venue for private events.
On the Waterfront
When visiting New England destinations like Cape Cod, planners should consider booking a waterfront venue for an off-site gathering.
According to Patti Lloyd, vice president of sales at the Cape Cod COC, who counts the Cape’s 15 unique towns, 115 beaches, 43 golf courses and close proximity to the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket among the attributes that draw leisure and group visitors alike, planners will find particular value in the Cape during the spring and autumn months.
One standout venue for on-site and off-site group events is the Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis. Home to the only privately owned and operated lighthouse recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Lighthouse Inn hosts many board retreats and regional conferences at its nine-acre oceanfront venue.
The appeal of Providence, R.I., says Erin Degulis, director of convention services at the Providence Warwick CVB, is a study in contradictions.
"The city combines traditional New England charm—wonderful history and architecture—with the energy, excitement and attractions of a contemporary city," she says. "Providence doesn’t feel like it was founded in 1676."
One option for off-site get-togethers is Waterplace Restaurant, which overlooks Waterplace Park and is therefore a perfect spot to be during a WaterFire, the city’s art installation that fills the downtown with fires on the water, music and street performers. The restaurant can handle a reception for up to 800 people.
Any list of New England’s waterfront facilities would be incomplete without mention of Mystic Seaport, The Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Conn. Mystic Seaport has 19 riverfront acres and is often used for corporate get-togethers. Among the popular facilities here is the River Room, an elegant setting for up to 350 people with bay windows, river views and an attached patio.
"There are scenic coastal towns to discover and the finest seafood to sample here," says Eliza Cole, marketing manager at Mystic Country Connecticut, who also cites gaming action at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun.
The draw to Bar Harbor, Maine, is initially its beauty, says Heather Jones, events coordinator at the Bar Harbor COC.
"Acadia National Park is one of the largest draws to Bar Harbor and its surrounding region," she says, adding that a must-see is a sunrise or sunset on Cadillac Mountain.
For waterfront functions, planners count on the Bar Harbor Club, where a beautiful environment meets modern technology, and spaces accommodate up to 300 people.
The newest popular waterfront venue in Boston is the Institute of Contemporary Art, with reception space for up to 700 people and sit-down dinner space for up to 200.
Get in the Game
New England, much like the rest of the country, celebrates sports. The New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics top the list of favorite regional teams.
The Pioneer Valley presents an appealing mix of accessibility and affordability, offering a nice alternative to higher-priced and congested larger cities, says Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield CVB. One of its highlights, she adds, is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which honors Springfield as the birthplace of basketball. The facility accommodates a wide range of off-site functions, including seated dinners for up to 600 people and receptions for up to 2,000 people, in addition to expositions and other business gatherings.
In easily accessible Newport, R.I., according to Tim Walsh, vice president of sales at the Newport County CVB, planners often book off-site events at one of the many Gilded-age mansions celebrating that era.
"An over-the-top event at a Gilded-age mansion is always a hit, and so is a relaxed gathering with a lobsterbake and playing horseshoes and volleyball," he says.
Like Springfield, Newport is home to a great sports-related venue, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which has become one of the more popular off-site venues in the area for events and team building. The tennis museum is available for viewing and for cocktail parties, and the 13 grass courts are available for tennis or croquet team-building events.
Performance Venues
New England also has a thriving performing arts scene and has many venues where groups can meet and take in a show.
Worcester, says Patrick Lynch, executive director of Destination Worcester, enjoys a central Northeast location, historic charm of the industrial age and intellect reflected by its 10 colleges and universities.
It also boasts Mechanics Hall, which is internationally regarded as one of the world’s great concert halls for its superb acoustics and 19th century elegance. The facility, available for rental, has more than 14,000 square feet of space for meetings and galas and can accommodate 1,600 people theater style and 600 for a banquet.
In Connecticut, the Palace Theater in Litchfield Hills, built in 1921, was recently restored and is available for special off-site events when it’s not in use for headlining music and comedy acts.
