There’s a lot going on in what some might consider a small area—Pittsburgh and the surrounding region of Western Pennsylvania. This corner of the Keystone State packs a punch, especially as a meet-ings destination.
First, there’s Pittsburgh. The "City of Bridges" celebrated it 250th anniversary two years ago and will host the Group of 20(G-20) economic summit this month. The city is witnessing an incredible amount of urban renewal that is also green-minded.
Just outside Pittsburgh, a number of surprises await groups. Butler County offers an abundance of outdoor adventure. Washington County brims with history and charm, thanks to covered bridges and the National Road, which runs through it. Groups can meet amid woodland beauty in nearby Laurel Highlands, where three Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes are built. Nearby Johnstown offers relaxing resorts and university venues. And Erie boasts a number of attractions and meeting spaces along Lake Erie’s shores.
Pittsburgh
All eyes will be on Pittsburgh when it hosts the G-20 economic summit Sept. 24-25. President Barack Obama will chair the meeting of leaders from 20 countries that represent 85 percent of the world economy.
"This is a big deal for Pittsburgh, as it’s an opportunity to show everyone how beautiful the city is," says Craig Davis, vice president of sales and marketing for VisitPittsburgh.
Why Pittsburgh?
"I think it’s an area that has seen its share of economic woes in the past, but because of foresight and investment, [the area is] giving birth to renewed industries that are creating the jobs of the future," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement. "And I think the president believes it would be a good place to highlight some of that."
The summit isn’t the only thing happening in Pittsburgh this year. A host of brand-new developments is taking shape.
The August Wilson Center for African American Culture (formerly known as the African American Cultural Center of Greater Pittsburgh) is wrapping up construction on a new facility and is set to open this month. The center includes galleries, classrooms, a 486-seat theater, a cafe and a number of spaces for groups to hold meetings and events.
A new slot machine casino, the Rivers Casino, debuted this August. The Associated Press reports that gamblers wagered $14 million in the first 18 hours it was open.
"The casino is located right on the riverfront," Davis says. "There are future plans for a hotel on the site."
And sports fanatics will be happy to note that Consol Energy Center will debut in fall 2010, just in time for the National Hockey League’s 2010-11 season. The new arena will be the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins and will host concerts and other entertainment events. The arena rounds out the other sports offerings in Pittsburgh, specifically PNC Park, home of professional baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates, and Heinz Field, home of the NFL’s Steelers.
"All three of these developments [the August Wilson Center, the Rivers Casino and the Consol Energy Center] are green buildings," Davis notes.
And there is another new eco-friendly project to add to the list. The 185-room Fairmont Pittsburgh is scheduled to open this December. The hotel is expecting LEED certification. Moreover, the high-rise in which the hotel will be located, Three PNC Plaza, which opened in August, is projected to be one of the largest LEED-certified, mixed-use buildings in the U.S. The tower is Pittsburgh’s first skyscraper to be built in 20 years.
With all the new projects on the horizon, it’s a good thing Pittsburgh is already a well-equipped meetings destination, with 22,000 rooms in the metro area.
The city offers the 618-room Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, which features 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is connected to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Situated across from the hotel and convention center is the 182-room Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh Downtown.
More group-friendly hotels include the Renaissance Pittsburgh, the Omni William Penn Hotel, Doubletree Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh City Center, the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center and the largest property,
the 713-room Hilton Pittsburgh. The 396-room Sheraton Station Square Hotel is located on the riverfront near the dock of the Gateway Clipper Fleet, offering sightseeing, dining and dancing cruises along Pittsburgh’s three rivers.
Davis says from any downtown hotel, attendees can explore the Strip District, the Fort Pitt Museum or the Senator John Heinz History Center. They can also ride on one of two funiculars to Mt. Washington and take a walking tour that includes the historic buildings of Grant Street.
"Pittsburgh is a very walkable city," Davis notes. "The heart of the city, which encompasses about two square miles, can be walked from one end to the other in 12 minutes."
Pittsburgh boasts a robust arts scene and plenty of off-site venues. Six theaters are packed into two blocks of the city’s 14-block Cultural District.
"One of the coolest places is The Andy Warhol Museum," Davis says. "It’s a great off-site option, and it’s close to PNC Park."
Other meetings hotels include the 223-room Embassy Suites Pittsburgh-International Airport, which offers about 19,000 square feet of event space. The hotel is currently undergoing a guest room renovation.
Monroeville, 12 miles east of Pittsburgh, is another meetings destination in the area. The former Radisson Hotel here is being converted into the Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh/Monroeville Convention Center. Plans are to reduce the number of rooms from 332 to 186, while the adjoining ExpoMart is converted into a local office for health care firm CVS Caremark.
Among Monroeville’s attractions are historic sites dating to the 1800s, including McGinley House, Old Stone Church and McCully Log House.
Butler County
Just 25 miles north of Pittsburgh is Butler County, a rural region that offers small-town charm that’s close to urban experiences.
Jack Cohen, executive director of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, describes the region as one of the state’s best-kept secrets. And he’s determined to get the word out; he even traveled to Paris this summer to promote the destination.
"We’ve got plenty of affordable meeting space," Cohen notes. "And the fact that we are close to Pittsburgh is a big plus."
Further sweetening the deal, Cohen says the bureau will transport groups to wherever they need to go in Butler County during events.
The county can accommodate groups of up to 1,000 people.
One of the most popular attractions is the 16,725-acre Moraine State Park, which receives more than 1 million visitors each year. The park offers a multitude of recreational opportunities. Visitors can swim at two beaches along the shore of Lake Arthur. Races and regattas for sailboats are held throughout the summer on the lake. Approximately 30 miles of trails follow the lake’s shore and wind through fields and forests. Eleven cabins with electricity are available for rental, and groups can bike, horseback ride, camp, hunt and fish.
Group-friendly properties include the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township, which offers 14,000 square feet of event space, and the Regional Learning Alliance Conference Center, which is located less than three miles from the hotel.
Butler, the county seat, offers a Days Inn with meeting space and Conley Resort, which features golf, a waterpark and meeting space. The Succop Conservancy at Butler Community College has a 150-year-old mansion that can be rented
for events.
At Saxonburg, Armstrong Farms Bed & Breakfast can accommodate groups of up to 125 in two restored historical barns. In Harmony’s Historic Landmark District, the Harmony Museum has a hall that seats 130 for banquets and a Mennonite meeting house that was built in 1825. The towns of Harmony and Saxonburg still maintain the charm of Old World German hamlets.
Washington County
Washington County, less than one hour from Pittsburgh, is home to 22 of Pennsylvania’s 210 covered bridges. There’s even an annual covered bridge festival. The area boasts several historical attractions, outdoor pursuits and shopping options, including specialty stores and antique shops.
The Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life in the town of Avella is a popular attraction. The Meadowcroft Rockshelter is considered the oldest known site of human habitation in North America. Native American artifacts were unearthed there that date back 16,000 years. The museum includes a look at what everyday life might have been like for Native Americans in the 17th century. Visitors can also check out a recreated 19th century village celebrating rural life.
Other lures include the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, the David Bradford House and the LeMoyne House, the first official historic landmark of the Underground Railroad.
Meetings-friendly facilities include Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh/Southpointe in Canonsburg, Ramada Washington, SpringHillSuites Washington (both located in the town of Washington) and the Holiday Inn Meadowlands, which is next to Meadows Racetrack & Casino.
Laurel Highlands and Johnstown
Laurel Highlands, located about one hour east of Pittsburgh, encompasses three counties and is famous for its breathtaking woodland scenery and Mount Davis, the state’s highest mountain. Much of the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile system of biking and hiking trails, is situated in the region. It offers unique attractions and cozy meeting retreats.
Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright used the landscape of the area—in his trademark fashion—to build two homes in the Laurel Highlands: Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. Both are open for tours. Fallingwater, built over a waterfall, includes a barn about 500 yards north of the home at the entrance to a nature preserve. Small groups can meet here. Kentuck Knob is one of the last homes designed by Wright. He was in his eighties when he designed it in the 1950s. A variety of themed tours are available.
A third Wright-designed house opened in the region in 2007 at Polymath Park Resort in the town of Acme. The home was originally built in Illinois and was disassembled and rebuilt. Up to three people can rent out the entire home. The resort, which is just minutes from Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, also offers two other Wright-inspired homes. Alfresco space is available for tented events of up to 400 guests. Other meeting spaces can accommodate up to approximately 200 people.
The region’s group-friendly resorts include the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, which features 23,000 square feet of meeting space, and Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Seven Springs, which is the state’s largest ski resort.
Other meetings-ready options are the Mountain View Inn and Four Points by Sheraton in Greensburg, Summit Inn Resort in Farmington and Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Uniontown.
Johnstown, a former steel city located northeast of the Highlands and 60 miles from Pittsburgh, offers a number of options for groups.
The Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center boasts 12,000 square feet of meeting space and 3,100 square feet of prefunction space. The University of Pittsburgh Johnstown campus includes 45 meeting rooms handling groups of up to 2,400 people, as well as summer accommodations.
The city’s most famous attraction is its Inclined Plane, which was built after the city’s deadly 1889 flood. Considered the world’s steepest vehicular inclined plane, cable cars still carry passengers every 15 minutes. Groups can tour this National Historical Site.
Erie
The town of Erie is the hub of Pennsylvania’s northwestern corner, and it’s situated along more than 50 miles of Lake Erie.
"Erie has seen a boom in economic development in the hospitality sector," notes Joe Holody, VisitErie’s director of convention services
and sales.
The $100 million Bayfront Convention Center and the connected Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel opened two years ago. The facilities overlook Presque Isle Bay. The center features 30,000 square feet of exhibition space, while the hotel offers 5,800 square feet of meeting space. The center will host the 2009 Fall Conference of the Pennsylvania Association of CVBs later this month.
Erie strengthened its presence in the meetings market with the expansion of the Ambassador Banquet & Conference Center. The property features a connected Courtyard by Marriott and recently added a Hilton Garden Inn. The center’s two ballrooms accommodate a total of 850 guests. Its atrium accommodates 300 guests. The property includes additional meeting rooms and a restaurant.
More group-friendly hotels include the Avalon Hotel and Conference Center and Clarion Hotel and Conference Center.
Erie offers a lot while still maintaining a small-town vibe. That long list includes wineries, an indoor waterpark, beaches, scores of water sports, an eclectic mix of pubs and even a zoo, the Erie Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
For thrill-seekers in the group, there’s Waldameer Park’s wooden roller coaster, which is 3,000 feet long.
Presque Isle Downs & Casino offers a different set of highs and lows for visitors, with thoroughbred racing and 2,000 slot machines.
