Providence was one of the select cities to host the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship this year. And it’s proving that when it comes to making meetings memorable, it’s got game.
"From surveying visitors here for the games, we are getting that they are really impressed with our people," says Brian Hodge, marketing coordinator for the Providence Warwick CVB. "Our residents and merchants are fun and friendly."
Other wows: the city’s compact size, dynamic arts scene and accessibility.
"For a city considered second-tier, Providence offers a lot of what you’d consider first-tier offerings," says Neil Schriever, the bureau’s senior vice president.
Providence
The spotlight was on Providence in March when it was one of four cities in the country to host the first and second rounds of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The frenzy took place at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, also known as The Dunk.
Rhode Island’s capital city is increasingly well equipped to handle meetings and conventions, especially since the completion of upgrades at The Dunk in 2008. The city spent $80 million on an extensive overhaul that included an expanded lobby and concourse, a new restaurant, an enclosed skybridge to the adjacent Rhode Island Convention Center, 20 luxury suites and a fire suppression system, among many other upgrades. The 31,000-square-foot arena is the site for not only concerts and basketball and hockey games, but table seating or trade show booths can also easily be set up. The convention center offers an additional 137,000 square feet of space.
The Rhode Island Convention Center Complex also includes the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, which features just over 1,900 seats. The former Rhode Island Freemasons building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Providence, like many other cities along the Eastern seaboard that were established before the automobile, is geographically compact. In fact, the city of about 171,000 is one of the most densely populated U.S. cities and a high number of its citizens walk to work. The compact nature of the 374-year-old city is just one great reason for groups to visit.
Another great reason? There’s a vast number of hotel choices within walking distance of the convention center. Providence includes some 35 hotels, which have a total of some 5,500 guest rooms. In fact, 2,050 rooms are within walking distance of the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Westin Providence is connected to the convention center and the Providence Place Mall. The property includes 564 guest rooms and 22,877 square feet of meeting space.
The 292-room Providence Biltmore Hotel offers 18 meeting rooms with 19,000 square feet of meeting space. It’s the only hotel in town with a rooftop ballroom, and it recently finished major upgrades.
Hotel Providence features 10,000 square feet of space. The hotel’s Aspire Restaurant debuted its tented rooftop terrace last year. The alfresco venue accommodates groups and also hosts Aspire’s weekly Friday Night Jazz Series. The 80-room property includes 16 suites named for New England writers.
Renaissance Providence Hotel offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Meanwhile, the Providence Marriott Downtown features 11,000 square feet of meeting space and opened a new spa this spring. It also completed a major revamp of its pool area, which now has a South Beach feel.
Like the aforementioned hotels, the 216-room Courtyard by Marriott and the 274-room Hilton Providence are located within walking distance of the convention center complex.
Another factor that brings groups to Providence is its location and the proximity of the airport. Twenty-five percent of the nation’s population is within 500 miles of Providence, and Warwick. T.F. Green Airport is 10 minutes from downtown and offers more than 160 direct flights. Boston is only 50 miles away, while it’s just three hours by car from the Big Apple. Providence is located on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Boston. High speed Acela Express train service transports passengers from New York City to Providence in about two and a half hours.
Scores of unique attractions make meetings memorable in the "Creative Capital." One of the most distinctive is WaterFire, which occurs from mid-May to October (if the tide is high). WaterFire is an art installation on the three rivers of the city that includes 100 bonfires. It was created as a symbol of the city’s renaissance in the mid-1990s by multimedia artist Barnaby Evans. The attraction has drawn high praise nationally and from groups. The American Bus Association declared WaterFire one of the top 100 events in the country.
"Groups can work with the WaterFire team to create sponsorships for an event," Schriever says. "An area can be blocked off for 50 to 2,000 people for a dessert reception during the show. It could be arranged to have the board of directors be torch bearers."
The Bank of America City Center and the Roger Williams Park and Zoo are other off-site options. Schriever says the zoo recently added botanical gardens, and events can be held year-round there.
Providence is also highly regarded for its thriving art scene, which only continues to grow. It is home to one of the nation’s most esteemed art schools, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The RISD Museum of Art, a popular off-site venue option, houses more than 80,000 works of art.
Providence’s Arts and Entertainment District has seen a lot of growth, thanks to tax incentives to artists who call the area home. In recent years, a number of historic buildings in Providence have been converted into mixed-use developments and artists’ spaces. The district is anchored by AS220, an alternative arts space that features performance art, readings and gallery exhibits.
Because Providence was founded in 1636, it’s home to excellent examples of Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian architecture. One economical way to catch the sights is to just take a walk through some the city’s compact neighborhoods. Cobblestone streets and gas streetlamps—now converted to electric—distinguish the city’s East Side. The Rhode Island State House, the Arcade, the John Brown House and the First Baptist Church are among the many historic buildings open to the public year-round. An annual Festival of Historic Houses allows the public to tour private homes with interiors of special or historical interest.
Warwick
Located about 12 miles south, Warwick includes 39 miles of coastline. Its tranquil beauty draws many tourists. Warwick features many interesting shops and restaurants. It’s also a site of historical significance, as Warwick was where the first shot of the American Revolution was fired.
Warwick has all the small-town charm, but it’s not off the beaten path. T.F. Green Airport is located here. The new commuter rail line, expected to be finished this September, will run between Boston, Providence, Wickford Junction in North Kingston and T.F. Green Airport.
Popular activities in Warwick include shopping for crafts and antiques, boating and touring historic sites. The Aldrich Mansion, set on a 75-acre estate on Narragansett Bay, is one popular excursion. The French chateau was featured in the film Meet Joe Black, with Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. The venue is available for corporate meetings and functions.
"Tours of mansions on the bay are hugely popular," Schriever says.
Crowne Plaza at the Crossings and Radisson Providence Airport are two group-ready hotel options in Warwick.
