Special Meetings

One of the most enjoyable—and memorable—aspects of a meeting is the chance to break away from the confines of a meeting room and experience the distinctive flavor or heritage of the destination. Attendees are able to unwind and network in a setting that will leave a lasting impression for years to come.

In Kentucky, this might translate to a gala reception at a fabled racetrack, while in Maryland it could mean an evocative gathering in the environs of an elegant Georgian-style mansion. In recent years, the number and variety of off-site venues where groups can get a brief but meaningful immersion in local culture has multiplied, thanks to a wave of preservation efforts.

Here is a sampling of places that add vitality to the meetings agenda. 

Keeneland Racetrack
In the Bluegrass State, all things equine reign supreme. Keeneland Racetrack, tucked away in a bucolic corner of Lexington, exemplifies Kentucky’s love affair with the horse.

In a wooded environment of winding white fences and young foals grazing everywhere, Keeneland is in the heart of premier horse country, a place where an array of well-known thoroughbreds have been trained to become champions.

A National Historic Landmark, Keeneland is not only the site of international horse events and thoroughbred auctions, but a film location as well. Much of the movie Seabiscuit was filmed at Keeneland, including the famous Match Race scenes between Seabiscuit and War Admiral.

Long on tradition, this fabled racetrack which some consider to be the most beautiful in the country, Keeneland accommodates events ranging from intimate dinners to large receptions.

The 921-acre complex includes a race course, sales pavilion and nearly 50 barns that house more than 1,600 horses. There are also private dining rooms located within a magnificent Kentucky limestone clubhouse. The Keeneland Library, open to the public, houses the most extensive equine archives in the world.

All of the rooms in the clubhouse are available for rent, as is the spacious Entertainment Center and Keene Barn, which are geared for larger groups. All of the facilities are nonsmoking and accessible for the handicapped.

Visitors to Keeneland can also enjoy hearty breakfasts served at the Track Kitchen, a place to rub shoulders with trainers, jockeys and race horse owners. 

Strathmore Hall
Strathmore Hall in Bethesda, Md., is a complex offering one of metro Washington, D.C.’s newest and most exciting cultural venues as well as an historic mansion.

The Music Center at Strathmore Hall, which opened in 2005, presents concerts by world-class jazz, classical, rock and pop artists. With its soaring glass walls and windows overlooking an 11-acre woodland, the Music Center was designed by William Rawn Associates, the same architectural firm responsible for designing Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony’s summer home in Massachusetts.

The center has state-of-the-art acoustics that have won acclaim from such as artists as Mike Love, lead singer of the Beach Boys, and cellist Yo Yo Ma.  

The striking 1,976-seat concert hall features stained white birch and bronze metal grillage walls, maple floors and aubergine velour seats. The Lockheed Martin Lobby, designed with a soaring 65-foot-high fritted glass curtain wall, overlooks acres of wetlands. The lobby can accommodate 250 people for a seated event and 300 for a stand-up reception; an adjacent outdoor terrace accommodates up to 150.

Other areas for hosting events include the Gazette Promenade and the Prelude Cafe, a 200-foot-long covered arcade that gently curves along the west side of the building. It can accommodate up to 400 for banquets and 540 for stand-up events. Also available at the complex are choral and orchestral rehearsal rooms, suitable for groups ranging from 100 to 200.

Just up the hill from the Music Center is Strathmore Mansion, a handsome brick house resplendent with marble and polished oak, glistening chandeliers, towering Palladian windows and a sweeping staircase.

The Georgian mansion, dating back to 1899, was built by Captain James Frederick Oyster. Following several incarnations and owners, the mansion became a venue for small classical music concerts in 1983. It underwent a major restoration in 1997.

 The mansion, which contains the 100-seat Dorothy and Maurice Shapiro Music Room as well as a conference room and sun porch, is available for functions. The entire mansion can accommodate up to 225 for a standing reception and 150 for a seated event. 

Margaret Mitchell House
In Atlanta, the bold and bustling metropolitan center of the New South, the Margaret Mitchell House is a cultural legacy. Its appeal is not only for literary aficionados but also for those wishing
to catch a glimpse of an earlier era when Victorian mansions lined Peachtree Street, now the epicenter of the city’s business district.

The majority of Mitchell’s epic novel Gone With the Wind was written in the house, which also serves as an inviting literary backdrop for an event. The house, built in 1899, was converted into a 10-unit apartment building in 1919.

Known as the Crescent Apartments during Mitchell’s tenure, the author lived in one of the units, which she affectionately referred to as "The Dump," from 1925 to 1932. A tiny alcove contains a replica of the typewriter she used to type her manuscript and is where she collected mounds of legal pads outlining the chapters of the book.

Following the whirlwind success of the book, Mitchell found it impossible to live in the apartment and moved to larger quarters in Atlanta.

The Tudor Revival house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is reminiscent of Mitchell’s era. One can almost imagine the diminutive author walking out onto the porch and gazing out at her beloved Atlanta. Designated a city landmark in 1989, the German company Daimler-Benz committed $5 million to purchase and restore the property in 1995.

The property now includes a visitors center housing two permanent exhibits, one on Mitchell’s childhood and another on her years as a local newspaper reporter. There are also gardens and other exhibit areas devoted to both the book and movie version of Gone With the Wind.

In all, the complex provides 3,700 square feet of usable space for everything from small dinners to lavishly staged corporate events for up to 250 people. The entire facility is available for rental during evening hours.

Trish Foxwell, author of Historic Hotels and Hideaways (Capital Books), is a freelance writer and photographer.

For More Info