Lisa Calvo
Executive Director; Seaboard Fisheries Institute; Bridgeton, N.J.
Describe your event. Last year, we had 93 people at the University of Delaware Clayton Hall Conference Center. Lodging was at the adjacent Courtyard by Marriott Newark. Attendees were scientists, researchers and resource management people. It was a full business schedule with evening dining events.
Why did you decide to host the meeting in the Wilmington area?We liked the facility and its easy access from Philadelphia International Airport. We had people coming in from Canada all the way to Florida to do research on the Delaware Estuary region, so we wanted something that gave everyone easy reach.
What surprised you the most about the area?The transportation assistance grant money we received for getting people from the airport to the university center was very appealing. Also, the small college town of Newark is very nice, with good pubs and restaurants as well as excellent facilities for meetings. The conference center was connected to the lodging by covered walkway—something we appreciated in the winter season.
What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most? The whole meetings package was just very good—comfortable facility spaces with good tech features.
What would you have done differently? We might have stretched the meeting out and placed it in a different season so attendees could take advantage of the destination more. The region offers so much.
How does the Wilmington area compare to other places where you have hosted meetings? It’s very different from being in a big city. We looked at Philadelphia, but I think we would have lost some people there to some of the distractions. Everyone was very impressed with the event quality and I would not hesitate to make the same destination choice again for the future.
Do you have any advice for other planners who might bring a meeting to the Wilmington area? Yes, look into the transportation grants they have to get your people from the airport to the hotel. We were on a very limited budget, and Delaware’s no-tax status, plus the grant, worked well for us. These [factors] were pivotal in swaying the committee to host the event in Delaware.