In today’s meetings environment of scant travel budgets, planners often find it difficult to secure affordable fares to far-flung locales to satisfy excitement-starved delegates. Flights are getting pricier by the day (never mind the mounting a la carte charges), and it can be tough to book top destinations during peak times.
Enter Northern Ohio. Yep, that’s right. A relatively short drive from Chicago, Cleveland and Columbus (and a quick flight from several U.S. locations), the area has plenty to offer delegates year-round at a fraction of the cost of first-tier destinations. The region can transport delegates to a sunny, fun-filled paradise during warmer months, while fall and winter also feature numerous diversions.
Dubbed the Lake Erie Shores and Islands area, the region spans from Port Clinton in the west to Huron in the east and has a wealth of hotel offerings, attractions and wineries. In addition, the cities are near full-service islands such as South Bass Island and Kelleys Island, both featuring adventure options, restaurants and meeting-friendly hotels.
Sandusky
Drive west on Interstate 90 from Cleveland and as you approach Sandusky, you’ll notice two things right off the bat: water and roller coasters. The latter sticks up into the sky—far above the buildings below—with brightly colored spirals. Get closer and roll down your window. You’re bound to hear screams of excitement.
Sandusky is known around the world as home to Cedar Point. Self-described as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” the amusement park is a major attraction with sky-soaring rides, an outdoor waterpark, near-property hotels and a host of restaurants. In addition, the park sits right on the water and has a large beach, which can serve as a nice roller coaster reprieve and jumping-off spot for watersports such as wave running.
Cedar Point’s group-friendly hotels include the 650-room Hotel Breakers and the 237-room Castaway Bay. Both offer meeting space, Castaway has a spa, and Breakers has two indoor pools.
Not staying at a park property but still want to feel the excitement?
“In the middle of Cedar Point, groups can rent a historic ballroom where big bands used to play,” says Maris Brenner, director of community and industry relations for Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky. “The room has beautiful artwork and mold work and has been completely renovated. You enter it through a garden and it is lovely. The ballroom can hold from 150 to 200 people for a private event.”
Beyond Cedar Point, the city of Sandusky (the region’s largest community with around 25,000 residents) offers several limited-service properties along Milan Road, as well as restaurants and grocery stores. Downtown on Columbus Avenue, planners can organize private events at restaurants such as Crush Wine Bar, a small-plates eatery that opened in spring 2010 and has meeting space for up to 20 delegates; ZINC Brasserie, which offers space for groups and is known for its lobster; and J Bistro, an Italian venue that moved into a renovated historic building in June.
The area’s biggest meetings player is Kalahari Resort, located on the outskirts of Sandusky. The resort is African themed (there’s also one in the Wisconsin Dells) and sits on 256 acres. At present, a $22 million convention space renovation is under way at the property and is expected to finish in December, resulting in a whopping 215,000 square feet of dedicated group gathering space.
“The expansion is really exciting,” says Amanda Smith Rasnick, group sales coordinator for the Lake Erie Shores & Islands CVB. “It will double the size of the current convention space. Kalahari is already the largest hotel in the entire state of Ohio, so this is really a big deal.”
In addition to the expansion, Kalahari has a mini-golf course, a zoo and two waterparks—one indoor and one outdoor.
Groups in the mood for something different can head over to Firelands Winery, located off Ohio Route 2. The winery welcomes groups regularly with tours. Just 15 minutes south, planners can also organize an event at Hermes Vineyard & Winery, which is located off Route 4 and has a loft for private gatherings.
Surrounding areas
Drive about 20 minutes east of Sandusky and groups will find themselves in the 7,000-person town of Huron, which is well known in the meetings community as the home to Sawmill Creek Hotel Golf Resort.
“Sawmill Creek Resort is really beautiful—it has a nature theme and guest rooms with nice and cozy with fireplaces,” says Smith Rasnick. “They are right on Lake Erie, have multiple restaurants, 236 guest rooms and around 50,000 square feet of meeting space. A lot of groups like to go there for executive retreats and state association meetings. They also have a beach where you can hold team-building activities for groups.”
About 18 miles to the west of Sandusky is the 6,000-person town of Port Clinton. It sits right on Lake Erie so the views are fantastic, and many groups venture to the area to fish, says Smith Rasnick.
“Port Clinton is an outdoorsy, nature-related place,” she says. “Fishing is a great off-site activity there. We also have Lakeside, which is a Chautauqua community where you can hold retreats on the Marblehead Peninsula. It is very beautiful and serene.”
Charter companies in Port Clinton include Sea Breeze Charters, Lakeland Charter Services and Sassy Sal Charters.
The area also has hotels readily available.
“We have a lot of hotels in Port Clinton—some of them include the Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn Express [both recently renovated],” she says. “There is some nice shopping in town, but one great thing to do is to visit the many wineries in the area.”
Over on East Wine Cellar Road in Port Clinton groups will find Mon Ami Restaurant & Historic Winery. The property sits on beautiful grounds and is a popular place for weddings and corporate events—outdoor and indoor, Smith Rasnick says.
The Islands
Hop on the Jet Express (a fast ferry/cruise ship-looking vessel) in Port Clinton for the quick trip to South Bass Island and Kelleys Island, both boasting plenty of diversions for groups.
South Bass is the most widely known with Put-in-Bay as its main town.
“Put-in-Bay is a lot of fun. There are great shops and restaurants there, and you can get around by renting a golf cart,” Smith Rasnick says. “The best time to go is in spring, summer and fall.”
In addition to playtime activities, “The Bay” (as it is referred to by locals) has several group-friendly venues, including The Niagara Event Center, which can accommodate up to 600 for an event, and the nearby Islander Inn and The Grand Islander Hotel. The Put-in-Bay Resort & Conference Center is another option for groups, with 68 guest rooms and private event space for a few hundred delegates.
Smaller groups can head over to Kelleys Island, which offers plenty of trails for hiking on Kelleys Island State Park. Make sure to check out the glacial grooves while you’re there—carved centuries ago into limestone rock.
Kelleys Island Venture Resort is the premier meetings facility on the island, with 1,600 square feet of function space.
Katie Morell is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus East.
