Deeply rooted in American history, two of the nation’s most steadfast anchors are Philadelphia and nearby Valley Forge, “this shrine of quiet valor, this forge of our Republic’s iron core,” as described by President Gerald Ford during a speech on July 4, 1976.
To convene in this region, as well as to marvel at its cultural venues, heritage centers, historical sights, parks and waterways, and savor its culinary delights, is to connect with the very foundations of the American experience.
Last November, the Philadelphia CVB (PCVB) unveiled its new “Completely Philadelphia” video, part of a suite of online and mobile tools designed to promote the city’s image to conventioneers and travelers from around the globe. Pairing “Completely” with nouns including “exciting” and “authentic,” the video, also intended to help locals become tourism ambassadors, aptly portrays a city abundant in assets.
“As a great business address with great depth, Philadelphia truly is the smart choice for meetings and conventions, as people benefit from the wealth of resources in our backyard, including potential lists of attendees, dynamic expert speakers and one-of-a-kind venues,” says Jack Ferguson, president and CEO of the PCVB. “All these benefits partner together to show that Philadelphia is the Complete Package.”
Extending the “completely” theme are adjacent Montgomery County—with Valley Forge headlining a trove of eclectic discoveries and impressive gathering spots, including a new casino resort—and fetching Bucks County, a bucolic canvas of artful surprises.
As each locale continues to build upon its core strengths, Benjamin Franklin, for one, would be proud; Philadelphia and its countryside neighbors are like a treasured anthology that always has room for more chapters.PageBreak
Philadelphia
Vividly portraying the union of commerce and art, the newly expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center, now the nation’s 14th largest convention center, is uniquely woven into the heart of Philadelphia’s vibrant downtown. Boasting more than 1 million square feet of saleable space, including 528,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, and the largest ballroom on the East Coast, the artful venue, more than ever, is the complete package for planners.
With safe and easy access by foot to some 8,500 hotel rooms and hundreds of leading restaurants, shops, cultural institutions, attractions and other downtown amenities, conventioneers have a ready base for fully productive and enjoyable gatherings. As an economic engine, the convention center is in full gear, with 225 meetings and conventions booked so far for 2012, generating 565,866 total hotel room nights and an economic impact of more than $813 million.
“An expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center is helping Philadelphia reach a broader audience nationally and internationally,” Ferguson said in a recent statement, noting that $2.8 billion of the $3.8 billion worth of future business booked into the convention center is expansion-related. Hamburger giant Wendy’s becomes the city’s first-ever franchise group when it convenes in Philadelphia this fall; other gatherings made possible by the expansion include the American Diabetes Association in June (17,000 attendees, 46,622 room nights) and ASIS International in September, with 25,000 attendees and 35,240 room nights.
What is attractive on the balance sheet is also pleasing to the eye in the cultural powerhouse that is Philadelphia. Unveiled last October, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Lenfest Plaza is an artful civic space outside the convention center’s new North Broad Street entrance. Signified by its gravity-defying, 51-foot-tall Paint Torch sculpture, the plaza also flows conventioneers on to the culturally rich Benjamin Franklin Parkway, home to the world-renowned Academy of Natural Sciences, Franklin Institute, Rodin Museum and Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia’s “Museum Mile” will affirm its world-class status with an event for the ages this spring: the opening of the Barnes Foundation, the greatest collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern artwork outside of Paris.
On the hotel front, Kimpton, owner of Hotel Palomar on Rittenhouse Square, is developing a second property, Hotel Monaco. Expected to open in the third quarter of 2012, the 270-room hotel will be located in the Lafayette Building along Independence Mall.
Philadelphia’s lineup of existing meetings favorites includes Le Meridien Philadelphia; Loews Philadelphia; The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia; and Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia.PageBreak
Valley Forge
At the Valley Forge National Historical Park’s visitor center, the guest book, signed by travelers from around the globe, is one clue to the hallowed ground’s enduring appeal. Site of the third (late 1777 into 1778) of the Continental Army’s eight winter encampments, this is where Washington’s troops united as one army under the tutelage of Prussian nobleman Baron von Steuben, turning the tide of the Revolutionary War.
Sweeping across 3,600 acres, the park is the signature attraction in the suburban King of Prussia area, a locale rich in group products, including a major development at what has traditionally been known as the Valley Forge Convention Plaza. Following major renovations and expansions, the $132.5 million Valley Forge Casino Resort will debut this spring, encompassing the Radission Hotel Valley Forge, another hotel tower (formerly the Scanticon) and more than 100,000 square feet of function space for meetings, trade shows, conventions and special events.
The Valley Forge Casino Resort will be the region’s only full-amenity gaming resort and also boast a spa, restaurants and bars.
“Variety is the spice of life, it’s said, but it’s a staple of the meetings appeal of Valley Forge and Montgomery County,” says Paul Decker, president of the Valley Forge CVB. “With choices comprising a convention center and expo center, and more than 60 lodging properties from full-service luxe to a dozen dedicated conference centers, planners can find exactly what they need, including cost-savings, ease of access and tremendous variety of amenities for attendees.”
The county has several IACC-approved venues, including the National Register of Historic Places-listed Normandy Farm Hotel & Conference Center in nearby Blue Bell. Dating to 1730, the property was once a sprawling gentleman’s farm. Bequeathed as a wedding gift by the original owner and its name and architecture inspired by a honeymoon to Normandy, its romantic legacy continues in hosting some 250 weddings each year, along with multiday Fortune 100 meetings during the week. Housed in what was once the largest barn in the U.S., the group facilities, covering over 23,000 square feet of space and including two ballrooms and 17 meeting rooms, is IACC to the max, with videoconferencing and all other services fully supported on-site.
Just 30 minutes from Center City Philadelphia, the Normandy features 113 rooms and 28 guest suites in evocative outlying structures. (The property is hosting a Meetings Focus Live! event this August.) Fast becoming a destination restaurant, The Farmer’s Daughter (see sidebar, page 10) sets the property apart, along with the origami-style folding of bathroom towels into birds and other forms.
Groups can take advantage of several memorable Montgomery County cultural venues. The Stoogeum in Ambler is a private collection of some 100,000 pieces of Three Stooges memorabilia, curated in a museum-like setting that presently opens once a month, while in Collegeville, film buffs have the new Movie Tavern, where groups can enjoy movies with in-seat dining.
In the village of Audubon, the wonderful John J. Audobon Center at Mill Grove celebrates the life of the legendary naturalist and illustrator, with event space in a pavilion and historic barn and a new $10 million facility slated to open in 2014.
Adjacent to Valley Forge Park is the brand-new 100,000-square-foot American Treasure Tour attraction, featuring examples of American ingenuity.
Also nearby is the massive King of Prussia mall, with more than 400 stores, boutiques and restaurants. PageBreak
Bucks County
Featuring trendy main street towns, working farms and picturesque landscapes, Bucks County, accessible from several major highways and SEPTA regional rail and bus services, offers an affordable country alternative for groups.
“Situated between the two great cities of Philadelphia and New York City, Bucks County is an ideal location for small to midsize meetings,” says Jerry Lepping, executive director of Visit Bucks County. “From barns to ballrooms and historic mansions to quaint bed-and-breakfasts, Bucks County offers big-city amenities in unique countryside venues.”
In Doylestown, Henry Mercer’s eccentric Fonthill Castle celebrates its centennial this year, while the venerable Mercer Museum’s recently opened, 13,000-square-foot expansion includes new state-of-the-art exhibition space and a new learning center.
Named for Doylestown’s Pulitzer Prize-winning author and philanthropist, the James A. Michener Art Museum is set to debut the 2,700-square-foot Edgar N. Putman Pavilion this spring, an elegant new space for meetings, weddings, concerts, lectures and exhibition openings. From April 2012 through August 2012, the renowned museum will be among a small number of venues featuring the first-ever exhibition in the U.S. of paintings and tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
Opened in November 2011, the Bucks County Children’s Museum features interactive displays and hosts team-building events, while the ongoing expansion of the PARX Casino in Bensalem includes meeting space for corporate and social events.
Regular contributor Jeff Heilman returns to Pennsylvania for the April issue of Meetings Focus East.
