Rhode Island’s capital city is an excellent choice for planners seeking to save money without shortchanging their meeting groups. Combine Providence’s second-tier prices with its big-city offerings of culture, cuisine and history, along with neighboring Warwick, Rhode Island’s second-largest city, and it becomes abundantly clear why the locale is such a compelling choice for meetings and events.
Providence
“Meeting planners are continuously looking for ways to make their lives easier,” says Kristin McGrath, vice president of sales and services for the Providence Warwick CVB. “They find the Providence area to be a convenient northeast destination, with nearly instant access to virtually all modes of transportation. We are located minutes from T.F. Green, a newly renovated, award-winning regional airport, and we have great highway and rail access.”
She adds that the city is also very walkable, and that attendees typically enjoy experiencing its diverse neighborhoods, attractions and architecture by foot. The latter is particularly impressive as the city’s 1636 founding has resulted in a wealth of age-old homes and buildings—many of them historic sites and landmarks.
Among the best ways to explore the community’s prominent and pivotal past is via a stop at the Providence Athenaeum, one of the oldest libraries in the country. Primarily housed in an 1836 Greek Revival structure, the landmark is a hive of author readings and other doings and has some charming spaces available for events, including the ability to rent out the entire Athenaeum building. Yet another escape into yesteryear can be taken at Brown University, with a 143-acre main campus on College Hill showcasing lush landscaping as well as architecture dating back to the campus’ 1770 origins.
Adjoining Brown is another established educational institution worth a look, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), founded in 1877. Particularly appealing is RISD’s sprawling Museum of Art, with art and artifacts ranging from modern textiles to Egyptian mummies. PageBreak
Meanwhile, the city’s superb culinary scene is bound to pleasantly surprise planners and attendees alike.
“Providence is routinely praised as one of the top culinary destinations in the country,” the CVB’s McGrath informs. “We were just named the second-best city in the country for food by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine in their annual ‘America’s Favorite Cities’ survey. And as home to the nation’s largest culinary educator, Johnson & Wales University [JWU], as well as many of the nation’s most creative and talented chefs, we suggest attendees bring their appetites.”
For something a bit different, food-loving groups should set aside some free time for JWU’s Culinary Arts Museum, boasting over a half-million culinary tools and artifacts—including some more than 5,000 years old. Fabulous food fun can also be found on Federal Hill, hailed as one of the nation’s best Italian neighborhoods and home to some seriously satiating dining spots. One of the finest is definitely Pane E Vino, honored as the state’s best restaurant in 2011 by Rhode Island Monthly. It has two dining areas for groups.
Other delightful, group-friendly dining destinations include Aspire, the Hotel Providence’s popular in-house restaurant, and New Rivers—an American bistro, specializing in locally sourced ingredients.
When groups just want to have fun, the city comes through with flying colors, with spectator sports excitement available at the University of Providence and Dunkin’ Donuts Center and cool shopping ranging from funky boutiques on the trendy East Side to the bevvy of shops available at Providence Place, which adjoins the Rhode Island Convention Center. PageBreak
Providence Place is also a hot spot. In addition to its many shops, there’s a 17-screen multiplex cinema and numerous restaurants. A memorable meal can also be had at FiRE and iCE, where diners explore a marketplace for fresh ingredients—which they then present to the chef, who grills them to order in a lively, festive atmosphere.
If group tours are a better fit, those come in a variety of flavors, including Providence Ghost Tours, exploring the haunted history of the East Side; Savoring Federal Hill, a tasty, behind-the-scenes culinary tour; and Trolley Tours of Providence, narrated hour-long excursions providing a solid overview of the city’s layout and heritage.
As for event venues, Providence showcases everything from modern, large-scale complexes such as the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and the Rhode Island Convention Center to intimate, time-tested settings like the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Aldrich House and its cozy 800-square-foot ballroom. PageBreak
Meetings-friendly properties offer enough variety to please any planner. Options include the historic, AAA Four Diamond Hotel Providence, with 8,800 square feet of function space; the Marriott Providence downtown, with 11,000-plus square feet of meeting space; the Providence Biltmore, with 38,000 square feet of function space; the Renaissance Providence Hotel, with 18,000 square feet of meeting space; and the Westin Providence, with 20,000 square feet of event space.
With the city’s central locale, planners are also able to plan outings elsewhere while still taking advantage of Providence’s affordability.
“We are a great hub-and-spoke destination,” McGrath explains. “Day trips to places like nearby Newport plant the not-so-far-off notion that the entirety of New England is practically at your fingertips.”
Warwick
It’s easy for neighboring Warwick to get lost in the shadows of Providence and Newport when it comes to planning a Rhode Island retreat, but the city of about 80,000 residents has plenty of pluses all its own, including almost 40 miles of coastline to explore.
“Warwick is great for groups,” says McGrath. “The city has a diverse and affordable hotel package that can accommodate groups of all sizes. Our airport is technically in Warwick, so it’s ideal for groups on the go, and you are still just minutes from downtown Providence.”
The sparkling new InterLink transportation hub at T.F. Green makes access even easier for groups gathering in the region, she adds.
“It allows seamless, indoor access to rental car facilities, bus and rail transportation—and has made our convenient airport even easier,” McGrath enthuses.
The city’s hotel product got a boutique boost recently with the reopening of the NYLO Providence/Warwick, which had closed to repair flood damage. The chic and sleek 167-room property features loft-style units with high ceilings and exposed brick walls, a dazzling lounge and restaurant (The Loft), and about 1,450 square feet of intimate meeting space.
Another top meetings property is Crowne Plaza at the Crossings, which is located near T.F. Green International Airport and features 68,000 square feet of function space.
