On one hand, south-central Pennsylvania is an idyllic country quilt of Amish farms and covered bridges. However, the cities of Harrisburg, Lancaster and the resort town of Hershey are well stocked with convention space, new and renovated hotels, and one-of-a-kind group activities ranging from building a structure out of chocolate candy to milking cows on a working farm.
Harrisburg
Located in south-central Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River, Harrisburg may not tip the population scale with just under 50,000 people, but it more than makes up for it with affordability, accessibility and amenities.
“The variety of attractions and the level of customer service are what planners and clients have come to expect in the Hershey Harrisburg region,” says Sharon Altland, director of sales at Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. “We create a perfect mix for a destination with genuine hometown personality but with big market amenities thanks to our region being home to the Pennsylvania Capital and the resort town of Hershey.”
The Harrisburg area occupies an enviable position in the mid-Atlantic region, just a three-hour drive from New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore. Amtrak’s Keystone Line and the Pennsylvania Turnpike make getting there a snap from nearly anywhere in the eastern half of the country. In addition, Allegiant Airlines began offering nonstop service from Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) to Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg in fall 2012, bringing the airport’s number of nonstop destinations from MDT to 16.
In exciting news for the city, one of its largest meetings hotels is destined for even greater things. The 341-room Hilton Harrisburg was purchased by Greenwood Hospitality Group in June and is scheduled to undergo extensive renovations and a repositioning. The Hilton offers 38,000 square feet of meeting space.
Other heavy hitter meetings hotels include Radisson Hotel Harrisburg and Holiday Inn Harrisburg–East, both offering more than 30,000 square feet of event space. Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey in nearby Grantville has 20,000 square feet of space. Both Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey and Central Hotel and Conference Center, a Best Western Premier, have more than 15,000 square feet of meeting facilities, and Crowne Plaza Harrisburg-Hershey offers 10,500 square feet.
Renovated in 2010, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center boasts nearly 1 million square feet of indoor space and hosts more than 200 events each year. Spaces include a 172,000-square-foot exposition hall, a main hall with nearly 150,000 square feet and a 7,318-seat arena.
The economic turmoil of recent years has proved a boon to meetings in the region, generally considered a second- or third-tier destination. Planners in search of savings have discovered the clean, accessible and attraction-rich Harrisburg/Hershey area and are bringing business back again and again. PageBreak
The family-friendly cities have also been trending as a destination for meetings of faith.
“This growing niche is not only looking at religious-based destinations, but these faith-based groups also travel together like any other group with their common faith as the connection,” Altman says. “We also have seen a spike in meetings and conferences for the business side of religion, organizational conferences and such, including the Mennonite World Conference that is coming to the Hershey Harrisburg Region in 2015.”
Just 20 miles from Harrisburg, the scenic Roundtop Mountain Resort welcomes corporate groups as large as 350. In the winter, Roundtop offers skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. In the other months, teambuilding options include paintball, a ropes course, ziplines, and summer camp-style retreats.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is Central Pennsylvania’s only casino. The property’s 6,500-square-foot event space overlooks the Blue Mountains range and a historic horse racing track. With live music several times each month and more than 2,450 machines, 50 table games and 16 poker tables, groups will find plenty to do before and after meetings.
Groups will also enjoy the opportunity to explore the region’s Civil War history at two different attractions. Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitors Center captures the imagination with exhibits about the legendary battle, fought just a few miles away from Harrisburg, including the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting, one of the largest paintings in the country. The museum offers two state-of-the-art theaters capable of seating approximately 175 as well as several breakout rooms.
The National Civil War Museum, located in Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park, explores the War Between the States as a timeline stretching from controversies over slavery and other issues from 1850 onward through each battle fought during the the war and its lasting impact on westward expansion through 1876. The museum can host groups as large as 300 for special events.
Hershey
Truly a sweet place to meet, Hershey was founded by chocolate tycoon Milton S. Hershey in the early 1900s as the ideal factory town for his employees. Today the candy factory still fills the air with the delicious aroma of chocolate, the streetlights are shaped like Hershey’s Kisses, and the resort town’s many chocolate-themef attractions will prove the downfall of any dieter.
For a town with a population of fewer than 13,000, Hershey boasts an impressive portfolio of event space.
“Our meeting and convention space is appealing to meeting planners because we offer more than 125,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and two distinct resort experiences,” says Jason Heath, director of sales for Hershey Meetings. “Hershey Lodge features 665 guest rooms and specializes in hosting large meetings and conventions, while the historic and elegant Hotel Hershey is popular for upscale events and more intimate gatherings.”
Hershey Lodge has 100,000 square feet of award-winning meeting space, including the 32,000-square-foot Great American Hall.
Hotel Hershey, built in the 1930s, is a AAA Four Diamond property and a member of Historic Hotels of America. The luxurious 276-room hotel offers 25,000 square feet of meeting space.
“Planners and groups are fascinated with the many stories behind Hershey—the man, the town, and the chocolate—and we offer chocolate-themed team building activities and group entertainment throughout the destination to deliver successful and memorable events for our guests.”
Hershey’s many cocoa-based attractions make fantastic one-of-a-kind event venues. Hersheypark is a 110-acre theme park with more than 65 rides, including 12 roller coasters and nine water rides, not to mention food and live entertainment. Hersheypark welcomes groups of 40 or more for catered meals in six different picnic areas.
Adjacent to the theme park is ZooAmerica, an 11-acre zoo focused on North American wildlife. It’s home to more than 200 animals, including lynx, gray wolves, prairie dogs, mountain lions and an albino alligator. Admission is free with that day’s ticket to Hersheypark. Groups of 15 or more can take a guided history tour to learn about the zoo’s founding by Milton Hershey 100 years ago. PageBreak
The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue honors the life of Milton S. Hershey and educates visitors about the legacy he left behind in the form of the town he created and his extensive philanthropic efforts. The Grand Lobby can accommodate groups as large as 120 seated, and the lower-level conference room can welcome 75. Among the exhibits is an interactive Chocolate Lab, which can host truffle-making classes for as many as 35, and a cafe featuring a Countries of Origin Chocolate Tasting experience.
Hershey Meetings also offers a popular team-building activity called the Chocolate Challenge. Groups form teams and use an assortment of Hershey’s candy products to build edible structures related to the purpose of their meeting. This tasty undertaking is appropriate for groups of 20 to 150.
Hershey Golf Collection consists of four courses, each with its own distinctive design and fascinating history, and the Hershey Country Club, opened in 1930. The club offers several meeting spaces, including a 4,400-square-foot ballroom and a 3,600-square-foot pavilion.
Another unique experience to be had in Hershey, and singular in its lack of chocolate, is falconry. Groups can participate in a 60 to 90-minute program covering the 4,000-year history of falconry and then witness birds of prey flying on command and simulating a hunt. Group members even get a chance to hold a raptor.
Lancaster County
If Hershey is chocolate, Lancaster County is whoopie pie (a sandwich made of chocolate cake and creamy filling), shoo-fly pie (made with molasses) and schnitz und knepp (ham with apple and dumplings). These and other treats are staples in the area thanks to the presence of the Amish.
Pennsylvania Dutch country is home to the oldest and largest Amish community in the nation, and it brings with it a number of unique flavors, sights and experiences groups can enjoy.
However, the county isn’t all hand-raised barns and horse-drawn buggies. The city of Lancaster, population 59,000, offers a flourishing arts scene with dozens of galleries and public murals, fine dining and museums. The county has 7,900 guest rooms and more than 200,000 square feet of event space.
“Lancaster offers a wonderful blend of urban style and rural splendor,” said Mike Messina, managing director of sales at Pennsylvania Dutch CVB. “With a multitude of attractions and nightlife offerings, the surrounding Amish countryside, lots of free parking and economical room rates, Lancaster County is an optimal meetings destination.”
Located on historic Penn Square, Lancaster County Convention Center is the premier group venue in town, with more than 90,000 square feet of event space. It is connected to the 297-room Lancaster Marriott.
Larger meetings hotels include Eden Resort & Suites, with 25,000 square feet of meeting space; DoubleTree Resort by Hilton, formerly part of Willow Valley Resort, with meeting space for 1,000; and Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York, with more than 15,000 square feet of event space. The 319-room Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center offers more than 80,000 square feet of meeting space as well as 18 holes of championship golf.
In addition, many of the area’s boutique properties have added meeting space in the past year, including the Cork Factory Hotel, Ironstone Ranch and the Inn at Leola Village.
“Among the many memorable aspects of a meeting or event in Lancaster is the opportunity for intimate interaction with members of our Amish community via a shared-meal program or a Visit-in-Person tour,” Messina says. “Our thriving arts scene is also an enjoyable highlight, particularly downtown Lancaster’s galleries, museums and performance venues like the Fulton Theatre, which celebrates 160 years of original productions this season as the oldest continuously operating theater in the country.”
Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, just north of downtown Lancaster, is devoted to the living history of early Pennsylvania German life. The museum and its scenic 100 acres of farm and garden offer group tours and welcome events as large as 300.
Groups can visit and dine with and Amish family through a number of programs, including Hershey Farm’s Dine with the Amish, Brunswick Tours’ Old-Fashioned Amish Picnic, or All-in-One’s An Evening with the Amish programs.
Verdant View Farm in Paradise invites visitors to participate in a “Farmer’s Apprentice” program, which is a more hands-on experience. Small groups can try milking a cow, bottle-feeding a calf and collecting eggs.
More traditional team-building options include the Zipline Canopy Tour at Refreshing Mountain in Stevens. The facility will double in size in March 2013 by adding six to eight additional ziplines and three or four sky bridges.
Red Rose Segway offers team-building for groups as large as 20. Participants divide into teams and compete at various games and sports, all while mounted on Segways.
Kelly Crumrin is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus East.
