Competitive hotel rates, easily accessible, economically priced meeting facilities, a variety of dining options and free or affordably priced entertainment offerings are some of the elements of a great value destination.
But when evaluating a value destination, Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP, president of Orlando’s TML Services, believes air access is a critical factor if a drive-to is not a possibility.
“Many secondary cities just don’t have the necessary air connections for certain meetings,” Matthews-Lombardo says, “so it’s important for planners to analyze the markets attendees will be flying from to verify if the proposed destination will be a good match with air routes and availability.”
Donna Jarvis-Miller, associate director of meetings and trade shows for McLean, Va.-based Meetings Management group, agrees.
“If the cost to travel to a city where the hotel rate is great, and transportation is lacking to get the attendee to and from the airport, then the low hotel rate is negated and the attendee experience is impacted,” Jarvis-Miller says.
For groups who can avoid the logistics issues with flying by executing a drive-to, the number of value destination possibilities is even more plentiful, and groups with specific interests will find the choices are wide ranging in the Northeast.
Academia Alternatives
One of the more renowned universities in the world, Yale University in New Haven, Conn., has a direct impact on the value appeal of the city.
“Many of the museums, theaters, art galleries and musical performances at Yale are free, which enables groups to save on entertainment costs,” says Ginny Kozlowski, executive director of Visit New Haven. “Yale has become more open to all types of groups in recent years.”
Yale Conferences and Events is an organization that helps develop, manage and host programs on campus.
In addition to Yale, Kozlowski says New Haven benefits from three other universities.
“The University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State University also contribute to our meetings appeal,” she says.
New Haven’s access is another big value selling point, Kozlowski continues. PageBreak
“There are dozens of trains daily from New York City, and Amtrak trains, including the high-speed Acela line, that connect us to the rest of the East Coast,” Kozlowski says.
With its research and development and contributions to the art and cultural scene, Binghamton University is “an invaluable asset to the community,” says Gina Callisi, convention sales manager for the Greater Binghamton CVB in New York.
“We’re an appealing value destination because of our central location for drive-to meetings and hotel rates that are up to 20 percent lower than comparable cities in the region,” Callisi says.
A city of 48,000 residents just north of the Pennsylvania border, Binghamton features a variety of different entertainment experiences, such as six antique carousels that are free to ride, the boyhood home of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, and Cider Mill, an authentic working cider mill.
Binghamton University facilities available to groups include Binghamton University Events Center and Anderson Center for the Performing Arts.
Golf-Centric Options
The Utica, N.Y., area doesn’t immediately come to mind when golf destinations are mentioned, but the Oneida County city has an impressive golf course menu.
“There are 29 public golf courses in Oneida County and they’re moderately priced, providing great value,” says Kelly Blazosky, president of Oneida County Tourism, which encompasses towns such as Utica, Rome and Verona.
The golf season in Oneida County runs from late April to mid-November, and tee times are readily available making logistics easier for planners, Blazosky says.
For larger groups, the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona has five golf courses and can accommodate up to 1,500 attendees in 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
“Our location in the middle of the state makes us a great drive-to destination for groups in the Northeast,” Blazosky says.
Other value-oriented golf destinations in the Northeast include the Poconos Mountains area in Pennsylvania, with 16 golf courses and various resorts with meeting space, and Ocean City, Md., with 20 courses. PageBreak
Amazing Ambience
A scenic harbor dotted with bobbing lobster boats, easy access to the mountains and a plethora of hotel options in varying price ranges are some of the enticements for groups in Portland, Maine.
“We like to call Portland ‘where plaid flannel meets grey flannel’ because we blend lots of outdoor activities with a strong business environment,” says Barbara Whitten, president and CEO of the Greater Portland CVB.
Located less than a two-hour drive from Boston, Whitten says Portland offers groups value with a seemingly endless list of team-building activities involving zip lining, kayaking, skeet shooting and archery as well as a walkable downtown with lots of restaurants, taverns and shops.
Ambience abounds, too, in Burlington, Vt., which sits at the foot of the Green Mountains along Lake Champlain’s waterfront.
Situated 45 miles south of the U.S.-Canada borders, the city of approximately 43,000 residents offers groups economically priced small hotel accommodations as well as the 120-room Essex Resort, which can handle groups of up to 300.
“Burlington has a variety of affordably priced entertainment options, including lake dinner cruises, farm tables with organic food grown locally and the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center,” says Samantha Buczek, sales manager for the Vermont Convention Bureau.
Historic Selections
First settled in 1796, Corning, N.Y., in the south-central part of the state, is home to Corning Incorporated, a Fortune 500 company that manufactures glass and ceramic products.
“We offer great value because we have outstanding cultural amenities to accommodate a major international company, and we have an elegant small town environment,” says Peggy Coleman, president of the Steuben County CVB, which encompasses Corning and the Finger Lakes region.
Corning’s five-block historic Gaffer District, brimming with restaurants, taverns, art boutiques and glass studios, is home to the 177-room Radisson Hotel Corning with 8,000 square feet of meeting space. Corning also has several other smaller properties.
Coleman says groups are enamored with the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, world-class museums that can be utilized as unique special function venues or for entertainment and spouse programs.
Other activities include winery and brewery tours, Watkins Glen International Racetrack and hiking trails.
Corning is a popular drive-to destination for groups from New York City, Washington, D.C., and Cleveland.
Another Northeastern U.S. option is Manchester, N.H., which was originally settled in 1722 and has been ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of “America’s 100 Cheapest Places to Live.”
Edward Schmidt Jr. is a freelance writer who enjoys value destinations with golf courses and winery tours.
