Montgomery County has historically served as the sleepy suburbs of the frenzied power center that is Washington, D.C. For generations, politicians, well-heeled power brokers and dedicated government bean counters have taken respite each evening in the quiet hamlets of this vast county in Maryland.
But in recent years, the diverse regions of Montgomery County have each asserted themselves as business and entertainment destinations in their own right. Combined with fast and easy access into and out of neighboring Washington and rates that are significantly more affordable than those in the nation’s capital, Montgomery County is emerging as an enticing destination for many meeting groups.
“We are Maryland’s gateway to the nation’s capital, and we offer a lot for meeting planners,” says Kelly Groff, President and CEO of the Conference and Visitors Bureau of Montgomery County. “We have easy access to all the offerings of Washington, but we also have urban offerings and rural options in Montgomery County. So we have a really nice product for meeting planners.”
Access into Washington is convenient along the city’s Metrorail Red Line, which features 12 Montgomery County subway stops and follows a roughly u-shaped route that begins in one end of Montgomery County, cuts through downtown Washington, and finishes in another end of Montgomery County.
Meanwhile, access into Montgomery County is similarly convenient, as it is situated equidistant from the Washington region’s three major airports: Washington Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport.
Montgomery County’s sprawling boundaries include urban hubs such as downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring, more traditional suburban settings like Rockville and Gaithersburg, and rural outposts of forests and farmland.
Combined, Montgomery County features more than 50 hotels with nearly 10,000 guest rooms and a wide variety of price points and meeting facilities. Home to 19 federal agencies, as well as government contracting stalwarts like Lockheed Martin, Montgomery County is well accustomed to hosting government meetings and associations, while corporate groups are increasingly hosting meetings in the county. PageBreak
Bethesda Area
The county’s largest hotel and meeting facility is the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. The property features 450 hotel rooms and suites and more than 23,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel sits adjacent to the White Flint Metrorail station, and the expansive White Flint Mall is within walking distance.
Just down the road from the Bethesda North Marriott, planners can take advantage of the unique meeting space offered at the Mansion at Strathmore and its adjacent Music Center at Strathmore. Located on 11 scenic acres, the sophisticated arts campus features a variety of meeting and event space, and planners can also book group tickets for Strathmore’s high-end eclectic music events, with performances that range from the National Philharmonic to Bootsy Collins of Funkadelic fame.
Closer to the Washington/Maryland border, Bethesda’s easily walkable downtown features a tight cluster of hotels with dedicated meeting space, including the 390-room Hyatt Regency Bethesda, the 270-room Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, and the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/Bethesda.
Downtown Bethesda also offers several unique meeting and event spaces. Popular options include Imagination Stage, a state-of-the-art theater and education facility that offers conference space, and the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club, a 1938 Art Deco theater that is available for groups when it is not hosting top-flight jazz and blues performances.
Neighboring Chevy Chase—no relation to actor/comedian Chevy Chase, though President Gerald Ford did once quip to his habitual lampooner, “Mr. Chevy Chase, you are a very, very funny suburb”—remains the tony and idyllic suburban community it has been since the 1950s, with quiet residential streets, perfectly manicured lawns and six-figure median incomes. Meeting planners will find ample resources in Chevy Chase as well, with the 226-room Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase and the 246-room National 4-H Youth Conference Center, which caters to youth and adult groups with 44,000 square feet of meeting space.
In nearby Potomac, the Bolger Center offers planners one-stop convenience, with 430 guest rooms and suites, 70,000 square feet of IACC-approved meeting space and numerous indoor and outdoor amenities on 83 landscaped acres. PageBreak
Silver Spring Area
Connected to the Bethesda area via Montgomery County’s East-West Highway, Silver Spring is an ethnically diverse community with an energetic downtown that offers plenty of restaurants, attractions and nightlife. Dotted with hipster coffee shops and funky watering holes, downtown Silver Spring is also home to the Fillmore Silver Spring. Built within the facade of a historic JC Penny department store, this modern live music venue accommodates up to 2,000 guests for concerts and 1,200 guests for private parties and receptions.
Across the street from the Fillmore, the American Film Institute (AFI) Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is another historic venue available for groups. The majestic 1938 Art Deco movie house was saved from demolition and carefully restored through a public/private partnership of Montgomery County and the American Film Institute. The AFI Silver Theatre screening schedule includes an eclectic mix of current releases, cult classics and all-time greats. In addition to the historic 400-seat theater, the venue offers an additional 200-seat theater, a 75-seat theater and a media and conference facility, all of which are available for private receptions, screenings and meetings.
Further meeting space is available downtown in the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, the 229-room Sheraton Silver Spring and the 248-room Doubletree Hilton Silver Spring.
Just north of Silver Spring, Wheaton is undergoing a tremendous amount of residential and retail development, especially surrounding the Wheaton Metrorail station. Yet Wheaton remains protective of its ethnic small business community, especially its myriad selection of diverse restaurants. Wheaton locals can easily recite their favorite owner-operated Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Ethiopian and Mexican spots, among other offerings.
Planners looking for an inspirational background for a meeting or event can consider the award-winning, 50-acre Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Regional Park, The property features outdoor event space, classrooms ideal for business meetings, and a reception hall with panoramic views of the gardens that can accommodate up to 175 people.
Washington, D.C.-based Meetings Focus contributor Adam Jones frequently ventures into Montgomery County for entertaining evenings, which most recently included a late-night Halloween screening of Shaun of the Dead at the AFI Silver Theatre.
