If the goal is to inspire the group, planners should check out a special area of Pennsylvania where the Mona Lisa, popular acoustic guitars and coloring books are celebrated.
“Lehigh Valley’s variety is at the heart of its creativity,” says George Wacker, spokesman for Discover Lehigh Valley. “From the Crayola Experience in downtown Easton to the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, creativity abounds in a multitude of ways.”
Following are six wonderful ideas for planners to consider, and Wacker adds that the area is also home to beautiful parks, hiking trails and walking tours that also foster creativity.
“It’s difficult not to be inspired by all Lehigh Valley has to offer,” he says.
'CHRISTMAS CITY,' BETHLEHEM
During Christmastime, folks get creative with everything from making crafts and assembling beautiful Christmas trees to baking cookies and going caroling.
In Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley’s “Christmas City,” groups will find a spirited atmosphere during the holiday season.
“The beautiful and historic downtown streets are home to ‘huts’ that house all types of crafts that are sure to make your Christmas morning a delight,” Wacker says.
Christkindlmarkt, one of the nation’s largest holiday craft markets, is located in Bethlehem, and the town’s Main Street is home to the seasonal Christmas City Village.
“Bethlehem is also home to the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, which, while also performing year-round, celebrates the holiday season with some of the most anticipated concerts on the East Coast,” Wacker says.
Specific Christmas items, such as Bethlehem stars, can be purchased at the Moravian Book Shop, which was established in Bethlehem in 1745 and is the oldest continuously running bookstore in the world.
CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE, EASTON
The new Crayola Experience is a unique venue for meetings in the Lehigh Valley, according to Kristin Luise, the attraction’s marketing and sales manager.
“The nostalgia of Crayola allows guests of all ages to become a kid again with 21 hands-on attractions,” she says. “Through play, meeting-goers naturally break down their business barriers and get their creative juices flowing.”
Attendees will become kids again as they watch how crayons are made, and they can mold wax souvenirs from their favorite childhood crayon color, among other fun activities.
Additionally, at the Crayola Experience, groups can gather in a bright and colorful private meeting space with all 21 hands-on attractions right outside the door.
“Meeting planners can easily customize their group outing in multiple ways,” Luise says. “Whether they want to customize Crayola crayons with their company or attendees’ names, or utilize attractions to make a custom team-building activity, the options are endless.”
The Crayola Experience team will also help with facilitating catering for the event. PageBreak
DA VINCI SCIENCE CENTER, ALLENTOWN
Groups will find the Da Vinci Science Center, which highlights the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, an atmosphere that ignites collaboration and inventive thinking, according to Dennis Zehner, spokesman for the center.
“It’s a creative place for meetings because its environment engages people with the wonders of science in their lives and encourages discovery and curiosity,” he says.
Some highlights of the center include the “Home 2025” exhibit, which opened in February 2014 and features a peek into the future of home appliances, science art exhibits such as Mona Lisa in Reverse, a hurricane simulator and an interactive Keva plank building area.
Groups can meet in one of the center’s colorful lab rooms when availability permits, Zehner says.
“The center also offers, with advance notice, customized professional development programs from our nationally recognized staff,” he says.
NORTHSTAR TEAM DEVELOPMENT, BETHLEHEM
For planners tasked with jumpstarting the team’s creativity or getting them to learn a new skill or group process, Northstar Team Development has experiential and professional facilitated activities ranging from ice breakers to multiday challenges to help achieve the group’s goal, either on-site or off-site.
“We are serious about fun and even more serious about outcomes,” says Jane Wells Schooley, founder and CEO of the company.
The organization’s 50-acre lake and 100-acre site can combine land and water challenge courses that promote team bonding, and it also offers other interactive exercises, team assessments, simulations and multistation challenges to achieve results.
“A memorable meeting means each participant individually takes home the gift of an ‘aha’ moment,” Schooley says. “Attendees glow as they grow and learn through playful, experiential activities designed to meet your specific objectives.”PageBreak
C.F. MARTIN & CO., NAZARETH
Established in 1833, C.F. Martin & Co., a respected manufacturer of acoustic guitars and acoustic guitar strings, was built on creativity, according to Discover Lehigh Valley’s George Wacker.
“Visiting the site that built so many incredible musical instruments that so many talented musicians used to create some of our favorite songs is as inspiring as it is amazing,” he says. “It’s difficult to walk through the C.F. Martin & Co. factory and museum and not leave wanting to create something memorable of your own.”
Music aficionados of all stripes will enjoy the museum, which showcases music history, 170 handcrafted guitars that represent C.F. Martin & Co.’s 174 years and a gallery wall of famous Martin owners; the factory tour, which leads visitors through the process of building a guitar; and the 1833 Shop for take-home gifts.
ARTSQUEST CENTER AT STEELSTACKS, BETHLEHEM
ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks is located on a former steel plant that was reborn as an incredibly creative destination for music, art and entertainment. The arts are alive here and include music and cultural events throughout the year.
“Even its location is inspirational, with towering 250-foot-tall blast furnaces from another era,” says Susan Drexinger, vice president of hospitality for ArtsQuest. “The combination of the old and the new makes this a destination unlike any other for hosting an event.”
The center features the Musikfest Cafe, showcasing concerts by nationally touring artists year-round, and it’s also home to two cinemas, outdoor spaces well-suited for alfresco gatherings and event spaces to accommodate everything from a corporate retreat for 25 people to a convention for 2,000.
“We are equipped to assist clients who may want to add their own personal touch to an event by including a special concert or performance,” Drexinger says.
ArtsQuest also offers some creative team-building opportunities, including blowing glass, learning how to throw clay on a pottery wheel and trying improv comedy with professional comedians.
“These creative exercises and activities are one of the things people really love about hosting events here,” Drexinger says. “They’re fun, exciting and educational, and they really add to the experience.”
