Historic and hip, charming and chic, Providence, Rhode Island, combines the best of a quaint New England town with the amenities and sophistication of a larger city. The walkable city is compact and home to innovative and eclectic restaurants, a vibrant arts and culture scene, and beautifully preserved historic architecture. Some exciting new hotels have opened recently, and Providence features 3,000 hotel rooms throughout the city.
The Rhode Island Convention Center (RICC) is situated in the heart of downtown, where attendees can step out of their meeting and walk to their hotel, dinner or a touring Broadway show within minutes. On one side, the RICC is connected to the 564-room Omni Providence Hotel and Providence Place, a major downtown shopping destination. On its other side, the RICC is connected to the 14,000-seat Amica Mutual Pavilion, the area’s premier multiuse events arena. Events may also be held nearby at The VETS, a 1,900-seat historic theater located across from the iconic Rhode Island State House.
Some of the nation’s top schools call Providence home, including Ivy League Brown University, the world-renowned Rhode Island School of Design and Johnson & Wales University, a leading culinary educator. The presence of these educational institutions infuses the city with a youthful vibe.
Providence’s acclaimed dining scene offers diverse restaurant options, from authentic Italian cuisine on Federal Hill to seafood fresh from Narragansett Bay. Federal Hill was recently named “One of the Five Best Little Italy Neighborhoods in the U.S.” by Travel + Leisure. The city’s restaurants have benefitted from the wealth of talented culinary graduates from Johnson & Wales.
Attendees will find many options for things to do during their free time. They may experience the city from a unique angle by gliding along the rivers of downtown in an authentic Venetian gondola. In the evening, they may take in a show at Tony award-winning Trinity Rep or the Providence Performing Arts Center, which hosts concerts, comedians and tours of Broadway’s hottest shows. For museum lovers, the RISD Museum at the Rhode Island School of Design houses more than 100,000 works of art, ranging from the ancient to the avant-garde.
Providence’s signature event is WaterFire, a multisensory art installation consisting of a series of bonfires installed on downtown’s three rivers. WaterFire combines music, aromatic wood smoke and crackling firelight to create an enchanting atmosphere. Typically held on Saturdays from May through November, WaterFire draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city each year.
Convenience is one of Providence’s greatest assets due to both its size and geographic location. Situated between New York City and Boston, the city is easily accessible by plane, train or car. Warwick, Rhode Island, is just 10 minutes from Providence, and offers additional hotels, 39 miles of coastline, golf courses and scores of shopping options. Warwick is also home to Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD), which was named a “Top Ten Airport in the World” in Condé Nast Traveller’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. Its eco-friendly InterLink hub conveniently houses a rental car facility, public transportation options, and rail service to Providence, Boston and beyond. Rhode Island is located on Amtrak’s bustling Northeast Corridor route, with a few stations located throughout the state.
Visit GoProvidence.com to start planning a successful and memorable meeting in Providence.
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