For decades, northern Ohio has been an economic powerhouse, with major industries and businesses helping to put the region on the national stage. Today, as the business scene evolves, that long history is complemented by a 21st century renaissance, fueled by new types of investment, as well as an array of decidedly modern developments.
Northern Ohio’s evolution is great news for meeting planners, who can make use of both historic sites and contemporary venues for everything from cocktail receptions to conferences and conventions. (The region’s impressive portfolio of event sites certainly played a role in Cleveland’s ability to attract the 2016 Republican National Convention, see sidebar, page m10). Here are just a few examples of the enticing contrasts that await in some of Northern Ohio’s most noteworthy venues.
Cleveland
“Cleveland offers plenty of unique, historic and elegant spaces to host meetings, conferences and events,” says Mike Burns, senior vice president of convention sales and services at Destination Cleveland, noting that some of the city’s newest venues also attract a lot of well-deserved attention. “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum usually tops to-do lists for business and leisure travelers—and also provides the opportunity for meeting planners to rent conference rooms, a theater or the whole building.”
Indeed, Cleveland’s cutting-edge meeting and event facilities are a big draw for groups of all sizes. In 2010, the city tore down its convention center and built the brand-new, 750,000-square-foot Cleveland Convention Center. But planners can easily contrast these sparklingly modern settings with other venues.
“For more of a historic and traditional space to host an event, there is the atrium at Hyatt at The Arcade, [which was] one of the first indoor shopping malls, or Playhouse Square, where meeting planners can host an event in one of the many opulent theater lobbies while overlooking the world’s largest outdoor chandelier,” Burns says.
Akron
“With our rich heritage of discovery and innovation, Greater Akron continues to leverage iconic venues that were instrumental in planting our deep industrial roots,” says Jim Mahon, vice president of marketing and brand management at the Akron/Summit CVB. “So many of our historic buildings and properties have been thoughtfully repurposed, providing spaces to learn, convene and entertain.”
Indeed, the 123,000-square-foot John S. Knight Center in the heart of downtown Akron is a shining example of modern event space. Greystone Hall, meanwhile, was built in 1917 by the Freemasons and offers multiple, traditionally elegant settings, including a two-story ballroom that accommodates 200 guests.
Both of these venues fit the needs of the International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC), which met in Akron in 2014.
“Since the rubber industry was born in Akron and we are also now counted among the leading polymer centers in the world, [Akron] allows groups with an affinity to these products the chance to ‘come home’ for their events,” says Dirk Breiding, the CVB’s vice president of sales. “ITEC used nearly every inch of the John S. Knight Center for their exhibits and sessions – then by walking across the street to Greystone Hall, they enjoyed social and meal functions beneath the gilded ceilings and amid majestic surroundings.”
PageBreak
Canton
The city of Canton offers a memorable mix of old and new in its portfolio of venues. The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum allows groups to meet and mingle in the midst of memorabilia and decor that evokes William McKinley, the 25th president of the U.S., an Ohio native. The museum has two meeting rooms as well as an auditorium that accommodates 150 guests, and also allows for private events along a street of historically recreated shops. For a futuristic touch, groups can even travel to outer space at the museum’s 65-seat Hoover-Price Planetarium.
Another contemporary setting is available at the University Center at Kent State Stark, which has 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space and the latest technology, ergonomically correct seating, lots of natural light and all-inclusive pricing.
Canton’s unique venues—including the National First Ladies’ Library, which has a 91-seat, Victorian-style theater—helped convince Jack Dixey, organizer of the Annual Regional Meeting of The American Political Items Collectors, to move his event to the destination.
“The city of Canton was suggested as our new location because of its historic venues, including the McKinley monument, museum and library, as well as the First Ladies museum, which happens to be located directly across from the McKinley Grand Hotel, where our meeting is held,” he says. “I have created a catch phrase to express our pleasure with the city of Canton and its people: ‘Canton...It’s Always Fun!”
Lake Erie Shores & Islands
According to Amanda Smith Rasnick, group sales manager for Lake Erie Shores & Islands, her destination’s blend of modern and traditional helps to build loyalty with planners.
“Many groups return year after year to our state-of the-art facilities, and what keeps them coming back is the variety of off-site opportunities to enjoy the lake, the islands, the historic sites and local cuisine that give Lake Erie Shores & Islands its character,” she says.
Along the scenic shores of Lake Erie, groups can travel back in time at Sandusky’s Merry-Go-Round Museum, which is set in a building that dates to 1925 and hosts groups of up to 150. Planners looking for a modern, multifaceted venue, complete with accommodations, can head to the African-themed Kalahari Resort, which is billed as Ohio’s largest convention center resort. The property has everything from 215,000 square feet of meeting and event space to a spa and an indoor-outdoor water park.
PageBreak
Toledo
Toledo is ideally positioned to appeal to planners looking for diverse venues, according to Julie Bolfa, convention sales manager at Destination Toledo CVB.
“Toledo has something for everyone,” she says. “From the Victorian splendor of the Valentine Theatre, to the state-of-the-art Huntington Center, Toledo has many unique facilities that meeting planners and their attendees will enjoy.
Huntington Center, one of the nation’s first LEED-certified sports arenas, accommodates up to 8,000 people for general sessions and 750 for a banquet, and it’s attached to the 17,000-square-foot SeaGate Convention Centre. In delightful contrast to these modern, super-size venues is the Valentine Theatre, a 119-year-old historic venue operated by the Toledo Cultural Arts Center. A $28 million renovation, completed in 1999, restored the 900-seat theater’s stunning decor and architectural elements, making it ideal for presentations, cocktail parties and dinners.
Bowling Green
Planners can easily tap into Bowling Green’s fascinating history by partnering with the Wood County Historical Center & Museum, which has meeting space for up to 60, as well as public grounds with historic structures, including an old-fashioned blacksmith shop, a log cabin built around 1865, an ice house that dates to 1905 and even a former “lunatic asylum” building that opened in 1885.
For active contemporary experiences, planners can contact Bowling Green State University, which offers a number of interesting venues for groups. At its Ice Arena, the lounge and even the ice itself can be rented for groups of up to 125 people, who can enjoy refreshments and even try their skills on the ice as they network.
Mark Chesnut is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus.
