flexible facilities for everything from bration, WaterFire is a multi-sensory risd/works is an innovative hybrid of
small board meetings to large conven- experience featuring more than 100 retail store, gallery and design show-
tions. Its 13,000-seat Dunkin’ Donuts bonfires that wind through downtown room featuring works from Rhode
Center completed an $80 million Providence’s three rivers. Held about Island School of Design alumni and
makeover in 2008 following a three- twice a month from May through faculty.
year renovation. A total of 31,000 October, WaterFire has been named
square feet of multi-functional meeting one of the 20 “must see” events in the www.goprovidence.com
andpublicspacewasaddedaswellas United State by National Geographic
an expanded lobby, two new food Traveler. NEWPORT, RI
courts, a new restaurant and a bar,
new luxury suites, and a pedestrian Large hotels in Providence and “It is always exciting to have a renovat-
skywalk connecting it to the Rhode Warwick also offer ample meeting ed product to help us sell Newport,”
Island Convention Center (RICC). opportunities. The Westin Providence saysTimWalsh,vice-presidentofsales
offers more than 22,000 square feet of for the Newport, Rhode Island
WHERE TO MEET meeting space in the heart of the city, Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The
including an 8,000 square foot ball- remodeling of all the Hyatt’s meeting
The RICC and Dunkin Donuts Center room. and event space, as well as the cre-
have been designed to complement ationofanewmainentranceandlobby
the city’s historic architecture. The Just a 10-minute drive from area offering a spectacular sense of
RICC contains a 100,000 square foot Providence, the Crowne Plaza Hotel arrival overlooking the Newport Bridge
exhibition hall, 20,000 square foot ball- Providence-Warwick has 27 meeting is a great story for us to talk about this
room, 23 meeting rooms and the all- rooms containing more than 34,000 winter.WiththeHyattprojectcomplete,
glass Rotunda Room, a special func- square feet of meeting space. all four of the convention hotels in
tion space overlooking the city. The Newport including The Hotel Viking,
RICC also includes an exhibitor servic- WHAT TO DO The Newport Marriott and The
es center, state-of-the-art business Newport, will have undergone major
center, in-house food service and ten With a thriving arts district, a commit- renovationsmakingthedestinationthat
loading docks with ramp access to the ment to historical preservation, and a much more alluring.”
show floor. sophisticated nightlife, Providence
offers a variety of entertainment WHAT'S NEW
Nearby Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium options. Tony award-winning Trinity
(VMA) allows groups to literally take Repertory Company draws throngs of The Newport Marriott Hotel, facing
center stage. With just over 1,900 theatergoers into the city. The Rhode Newport Harbor and across the street
seats, VMA is acclaimed for its unique Island School of Design Museum of Art from many of the shops, attractions,
combination of size and intimacy. On houses more than 80,000 works of art, restaurants and clubs in the heart of
theNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces, rangingfromGreeksculpturetoFrench downtown Newport, completed a styl-
the VMA's stunning interior makes it a Impressionist paintings, Chinese terra- ish multi-million dollar project encom-
memorable meeting site along the cotta to contemporary multimedia art. passing all the hotel’s function space
Avenue of the Arts, adjacent to the and foyers in 2009. The hotel’s re-
272-Renaissance Providence Hotel. Providence has a wide variety of ethnic imaging of nearly 24,800 square feet of
restaurants from which to choose, but flexible function space brilliantly transi-
Other unique venues include the the city is perhaps most famous for its tions the guest’s experience to the rest
majestic Rhode Island School of Italianfood,withtheFederalHillsection of the hotel which was also renovated
Design Museum, which features halls of Providence named “One of the Five recently.
filled with works of art. The one-of-a- Best Little Italys in the U.S.” by Food
kind Culinary Museum at Johnson and NetworkChefMarioBatali. Locatedon The hotel is equipped with the latest
Wales University, which is the world’s the shores of Narragansett Bay, local technologyinitsfunctionspacesandin
largest culinary educator, contains restaurants also make good use of the its 317 rooms and suites. It also fea-
500,000 food-related artifacts, includ- abundance of fresh seafood, offering turesatwostoryhealthclubcalled“the
ing a complete diner. fabulous, creative dishes. Spa at Long Wharf,” which is complete
with a game room, indoor swimming
Opulent mansions in Newport and Providence Place mall offers visitors pool, sauna, outdoor roof deck, high-
Warwick offer guests a peek into the more than 170 shopping, dining and tech fitness center and racquet ball
luxe life of a bygone era. For the signa- entertainment options. Funky urban courts. The Marriott is also home to a
ture Providence event, planners can chic can be found at one of the many multi-dimensional seven story atrium
work with one of several sizzling boutiques on Thayer and Wickenden with soaring sails, cutting edge con-
restaurants that line WaterFire. Part art streets, both on the city’s East Side. temporary, dynamic meeting spaces,
installation and part community cele- For those seeking one-of-a-kind items, and fresh, creative seafood in Fathoms
Location Reports • www.eventsmagazine.com 45
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