property, The Hershey Lodge. Attractions like HersheyPark, Hershey's Chocolate World, the Hershey Theatre and Hershey Gardens add even more to the experi- ence.
Special Events at Historic Venues
Stepping into historic venues is much like entering the pages of a book - only the atmosphere and ambience come to life before your eyes. Planners can add their groups to the list of dignitaries, renowned artists and other prominent figures who’ve chosen to convene at these properties.
The Keswick Theatre has been the choice for Republican and Democratic candi- dates, including Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Upscale finan- cial partner presentations, multiple day conferences, festivals, social events, and
pre-and-post show receptions for patrons, artists, non-profits and productions - Keswick has hosted them all. The theater also served as the location for artist inter- views, a recent film shoot location for a British PBS special, and photo shoots for magazines.
Hagley Museum and Library was the his- toric choice of Ameriprise Financial Services, which held a customer appreci- ation reception for its clients and their guests. “The evening included a meal reception, tours of a working 19th-century machine shop, a demonstration of a gun- powder testing device used as a market- ing tool by du Pont, and access to an exhibit about the industrial history of the Brandywine Valley,” said Karen Logan, spe- cial event coordinator of Hagley Museum and Library. “The event was a blast!”
Valley Forge was the site of HISTORICON 2010 War Gaming Convention, which met in July and will convene again in 2011.
the Village of Cooperstown. As prime benefactors of the village since the mid-19th century, Edward and Stephen Clark purchased 10 lakeside acres on which the Holt-Averill mansion stood. In its place, the brothers built a resort that would attract “automobile tourists” driving up from New York in their “horseless carriages.”
Dining remains an integral part of The Otesaga. The first meal served in 1909 featured caviar canapés, broiled halibut with pota- toes Parisiennes, Lamb Chops Monte Carlo, seasonal fresh veg- etables and fruits, and desserts, such as coconut cake and rhubarb pie.
The Phoenixville Foundry in Chester County, Pennsylvania was built in 1882 as the Foundry for Phoenix Iron and Steel Company. It is best known for manufacturing the Griffin Gun during the Civil War and pro- ducing the “Phoenix Column,” the first hollow column used for build-
ing. The columns were used in the construction of buildings and bridges across the country, including the Washington Monument and Philadelphia’s City Hall.
As the building sat vacant from the late 1970s and deteriorated for decades, the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation came to its rescue in 1998 and raised $5 million to purchase the building and restore the exterior.
In 2006, the
Many military reunions, educational groups, associations and organizations choose Valley Forge because of its histori- cal significance.
T
he Phoenixville Foundry hosts an array of events, like the Chester County Economic Development Council’s 50th anniversary cele- bration this year. A facility-wide
event, it included an area for each decade since the council’s beginning, accenting each with décor and food.
In 2009, the Foundry hosted a multi-cham- ber of commerce business card exchange with its partner vendors to showcase the facility’s meeting and event capabilities. A local pharmaceutical company con- vened here for its annual meeting and luncheon with more than 500 guests, as well.
For an area of relatively small size and population, Greater Williamsburg has
Hankin Group of Exton, PA purchased the building and opened it in 2008 as a premier special event and meeting venue in the area.
Greater Williamsburg is ranked among National Geographic mag- azine’s “Iconic Places of the World” and earned high scores in the publication’s sixth annual survey of destination stewardship. Conducted by the “National Geographic Societies for Sustainable Destinations,” the survey rated 133 destinations around the world. Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown were listed as “Places Doing Well” and praised for “well managed historical sites that evoke key moments in U.S. history linked by the picturesque Colonial Parkway.”
Meetings have been integral to American heritage since Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Patrick Henry and other ousted members of the House of Burgesses debated independence from King George in Williamsburg’s Raleigh Tavern’s Apollo Room in the 18th century. Five College of William and Mary stu- dents who held their first meeting in the famed Apollo Room founded the nation’s oldest academic society, Phi Beta Kappa.
Colonial Williamsburg offers ideal venues for 21st-century meet- ings and conferences to meet the needs of every group, from inti- mate to expansive, luxurious to economical, and corporate to casual. Groups will want to take advantage of the unique oppor- tunity to incorporate various elements of Colonial Williamsburg’s historical programming into their agenda.
Mid-Atlantic EVENTS Magazine 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92