LOCATIONREPORT Richmond, Roanoke & Williamsburg, VA
Experience the state-of-the-art Greater Richmond Convention Center, where this city’s 400-year past meets the cutting edge of modern technology and design. In addition, the region has added a great deal to its meetings offerings in just the past year alone.
What’s New
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) recently reopened to rave reviews after adding 165,000 square feet of space to its already existing 380,000 square feet. As a unique meeting space, the newly expanded VMFA is now one of the top 10 comprehensive art museums in the coun- try, and also has two dining areas and three distinct areas for meetings and events. It has the capacity to accommo- date functions both small and large, including as many as 2,500 people.
The Federal Reserve in Richmond recent- ly opened a new exhibit called “The Fed Experience.” This interactive, multimedia exhibit is designed to “bring the economy to life.” Featuring real-life stories from Federal Reserve employees, their families and people in communities the Richmond Fed serves, the exhibit helps visitors understand how stable prices over time affect living standards.
The grand reopening of the Virginia War Memorial also has excited the region, along with its new Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center. The new center has added 17,300 square feet to the facility and includes a theater to display the memorial’s “Virginians at War” film series. The memorial also remodeled its outdoor amphitheater, added a new meeting space, and a room was made available so that its research library is now acces- sible to the public.
In hotel news, the Holiday Inn-South Bells Road just completed an entire renovation in April 2010. It now has over 3,500 square feet of event space and a new Sporting News Grill, which offers flat- screen TVs and American fare.
The newly renovated Richmond Marriott offers 30,000 square feet of enhanced meeting space with small and large con-
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ference rooms available. This centrally located hotel in the heart of downtown Richmond provides an ideal spot at which to meet and from where to explore all that the city has to offer.
Nestled in the shopping mecca of Short Pump, the new Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa can accommodate 10 to 1,300 people in its ballroom. It also has numer- ous breakout rooms and the three private dining rooms within Shula’s (Hall of Fame football coach Don Shula's restaurant that features custom center cuts of pre- mium Black Angus Beef).
This flexible meeting space is designed to host any type of event, from a corporate conference or business meeting to an intimate gathering, lavish banquet, social affair or gala. The hotel also features an executive floor with an executive lounge and junior, executive and presidential suites.
With the upcoming 150th anniversaries of the Civil War and Emancipation from 2011-2015, the area will attract travelers of all ages to this former Capital of the Confederacy. Groups can take advan- tage of the rich history the Richmond Region offers and explore this epicenter of the Civil War.
From The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, which is the first muse- um of its kind to explore the war from the Union, Confederate and African American perspectives, to the Museum and White House of the Confederacy to Chimborazo Medical Museum, the site of the Civil War’s largest medical facilities, the region abounds with enriching, histor- ical museums and attractions.
Specific Civil War and Emancipation themed tours have been created to make the experience exciting and to ensure all sides are included. Visit the Richmond- Petersburg Region’s Civil War and Emancipation 150th anniversary website (
www.ontorichmond.com) for more info.
Places to Meet
In addition to the aforementioned meet- ing spaces, Richmond also offers a num-
ber of unique meeting venues, including Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. With lush greenery and blooming flowers, this venue offers six different meeting spaces, from its intimate Tea House setting to the grander Massey Conference Center Auditorium.
Now through January of 2011, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is featuring “Glorious Glass in the Garden,” a special exhibit showcasing the work of renowned glass artist Hans Godo Frabel.
The Science Museum of Virginia offers exciting exhibits, an IMAX theater and meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 600 people.
Planners also can choose the elegant five-star, five-diamond Jefferson Hotel, which has 26,000 square feet of unique meeting space combined with modern communications technology and com- plemented by superb conference servic- es. This historic landmark in Richmond has been serving guests since 1895.
The Berkeley Hotel is situated at the western edge of historic Shockoe Slip, which offers many dining and shopping opportunities. The Berkeley also offers excellent dining in its award winning restaurant and a variety of options to accommodate meetings, banquets and other events. This unique property recently renovated guest rooms, its lobby and AAA Four Diamond restaurant, The Dining Room at The Berkeley. Full service meeting and event planners are available on site to attend to every detail.
In total, the Berkeley offers over 3,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The Dining Room is an ideal setting for small group luncheons and dinners of groups of eight or fewer, while its Jamestown Room is elegantly appointed and offers a cobblestone view of the Shockoe Slip and access to the outdoors. It can hold 60 seated affairs or 90 for a reception. The Christopher Newport Ballroom reflects Southern charm and historic sophistication, accommodating as many as 150 for a receptions. Another space, adorned with historic maps and executive leather chairs, the Map Room is suited for
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