“O
“Our properties let us know when the need is greatest ffor occupancy and we can in turn share that information with planners looking for the absolute best rates,” explains Jackson. “Flexibility in dates is a huge factor in getting the lowest prices.”
i l k h d i
Jackson notes that while planners from a wide range of industries are looking to attain the best value when planning their meetings, the Pocono Mountains plays host to a number of associations and faith-based meeting planners who are among the most focused on cost savings.
Destination: Lancaster County, PA
The Lancaster County area’s smaller size and the relation- ships between the convention and visitors bureau (Discover Lancaster) and local properties - as well as their relationships with each other - helps in attracting group business and with the ability to offer many of the same types of amenities and activities found in a larger area.
Lancaster County offers a unique appeal that blends both urban and rural elements. It is home to the original and largest Amish settlement in U.S., but also has a walkable downtown replete with art galleries, fine dining, performing arts, unique shops, and boutique hotels.
According to Mara Sultan, convention and international sales manager for Discover Lancaster, “Lancaster’s room rates are a good value compared to most traditional Mid-Atlantic meet- ing locations, plus our parking costs are low and oftentimes free. In addition, we’re easily accessible via Amtrak, major highways, and four regional and local airports.”
several
She adds that Discover Lancaster has a dedicated sales staff to help planners with any size or type of meeting or conven- tion. “We can assist in distributing RFPs to area hotels and venues, set up site tours, help find speakers, provide promo- tional materials, refer specific vendors, assist with transporta- tion, coordinate an official welcome or concierge service, and help direct planners to team building activities.”
Destination: Ocean City, MD
Ocean City, MD is home to more than 1,200 spaces of free parking,
it is a “right to work” state and the beachfront town
boasts more than 10,000 hotel rooms and 25,000 condo units, seventeen golf courses, three miles of boardwalk as well as 10 miles of pristine beaches and over 200 restaurants - most open year-round - and all of this is within a two-and-a-half- hour commute from Baltimore, Washington, DC and Philadelphia.
Larry Noccolino, executive director for the Roland E. Powell Convention Center notes one significant difference between his oceanside community and the aforementioned metropo- lises, “We’re not nearly as expensive!”
What’s more, Noccolino explains that the convention center offers groups “a sliding scale of space rental depending on your food and beverage needs, pipe and drape, carpet and AV costs.”
According to Regina S. Brittingham, regional sales manager for the Roland E. Powell Convention Center, “Our booth setups come with complimentary pipe and drape, table, chairs and electric. We also offer complimentary basic AV with our meeting rooms, which includes microphone, screen, projec- tor and audio-visual cart with electric. Our decorating serv- ices, AV offerings, as well as the free parking are tremendous cost saving benefits that are rarely offered at venues in larger cities.”
She further notes that all groups must be budget-minded in today’s economic climate, and says that the convention cen- ter actively seeks to determine their needs and priorities, and works with them in suggesting ways to minimize their costs throughout the process.
Destination: Wicomico County, MD
Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Wicomico County boasts
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