Tag Archives: venues

Something Old and Something New: DC Venues

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With spring approaching we've caught the fever for everything new and fresh. We took a look around the DC venue scene to find some of the newer options for event locations and found a common theme -- everything old is new again. Historic DC landmarks have gotten substantive makeovers and a casino introduces a new element to the DC event landscape.[Tweet "The old is new again! #DC meeting and event venue options. #GovEventsBlog"]

  • MGM National Harbor - The glitziest and most publicized new venue is undoubtedly the MGM National Harbor. The 308 room hotel and casino boasts all the amenities a meeting planner or attendee could ask for. The Grand Ballroom features sweeping views of the Potomac River. Multiple smaller meeting spaces feature state-of-the-art technology and various options for meeting configurations. The facility also boasts a 3,000 seat theater and multiple restaurants. MGM National Harbor is tailor made to cater to large groups but may also provide an interesting change of pace for smaller gatherings.[Tweet "The @MGMNatlHarbor casino introduces a new element to the DC event venue landscape. #GovEventsBlog"]
  • Trump Washington DC - It's a neck-and-neck race between the Trump Hotel and MGM for which facility received the most press at opening. Located in the historic Old Post Office building, this hotel breathed new life into a Washington landmark. The hotel has 17 meeting/event rooms, totaling 38,000 square feet. The 13,000+ square foot Presidential ballroom is the largest space with the Lincoln Library and Franklin Study providing smaller, well-appointed space for meetings and events.
  • The Watergate - While not a new venue, the Watergate complex completed a massive renovation this past summer. The renovations include 7,000 square feet of flexible indoor event space and 10,000 square feet of outdoor space. The hotel's rooftop bar, Top of the Gate, is equipped with fire pits and can hold as many as 250 guests with a 360-degree view of Washington and the Potomac River. The Library is a great option for smaller events holding 60-80 guests.
  • Mayflower Hotel - Like the Watergate, the Mayflower underwent a renovation that was completed in the summer of 2016. The Hotel is now part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection and features a completely redecorated ballroom. The hotel boasts a diverse set of 27 meeting spaces that can meet the needs of any gathering.

[Tweet "What is your pick for best DC meeting or event space? #GovEventsBlog"]This trend of modernizing old spaces will continue into 2017 with several anticipated openings including The Line Hotel in a former church and the reinvention of the Doubletree Washington as The Darcy. Brand new spaces will also be opening in 2017 with the completion of The Wharf on Maine Avenue with a host of new restaurants and meeting space.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the revitalization of these and other landmarks as well as the creation of brand new spaces. Let us know your picks for best new event space in DC in the comments.

Lessons Learned from Tailgating

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With college football season in full swing, we've gotten inspired by the age-old tradition of tailgating.  Tailgating is closely tied to college football, but looking at the history, the first tailgates had nothing to do with sport.[Tweet "College football season is in full swing, take a look at the tradition of tailgating. #GovEventsBlog"] The first recorded tailgate in the U.S. may have occurred in mid-summer of 1861 in Manassas, Virginia, before Confederate forces and Union soldiers met in the First Battle of Bull Run. Civilians arrived at the battlefield in wagons loaded with wine, whiskey, and food. This is not unlike the party atmosphere that surrounded the late 18th century French guillotine executions during which people gathered to eat in the square near the scaffolds while the list of people to be executed was read.

Today's tailgates may take place before less gory events, but the idea remains the same: people with a common interest gather together to share food and drink and talk about the event they are about to witness.  While there may be many "I'll never do that again" personal lessons learned from tailgating, there are other things a successful tailgate can teach us about holding a fun and engaging event.[Tweet "Things a successful tailgate party can teach us about event planning. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

How Venues are Changing to Meet Event Needs

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Each day there is a new article out talking about how the meeting and event industry is changing. From use of social media, to the growth of virtual events, to attendee and sponsor budget constraints, the meetings industry has embraced change as the new normal. As part of the industry, hotels and event venues are also making some changes in what they offer to event planners and attendees.

Below we share some of the more interesting changes or enhancements venues are making to entice planners and attendees alike. [Tweet "Interesting enhancements venues are making to entice event planners and attendees #GovEventsBlog"]

  • Social Media Manager - The Hilton Anatole Hotel, near downtown Dallas, TX is offering a social media manager to support the social media efforts of event organizers. At the Hilton, this role includes doing social media for the property as well as providing social media strategy and tools to people using the property for events.
  • Light - This may seem like a really minor thing, but traditionally natural light has been hard to come by for events. Windowless ballrooms may be great for projecting to screens, but as events veer towards more collaborative sessions rather than power point- heavy presentations, the use of natural light becomes logistically desirable. New facilities are building meeting spaces with views that can inspire creativity or at the very least help attendees better gauge what time it is.[Tweet "New facilities are building meeting spaces with windows and views. #GovEventsBlog"]
  • Wellness - Hotels are offering more healthy and sustainable catering options including more spa-like food and drink choices. Water stations are being set up rather than offering all attendees bottled waters. Event planners can also add on extra perks for guests like the "Sleep Advantage Program" at the Crowne Aire Plaza in Bloomington, MN which offers upgraded bedding and aromatherapy kits for guests.
  • Technology - The network capacity of a venue is quickly becoming a discriminating factor. Hotels and conference centers alike are upgrading their technology infrastructure to offer fast WiFi that can accommodate all attendees using it on multiple devices.[Tweet "The network capacity of a venue is quickly becoming a discriminating factor. #GovEventsBlog"]
  • Flexible Spaces - Venues need to offer more than a massive room to house attendees for keynote presentations. More and more hotels and conference centers are taking care to build in smaller spaces designed to facilitate collaboration and small group discussion.

We'd love to hear from you what are some of the newer amenities you see offered by venues? How are they impacting where you hold events?

Three New DC Metro Meeting Options

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With springtime upon us and the rebirth it brings (even as wet as it has been in DC), we've been inspired to look at some new options for meeting spaces in the DC metro area. We looked at the latest openings and decided to highlight the following three locations as they all provided a bit of a break from the norm.[Tweet "3 DC meeting locations that provide a break from the norm. #GovEventsBlog"]

  1. Pennsylvania 6 - this new restaurant opened in the fall and features multiple private dining rooms. Its location near the convention center makes it a great option for break-out sessions and post-event gatherings timed with events and activities at the convention complex. The thoughtfully decorated private rooms provide a change of pace from the austere surroundings of large meeting venues.
  2. Spartan Training and Development Center - this facility specifically designed for meetings and collaboration provides another option for large groups in the popular National Harbor complex. The center has five spacious training rooms, a full range of training and audiovisual equipment, the latest computer equipment and software, wireless technology, and a full kitchen and break area. It is a great set-up for training classes, meetings, workshops, seminars, small conferences, and presentations. The facility was designed with floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the Potomac River views.
  3. Refraction - this space in Reston is just one example of how co-working spaces are catering to event planners. Refraction and other co-working spaces throughout the metro area are designed to enable collaboration and inspire innovation. Why not harness that spirit for events? Refraction offers dedicated event space and 25 private meeting rooms with the amenities of Reston Town Center right outside the front door.[Tweet "These locations only scratch the surface of what's new to DC-area meeting planners. #GovEventsBlog"]

These locations only scratch the surface of what's new and available to DC-area meeting planners. We'd love to hear your thoughts on newer spots that have captured your interest. Let us know in the comments.

Be the Tortoise and Embrace Slower Meetings

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As spring comes into full bloom and the first days of summer are peeking around the corner, many of us are reminded to stop and smell the roses. What if we applied this slow concept to the way we conduct our meetings and events?

At most events you hear people describe how busy they were, making it to all of the sessions, meeting with colleagues, walking the show floor. You hear laments about aching feet and backs from all the rushing around. But what if this "pack it all in while we're here" mentality is not the best way to get the most value out of events? There is a movement in the industry called "slow meetings" that is looking to change the way we approach our days at in-person events.[Tweet "There is a movement in the industry called 'slow meetings'. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →