The historic Richmond region: easy to love for meetings and conventions.Considering a location to make your next meeting or event one that will go down in history? Don't overlook the possibilities presented by the historic Richmond, Virginia Richmond IPA: [ɹɯʒmɐnɖ] is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. , region. Almost 400 years old. Richmond offers a rich history--from Captain John Smith to Patrick Henry, Robert E. Lee, and Douglas L. Wilder, the nation's first elected black governor--that provides a great backdrop for a memorable conference. Richmond continues to make history in this century, too, but with the metropolitan area nearing the 1 million population mark, the region is definitely focusing on the future. Home to the state capital and 11 institutions of higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. , Richmond also boasts eight Fortune 500 companies and a plethora of other corporate headquarters and divisions. DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE Richmond's downtown area is being transformed by a $66.7 million Broad Street Community Development Project. The project includes converting a department store building into a new hotel, enhancing retail and entertainment activities, constructing a new Performing Arts Center A performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is a multi-use performance space that can be adapted for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. , and providing additional downtown parking spaces, all within walking distance of the new Greater Richmond Convention Center. THE CONVENTION CENTER Opened earlier this year, the Greater Richmond Convention Center covers almost 700,000 square feet in the heart of historic downtown Richmond. The facility has 180,000 square feet of exhibit space, 32 meeting rooms totaling 50,000 square feet, a 30,000-square-foot ballroom, a 258-seat lecture hall lecture hall n → sala de conferencias; (UNIV) → aula lecture hall lecture n → amphithéâtre m , and a VIP room, along with a visitors' center and office space for the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. The center has all the conveniences meeting planners expect. And it is connected by skywalk to one of the city's largest hotels. (Marriott is just across the street.) The metropolitan area offers variety in more than 14,000 hotel rooms, from five-star and historic properties to those located near the airport for convenience. GETTING TO RICHMOND The Richmond International Airport Richmond International Airport (IATA: RIC, ICAO: KRIC) is a public airport located in Sandston, Virginia, an unincorporated community within Henrico County which is about 5 miles (8 km) east of Richmond. is undergoing a major expansion. In addition to a new parking garage adding 1,900 new spaces, plans include construction of a new tower, changes to the terminal to create more counter space for the airlines and more concession areas, seven new gates, and new taxiways allowing aircraft to clear more quickly. Richmond is an easy driving destination for most of the Eastern Seaboard. Interstate Highways 64, 95, and 85 converge in the region. NOT JUST HISTORY, BUT VARIETY Though justifiably proud of its past, the Richmond area offers a great variety of attractions for visitors who may not be history buffs. And many of its venues are available for off-site events. At Maymont Park Maymont is a 100 acre (400,000 m²) Victorian estate located at 2201 Shields Lake Drive, Richmond, Virginia. It contains a museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, native wildlife exhibits, nature center, carriage collection, and petting zoo known as "The Maymont Children's Farm". , the estate of railroad tycoon James Dooley, you'll find Italian and Japanese gardens and a new nature center featuring the role of the James River James River or Dakota River River in the U.S. rising in central North Dakota and flowing southeast across South Dakota. It joins the Missouri River about 5 mi (8 km) below Yankton after a course of 710 mi (1,140 km). in the city's ecology. Across town, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (30 acres) is a botanical garden located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, on the North Side of Richmond, Virginia. The property was once owned by Patrick Henry[1]. has a new education building that can accommodate meetings and a beautiful new conservatory, the only domed conservatory in the Mid-Atlantic. The Carytown area claims to be Richmond's first shopping center and it is still a bustling consumer mecca. The industrial warehouse district of Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom now sport fine dining and a world-class furniture store. The floodwall flood·wall n. A wall built along a shore or bank to protect an area from floods. that helped transform Shockoe Bottom has become an attraction in itself and enabled the restoration of the Kanawha Canal, the nation's first towpath transport system. Now visitors can take boat rides and tours of the canal or traverse its paths. Active visitors may also enjoy nature trails along the James River and the river's Class 3 and Class 4 rapids that course through the city. The home of Wimbledon champion Arthur Ashe, Richmond offers tennis for your leisure time, plus there are numerous golf courses. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The Virginia Museum of Fine arts, or ‘’’VMFA’’’ is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia. It is one of the first museums in the American South to be operated by state funds. , located on the Boulevard, presents a panoramic look at man's creative achievements and houses the largest public collection of Faberge eggs outside Russia. The Science Museum of Virginia features interactive exhibits and an IMAX IMAX Noun a film projection process that produces an image ten times larger than standard theater, and its new neighbor, the Children's Museum of Richmond The Children's Museum of Richmond began in 1977 as the Richmond Children’s Museum in the Navy Hill School building in downtown Richmond. In 2000, the museum moved to its current location on Broad Street in Richmond. , offers touch-and-explore options for children of all ages. The Richmond Raceway Complex hosts NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. every spring, providing an exciting venue for racing enthusiasts. TRUE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY Talk to the experts--each member of the RMCVB staff specializes in industry-specific convention planning. The RMCVB Web site offers information and online forms that allow planners to get assistance with site selection, budgets, and even evaluations. Everything you need to create a memorable event is available in the historic Richmond region. CONTACT Cleo Battle, Vice President, Convention Sales and Service Phone: 1-800-370-9004 E-mail: Cbattle@richmondva.org Web site: www.richmondva.org |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion