Roanoke Valley
Attendees Come For More Than The Great View
By Peyton Posey Playing off the natural, scenic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding waterways coupled with unique meeting spaces, Virginia's Roanoke Valley strives to attract small- and mid-sized meetings looking for something out of the ordinary, said Debora Wright, director of marketing with the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).
"We offer more than just meetings that take place within your designated property," Wright said. "With the grand opening of the Roanoke (Civic Center's) Special Events Center last year to the upcoming opening of the new Art Museum of Western Virginia in late 2008, we continue to book repeat groups whether it be for professional or sporting events."
Roanoke's New Event Center
The completion of the Special Events Center added much-needed meeting and exhibit space to the area. "We had outgrown a lot of events, so it's been great to have this space," said Director of Sales and Marketing Corrie Prater.
The 46,000-square-foot Special Events Center is within the civic complex, which offers a 10,000-seat arena, a 2,150-seat performing arts theater and a 14,000-square-foot exhibit hall. "One of things people may not realize is our capability to host many varied events," Prater said, explaining that the events center and the civic complex can host a multitude of events. "We can do more than just business-related meetings. We've done wedding receptions, holiday parties and other recreational-type meetings." Prater added that incentives are available. "We offer a special civic rate for non-profit, educational and religious groups."
Art Museum Expansion
Currently undergoing an expansion is The Art Museum of Western Virginia. The museum is moving to a new, 81,000-square-foot facility in downtown Roanoke and is set to reopen by the end of the year.
The new building will place the museum in a high-tech, contemporary space, Wright said, adding that the architecture will pay sculptural tribute to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the three-floor facility will feature a 4,945-square-foot atrium, a 2,014-square-foot auditorium, a boardroom, an outdoor terrace, a café, and several galleries and halls available for functions. "This will really be an exciting, new place for groups to hold receptions," she said.
Accommodations
Virginia's Roanoke Valley can offer groups and conventions accommodations ranging from historic hotels to affordable lodging in more than 7,092 guest rooms.
Located just minutes from the airport is the historic Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in downtown Roanoke. Originally built in 1882, the Tudor-styled complex, a Doubletree Hotel, completed a two-phased, $6.5 million renovation project, which included updates to all 331 guest rooms and suites. "We completed phase two in April, and our goal was to blend the historic ambiance of the hotel with modern aspects in the rooms, halls, corridors and common spaces," said Michael Quonce, marketing manager, adding that the updates will take the property well into the next hundred years. "We are also designated as a green meetings facility by the state and the largest such property in the valley," he said. The facility contains 63,000 square feet of meeting space, including 35 business-oriented meeting rooms, a fixed-seat lecture hall, two boardrooms, a lounge and a ballroom that can seat up to 1,400.
Key Info · Sales Tax: 5 percent
· Hotel Tax: 7 percent for the cities of Roanoke and Salem; 5 percent for Roanoke County and surrounding counties.
· Transportation: The Valley Metro and Smart Way bus offer transit service in and around the Roanoke Valley area, including shuttles to the airport.
· Climate: Roanoke Valley offers a mild temperature, especially in the summer months, with an average high of 85 degrees and low of 65 degrees in July. |
Another property undergoing renovations is the Roanoke Plaza Hotel, previously the Wyndham Roanoke Airport Hotel. By the end of 2008, the 320-room hotel will be converted to the Sheraton Roanoke Hotel and Conference Center. According to Director of Sales Robin Sampson, the property provides more than 12,800 square feet of meeting space, including the 6,435-square-foot Grand Ballroom that can be divided into seven smaller rooms. "We can host groups from five to 700. And for more sophisticated meetings, the property offers the Director's Suite and the Conference Theater," Sampson said. "We are all very excited about the great renovations here at the hotel, and the guest rooms will feature the signature Sheraton Sweet Sleepers, plus all will be 100 percent non-smoking, as will be the entire facility."
Additional properties in the city of Roanoke include the Holiday Inn - Tanglewood, which features 190 guest rooms, five Jacuzzi suites and 10,000 square feet of meeting space; the Holiday Inn - Roanoke Valley View, which features 153 guest rooms and 19,000 square feet of meeting space; the 85-room Best Western Inn at Valley View; the 96-room Comfort Inn Airport Roanoke; the 135-room Courtyard By Marriott Airport Roanoke; the 115-room Days Inn Roanoke; and the 79-room Hampton Inn Airport.
Salem
Groups also have the option of holding meetings in nearby Salem, only minutes from downtown and the Roanoke Regional Airport. The Salem Civic Center boasts 43,000 square feet of meeting space within seven rooms and can host groups from 10 people to 7,000 people. "Our in-house food provider can prepare any meal from a small sit-down function to a buffet for more than 1,500," said Director of Civic Facilities Carey Harveycutter. The center's Community Ballroom was recently renovated, and prewired projectors have been installed throughout.
Also located in Salem is the full-service Holiday Inn Salem - Roanoke, located off U.S. Interstate 81. The hotel houses 88 guest rooms and 2,400 square feet of meeting space. Additional hotels include the Comfort Suites - The Inn at Ridgewood Farms, which offers 78 guest rooms; the Corporate Suites of Salem, which offers 31 guest rooms; the 70-room Days Inn Salem; and the 113-room Hampton Inn/Salem.
In Vicinity: Bedford & Blacksburg
In nearby Bedford, groups will find the National D-Day Memorial, which was dedicated in 2001. The city of Bedford sustained the highest per capita loss on D-Day; 19 citizen soldiers died that day. The 88-acre site features artifacts, statues and name plaques.
Offering 10,700 square feet of event space is The Community Room at The Bedford Welcome Center, according to Bedford City and County Tourism Department Director Sergei Troubetzkoy. The center can accommodate 50 to 60 people seated, or 80 to 90 auditorium style.
"Meeting space in Bedford is limited, but it's something that we are working on," Troubetzkoy said. "In fact, plans are in the works for an 80- to 85-room Hampton Hotel with meeting space to be built in 2009, though no construction has been started," he said.
A current option for groups is the Peaks of Otter Lodge, which houses 60 waterfront rooms on Abbott Lake and 1,160 square feet of meeting space.
In Blacksburg, meeting options include The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, which is located southwest of Roanoke on the campus of Virginia Tech University. Owned by the university and managed by Hilton Hotels, the 147-room hotel features 23,705 square feet of meeting space within 11 flexible rooms.
Also located directly across from the university is the full-service Four Points Hotel Blacksburg, featuring 148 guest rooms and more than 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
Additional hotels in Blacksburg include the 133-room Holiday Inn University - Blacksburg, which offers more than 4,500 square feet of meeting and function space; and a 93-room Courtyard by Marriott-brand hotel, The Courtyard Blacksburg, which offers more than 650 square feet of meeting space.
