Never the same city
By Kate Zaliznock
Whether it be the inviting atmosphere of Merrimack, New Hampshire, or the creative energy of Central and North Central Massachusetts, New England has a wealth of excellent options for meeting profs planning their next event. From Connecticut to Rhode Island, the possibilities are as vast as the sweeping water landscape.
Fun Fact
In the late 1700s, taxpayer-funded meeting houses served as the centers of community life in colonial New England. Whether used for town business, religious worship or law proceedings, these multi-use spaces planted the seed for the modern venues and convention centers meeting profs use today!
5 Reasons Meeting Profs Love New England
Surrounded by history: The old-world feel of New England is unlike any other region in the U.S., and international tourists flock to the area to experience attractions such as Plimoth Patuxet Museums, a living history museum complex where visitors observe a fully functioning 17th-century English village.
Jaw-dropping vistas: The area is famous for its deeply entrenched aesthetic of elegantly weathered shingles, gently waving grasses on rolling dunes and stunningly beautiful coastlines.
World-famous delicacies: Seafood dishes abound in New England, and perhaps no menu item is more passionately contested than the “best” lobster roll. Rankings shift over years and depend exclusively on subjective evidence, but consistently near the top of the list is Wiscasset, ME’s Red’s Eats, Lobster Landing in Clinton, CT and The Lobster Pool in Rockport, MA.
Unparalleled activities: No matter which state in New England you are visiting, there is no shortage of unique and forever-memorable experiences. Team building, incentive and breakout activities can include everything from major league sporting events to traditional basket weaving.
A welcoming culture: Much of New England still has a small-town feel regardless of the size of the community, making meeting profs and attendees feel right at home.
5 Fabulous Places to Meet & Stay
Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort (Uncasville, CT): Sky Tower and Earth Tower features more than 200 suites combined. Located between New York City and Boston, attendees can enjoy off-hours in the casino space or a world class spa with fitness center. This venue promises to provide a value-oriented option for meeting planners, without sacrificing the wow-factor.
1,563 guest rooms; 275,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Newport Harbor Island Resort: This waterfront resort offers luxurious immersive activities such as sunset meals on Harborview Deck with Goat Island Lighthouse in the background, discounts on helicopter tours and connections to Gilded Age mansion meetings.
258 guest rooms; 25,833 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa (Groton, CT): This classic New England venue is a short drive from the world-renowned Mystic Aquarium and other marine-themed activities, as well as the beautiful Connecticut shoreline.
285 guest rooms; 3,440 sq. ft. conference room; total event space = 19,751 sq. ft.
The Westin Boston Seaport District (Boston, MA): Located only a skybridge away from Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (with its 2.1 million square footage), is pet-friendly and water adjacent.
793 rooms; 90,305 sq. ft. of event space.
Ocean House & Weekapaug Inn (Watch Hill, RI): This Forbes Five Star property is walkable to sister property Watch Hill Inn, with its 21 residential-style accommodations. Providence Airport is a 45-minute drive away, and nearby Westerly Airport hosts private aircraft.
69 guest rooms and suites (ranging from 725 to 6,000 sq. ft.); 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Off-site Options for Unforgettable Events
Looking for more New England fun? You can elevate your lobster roll excursion by joining one of the region’s boat tours, such as Lucky Catch Cruises in Portland, Maine, where you have the option of fully participating by hauling traps, or you can simply sit back and take in the beautiful views.
Looking for an active breakout? Plan to visit one of New England’s gorgeous national parks, such as White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire or Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont.
Many visitors to New England include a trip to L.L. Bean’s famous flagship store in Freeport, Maine, where visitors enjoy a massive indoor pond, a supersized statue of the brand’s famous hiking boot, a variety of several different indoor trails for testing out new shoes and more. Freeport is also home to a sizable number of top-tier factory outlets, antique stores and a wide variety of delicious cuisine.
If history is your passion, there is no shortage of historical landmarks, parks and other sites spread throughout New England. The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile-long walking path through Boston, includes 16 historic locations with stops like the Bunker Hill Monument and the Paul Revere House.
If you’re in Connecticut, be sure to visit the Mark Twain House in Hartford, where he and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. The home was once described by Twain biographer Justin Kaplan as “part steamboat, part medieval fortress and part cuckoo clock.”
No matter where you spend your time in New England, be sure to take advantage of all this incredible region of the U.S. has to offer.
