5 Reasons Meeting Profs Love Columbus

Coffee experiences. Coffee Connections has two locations in Hilliard, just outside of Columbus. In addition to serving fresh coffee, as well as pastries in collaboration with 15 local businesses, Coffee Connections houses several event spaces, the 60-person annex, a play area and patio. The coffee shop also hosts Sip & Savor, a 2-2.5-hour coffee tasting and mug making experience for groups of up to 20.

Tours. Columbus features a multitude of ways to explore the city. A few are Original City Tour with SegAway Tours, Brewery District Walking Tour and Taco Truck Tour. Its trails, explored via smartphone, are in ample supply as well, try out Columbus Coffee Trail, Columbus-Style Pizza Trail and CBUS Soul Sculpture Trail.

Local dining. Columbus’ North Market has been around since 1876 and features a farmer’s market that brings together more than 20 farmers every Saturday. Outside of North Market, there are numerous local restaurants around the city, featuring top chefs and creative farm-to-table food.

Bleisure opportunities. After business commences, there’s loads of family-oriented fun to be had. Take your pick from a long list of activities like Otherworld, Columbus’ 32,000-square-foot art installation filled with scenes of large-scale art pieces and enticing playgrounds; The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center, home to rare and endangered species; and Momi Land Indoor Playground, filled with ball pits, trampolines and private party rooms.  

Wallet-friendly attractions. Columbus offers handfuls of free activities during the summer, whether for the more active members of the group (free fitness classes around the city), the music lovers (free concerts and live music) or art enthusiasts (several free admission museums are ready for exploration).

 

5 Places to Meet

Owned, operated and near Ohio State University, The Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center is in proximity to many sports, collegiate and beyond, including baseball, cross country, lacrosse, tennis, fencing, rowing and more. On property, guests can dine at Simon’s Lounge.

20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; 151 guest rooms.

Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection is located in the 47-story mixed-use LeVeque Tower—formerly American Insurance Union Citadel—which also includes apartments, condos offices and a restaurant. Inside the hotel, a luxurious stay and dining at The Keep Kitchen & Liquor Bar awaits.

1,741 sq. ft. of meeting space; 149 guest rooms.

Hilton Columbus Downtown is connected to Greater Columbus Convention Center and two blocks from Nationwide Arena and North Market, so there’s plenty to experience just step away from the property. The property also features five F&B options, including restaurants to feast on smoked surf and turf or grab a light meal.

77, 284 sq. ft. of event space; 1,000 guest rooms.

The Westin Great Southern Columbus’ grand ballroom is not a cathedral, but it could be mistaken as such. With stained glass windows and gold trim, there’s quite a bit of luxury in its 4,140-square-foot space. Its onsite restaurant, Bar Cicchetti, may not scream “luxe” but it does calmly state “delicious Italian comfort food.”

10,775 sq. ft. of meeting space; 189 guest rooms.

The Junto brings an industrial stay to Columbus’ downtown, with exposed brick and metal accents. The property’s Gear Garage offers various free items for visitors to explore the city, whether via bike, kayak or scooter, or hang with colleagues while listening to records or playing board games.

More than 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting space;198 guest rooms.

 

Take to Northeast Ohio

About two hours northeast of Columbus, visitors to Ohio will find themselves in Akron, a city that offers a relaxed atmosphere paired with numerous places to meet and activities to engage around the meetings.

Downtown Akron is at the heart of the city’s activity, offering attractions like Akron Art Museum, Blu Jazz+ and the 85-mile Ohio Erie and Canalway Towpath Trail, which runs through downtown and leads to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the only national park in the state.

Now in its 30th year, Akron’s John S. Knight Center, named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning editor and publisher of Akron Beacon Journal, is one of the main meeting venues in northeast Ohio. Included in its 123,000 sq. ft. of space are 21 venues, including the 28,000-square-foot exhibit hall, the 11,678-square-foot Goodyear Ballroom and the gallery, the 1,392-square-foot space that provides a conversation-starting background for pre-event chatting.

Around John S. Knight Center are a number of properties, restaurants and activities. One block over is the 71-room Blutique, Akron, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel. The property features space cozy groups will appreciate, with its 1,225 sq. ft. across two spaces. Entertainment isn’t far away; Blue Plate Restaurant and Blu Jazz+, a live music venue, photo gallery, bar and club, are just across the street. The latter offers space for events of up to 150 and can be bought out.

MGM Northfield Park is 30 minutes north of Akron. The facility is replete with entertainment at its 1,820-seat concert-style music hall, four F&B options—including Tap Sports Bar and Concerto Italian Kitchen—and a harness racetrack that is active more than 200 night per year.