The City of Bridges is making a big splash. Pittsburgh was once the world capitol of steel. Today, it’s a major destination for international business travelers and environmentally concerned meeting planners.
Visit Pittsburgh, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, touts the area as walkable, affordable and livable. It’s situated amid the Alleghany Mountains and boasts 446 bridges. With a population of about 305,000, Pittsburgh sits within a metropolis of more than 2.3 million. University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University are located there, along with an estimated 1,600 high-tech firms. Apple, Autodesk, Facebook and Google have offices in Pittsburgh.
Attractions include Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Flight 93 National Memorial, Carnegie Museum of Art, and August Wilson Center for African American culture. The Duquesne Incline cable car offers amazing views of Pittsburgh. The trolley car’s observation deck sits 400 feet above the city’s three rivers.
For meeting planners, LEEDS-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center provides 313,400 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 77,952 sq. ft. of meeting space with 53 meeting rooms. Westin Convention Center Hotel Pittsburgh offers 616 guest rooms and more than 42,000 sq. ft. of event space, with 23 meeting rooms and breakout spaces. Omni William Penn Hotel has 597 guest rooms, 52,000 sq. ft. of event space and 41 meeting rooms. Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown offers 712 guest rooms, 60,000 sq. ft. of event space, 35 meeting rooms and a ball room that accommodates up to 2,000.
Popular restaurants are Grand Concourse at Station Square, specializing in seafood; Union Standard, focusing on American Northeast cuisine; Hyde Park, a downtown premium steak house; and Meat & Potatoes, a gastro pub with a menu that lives up to its name.
