There’s no doubt that stories of champion athletes and famous musicians can be motivational. Their tales of perseverance and striving to overcome obstacles to reach the peak of their profession can resonate with anyone working to succeed in a career. At these venues, meeting-goers can get inspired by exhibits and collectibles that pay tribute to legendary hall of famers.
National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
Hit your event out of the ballpark by incorporating a visit to National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum into a Cooperstown, New York, meeting. The newly renovated, 189-seat Grandstand Theater reopens on May 25. Meeting professionals can hire one of the inductees to speak at a meeting held at The Otesaga Resort Hotel or play a round of golf at Leatherstocking Golf Course. The hotel offers 132 guest rooms and 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. They offer a special Baseball VIP Experience Package, which gives guests entrance to a welcome reception, a behind-the-scenes tour and admission to a catered event at the museum.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Events held at Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, are sure to be a slam dunk. The hardwood transforms into a magnificent ballroom, accented by a domed roof and balcony. Event space totals more than 80,000 sq. ft. throughout the building, including a 200-seat amphitheater. Team-building activities are also offered. The much-anticipated MGM Springfield opens later this year with 250 guest rooms and 44,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
College Football Hall of Fame
Attendees will be doing their best touchdown dances in the end zone at College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Your draft picks will feel like the MVPs that they are as they explore the exhibits. The Quad, which has a three-story interactive wall of helmets as its focal point, can accommodate up to 600 guests for a reception in the 8,133 square-foot space. Tailgate on the 45-yard indoor field. This is the facility’s largest venue, at 13,280 sq. ft., and can fit 1,330 people. Go over your plays and give your team a pep talk in the 150-seat Game Day Theater. The exquisite Hall of Fame Rotunda offers views of Atlanta’s skyline and 3,627 sq. ft. of event space for up to 300 guests. Omni Hotel at CNN Center is the official partner hotel. Meeting professionals will find 1,059 guest rooms and 120,000 sq. ft. of meeting space there.
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Court guests at Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Its 2,000-square-foot Horseshoe Piazza forms a semicircle around the museum’s signature grass court, where guests can be entertained by an old-fashioned tennis exhibition by players dressed in throwback court attire. Attendees will enjoy the essence of Wimbledon. Additional meeting space is available in the USTA Wing and The Canfield House. The area has four convention hotels—Newport Marriott, Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina, The Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina and Hotel Viking—offering more than 900 guest rooms and 70,000 sq. ft. of combined meeting space.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Party like a rock star all day long in Cleveland at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. During a buyout, groups of up to 2,000 people can enjoy access to the museum’s seven floors of exhibits, plus its outdoor plaza. There are also options for smaller meetings. Hall of Fame annex can fit 40 guests for a meeting amid induction footage and in-memoriam tributes. Foster Theater is a great space for presentations and lectures; it can accommodate 163 people. Level O, which fits up to 150 guests for a reception, overlooks Lake Erie, FirstEnergy Stadium and Steamship William G. Mather. The Arcade is a small hospitality suite with a pinball machine for up to 10 people.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame can create custom-themed scavenger hunts for team-building and provides meetings with badges on a custom lanyard, so guests feel like they have an all-access pass to a concert. The Hilton Cleveland Downtown provides planners with 600 guest rooms and more than 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The hotel is connected to Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
Country Music Hall of Fame
Grab a partner and do-si-do at Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The museum has a wide range of event spaces ranging in size from a 758-square-foot private dining room to an 11,000-square-foot glass-enclosed conservatory. There’s also a massive event hall with capacity for 1,200 guests. If your meeting includes a performance or presentation, Country Music Hall of Fame has two theaters. Buyouts of the entire place are also available. Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center has 2,715 guest rooms and 757,478 sq. ft. of meeting space.
