The Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO shares tips for planning events in the Miami Valley
The Miami Valley can be the best spot for your meeting or event if you know where to look. There is an array of unique venues for you to host and impress your coworkers, employees and patrons. Jacquelyn Powell, the president and CEO of the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), knows better than anyone the best places for these events.
What are some unique venues in the Miami Valley?
Dayton and Montgomery County offer a wonderful assortment of unique meeting venues to inspire and suit every meeting and event planner’s needs. Event attendees can sit in awe beneath the expansive wings of varied military aircraft at the enormous National Museum of the U.S. Air Force™, or in elegance beneath the glass-roof and architecturally graceful walls of the stunning Gothic Cloister in the Dayton Art Institute, among other spaces.
The Citizens Motorcar Company/America’s Packard Museum offers attendees the unique opportunity to sit amongst the largest public collection of Packard Motor Car Company classic automobiles and memorabilia in the U.S. The Cesar Peli-designed Schuster Performing Arts Center provides event attendees with a magical experience in the stunning nearly four-story open, glass-enclosed Wintergarden replete with giant palm trees and stary night skies.
Garden lovers will marvel at the variety of venues that highlight nature and the outdoors from Cox Arboretum MetroPark spaces to Wegerzyn Gardens.
Sports enthusiasts and planners requiring significant seating are impressed by the state-of-the-art University of Dayton Arena which seats 13,400-plus and the James S. Trent Arena in Kettering, which seats 4,400 people.
Dayton and Montgomery County offer so many more unique venues [such as the] Montgomery County Fairgrounds, the Victoria Theatre, Dayton Metro Library, the Dayton Masonic Center, Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, Benham’s Grove and more.
What are the benefits to having your meeting/banquet in a unique venue like an art museum, library or theater?
The benefits of hosting a meeting or event in a unique venue are plentiful. Not only can you showcase the distinctive personality and assets of a community, but you can provide your guests with an unforgettable experience and memory.
What are some tips and tricks for planning a meeting/banquet in the Miami Valley area?
Determine your event needs: How many people will attend your event? How much space do you need? What type of event do you intend to host? Is it a banquet? A reception? A seminar or lecture where your attendees need a classroom set-up or a large lecture hall? A convention or meeting? What is your entire event schedule? What are your event dates and times and are you flexible with those dates and times? Is this a first-time event or do you have event history from hosting this previously? Do you require hotel rooms and how many and for what dates? Are you looking at a specific venue or are you open to options? Do you have a budget in mind? Do you need vendor assistance from companies such as caterers, florists, transportation services, musicians or decorators?
Once you have outlined your event needs, you’re ready to move forward to explore options that may match those needs. If your event requires 10 or more hotel rooms, the staff at the CVB can assist you with collecting bid proposals from event venues as well as hotel bid proposals.
What makes the Miami Valley a good place for hosting a meeting/banquet?
Dayton/Montgomery County is an ideal location to host a meeting or event. Our central location at the “Crossroads of America” (the intersection of Interstate 75 and 70) not only make Dayton easily accessible but allow over 60% of the U.S. population to reach Dayton within a one-day drive. The Dayton International Airport truly offers “easy to and through” experiences and is serviced by the major airlines. In Dayton, your group gets the attention it deserves. You’re a “big fish” in our pond. Dayton is large enough to offer big city amenities yet small enough to provide genuine Midwestern charm and hospitality and detailed attention to your special group event. The nearly 70 hotels and 7,000 hotel rooms in Dayton and Montgomery County provide a vast selection and price points for guests attending your event. In addition to your event, attendees will find there is so much to see and do in Dayton before or after your event.
For a complete list of unique venues available in Dayton and Montgomery County and for complimentary assistance planning your next event, contact the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-221-8235 or log onto its website.
