For groups looking for a distinctly American region rich in history, culture and natural beauty, New England fits the bill.New England is comprised of six states, each with its own character. There is Connecticut with its pretty villages, museums, universities, and antiquing. And Rhode Island, the Ocean State, offers sandy beaches, mansions, vineyards, and boating.
Massachusetts, which extends from the sand bluffs and beaches of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, through the metropolis of Boston to the blue-green mountains of the Berkshires, is home to acclaimed music, dance, and art festivals.
As winter approaches, Vermont boasts 20 alpine resorts to choose from and even more for cross-country skiing. Festive villages dressed for the season and mountains of snow offer limitless opportunities for sleigh rides, snowman building, skating, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, ice climbing, and sledding, Vermont winters should not be missed.
New Hampshire, the Granite State, has dramatic mountainsincluding the imposing Mount Washington skiing and snow sports, as well as lakes and beaches.
Lighthouses are scattered along the rocky, picturesque coast of Maine, with a breathtaking coastline featuring coves, estuaries, bays, and small islands.
Meeting groups will not have trouble incorporating uniquely New England activities into their programs. There are lobster bakes, whale watching, and maple sugaring, to name just a few.
New attractions in the region include the Connecticut Science Center that opened in Hartford, CT, in June. Boston's New England Aquarium recently completed a 20,000-sf addition, the Marine Mammal Center, which is a great site for dinners and receptions. Connecticut's Palace Theater was recently restored and is available for off-site events.
Terri Bouvier, who plans meetings for Marlboro, MA-based Acosta Sales and Marketing Company, a sales and marketing agency that serves manufacturers in the consumer packaged goods industry, planned two unit manager meetings at Church Landing at Mill Falls, NH. Directly on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, Church Landing is one of four inns that make up The Inns & Spa at Mill Falls.
"We typically have this program on the Cape, a beach destination," says Bouvier. "This was a nice change of pace. The group loved it. They thought it was absolutely beautiful."
From golf to spa treatments to fishing on the lake, the group enjoyed their time in New Hampshire, she adds.
The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development has launched three new websites for coordinating meetings and events. The site designed for the meetings market is www.meetings.visitnh.gov; this one-stop-shopping micro-site will help planners find the appropriate New Hampshire venue for their group.
Meetings professionals will be hard pressed to find another destination like New Englandone that offers such a multitude of settings. From history to culture to natural beauty, these six states offer much to appeal to groups both large and small.
Originally published Jan. 1, 2010For more ideas, tips, and tools for better meetings and events,
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