West Chester Township is one of 13 townships in Butler County, Ohio, just outside downtown Cincinnati. The county provides a convenient midway point between Dayton and Cincinnati for meeting groups, who can take advantage of the affordable rates in town while enjoying major attractions nearby. Both the Dayton International Airport and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport are within a 45-minute drive.
“A lot of people think of it as an extension of Cincinnati, but it still has its own distinct culture,” said Margaret O’Gorman, tourism development manager at the Butler County Visitors Bureau.
In addition to the township’s accessibility, many meeting planners appreciate the level of attention and consideration they receive when working with representatives from the Butler County Visitors Bureau.
“In West Chester, groups get to be the center of attention, whereas in a larger city, they might be overwhelmed or overlooked,” said O’Gorman. “From a meetings perspective, it’s great, because they’re with the same person throughout the event.”
Many of the county’s top developments have emerged during the past 10 years thanks to increased traffic from Interstate 75, which was widened along the route from West Chester to Middletown in 2010. Two years ago, West Chester opened the first Topgolf location in the state, a multilevel golfing and entertainment facility that features a wide range of competitive games. Meeting groups can hone their team-building skills at one of the local Escape Room attractions or visit Main Event Entertainment for an engaging mix of activities like bowling, laser tag and indoor ropes courses. For a more educational after-hours experience, travelers can delve into the history of broadcasting at the Voice of America Museum or witness the world’s largest indoor model-train display at Entertrainment Junction.
Butler County is also home to Ohio’s Donut Trail, a series of 12 mom-and-pop doughnut shops that each carry their own unique flavors.
“A lot of groups incorporate the trail into their event, like having a doughnuts-and-draughts food tasting at opening receptions,” said O’Gorman. “We had one team who did a scavenger hunt.”
Savannah Center
The Savannah Center is one of the region’s premier meeting facilities, accommodating anywhere between 10 and 1,700 guests with 44,000 square feet of flexible exhibit space. Outside the center, groups can enjoy a beautiful gazebo, two gardens and a five-acre lake that is used to heat and cool the entire building using geothermal technology. There are also various catering options available from the on-site catering team led by award-winning executive chef Henry Warman. Parking and internet services are complimentary.
