With numerous big-name restaurants, hotels and stores coming online in recent years, Dunwoody is a new small town in Georgia that packs a big punch.
“You can spend days attempting to experience everything we have to offer,” said Kim Trawick, marketing coordinator for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody, Georgia. “It’s our shopping and dining opportunities that bring in people from all over.”
Dunwoody even has its own smartphone application to help you explore them. It’s easy to see why it has a leg up on the competition when it comes to convenience for those in the meeting planning industry.
Add to those new amenities a modern transportation infrastructure and proximity to Atlanta — Dunwoody is about 15 miles north — and it almost seems like this town was designed for group meetings. Officially incorporated as a town in 2008, Dunwoody is one of the newest cities in the state.
However, don’t let the custom technology or the city’s recent birthdate have you confused about its place in history; the city has a rich Native American and pioneer lineage and is still a small town at heart.
So if you are looking to host a meeting with big-city convenience but small-town feel, Dunwoody could be your match. Dunwoody is easy to reach by way of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a mere 30 minutes south of the town center, or by Interstates 75 or 85 — the two sandwich it.
Hotel Hosts
Dunwoody has numerous hotel rooms with meeting space and business amenities for guests. The Embassy Suites offers meeting amenities and a Manager’s Reception every evening with complimentary beverages.
Le Meridien Atlanta features stylish, clean lines throughout, from lobby to bar to bedrooms. For groups, Le Meridien caters to creative guests, offering naturally lit meeting rooms as well as equipped spaces outdoors.
Crowne Plaza of Dunwoody has 32,000 square feet of event space built around a series of cascading waterfalls. Set away from the sprawl, the Crowne Plaza is surrounded by 10 acres of wooded land that has walking trails snaking throughout.
One-Stop Shop
If your conference is large, multiday or involves many moving parts, the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center has the space and staff to accommodate attendees’ needs. With 18,400 square feet of meeting space, this hotel can accommodate up to 550 people for conferences, and that’s just in the grand ballroom.
The Marriott Perimeter Center offers a free shuttle service to area attractions and to the MARTA public transportation system, which will have meeting-goers to downtown Atlanta in no time.
And that big-city feel in Dunwoody? The Marriott delivers with an ultramodern foyer, Art Deco-inspired dining areas and comfortable guest rooms.
Much at Steak
If a conference has to be top-notch and top-class, Fleming’s Steakhouse is an outside-the-box choice. It may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of meeting places, but this isn’t your small-town barbecue pit — more than 100 wines by the glass and the finest USDA beef will have clients and co-workers leaving impressed.
With three different private dining rooms you can book that accommodate 24, 36 and 60 heads, respectively, Fleming’s offers options for all-day events as well as shorter hourly seminars. Never thought you could videoconference with clients in Tokyo from the dining room of a restaurant? Fleming’s will prove you wrong. Cisco Wi-Fi and videoconferencing packages are available for business meetings of any size.
Millennial Town, Millennial Space
Arguably the best conference space in Dunwoody for smaller groups is Roam, a venue that is full of fresh ideas. It’s part of a new family of nationally trending workspaces designed to foster creativity by allowing multiple start-up companies and individuals to work in a shared building.
Roam is part event venue, part coffee shop, part office space, with room for groups as small as two or as large as 200. Central areas with sofas, conversation nooks and dining-room-style tables designed for team projects ensure that attendees’ time will be productive and comfortable. Videoconferencing, wireless Internet and the ability to bring in catering are just a few of the amenities the space offers.
