Courtesy Terre Haute
Like many of Indiana’s cities, Terre Haute is an easy drive from major metropolitan areas. It’s 175 miles from Chicago, 77 miles from Indianapolis, 185 miles from Cincinnati and 168 miles from St. Louis.
But it’s far enough away to retain a small-town sensibility. “It’s a comfortable kind of town,” said Jeanne Stanbaugh, assistant executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s friendly, and everyone treats you like you’ve been here before.”
It’s also a college kind of town. Indiana State University, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and St. Mary-of-the-Woods reside here.
“Each is available for meetings of different sizes,” said David Patterson, executive director. “They have full-service capabilities in terms of food and all the amenities.”
Indiana State University, for example, can do a meeting for 15 or a dinner banquet for 1,200, said Judy Price, assistant director for conferences and event services. Hulman Memorial Student Union has two floors of meeting space and ground-floor banquet facilities.
Tirey Hall, which houses the Heritage Lounge and Ballroom, is near a 109-room Hilton Garden Inn, a combination that appeals to many planners, Price said.
The Hilton is also near St. Mary-of-the-Woods, whose Le Fer Hall ballroom and garden can seat about 250 people each. Smaller meetings opt for the Woods Conference Center in Hulman Hall, a suite of rooms with two 40-person classrooms. The center has its own restroom, lounge and adjoining kitchen/dining area.
In case you’re wondering, the Hulmans are a prominent local family. Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. grew the family business by promoting its top product, Clabber Girl baking powder.
He also bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and helped create the Indianapolis 500.
“We have great places to eat and a lot of history,” Stanbaugh said.
They come together at the Clabber Girl Bakeshop Museum and Country Store, which offers event facilities and team building. Boards can have a homemade breakfast in the bake shop, meet in a 10-person boardroom and then cook their own lunch or dinner during a culinary course taught by a staff chef.
800-366-3042
www.terrehaute.com
