Carmel, Indiana
With its strong arts community, walkable city center and frequent festivals, Carmel could easily be confused for the arts district of a major city or a regional hub in its own right.
Clocking in at a total population of just under 86,000 in the 2013 census and garnering the title “Best Place to Live” from CNN Money, Carmel offers meeting planners a big-city atmosphere at suburban prices in this eclectic spot outside Indianapolis.
Beyond the frequent gallery walks, art festivals and dinearounds that keep the energy high in Carmel’s arts district, meeting planners can take advantage of several unique event spaces to showcase Carmel’s singular style.
Ritz Charles event services manages two venues with a variety of indoor-outdoor spaces that can accommodate small and midsized groups in a private parklike atmosphere complete with ponds, fountains and garden trails.
The Coxhall Gardens and Mansion can accommodate up to 120 in the mansion, up to 500 in the covered pavilion or more in the centerpiece amphitheater. The enclosed, four-season Ritz Charles Garden Pavilion holds up to 500, and the 15,000-squarefoot Ritz Charles Ballrooms can be joined to create a flowthrough space for larger events.
Carmel also has two traditional conference centers: a 14,000-square-foot space at the full-service, 253-room Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel and the 22,000-squarefoot 502 East Conference Center, which was under renovation at the time of this printing.
