Annapolis
With just under 40,000 people, Maryland’s capital, Annapolis, has the feel of a big town. But due to the meetings state and regional government bring in, it enjoys the amenities of a major city and is set between two different waterfronts: the Chesapeake Bay and the Severn River. While the city doesn’t have a convention center, the CVB encourages planners to use meeting spaces in multiple hotels or historic venues to allow their group to get to know the city between sessions.
Historically, Annapolis’ location where the river meets the bay has given it incredibly strategic importance, and the area has been settled since 1654, giving groups a plethora of options for historic meeting venues and tours today. The 1760s William Paca House and Garden has multiple options for indoor meetings as well as the opportunity to hold a reception in the sweeping, terraced pleasure garden. The 1774 James Brice House can accommodate up to 60 seated and 70 standing in its east wing. Historic London Town and Gardens, a living-history museum on the edge of town, also offers indoor historic-home meeting space, outdoor gardens and boat trips from the pier in a setting that works well for team-building activities with the site’s re-enactors.
www.visitannapolis.org
Ocean City
Ocean City’s strongest selling point as a meeting location can also make it a hard sell to attendees. Though its draw is its 10-mile coastline of free Atlantic beaches lined with three miles of bustling boardwalk, its location on Maryland’s Atlantic Coast makes it a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Baltimore. Ocean City’s airport is served by American Airlines with flights from Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
One of the city’s biggest draws for groups is the 214,000-square-foot Roland E. Powell Convention Center, which can book two to three years in advance for large groups. Parking at the convention center is free, and event attendees can show their badges around town for free bus service, exclusive happy-hour pricing and other deals with local restaurants. In 2015, the center also added a multi-tiered 1,200-seat performing-arts center suitable for general sessions and large lectures.
Among Ocean City’s hotels, which include the Hilton Suites Ocean City as well as many historic independent properties like the Princess Royale, the Carousel, and the water-view Dunes Manor, which just completed a major renovation, the city has 9,500 rooms and 28,000 condo rentals available.
www.ococean.com
