Niagara Falls USA
The American side of Niagara Falls is characterized by outdoor adventure. Within 400-acre Niagara Falls State Park, groups can explore 12 miles of trails. The iconic Maid of the Mist boards from the American side; visitors descend the 230-foot observation tower before cruising near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Jet boats navigate through the Niagara River gorge and Class V rapids. At Cave of the Winds, groups don sandals and ponchos for close-up views of the American and Bridal Veil falls.
Just steps from the state park, the IATC-certified Conference and Events Center offers flexible meeting space: space for up to 4,000 guests for receptions and 3,000 for theater-style events and a 2,500-seat classroom space. Across from the center, the 392-room Sheraton at the Falls has 8,671 square feet of meeting space. This fall, a 197-room DoubleTree by Hilton will open with meeting capacity for 500 people.
“For events, the Niagara Power Project Power Vista opened in June, and this interactive, state-of-the-art attraction has stunning views of the gorge, plus meeting and dining facilities for 300 guests,” said Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation’s director of marketing and communications, Julie Gilbert. “Niagara Wine Trail also hosts meetings and events in their unique spaces.”
Lake Placid
The Adirondacks cover 6 million acres, and the mountain town of Lake Placid has hosted the winter Olympics twice, in 1932 and 1980. Groups can tour Olympic sites and experience ski jumps, take a bobsled ride and possibly see Olympic athletes train. Walkers love the 2.7-mile paved pathway around Mirror Lake. Adjacent to Mirror Lake, Main Street is lined with trendy shops and restaurants.
“The experience in Lake Placid includes a myriad of activities, from hiking and biking to fishing,” said Maryjane Lawrence, director of sales, service and operations at the conference center for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. “We’re an outdoor enthusiast’s destination.”
On Main Street, the gold LEED-certified Conference Center at Lake Placid opened in 2011 and boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, a third-floor deck where guests can see five Olympic venues, 212 breakout rooms, a 9,000-square-foot ballroom and a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall, all attached to the Olympic Center. According to Lawrence, plenty of three- to five-star accommodations are within a quarter-mile from the conference center, and most face the lake with mountain views. Off-site events include an alpine ski jump site with aerial pool show, extreme tubing, gondola rides to mountainside barbecues and team building at the Olympic Center.
