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If you’ve been welcomed to your conference hotel by a 12-foot toy duck or an 84-inch saw blade, you’ve been to Eugene, Oregon, home to the University of Oregon Ducks and a history of logging.
While storytelling starts at Eugene’s two main conference hotels, it doesn’t end there. By creating experiences that take meeting attendees into the community to meet locals, the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region share how they achieve sustainability, accessibility, inclusivity and diversity.
Hotels Celebrate Local Traditions
The local vibe enlivens Eugene’s two largest conference hotels, the Graduate by Hilton Eugene and the Valley River Inn.
“Through their décor and design, these hotels tell the story of who we are and provide an experience attendees won’t get anywhere else,” says J.B. Carney of Eugene, Cascades & Coast.
Like other hotels in the Graduate by Hilton chain, the Graduate by Hilton Eugene’s décor riffs on the local school’s traditions, starting with that jaunty toy duck but not stopping there. School colors of green and yellow dominate, tons of university photos and memorabilia decorate. There’s also a wall of vintage Nikes, a salute to the athletic shoemaker, which got its start in Eugene.
With 275 rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space, the Graduate by Hilton Eugene is the city’s largest conference hotel. The Graduate chain was just recently acquired by Hilton, a plus for Hilton Honors members. Hilton is also the official hotel chain of the Big 10 Conference, which now includes the University of Oregon.
At longtime local favorite the Valley River Inn, a complete multi-million-dollar renovation will soon wrap up. Next to the Willamette River, the hotel’s restaurant, covered deck and many of its 259 guest rooms afford water views. And even as its décor was beautifully updated, historic aspects like the massive sawblade, wood beams and handsome brickwork have been preserved. The hotel has 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
Experiences to Enlighten
When it comes to sharing stories, the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region go beyond accommodations, as those who attended recent Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit and One West Education Summit conferences can attest. For those conferences, Eugene, Cascades & Coast staff arranged varied experiences for attendees to choose from like a walking tour of downtown murals, guided by a local leader who talked about how the community collaborated to add 20 murals to downtown Eugene or a tour of a small grain mill that focused on sustainable farming and community support of small business. Other experiences included explorations of indigenous influences at local cultural and art museums and of Black culture with a presentation by Oregon Black Pioneers and a walking tour of sites tied to Black resilience and activism. Another tour delved into biodynamic wine making at one of the region’s largest wineries, a nod to Oregon’s worldwide reputation for wines.
“Our goal at Eugene, Cascades & Coast is to share how much we work toward being a sustainable, accessible and inclusive region, and strive to create unique and impactful experiences for event attendees,” says Carney. “We put the distinctive qualities of our region front and center.”
For more information, please contact:
Eugene, Cascades & Coast
J.B. Carney
541-743-8757
541-484-5307 (Main)
