When you have a conference to plan, it’s tempting to pick a location closest to you. It’s convenient — for you at least — and easy enough to scout out venues. Or, some conference planners stick to a rotation of America’s biggest cities —New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and repeat — simply for the assured hotel space and attraction density. Admittedly, there are benefits to these planning strategies, but by choosing old standbys for conference locations, you’re robbing your attendees and yourself of a fantastic vacation experience.
There are three major tenants of conference location selection:
- The location must have enough space, including a convention center and sufficient accommodation
- The location must provide entertainment outside of the conference
- The location must be affordable
For these three reasons alone, Niagara Falls is an ideal location for any conference.
Space Requirements
While it effectively maintains its small-town feel, Niagara Falls is a major city. While a mere 83,000 year-round residents call Niagara Falls home, an astounding 13 million travelers come to the area every year. As a result, the city has a bevy of excellent hotels, each with its own set of amenities to delight and enchant any visitor. Many of these hotels are equipped with large conference spaces perfect for any size event — from a knitting club meet-up to a multi-thousand attendee convention. It doesn’t take long to find the perfect venue for whatever conference you’re planning.
Outside Entertainment
Above all else, Niagara Falls is a vacation destination. Travelers of all stripes come to Niagara Falls to indulge in the unique sights and sounds of the rushing river. The falls themselves offer hours of adventure, from thrilling tours below and behind the falls to trails winding around the nearby wilderness areas that offer fantastic scenery. The outdoor nut has plenty to explore in the lush forests of the region.
While people may come for the falls, they stay for the city. Niagara Falls is chock full of entertainment and activities to excite everyone in your party. Clifton Hill is a veritable wonderland of excitement, filled with games, music, bars, and more. Encourage your attendees to ride the Ferris wheel or dare them to take a walk through the city’s perennial haunted factory. There’s so much to see, we guarantee one visit won’t be enough.
If you can believe it, that’s not all. The Niagara region provides prime land and climate for growing grapes, and thus world-class vineyards have sprung up offering visitors tastes of delicious, unique wines. Organized winery tours are a popular escape for many travelers to sample award winning wines and taste expertly paired foods.
Affordability
Niagara Falls is most famously a destination for families and newlyweds — a strong indication that the vacation destination is highly wallet-friendly. Groups of any size can certainly find packages that fit well with their budgets but still contain a plethora of dining options and hotel amenities to make a conference trip feel like a well-earned vacation.
This isn’t to say that Niagara Falls is cheap. Travelers certainly have the opportunity to spring for high-class meals or lavish activities. However, in Niagara Falls there are plenty of delicious five-star restaurants that fall well within the average traveler’s means.
If your conference planning is at a standstill while you choose the next location, make your conference a vacation to remember by organizing it in Niagara Falls.