SITE: Central Hall Westminster
ADDRESS: Storey's Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9NH
PHONE: +44 20 7222 8010
WEB SITE: www.c-h-w.com
WHAT AND WHERE: Opened in 1912, this historic Edwardian building with its elegant marble foyers and sweeping stairways was regarded as a pioneering achievement in architectural engineering — the ceiling of the Great Hall is one of the largest reinforced concrete domes in the world. Central Hall Westminster served as the venue for the inaugural General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946.
EVENT AREAS: Conference and exhibition center, 15 meeting rooms offering natural daylight and black-out facilities, concert hall, art gallery, cafe and Methodist church. (Note: Alcohol is not allowed.)
SPECIAL SPACES: The Great Hall seats up to 2,350, with the furthest seating only 40 feet from the stage, offering excellent communication opportunities between speakers and audience. As a concert venue, the Great Hall and its adaptable stage can provide a maximum width of 60 feet, and a choir of 220 voices can occupy the seating around the 4,731-pipe organ. The venue offers views of Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
SITE: Stoweflake Resort Conference Center
ADDRESS: 1746 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 05672
PHONE: 802/253-7355
WEB SITE: www.stoweflake.com
WHAT AND WHERE: The largest resort conference center in Vermont, Stoweflake features 17 flexible meeting and function rooms and totals more than 15,000 square feet. The conference center can service groups up to 400 and is serviced by two banquet kitchens, two boardrooms and an atrium reception area. Foodies will want to visit the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory nearby.
EVENT AREAS: The 4,5000-square foot Pinnacle Room, with a seating and reception capacity of up to 400, with 12-foot ceilings and elegantly appointed fixtures as well as spectacular views of the resort's gardens. Also, the 2,600-square-foot Stowe Room and the outdoor courtyard, which accommodates groups of up to 600.
SPECIAL SPACES: Stoweflake's newly opened 50,000-square-foot spa features decor highlighting Vermont's four seasons. It offers 30 treatment rooms, six fireplaces, private lounges and a 10,000-square foot meditative garden and labyrinth.
SITE: Silicon Valley Conference Center
ADDRESS: 2161 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95131
PHONE: 408/967-7000
WEB SITE: www.svconferencecenter.com
WHAT AND WHERE: Located on the campus of online auction giant eBay, one mile from San Jose International Airport, the center comprises 38,000 square feet with 12,000 square feet of interior meeting space.
EVENT AREAS: Eighteen flexible meeting rooms from 400 to 4,400 square feet, along with outdoor event areas including two tennis courts, basketball and sand volleyball courts, and two large patios. The El Camino Ballroom provides 4,460 square feet and seating for up to 450.
SPECIAL SPACES: The center offers extensive VPN capability, wireless high-speed T-1 Internet access, Ku- and C -band satellite and DirectTV broadcast reception, Internet streaming media production, multi-point video conferencing and an on-site IS manager.
SITE: Antlers at Vail
ADDRESS: 680 W. Lionshead Place, Vail, CO 81657
PHONE: 970/476-2471
WEB SITE: www.antlersvail.com
WHAT AND WHERE: Set along the banks of Gore Creek with spectacular views of Vail ski mountain, this 30-year-old center recently completed a $20 million expansion. Antlers caters to small groups, from 10 to 100 people. Chic shopping and dining are within walking distance.
EVENT AREAS: The 2,120 square foot Elk Room; 483-square-foot Board Room; outdoor 4,000-square-foot covered courtyard.
SPECIAL SPACES: Business center, exercise room, outdoor pool, hot tubs, saunas, underground parking.
