Fact Sheet: Philadelphia Meetings And Conventions
HOTELSMore than 30 available hotel brands with many price options.
16,000 rooms in the Philadelphia area, including 10,200 rooms in Center City (downtown Philadelphia)?7,800 of these rooms are within walking distance of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 3,000 within half a block.
Additionally, more than 3,000 hotel rooms at Philadelphia International Airport and in nearby New Jersey, only six miles from Center City Philadelphia.
More than 280,000 total square feet of meeting space in Center City hotels.
PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER
More than 440,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 33,000 square-foot Ballroom and 50 meeting rooms.
Expansion of the center will result in one million square feet of saleable space, the largest contiguous exhibit space in the Northeast at 541,000 square feet; and the largest convention center ballroom on the East Coast at 60,000 square feet.
Connected indoors to a Hard Rock Caf, the Reading Terminal Market, FedEx Kinko?s, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel.
Free high-speed wireless technology in public spaces throughout the convention center and Reading Terminal Market.
Largest permanent collection of art in a building of its kind.
Home to the world-famous Philadelphia Flower Show and Mummers Fancy Brigade Finale.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS?MOST AVAILABLE FOR
OFF-SITE VENUES
The Barnes Foundation, which houses one of the world?s finest collections of French early Modern and Post Impressionist paintings, is moving from its current location in Merion, PA, to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Date TBD.
The King Tutankhamun Exhibit will be at The Franklin Institute, February 3 - September 30, 2007. Philadelphia is one of only three U.S. venues chosen to host this prestigious exhibit.
Big Cat Falls at the Philadelphia Zoo, scheduled to open in Spring 2006, will provide a state-of-the-art, naturalistic new home to more than a dozen big cats, including majestic African lions, leopards, jaguars, mountain lions, snow leopards and tigers.
The newly opened Adventure Aquarium houses a variety of exhibits, including the West African River Experience featuring hippopotamuses, free-flying birds and crocodiles; a 4-D theater where visitors can experience the wonders of the deep sea; Penguin Island featuring 20 African penguins; and a new interactive, immersive exhibit featuring sharks.
Revolutionizing the meeting experience, The Hub CityView offers flexible meeting and event space in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, providing hourly room rental in a professional environment, LCD projectors, high-speed connectivity and long-distance calling.
Throughout 2006 Philadelphia will celebrate the 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, one of the country?s most remarkable founding fathers. The celebration will focus on the world premiere of the international traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. The exhibit runs through April 30, 2006 at the National Constitution Center and features the largest collection of Franklin materials ever assembled.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art will host Andrew Wyeth: Memory and Magic, March 26 - July 16, 2006. Approximately one hundred tempera paintings, watercolors and drawings, many from the personal collection of Betsy and Andrew Wyeth, will be seen or shown together for the first time.
DINING AND NIGHTLIFE
More than 200 restaurants in Center City offer a variety of dining options, from cheesesteak favorites Pat?s and Geno?s to neighborhood bistros and BYOB?s to Five-star establishments such as Le Bec-Fin.
Philadelphia is home to wildly successful restaurant magnate Stephen Starr?s 12 concept restaurants, such as Buddakan, Morimoto, Barclay Prime and Striped Bass.
Dozens of lounges, bars, clubs and restaurants boast both locally and nationally known DJs and provide visitors with a taste of Philadelphia?s vibrant nightlife.
World Caf Live features a live music venue for adults to enjoy. The multi-level space contains two separate listening venues, a casual, bistro-style dining and concert room, a music store and WXPN?s radio studios.
Coming Soon . . . House of Blues is scheduled to open a 500- to 600-seat club, restaurant and private dining room at The Grande, 15th and Chestnut streets, only five blocks from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) is the city?s official sales arm, responsible for booking business in the Philadelphia region and the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The PCVB has three divisions that reach out to specific markets, including:
o The Greater Philadelphia Life Sciences Congress (GPLSC) works to attract major health care, biotech and life sciences meetings and conventions to Philadelphia by capitalizing on Philadelphia?s wealth of resources. One-third of all conventions in Philadelphia are health care-related. The GPLSC and the Nursing Committee even have their own speakers bureau that includes
local physicians, nursing leaders and health care experts who are readily available to meeting planners.
o The Multicultural Affairs Congress represents a cross-section of Philadelphia?s racially and ethnically diverse communities and works to increase Philadelphia?s share of national multicultural meetings and conventions. A shared study by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) found that by 2009, the multicultural market will be worth $1.9 trillion.
o The Philadelphia Sports Congress works as a facilitator and sports clearinghouse for the city, helping to pitch new business and make the most of current sports opportunities for Philadelphia. Philadelphia will host the 2006, 2008 and 2009 Army/Navy Games; 2006 NCAA Men?s Lacrosse Championships (the highest attended NCAA championship); and the 2006 American Cup, one of the most prestigious international gymnastics events.
To book a convention in Philadelphia, call 1-800-CALL-PHL or visit www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Independence Visitor Center, 6th and Market streets, 215/965-7676. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 7 p.m. during the summer months). Closed Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day.
Visit www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel for up-to-the-minute information on visiting Philadelphia.
About the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Who we are: The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB), www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets.
Our mission: To generate economic impact and job growth by increasing the region's hotel occupancy and revenues, while concurrently affecting other diverse segments of the hospitality industry. To do whatever it takes to attract ethnically diverse regional, national and international convention and tourism customers through creative sales, marketing and communications efforts. To deliver exceptional service and experiences for all, ensuring repeat business across market segments. To increase the quality of life for all our citizens, stakeholders, and visitors by supporting the region's vibrant arts and entertainment, historic, cultural, retail, restaurant, and sports venues.
