CAMBRIDGE, Ohio - Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers offer some of the region's most spectacular surroundings for vacationers, but they also offer things that can make a meeting special.
"If you simply want a room with a projector and seats, we recommend you proceed to the hotel closest to your office," said Mia Bell, regional sales director for Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers. "On the other hand, if you want seclusion, special activities and distinctive surroundings, consider a state park resort."
To make meetings more memorable, and thus more effective, Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers offers these 10 tips.
1. Take advantage of what the area has to offer. For example, consider a clam bake on the beach instead of a typical chicken-or-fish banquet if you are staying at Maumee Bay. Or think about staging a bonfire with a three-piece acoustical group at Mohican.
2. Don't assume the park is full. The Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers can often accommodate groups on short notice, especially during the week. Naturally, smaller groups have the best chance of booking a short-notice meeting.
3. Consider alternate sites. If your meeting attendees are flying into any major Ohio airport, there are probably several parks within a reasonable driving distance. Flying into Columbus, for example, puts meeting attendees within an easy drive of Mohican or Salt Fork. Just a half hour farther way is Burr Oak.
4. Work with the sales staffs when booking a meeting. For single rooms, the toll-free central reservations number (1-800-AT-A-PARK) is best. Each individual property, however, has a professional conference planner on staff who is well-versed in the key areas of activities, food and beverage, themes, meeting space, audio/visual and others.
5. Work with the sales staff to develop a meeting theme. Our meeting planners love a challenge, and they treat every meeting as special. Conference staff at Ohio State Parks can also find a variety of tools and props. They also know local talent such as musicians, singers, dancers, actors, naturalists, lecturers and more who can add those special touches.
6. Different dates can mean better rates. Sometimes minor adjustments can result in tremendous savings. A good example would be to check in on a Sunday night instead of Monday. Ask what dates would be available at a better rate if your dates are flexible.
7. Develop a mental picture of the event. The best way to accomplish this goal is to ask questions. The better you know the itinerary, locations of the meeting rooms and the people involved, the clearer the picture becomes.
8. Get everybody involved. Golf is a great game and the most popular sporting activity for meetings, but a lot of people never learned the game and still do not play. MaumeeBay's golf course offers a package for non-players to take lessons and play a nine-hole round. Those who want to play a full 18-hole round simply tee off and do so while the rest can still learn the game, have fun and not feel intimidated.
9. Learn something new. Sure, meetings are usually inherently geared toward professional development, but the state parks can tell tremendous stories about local geology, history and culture. Mohican, for example, is located in the heart of Amish country and there are a variety of museums and other attractions in the area. Let the resort shuttle your group from Maumee Bay to the casinos in Detroit or to a Toledo Mudhens baseball game.
10. Don't limit yourself to four walls. A meeting does not have to be held in a meeting room. You can hold a session in a pavilion, a picnic area or numerous scenic spots. The resorts partner with professional teamwork development organizations that provide can stage a variety of programs on resort grounds.
To learn more about individual properties or to make reservations, visit www.atapark.com or call 1-800-AT-A-PARK.
Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers are located throughout the state within an easy drive of many major metropolitan areas in Ohio, Southern Michigan and Western Pennsylvania. Mohican State Park Resort near Loudonville, for example, is an hour from Columbus, Cleveland and Akron. Maumee Bay State Park Resort in Oregon is a half hour from Toledo. Salt Fork State Park Resort is located only two hours from Pittsburgh via Interstate 70. Punderson Manor State Park Resort in Newbury is 30 minutes from Cleveland. BurrOakState Park in Glouster is just two hours from Columbus. Hueston Woods in College Corner is 45 minutes from Dayton. And ShawneeState Park in Friendship is located two hours from Cincinnati.
Individual Ohio State Park Resorts & Conference Centers
Burr Oak State Park Resort & Conference Center, Glouster (near Athens), www.burroakresort.com, 1-740-767-2112.
Hueston Woods State Park Resort & Conference Center, College Corner (near Cincinnati and Dayton), www.huestonwoodsresort.com, 1-513-523-6381.
Maumee Bay State Park Resort & Conference Center, Oregon (near Toledo), www.maumeebayresort.com, 1-419-836-1466.
Mohican State Park Resort & Conference Center, Perrysville, (near Akron, Mansfield), www.mohicanresort.com, 1-419-938-5411.
Punderson Manor State Park Resort & Conference Center, Newbury, (near Cleveland), www.pundersonmanorresort.com, 1-440-564-9144.
Salt Fork State Park Resort & Conference Center, Cambridge, (near Zanesville), www.saltforkresort.com, 1-740-439-2751.
Shawnee State Park Resort & Conference Center, Friendship, (near Portsmouth), www.shawneelodgeresort.com, 1-740-858-6621.
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Xanterra Parks & Resorts (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest national park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Petrified Forest and Everglades national parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L. C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit: www.xanterra.com.
Media Contact:
Mona Mesereau
1-720-842-5271
mona_mesereau@msn.com