24 September 2009

Not-so-small potatoes for meetings

The state of Idaho brings to mind potatoes, according to the 82 percent who came up with that image in a poll by the state’s tourism board. But what about meetings in what has been known as the "Gem State?"

"It is Idaho’s great outdoors and wonderful landscapes that continue to attract more than 20 million visitors annually—the same open air that provides an added recreation bonus for meeting attendees," says the state tourism board in a new push for meeting business.

The board says there are outdoor recreation sites and meeting venues found nowhere else amidst a temperate climate that allows for year-round outdoor activities.

The state’s largest city of Boise is its capital and home to more than 200,000 residents. "Boiseans love to be outdoors, so there are many parks and restaurants with outdoor dining," said Laurie McCommell, communications manager for the Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau.

For large groups, the Boise Centre on the Grove has 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space, a 349-seat auditorium and 20 meeting rooms. Located downtown in Boise’s public plaza (also known as The Grove Plaza), the convention center is just steps from restaurants, shops and approximately 1,000 guest rooms.

The center is also conveniently located just four miles from the Boise Airport

By David Wilkening