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ADVERTISING SECTION
Meeting
and Conference Destinations:
Blue Ridge Region
CONFERENCE
FACILITIES
Southwest Virginia Higher
Education Center
P.O. Box 1987
One Partnership Circle
Abingdon, VA 24212
276-619-4300
www.swcenter.edu
Contact: Deborah Bourne, director of facility & special
events
alkonnerski@msn.com
The Southwest Virginia
Higher Education Center provides more than
60,000 square
feet of conference space in its flexible rooms.
At 13,000 square feet, the center’s Grand
Hall can accommodate 800 people for a banquet,
1,200 people for a theater-style meeting or
1,500
people for a reception. The center also offers
access to classrooms and computer labs, in
addition
to its well-appointed conference rooms, which
are equipped with projection screens, TV/VCRs,
and overhead projectors. The center also has
a
catering kitchen and a tiered Executive Auditorium
that provides luxury seating for 100 people.
The center’s high-tech
conference environment provides a state-of-the-art
fiber
optic network for video Web-streaming and global
video-conferencings, as well as broad band
Internet
connections for trade show displays and presentations.
Located in historic Abingdon,
the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center
is close to the four-star Martha Washington Inn
and the Barter Theater. The area offers many craft
shops, art galleries and restaurants. Outdoor
activities include hiking, biking, fishing, boating
and golfing.
Blue Ridge Travel Association
P.O. Box 2589
Abingdon, VA 24212
276-619-5003
www.virginiablueridge.org
Contact: Beverly Matda
alkonnerski@msn.com
Abingdon Convention and
Visitors Bureau
335 Cummings Street
Abingdon, VA 24210
276-676-2282
800-435-3440
www.abingdon.com/tourism
Contact: Steve Galyean, CTIS, director of tourism
acvb@abingdon.com
Bristol Convention & Visitors
Bureau
P.O. Box 519
Bristol, VA 24203
423-989-4850
www.bristolchamber.org
Contact: Matt Bolas, executive director
mbolas@bristolchamber.org
tourism@bristolchamber.org
Wytheville Convention
and Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 533
Wytheville, VA 24382
276-223-3355
visitwytheville.org
Contact: Rosa Lee Jude, director of public information,
tourism
cvb@wytheville.org
TOP
OF THE MEETINGS
For those seeking serenity, the Blue Ridge Region
of Virginia offers a fresh perspective . . . and
plenty of variety . . . for business meetings
and retreats.
Pristine views from the Blue
Ridge Mountains, cool comfortable valleys, historic
downtowns, outdoor recreation and peaceful lakes
combine to create an inspiring setting for gatherings.
The official birthplace of country
music, the region also offers a host of music,
art and entertainment options for guests.
The area’s strategic location
places it within a day’s drive of more
than 70% of the U.S. population and it is accessible
by air and bus service.
The Blue Ridge area is able to
meet a variety of preferences and needs, offering:
state-of-the-art conference facilities with tradeshow
capabilities; satellite teleconferencing, and
high-tech fiber optics; the charm of a historic
hotel with Southern hospitality; or a rustic retreat
for corporate getaways and team building.
Conference facilities
are now incorporated into several public parks,
including
Hungry Mother State Park, Natural Tunnel State
Park and Breaks Interstate Park. More refined
amenities are available at Mountain Lake Resort,
Doe Run Lodge, Primland Resort, Martha Washington
Inn, Viking Hall Civic Center and the Holiday
Inn & Suites Convention Center. Colleges
and Universities also provide meeting facilities,
including those at Radford University and at
the
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. A
new meeting/recreation center is planned for
bids
this year and estimated to be open in late 2006
or early 2007 in Wytheville.
A completely different venue,
the new 250-seat room at the Bristol Motor Speedway,
as well as a larger convention center is now available.
Golf courses, wineries, shopping
centers, theaters, historical attractions and
myriad of outdoor recreation, musical entertainment
and the Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway, contribute
to the attractiveness of holding conventions in
the Blue Ridge.
AIRPORT
Tri-Cities Regional Airport
Both jet and regional air carrier service with
connections to hundreds of worldwide destinations
are available at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport,
which serves as a gateway to East Tennessee, Southwest
Virginia, Western North Carolina and parts of
Kentucky.
Carriers are Delta, US Airways, American Airlines,
Northwest Airlines. Car rental agencies at the
airport include Avis, Budget, CAS, Enterprise,
Hertz, Ideal, National.
TOP ATTRACTIONS
Barter Theatre, The State
Theatre of Virginia
Birthplace of Country
Music Alliance Museum
In 1927, the first recordings of country music
- the “Big Bang of Country Music - occurred
in downtown Bristol. The BCMA Museum celebrates
these recordings with displays and music honoring
the pioneers of traditional Appalachian music.
The BCMA Pickin’ Porch is held every Thursday
and features bluegrass and traditional bands,
and is broadcast on the radio.
Fields-Penn 1860 House
Museum
Beagle Ridge Herb Farm
Historic Downtown Bristol
Revitalized downtown historic district featuring
turn-of-century architecture, specialty and antique
shops, dining, and cultural opportunities. The “Bristol Sign” which
is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places spans
the state line dividing Tennessee and Virginia
along State Street in downtown Bristol.
Big Walker Lookout
Bristol Motor
Speedway & Dragway
Home of the “World’s fastest half-mile
track” and host to Nextel Cup and Busch
Series NASCAR events in March and August, the
Dragway hosts NHRA and special events. Daily tours
of the famous high banks of Bristol’s oval
track and dragway are available.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots
Reunion
This music festival is an annual event held on
downtown State Street in September featuring a
variety of musical bands, from bluegrass to celtic
in several downtown venues.
Bristol Caverns
Cavern chambers feature geologic formations and
year-round temperature of 56-60 degrees along
paved walkways. They are the largest caverns in
the Smoky Mountain Region and are more than 200
million years old.
Birthplace of Tennessee
Ernie Ford
Home to the nationally-renown entertainer, it
is garnished throughout with memorabilia of his
career. Call in advance for appointment.
Haller-Gibboney Rock House
Museum
Galewinds Amusement Park
New River Trail State
Park/Shot Tower
Nyumba Ya Tausi Peacock
Museum
Permanent exhibits
of African and African American art, artifacts,
black memorabilia, and slavery and family heirlooms.
Steele Creek
Park & Nature Center
More than 2,200 acres of natural beauty along
25 miles of hiking trails, picnicking, and golfing.
Also features a half-mile scenic train ride, nature
center, and lakeside pier for fishing and paddleboats.
Thomas J. Boyd Museum
The Arts Depot
Virginia City & Gem
Mine
Virginia Creeper Trail
William King Regional
Arts Center
White’s
Mill
Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner
Theater
Wolf Creek Indian Village
and Museum
PUBLIC
GOLF COURSES
Big Hollow Par III
423-323-6615
Cedars Golf Course
423-989-0064
Clear Creek Golf Club
276-466-4833
Draper Valley Golf Club
540-980-4653
Galewinds Golf Course
276-228-7719
Greenway Creek Golf Course
276- 429-2626
Old Island Golf Course
423-279-9110
Steele Creek Golf Course & Driving
Range
423-764-6411
Steeplechase Golf Course
276- 628-7501
SHOPPING
Downtown Abingdon Historic District
Shops
Dixie Pottery
Decorator District
Factory merchants Outlet mall
Wytheville Commons
Downtown Wytheville
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