Located at the intersection of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, Parkersburg is the third largest city in West Virginia. Once a hub for the oil and gas industry following the surprise discovery of a deep petroleum well in the 19th-century, Parkersburg today continues to surprise and delight visitors with hidden treasures of a different kind, from the beautifully restored 19th century homes in the Julia-Ann Square Historic District to the more than 100 stores at Grand Central Mall. Combined with top-notch meeting facilities, Parkersburg is a scenic getaway where convention groups can meet and play.
Parkersburg is served by Mid-Ohio Valley Airport (PKB), which offers direct service to Cleveland Hopkins International (CLE) through Continental Connection. The city itself is approximately 300 miles driving distance of Cleveland, Washington, DC and Indianapolis.
Parkersburg is also home to the newest and largest conference and event center in the mid-Ohio Valley: With over 12,000 square feet of space, the Grand Pointe Conference & Reception Center has been awarded the Best Banquet Facility by New and Sentinel Readers Choice in 2009 and 2010. This $1.2-million facility has a total ballroom capacity for 400 guests seated spread across three separate rooms. Its executive suite is a more intimate space for 50 to 90 guests. Grand Pointe's amenities include high-speed Internet access, LCD projectors, wireless microphones, staging and a built-in dance floor. Elsewhere, other Parkersburg event venues, including the Comfort Suites Parkersburg South, caters to business groups with amenities such as free Wi-Fi, complimentary weekday papers, free hot breakfast and a 24-hour business center. The 114-room hotel also has over 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space at its Harless Meeting & Banquet Center, the largest room of which can seat 210 people. The Wingate by Wyndham Vienna Parkersburg and Hampton Inn Parkersburg also have meeting rooms capable of hosting up to 50 people and 40 people, respectively.
In all, hotels in Parkersburg comprise more than 20 properties, ranging from cozy bed and breakfasts to affordable nationwide chains. Many of its lodging options offer meeting and event space, including the historic Blennerhassett. For more than a century, The Blennerhassett hotel has offered European-style elegance and impeccable service for visitors staying in downtown Parkersburg. The hotel has several spaces for meetings and conferences, including the Charleston Ballroom & Promenade, which has room for up to 250 people and a spacious pre-function area. The Blennerhassett also has three boardrooms, several executive suites and a lavish patio tent available year-round.
Groups can break out of the boardroom at one of many unique meeting sites scattered throughout the greater Parkersburg area. The Parkersburg Art Center has a spacious ballroom, art-lined galleries and a 3,000-square-foot Art Gallery for events, receptions and more. Nearby, the Smoot Theatre's famed dessert tours treat groups to a history of the space, a backstage tour, dessert and coffee and even live entertainment. The Fenton Museum is also sure to please groups with an array of unique team building activities. The largest manufacturer of handmade colored glass in the country, Fenton offers tours of the glassmaking experience and hands-on glass decorating workshops for groups.
