Cvent’s Wheeling meeting planning guide is an extensive city guide for Wheeling meeting planners. Located in the northern region of West Virginia on the Ohio River, Wheeling has experience with important meetings, having hosted the Wheeling Convention in 1861, which established the state of West Virginia. Wheeling was also the first capital of the state, and though it no longer holds that title, Wheeling event venues accommodate its prime industrial center and hub of higher education for the state's Northern Panhandle region.
Wheeling is located on I-70 at the border of Ohio, making it an easily accessible destination from the large metropolitans of Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Columbus, among others. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), 39 miles away, is Wheeling's closest commercial hub. Pittsburgh also has the closest Amtrak station.
Convention facilities in Wheeling begin with WesBanco Arena, a premier multi-purpose facility in the Upper Ohio Valley. Home of the Wheeling Nailers ice hockey team and Ohio Valley Athletic Conference wresting tournament, the arena comprises just over 23,600 square feet and can accommodate up to 5,600 people for concerts. Its meeting room can seat up to 300 people and includes a full bar and complete kitchen, and the in-house catering service can accommodate events of all sizes.
Hotels in Wheeling range from log cabins to luxury resorts, accounting for more than 1,000 guest rooms altogether. Many of the city's larger properties offer ample private event space. In addition to 271 recently remodeled rooms, the Oglebay Resort & Conference Center has 15 meeting rooms totaling 20,000 square feet of space. Among the largest spaces is the 8,000-square-foot Glessner Auditorium, which can seat up to 400 people for receptions. The Fort Henry Room is ideal for slightly smaller dinners and ceremonies, as it can seat up to 120 people and boasts a gleaming wood ceiling, large chandeliers and a tall stone fireplace. Oglebay also has an executive boardroom, conference rooms and three banquet rooms, and its staff can even arrange for golf outings, spouses' programs, cooking demonstrations, tent parties and more.
Several smaller hotels throughout Wheeling also offer space for meetings and events. The 102-room Hampton Inn Wheeling has a new high-tech conference room complete with an LCD projector and Wi-Fi as well as a 10-person boardroom. The SpringHill Suites Wheeling has four meeting rooms for a total of 1,600 square feet of space, the largest of which can seat 52 guests. Nearby properties such as the Mountainside Conference Center at Bethany College also offer meeting space for groups large and small.
Wheeling is brimming with attractions that will captivate convention guests and their families. The city's 2,450-seat Capitol Theatre, available to rent to community and other local groups, offers Broadway musicals, symphony performances, movies and everything in between. The Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center is full of fun with over 2,000 slot machines, more than 60 table games and a 550-seat showroom for live entertainment, plus plenty of meeting rooms. The 406-acre Wheeling Park is also a great option for corporate outings and picnics. Its picnic shelters come complete with amenities such as fireplaces, electrical outlets and restrooms. Also located in the park is Memorial Ice Rink, which, during non-ice skating months, can accommodate over 500 people.
