Meeting News - September 22, 2008 - (Page 37) Destination Insider: New England Foxwoods’ MGM Grand ‘Extremely Busy’; Mohegan Sun Lets the ‘Wind’ In The new MGM Grand at Foxwoods resort has hosted groups of up to 1,400 attendees since opening in mid-May with 115,000 sf of meeting space and the 4,000-seat Grand Theater. Financial-planning group HDVest brought in 1,400 attendees for its annual meeting in June, utilizing both the original Foxwoods hotel and the neighboring MGM. The general session for the meeting was held in the Grand Theater. “Now that we’re open, the [MGM] name is really beginning to spread,” said Joan Esneault, director of sales and marketing, who added that the facility was “extremely busy in June” and that business is starting to pick back up after the summer.“We’re getting some national sales meetings, but mostly companies’ regional offices.” MGM Grand’s outdoor event space—a first at Foxwoods—has proven popular, said Esneault, and groups are utilizing the new Craftsteak, Shrine, and Alta Strada restaurants for dinearounds, receptions, and small parties. The nearby Mohegan Sun casino resort added outdoor space, as well, when it opened its Casino of the Wind in August. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant has an outdoor terrace that can host groups of up to 30, and the 375-seat outlet is available for buyouts. The Wind’s 42-table poker room can be used for private tournaments for groups of 30 or more. r —BC NH’s Balsams Renovates Meeting Space The historic Balsams resort in Dixville Notch, NH, has completed a restoration and interior redesign of its 7,200 sf of meeting space, including the Grand Ballroom and the Ballot Room. A refreshening of all 110 guest rooms is occurring. White Barn Inn Opens Chase Hill Center The Chase Hill Center, providing function space for the White Barn Inn, Breakwater Inn and Spa, and the Beach House in Kennebunkport, ME, is a two-level facility with four meeting rooms and an outdoor deck accommodating 150 theater-style. Cape Cod’s Ocean Edge Adds Ballroom The historic mansion house at Ocean Edge resort has a major new addition: the 5,000-sf Bayside Ballroom, which offers bay views from floor-toceiling windows and has an 8,000-sf rooftop space. Sales director Bryan Webb said the ballroom gives the 335-room resort capacity to host associations and large corporate events year round. Radisson Has NH’s Biggest Ballroom An $8 million project at the 330-room Radisson Hotel Nashua in New Hampshire renovated all 25,000 sf of its meeting space, including upgrades to the 7,680-sf Nashua Grand Ballroom—the largest in New Hampshire. A junior ballroom, 15 breakout rooms, and an executive boardroom round out the hotel’s meetings lineup. www.meetingnews.com September 22, 2008 MeetingNews 37 http://www.gonewport.com http://www.gonewport.com http://vanderwal.com http://www.meetingnews.com
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