Prevue November-December 2013 - (Page 67)

Left: 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati Bottom: Sotto Restaurant 21c Cincinnati includes 8,000-sf of gallery space that is used for meeting/event groups. Rooms are available for buyout or room blocks. The wide range of spaces includes a ballroom with capacity for 350 guests. All meeting spaces are decorated with original artwork as part of 21c's rotating art gallery. ECLECTIC SPACES The 200-seat outdoor terrace of the Base Camp Café at the Cincinnati Zoo offers gorgeous views of the new Africa exhibit and its predator-ﬁlled ﬂat grassland savannah. The zoo accommodates 10,000 attendees while creating customized events for smaller groups such as giraffe feeding sessions or cocktails during an elephant bath. The exhibit and restaurant opened this past summer, showcasing solar electricity and LEED Platinum certiﬁcation. For a truly experiential group event, the 6,800 sf of available meeting space at the National Underground Freedom Railroad Center offers exhibits, ﬁlms, storytelling, role playing and hands-on group activities revolving around the Underground Railroad Era. Downtown Cincinnati's Music Hall offers 20,000 sf of unique space and old world charm in its magniﬁcent theater and ballroom, the latter being the second largest meeting space in the city. The venue, home to Cincinnati's opera, symphony and ballet, has extraordinary acoustics. The 200,000-sf Duke Energy Convention Center offers a 40,000-sf ballroom, the largest in the Midwest. The DECC welcomes creative groups by combining a versatile meeting/ "The cocktail terrace is a social venue for groups to really interact with one another in a one-of-akind setting. The rooftop venue puts on a show all by itself" event space with a downtown core that keeps groups engaged. Kroger, Walmart and Macy's are all headquartered nearby. "Most people think that they are going to come here and it's going to lack a bit of social sophistication," says Karen Totaro, assistant general manager for the DECC. "We have a beautiful city that offers everything that a meeting planner would want." Just a short trot from DECC, visit the Underground Freedom Railroad Center and over 90 shops and restaurants. The 561-room Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza is an Art Deco hotel located in the popular Carew Tower complex with over 40,000 sf of meeting/event space. The Palm Court restaurant is one of the best in Cincinnati. The 456-room Westin Cincinnati, featuring 29,000 sf of meeting space, overlooks historic Fountain Square Cincinnati. The 491-room Hyatt Regency Cincinnati has 33,300 sf of space positioned next to Ohio River. The hotels are all based along pedestrian-friendly streets. PROGRESSIVE DINING Within a 30,000-sf section of the newly revitalized Sixth Street district, Boca and Sotto are two great progressive dining options operated by restaurateur David Faulk. We started our meal at Boca, a 2-story palace that has a backlit bar with sculpted walls, long hardwood tables and a bricklined kitchen. Faulk refers to Boca as his tribute to Europe. The chubby porkshanks and tangy brussels sprouts sat atop a charred Caesar salad drizzled with a delicious creamy anchovy dressing. Faulk says dressings are a passion of his and the kitchen staff will spend up to ﬁve days making one sauce. There are two private dining rooms onsite, seating up to 16 pax. In the basement level of the building is Sotto, an openkitchen casual Italian restaurant specializing in homemade pasta. As you make your way down the wooden staircases, the dark dining room shifts the energy from the vibrant tables of Boca. During a private meal, we sampled short rib raviolis topped with a bountiful portion of fresh Parmesan. Step down to the underground wine closet and choose a selection of vino for your group. The stone-lined back room seats up to 25 with additional seating for 20 split evenly between two private dining rooms. cincyusa.com; duke-energycenter.com prevueonline.net | 63 http://www.cincyusa.com http://www.duke-energycenter.com http://www.prevueonline.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue November-December 2013

Planner's Pick: Hartford
Fresh Meets: MGM Resorts
Bureau Buzz: Las Vegas
Good Business: Hyatt, Hilton, Fairmont
Sea Shores: Silversea Cruises
Cool, Cultured & Creative
Imex America
Special Section: Asia Pacific
Ireland
On Location: Hard Rock San Diego
Santa Fe
Cincinnati
On Location: InterContinental Costa Rica
On Location: Marriott Orlando
On Location: Hilton Orlando
South Walton, Florida
Check Out: Moon Palace Cancun

Prevue November-December 2013