VisitAnnapolis.org; @VisitAnnapolis
Maryland’s state capital offers many appealing qualities, including the U.S. Naval Academy, outstanding museums, colonial architecture, walkable streets, and a vibrant waterfront.
“Annapolis is a destination that blends history, culture, and modern amenities, making it appealing for meeting and event planners looking for a unique location,” says Rasheeda Martin, senior director of external relations for Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County. “The city’s rich maritime heritage combined with its vibrant arts and dining scenes ensure attendees can enjoy both work and leisure.”
Jack C. Taylor Conference Center at the U.S. Naval Academy features 10,000 square feet of event space across six meeting areas. The state-of-the-art venue includes five meeting rooms for up to 40 people, an auditorium for 388 seated guests, and three reception spaces with a capacity of 280 people.
The 225-room Westin Annapolis features 15,418 square feet of event space across 14 functional areas. The hotel’s largest space,
a 6,320-square-foot ballroom, can accommodate 760 guests seated theater style, 460 for banquets, and 665 for receptions. Crowne Plaza Annapolis offers 196 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of event space across 10 rooms. The hotel can accommodate up to 460 in its largest meeting space.
The recently renovated Graduate Annapolis has 215 guest rooms and 21,194 square feet of event space. Its largest space, a 4,368-square-foot ballroom, has a capacity of 450 theater style and can be configured into three 1,400-square-foot event spaces. Graduate Annapolis also has several meeting rooms for up to 100 guests with theater seating and a 3,680-square-foot atrium with a capacity of 180 for banquets and 200 for receptions.
Annapolis offers a vibrant culinary scene, especially in the historic Eastport neighborhood along the Chesapeake Bay waterfront. Blackwall Hitch, a seafood and steakhouse, offers several spaces for private events. Forward Brewing, a brewery and restaurant, can also host private gatherings, by land or by sea. The restaurant can host up to six people on its cleverly named 30-foot crab boat, the “Sally IVth.” Rental fees cover a boat captain who takes the vessel and its occupants on a 90-minute ride around the harbor.
Approximately 25 minutes north of downtown Annapolis, additional event and meeting options are available in the Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) area of Anne Arundel County. The 310-room Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover has 50,000 square feet of event space across 10 breakout rooms, with its largest space accommodating 3,825 guests seated theater style. The 315-room BWI Airport Marriott in Linthicum Heights features 18,000 square feet of event space and can host 1,500 for receptions and 850 for seated banquets. In the same area, Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport Hotel boasts 280 guest rooms and more than 16,000 square feet of event space to host a capacity of 900 for receptions in its largest space.
