Many of Baltimore’s top meeting and event venues and attractions enthusiastically employ green and sustainable practices. This year could be the year “Charm City” leads the way for sustainable tourism in the United States, according to Al Hutchinson, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore.
“This is the ‘year of sustainability’ for Baltimore,” he explains. “From LEED-certified buildings to waterfront venues prioritizing zero-waste initiatives, Baltimore is the ideal location for meetings and conventions seeking to minimize their environmental footprint while engaging with the local community.”
A leader in sustainable event practices, Baltimore Convention Center (BCC) has comprehensive food waste reduction and diversion initiatives. For example, BCC partners with the World Wildlife Fund Hotel Kitchen Program and local nonprofits to donate surplus food to Maryland Food Bank. BCC has also made numerous energy-saving upgrades and maintains a 41 percent waste-diversion rate. With the help of an urban beekeeping company, the convention center has installed and manages two beehives on its rooftop. The beehives served educational purposes while helping the city’s ecosystem. They also provide homegrown honey for catered meals at BCC. “These initiatives give event planners a venue that prioritizes sustainability without compromising quality or experience,” Hutchinson says.
BCC offers 300,000 square feet of flexible, contiguous exhibit space and 50 meeting rooms, which can accommodate up to 1,600 people. Other components include a 36,672-square-foot ballroom divisible into four sections with a capacity of more than 1,000 people theater style.
Events hosted at Baltimore’s National Aquarium directly support marine conservation efforts, and the in-house catering team prioritizes sustainable, responsibly sourced ingredients. Event spaces include Harbor View Room, which overlooks Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and accommodates 150 seated and 200 for cocktail receptions. The museum also offers immersive experiences in its Blue Wonders exhibits, creating memorable, impactful events with a low ecological footprint.
Baltimore’s downtown arena, formerly known as Royal Farms Arena, received a new identity as CFG Bank Arena and a fresh $250 million makeover backed by designer/musician/artistic entrepreneur Pharrell Williams. The 14,000-seat concert and entertainment venue reopened in 2023 with several sustainability-focused features, including locally sourced materials, LED lighting, low-flow/waterless facilities, and numerous energy-efficient updates. Other enhancements were made to the venue’s acoustics, event space, and F&B offerings.
Adaptive reuse projects have created dynamic new event spaces in Baltimore. Mt. Washington Mill Dye House, a century-old industrial facility, was reborn as an event venue, featuring more than 5,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space. Motor House, located in Baltimore’s first Ford dealership showroom, built in 1914, underwent a $6.5 million renovation, transforming the building into a nonprofit arts hub, gallery, and performance/event space. The venue has a capacity of 200 people and includes Showroom Bar & Kitchen.
Baltimore hotels with event space include Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, which connects via skywalk to BCC and offers 757 guest rooms. The hotel accommodates more than 3,000 people in its largest space. Baltimore Marriott Waterfront boasts 754 guest rooms and 50,527 square feet of event space, with a capacity of 2,800 for receptions in its largest space.
Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel features 27,548 square feet of event space, including 21 event rooms. It can accommodate up to 2,000 guests seated theater style. The 338-room Sheraton Inner Harbor can host 1,600 in its largest area.
Local attractions ideal for group outings include Baltimore Peninsula, a sports and recreation destination on the waterfront. Baltimore Peninsula also features a vibrant dining scene, including new restaurants like Rye Street Tavern, Little Wing, and Nineteen O Nine. Sagamore Distillery offers tours and tastings of Baltimore-made rye whiskey.
The Walk @ Warner Street is transforming a previously underutilized industrial zone into an energetic and walkable corridor bridging Caesar’s Horseshoe Casino and M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens. The 250,000-square-foot district includes a new Paramount music venue, Topgolf facility, Yards Social Bar, and more than 34,000 square feet of retail space.
Southwest Baltimore’s historic Hollins Market, a public market serving the community since 1836, recently completed Phase II of its redevelopment project. The project brings in new vendors and a dedicated pop-up stall for start-up food entrepreneurs to test new concepts. Other upgrades include new signage, seating, public restrooms, and public Wi-Fi.
