Central Kentucky
VisitBGKY.com; @VisitBGKY—Bowling Green has something very special, which sets it apart, says Marissa Butler, hospitality services director for Visit Bowling Green. “Bowling Green Assembly plant is the only place where Corvettes are made, with opportunities for visitors to explore the history of the cars at the National Corvette Museum and test the horsepower on track at the NCM Motorsports Park.”
At the National Corvette Museum, the Skydome features a nearly 360-degree wall of video screens, which can be customized for events. The museum has an 8,297-square-foot conference center seating 450 for dinners, plus additional reception and event spaces, including lawn space.
Additionally, the city offers affordability, ease of navigation around town, and a central location, right off I-65 between Nashville, Tenn., and Louisville. “We have plentiful activities for families to enjoy, so a meeting in Bowling Green can easily become a fun family getaway,” Butler adds.
A new 128-room SpringHill Suites is expected to open this fall in The Hub, a planned community. It will join the 195-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Bowling Green, with nearly 4,000 square feet of event space to host 420 guests theater style, with the new Tony’s of Bowling Green, a Tony Ricci restaurant. Also new, downtown’s White Squirrel Brewery has an expanded event space with a stage and an outdoor courtyard for private events of 300 people; and Aviation Heritage Park opened a new indoor museum, offering free admission and space to host events for 100 guests..
Sloan Convention Center is a 60,000-square-foot facility with 35,000 square feet of meeting space. The 19,500-square-foot ballroom can host a 1,500-person reception. It is connected to Holiday Inn University Plaza–Bowling Green, with 218 guest rooms and 15 event spaces to accommodate more than 1,500 guests.
Other venues include the 108-room Hyatt Place Bowling Green, with 1,790 total square feet of function space; Martens Alumni Center, which can seat 250 for dinners; and Knicely Conference Center, with 31,748 square feet of meeting space, including three multifunctional ballrooms. Both centers are on campus of Western Kentucky University (WKU).
WKU’s Hilltopper History and Haunts Tour offers a unique experience for groups, Butler notes. “This is a chilling excursion, led by a retired faculty member and paranormal investigator, where groups can discover the haunting secrets of WKU.”
