Lancaster, Pennsylvania Is a Small City With Big Event Potential

 

Attracted by the religious freedom offered by Quaker leader and Pennsylvania founder William Penn, the first Amish and Mennonite immigrants settled in Lancaster County in the 1720s. Established in 1730 as the county seat, Lancaster City, which became the U.S. capital for one day in September 1777 and served as Pennsylvania’s capital from 1799 to 1812, is among America’s oldest inland cities.

Today, Lancaster City is a growing center with a distinct urban feel and big-city amenities.

Upon arriving at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square & Lancaster County Convention Center this April, I encountered delegates with lanyards gathered by a “PCMA” sign in the lobby. It wasn’t the PCMA meetings industry professionals I know well, though, but the 77th Annual Production Conference for the Bath, Pennsylvania-based Professional Manufacturing Confectioners Association. 

The three-day confectionery and snack industry show is a big deal in its own right. Speakers included PMCA President Steve Genzoli of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and representatives from global brands like Mars, PepsiCo and Central Pennsylvania’s own chocolate titan, The Hershey Company. 

The point being, Lancaster, 70 miles west of Philadelphia and home of Pennsylvania’s second-busiest Amtrak station, is a small city with big-city event credentials. 

[Related: New Projects in Pittsburgh That Up Its Event Potential]

Seamlessly integrated with the Lancaster County Convention Center, the 416-room Marriott serves as the primary group base. Preserving the facade of the 1879 Watt & Shand department store, the property incorporates the standalone 1804 William H. Montgomery House as multi-floor event space. Slated for fall 2025, the onsite former home of 19th-century abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens and his confidante Lydia Hamilton Smith will reemerge as an interpretive museum and education center. Food and beverage options include The Exchange, a cosmopolitan indoor-outdoor rooftop lounge, and lobby-level Plough restaurant.

Hans Schreiber, director of sales and marketing for the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square & Lancaster County Convention Center, discusses how the facility has impacted the area group market since opening in 2009, the property’s distinct features and advantages, and the outlook ahead.

“The hotel and convention center have put Lancaster on the map for a wide range of groups. Reachable by road or rail from Philadelphia; NYC; Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the property, like Lancaster itself, stands out by coupling big-city benefits with small-town charm,” Schreiber said.

“Our location in the historic center of walkable, easy-going Downtown Lancaster provides a welcoming location for events and meetings,” he continued. “Groups have all they need in one place, including more than 90,000 square feet of flexible and expansive space and different dining options. With distinctive touches such as magnificent architectural and historic features, this is not your standard convention center and hotel.”

Schreiber added that the hotel is busy year-round with groups of all kinds and sizes, from business meetings, conventions and large-scale tradeshows to fundraising dinners and galas, dance competitions, special interest groups and weddings. The recovery from the Covid years has been swift as well.

“Experiencing faster post-Covid recovery than most markets due to our proximity and drivability to key feeder cities, lead volume and business levels continue to grow,” he said. “With an encouraging mix of contracted repeat and new business, our brisk pace in 2024 has us optimistic for 2025 and beyond."

More Venues in Lancaster

Lancaster County offers 100-plus hotels with nearly 9,000 rooms and approximately 1 million square feet of modern space. 

Other full-service properties include the Holiday Inn Lancaster, featuring the 20,000-square-foot Imperial Event Center. Just outside Lancaster City, Eden Resort & Suites and DoubleTree Resort by Hilton—Lancaster, offer 25,000-plus and 20,000-plus square feet of space, respectively. Wyndham Lancaster Resort and Convention Center completed a full refresh in 2021.

Catering to the region’s robust sporting events market, the Spooky Nook Sports complex in Manheim offers 100,000 square feet of versatile space, plus onsite Warehouse Hotel. 

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