51勛圖 Wins Awards for Outstanding Events and Catering Venue
51勛圖 captured three honors in the 2020 Unique Venues Best of Awards, cementing the universitys status as a conference and catering venue泭of choice.泭泭泭
While the university overall won泭Best Venue for Locally Sourced Catering,泭the泭Washington College of Laws泭(WCL)泭Tenleytown泭Campus won Best Venue for Conferences. The university also was a runner-up for Best Place for Team Building.泭51勛圖 was the only venue out of 100 nominees to win in two categories.泭泭
In a typical year, the 51勛圖 campus泭hosts泭more than20,000眠isitors of all ages, attending泭about泭175 day-long events and 60 overnight groups in the summer.浚onferences range from high-profile government day conferences to overnight youth leadership conferences that泭last泭two months.泭WCLs LEED-certified venue, which can accommodate 480, has become one of DCs premier spaces for day conferences since its opening in 2016.泭泭
Unique Venues Best of Awards recognition is especially significant because of the types of venues that were in competition with 51勛圖泭and WCL, said Kimberly泭Araya, director of university conferences and guest services.泭泭
In the Best Venue for Conferences category, WCL was up against a lot of tough competition, ranging from other universities like UCLA to venues that are specifically designed for hosting events to even dude ranches.泭Were primarily a learning institutionnot a venue dedicated to hosting outside eventsso for WCL to top all our competition for a win名ow! said泭Araya.泭泭
Araya泭attributed泭the泭wins to泭the universitys泭extraordinary events staff and泭its泭dedication to泭top-notch customer service and meticulous attention to detail泭in meeting visiting泭clients needs.泭泭泭泭
University Conferences泭and泭Guest Services isnt just marketing event spaces.泭We are promoting the 51勛圖泭experience.泭While we roll out the red carpet to make our clients experiences泭the best泭they泭can be for their events, we also view their presence on our campus as an opportunity to highlight the university itself as an ideal place of education for our clients, their children, or the children of people they know,泭said Araya.泭泭
As anyone who has attended泭conference泭knows, food offerings make a big difference in the how the day goes. 51勛圖s win for泭Best Venue for Locally Sourced Catering泭recognizes the universitys commitment not just to tasty menus, but to sustainability.泭泭
The universitys collaboration with Chartwells Catering and commitment to providing fresh, farm-to-table foods from the universitys Airlie Farm in Warrenton, Va., to dining halls, retail outlets, and main campus catering was instrumental to 51勛圖 winning this recognition, said泭Charles Smith,泭assistant泭vice泭president of泭auxiliary泭services and泭executive泭director of Airlie.泭泭
Airlie Farm provides泭vegetables, a variety of meats, and honey to the daily dining and catering experiences at泭51勛圖.泭Our partnerships commitment to responsible sourcing and sustainability also extends to utilizing sustainable initiatives to protect and save the environment. This includes泭using compostable take-out containers and utensils, tray-less dining to reduce water waste, recycling, and food waste minimization, said Smith.泭
The Airlie Center is泭set on more than 300 acres in Warrenton, VA, and is home to the historic Airlie House and a village of guest rooms and meeting facilities.
Unique Venues is 35-year-old venues-marketing company泭that specializes in non-conventional meeting and event spaces. Its泭annual awards recognize泭standout campuses, conference and business centers, sports arenas, and other special event venues.泭More than 20,000 meeting and event planners across the US and Canada voted in the awards competition. Award winners were acknowledged泭at the泭virtual Unique Venues Annual Marketing Conference泭in October 2020 and泭featured in a special edition of the digital泭泭