ACE Conference Center News & Events

Book your Holiday Event, Festive Cocktail Party, Yuletide Holiday Reception or Seated Seasonal Dinner with Wolfgang Puck Catering at the ACE Conference Center!  Click here for our exclusive party and event planning offers!

Tags: Celebrate the Season, Christmas Parties, Corporate Events, Holiday Parties, Philadelphia Event Venues

Have you seen our new Lafayette Ballroom and Event Deck?  Take a peek at these two exciting new spaces available for events, parties, meetings and weddings!  The Lafayette Ballroom is a high-ceiling, rustic loft space that offers a large group and intimate warmth that’s hard to find in the Philadelphia area.  Immediately adjacent to the Ballroom is our brand new, fully enclosed Lafayette Patio that allows your guests to experience the outdoors in a fully shaded, heated or air-conditioned manner.  Located just below the Lafayette Ballroom and Patio is our new Outdoor Event Deck; yet another stunning location for an open-air party, celebration, ceremony or meeting.  For weddings, should you wish to exchange vows in an outdoor setting, the Event Deck can be set in an “in-the-round” ceremony style or with traditional auditorium-style seating which works beautifully with the rolling green hills as your backdrop!  Anyway you slice it, the Lafayette Ballroom, Patio and Event Deck are fantastic party spaces that can be used together or individually for any type of special event.

Thank you to our event partners from CinemaCake Wedding and Event Filmmakers for producing this fantastic video; Arrangements Unlimited for styling the spaces; and EventQuip for providing the custom-made awning tent.

You can experience more photographs of the Lafayette Ballroom and Outoor Event Deck here and here but there’s nothing better than seeing it in person!  Our Sales and Catering Department would love nothing better than to introduce you to these incredible event spaces.  To discuss your event in further detail and to schedule your tour of these new amazing party spaces, please contact one of our Sales Representatives by calling 610-825-8000 or 800-523-3000.

Tags: Corporate Event Locations, Main Lin, Main Line, outdoor event spaces, Outdoor Weddings, philadelphia weddings, Special Event Venues

One of our most popular event spaces, the Marquis Ballroom and Dining Room, began the first exciting stages of its complete renovation this week!  Although we’ve hosted many fabulous weddings, meetings and celebrations in the Marquis over the years, it’s time for a little sprucing up!  First, the demolition of everything but the windows and ceiling!  All the current surfaces, such as the carpeting, draperies and flooring, were ripped out to make way for updated finishes and modern decor.  As teh week progresses, the catering and sales teams are excited to see the new tile flooring, modern coil drapery, chic foyer furnishings and modular buffet pieces come in one by one!  Once complete, the Marquis should be even more sought-after by wedding planners and event producers as a unique party space in the Philadelphia suburbs.  We’ll share photographs of the completed renovation soon, but by all means, we’d love to introduce you to the Marquis Ballroom and Dining Room in person at your earliest convenience!

Tags: Meeting Facilities, Philadelphia Conference Centers, Philadelphia Event Venues, philadelphia wedding venues

Regular conference warriors and meeting attendees have all been there at one time or another.  We’ve all arrived at our hosting hotel with just enough time to quickly don our suits before heading out to the first dinner listed on the busy conference schedule. As we unzip our trusty carry-on, we see, yet again, that our suit is a ball of wrinkles!

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, there are simple ways to avoid the wrinkles and creases. Our favorite suggestion is to simply purchase a carry-on suitcase that has a suit compartment already in place. This will allow you to hang the suit in a special compartment where the clips and hanger will ensure there is no wrinkling.  You can also invest in a garment bag; however, more and more business travelers find they have trouble carrying them through busy airports and/or storing the garment bags on “packed” business flights where very little garment bag space is offered.

If buying a new suitcase with a suit compartment is not going to happen anytime soon, we invite you to take a look at the following packing tips for standard carry-on rolling cases:

Tip #1:  Fill your carry-on suitcase with all the other clothing and items you will need before adding your suit to the top of the pile. It’s only when the carry-on is close to full that the suit should be added in order to keep the suit tightly packed.

Tip #2:  Before you add the suit, place it in a dry-cleaning plastic bag or sleeve.  For whatever reason, the plastic helps keep creases at bay.  (It also helps with dress shirts and you can usually store up to three shirts in one plastic sleeve.) Once you’ve got the suit in its plastic sleeve, lay it down across the top of the almost full suitcase.  The collar should be one inch below the hinge of the suitcase top. The arms of the suit should be folded neatly over the front of the suit.

Tip #3:  Place the trousers of the suit on top of the suit jacket. The waist line will be on the right side of the suitcase along the shoulder of the suit, with the legs of the trousers hanging over the opposite side of the suitcase.

Tip#4:  Fold the jacket bottom over the legs of the trousers toward the hinge of the suitcase.

Tip #5: Finally, fold the trouser legs toward the waist line of the trousers and over the suit jacket.

The packing is complete!  Hopefully, when you unpack at your hotel, you’ll be dressed and ready for business in a crease-free fashion.

{Photo:  Bespoke Suits, London}

Tags: Business Conferences, business travel tips, conference planning, Main Line Event Facilities, Main Line Event Venues, Meeting Services, Philadelphia Hotels, Philadelphia Meeting Venues

It’s official! We’re thrilled to announce our exclusive catering partnership with Wolfgang Puck Catering. The ACE Conference Center is collaborating with esteemed chef, Wolfgang Puck, to further enhance the ACE Conference Center’s reputation as one of the area’s premier special event locations. “We are pleased to join forces with Wolfgang Puck Catering and their legendary, innovative cuisine, to bring a unique dining experience to our customers,” says ACE General Manager, Daniel Briones. “It’s a win-win situation – this collaboration with Wolfgang Puck Catering will further extend the public’s awareness of both our brands throughout the Greater Philadelphia region and beyond.”

Wolfgang Puck’s illustrious name carries an undeniable cachet, and is synonymous with a bold, innovative style of cooking that has redefined the essence of fine dining in America and around the world. Founded in 1998, Wolfgang Puck Catering continues to set the standard for culinary excellence, bringing its team’s legendary combination of creative cuisine and refined service to the world’s most renowned and demanding corporate, cultural, and entertainment settings. Delivering a restaurant-quality experience in a special event setting, Wolfgang’s experienced team caters intimate weddings, convention galas, family occasions, and such noteworthy events as the Academy Awards® Governors Ball. His trademark dishes, coupled with his unmistakable panache and passion, have, in fact, revolutionized the culinary industry. Guests at the ACE Conference
Center can also expect Wolfgang Puck’s menus and dishes to reflect his philosophy of incorporating fresh, natural and organic ingredients in every recipe.

With more than 25 years of event planning and production experience, the ACE Conference Center regularly hosts groups and conventions for up to 500 guests. Located just a few miles from Center City Philadelphia, ACE offers distinctive, state-of-the-art facilities situated on 300 picturesque acres of inviting woodlands and rolling hills. ACE Conference Center provides a secluded, yet highly accessible venue for any type of event, indoors and out. It perfectly combines the fast pace of urban life with the serenity of the countryside in a suburban setting.

Together, ACE and Wolfgang intend to offer guests a creative culinary experience unlike any other in the Greater Philadelphia region.

To learn more about events at the ACE Conference Center, please visit www.aceconferencecenter.com

Tags: Celebrity Caterer, Main Line Hotels, Main Line Party Venues, Meetings & Events, Philadelphia Event Venues, Philadelphia Hotels, philadelphia weddings

As the first quarter of 2011 comes to a close it’s clear that business travel is on its way back!  We’re happy to see hospitality numbers showing an increase in room sales and conference bookings for a second quarter in a row.  We’re certainly seeing an energetic level of business activity at ACE Conference Center, booking groups for day meetings and week long conferences.  In a technologically-saturated world where video conferencing has helped keep travel costs down, a return to face-to-face meetings is making all the difference in ensuring your company or sales pitch stands out from all the rest.  Those successful bookings mean more incentive travel to keep productive sales consultants motivated, educated and appreciated.  Still kept to a low-key level, corporate retreats are no longer forbidden as companies look to support their managers and invest in their employees.

One major difference our ACE Sales Consultants are seeing is that meeting planners and corporate executives are looking to spend their travel dollars wisely rather than jumping back into the “excessive” end of the pool.  With serious meetings being our focus, offering guaranteed pricing and no hidden fees, conference centers provide a solution to meeting planners in these uncertain times.  The reality is, the hospitality industry may never see that level of corporate travel again, or not for a few more years anyway.  Keeping to a more “reasonable” or downright “frugal” level of business travel is the smart way to keep ANY travel at all at play in the world of big business.  That may mean driving rather than flying; or spending fewer nights on the road; or staying at less expensive hotels; or eliminating all off-premise activities or curtaining those sightseeing adventures.  Some companies are even encouraging employees to make their travel plans in an “eco-smart” manner, including carpooling to regional destinations, taking the E-Train (“E” for economy), renting a hybrid car or selecting a conference center that has their own “Green Initiatives” in place.

Here at ACE, we’ve embraced today’s savvy business traveler with packages that include all meals, meeting space, breakout rooms, audio visual equipment, wifi access, parking and the support of a dedicated on-site planner. We help to keep business travelers focused and productive “on property.”

Smart corporate travel is just standard business practice at the ACE Conference Center.

Tags: Budget Business Travel, Eco-friendly, Green Initiatives Programs, hospitality

The idyllic, spectacular natural setting of Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania makes ACE Conference Center a favorite Greater Philadelphia conference center and event  location for educational, scientific, social and corporate groups. Our relaxed suburban atmosphere promotes creative inspiration, focus on the meeting content and valuable networking and idea-sharing amongst meeting attendees.  Whether your group’s goal is business or recreation (or both), our staff is dedicated and motivated to providing your group the best experience possible.  We have worked with various organizations and groups and pride ourselves on advising our clients on ways to ensure their meetings here are successful, efficient and FUN! 

Multiple function spaces, conference rooms and breakout rooms are available throughout the ACE Conference Center.  Our newly-renovated Lafayette Ballroom (shown above) is ideal for large gatherings and high-tech multi-media shows.   The adjacent outdoor terraces and patios provide ample opportunity to extend the conference space and usable event footprint. 

Additional conference rooms, auditoriums, classrooms and meeting rooms offer every meeting planner a wide variety of options to fulfill their client’s needs.   All meeting rooms have free wireless high-speed Internet access.  Cordless microphones, LCD projectors and additional audio/video equipment are available.    

Along with a savvy knowledge of the Philadelphia area, our Sales Team and Conference Planners can assist with all of your questions and concerns.

Tags: meetings event space conference center philadelphia hospitality

We’ve heard nothing but rave reviews and fantastic feedback from meeting planners and conference attendees on our newly-renovated refreshment break areas. 

Long intense days of business seminars and educational sessions need to be balanced with reasonable opportunities to relax and network. Meeting attendees are welcome to take a break, catch up on emails and mingle with other conference-goers  in our comfortable living room areas located throughout the ACE Conference Center. Plasma televisions, major newspapers, outdoor patio areas and multiple phone stations are available for updates on the real world. In addition to the standard coffee, tea, soft drinks, iced tea, juices and water, each break area offers a large selection of fresh fruit, rolls, bagels, pastries, homemade cookies, organic snack bars and hot hors d’oeuvres. But what guests seem to love the most are our candy bars!  It’s certainly hard to resist the multiple glass vessels filled with sweet favorites such as Swedish Fish, licorice, M&Ms, Hershey’s Kisses and more. They’re so good, we often see conference attendees filling small bags with enough candy to get them through the afternoon sessions. Sometimes, it really is the simple things in life that make all the difference.

Tags: break areas, breakout areas, candy bars, conference areas, meetings

Nothing is as useful or necessary a conference tool as a nametag.   When done right, nametags can be a friendly ice breaker in a crowded room of strangers.  Not only do they say “it’s okay to talk to me” but nametags literally eliminate all the game playing, posturing and guesswork.  A nametag puts it all out there on the table allowing you to be open, honest, accountable, confident and proud right from the get-go.  But what are some of the absolutes of nametag wearing?   From what we hear from the many conference attendees who visit ACE Conference Center, the how to’s of nametags are pretty straightforward:

• Make your own nametag BEFORE you leave your office and head to the conference.  Why?  Because you can’t count on the conference name tag to be LEGIBLE.   Plus, when you pre-make your own nametag you can include your company logo which ensures better brand recognition during the conference.  If the conference or meeting you are attending requires you wear their nametag for security or identification purposes, wear both.   When most people forget names and faces within 30 minutes, you can’t repeat yourself enough.
• Wear your nametag on the right hand side so it’s easier to see and read when shaking hands.  There are some exceptions for wearing nametags on the left, generally having to do with directing people and line of sight upon entering a room/space.  However, for standard meet-and-greets, the safest bet is to wear them on the right hand side just above the breast bone. 
• Invest in magnetic name tags that allow attendees to wear them high enough for easy, fast reading without damaging their clothing.
• Avoid wearing hanging name tags as they actually make it harder to network.  Half the time, the name badge is hanging down too low for a discrete glance or is flipped backward.  If you have to have them, and many attendees and planners prefer them or can’t swing for the more expensive magnetic tags, print your name on both sides even if it means you make a photocopy yourself in the business center.  Wrangling the lanyard higher by knotting it will also help make reading the tag an easier and less awkward problem.
• Make sure your name is LEGIBLE from 30 feet away.  Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the standard 10 feet just doesn’t seem enough in a dark or crowded space.  The nametag real estate should be all about sharing the attendee’s name in big BOLD lettering almost like it’s a highway sign!  
• Forget about showcasing the name of the conference.  Most attendees know what they are attending and are happy to be there.  Instead, let the name of the attendee be the biggest print on the badge.   The conference logo and title can easily fit along the bottom of the nametag; thus, leaving the rest of the space for the name and company logo of the attendee who has traveled from afar to meet others.
• Forgo the use of colored banners or ribbons that note such titles or positions as “attendee,” “speaker” or “sponsor.”  They are just more confusing to the eye and take up space.
• Embrace the barcode system of identification for check-in, seminar attendance and trade booth sampling.   Barcodes for each attendee should be printed on the name tag or name badge for easy, fast swiping.
• Absolutely print your name and company name in HUGE letters.  Did we say that already?  Can’t say it enough really.  It’s the whole purpose of the nametag. 

Tags: conferences, how to's, name badges, name tags