Prevue July/August 2014 - (Page 10)

planner's pick PLANNER: Lois Caplan, president/co-founder Arrangements Unlimited King of Prussia, PA The Franklin Institute A Philadelphia favorite for meeting & event planners 5 PHILLY HOT SPOTS * North Bowl: Fun adult bowling alley and bar * Rittenhouse Square: Beautiful park surrounded by many fine restaurants and outdoor cafes * South Philadelphia: Home of Pat's King of Steaks, creator of the original Philly cheese steak in 1930 * The Italian Market: Oldest and largest working outdoor market in the U.S. * Volver: Iron Chef Jose Garces' very upscale ticketed restaurant at the Kimmel Center Your Brain exhibit, Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion P ennsylvania's most visited museum is also a popular venue for groups holding business meetings and conferences. It's one of Lois Caplan's favorite places, in fact. "You can just do everything there," says Caplan, president and co-founder of Arrangements Unlimited near Philadelphia. "The museum has so many different venue options that enable us to offer an abundance of creative ideas to our clients." Caplan is referring to the renowned Franklin Institute, a museum in the center of Philadelphia that specializes in handson science and technology education. Its various meeting spaces include exhibition rooms, conference centers, a rooftop deck and the Planetarium; the Institute grew by 53,000 sf in June with the opening of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. Groups can have meetings and events in its many interactive exhibition areas, such as Your Brain, Changing Earth, Electricity and The Giant Heart, which includes a walk-through model of the human heart. Sir Isaac's Loft & Sports Challenge brings the heavens down to earth in its planetarium. Event dining is provided exclusively by Frog Commissary, one of Philadelphia's most admired restaurant/catering companies, which also operates the on-site eatery Franklin Foodworks. Frog, which ﬁrst opened as a small restaurant in 1973, specializes in fresh local ingredients. Caplan's company has created weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs, cocktail parties and corporate celebrations for 250 to 400 people in most areas of the facility. It's the unique spaces- like the Benjamin Franklin Memorial, with its 20-foot statue of Benjamin Franklin under an 82-foot dome-that make the institute a stand-apart meeting place. "Corporate clients really enjoy the Ben Franklin statue," Caplan says. "It is so identiﬁed with Philadelphia and so beautiful. We have done many dinners there to celebrate company landmark years." The Planetarium also creates a memorable setting for evening networking parties after a long day of business meetings. Caplan's planners have used illuminated lounge furniture to set a casual, fun tone, and have even changed the lighting in the Planetarium's dome to change the mood of the gathering. The Institute is convenient to several top hotels-the Four Seasons, the Westin, Embassy Suites and The Rittenhouse- and a number of bed-and-breakfast inns. It's 10 minutes by cab from the 30th Street train station and 25 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport. Caplan says it's near several other attractions that attendees often enjoy visiting, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Camden Aquarium. Caplan recommends meeting at the Franklin Institute for celebratory events or those for which a traditional hotel conference room is just too 'been there done that.' The ﬁnal draw? The staff. "The people who work there are seasoned professionals," she says. "Out-of-town groups really like the ease with which they can develop an event, and they know how to deal with last-minute changes and how to accommodate unusual requests without much effort."-Kate McClare EXCLU AIR I E PA ﬁ.edu 10 | prevue magazine 10-11_PlannersPick.indd 10 C 7/3/14 12:40 PM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue July/August 2014

Planner’s Pick: The Franklin Institute
Fresh Meets: Marriott Hotels
Bureau Buzz: Bermuda Tourism Authority
Good Business: Anaheim/Orange County CVB
Sea Shores: Table for 2 (Hundred)
Table Talk Creativity and engagement add flavor to culinary events
SPECIAL SECTION: THE CARIBBEAN More than a vacation spot, paradise for meetings
IRF INVITATIONAL Secrets Puerto Los Cabos hosts the biggest incentive forum yet
On Location: Dominican Republic
On Location: Westin Hilton Head
On Location: Vancouver
LOUISIANA Culture, dramatic venues and immersive tours surround the Big Easy
ORLANDO AIBTM host city is a top draw for meetings
On Location: Auckland
SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS GMIC helps planners minimize their footprint
Checkout: Thompson Chicago

Prevue July/August 2014