These Indiana Towns Charm Attendees

In the Hoosier State, small is beautiful.

Meeting planners wanting to escape large urban centers should look no further than these five small Indiana destinations, which offer state-of-the-art meeting venues, quality lodging and plenty of history, culture, food and outdoor adventures to keep attendees occupied during their free time.

South Shore

Many smaller communities, including Valparaiso, Hammond, Munster and Gary, make up the South Shore area of Indiana. The area has several chain hotels, as well as some unique event spaces. The Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond has a 6,500-square-foot exhibit hall, 110-seat theater and an executive boardroom.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary features 20,000 square feet of event space that can accommodate 1,700 seated and 2,600 standing. The casino has 1,700 slot machines, 80 table games, a sportsbook, five restaurants and two bars, making it a destination in its own right.

The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster has 72,660 square feet of space for meetings, banquets, dinners or theater performances. The space can host up to 500 in the dining room, and smaller spaces can hold up to 100.

The Farmhouse Restaurant and Conference Center at Fair Oaks Farm can host a banquet for 220 in the Fair Oaks Ballroom, 100 in the John Newton Ballroom and dinner for 60 in the William Jasper Ballroom. The Feed Barn can host 100 for a banquet and 200 theater style. The destination also offers farm tours for groups and a large, interactive museum dedicated to dairy farming.

In Valparaiso, Journeyman Distillery’s “American Factory” building spans 140,000 square feet of event space, from elegant to casual, and can accommodate parties for up to 1,200.