New & Coming Soon to Providence
•
The former Providence Biltmore, set in a 100-year-old building, has been reborn as the Graduate
Providence. The updated property's offerings include the 4,200-square-foot Biltmore
Ballroom, 3,498-square-foot Capital Ballroom and 1,800-square-foot Atrium
Balcony.
• Providence’s Civic Center has a new name. The former Dunkin’ Donuts Center was renamed the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the result of a new naming rights
agreement with Amica, the automobile
insurance company founded in Providence. The
renamed facility, nicknamed the AMP Providence, is home to the
Big East’s Providence College men’s basketball team and the AHL’s Providence
Bruins ice hockey team. The venue hosts corporate events, trade shows and other
private events in its five meeting rooms, 31,000‐square‐foot arena floor and 25,000‐square‐foot
concourse.
• Providence’s unique
group offerings are the focus of the city’s Postcards from Providence
campaign,
which launched this year as a video series. By highlighting group-friendly
attractions like the Roger Williams Park Zoo, sporting excitement at the
Dunkin’ Donuts Center and the expansive event spaces of the Rhode Island Convention
Center, the new series showcases group offerings via video tours led by local
experts. Additional venues and attractions will be featured in future videos.
• Among the city’s newest boutique hotels is The Beatrice, which opened in 2021 in downtown Providence’s historic district. Set in the historic Exchange Building, the 47‐room hotel has private event space in its 100 Westminster atrium, as well as a private dining room for up to 18 guests inside Bellini, Ignazio Cipriani’s first restaurant and private rooftop club in New England.
• Also new on the hospitality scene is the 175‐room Aloft Providence Downtown, which is set in the Innovation and Design District on the Providence River. The property offers four event rooms and more than 3,100 square feet of meeting and event space, as well as the Bliss Spa, WXYZ Lounge and Blu Violet Roofbar.
• Providence remains committed to protecting the health of locals and visitors. The Rhode Island Convention Center, for example, follows a COVID‐19 Safe Plan developed by its management company, ASM Global, one of the world’s leading venue management and services companies. Operating on behalf of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, ASM Global partners with a variety of health experts and industry leaders to develop environmental hygiene, sanitization and fulfillments as part of its VenueShield program, which is designed to evolve with the needs of the global community.
More Meeting & Event Venues in Providence
• Located conveniently in downtown Providence, the Rhode Island School of Design is one of the nation’s top‐rated art and design schools. RISD offers an impressive 45 spaces of various sizes for meetings and private events, with a total capacity for 550 attendees.
• The Veterans Memorial Auditorium, known as The Vets, is one of the city’s most legendary performance spaces. The venue, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers multiple options for group gatherings. The 1,900‐seat theater, for example, has function spaces including a 2,414‐square‐foot gallery, a 546‐square‐foot board room, a 1,902‐square‐foot Vets Loft and 1,010‐square‐foot Encore Lounge.
• Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort is located in the nearby town of Lincoln, offers accommodations, entertainment and meeting space all in one location. The 136-room resort’s Bally’s Event Center has three meeting rooms and a 2,398‐seat theater, as well as additional group‐friendly dining options including Jerry Longo’s Meatballs & Martinis and Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse.
• One of the city’s biggest sporting venues, Dunkin’ Donuts Center, can host group meetings and events. The home of AHL Providence Bruins and the Providence College men's basketball team has five meeting rooms, a 31,000‐square‐foot arena floor and 25,000‐square‐foot concourse.
• Sports fans may also appreciate a visit to the hallowed halls of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, located in nearby Newport. This National Historic Landmark property offers group tours as well as private event rentals. The Horseshoe Piazza, for example, accommodates 300 for cocktail receptions, while the USTA Wing and Porch accommodate 180.
• For hands‐on sporting fun, the Longplex Family & Sports Center in the town of Tiverton offers indoor space for hockey, basketball, lacrosse, football and more. The facility is also home to food and beverage venues including the Sports Kitchen, Pizza Hollywood and Custom Coffee House.