Emee Pumarega CMP, Steve Hubbard (Brompton Head of Commercial), Will Butler-Adams (CEO, Brompton Bicycle Ltd), and Dean Mullin (Owner, Clever Cycles) at the Brompton Lounge. Photo: Hannah Bernabe / @hannahbernabe.co
Hosting Iconic British Brand Brompton Bicycles’ CEO, Will Butler-Adams, for a Night
On the evening of April 15, 2026 Clever Cycles in Portland welcomed Will Butler-Adams, OBE (Order of the British Empire), the CEO of Brompton Bicycle, for a brand activation community event night built around the folding-bike community that has grown up around the shop. Clever Cycles reached out to EJP Events to help produce this event, and we were excited to be part of it. We work with many brands that align with our values, but we especially love producing community-building events for brands we connect with.
How a Retail Partnership Turned a Leadership Visit Into a Community Gathering
Clever Cycles is the only Gold-tier Brompton dealer on the West Coast. The only Brompton shops with a higher designation are the brand’s own flagship stores in cities like London and Singapore. Between that distinction, the debut of a new in-store Brompton Lounge, and an active Portland cycling community, it is easy to see why the CEO of Brompton wanted to spend an evening here.
Will Butler-Adams, Steve Hubbard, and other guests enjoy the Brompton Lounge. Photo: Duane Eng
The event opened at 5:00 PM with the Lounge debut. Guests browsed the shop’s collection of current and unusual Bromptons and caught up over drinks, with cocktails from Straightaway Cocktails and food hosted by Clever Cycles. At 6:00 PM, about 30 riders rolled out for a short, family-friendly group ride. The ride cruised through the inner east side and paused on the Eastbank Esplanade overlooking the Willamette River and the Steel Bridge. This is where riders were greeted with the sight of an Amtrak Cascades train and a TriMet MAX train crossing the river at the same moment. This convergence highlighted a key component of the Brompton brand: The ease of bringing your folding bicycle on a train or bus, and using the bike for the first or last mile connection.
Riders on the group ride along the Eastbank Esplanade. Photo: Duane Eng
Back at the shop, the Show ‘n’ Shine gave riders a chance to show off their builds. Patrick Loftus took the top award for a hand-built Brompton bag that gained many admirers. Will spent the rest of the night talking with guests and signing their bicycles, staying until 10:30 PM, well past the scheduled close.
Will Butler-Adams examines Patrick Loftus’s Brompton. Photo: Hannah Bernabe / @hannahbernabe.co
The numbers tell part of the story: 65 people registered and 37 came through the door, with riders traveling from as far as Seattle and Longview. Clever Cycles added a giveaway of 25 CampSnap cameras, all claimed by the end of the night. Each one was a small memento and a reason for guests to sign up and stay in touch.
Will Butler-Adams signs a guest’s Brompton. Photo: Hannah Bernabe / @hannahbernabe.co
What I heard most often after the ride was a single question: When is the next one? That question is the clearest measure of success for a community event.
There’s a line from Will that stuck with me. He told the room, in so many words, that people were not there because of Bromptons. They were there because they love to bicycle, they love to travel, and they love this community. This is the kind of event we love to build: a room where people can find their community.
One more reason this partnership felt like a natural fit: Brompton is a certified B Corporation, meeting high standards across governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. EJP Events is a Good Market approved enterprise, which means we went through a review of how we operate across those same areas: our organization, environment, customers, workers, suppliers, and community. Different frameworks, shared commitment. Producing community events for brands that put people and planet alongside profit is the work we love most.
Hanging out before the ride started. Photo: Hannah Bernabe / @hannahbernabe.co
Emee tours the Hotel Okura Amsterdam with Senior Sales Manager, Jack Thanadsornsarn.
We were in Amsterdam during People and Planet First Week in November 2025, working on venue sourcing and site visits for our clients who meet in Europe, and were thoroughly impressed by the rich and multifaceted offerings available to the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry.
EJP Events is a member of Good Market Global, the not-for-profit digital commons behind the People and Planet First verification. The movement recognizes enterprises that prioritize social and environmental impact over private profit. We’ve operated by those values for over two decades. Where we host, who we hire, and how we design experience are decisions with consequences beyond any single event.
Amsterdam reinforced that message for us in many ways. The city is sustainable, accessible, walkable, and well-equipped for meetings of every scale. Planners who care about aligning their events with People and Planet First values will find a strong partner in this destination.
A Country Built on Water Intelligence
More than half of the Netherlands sits below sea level. The country’s water councils — the oldest democratic institutions in Dutch history — have shaped governance, infrastructure, and culture for centuries. Their work is visible in Amsterdam’s engineered canal system, in Rotterdam’s storm surge barriers, and in programs like Room for the River, which widened and deepened river courses to accommodate flooding rather than simply building higher walls.
For MICE planners, the practical implications are direct. The picturesque canals are the backdrop for many meetings group selfies. This broadcasts FOMO far and wide to those who skip your annual meeting. Amsterdam’s tap water is safe and excellent, eliminating bottled water logistics. Green-certified venues incorporate rainwater collection, water-saving technology, and circular water management as standard practice. For organizations aligning their events with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, hosting in Amsterdam directly supports SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, which calls for increasing water-use efficiency across all sectors and implementing integrated water resources management. Few destinations make that alignment so easy.
Is Amsterdam Easy to Navigate for Conference Attendees?
Nearly 70% of commuter trips in Amsterdam happen by bicycle. There are more bikes than residents. The public transit system — trams, buses, ferries — runs on 100% renewable electricity. The city is removing thousands of car parking spaces from the center to widen sidewalks, add bike parking, and plant trees.
Delegates can walk, bike, or tram between hotels, venues, and restaurants without ground transportation and its related traffic jams. That reduces cost and carbon, and it frees up schedule time.
Amsterdam sits at the center of Europe’s high-speed rail network: direct Eurostar service to London, Paris, Brussels, and major German cities. The Amsterdam Convention Bureau has partnered with Eurostar to offer discounted delegate fares. Schiphol Airport, 15 minutes from the city center, connects to hundreds of international destinations.
National-Level Support for Meeting Planners
The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) operates holland.com/meetings, a dedicated MICE portal with regional convention bureau contacts, venue databases, DMC directories, and planning support. They assist with site visits, provide budget templates, and connect planners with professional congress organizers.
The standout program is the Pre-Financing and Guarantee Fund (VGF), which has run for over 25 years. For international, multi-day congresses held in the Netherlands, the VGF offers up to €90,000 in interest-free pre-financing for startup costs: deposits, promotion, foundation setup. A separate guarantee of up to €90,000 covers the risk of low attendance.
Pre-conference financing and attendance insurance from a national tourism bureau: For association planners presenting destination bids to their boards, this is a concrete advantage few other countries offer.
Venues
What Amsterdam Hotel Has Great Meeting Space and Sustainability Credentials?
The Hotel Okura Amsterdam is the property we know best. We toured the entire facility and found it to have multiple aspects that are conducive to smoothly-running, accessible and sustainable meetings.
The hotel practices omotenashi, the Japanese tradition of anticipating guests’ needs. Located in the De Pijp neighborhood on the Amstelkanaal, the Okura has Japanese-inspired rooms, a full spa, and multiple restaurants with three Michelin stars and a Bib Gourmand between them.
For planners: 2,700+ square meters of meeting and event space across 20 venues. The Grand Ballroom seats up to 2,500 — the largest such space in the Benelux region. The meeting space layout has multiple elevators, spacious foyers, and generous restroom access compared to similar European city-center hotels. Schiphol Airport is 15 minutes away by direct metro.
The Okura holds Green Globe Platinum status, earned through over ten consecutive years of certification. The property has 873 solar panels on the Grand Ballroom roof, saving 89+ tonnes of CO₂ per year. It uses heat-cold storage for climate control, FSC-certified wooden key cards, and reusable bamboo laundry bags. Purchasing policy favors local Dutch suppliers — the house wine comes from a Dutch estate, the house beer from a Dutch brewery. The hotel is a signatory of the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge.
We’re actively building our relationship with the Okura and would recommend it to clients planning in Amsterdam.
What Other Green-Certified Conference Venues Are in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre is the city’s flagship large-format venue. Multiple halls, flexible configurations, renewable energy, and green meeting packages. It hosts trade exhibitions and multi-day conferences at scale.
Beurs van Berlage is a UNESCO-listed national monument from 1903 and the first Dutch conference center to earn Green Globe certification.
Hotel Jakarta holds BREEAM “Excellent” certification and is among the first energy-neutral hotels in the Netherlands. Features include solar-powered showers, rainwater collection, and a subtropical indoor garden usable as breakout space.
Many other area hotels follow the same lead. Conscious Hotels holds Green Key Gold at all four Amsterdam locations. The Conservatorium Hotel has held Green Globe Platinum for over a decade. De L’Europe and Kimpton De Witt carry Green Key certification. For planners working through RFPs, Amsterdam’s sustainability documentation is deep and verifiable.
Can You Do a Canal Cruise as a Corporate Event in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam has roughly 60 miles (100 km) of canals and waterways. Canal cruises work well as welcome receptions, offsite breaks, or team-building activities. Electric-powered boats are increasingly standard. Many larger hotels run their own cruise programs or work with preferred operators, which simplifies logistics.
Other offsite options include guided cycling tours, culinary workshops with local ingredients, private museum access, and cultural programming at venues like the Rijksmuseum.
What Makes Amsterdam a Good Destination for Attendee Experience?
Destination selection often overlooks the hours between sessions: the offsite dinner, the morning walk, the free afternoon. Amsterdam is a 15-minute city. World-class museums, canal-side restaurants, independent shops, and distinct neighborhoods are all within walking or biking distance of the major conference areas. Delegates explore independently, on foot.
Traveling Responsibly: How Do I Reduce and Offset Carbon Emissions From a Conference?
Flying people across an ocean for a meeting has a climate cost, no matter how many green certifications the destination collects. Aviation is a hard sector to decarbonize, and no amount of solar panels on a hotel roof cancels out the emissions of getting there. We don’t think that’s a reason to stop meeting in person; direct connection, cultural exchange, and in-person collaboration matter, and plenty of research points to real value that video calls don’t replace. But it does mean the responsibility doesn’t end at destination selection. It carries through every decision after that, including how we travel, how much we travel, and what we do to account for the impact once the trip is unavoidable. MICE planners can reduce that impact through planning decisions made well before anyone boards a flight.
Consolidate trips. We added our Amsterdam site visits onto an already-scheduled annual meeting we attend in Barcelona, reducing two international round trips to one. Planners and attendees can apply the same logic: combine a conference with pre- or post-event site visits, client meetings, or destination research rather than booking separate trips. Amsterdam’s easy-to-reach destination makes this achievable.
Choose sustainable aviation fuel. EJP Events contributes annually to SAF through Alaska Airlines’ CHOOOSE-powered program, which lets travelers purchase SAF credits based on estimated flight emissions and earn elite-qualifying miles in the process. CHOOOSE is the climate technology platform behind SAF programs at multiple carriers and airports, including Alaska, Southwest, and several international airlines. United Airlines has expanded SAF use across six domestic hubs and voluntarily operates with SAF at Amsterdam Schiphol. For organizations that want to invest in SAF regardless of which carrier their attendees fly, the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), a joint initiative of RMI and Environmental Defense Fund, enables corporate buyers to purchase verified SAF certificates to address Scope 3 business travel emissions.
Offset remaining carbon through verifiable credits. EJP Events recommends an avoidance-plus-removal approach: Terrapass for baseline emissions avoidance through verified projects (landfill gas capture, wind energy, farm methane destruction), and biochar credits for durable carbon removal. The distinction is important, because avoidance credits prevent emissions that would have occurred; while removal credits pull existing carbon out of the atmosphere. Planners should look for third-party verified programs with transparent project registries. Credit quality varies widely, so do your research.
A planner who consolidates trips, funds SAF, and offsets the remainder has addressed the largest single source of event-related emissions.
People and Planet First as a Framework for MICE
Clients are asking about sustainability in RFPs. Attendees notice how events are produced. Destinations are competing on values, as well as amenities.
The People and Planet First framework identifies enterprises that exist to address social and environmental problems. For organizations that want their meetings spend to support those causes, it works as a practical filter: you can search verified organizations in the People and Planet First directory. People and Planet First is the global standard and verification badge; Good Market Global is the software infrastructure and digital directory that powers it. [1, 2] EJP Events is a member of the Good Market Global directory and is working toward People and Planet First verification.
The same standard applies to where a meeting happens. The Netherlands has built its infrastructure, tourism strategy, and national identity around sustainability. When we bring 200 or 2,000 people to a city, we invest in that place: its economy, its infrastructure, and its community. A meeting in Amsterdam is an investment in sustainability as well.
Summary for Planners
Access: Direct flights from major hubs; high-speed rail to London, Paris, Brussels, and Germany; Schiphol Airport 15 minutes from city center
Venues: Canal houses to convention centers, Michelin-starred hotel properties, widespread green certifications
Sustainability: Eco-certified hotels, renewable-powered transit, world-leading water management, rising GDS Index ranking
National Support: Convention bureau planning assistance, pre-conference financing up to €90,000, attendance guarantees
Walkability: Compact, navigable city; delegates can easily explore independently
Culture: World-class arts, dining, and experiences beyond the agenda
Values: Amsterdam aligns with People and Planet First principles at every level, from water management to venue certification to national tourism policy
Emee Pumarega, CMP, is the founder of EJP Events, a Portland-based event planning company and Good Market Global member specializing in corporate meetings, conferences, and association events. Shawn Granton is a member of the EJP Events team. With over two decades of experience and a commitment to cultural competency and sustainability, EJP Events operates under the philosophy that True Hospitality Welcomes Everyone. For venue sourcing, site visits, or event planning support in European and domestic destinations, visit ejpevents.com.
As an internationally-focused event planning company, EJP Events has extensive knowledge about destinations worldwide. But we have even deeper expertise in our hometown: Portland, Oregon. This Pacific Northwestern metropolis, located about 70 miles/115 km from the Pacific Ocean and 180 miles/300 km south of Seattle, offers abundant natural beauty, decent weather year-round (if you don’t mind a little rain), and exceptional venues for association and corporate events, conferences, and meetings. Here’s your primer on what The Rose City has to offer.
Top Portland Event Venues: Hotels & Meeting Spaces
Oregon Convention Center prefunction area. Courtesy Travel Portland.
The Oregon Convention Center isn’t just LEED Platinum certified—it’s a sustainability pioneer. As the first convention center in the world to earn LEED certification (2004) and one of only two in the U.S. with Platinum status, OCC proves that large-scale events can be environmentally responsible. Solar panels generate over 25% of the building’s electricity, waste diversion programs keep materials out of landfills, and the recent Platinum certification from the Events Industry Council for Sustainable Event Standards confirms OCC’s position as a global leader. With 255,000 square feet of exhibit space, 52 meeting rooms, and direct MAX light rail access, this venue makes it easy for purpose-driven organizations to practice what they preach. EJP Events has planned many events at the OCC, and it’s one of our favorite large-scale venues that brings sustainability, affordability, and active transportation all together.
Ideal for: Sustainability conferences, mission-driven associations, environmental organizations, and nonprofits seeking venues that align with their values.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek addresses the group at Celebrate PACCO at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Portland, Oregon, on December 15, 2023. Business meeting planning by EJP Events.
Brand new to the scene and housed in the ultra-sleek Block 216 Building (Portland’s fifth-tallest building), the “Ritz” brings a touch of modern class to downtown Portland. This 251-room five-star hotel with spa features:
Bellpine restaurant and bar on the twentieth floor offering panoramic views of the city and lands beyond, including Mounts Hood and Saint Helens on clear days
Ideal for: Corporate conferences, galas, and upscale business meetings
Located on the south side of downtown, The Zags has a hip vibe, billing itself “the perfect Portland portal.” The young and young-at-heart will appreciate The Zags’s loaner bicycles, skate boards and other gear available. This distinctive venue provides:
The Colosseum Room with capacity for ninety attendees
Two smaller board/breakout rooms
Perfect spot for a smaller meeting, or a special “add-on” to another big event
Ideal for: Executive retreats, creative workshops, and intimate corporate gatherings
Located approximately forty-five minutes from downtown, The Allison is snugly ensconced in Oregon’s Wine Country, a region rich with vineyards and tasting rooms. The Allison’s 77 guest rooms and 8 suites make a great “home base” for viticultural explorations. This premier venue bills itself as “Oregon’s premier event venue and meeting space” with:
25,000 square feet (2,323 m²) of overall space
Private outdoor terraces for receptions
On-site spa and restaurant
Wine tasting experiences nearby
Ideal for: Multi-day conferences, executive offsites, social events, and incentive programs
Nestled in the mighty Columbia River Gorge east of Portland, Oregon’s highest waterfall drops 620 ft (189 m) from plateau to valley floor. Multnomah Falls is a natural photo-op (many an engagement photo has been taken here). And it’s just one of many falls along the Historic Columbia River Highway, a road built over 100 years ago linking our city to the east and offering numerous vistas and scenes of beauty for the traveler willing to get off of busy I-84. And the Columbia Gorge Express allows easy car-free access to the Falls and other destinations in the Gorge.
There’s no need to even leave the city limits to enjoy spectacular scenery and connections to nature. Nestled in the Tualatin Mountains, aka “West Hills,” which rise sharply just west of downtown, these parks feature:
Scenic vistas and miles of wooded, winding paths (including the famed Wildwood Trail)
Oregon is one of five states to have no sales tax, and no local sales tax either. (We do have lodging tax, though.) No need to pull out a calculator when figuring out the total of your purchase! And Portland has many great shopping districts, like Downtown, the Pearl, SE Hawthorne, Sellwood, NE Alberta, and N Mississippi.
Event benefit: Your event budget goes further with predictable costs for catering, equipment rentals, and attendee purchases.
Public Transit That Gets You Places
For a mid-sized American city, Portland’s public transportation is impressive—a mix of light rail, streetcar, aerial tram, and of course buses connecting to all corners of the Metro area (including the Airport). Many lines feature frequent service, meaning waiting no longer than 15 minutes for the next conveyance. Paying your fare is easy, whether via Tri-Met’s (our local transit agency) Hop card or phone app, or paying via phone pay or credit card—no need for an app!
Event benefit: Attendees can navigate Portland independently without rental cars, reducing your transportation coordination needs and impact on the environment.
Bicycles! Portland’s Bike-Friendly Infrastructure
Like transit, our bicycle infrastructure is great for a mid-sized American city. Many destinations in inner Portland are just a half-hour or less bike ride away, and you can often get places by bike faster than on the bus or in a car. Didn’t bring a bike with you? No problem! Biketown, our ride-share system, has hundreds of community e-bikes scattered throughout the city—use it when you need to, then dock when done.
Plan Your Portland Event with Local Experts
Ready to explore Portland venues for your next corporate or association event, conference, or meeting? EJP Events brings deep local knowledge and international event planning expertise to ensure your Rose City event succeeds.
Photo from MTA, used under Creative Commons license 2.0
Whether it’s a conference, meeting, or wedding, ensuring that all of your attendees can access your venue(s) seamlessly is crucial for fostering inclusivity and enhancing the overall experience of your event. As the planner, you must do your due diligence and research your options. You don’t want an attendee to feel left out because your event lacks the appropriate transportation for someone with accessibility needs. You also can’t assume that your transportation provider will just have this ready for you. We’ve found several vendors who offer accessible event transportation for the Portland metro area and beyond.
Important things to note: Most of these services require reservations AT LEAST two days in advance, some months in advance if booking a larger vehicle, to guarantee availability. Some providers have limited service hours (typically weekday business hours) which can make things tricky for night and weekend events. Those that have indicated 24/7 service are listed in bold. Many of these providers offer different vehicles depending on needs, such as wheelchair vs. walker, so make sure you let them know what you need, as price can vary depending on service. While this list is meant to inform you of possible options, we do not endorse the providers listed here, and can’t guarantee they would work in every particular situation.
Please check each provider below for more info:
PDX WAV (By phone, or via Lyft or Uber Transportation Network Company “TNC” apps. If using Lyft, you must switch on the “Wheelchair Access” mode in Settings. For Uber, scroll down in the regular Choose A Ride screen until you see WAV.)
Travel Portland also maintains its own Accessible Portland page, with tons of resources on accessible event transportation for the Portland metro area. If you’re having an event that includes biking, you can rent Adaptive Biketown accessible bike rentals too!
Nonprofits can also provide useful services for accessible event transportation for the Portland metro area. We found one called Ride Connection, that may be able to provide door-to-door service as long as one is registered in advance and provides 4 days advance notice. One must start the registration process by phone. Check out their website here.
We don’t want to forget to mention our own local public transport service, TriMet. TriMet in Portland offers bus, light rail, and streetcar services, all accessible. However, it isn’t point-to-point, so you do have to plan in advance for the last few miles or blocks of travel. TriMet does offer accessible LIFT service, but from what we’ve researched, there is an application for eligibility, and some bureaucratic hoops to jump through. While there is a visitor eligibility application process, it’s only available to apply by phone. Thus it may not be the most convenient for on-demand, event transportation services.
And don’t forget that EJP Events is there for your event planning needs. Feel free to get in touch if you need assistance with your event, or with accessible event transportation for the Portland metro area.
A grand afterparty in the Rotunda at San Francisco City Hall
The San Francisco Bay Area has a lot going for it when it comes to meetings and events. The northern California metropolis hums with excitement and energy, a diverse mix of different cultures, vital urban areas, and beautiful natural landscapes. Where else can you go in the US and have a super dense city and a remote feeling hilly coastline less than ten miles apart? Through its numerous airports (SFO, Oakland, San Jose), one can catch a flight to and from most of the important destinations in the world. Today we take stock of three different venues representing different areas of this region. We hope this helps you make the most of planning your San Francisco Bay Area meetings and events.
The Golden Gate Bridge is arguably the most iconic thing about the Bay Area. But catching a glimpse of this technological marvel is mostly impossible in the city proper. So how about a venue that has the bridge and bay as a glorious backdrop? This former Army base in the Marina neighborhood was active during World War II. Fort Mason’s thirteen-acre campus features 12 different venue options from 500 to 50,000 square feet (75,000 total square feet), space big enough to hold a comic convention! (I attended the Small Press Expo here in the early 2000’s.) There is also a 437-seat theater, a 162-seat theater, and ample parking. In short, there’s space for pretty much any type of event you’d want to hold.
Located in the Marin County town of Fairfax, the Marin Museum of Bicycling houses an extraordinary collection of interesting bikes from 1868 to the present. Since Fairfax is the birthplace of mountain biking, the museum also houses The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. The fully accessible museum can also be a great venue for your next event. The indoor section can accommodate 80-100 people seated or 160 standing, while the outdoor spaces can hold even more folks. And whatever configuration you pick, you’ll get to check out some cool bikes!
Located on the border between Oakland and Berkeley, this impressive edifice of hospitality sits at the foot of the Berkeley Hills. Opened in 1915, The Claremont Hotel offers a commanding view of the bay. It has all the charm and class of the grand resort hotels completed in California around the turn of the 20th century. With 20,000 square feet of combined meeting space, both indoor and outdoor (including a secret garden!) The Claremont is also close to the commercial districts of Elmwood (Berkeley) and Rockridge (Oakland) with lots of shops and restaurants, and not too far from the Rockridge BART station.
Claremont Hotel by David Corby, used under Creative Commons license
A conference room in the Claremont Hotel, from their website
Incorporate a ferry into your event…
The Bay Area has tons of iconic modes of transportation, from the vision-of-the-future-in-1972 subway system known as BART, a fleet of historic streetcars, and of course, the Cable Car. But the Bay Area’s biggest asset is the water itself, so getting around by ferry has a special charm. (Fun fact: Ferry service was all but gone during the mid twentieth century. While unfortunate, the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 helped bring it back.) And you can book special private cruises via Blue and Gold Lines, who can pick you up and drop you off at a number of bayside ports.
…or the Ferry Building itself!
The San Francisco Ferry Building sits at the foot of Market Street downtown. Opened in 1898, this terminal was the city’s major transportation hub. It survived two large earthquakes and years of neglect brought on by bridge and freeway building. When the controversial Embarcadero Freeway was removed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the building was reconnected to the city. An extensive remodel was taken in the early twenty-first century, and now the Ferry Building is not just a place to catch a boat to somewhere else, but a destination in itself with lots of shops, restaurants, and offices. And you can rent out the Ferry Building for a special event! The Grand Hall can hold a grand event for up to 650 people, while the Port Hearing Room is perfect for a smaller meeting of up to 100 people. The outdoor plazas can be rented as well.
San Francisco Ferry Building’s Grand Hall, from their website
Sometimes called “The People’s Palace”, San Francisco City Hall opened in 1915 and is a great example of a Beaux Arts building from the “City Beautiful” era. Its beautiful Rotunda can accommodate up to 660 people, plus there are multiple other spaces around the Rotunda that can be used for things like a gala or afterparty. We got to experience the gloriousness of this space at the end of Meeting Professionals International’s conference in 2022. Fun fact: City Hall was also featured in a James Bond movie!
We hope that you found this post informative and that it helps you to source for your next San Francisco Bay Area Meetings and Events. Want more info? Check out our post about Berkeley event venues. There is so much more to the Bay Area, California’s Wine Country, and beyond for meetings and events in this area of the country. If you need any help planning your next corporate meeting, event, or conference in the Bay Area, EJP Events is here to assist!
Hello folks! Today we revisit a region near and dear to our hearts: The Columbia River Gorge. This valley carved straight through the mighty Cascade Mountains, providing a water-level route to the interior. This gorge is filled with immense beauty and special places, making it a favorite place of ours not only to visit, but also to hold weddings and other events. We have planned several weddings in the Gorge, like Will and Erik‘s and Shannon and Ryan’s. Come with us to tour event and wedding venues in the Columbia Gorge near Cascade Locks!
Gorges Beer Co.
This brewery is new on the Gorge beer scene, opening in the summer of 2021. Their three-story space, located in downtown Cascade Locks, features two open-air patios with expansive views of the Gorge and Cascade Mountain range. They also have a one-acre lawn and separate “barn” with bar for an outdoor ceremony of up to 200 people. Plus, you’ll get to drink the tasty beers Gorges is known for.
Patio at Gorges BeerThe “barn” at Gorges Beer
Maple Leaf Events Wedding Venue
Located in the foothills above Stevenson, Washington, across the river from Cascade Locks, Maple Leaf Events feature a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings. The reception hall can accommodate 150, with a large kitchen and small bar available as well. Plus, they provide suites for the couple to get ready, and three rentable cabins for overnight stays for members of the wedding party.
Maple Leaf Events (from their website)
Black Pearl on the Columbia
This industrial-styled, multi-level facility is located in Washougal, Washington, at the west entrance of the Gorge. Its 12,600 sq ft can accommodate up to 1,000 people, making it a great spot for a large corporate event. And its floor-to-ceiling windows give a sweeping view of the Columbia River and Cascade Foothills.
Columbia Gorge Museum
Would you like having your event held amongst big pieces of machinery and historical displays? The Columbia Gorge Museum (also known as the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum) in Stevenson allows facility rentals after the museum’s public hours end. As per their website, this museum boasts thousands of square feet of available space including a meeting room, theater, large outdoor patio, as well as the Grand Gallery. (Editor’s Note: This museum should not be confused with the similarly sounding Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles, which we mentioned in our East Gorge roundup last year.)
After hours event at Columbia Gorge Museum in Stevenson (from their website)
Transportation to the Columbia Gorge
Most people arrive to the Gorge via car. Nevertheless, there are other options:
Bus: While Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes through the Gorge here, it does not stop until Bingen, about 20 miles east of here. Taking the bus is a better option. There are multiple options that connect the Portland metro area to the Gorge, all of them have bike racks on the front and/or rear of the bus.
Oregon side: The Columbia Gorge Express travels from Gateway Transit Center in Portland to Hood River several times a day, making stops in Troutdale, Multnomah Falls, and Cascade Locks.
Washington side:Skamania County Transit travels from Fishers Landing Transit Center in Vancouver to Bingen several times a day (weekdays only), making stops in Washougal, Skamania (store), North Bonneville, Stevenson, and Carson.
Bike: Undeniably the Gorge is a great place to ride a bike, at least on the Oregon side. (Washington Route 14 has lots of traffic and often lacks a shoulder.) The Historic Columbia River Highway is the way to go. It’s a scenic route that winds its way from Troutdale, OR to Cascade Locks. Bike maps for the route can be found here and here. Don’t have a bike? Rent one from Bike The Gorge in Cascade Locks.
We hope that you found this post informative, and that it helps you when sourcing event and wedding venues in the Columbia Gorge near Cascade Locks If you need any help planning your next Corporate Meeting, Event or Conference in the Gorge, EJP Events is here to assist!
Check out our previous Columbia Gorge venue guides here: West Gorge and East Gorge
The Hotel Zags. ©Evrim Icoz Photography
