A city where meeting and incentive combos are easy and fun to achieve.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a food festival for just about everything, whether the “Picklesburgh,” celebrating the glory of pickling complete with a giant flying pickle balloon, or festivals for wine, whiskey, apples, maple syrup and exploring cultural heritage. Here are a few more ways to experience this dynamic city, whether you are planning a corporate retreat, meeting or combo.
Sips & Bites
The city has become a hub for micro-breweries and groups can taste 15 different varieties and a gourmet beer-paired meal with City Brew Tours during Pittsburgh meetings, while ‘Burgh Bits & Bites offers culinary team building, as well as local specialties from funky to historic neighborhoods.
Sips & Sights
Groups of 10 or more can hop aboard the century-old Duquesne Incline cable car for sips and spectacular panorama sights of Pittsburgh and its three rivers. The ride ends at the Observation Deck where a tour of the historic site can be arranged.
Experience Fallingwater
Follow this up with seasonal fare and a tour at Frank Lloyd Wright’s stunning Fallingwater, considered one of the most important buildings of the 20th century by the American Institute of Architects—a true representation of organic architecture—and the only Wright house with its setting, original furnishings and artwork intact. The Barn at Fallingwater also regularly hosts meetings, retreats and conferences for up to 310 attendees theatre-style.
Outside-the-Box Workshops
Other interesting experiences can be found at the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark, a national heritage area that speaks to the city’s past as steel making capital of the world. Here, graffiti art workshops, 3-hour photo safaris of the industrial site and docent-led tours of the on-site museum take place. Experience these things drink-in-hand.
Venture Into the Laurel Highlands
Meanwhile, a 90-minute drive south of Pittsburgh into the Laurel Highlands offers its own cultural and culinary adventures. One case in point is the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, where dining runs the gamut of five-star and farm fresh to foods that reflect Allegheny Mountain heritage. Groups can experience sommelier-led wine tastings, dips and infinity poolside sips, and fine dining at one of only 30 restaurants in the world to hold both the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond designation. The 2,000-acre resort is also a haven for recharging worn out execs, with a holistic healing center and garden, adventure center, stained glass, painting and photography workshops and on-site clay shooting.
Go Local
The Laurel Highlands is ripe with orchards and maple farms, many of which sell their jams and jellies and confections of maple cream, sugar and candy, or offer the option of group harvests or flower picking.
