North Central College offers options for meetings
An interview with Troy Bristow, director of conference services & camps at North Central College.
Q: Tell us about North Central College.
A: North Central College is a top-ranked private comprehensive college of the liberal arts and sciences. U.S. News & World Report counts us among "America's Best Colleges," one of the top six schools in the Midwest for a "strong commitment to undergraduate teaching." Students choose from more than 55 undergraduate majors and five graduate program areas.
North Central College was founded in 1861, during the Civil War. At that time, we were called Plainfield College, and we were one of the few colleges welcoming women as well as men. From the very beginning, we set ourselves apart as an institution committed to wisdom as well as knowledge.
Our first president, A.A. Smith, an ardent abolitionist, said, "A college should be a great moral lighthouse, sending out a clear and steady light upon all subjects…."
Q: Tell is about meeting options at North Central College.
A: North Central College offers state-of-the-art venues for the public to hold its own special events. Our venues include five performing arts spaces (which are used for all types of arts performances, as well as professional presentations), two large exposition halls, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, intimate nondenominational chapel, collegiate residential housing (season dependent), classrooms, performance and lecture facilities.
A/V is available and catering is provided by Chartwell's, as well as a few external approved vendors.
Q: What are people in your industry talking about?
A: Specifically, in the conference services departments in universities across the country we are consistently talking about how we can promote our facilities and associations.
Many people do not consider holding their meetings or conferences at a university. They automatically tend to go to hotels or conference centers for their meetings.
Using college housing for local summer college interns is a new trend gaining popularity across the country.
North Central College is just beginning to promote our housing to local businesses that hire summer college interns that require housing.
It is a cost effective housing option in a safe environment for interns that are not familiar with the area.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
A: I have been director here for three years. Before I came to here, I was the assistant director of sales & marketing in Wheaton College's Conference Services Department for four years.
Q: Tell us one interesting fact about the venue that most people may not know?
A: Wentz Concert Hall (which seats 617) is acoustically tunable. Wentz Concert Hall can be "tuned" through the motorized extension and retraction of sound-absorbing curtains.
Two massive sound chambers, one on each side of the stage and invisible to the audience, enhance the audio characteristics and allow sound to bounce off multiple planes as it is directed to the audience.
Q: Someone to follow on Twitter and why?
A: @Meetingsnet is a great way of staying current with trends and needs when planning meetings & events.