12 Hours in Arlington: A One-Day Itinerary for Meeting Planners
On August 1st, we took a group of meeting planners from HelmsBriscoe on a tour of meetings experiences in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
One planner said. “I am grateful for the education about Arlington and about CVB relationships.
I value our connection and look forward to building a tighter bond as I bring business to this civic-minded, spiritually charged, technologically advanced, historical, culinary mecca!” The planners, most of whom live in the region, were blown away by the experience. “I had a wonderful time in Arlington these past few days. It was a spectacular experience!”
![](https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_911-memorial_609ccc0e5477b265684c7b706e93c704.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=12f9bb7aa32232639f8224fe72af2b24 320w, https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_911-memorial_609ccc0e5477b265684c7b706e93c704.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=6d5352a83d2abb3eac26a2afc1e5b457 540w, https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_911-memorial_609ccc0e5477b265684c7b706e93c704.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=79ea5b4452cac3060b32feaba052046e 760w)
If you are looking to bring your own group to Arlington, check out some of the event's highlights:
After breakfast at The Westin Arlington Gateway, we were whisked away in an Adventure Tours coach to begin our day of group-friendly activities. We started off with at with a docent-led tour of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.
![](https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/911-memorial-docent_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a5f2fa1174350375c24545a6b96ed9d3 320w, https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/911-memorial-docent_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=0eefaed092647551ba910ef04d5ad2a8 450w)
Memorials
Our two docents wove an intricate narrative of personal stories and historical facts about the events that led up to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Most of the attendees were in tears at the end of the moving experience.
After the Pentagon, the group took a short drive to visit the Air Force Memorial where we were treated to blue skies and gorgeous views of the city. We enjoyed the memorials beautiful setting and took in the meaningful inscriptions on the walls.
![](https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_IwoJima_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=94e382f0e39fa36a0c620be3d421faf2 320w, https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_IwoJima_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=de2ed39a9edbe93feacec6729bc315b6 338w)
A few minutes later we arrived at the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) where we walked around the newly restored monument and saw panoramic views of Washington, D.C., the Potomac River and Virginia.
Places to Eat
After an action-packed morning, we were ready for lunch and drove over to Kona Grill. We dined in a sleek private dining area on Asian-inspired treats tuna poke bowl and mouth-watering Cuban sandwiches.
Views
We grabbed some delicious desserts and walk down hill to The View of D.C. The views are INCREDIBLE. The floor-to-ceiling windows offers never-before-seen vantage points of Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland. We stepped out on the deck to take pictures with the National Mall and the Potomac River as our backdrop. The tower even has a photo station to make sure you get that Instagram-worthy shot with the view.
![](https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_CEBDeck_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=c62a311155208d4938bab40741b0a7a2 320w, https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_CEBDeck_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=dd638db267dd4ca312538e392325bea4 338w)
Washington Capitals
We wrapped up our selfies and made our way to the MedStar Capitals Iceplex and Capitals Team Store. Home of the Stanley Cup Champions Washington Capitals, the Iceplex has a series of event spaces and plenty of options for a team building on the ice. We then got a sneak preview of Ballston Quarter, the new shopping, dining and experiential venue in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood.
![](https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_CapitalsRink_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=4cfe9342353a0cb79f292a57de1e5200 320w, https://arlington.imgix.net/images/blog/0801_HB_CapitalsRink_4b4079f92aeaaa0ffd4ee406edf9a260.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=7d2cc66813f70b329394fb31e2744bb1 450w)
After a quick break and a reception at Pinzimini in The Westin, we closed out the amazing day with a magical nighttime tour of the monuments with Big Bus Washington D.C. As the day came to a close, one planner said “Looking forward to sharing all that I learned with my clients and hopefully will be able to send some groups your way!”
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1 Rotary Road Arlington, VA 22202 (202) 741-1004
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