The Four Seasons at the Thrasher-Horne Conference Center

Courtesy of Thrasher-Horne Center

The Thrasher-Horne Conference Center, with over 6,000 square feet of rentable space, can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate all kinds of special events. Meeting space at the Conference Center is available for half-days as well as full days at very reasonable rates, made even more affordable with optional non-profit eligible discounts. Whether you are planning a lecture for 400 or a brunch for 30, the Conference Center can provide the space you need for your next event!

“Thanks for helping make 2016 Celebrate Clay another great success!  Holding an event at the Thrasher-Horne Center is always easy and enjoyable.”

Courtesy of Thrasher-Horne Center

At the Thrasher-Horne Conference Center, you’ll find ample free parking and a kitchen designed for the staging of meals by catering staff. Tables and chairs with customized setup and break down are included with every rental. Each room is equipped with an independently controlled state-of-the-art sound system, with additional AV equipment available for rent.

The Thrasher-Horne Conference Center also boasts several features that are not available at other facilities. One of the things many people like to do when they attend a meeting away from the office is to take a break and get a breath of fresh air between sessions. The Thrasher-Horne Conference Center has grounds that are beautiful and well-maintained – perfect for a short walk. If a person prefers to stay inside between meetings, the Thrasher-Horne Center also has art galleries (open during Box Office Hours) where people can walk around indoors. Many people find that art stimulates their thinking.

Finally, the Conference Center has access to the Thrasher-Horne Center Cabaret Theater, complete with adjustable table-top seating. If your event is going to feature a comedian, hypnotist, live musicians, or other performer, the Cabaret would be perfect.

We look at our facility as a professional conference center with a friendly touch. Our customer service department will go the extra mile to help you plan your event and will also be available on the day of your event to help in any way needed. Many of Northeast Florida’s leading organizations have held their off-site meetings at the Thrasher-Horne Center.

The Four Seasons at the Thrasher-Horne Center

Events at the Thrasher-Horne Conference Center tend to vary based on the seasons of the year. In fact, the natural progression from Spring to Winter is mirrored in many of our client’s functions, providing a unique way to track the passage of time for our staff and our many guests.

Winter:

The cold months bring with them the holiday season, and with that comes Corporate and Private Holiday Parties (Garber Auto Mall, McDonald’s, Innovative Construction Group), Christmas Concerts (First Coast Christian School), and Career Fairs (Clay County Chamber of Commerce).

Spring: 

Springtime is the perfect time for Junior and Senior Proms at the Thrasher-Horne (Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School, Ed White High School NJROTC Military Ball), as well as numerous Nonprofit Banquets and Fundraisers (First Coast Women’s Services Banquet, Reinhold Celebrate Clay Awards,  MADD Law Enforcement Officer Recognition, JP Hall Scholarship Banquet, PACE Center Believing in Girls Luncheon). 

Summer:

Summer traditionally signifies the end of one school year, followed closely by the beginning of another. This is the season of Graduations and Private Graduation Parties (Backpack University, Bishop John J Snyder High School, St Johns Country Day School, FL Youth Challenge), then Teacher Training Workshops for next year’s faculty. Summer Dance Recitals are also a hot ticket during the summer months, with the pitter patter of tiny ballet shoed feet echoing through our halls (Wehner’s School of the Arts, Academy of Dance, Dance Express).

Autumn:

The harvest season brings with it an assortment of fairs and expos. Many business organizations also present their annual Expos in the Fall, and the Thrasher-Horne Center has hosted several. They have included the Clay County Chamber Teacher Appreciation Expo, the Senior Lifestyle Expo, and the Clay County Chamber Business & Health Expo.

Why do so many different organizations plan so many different events at the Thrasher-Horne Center?

Courtesy of Thrasher-Horne Center

Organizations with personnel scattered in offices throughout Northeast Florida find that the Thrasher-Horne Center is a convenient central location for everyone to get together. Also, many companies, associations, and other organizations need a larger facility than they normally have access to. Many need a facility where different spaces can be configured for different purposes.

“Everything was perfect on our wedding day and we couldn’t have chosen a better location for our celebration.”

For example, at the Thrasher-Horne Center, one space can be set up for a wedding party to prepare for the ceremony, another space can be set up for the ceremony, another space can be set up for dining, and yet another space can be set up for dancing. In those circumstances, there’s no need to get in a car and drive anywhere. Guests simply walk down the hall from one part of the event to the next.

Members of our facility staff have worked on events of all kinds and they cater to the clients who use the Conference Center. Their experience and professionalism is a very important factor to meeting planners.

Meeting Space

Courtesy of Thrasher-Horne Center

Naturally, the location for an event should be convenient. For a day meeting, it should be away from the office, but not too far away. The Thrasher-Horne Center is located in Orange Park on College Drive which intersects with Blanding Blvd. That makes it very easy to get to. When people arrive, they will find ample free parking.

“Great place to hold our AP exams….
always excellent customer service!”

For any large off-site meeting or conference, the meeting space is one of the keys to success. The Thrasher-Horne Conference Center has over 6600 square feet of space. It can be configured for large assemblies, small breakout sessions, and everything in between.  

We have state-of-the-art technology, a kitchen designed for the staging of meals by caterers, and bathrooms that are accessible and clean. Our maintenance team is top notch. They make sure that everything works the way it is supposed to work.

If you’re planning an event, be sure to check out The Conference Center at The Thrasher-Horne Center.

---

In this article, I’ve written about The Conference Center at Thrasher-Horne Center. The Conference Center has excellent meeting spaces, ample free parking, and state-of-the-art technology. There are also beautiful grounds and art galleries for attendees to enjoy.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a personal tour, please call (904) 276-6836.

Please share this article with your friends and colleagues. The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.

Tickets for events at Thrasher-Horne Center are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.

The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theater, to dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher Horne-Center! 

Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. People will appreciate learning about what they have been missing.

We appreciate you taking the time to visit us. If you have a comment about this post, please leave it in the comments section below.

How to Hold a Successful Off-site Meeting

Company meetings held away from the office can be very motivating. An off-site meeting can revitalize employees, build team spirit, and get the creative juices flowing. An off-site meeting is one of the best ways to generate new enthusiasm, discuss new ideas, and build a renewed commitment to organizational goals.

Getting away from the dynamics of a workplace setting can give people the opportunity to communicate in ways that they might not back at the office. Specific issues can be addressed and focused on without the interruptions that routinely come up at the home office. In addition, people can engage in team-building activities and have the kind of fun that creates a lasting sense of unity and camaraderie.

Planning is Key

An off-site meeting should be more than a bonding experience. It should be an opportunity for solving problems, generating new ideas, and helping employees grow. Planning and preparation will improve the odds that an off-site meeting will achieve the desired objectives.

Answers to a few simple questions will help you to start planning. What needs to be presented and/ or discussed and why? Is it time for presenting big picture strategy or for making concrete decisions? The answers to these questions will help you to formulate objectives. The objectives will help in the development of the agenda.

Some of the most common objectives for off-site meetings include:

• Review past performance to consider what the team has done well and areas in which performance could be improved.
• Discuss and debate any challenges the organization is currently facing.
• Develop strategic plans for the future.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities.
• Announce major changes in an organization
• Team-building.

Develop an agenda which covers the topic areas you need to cover. Once the agenda has been produced, it should be fairly obvious who should attend. One mistake that planners sometimes make is having people at the meeting who really don’t need to be there. Make sure the list of attendees aligns with your objectives.

Plan the day carefully. Decide whether you want the day to be a working event, a laid-back retreat, or a program combining the two. Everyone needs a break at some point. As you plan, remember that it’s good to give people some time to think about the issues being addressed at the meeting. If possible, it’s also good to build some fun into the day.

In advance of the event, create a detailed schedule of what needs to happen and when so that everything will be ready on the day of the meeting. Work backwards from your event date. Plan ahead for lead time on the production of any printed materials, shipping times for any needed deliveries, and anything else that needs to be taken care of before the meeting day.

At the appropriate time, distribute a pre-retreat agenda to inform people of the objectives for the off-site meeting. If employees need to be familiar with a book or other material before the meeting, let them know so they can be up to speed on the day of the meeting.

Meeting Space

In addition to good planning, the meeting space is a key to success for an off-site meeting. Naturally, the location should be convenient. For a day meeting, it should be away from the office, but not too far away. As you check out potential meeting places, you’ll want to make certain that you get space which meets all of your requirements for a large auditorium as well as smaller rooms for breakout sessions. Here are some additional considerations.

• Is the area where you’ll be having meals suitable?
• Is the kitchen space adequate for your caterer to stage meals?
• Are there enough bathrooms and are they well maintained?
• Is there any outdoor space where people can get out for a breath of fresh air between sessions?
• Is there ample convenient free parking? People who attend will really appreciate that.
• Does the location have adequate technology to meet your requirements?

The Day of the Meeting

The following suggestions are from the Harvard Business Review.

Set the ground rules. An off-site meeting should be a safe space. Participants at the meeting should be confident that they can speak freely. There should be no fear of reprisal.  Participants should feel  confident that what is said at the off-site is for the team alone, and that there won’t be repercussions back at the office due to anything that may have been said.

Gather anonymous input and suggestions. Some team members may have great ideas that may be challenging to a colleague or leader. Soliciting anonymous suggestions can give them the opportunity to present those without pointing the finger at anyone. An outside facilitator can be helpful in this regard, since he or she can be objective in addressing sensitive issues.

End the meeting well. Near the end of the meeting, ask yourself and your team whether or not you have achieved the goals of the meeting. Here are a few sample questions.

• Have we achieved our goals during this meeting?
• Have we found ways to improve our processes and outcomes?
• Did we create a more effective system for communication and collaboration?
• Were the speakers and presentations effective?

After the Meeting

Schedule the follow-up. One common complaint about off-site meetings is that there is no follow-up, or the follow-up is insufficient. Scheduling a follow-up after the initial off-site meeting can help ensure that the team stays focused on whatever issues were addressed.

Check out The Conference Center at The Thrasher-Horne Center for your next off-site meeting.

Many of Northeast Florida’s leading organizations have held their off-site meetings at the Thrasher-Horne Center. The Conference Center has 6200 square feet of meeting space that can be configured in many different ways. Meeting space at the Conference Center is available for half-days as well as full days at very reasonable rates and non-profits are eligible for a discount. There’s ample free parking and a kitchen designed for the staging of meals by catering staff. And of course, the Conference Center is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology to meet the requirements of any organization.

The Conference Center also has several features that other facilities do not have. There are beautiful grounds where meeting participants can take a walk without feeling unsafe the way they might at a downtown hotel. The Conference Center also has art galleries where people can walk around. Many people find art very stimulating for their thinking. Finally, the Conference Center has access to the Thrasher-Horne Center Cabaret Theatre complete with adjustable table-top seating. If your event is going to feature a comedian, hypnotist, live musicians, or other performer, the Cabaret would be perfect.  

In this article, I’ve written about The Conference Center at Thrasher-Horne Center. The Conference Center has excellent meeting spaces, ample free parking, and state-of-the-art technology. There are also beautiful grounds and art galleries for attendees to enjoy.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a personal tour, please call (904) 276-6836.

---

Please share this article with your friends and colleagues. The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.

Tickets for events at Thrasher-Horne Center are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.

The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theatre, to dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher Horne-Center! 

Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. People will appreciate learning about what they have been missing.

We appreciate you taking the time to visit us. If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below.

Related articles

• How To Build an Army of Conference Ambassadors
• 6 Tips to Become A Successful Meeting Planner
• Planning a Corporate Retreat - Part 2