A farm. A climbing wall. A dog park. Books. Classic cars. Fine art. This all sounds like a pleasant three-day weekend in the making, but in northern Nevada it could also be within the vision for a meeting or event, thanks to the Smoke Free Meetings project and its numerous venue partners.
What started as a local public health campaign to combat secondhand smoke exposure has become an opportunity to showcase the variety of meeting and event venues in the region, all boasting unique attributes, and of course, smoke free indoor air.
“When Washoe County Health Department started the Smoke Free Meetings project nearly five years ago, I don’t think the team thought the list of potential meeting locations would be so dynamic and exciting,” says Rebecca Whistler, project coordinator for Nevada Cancer Coalition, which now spearheads the project statewide. “Businesses and organizations that have a smoke free meetings policy in place have so many options to explore. Finding and booking a venue has become a much simpler task than in years past.”
Over the past year the focus on the Smoke Free Meetings project has shifted to encourage more businesses and organizations to adopt a smoke free meetings policy. Such a policy would indicate that all meetings, conferences and events that are sponsored or hosted by the organization would be held in 100 percent smoke free facilities.
To-date dozens of businesses and organizations have adopted such a policy and signed on as policy-adopters with the Smoke Free Meetings Campaign.
With more than 100 locations on the list of Smoke Free Meeting locations in northern Nevada, options range from more traditional meeting spaces such as the Reno Ballroom or Reno-Sparks Convention Center, to unique niche locales including Urban Roots Farm, Bartley Ranch Regional Park, or even Aces Stadium.
A complete list of venues, including amenities, pricing, and contact information, as well as an interactive map are available online, along with a Smoke Free Meetings pledge form for organizations to adopt a policy. Visit SmokeFreeMeetings.org for more information.
