Smart Meetings

Their capital was 90 miles or so west, in Sitka, maybe the most scenic spot in a state that keeps digital camera makers turning out more memory chips. Sheltered by a scatter of barrier islands, and lying in the shadow of the perfect volcanic cone of Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka tops off its beauty with some of the best preserved Russian buildings anywhere. “Our unique heritage makes us a perfect location,” says Sandy Lorrigan, executive director of the Sitka Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Sitka is all about the view, and the town’s Harrigan Centennial Hall, has curtains behind the stage that open to reveal a window stretching across the entire back of the building, offering views of Sitka Sound. The building also features stunning acoustics in its 500-seat theater, home of the Sitka Summer Music Festival, which each summer brings world-class chamber music to the town.

Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House is located on Katlian Street, center of Sitka’s Native community. The Community House is built to resemble a traditional Tlingit or Haida dwelling, offering an open floor plan accented by classic Southeast Alaskan artworks—the carved cedar backdrop is particularly impressive—and staggered seating for 200.

Appropriate for what was once the region’s capital, Sitka is now the primo place for the national bird. The Alaska Raptor Center, just a few minutes from downtown, rehabilitates bald eagles and other injured birds. The center also has an 175-seat auditorium and an outdoor deck with views of the aviaries, ideal for parties and receptions. Want to impress your attendees? Get them up close and personal with the white head of an eagle, and then take them on an excursion to the nearby Sheldon Jackson Museum, a tiny room stuffed to the rafters with Alaskan history.

For an ocean-borne view of Sitka’s natural beauty, Allen Marine Tours runs ships that can accommodate up to 150 passengers. A perfect opportunity to combine business with a wildlife cruise, Sitka is one of the rare places in Alaska that has whales year-round, and sea otters are as common as lawn dandelions. Back to Top

Getting There

Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka are accessible via Alaska Airlines through Seattle. Back to Top

Not To Be Missed

Check out the National Bird. Sitka’s Raptor Center and Ketchikan’s Deer Mountain Eagle Center use injured birds to help educate people on the dangers bald eagles still face. But to see them in the wild, anywhere along the coast, just look for white spots in the tallest trees. The truth is, in Alaska, it’s harder not to see bald eagles. Back to Top