The classic Historic Homes Trolley Tour takes you on a guided journey of Corvallis' history from the perspective of the city's founders.

Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery offers a wide variety of delicious, sustainable menu items.

Pick up an MP3 player in the Visitor Center and take yourself on a Narrated Corvallis Neighborhood Walking Tour.

Visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds of The Thyme Garden, an English-style display garden featuring herbs.

American Dream Pizza serves up tasty pizza pies with a variety of inventive toppings. Create your own topping combo or try one of their signature creations.

NOW OPEN!
Terzo West Coast Italian Restaurant

Full Bar, Lounge, Dining Room, and Chef's Table
Wide selection of Italian Wines, Unique Cocktails, Grappas, and Liqueurs

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday - Saturday 4:30pm to close
HAPPY HOUR Tuesday - Saturday 4:30 to 6pm
Friday & Saturday 8:30pm to close

Location:
151 NW Monroe in the Water Street Market
downtown Corvallis

PHONE: 541-752-1120
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

Red, White, and Blue Riverfront Festival
July 3-4, 2009
Join us for live music, food & drink, community parade, 5K run/walk, and fireworks display.

da Vinci Days Festival
July 17-19, 2009
A weekend celebrating da Vinci-insipired art, science, and technology.

Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire
September 19-20, 2009
An exciting and interactive adventure in the historical times of Shakespeare and Elizabeth I.

Corvallis Fall Festival
September 26-27, 2009
Featuring fine art and crafts booths, live music, food booths, children's Art Discovery Zone, 5K/10K run, and street dance.

Tour Corvallis!

Enhance your next Corvallis meeting with a customized tour of area attractions. Willamette Tours and Cruises offers a wide range of options exploring Benton County's bounty.

Choose from Artisans, Agriculture, and Alpacas, Valley Wines and Vines, Historic Homes, Tea, and Antiques, Willamette River Wildlife Cruise and BBQ, or a tour specialized to your group's interests.

In the summer, book a private session of the Historic Homes Trolley Tour for your attendees. The regular tour schedule is 1 pm on Saturdays from July 11 through August 29 - reservations are strongly recommended. Call Corvallis Tourism at 800-334-8118 to sign up.

Add value to your meeting with these special Corvallis weekends!

For meetings with scheduling flexibility, choose dates that coincide with these signature Corvallis events for instant added value - and increased attendance!

Short planning cycle for a fall event? Catch this year's Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire (September 19-20) or Corvallis Fall Festival (September 26-27).

On a longer cycle for another meeting? Plan ahead for the da Vinci Days Film Festival (March 5-7, 2010), and next year's Red, White, and Blue Riverfront Festival (July 3-4, 2010) or da Vinci Days (July 16-18, 2010).

If a last minute event presents itself this summer, consider giving attendees the chance to participate in the third annual Bicyclette de Vin bicycle winery tour on August 16.

Gathering hotel rate information for any set of Corvallis dates is easy! As always, Corvallis Tourism is your one-stop resource to conveniently request group lodging rates from all Corvallis properties.

Are you online? The role of social media in event planning

Many of us have personal profiles, but do you use social networking platforms, such as facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to enhance your professional lives? Several industry sources report that meeting planners are moving toward increased use of these tools for marketing events and professional networking.

A recent Meetings & Conventions survey reports that meeting planners' use of social networking platforms has grown dramatically over the last year and a half. Almost 75% of respondents indicated that they had either used social media to promote their events or that they plan to do so this year, whereas in 2007, only six percent reported doing so.

MeetingNews reports that, although use of online social marketing to promote events is growing, planners prefer in-person networking. Online tools allow planners to develop face-to-face contacts more readily, however, and create more complex networks.

We conclude that social media is a great addition to, not a replacement for, traditional marketing and networking strategies. Online communities allow planners to solidify connections and discover who you know in common with new acquaintances - always a good idea!

Befriend Corvallis Oregon on facebook

$32 for a box lunch? You've got to be kidding!

Recently, we came across a blog post bemoaning the boring contents of a $32 hotel box lunch. Never mind how ordinary the contents - thirty-two bucks for a box lunch that doesn't include caviar and Champagne is outrageous!

Corvallis comes to the rescue with big city quality at small-town prices. Our food and beverage providers offer a variety of decidedly non-boring box lunches which - get ready for the punch line - include a beverage for under eight bucks! Enticing entree choices include turkey cranberry spinach wrap ( Valley Catering) and ham sandwich with caramelized onions, smoked gouda, lettuce and tomato ( OSU Catering), to name just a few.

In addition to making a significant impact on the financial bottom line, food is an important factor in attendee satisfaction. Wilted salad, cold coffee, and nonexistent vegetarian options will drive attendee attention - and conversation - away from your meeting's carefully planned content.

Choose Corvallis to ensure tasty, original, and affordable food and beverage for your next event!