About Lexington:

Lexington, surrounded by some 450 horse farms, is considered the Horse Capital of the World and is home to two historic horse racing tracks. A number of these horse farms are open to the public. Keeneland holds live races in April and October and is steeped in tradition where much has not changed since the track’s opening in 1936. The Red Mile Harness Track is the oldest horse racing track in the city, and second oldest in the nation having opened in 1875. The Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm and an educational theme park, along with holding the distinction of being a retirement home for some of the world’s greatest competition horses. It will play host to the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games and will be the site of the XVI International Coal Preparation Congress’s banquet. The banquet will include a horse show, wagon rides through the facility, the local bluegrass music, a demonstration of ‘clogging’ (a type of Appalachian dancing), etc.

In surrounding towns you can discover Civil War battlefields, bourbon distilleries, walk the quiet paths of a restored Shaker Village, take a scenic drive on country roads or hike sweeping gorges. The spousal programs will provide opportunities to visit the horse farms, distilleries, and other interesting sites in the region. Shoppers will find handmade crafts, equine wares, sports memorabilia, and antiques, plus the largest shopping mall in Kentucky.

Lexington is centrally located in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. Named in part due to a particular type of grass, poa pratensis, better known as Bluegrass, that thrived on the limestone rich soil of central Kentucky. Lexington is also centrally located between the Appalachian and Illinois bituminous coal basins. Post Congress tours are being organized to visit the Appalachian and Illinois Coal Basins with these trips ending in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Lexington, and Washington, DC.
For more information visit the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau

Hotel Information:

Enveloped by the rolling meadows of Bluegrass Country, the Griffin Gate Marriott & Spa, a luxurious Kentucky resort and upscale Lexington hotel, invites guests to discover unmatched Southern hospitality. The genteel ambiance at this Lexington, Kentucky hotel has been revived by sweeping renovations featuring sparkling facilities and a brand new spa. Retreat to plush guest rooms after playing some of the finest greens on the magnificent Rees Jones-designed golf course or indulging in the rejuvenating powers of soothing spa treatments offered by The Spa at Griffin Gate. Dinner is served at the renowned Mansion, where traditional American fine dining is presented in a meticulously restored 19th Century antebellum manor home. Envision being in the winner's circle after a successful business engagement at this innovative hotel in Lexington, Kentucky or experience a magical wedding providing the perfect blend of tradition and imagination. Discover the Lexington, KY hotel a breed above the rest at the Griffin Gate.
For more information visit the Hotel Web Site