Distinct Southeast

America’s Southeast is caught between the past and the 
present, and that’s what makes it such an appealing destination. Convention facilities are housed in century-old buildings, yet they have modern audio and visual equipment. Hotels are newly renovated, but they maintain the charm of generations past. Restaurants serve delicious and impeccable dishes, but the 
recipes date back decades. It’s in the Southeast, from Mississippi and Alabama all the way east to 
North Carolina, that Southern hospitality meets technology and professionalism, resulting in a 
refreshing mix that brings satisfying rewards for meeting participants.
Atlanta, Georgia
Big city amenities and Southern hospitality: That’s what you’ll find in Atlanta. As the ninth largest metro area in the country, Atlanta has more restaurants, hotels and meetings facilities than you’ll ever need, but it’s the way the city caters to each group individually that makes it stand out.
Amanda Scott experienced Atlanta’s warm hospitality the minute she stepped off the train downtown. Banners hanging from the light poles and inside the Hilton hotel welcomed her group, the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD). “To come off of the metro and see a welcome BPD sign, we knew they really went out of their way for us,” says Scott, the association manager. The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau coordinated the signage.
More than 900 participants attended the conference. “With the economy, we were worried we’d make our numbers,” says Scott. “But because of the destination, people decided to come anyway.” Scott looks for destinations with civil rights attractions, which appeal to the association of social workers. Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, which includes his birth home and the church he attended as a child, was the most-visited attraction among attendees. Many members bring their spouses and children, so downtown’s World of Coca-Cola museum and Georgia Aquarium were also popular spots. Atlanta’s location made it easy for so many families to attend, says Scott. “Atlanta is a great central location for people to come. It’s not too far south, or too far east, especially when you have people coming form across the U.S.”
The location also made Matt Wales’ job easy. “Atlanta has the largest airport in the country, which makes it easy for our members to get there,” says Wales, meetings and events manager for the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Atlanta was also a good match for a few other reasons. “For us, it was that great combination of having that first-tier city access to all the attractions, restaurants and things that make it an attractive place at a price that was extremely affordable for us,” he says. He recommends the Hyatt Regency Atlanta for its combination of meeting space (180,000 square feet), newly renovated rooms, and convenient downtown location.
There’s so much Wales liked about Atlanta, he’s considering returning for the AACTE 2015 conference that he’s currently planning. “I will go on record saying of all the events I’ve done, they were the best CVB I’ve ever worked with,” he says. “Atlanta is big, vibrant, action-packed, very diverse. It’s not just geared toward one type of individual and that’s what makes it attractive to our attendees.”
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Whether you’re a college football fan, Cajun cuisine lover or enthusiast for the pristine nature surrounding Bayou country, Baton Rouge has a wealth of draws for meeting planners. Culture in this southeastern Louisiana town may come with a little Tabasco or even a tiger’s growl, but it’s all covered in a good bit of genuine warmth and hospitality.
As the state’s capital and home to Louisiana State University, attractions, dining and entertainment are never hard to come by. Groups such as the Midwestern Travel Writers Association, meeting in Baton Rouge this month, use the LSU Rural Life Museum’s new meeting space to liven up an event. The exhibits in the museum take visitors to Louisiana before the Industrial Revolution. The college town is also filled with live music for a night out or swamp tours that take attendees way off the beaten path if so desired.
An elegant event at Nottoway Plantation, the largest plantation home in the South, has an authentic South Louisiana feel to it. New accommodations are on the grounds as well as the renovated Mansion restaurant, which can be converted to banquet or meeting space. The barn at Magnolia Mound is also a popular venue for an old-fashioned crawfish broil set against a rare Creole plantation house surrounded by gorgeous Magnolia trees.
A different side of Cajun country can be tasted along one of the Louisiana Culinary Trails that go through the area. The Louisiana Office of Tourism and Tabasco has created culinary tours throughout the state, but the restaurants on the trail that cuts through Baton Rouge are enough to satisfy groups with their combination of Cajun, Creole and French flavors.
In 2005, the Baton Rouge River Center expansion added a 70,000-sq.-ft exhibition hall to the existing arena and theater for the performing arts. More than 200,000 square feet of new and renovated space is available in the downtown complex.
Birmingham, Alabama
For a metropolitan area with a population of more than a million people, the shopping, entertainment and dining options in Alabama’s largest city are not surprising. Sports dominate with bass fishing, golf and attractions such as the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and nearby Talladega Superspeedway. The city plays host to the IRL Grand Prix of Alabama and the USTA Federation Cup this spring. It is a regular host of the SEC baseball tournament and last year it welcomed tennis’ Davis Cup first-round match.
Civil rights are a huge part of the city’s history and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park are among the many highlights of a civil rights tour of the city, each providing its own distinctive setting for meaningful offsite venues.
Your group can spend an afternoon shopping in the charming neighborhoods close to downtown from Mountain Brook to Homewood and the Highlands. There, they’ll find cute boutiques and nationally recognized restaurants. But the Summit and Riverchase Galleria malls have it all when it comes to name-brand shops and restaurants.
As one would expect in a city the size of Birmingham, large convention space is plentiful. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) has 220,000 square feet of exhibit space while smaller venues are available throughout the region, such as the Cahaba Grand Conference Center with 22,000 square feet or the Gardendale Civic Center’s 16,000 square feet of meeting space.
The big news for meetings in Birmingham is the $530 million expansion and renovation of the BJCC set to begin in 2011 and completed in 2014. The expansion includes a 57,000-seat facility that includes 160,000 square feet of flat floor space and long-awaited updates to the existing space.
Charlotte, North Carolina
It’s hard to be the first of anything anymore, but the Charlotte Convention Center can claim one very important first: the first convention facility to go green in North Carolina. It has switched to biodegradable cups and eco-friendly cleaning supplies, maintains constant internal heat and air-conditioning temperatures, and recycles all aluminum, glass and plastic bottles used by groups. Green initiatives have crept into every aspect of convention planning, which makes going green in Charlotte the standard rather than a hassle.
The Charlotte Convention Center, with more than 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, anchors Charlotte’s Center City convention district. The area boasts nearly 100 restaurants, as well as art and science museums. Susan Perry of The Perry Group has been planning events for 25 years, and she looks for three things in destination cities: affordability, support and location. “Charlotte had all that,” says Perry, who plans the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association conference every year. “We were able to work with the city so we could afford it.” More than 900 attendees headed to Charlotte, and Perry found that the convention center and area hotels offered more than enough space for the group’s needs. In fact, she only used one-third of the convention center. The Westin Charlotte, Hilton Charlotte Center City, Omni Hotel and Charlotte Marriott Center City are all large hotels with space for groups to spread out (and hold meetings, if need be) within walking distance of the convention facilities.
A trio of new destinations within the city gives visitors plenty to do during non-meeting hours. Perry’s attendees spent a lot of free time at the EpiCentre, an entertainment venue just blocks from the convention center with shops and restaurants. It’s become the heart of the nightlife scene in Uptown. Nearby, the Wells Fargo 
Cultural Campus is an arts mecca, with newly opened galleries including the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. Mint Museum Uptown, a 145,000-sq.-ft. museum of American, contemporary and craft art, opens in October. And the newly opened NASCAR Hall of Fame is a 150,000-sq.-ft. space dedicated to the history of auto racing. The museum, which includes interactive exhibits and a racing “Hall of Honor,” is adjacent to the convention center.
Charlotte has always been a good destination for business meetings, but has changed dramatically in the past 10 years, notes Perry. “The city is much more alive.” From viewing the orchids at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to riding the roller coasters at Carowinds, Charlotte is a charming Southern town that warrants an extra day or two after the meetings are done.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
On the water and surrounded by mountains, it’s no wonder that Chattanooga is committed to protecting its environment. Area businesses are also promoting the locavor movement. Local produce not only fills the menus of farm-to-table restaurants but the Chattanooga Convention Center serves it from its own kitchen as much as possible.
Keith Quatrano, the five-star chef behind the catering at the convention center, embraces Southern cuisine while partnering with local growers to keep the menu fresh and as local as possible. The eco-friendly 185,000-sq.-ft. convention center uses natural lighting, recycles, and donates non-consumed food to the Chattanooga Food Bank’s Second Helpings program as part of its green initiative.
A free, zero-emission electric shuttle system, a revitalized downtown with green space, a wetlands preservation area and 25 miles of walking paths in the surrounding community encourage people to get out of their cars and get outside. Other city initiatives include a goal to have at least 20 LEED-certified buildings downtown by 2011 and to double the tree canopy in the central business district.
The First Tennessee Pavilion seats up to 4,000 attendees in the great outdoors when not occupied by concerts or the seasonal Chattanooga Market. Attendees can enjoy an outdoor break from meetings as well as local attractions ranging from the Chattanooga Nature Center and Chattanooga Aquarium to whitewater rafting, kayaking or hiking. Nearby, Ruby Falls and Rock City are popular natural attractions.
Greenville,
South Carolina
Debbie Motz has taken her biannual Eastern Outdoor Reps Association trade show to several cities throughout the Southeast, but none seem to draw the attendance that Greenville does. So instead of bouncing from city to city, the association holds its Southeast regional show every February and August in Greenville. “It seems Greenville is that magical destination that everyone will go to,” says Motz, EORA executive director. “It’s great because the interstate systems and airport make it easy for people to get there.”
Convenience may attract attendees, but a revitalized Main Street holds their attention. The EORA uses the Carolina First Center and surrounding hotels for its event, but Motz has found that more and more attendees are choosing to stay downtown and drive the three miles to the convention center in order to take advantage of the restaurants, shopping and entertainment within walking distance. She blocks rooms in hotels both near the convention center, which include a Hyatt, Hilton and others along the Haywood Road corridor, and one downtown hotel to satisfy attendees. The historic Westin Pointsett anchors downtown and a 135-room Courtyard Marriott is scheduled to open in June.
“What’s great is that at 5 p.m. our sidewalks don’t roll up,” says Todd Bertka, vice president of sales at the Greenville CVB. The summer season brims with concerts on Thursday and Friday nights, outdoor dining and the arts scene. “There really isn’t a slow night from now until October,” Bertka says.
Whether it’s a Greenville Drive baseball game at Fluor Field or a concert at the Peace Center, attendees seem to take full advantage of what’s available to them in their off time. Bertka refers to the city as having a lot of surprising unknowns. Meeting venues range from the conventional — the First Center, which completed a $22 million renovation on its 280,000 square feet of exhibit space and 60,000 square feet of meeting and conference space in 2008 — to the creative, such as Zen, a swanky 12,000-sq.-ft. flexible space on Greenville’s West End.
Amidst its variety of activity, downtown is bookended by Falls Park and Heritage Green. Falls Park is a green space with nature trails, a pond, gardens and Liberty Bridge, a 355-foot bridge supported by a single suspension cable overlooking a waterfall. Four museums make up the arts and cultural campus of Heritage Green. Your group can visit the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green and The Children’s Museum, or you can host an event at the Greenville Little Theatre or the Upcountry History Museum.
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city of complementary contrasts. Downtown has historic churches alongside areas with active shopping, dining and nightlife. Antebellum homes are just minutes from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
Dr. Margaret Kelly was more than happy to welcome close to 3,000 fellow Delta Sigma Theta sorority members and guests to her hometown in June 2009 for the sorority’s 42nd Southern Regional Conference. As the president of the Huntsville Alumnae chapter, Kelly served as conference coordinator and made the winning bid for her city to host the biennial conference based on its hospitality, the civic center’s ability to hold such a large conference and all the activities the city.
In newsletters leading up to the event, Kelly suggested attractions including the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Burritt on the Mountain, golf and EarlyWorks Children’s Museum to keep attendees entertained.
Kelly worked with the Huntsville/Madison County CVB to arrange discounts with local restaurants. The CVB welcomed the group with banners and signage. “The hotels and convention center went beyond the call of duty,” Kelly says. In turn, the sorority members donned their colors when they came to town. “We brightened the city with red,” Kelly says.
The sorority was able to hold all of its events, from workshops to a gospel fest, at the Von Braun Center, while staying at area hotels. Currently the center, which has 170,000 square feet of meeting space, is undergoing a $25 million makeover. The renovation, updating the 1,950-seat concert hall and 8,500-seat arena, is scheduled for completion by spring 2011.
Adjacent to the center, construction has begun on the Constellation Development, a shopping, office and retail mixed-use facility. Two hotels are part of the project, including a 153-room Springhill Suites by Marriott set to open winter 2011.
One part of the conference was held outside the Von Braun Center. The Southern region chapters presented $10,000 and school supplies to area schools during a special ceremony in Big Spring International Park. The downtown green space earns its designation as an international park because gifts acquired from around the world, including 60 cherry blossom trees from Japan, a 1929 fog bell from Norway and a park bench from Britain.
Tampa, Florida
If being near the water is important for your meeting, Tampa is a destination to consider. Located on the west coast of Florida, the city sits on Tampa Bay, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico.  The Tampa Convention Center has waterfront views and is accessible from hotels, shops and restaurants by an electric streetcar, water taxi or the Tampa Riverwalk.
“The CVB is fantastic and the convention center is very easy to work with,” says Liz Tarver, sales and marketing manager for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Tarver organizes the aviation association’s annual summit, which has a few special demands. The convention center must be within three miles of a general aviation airport because the event has an indoor exhibit at a convention hall and an outdoor show at the airport. Tampa Bay and Co., the city’s CVB, helped make what can be a difficult process very easy for Tarver, which isn’t the case in all cities, she says.
Conference attendees have a number of hotels to choose from. The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina downtown has water views and a full-service spa. Renaissance Tampa International Plaza and the InterContinental Tampa are within steps of shopping, dining and entertainment at Westhore Plaza and International Plaza and Bay Street. And the Mainsail Suites and Conference Center features a new 17,000-sq.-ft. conference facility.
Cigar makers founded Tampa’s landmark historic district, Ybor City, in the 1880s. Today, it’s a diverse neighborhood with a wealth of international restaurants housed in old buildings. Columbia Restaurant is a family-owned dining dynasty in Ybor City and offers 15 separate rooms that can accommodate 10 to 200 guests for fine 
Spanish and Cuban cuisine accompanied by live flamenco nightly.
Professional sports fans will not be disappointed by Tampa’s choices. From MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays to NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, groups can plan large outings to games. If you’re more into culture than sports, Tampa has a full list of festivals throughout the year, from Historic Ybor City’s Fiesta Italiana to the annual Florida State Fair. With nice weather almost year-round, outdoor festivals in this pedestrian-friendly city are always welcome, as are all the attractions near the convention center. More than 2,400 hotels rooms are within walking distance of the center, including the Embassy Suites Tampa-Downtown, connected to the convention center by SkyBridge. The hotel has a 20-story glass-enclosed atrium and 9,000 square feet of meeting space. 
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The 60-mile beachfront stretch, also known as “The Grand Strand,” of the Myrtle Beach area is swimming in accolades: best beach, best hotel, best weekend getaway, best value. The sunny Southern spot, which includes 12 communities from Little River to Pawleys Island, has won it all. It’s known for its golf courses, shag dancing, Calabash seafood and historic rice plantations, but it’s also a popular meetings destination.
A golfer’s paradise, the area has seven of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, as rated by Golf Digest. Meetings attendees won’t be disappointed by the courses at Caledonia, Dunes, Grande Dunes, Heritage, Tidewater or Barefoot. For meetings that welcome the family to come along, more than 50 area courses allow kids to play free, says Steve Mays, senior director of marketing for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Better at putting than driving? Myrtle Beach is considered the “Miniature Golf Capital of the World.” In fact, more than 50 courses line the seaside stretch of the Grand Strand.
For those jonesing for some low-country cuisine (such as the Southern specialty shrimp and stone-ground grits), the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk, set in a historic fishing village, is brimming with restaurants serving up fresh seafood caught right off the dock. Big decks line a saltwater estuary, which serves a backdrop for live bands that play nightly almost year-round.
Myrtle Beach adds a new attraction to its beachside location: the Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade, which stretches 1.2 miles along the coast, divided into three sections. The north section allows for a peaceful walk on a raised, wooden deck. The central section invokes a carnival atmosphere sporting cafes and souvenir shops. The south section is less developed, and has windng paths through natural sand dunes.
With your free time accounted for, it’s back to business. The international airport, 89,000 area rooms (including condos and beach cottages), and Myrtle Beach Convention Center make meetings a snap. More than 20 of the area’s hotels and resorts offer meeting facilities for groups up to 2,000 people. In 2009, Travel and Leisure readers named the Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes (with modern meeting facilities) as one of the Top 500 World’s Best Hotels. The plethora of outdoor activities in the area also makes it ideal for team-building exercises. Test out Jet Ski races, deep-sea fishing trips or kayak excursions.
A century after families first started vacationing in what was originally called New Town, this coastal gem is now packed with affordably priced activities and lodging for meetings and events.
— Jennifer Garrett and Libby Hoppe

America’s Southeast is caught between the past and the 
present, and that’s what makes it such an appealing destination. Convention facilities are housed in century-old buildings, yet they have modern audio and visual equipment. Hotels are newly renovated, but they maintain the charm of generations past. Restaurants serve delicious and impeccable dishes, but the 
recipes date back decades. It’s in the Southeast, from Mississippi and Alabama all the way east to 
North Carolina, that Southern hospitality meets technology and professionalism, resulting in a 
refreshing mix that brings satisfying rewards for meeting participants.

Atlanta, Georgia

Big city amenities and Southern hospitality: That’s what you’ll find in Atlanta. As the ninth largest metro area in the country, Atlanta has more restaurants, hotels and meetings facilities than you’ll ever need, but it’s the way the city caters to each group individually that makes it stand out.

atlmuseum

I Have a Dream Museum, Atlanta

Amanda Scott experienced Atlanta’s warm hospitality the minute she stepped off the train downtown. Banners hanging from the light poles and inside the Hilton hotel welcomed her group, the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD). “To come off of the metro and see a welcome BPD sign, we knew they really went out of their way for us,” says Scott, the association manager. The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau coordinated the signage.

More than 900 participants attended the conference. “With the economy, we were worried we’d make our numbers,” says Scott. “But because of the destination, people decided to come anyway.” Scott looks for destinations with civil rights attractions, which appeal to the association of social workers. Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, which includes his birth home and the church he attended as a child, was the most-visited attraction among attendees. Many members bring their spouses and children, so downtown’s World of Coca-Cola museum and Georgia Aquarium were also popular spots. Atlanta’s location made it easy for so many families to attend, says Scott. “Atlanta is a great central location for people to come. It’s not too far south, or too far east, especially when you have people coming form across the U.S.”

The location also made Matt Wales’ job easy. “Atlanta has the largest airport in the country, which makes it easy for our members to get there,” says Wales, meetings and events manager for the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Atlanta was also a good match for a few other reasons. “For us, it was that great combination of having that first-tier city access to all the attractions, restaurants and things that make it an attractive place at a price that was extremely affordable for us,” he says. He recommends the Hyatt Regency Atlanta for its combination of meeting space (180,000 square feet), newly renovated rooms, and convenient downtown location.

There’s so much Wales liked about Atlanta, he’s considering returning for the AACTE 2015 conference that he’s currently planning. “I will go on record saying of all the events I’ve done, they were the best CVB I’ve ever worked with,” he says. “Atlanta is big, vibrant, action-packed, very diverse. It’s not just geared toward one type of individual and that’s what makes it attractive to our attendees.”

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Whether you’re a college football fan, Cajun cuisine lover or enthusiast for the pristine nature surrounding Bayou country, Baton Rouge has a wealth of draws for meeting planners. Culture in this southeastern Louisiana town may come with a little Tabasco or even a tiger’s growl, but it’s all covered in a good bit of genuine warmth and hospitality.

As the state’s capital and home to Louisiana State University, attractions, dining and entertainment are never hard to come by. Groups such as the Midwestern Travel Writers Association, meeting in Baton Rouge this month, use the LSU Rural Life Museum’s new meeting space to liven up an event. The exhibits in the museum take visitors to Louisiana before the Industrial Revolution. The college town is also filled with live music for a night out or swamp tours that take attendees way off the beaten path if so desired.

An elegant event at Nottoway Plantation, the largest plantation home in the South, has an authentic South Louisiana feel to it. New accommodations are on the grounds as well as the renovated Mansion restaurant, which can be converted to banquet or meeting space. The barn at Magnolia Mound is also a popular venue for an old-fashioned crawfish broil set against a rare Creole plantation house surrounded by gorgeous Magnolia trees.

A different side of Cajun country can be tasted along one of the Louisiana Culinary Trails that go through the area. The Louisiana Office of Tourism and Tabasco has created culinary tours throughout the state, but the restaurants on the trail that cuts through Baton Rouge are enough to satisfy groups with their combination of Cajun, Creole and French flavors.

In 2005, the Baton Rouge River Center expansion added a 70,000-sq.-ft exhibition hall to the existing arena and theater for the performing arts. More than 200,000 square feet of new and renovated space is available in the downtown complex.

Birmingham, Alabama

For a metropolitan area with a population of more than a million people, the shopping, entertainment and dining options in Alabama’s largest city are not surprising. Sports dominate with bass fishing, golf and attractions such as the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and nearby Talladega Superspeedway. The city plays host to the IRL Grand Prix of Alabama and the USTA Federation Cup this spring. It is a regular host of the SEC baseball tournament and last year it welcomed tennis’ Davis Cup first-round match.

C1005_Dest_SE_Birmingham_BarberVintageMotorsportsMuseum

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham

Civil rights are a huge part of the city’s history and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park are among the many highlights of a civil rights tour of the city, each providing its own distinctive setting for meaningful offsite venues.

Your group can spend an afternoon shopping in the charming neighborhoods close to downtown from Mountain Brook to Homewood and the Highlands. There, they’ll find cute boutiques and nationally recognized restaurants. But the Summit and Riverchase Galleria malls have it all when it comes to name-brand shops and restaurants.

As one would expect in a city the size of Birmingham, large convention space is plentiful. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) has 220,000 square feet of exhibit space while smaller venues are available throughout the region, such as the Cahaba Grand Conference Center with 22,000 square feet or the Gardendale Civic Center’s 16,000 square feet of meeting space.

The big news for meetings in Birmingham is the $530 million expansion and renovation of the BJCC set to begin in 2011 and completed in 2014. The expansion includes a 57,000-seat facility that includes 160,000 square feet of flat floor space and long-awaited updates to the existing space.

Charlotte, North Carolina

It’s hard to be the first of anything anymore, but the Charlotte Convention Center can claim one very important first: the first convention facility to go green in North Carolina. It has switched to biodegradable cups and eco-friendly cleaning supplies, maintains constant internal heat and air-conditioning temperatures, and recycles all aluminum, glass and plastic bottles used by groups. Green initiatives have crept into every aspect of convention planning, which makes going green in Charlotte the standard rather than a hassle.

Charlotte Convention Center

Charlotte Convention Center

The Charlotte Convention Center, with more than 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, anchors Charlotte’s Center City convention district. The area boasts nearly 100 restaurants, as well as art and science museums. Susan Perry of The Perry Group has been planning events for 25 years, and she looks for three things in destination cities: affordability, support and location. “Charlotte had all that,” says Perry, who plans the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association conference every year. “We were able to work with the city so we could afford it.” More than 900 attendees headed to Charlotte, and Perry found that the convention center and area hotels offered more than enough space for the group’s needs. In fact, she only used one-third of the convention center. The Westin Charlotte, Hilton Charlotte Center City, Omni Hotel and Charlotte Marriott Center City are all large hotels with space for groups to spread out (and hold meetings, if need be) within walking distance of the convention facilities.

A trio of new destinations within the city gives visitors plenty to do during non-meeting hours. Perry’s attendees spent a lot of free time at the EpiCentre, an entertainment venue just blocks from the convention center with shops and restaurants. It’s become the heart of the nightlife scene in Uptown. Nearby, the Wells Fargo 
Cultural Campus is an arts mecca, with newly opened galleries including the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. Mint Museum Uptown, a 145,000-sq.-ft. museum of American, contemporary and craft art, opens in October. And the newly opened NASCAR Hall of Fame is a 150,000-sq.-ft. space dedicated to the history of auto racing. The museum, which includes interactive exhibits and a racing “Hall of Honor,” is adjacent to the convention center.

Charlotte has always been a good destination for business meetings, but has changed dramatically in the past 10 years, notes Perry. “The city is much more alive.” From viewing the orchids at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to riding the roller coasters at Carowinds, Charlotte is a charming Southern town that warrants an extra day or two after the meetings are done.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

On the water and surrounded by mountains, it’s no wonder that Chattanooga is committed to protecting its environment. Area businesses are also promoting the locavor movement. Local produce not only fills the menus of farm-to-table restaurants but the Chattanooga Convention Center serves it from its own kitchen as much as possible.

Keith Quatrano, the five-star chef behind the catering at the convention center, embraces Southern cuisine while partnering with local growers to keep the menu fresh and as local as possible. The eco-friendly 185,000-sq.-ft. convention center uses natural lighting, recycles, and donates non-consumed food to the Chattanooga Food Bank’s Second Helpings program as part of its green initiative.

A free, zero-emission electric shuttle system, a revitalized downtown with green space, a wetlands preservation area and 25 miles of walking paths in the surrounding community encourage people to get out of their cars and get outside. Other city initiatives include a goal to have at least 20 LEED-certified buildings downtown by 2011 and to double the tree canopy in the central business district.

The First Tennessee Pavilion seats up to 4,000 attendees in the great outdoors when not occupied by concerts or the seasonal Chattanooga Market. Attendees can enjoy an outdoor break from meetings as well as local attractions ranging from the Chattanooga Nature Center and Chattanooga Aquarium to whitewater rafting, kayaking or hiking. Nearby, Ruby Falls and Rock City are popular natural attractions.

Greenville, South Carolina

Debbie Motz has taken her biannual Eastern Outdoor Reps Association trade show to several cities throughout the Southeast, but none seem to draw the attendance that Greenville does. So instead of bouncing from city to city, the association holds its Southeast regional show every February and August in Greenville. “It seems Greenville is that magical destination that everyone will go to,” says Motz, EORA executive director. “It’s great because the interstate systems and airport make it easy for people to get there.”

Trolley in Downtown Greenville

Trolley in Downtown Greenville

Convenience may attract attendees, but a revitalized Main Street holds their attention. The EORA uses the Carolina First Center and surrounding hotels for its event, but Motz has found that more and more attendees are choosing to stay downtown and drive the three miles to the convention center in order to take advantage of the restaurants, shopping and entertainment within walking distance. She blocks rooms in hotels both near the convention center, which include a Hyatt, Hilton and others along the Haywood Road corridor, and one downtown hotel to satisfy attendees. The historic Westin Pointsett anchors downtown and a 135-room Courtyard Marriott is scheduled to open in June.

“What’s great is that at 5 p.m. our sidewalks don’t roll up,” says Todd Bertka, vice president of sales at the Greenville CVB. The summer season brims with concerts on Thursday and Friday nights, outdoor dining and the arts scene. “There really isn’t a slow night from now until October,” Bertka says.

Whether it’s a Greenville Drive baseball game at Fluor Field or a concert at the Peace Center, attendees seem to take full advantage of what’s available to them in their off time. Bertka refers to the city as having a lot of surprising unknowns. Meeting venues range from the conventional — the First Center, which completed a $22 million renovation on its 280,000 square feet of exhibit space and 60,000 square feet of meeting and conference space in 2008 — to the creative, such as Zen, a swanky 12,000-sq.-ft. flexible space on Greenville’s West End.

Amidst its variety of activity, downtown is bookended by Falls Park and Heritage Green. Falls Park is a green space with nature trails, a pond, gardens and Liberty Bridge, a 355-foot bridge supported by a single suspension cable overlooking a waterfall. Four museums make up the arts and cultural campus of Heritage Green. Your group can visit the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green and The Children’s Museum, or you can host an event at the Greenville Little Theatre or the Upcountry History Museum.

Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville is a city of complementary contrasts. Downtown has historic churches alongside areas with active shopping, dining and nightlife. Antebellum homes are just minutes from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Dr. Margaret Kelly was more than happy to welcome close to 3,000 fellow Delta Sigma Theta sorority members and guests to her hometown in June 2009 for the sorority’s 42nd Southern Regional Conference. As the president of the Huntsville Alumnae chapter, Kelly served as conference coordinator and made the winning bid for her city to host the biennial conference based on its hospitality, the civic center’s ability to hold such a large conference and all the activities the city.

In newsletters leading up to the event, Kelly suggested attractions including the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Burritt on the Mountain, golf and EarlyWorks Children’s Museum to keep attendees entertained.

Big Spring Park, Huntsville

Big Spring Park, Huntsville

Kelly worked with the Huntsville/Madison County CVB to arrange discounts with local restaurants. The CVB welcomed the group with banners and signage. “The hotels and convention center went beyond the call of duty,” Kelly says. In turn, the sorority members donned their colors when they came to town. “We brightened the city with red,” Kelly says.

The sorority was able to hold all of its events, from workshops to a gospel fest, at the Von Braun Center, while staying at area hotels. Currently the center, which has 170,000 square feet of meeting space, is undergoing a $25 million makeover. The renovation, updating the 1,950-seat concert hall and 8,500-seat arena, is scheduled for completion by spring 2011.

Adjacent to the center, construction has begun on the Constellation Development, a shopping, office and retail mixed-use facility. Two hotels are part of the project, including a 153-room Springhill Suites by Marriott set to open winter 2011.

One part of the conference was held outside the Von Braun Center. The Southern region chapters presented $10,000 and school supplies to area schools during a special ceremony in Big Spring International Park. The downtown green space earns its designation as an international park because gifts acquired from around the world, including 60 cherry blossom trees from Japan, a 1929 fog bell from Norway and a park bench from Britain.

Tampa, Florida

If being near the water is important for your meeting, Tampa is a destination to consider. Located on the west coast of Florida, the city sits on Tampa Bay, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico.  The Tampa Convention Center has waterfront views and is accessible from hotels, shops and restaurants by an electric streetcar, water taxi or the Tampa Riverwalk.

“The CVB is fantastic and the convention center is very easy to work with,” says Liz Tarver, sales and marketing manager for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Tarver organizes the aviation association’s annual summit, which has a few special demands. The convention center must be within three miles of a general aviation airport because the event has an indoor exhibit at a convention hall and an outdoor show at the airport. Tampa Bay and Co., the city’s CVB, helped make what can be a difficult process very easy for Tarver, which isn’t the case in all cities, she says.

Conference attendees have a number of hotels to choose from. The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina downtown has water views and a full-service spa. Renaissance Tampa International Plaza and the InterContinental Tampa are within steps of shopping, dining and entertainment at Westhore Plaza and International Plaza and Bay Street. And the Mainsail Suites and Conference Center features a new 17,000-sq.-ft. conference facility.

Ybor City, Tampa

Ybor City, Tampa

Cigar makers founded Tampa’s landmark historic district, Ybor City, in the 1880s. Today, it’s a diverse neighborhood with a wealth of international restaurants housed in old buildings. Columbia Restaurant is a family-owned dining dynasty in Ybor City and offers 15 separate rooms that can accommodate 10 to 200 guests for fine 
Spanish and Cuban cuisine accompanied by live flamenco nightly.

Professional sports fans will not be disappointed by Tampa’s choices. From MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays to NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, groups can plan large outings to games. If you’re more into culture than sports, Tampa has a full list of festivals throughout the year, from Historic Ybor City’s Fiesta Italiana to the annual Florida State Fair. With nice weather almost year-round, outdoor festivals in this pedestrian-friendly city are always welcome, as are all the attractions near the convention center. More than 2,400 hotels rooms are within walking distance of the center, including the Embassy Suites Tampa-Downtown, connected to the convention center by SkyBridge. The hotel has a 20-story glass-enclosed atrium and 9,000 square feet of meeting space.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The 60-mile beachfront stretch, also known as “The Grand Strand,” of the Myrtle Beach area is swimming in accolades: best beach, best hotel, best weekend getaway, best value. The sunny Southern spot, which includes 12 communities from Little River to Pawleys Island, has won it all. It’s known for its golf courses, shag dancing, Calabash seafood and historic rice plantations, but it’s also a popular meetings destination.

A golfer’s paradise, the area has seven of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, as rated by Golf Digest. Meetings attendees won’t be disappointed by the courses at Caledonia, Dunes, Grande Dunes, Heritage, Tidewater or Barefoot. For meetings that welcome the family to come along, more than 50 area courses allow kids to play free, says Steve Mays, senior director of marketing for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Better at putting than driving? Myrtle Beach is considered the “Miniature Golf Capital of the World.” In fact, more than 50 courses line the seaside stretch of the Grand Strand.

For those jonesing for some low-country cuisine (such as the Southern specialty shrimp and stone-ground grits), the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk, set in a historic fishing village, is brimming with restaurants serving up fresh seafood caught right off the dock. Big decks line a saltwater estuary, which serves a backdrop for live bands that play nightly almost year-round.

Myrtle Beach adds a new attraction to its beachside location: the Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade, which stretches 1.2 miles along the coast, divided into three sections. The north section allows for a peaceful walk on a raised, wooden deck. The central section invokes a carnival atmosphere sporting cafes and souvenir shops. The south section is less developed, and has windng paths through natural sand dunes.

Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Myrtle Beach

Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Myrtle Beach

With your free time accounted for, it’s back to business. The international airport, 89,000 area rooms (including condos and beach cottages), and Myrtle Beach Convention Center make meetings a snap. More than 20 of the area’s hotels and resorts offer meeting facilities for groups up to 2,000 people. In 2009, Travel and Leisure readers named the Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes (with modern meeting facilities) as one of the Top 500 World’s Best Hotels. The plethora of outdoor activities in the area also makes it ideal for team-building exercises. Test out Jet Ski races, deep-sea fishing trips or kayak excursions.

A century after families first started vacationing in what was originally called New Town, this coastal gem is now packed with affordably priced activities and lodging for meetings and events.

— Jennifer Garrett and Libby Hoppe

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May 5, 2010 Posted Under: , , , , , , , ,

One Response to
“Distinct Southeast”

  1. Grainne McClain
    May 6, 2010 at 5:32 pm

    Grand Hyatt Atlanta welcomes all Atlanta visitors and would love to become your home away from home. Visit our website to find out more about our beautiful luxury hotel located in the vibrant Buckhead area. We hope to see you soon.

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