With the rich pre-Revolutionary War history of Charleston, the museums and parks of Columbia, the graceful plantation homes of Clemson and the top-notch golf of Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Kiawah Island, South Carolina brims with historic, cultural and recreational diversions. The state is also packed with natural wonders, from mountain waterfalls around Greenville to miles of sun-kissed beaches along the coast.
With friendly attitudes, all-season weather and new attractions, it’s easy to see why the Palmetto State keeps meeting planners coming back for more.
Coastal South Carolina
It’s official: According to a recent poll by Travel + Leisure and CNN, Charleston is “America’s friendliest city.” That comes as no surprise to Stacy Fletcher, sales manager for the Charleston Area CVB.
“Charleston just has that draw, an allure that makes people want to come here,” she says. “We’re friendly, and anything you would want to do is here.”
Developers also consider Charleston a favorite place; a Hilton hotel is scheduled to break ground in downtown Charleston this year, and three new hotels are planned for the area around the convention center by next summer, while the aloft Charleston Airport and Convention Center hotel opened this summer with 136 rooms and more than 500 square feet of meeting space. The property is part of the latest additions to a very compact convention district. The Charleston Area Convention Center, Performing Arts Center, North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston International Airport and numerous hotel properties are all within a few minutes of each other, making meetings nearly stress-free for planners.
While national associations make up the bulk of area meetings, military get-togethers are also big here, and a popular stop is Patriot’s Point, a naval attraction that includes the World War II aircraft carrier Yorktown, as well as a destroyer, Coast Guard cutter and submarine. The attraction, a top pick for off-site events, also holds the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum.
Historic plantation homes are also ideal reception and event sites. Boone Hall Plantation offers everything from informal barbecues to dress-up dinners for up to 300 attendees, and Magnolia Plantation features the country’s oldest gardens.
People are noticing Charleston’s cuisine as well, Fletcher says, and with eateries like Carolina’s, 39 Rue de Jean and Tristan, the dining scene has bypassed history in popularity. Lowcountry, Caribbean, French and Italian influences are all here, side by side with Southern staples such as Sticky Fingers Ribhouse, known nationally not only for great BBQ, but also for the large portrait hanging on the wall of native son and television personality Stephen Colbert.
Aside from the convention center, the destination boasts numerous hotels with meeting facilities, including popular options like Doubletree Guest Suites Charleston–Historic District, Charleston Place, Francis Marion Hotel and Charleston Marriott.
Just minutes away from Charleston are Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Isle of Palms. It’s impossible to stay inside for very long, so expect attendees to escape often to enjoy the natural beauty of island life, from wildlife tours to beachcombing. But one of the top reasons people flock here is the area’s celebrated golf courses. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, home to five championship courses, has received numerous accolades as one of the country’s premier golf destinations, and the resort’s Ocean Course has hosted the Ryder Cup and the Senior PGA Tour, and will have the honor of hosting the 2012 PGA Tour.
The region’s top meetings properties include Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Seabrook Island Resort and Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort opened a new clubhouse at its Ocean Course earlier this year. The facility offers four meeting rooms and more than 3,000 square feet of meeting space, plus a restaurant, bar and verandas for outdoor dining.
Farther south along the coast is Hilton Head Island, also a standout for its championship golf layouts; the readers of Golf Digest ranked the island’s golf courses among the top 10 in the nation.
While Hilton Head mainly sees national, corporate and association business, the area is also targeting new markets, according to Jack Reed, director of sales for the Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau.
“For the off-season, we’d like to expand into more corporate and religious markets,” he says, adding that the average group size is 75 to 100 people, which fits the island destination well. “We’re a great destination because of the unspoiled natural beauty here. We have a perfect blend of nature and man working together.”
In addition to golf, Hilton Head offers plenty of other land-based and waterborne recreational pursuits, in addition to unique and historic off-site venues, including Honey Horn Plantation, a 68-acre site with walking trails, interactive heritage exhibits and the Coastal Discovery Museum.
While there is no central convention center on the island, groups will find plenty of meeting space at properties like Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa, Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, Crowne Plaza Hilton Head Island Beach Resort, Hilton Oceanfront Resort and Sea Pines Resort, home to the new Heron Point by Pete Dye golf course.
Another meetings-ready property, accessible via ferry from Hilton Head, is Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa.
On the northern part of the South Carolina coast is Myrtle Beach, a family-friendly destination that is benefiting from the growing trend of attendees bringing their families and adding a few days to their stay.
“Many people are forgoing extravagant vacations and tagging on a few extra days for vacation at the end of their business trip, which is ideal for Myrtle Beach,” says Danna Lilly, director of sales for the Myrtle Beach Area CVB.
With 60 miles of beach, there’s an endless supply of fun for attendees and families, from fishing to windsurfing. The area also has waterparks, and the newest attraction will light up the eyes of any rock ’n’ roll fan: the $400 million Hard Rock Park, which features the Led Zeppelin roller coaster, Funkytown midway, Reggae River Falls play area and Alice’s Restaurant.
Other must-see attractions include NASCAR Speedpark and Brookgreen Gardens, both offering several off-site event packages.
Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach is a renowned golf destination, with more than 100 unique fairways designed by top architects like Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer.
The largest group venue is the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, and as the state’s largest beach destination, Myrtle Beach also has an impressive lineup of properties with meeting facilities, including Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel; Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes; Marina Inn at Grande Dunes; Kingston Plantation, which features the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort and the Embassy Suites Myrtle Beach, in addition to a new conference center; Bay Watch Resort and Conference Center; and Grande Shores Ocean Resort.
Another meetings option, Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach, opened the Lakeside Conference Center last spring. The center offers 17,000 square feet of meeting space, and the resort has 355 condo units and a 142-slip marina.
Just a few miles south is Pawleys Island, with Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club and Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort, both offering meeting facilities.
Inland South Carolina
Development-wise, Columbia, the state capital and home of the University of South Carolina, is definitely on the move.
“We’re having a room boom,” says Crystal Morris, director of sales for the Columbia Metro CVB. “We have 20 new hotels planned, and Columbia keeps growing.”
The new 135-room Sheraton Downtown Columbia opened in July with more than 4,500 square feet of meeting space, and two new properties, Staybridge Suites and Springhill Suites, are under construction and slated to open by the end of the year.
With a mix of government, corporate, education and association markets, the average meeting ranges in size from 750 attendees to 1,000 attendees, and continuing development will make the city even more attractive to groups.
While ample facilities are a plus, the natural world is also a highlight, since Columbia enjoys great weather all year long and sits at the intersection of the Broad and Saluda rivers, which combine to form the Congaree River. Attendees can take time out for boating on Lake Murray, and just a short drive away from town is Congaree National Park, an old-growth forest offering hiking, bird watching and canoeing.
For off-site venues, the Columbia Museum of Art, South Carolina State Museum, Governor’s Mansion and Corley Mill House and Garden provide unique spaces for any event.
The city’s top gathering facility is the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, with more than 142,000 square feet of space, while groups can also utilize the Columbia Conference Center and the Carolina Coliseum.
Aside from the new Sheraton, groups can also meet at properties such as the Columbia Marriott and the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.
In upcountry South Carolina, Mother Nature really knows how to put on a show. Just a short distance from Greenville, located on the banks of the Reedy River, the state’s largest natural waterfall drops 400 feet in Caesars Head State Park, and the lush beauty of Jocassee Gorges near Clemson makes a perfect backdrop for hikes or picnics.
The Greenville area also has a host of unique attractions, from the nearby BMW manufacturing facility and Zentrum museum—a gearhead’s dream of interactive and historic BMW exhibits—to the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum.
Meeting facilities include the Carolina First Center, which just finished a $22 million renovation, and the Bi-Lo Center, a 15,000-seat arena.
Hotels catering to groups include the Westin Poinsett, Hyatt Regency Greenville, Embassy Suites Golf Resort and Conference Center, Hilton Greenville, Greenville Marriott, and Hampton Inn & Suites Greenville, located in the new mixed-used RiverPlace development.
Thanks to Clemson University and nearby Southern Wesleyan University, educational and amateur sports markets are big in Clemson, according to Shannon Clark, tourism director for the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We even have a sports and heritage council because we host all types of events, from mountain biking to youth baseball,” she says.
The area also has numerous sites perfect for receptions and events, including the historic Woodburn and Ashtabula Plantations, and the Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson University.
Meeting facilities include the Clemson University Conference Center and Inn, and the Ramada Inn.
York County, anchored by the community of Rock Hill, offers a diverse selection of attractions, from historic Brattonsville, a 700-plus-acre Revolutionary War living history site, to modern thrills at Carowinds amusement park, with more than 60 rides, shows and events.
“People don’t think about us, but we’re conveniently located between the two Carolinas, and we have excellent facilities and attractions,” says Margaret Wallace, director of sales for the York County CVB.
While the area mainly hosts small meetings, York County may get a boost in the religious market with the recent reopening and renovation of the Heritage International Ministries Conference and Retreat Center, which now offers 380 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space with seven breakout rooms.
Rock Hill’s Baxter M. Hood Center is the area’s premier gathering facility, and Winthrop University’s 6,000-seat coliseum can also be utilized by groups.
West of York County is Spartanburg, with historic attractions such as Cowpens National Battlefield, the site of a major American victory in the Revolutionary War, and Walnut Grove Plantation, which gives visitors a taste of life in the 1800s.
Downtown Spartanburg has invested in a major revitalization, and one of the central features of the project is the new Renaissance Park, featuring the meetings-ready Marriott at Renaissance Park and the Chapman Cultural Center. The five-acre Chapman Cultural Center complex has a 500-seat theater showcasing various performances, several museums, two meeting rooms and a host of options for off-site events.
Spartanburg Expo Center, Summit Point Conference Center and Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium are among the larger facility options in the area.
Off-site venue options include the relaxing beauty of Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve and Woodfin Ridge Golf Club.
For More Info
Charleston Area CVB 843.853.8000 www.charlestoncvb.com
Clemson Chamber of Commerce 864.654.1200 www.clemsonchamber.org
Columbia Metropolitan CVB 803.545.0000 www.columbiacvb.com
Greenville CVB 864.421.0000 www.greatergreenville.com
Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau 843.785.3673 www.hiltonheadisland.org
Myrtle Beach Area CVB 843.448.1629 www.myrtlebeachinfo.com
Spartanburg CVB 864.594.5050 www.visitspartanburg.com
York County CVB 803.329.5200 www.visityorkcounty.com
