It stands to reason that a state as diverse as North Carolina offers all manner of exceptional off-site venues that accommodate a variety of group events, from the Biltmore Estate in the mountain community of Asheville, to the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham, to the Crystal Coast’s North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
These and so many other group-friendly off-site facilities that host everything from cocktail receptions to team-building programs in the Tar Heel State—which seems to effortlessly marry the charm of small-town living with must-have metropolitan bells and whistles—complement the communities they reside in, as well as any meeting agenda a planner can dream up.
The Heartland
Filled with attractions, a growing number of big-name hotel brands, including Ritz-Carlton and aloft, and plenty of dining options for meeting attendees within walking distance of the Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte is becoming an increasingly attractive destination in which to convene.
“When meeting planners and attendees visit Charlotte, they are amazed at the nightlife right outside their hotels, the truly authentic Southern hospitality and the attractions unique only to Charlotte,” says Mike Butts, executive director of Visit Charlotte.
One such attraction, which doubles as an off-site venue, is the U.S. National Whitewater Center (NWC), touted as the world’s largest artificial white-water river and an official U.S. Olympic training site. To make the annual Panera Bread Family Reunion held in Charlotte this past spring even more memorable, attendees were shuttled and invited to participate in events of their choosing at NWC, from white-water rafting on its two competition channels to flat-water paddling on the nearby Catawba River. The event was topped off by a Carolina barbecue feast, bluegrass tunes from local band, the Moonshine Racers, sports massages and a special fireworks show.
Groups meeting in Charlotte often take advantage of its NASCAR heritage at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in nearby Cabarrus County. The annual Elks National Foundation held in July 2007 was jam-packed with standing-room-only seminars but also featured a Night at the Races at Lowe’s. During the event, attendees enjoyed the Summer Shootout Series, featuring classic cars and thunder roadsters, as well as a special appearance from Lugnut, the Speedway mascot.
Lowe’s also offers Richard Petty Driving Experience team-building programs for groups of 10 to 1,500 people. It’s worth noting (and perhaps booking early) the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to open in early 2010 and expected to fast become a standby off-site option for groups meeting in Charlotte.
Farther east, Raleigh, one of the three cities that make up the state’s Triangle region, is a unique destination—with a brand-new convention center and 400-room Marriott hotel—in that it perfectly combines the old and the new, according to Jana Rae Oliver, director of sales at the Greater Raleigh CVB.
“The Raleigh area has venues that reflect the charm and hospitality of the South, along with the Triangle’s high-tech atmosphere,” she says.
Among Raleigh’s unique off-site venues are Artspace, a nonprofit visual arts center that hosts events for up to 200 people; the Angus Barn Wine Cellar, which accommodates up to 28 guests for intimate dinners and wine tasting; and Koka Booth Amphitheatre, which is available for group rental when it isn’t hosting musical acts. Located on 14 acres of hardwoods and pines next to Symphony Lake, the park where Koka Booth Amphitheatre resides is an inviting natural respite, according to the Greater Raleigh CVB.
Once space has been booked, Oliver adds, the Greater Raleigh CVB’s full-service convention services department will work hand-in-hand with meeting planners on all aspects of the event. Additionally, a new interactive portion of www.visitraleigh.com is dedicated to providing meeting planners with the tools they need to find vendors, from florists to caterers, as well as easily promote the area and event to attendees.
The Triangle’s Durham CVB also touts a helpful convention services staff that works with planners to identify the appropriate off-site venue and make initial contact with the site to clear dates and check costs, according to Shelly Green, COO of the Durham CVB.
“We’ve got lots of cool places for off-site events,” she says, citing the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, with numerous areas for groups of up to 900 people; the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, where the 15,000-square-foot Mary D.B.T. Semans Great Hall provides an excellent setting for an exclusive reception or dinner; and the Museum of Life and Science.
A popular event with groups of up to 90 people is Breakfast with the Butterflies in the Museum of Life and Science’s Magic Wings Butterfly House, according to Green, adding that an elegant catered reception for 450 held in the Great Hall at the Nasher Museum of Art, complete with a performance by the African American Dance Ensemble, will be met with high praise by both the planner and attendees.
“Durham stands out as a meeting destination because it is a colorful, creative, entrepreneurial community with a unique cultural identity, nationally recognized restaurants and chefs, as well as world-class museums and educational institutions,” Green says.
Chapel Hill, representing the third community of the Triangle, has everything from basketball to botanical gardens.
“[Groups] fall in love with the entire experience of Chapel Hill and Orange County, from its small, quaint atmosphere to the total college environment,” says Linda Ekeland, director of sales at the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau.
Among Chapel Hill’s standout off-site facilities for groups are the Carolina Basketball Museum, which highlights the history of UNC basketball; the North Carolina Botanical Garden and Coker Arboretum, set on 800 acres of natural bounty; and Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
Additionally, Southern Season, one of the largest gourmet stores on the East Coast, offers cooking classes for groups of up to 45 people. According to Ekeland, planners are encouraged to arrange team-building activities where attendees prepare their own meal, learn about the proper selection of wines and finish the entire event with delicious desserts.
Just west in the Triad region of North Carolina, Greensboro’s locale in the middle of the state often means it’s the center of attention, says Ava Pope, director of sales at the Greensboro CVB.
“Greensboro’s location exceeds planners’ expectations—it’s easy to get to the beach and the mountains, plus enjoy everything that is right here,” Pope says.
Center City Park, for starters, in the heart of downtown Greensboro, can accommodate various events and activities for up to 1,600 people. Groups appreciate the artwork and interpretive elements in the park, including the fountain, which is an abstract representation of the seasonal streambeds found throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont region.
Also situated downtown is Elm Street Center, whose Empire Room and Regency Room each accommodate approximately 800 people for events totaling up to 1,600 guests. These elegant rooms are full-service facilities with lavish decor and high-tech resources for meetings or parties.
For a golf tournament plus a banquet, planners can turn to Greensboro’s Bryan Park Golf & Enrichment Center, with more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space located near two championship golf courses bordered by Lake Townsend.
Groups meeting in the Triad’s Winston-Salem have a multitude of unique indoor and outdoor off-site spaces that accommodate anywhere from six to 15,000 people, according to Stephan Dragisic, director of marketing and communications for Visit Winston-Salem.
“Whether it’s a beautifully restored 1929 movie theater, a fairground, a science center or a living history community, Winston-Salem is ready to provide attendees with memorable experiences,” Dragisic says.
Old Salem Museums and Gardens, one of America’s most authentic and well-documented colonial sites, with 100 restored and reconstructed buildings where groups enjoy off-site events, stems from the circa-1766 congregational town and trading center of Salem. Among its facilities are Brewery Lot, a picturesque outdoor space available for private events, and the Frank L. Horton Center, which has three facilities available for group functions.
Winston-Salem has also received consistently positive feedback from groups utilizing the Winston Cup Museum and the Stevens Center for off-site events.
Attendees at banquets held in the Winston Cup Museum, which was designed to preserve NASCAR history and Winston-Salem’s ties to the spectator sport, are surrounded by authentic Winston Cup race cars and one-of-a-kind trophies, uniforms, helmets, winner’s checks, autographed pictures and signed original racing posters.
Located in downtown Winston-Salem, the Stevens Center is a historic movie theater with seating for close to 1,400 people and state-of-the-art 35mm film projection equipment with a Dolby sound system.
High Point, also part of the Triad, is known as the Home Furnishings Capital of the World, but its riches run far deeper than its nickname.
“High Point is a community that embraces that old-fashioned quality of life with an abundance of arts, history, endless recreational activities and the grace of the South,” says Maggie Shimon, sales manager for the High Point CVB.
One spectacular backdrop for any event, trade show or exhibit, according to Shimon, is Showplace, a dramatic, contemporary venue with a 100-foot-high atrium and 78,000 square feet of meeting space.
“The building itself is an inspiration for unique, one-of-a-kind events, and the creative staff can help build an event your attendees will never forget,” she says, citing several groups that have booked Showplace, including the Southern Building Materials Association and IVESCO.
Mining fields and a beautiful English castle were constructed when the High Point area struck gold in 1832. Today, guests enjoy Castle McCulloch and its Crystal Gardens for receptions, retreats and dinners.
Farther southeast, Fayetteville’s branding campaign, showcasing it as a place that celebrates all that is great about America, recently received a platinum award from HSMAI, according to John Meroski, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area CVB (FACVB).
“There is nowhere else where people can meet at the home of the Defenders of Democracy,” he says of the all-American community (where planners can hold an all-American conference). “The FACVB will work with a planner to coordinate special receptions and off-site events based on the planner’s needs.”
Heritage Place, a three-building complex on the National Register of Historic Places that dates to the early-1800s, is a perfect location for an off-site progressive dinner, Meroski says. “And docents can work with your group in Civil War-era costumes.”
The Airborne & Special Operations Museum, which spotlights the comprehensive history of the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations, is another beautiful setting for off-site events. Its facilities include a 5,000-square-foot lobby and two theaters.
And both the Fort Bragg Officers’ and NCO clubs are available for meetings and dinners. Additionally, according to Meroski, a number of special activities such as viewing training and parachute packing demonstrations are available at Fort Bragg.
Atlantic Coast
In February 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Wilmington made the Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2008 list due to its commitment to preservation, history and an authentic visitor experience, according to Mikie Wall, vice president of sales and services at the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB.
Meeting delegates can experience some of that history firsthand when planners book off-site venues like the Battleship North Carolina, a WWII vessel that has been preserved almost exactly as it was during its active service. The ship is available for meetings, receptions and dinners. The Henrietta III riverboat is ideal for a cruise along the Cape Fear River, complete with a meeting and lunch or dinner. And at the recently renovated Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, one of the few remaining USO buildings still standing in the country, there is space for banquets and receptions.
“Our guests most enjoy our variety,” Wall says, citing the area’s rich colonial, Revolutionary War and Civil War histories, abundance of lovely gardens, various walking tours and 31 miles of beaches.
Off-sites at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach, a resort in Atlantic Beach, N.C., on the Crystal Coast, means oceanfront, according to Tina Purifoy, director of sales and marketing at the property, where group events include dinner and dancing on a private fishing pier, cocktails on the beach at sunset and beachfront barbecues.
“In the Crystal Coast, meeting participants can dine with sharks, Blackbeard or on a cruise boat—whatever strikes their fancy,” Purifoy says, citing three unique off-site venues.
At the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, groups can indeed dine and dance in front of sharks swimming around in a 350,000-gallon living shipwreck exhibit. At the North Carolina Maritime Museum, they can get up close and personal with Blackbeard the pirate. And with Diamond City Cruises harbor tour company, groups can dine and take in the scenery, which often includes dolphin sightings.
The Craven County CVB refers to the area, including its major meetings player, New Bern, as the “ideal vacation spot for sunseekers and history buffs alike.”
At New Bern-based Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens, delegates can enjoy both during a group tour. The grounds host historic homes, including Tryon Palace, which was originally built between 1767 and 1770 as the first capitol of the Colony of North Carolina, and 14 acres of gardens that highlight different blooms depending on the time of year.
While the Outer Banks is known foremost for its sweeping natural beaches, variety of accommodations and locally owned restaurants, the region’s attractions that double as group venues are top selling points, according to Lorrie Love, tourism sales director at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
“The off-site venues are jewels within the crown,” Love says.
Two such gems are the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island and Roanoke Island Festival Park.
The Aquarium’s Graveyard of the Atlantic and Diamond Shoals rooms often host off-site meal functions while providing spectacular backdrops, thanks to the 285,000-gallon shark tank filled with schools of huge game fish, reef dwellers and sea turtles found along the Outer Banks.
At Festival Park—featuring facilities such as a 240-seat film theater, a renovated outdoor pavilion and a small, intimate art gallery—costumed sailors, blacksmiths and woodworkers forge friendships with delegates.
Greenville, with its newly created Convention Center District featuring the Greenville Convention Center, hotels, some 75 restaurants and a variety of shopping outlets, is an up-and-coming destination for meeting planners in the Southeastern U.S., according to Andrew D. Schmidt, director of sales and marketing at the Greenville-Pitt County CVB.
Situated three miles north of Greenville is Rock Springs Center, an off-site event facility nestled in the middle of a 500-acre equestrian community that accommodates groups of up to 1,000 people in either a casual or formal setting. The Murphy Center, another standout facility utilized for banquets, meetings and events on the campus of East Carolina University, overlooks Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and is part of the greater Minges Coliseum Complex. Tours of the athletic facilities are often part of the attendee experience.
Schmidt adds that the Greenville Arts District is an excellent option for an off-site event. Within a two-block area known as Uptown Greenville, there are five separate art galleries displaying works from both local and national artists.
“These galleries work together to create a unique experience for attendees,” Schmidt says. “Attendees can float between locations, enjoy each venue’s different food and drink, and of course, shop for the perfect piece of art.”
The Mountains
Asheville is one of the state’s most eclectic communities, according to Tim Lampkin, director of destination gurus for the Asheville CVB.
“Known as a place where suit and tie meets tie-dye, Asheville offers a diverse array of experiences,” Lampkin says. “Groups are inspired by the rich local culture and stunning mountain backdrop, which sets the stage for broad thinking, relationship building and the conception of innovative business solutions.”
In Asheville, Lampkin continues, you can have an unconventional convention.
“The unique off-site venues here offer everything from inspiring mountain views to historic sites where you can actually walk in the footsteps of America’s greatest minds,” he says, citing the Biltmore Estate and the Crest Center and Pavilion.
The Biltmore, a National Historic Landmark complete with America’s largest home, expansive gardens and a winery, is a must-visit attraction regardless of whether an off-site function is held here.
Crest Center will accommodate up to 300 guests for business meetings and conferences, while the entire grounds can host up to 1,000 people for trade shows and conventions.
Additionally, the legendary Art Deco S&W Cafeteria building is newly opened as the upscale restaurant S&W (Steak & Wine), which offers a variety of event space in the heart of downtown Asheville.
In Hickory, according to Bebe Leitch, president of the Hickory Metro CVB, all the planning details are taken care of by the bureau.
“While planning a meeting, we communicate between the group and the facilities to determine which has appropriate space for the group, and during the decision-making process, we are able to provide detailed information about the amenities available at each facility and coordinate off-site venues and spouse activities,” she says.
When the North Carolina League of Municipalities held its 1,200-person annual meeting in Hickory, a committee was formed to plan the five-day event. The Hickory Furniture Mart, one facility used, was made available and featured numerous exhibits to provide a glimpse of the region’s past, present and future.
Other group-friendly off-site options are the Hickory Motor Speedway and the Millholland Planetarium at Catawba Science Center
For More Info
Asheville CVB 828.258.6101 www.exploreasheville.com
Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau 919.968.2060 www.visitchapelhill.org
Craven County CVB 252.637.9400 www.visitnewbern.com
Crystal Coast Tourism Authority 252.726.8148 www.crystalcoastnc.org
Durham CVB 919.687.0288 www.meetindurham.com
Fayetteville Area CVB 910.483.5311 www.visitfayettevillenc.com
Greater Raleigh CVB 919.834.5900 www.visitraleigh.com
Greensboro CVB 336.274.2282 www.greensboronc.org
Greenville-Pitt County CVB 252.329.4200 www.visitgreenvillenc.com
Hickory Metro CVB 828.322.1335 www.hickorymetro.com
High Point CVB 336.884.5255 www.highpoint.org
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau 252.473.2138 www.outerbanks.org
Visit Charlotte 704.334.2282 www.visitcharlotte.com
Visit Winston-Salem 336.728.4200 www.visitwinstonsalem.com
Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB 910.341.4030 www.cape-fear.nc.us
