While there’s plenty of sun to soothe beach bunnies on the shores of North Carolina and South Carolina, there are countless other lures to satisfy a range of visitor types—from history buffs to nature lovers. With options like the renowned golf of Hilton Head Island, the genteel, Old World feel of historic Charleston and the legacy of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, coastal Carolina has enough under its beach umbrella to entertain everyone in the group, in addition to facilities and amenities that make business a breeze.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Myrtle Beach
A consistent favorite for attendees and families alike, Myrtle Beach has more than just pristine beaches and outdoor activities; the coastal area known as the Grand Strand offers dozens of distinctive diversions, from the music-themed rides and attractions at Hard Rock Park to the scenic beauty and pontoon boat rides of Brookgreen Gardens.
Myrtle Beach can host a variety of group sizes, according to Danna Lilly, director of sales for the Myrtle Beach Area CVB.
“Our groups vary by hotel, from 150 for boutique-style properties to 300 or 400 for convention hotels,” she says. “In the convention center, we can host up to 3,000 attendees.”
Group demographics for “America’s Beach Playground” are primarily regional association and corporate conferences, so the area has a variety of hotel options, several of which are undergoing renovations and expansions.
The 71-room Holiday Inn Murrell’s Inlet began a multimillion-dollar renovation in November and will top off the new look in February with a new name, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites. Sands Resorts is also renovating the Sand Dunes/Ocean Dunes Conference Center; the facility, which offers 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, will complete a new business center, boardroom and group hospitality rooms by spring 2009. Two new luxury condo facilities, the Oceans One Resort and Towers on the Grove, also opened last fall.
When the day’s business is done, Myrtle Beach truly shines, according to Lilly.
“Entertainment options are endless, which makes planning for free time a breeze,” she says.
Attendees can enjoy a group lunch and pontoon boat tour along the tidal creeks at Brookgreen Gardens, or hop aboard the Led Zeppelin roller coaster at Hard Rock Park, then enjoy dinner and a variety of entertainment choices at House of Blues, from live music to a Texas Hold ’Em poker night. At the 350-acre development known as Broadway at the Beach, delegates can dive into shopping, catch a baseball game, go nightclubbing or visit Ripley’s Aquarium, filled with sharks, rays and other wonders of the waters.
The Myrtle Beach Convention Center is the destination’s main group facility, while meeting space is also available at several properties, including Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel; Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes; Marina Inn at Grande Dunes; Kingston Plantation, encompassing Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort and the Embassy Suites Myrtle Beach, in addition to a new conference center; Bay Watch Resort and Conference Center; Grande Shores Ocean Resort; and Crown Reef Resort at South Beach. Two of the area’s newest meetings-friendly properties are Avista Resort and Horizon Myrtle Beach Resort.
Just a few miles south is Pawleys Island, with Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club and Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort, both offering meeting space and golf courses.
Charleston and the Resort Islands
With breathtaking historic sites like Boone Hall Plantation and outdoor activities ranging from golf to surfing, it’s easy to see why Charleston lands in so many top 10 destination lists and is a top pick for national associations.
“With the economy, we’re also moving into advertising to drive markets,” says Stacy Fletcher, sales manager for the Charleston Area CVB. “We can handle anything from a 10-person board meeting at a local inn to 2,000 attendees at the convention center.”
The Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, which offers more than 150,000 square feet of meeting space, is the heart of a growing convention district; three new hotels are planned for the area around the convention center by next summer, and the aloft Charleston Airport and Convention Center hotel opened this summer with 136 rooms.
In Charleston’s inviting historic district, properties for groups include the Doubletree Guest Suites Charleston–Historic District; Charleston Place; and the Francis Marion Hotel.
Meanwhile, historic attractions give planners unforgettable off-site venues in Charleston, such as Boone Hall Plantation and its famed Avenue of Oaks. The plantation offers guided tours, historic interpreters and a cotton dock overlooking the grounds that is well suited for group events. Also available are Magnolia Plantation, with three meeting rooms, and Lowndes Grove, a national historic landmark with seven meeting rooms.
Tired of meeting on land? Try a reception aboard the Carolina Girl, a luxury yacht that can accommodate up to 150 people, or sail away for a full-moon cruise on the 84-foot Schooner Pride, a classic, 84-foot tall ship.
Near Charleston are the resort locales of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Isle of Palms. Golf is a top draw, with facilities like Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which has five championship courses and continues to garner favor with the golfing elite. In fact, the resort’s Ocean Course will host the 2012 PGA Tour. For those who prefer wildlife over wild drives, however, there are nature tours and beckoning beaches.
Aside from Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which recently unveiled a new clubhouse with meeting space at its Ocean Course, the area’s meetings-friendly properties include Seabrook Island Resort and Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms.
Hilton Head Island
Golf may be the top reason for Hilton Head Island’s popularity, but the serene, postcard-perfect beauty of sea and sand will capture every visitor’s heart.
Small groups between 75 and 100 attendees are the perfect fit here, and since the destination doesn’t have a convention center, most meetings are held at properties like the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa; Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa; Crowne Plaza Hilton Head Island Beach Resort, which recently finished a $3 million renovation; Hilton Oceanfront Resort; and Sea Pines Resort, which recently debuted the Heron Point golf course, designed by Pete Dye.
Groups can also meet at Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa, accessible via ferry from Hilton Head.
It’s no surprise that the natural beauty of Hilton Head Island translates into interesting off-site activity options, from the Coastal Discovery Museum’s dolphin cruises or beach discovery outings to the 68-acre Honey Horn Plantation, which offers walking trails and historic tours. Both venues also accommodate groups for private events.
NORTH CAROLINA
Outer Banks
A chain of barrier islands midway along the Atlantic Seaboard and 321 miles north of Myrtle Beach, the Outer Banks occupies a special place in American history. With colorful names such as Duck, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk, the Outer Banks is home to the Wright Brothers National Monument, Fort Raleigh and the Freedmen’s Colony at Roanoke Island; no doubt about it, these islands have helped shape the country’s culture and heritage.
Due to its unique geographic nature, the Outer Banks mainly draws smaller meetings, such as regional associations and board retreats. Conferences are mostly handled by hotel properties, such as the recently renovated Sanderling Resort & Spa near Duck, which can accommodate up to 100 attendees in its onsite conference center, and the Ramada Plaza at Nags Head Beach, which offers a 2,900-square-foot meeting room that can be split into three breakout rooms, plus an oceanview restaurant and an additional smaller meeting room downstairs.
Two top off-site venues are North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island and Roanoke Island Festival Park.
Although the island chain offers dozens of irresistible attractions like historic lighthouses, the Frisco Native American Museum and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, attendees shouldn’t miss the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which boasts an exhibit hall, an auditorium and a replica of the 1902 Wright Glider.
Crystal Coast
This pristine stretch of Southern Outer Banks coastline encompasses the communities of Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, Beaufort and Morehead City. Fishing, swimming and scuba diving are top outdoor picks for fun, along with the unspoiled beauty of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which guests can only reach by boat.
The Crystal Coast offers attractions unique to the area, such as the North Carolina Maritime Museum; the Mystery Tours Dinner Cruise, a harbor tour that often features sightings of dolphins and wild horses; and Fort Macon State Park, a Civil War survivor that was called back into service during World War II.
The Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City stages waterfront events, and the region’s meetings-ready properties include the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront, with 9,000 square feet of meeting space; the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites–Morehead City, with one meeting room; and The Ocean Club Luxury Resort and Conference Center.
New Bern and Craven County
Just a few miles from Morehead City and the Crystal Coast is the second-oldest town in North Carolina, New Bern, founded in 1710. The town and surrounding Craven County offer an incredible array of attractions, including the Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens, an 18th century mansion that was renowned even in colonial times for its graceful beauty.
While history takes the spotlight in Craven County, new development is coming in as well. Three new hotels are expected to open in 2009, including a SpringHill Suites, Candlewood Suites and Best Western. Additionally, the Sheraton New Bern Hotel & Marina recently finished a property-wide renovation, plus a meeting space expansion and construction of the new SkySail Condo and Marina complex, which offers more than 70 deluxe condo accommodations.
The area’s target groups include associations, corporate meetings and military events, with an average group size of 300 to 800 attendees, according to Sandy Chamberlin, director of the New Bern/Craven County CVB. Chamberlin adds that the walkability of New Bern makes it especially attractive to groups.
“With riverfront meeting facilities, hotels, historic bed-and-breakfast properties and a vibrant, historic downtown, the visitor can literally check into their accommodations and never return to their car until they depart,” she says.
Tryon Palace remains the jewel of off-site venues, with gardens, three historic homes, crafts demonstrations and workshops. Attendees may also enjoy visiting the Birthplace of Pepsi, located in the original pharmacy where inspiration struck in 1898. Another source of inspiration, the USMC Aviation Exhibit in the Havelock Tourist and Event Center, features historic aircraft, artifacts and photos from the proud history of the U.S. Marines.
The New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, with 45,000 square feet of meeting space, is the main group facility in town, and properties with meeting space include the Sheraton New Bern Hotel & Marina.
Wilmington and the Cape Fear Coast
Wilmington, a port city steeped in history and maritime heritage, and the Cape Fear Coast, which includes Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach, have long drawn leisure visitors and meeting attendees alike, and now the area has another feather in its cap: Wilmington was chosen as one of the “2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The entire area boasts seven National Register Historic Districts and 300 blocks of historic sites, homes, churches, museums and more.
From the Battleship North Carolina, which came back from World War II with 15 battle stars and now serves as a popular off-site venue for receptions and dinners to the 1860s-era Bellamy Mansion, a white-columned treasure perfect for dress-up events, Wilmington has the attractions with that “wow” factor, according to Mikie Wall, vice president of sales and services for the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB.
“Our historic district along the Cape Fear River, with nearby beaches and a variety of activities, helps us attract a lot of association, government and corporate meetings,” she says.
The average meeting size is up to 350 attendees, but that will change with the spring 2010 opening of the Wilmington Convention Center, a 95,000-square-foot facility that will accommodate up to 1,500 attendees. A planned 157-room Hotel Indigo will be adjacent to the facility.
In other development news, the Hilton Wilmington Riverside recently finished a $10 million renovation and opened a Ruth’s Chris Steak House on the property in June, and the existing Coast Line Convention Center has been renamed the Coastline Conference and Event Center.
An explosion of new hotels also opened in 2008, including the 124-room Fairfield Inn and Suites Wilmington Wrightsville Beach, the 125-room Hampton Inn-University Area/Smith Creek Station and the 111-room Town Place Suites, all of which feature meeting space. The Country Inn and Suites and the Value Place Wilmington, which do not have meeting space, also opened this year. Future openings include a 191-room Hilton Garden Inn, which is slated to debut in Carolina Beach in 2010 with meeting and event space for up to 310 people.
Among the region’s existing properties well suited to groups are Sea Trail Golf Resort & Conference Center, Blockade Runner Beach Resort and Conference Center, and Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Wrightsville Beach.
Farther south, Bald Head Island is another unique option for groups. Accessible by ferry, the island features accommodations in rental homes and condos, a golf course and meeting space at six locations.
For More Info
NORTH CAROLINA
Craven County CVB 252.637.9400 www.visitnewbern.com
Crystal Coast Tourism Authority 252.726.8148 www.sunnync.com
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau 252.473.2138 www.outerbanks.org
Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB 910341.4030 www.cape-fear.nc.u s
SOUTH CAROLINA
Charleston Area CVB 843.853.8000 www.charlestoncvb.com
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton COC and CVB 843.785.3673 www.hiltonheadisland.org
Myrtle Beach Area CVB 843.626.74444 www.myrtlebeachinfo.com
