The Georgia coast extends only about 100 miles between the Savannah and St. Marys rivers, but the magic that groups will find here is not some sleight of hand.
"I first came here 22 years ago," says Ginny Howell, president of Ginny Howell Tours, a DMC based in Jekyll Island, Ga., adding that she’s always amazed by the beauty and history of the region and the warmth of the locals.
Savannah
"When most groups come back a second time, the attendance is higher than it was the first time," notes Bill McKay, vice president of sales for the Savannah CVB. "Word gets around that Savannah is hip, yet we offer a wealth of history."
The modifiers "hip" and "1733" don’t naturally go hand in hand, but they do in Savannah, where millions of visitors converge every year to absorb the city’s historic buildings shadowed by the moody limbs of live oaks. The city was founded in 1733 and was the first colonial and state capital of Georgia. The city’s downtown area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the country.
Savannah is separated from South Carolina by the Savannah River. The city’s historic district is situated close to the river right across from Hutchinson Island, where the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center is located. The center includes 330,000 square feet of event space. It’s a quick trip for attendees across the river on the Belles Ferry system.
One way for groups to take full advantage of the history and beauty of Savannah is to hold a reception on the lush, green grass on one of the city’s 22 squares.
"We have the permits to be able to hold an event on one of the squares," McKay says. "It can be a very casual event or a fancier, catered affair."
Whitfield Square is one popular spot for receptions due to its picturesque gazebo and moss-veiled oaks. Forsyth Park is another top pick for gatherings. The city park occupies 30 acres in the historic district and features walking paths, the Fragrant Garden for the Blind, a concert area and a large fountain. The Mansion on Forsyth Park Hotel & Spa offers more than 8,500 square feet of event space and includes a courtyard overlooking a pool.
A refurbished street car debuted this spring that makes several stops along River Street.
"The street car makes seven stops for a mile-and-a half length," McKay says. "This area is packed with nightlife."
The historic street also boasts quirky stores, candy shops and art galleries. Broughton and Bull streets, which boast most of Savannah’s antique stores, are within walking distance.
"Savannah is a top walking city. Everything is easy to get to," McKay says, adding that the best way for groups to experience the city is to get out and walk around.
During their strolls, attendees will likely come across several beautifully preserved homes: the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home, the Juliette Gordon Low National Girl Scout Center and the Owens-Thomas House, one of the three buildings that contains the collections of the Telfair Museum of Art. A ghost tour that is combined with a pub crawl is another neat way to explore the mystery of Savannah.
One thing that has made Savannah a major tourist destination was the publication of the 1994 Southern Gothic novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the subsequent film, which was based on the book. The story centers on a real-life murder that took place in what is now the Mercer Williams House Museum, originally built by the grandfather of famous songwriter and Savannah native Johnny Mercer. This year is the centennial of Mercer’s birth, and the city is celebrating all year long with art shows, free concerts and films that feature his Academy Award-nominated songs.
On the eastern side of Savannah, unique off-site venue options include Fort Pulaski and Old Fort Jackson. And on Tybee Island, a public beach extends five miles. Groups can tour the Tybee Lighthouse and Museum on the island. A restoration was recently completed at the lighthouse, but the museum will not reopen until sometime in September.
"Clambakes and oyster roasts are fun things to do at Tybee," McKay says.
From May through October, groups should be on the lookout for sea turtles that come to nest every year on the island.
To stave off hunger pangs, groups can head to The Crab Shack, which can accommodate more than 600 guests for dinner.
"I can’t recommend that place enough," says Howell of Ginny Howell Tours. "It combines great Southern hospitality and delicious seafood."
Group-friendly hotels include the 403-room Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, situated next to the convention center on Hutchinson Island. The 387-room Savannah Marriott Riverfront, the 351-room Hyatt Regency Savannah and the 246-room Hilton Savannah DeSoto are all located downtown.
More event space can be found just a seven-minute drive south of the Historic District at the Coastal Georgia Center. The facility is part of the University System of Georgia and includes space for groups both large and small. Its auditorium accommodates 370 people theater style. The facility also features 11 breakout rooms, a large lobby and several other spaces.
New properties in town include AVIA Savannah, with 151 rooms and 2,700 square feet of meeting space, and the 75-room Bohemian Hotel at Savannah Riverfront, a boutique property, was expected to open in mid-July at press time.
Brunswick and the Golden Isles
Just one hour south of Savannah, Brunswick and the Golden Isles offers groups plenty of leisure-time options, such as swimming, kayaking tours, fishing, museum-hopping, shopping, birding and a lot more.
"Groups are most impressed by the beauty," Howell says.
The Golden Isles encompasses vast tidal marshes and maritime woods filled with palmettos and live oaks wearing shawls of Spanish moss.
Brunswick, the gateway city to the Golden Isles, is filled with history. The town was founded in 1771. Mary Ross Waterfront Park includes The Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza, not far from the shipyard that produced 85 liberty ships, which were World War II cargo ships.
Near the waterfront, the Lovers’ Oak stands majestically. According to legend, Native American lovers would meet under its massive limbs. Old Town presents charming churches and old homes, including the Carpenter Gothic-style Mahoney-McGarvey House.
Groups can convene at the Thompson Conference Center, which features 9,400 square feet of meeting space, and the Southeast Georgia Conference Center. Group-friendly hotels include the 130-room Embassy Suites Hotel Brunswick, with 7,300 square feet of event space, and the 254-room Stellar Complex, which includes three hotels and 3,100 square feet of meeting space. The city offers a total of 43,000 square feet of event space and 2,800-plus guest rooms.
St. Simons Island has a number of historic sites and other attractions, from the St. Simons Island Lighthouse to Fort Frederica National Monument to great beaches. It’s also the starting point for many island tours.
Meetings-friendly hotels include the Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort, with 7,500 square feet of event space, and the King and Prince Golf and Tennis Resort, which offers more than 11,000 square feet of function space. Epworth by the Sea, a Methodist retreat and conference center, offers 36,000 square feet of meeting space. St. Simons Island Casino boasts a 200-seat theater, small meeting rooms and a covered atrium.
Little St. Simons Island, a private 10,000-acre island accessible only by boat, boasts undeveloped beaches that stretch seven languid miles. It’s ideal for corporate retreats and team-building activities for small groups. Two venues, Cedar House and River Lodge, each offer 400 square feet of meeting space. Screened-in porches overlook the Marshes of Glynn. Activities include swimming, horseback riding and canoeing.
If groups want more of a resort experience, the resort isle of Sea Island provides just that. The Cloister includes 14,000 square feet of meeting space. The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club is surrounded by the lush greens of Seaside and Plantation golf courses. The nearby Corn Barn offers more than 12,000 square feet of space.
In 1886, a group of the world’s wealthiest families—the Morgans, the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts and others—bought Jekyll Island as their winter retreat. The island was sold to the state of Georgia in 1947. Now Jekyll Island tempts groups with 20 miles of bike paths, nature tours, the Summer Waves waterpark and the lovely driftwood beach on the isle’s north end. The isolated St. Andrews Beach on the south end will make visitors feel they’ve been shipwrecked (in a good way).
The island boasts the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which opened two years ago.
"The center plays a big part in the eco-tours that we offer," Howell notes.
Groups can convene at the Jekyll Island Convention Center, which offers 55,000 square feet of meeting space.
The island kicked off a massive revitalization project this year. A new 138-room Hampton Inn and Suites and an 88-room boutique property are expected to open here this fall as part of a development known as Jekyll Ocean Oaks. Additionally, a 285-room hotel is planned to replace the former Buccaneer Beach Resort. The property, known at press time as the Canopy Bluff project, is expected to include a 17,000-square-foot conference center.
