Groups looking for a serene location far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, where they can clear their minds of clutter and focus on the business at hand, needn’t look further than Hilton Head Island.
Driving along the William Hilton Parkway, travelers instinctively breathe a sigh of relaxation as they enter the island, a refined destination that welcomes businesspeople looking for a quiet place to meet with world-class resorts and amenities.
"We feel that we have everything a planner wants," says Jack Reed, director of sales for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Visitor and Convention Bureau.
The island is home to 250 restaurants, more than 200 retail establishments, 24 golf courses and a variety of resorts and hotels, all well appointed for groups.
While Reed says groups of a variety of sizes are welcome on the island, the destination’s "bread and butter" gatherings hover between 75 people and 250 people.
Hilton Head Island’s group business is made up of roughly 40 percent national and state association, about 40 percent corporate and about 20 percent SMERF clientele, according to Reed.
The island’s location lends itself well to groups travelling from along the Eastern seaboard by plane or car, as it is 153 miles south of Charleston, S.C., 174 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla., and 31 miles northeast of Savannah, Ga.
"We are very close to Savannah, only about 45 minutes from the airport," Reed says. "In fact, we are so close they named Savannah’s airport the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Approximately 50 percent of the people coming into and leaving that airport are either coming or going from Hilton Head."
In addition to being geographically convenient, the destination is a value.
"I believe we are very affordable," Reed says. "With the current economic climate, we are more affordable than we were in the past. We are even more affordable during our value season, which is November through February. That is a great time to come out here, and you can get really low rates."
Nice Digs
While the island doesn’t have a dedicated convention center, Reed says that is a positive thing.
"All of our meeting space is housed within the resorts, and that is really nice," he says.
Meeting space can be found at properties such as Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. The venue sits on 2,000 acres and three miles of coastline. It boasts three golf courses, tennis facilities and an 11-mile lagoon. The property offers a variety of guest units as well as indoor and outdoor meeting space.
Sea Pines Resort is another premier meetings option on the island. Located on 5,000 acres, the sprawling resort features three golf courses (home to the annual Verizon Heritage PGA golf tournament), tennis facilities and dining outlets. The property has several configurations of guest accommodations, 17,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and small and large group gathering space outdoors.
Also on the island is the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa. The property is located right on the beach and recently received a massive upgrade. Visiting groups can enjoy the venue’s 513 guest rooms and 43,000 square feet of meeting space.
Located within the island’s Port Royal Plantation is The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. The property offers 412 guest rooms and more than 28,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space.
Another great group option is the Crowne Plaza Hilton Head Island Beach Resort. In addition to 20,000 square feet of meeting space and 342 guest rooms, the property also features several dining and retail outlets on-site.
The Holiday Inn Hilton Head-Oceanfront is another meetings-friendly property. Located right on the beach, the hotel is adjacent to Coligny Plaza, which offers several shops and restaurants. It features 202 guest rooms, free Wi-Fi and 4,600 square feet of meeting space.
A few miles away in Bluffton, the Inn at Palmetto Bluff is another popular option for groups. The resort’s serene atmosphere is ideal for groups needing some peace and quiet. The property is small and charming, with 50 cottages, indoor and outdoor meeting space, a spa, a golf course and several dining outlets.
"Hilton Head offers a good variety of properties for groups large and small," says Lesley Hartley, owner and CEO of Charleston, S.C.-based Event Management Specialists. "They’ve renovated some of their larger properties in recent years and have done a great job on those. They are just stunning. Many years ago, I didn’t think they had anything for larger meetings, but now they have several competitive choices."
Off-Sites Abound
In addition to hotels and resorts, Hilton Head has several interesting off-site venues.
Over in Bluffton, Rose Hill Plantation is a favorite among groups. The plantation was granted by King Charles II to settler Sir John Colleton in 1718, but construction didn’t start on the Rose Hill house until the 1850s. The plantation was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 but was devastated by fire in 1987. Today, the plantation and house have been restored to their original splendor and are available for group rentals. Space is available outside and inside the Rose Hill Mansion.
Red Fish Restaurant is another off-site option for groups visiting the island. The eatery specializes in a wide variety of wine, even boasting a wine shop on-site, and it offers a private space for up to 75 people.
For a more natural, serene option, attendees can head over to Moss Creek Clubhouse, which sits inside an upscale residential/resort community. The property’s lush grounds, 14,000-square-foot clubhouse and outdoor Bostwick Pavilion are available for events.
Just six miles east of Moss Creek is the Country Club of Hilton Head Island. Groups of up to 240 can meet in the facility’s Club Room, while its Grille Room accommodates 80, its veranda can host 60, and up to 250 attendees can enjoy the facility’s pool deck and patio.
Tee Time
Hilton Head’s main group recreational activity has always been golf, and the island often hosts PGA tournaments.
But with negative perception issues surrounding meeting spending, how has the island fared on the golf front over the past year?
"Golf here hasn’t been down as far as it has been in other places, but we are down," Reed says. "As a group, when you are at a resort destination, the press and stockholders are concerned about image, which has affected what people do when they come here."
Over at Sea Pines Resort, Cary Corbitt, director of sports and operations, also says the past year has been a little rough.
"There is no doubt that business has changed over the past couple of years with what has happened with the economy and recession," he says. "Corporate business has been the most affected. We are starting to see little indications that corporate business is coming back. For mid to late 2010, we are starting to see a little coming back. Will we get back to where we were? Probably never."
Reed says some companies that book at Hilton Head are now not paying for their attendees to play golf as part of an event. In some cases, companies have dropped down from 18-hole tournaments to nine-hole tournaments. He also says rates have dropped.
But he is optimistic.
"I’m not sure what the crystal ball shows," Reed says. "It looks like we are going to be okay come summertime. Although we were down, we finished 2009 very well. We were down about 2.2 percent in occupancy and 8.5 percent in ADR. That is very good."
Katie Morell is a Chicago-based freelance writer and former Meetings Media editor. Her earliest Hilton Head memory comes in the form of a photo her parents took of her at the age of 2 on the island for a Christmas card.
