They call it The Grand Strand—that 60-plus-mile stretch of Atlantic oceanfront and barrier islands in South Carolina that attracts millions of visitors annually. And at the heart of this all-season magnet is Myrtle Beach.
The region is home to a variety of hotels and resorts, many with a beachfront location, as well as theme parks, live theaters, nearly 2,000 restaurants, golf courses, shopping venues and three centuries of heritage.
With several new developments, it has ramped up its offerings for meetings that want to combine business and recreation.
Myrtle Beach has roughly 90,000 hotel rooms and accommodates meetings as large as 5,000 attendees. At the center of the meeting facilities lineup and the city itself is the 250,000-square-foot Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the attached Myrtle Beach Sheraton Convention Center Hotel, with 400 guest rooms.
Kim DaRoja, convention sales manager for the Myrtle Beach CVB, says many meeting planners are surprised to learn about all that Myrtle Beach offers.
"Many planners haven't realized we are much more than a beach destination. We have the capability to hold meetings of most any size in our area," she says. "In fact, we can accommodate about 80 percent of all meetings held in the U.S., with our convention center complex and 30 hotels providing full services for meetings and conventions."
Myrtle Beach is a second-tier meetings destination offering first-tier quality, according to DaRoja.
"We are a great location where people can meet and bring along their families—or extend their stay after business," she says.
Major meetings properties in the area take advantage of the scenic setting and offer plenty of recreational options, including renowned golf courses at several resorts. Group favorites include Kingston Plantation, a four-hotel complex encompassing Embassy Suites Myrtle Beach, Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, Royale Palm Condominiums and Kingston Plantation Condos; Marriott Beach Resort at Grande Dunes; Marina Inn at Grande Dunes; Ocean Dunes/Sand Dunes Resort & Conference Center; Bay Watch Resort & Conference Center; and Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort.
Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach International Airport, located only 10 minutes from the convention center, is undergoing a $130 million expansion. The airport has a new general aviation terminal, and it continues to expand with a new passenger terminal under way and slated for completion in 2012.
DaRoja says the airport expansions are allowing for more direct flights, especially from Europe and Canada, where Myrtle Beach's meetings markets are growing. The Southeast's main airline hubs of Atlanta and Charlotte are only a short flight away from Myrtle Beach, she says, and the good connections often surprise planners who aren't familiar with the access.
"We have a lot of Canadian business, and we are increasing our focus on European destinations as well," she says. "We now have one salesperson dedicated to focusing Europeans on us as a Florida alternative."
Aiding this market thrust is the nonstop seasonal service Porter Airlines has offered four times per week for the past two years from Toronto's Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Myrtle Beach.
The beach may be the biggest attraction along the Grand Strand, but so much more has been added to the Myrtle Beach area's recreation and attractions lineup in recent years that groups are sure to never run out of something to do before and after business, in any season.
The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk opened last year and has been recognized as one of the nation's top boardwalks by both National Geographic and Travel + Leisure. Also just opened is SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, a giant 200-foot observation wheel with six-person glass gondolas that give riders views of the Atlantic Ocean. Evening light shows enhance the attraction, which is unique in the U.S.
WonderWorks Science Center is new at Broadway at the Beach, a shopping, dining and entertainment district. The gigantic, 40,000-square-foot, hands-on attraction is a sensory smorgasbord that features a volcano, a lighthouse, an Egyptian pyramid, a zip line and a pirate-themed ropes course among its adventures. Other attractions allow visitors to experience a simulated earthquake, hurricane and NASA space shuttle ride.
WonderWorks' indoor meeting space can handle 100 guests for meals, and an outdoor patio also accommodates 100 people.
Many meeting attendees take advantage of the area's 120-plus golf courses, including 100 public ones, which have earned it the moniker "Golf Capital of the World." Most are designed to preserve natural habitats and wildlife, and many layouts are the work of golf stars such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones and Greg Norman.
When it's time to dine, Myrtle Beach's hundreds of restaurants range from casual beachside options serving seafood to fine dining establishments and everything in between.
Among the newest choices is Mykonos, featuring the Greek and Mediterranean cuisine of award-winning chef Andreann Geise.
Two other new choices include Nacho Hippo Cantina Maximo from The Divine Dining Group, featuring cuisine from the Carolinas and dishes with international flair—from tacos to barbecue; and Mama Rue's Blues Garden Restaurant & Lounge by Jamaica native chef Eric Sutherland, serving authentic Jamaican cuisine from its Pawley's Island location.
Additionally, Jimmy Buffet's Landshark Bar and Grill and Landshark Surfshack Retail Shop opened in May on the boardwalk. It combines boardwalk action, ocean views, food and drink and beach tunes for old fashioned beachside fun.
Live theater attractions are also plentiful in Myrtle Beach. The newest on the scene is the Pat Boone Family Theater, offering over 1,400 performances annually by a variety of artists and groups. Meanwhile, Pirates Voyage is Dolly Parton's latest beach venue, opening this June.
Shopping is another highlight of Myrtle Beach.
Top choices include Barefoot Landing, with more than 100 stores, restaurants and attractions like Alabama Theatre, spotlighting traditional country music. Coastal Grand Mall is the largest indoor mall in South Carolina, with over 1 million square feet of space. Besides 170 stores, it offers a 14-screen movie theater and food court. Tanger Outlets at Myrtle Beach features 100 brand names and Broadway at the Beach has 100 specialty shops, 17 restaurants, a variety of nightclubs and numerous attractions, all surrounded by 23-acre Lake Broadway.
