The waterfront settings and waterborne activities available along the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina make the region particularly attractive to meeting planners interested in hosting memorable events with an equally attractive bottom line.
From relaxing receptions at meetings-friendly hotels and venues overlooking the water to scuba diving for sunken treasures, attendees are certain to feel invigorated in coastal Carolina.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Myrtle Beach
Locally known as the Grand Strand, the Myrtle Beach area is a waterfront mecca where planners will find attractions and accommodations to suit any group.
According to Kimberly Miles, spokesperson for the Myrtle Beach Area CVB, the area’s meetings-friendly options include relaxing resorts along the Intracoastal Waterway and oceanfront high-rises, so water is part of the itinerary before attendees even check in.
One unique property planners might consider for outdoorsy retreats and board meetings is the Inlet Sports Lodge, a 30-unit resort geared toward sport enthusiasts that opened minutes from Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet in November 2010. Deep-sea fishing, hiking and golfing are among the activities available, and the resort features a courtyard with grills and a fire pit, a meeting room that adjoins the courtyard, a business center and Bliss Restaurant, which accommodates groups.
“The Inlet Sports Lodge also caters to eco-tourists, since Murrells Inlet is a natural spot with a wealth of outdoor activities to enjoy,” she says.
Other standout properties along the water include Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes, Marina Inn at Grande Dunes and Bay Watch Resort & Conference Center, all of which offer numerous waterborne activities.
Fishing along the Grand Strand can also be enjoyed from one of eight fishing piers located along the beach, Miles adds, as well as from backwater creeks where crabbing is promising.
“More serious anglers can board a boat for bottom fishing or venture all the way to the Gulf Stream, just 60 miles offshore, for true deep-sea sports fishing experiences, which are group favorites,” she says.
Additionally, the area abounds with outfitters that promote activities ranging from Jet Skiing, canoeing and kayaking to boogie-boarding and windsurfing.
“For those looking to descend below the water, there are several historical shipwrecks that can be explored via scuba diving,” Miles says, citing the Hebe, a Dutch merchant ship, and St. Cathan, a British submarine chaser.
Charleston and the Resort Islands
The Charleston area sets itself apart as a coastal meetings destination with some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and golf courses, as well as the award-winning Wild Dunes Resort and Kiawah Island Golf Resort, says Suzanne Wallace, director of sales at the Charleston Area CVB.
“Our groups love Charleston for our beauty, friendliness, history and cuisine, just to name a few,” she says.
Two old standbys situated on the Ashley River, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and Middleton Place, are booked by many groups for both their beauty and historic value, Wallace adds. Each place offers a unique venue for groups of 10 to several hundred.
“We have participated in several events at Middleton, starting the evening with a tour of the house, moving to the stable yards for cocktails and an oyster roast and then to the pavilion for a dinner of she-crab soup, low country boil and shrimp and grits. Makes me hungry just to think about it,” she says.
Waterborne group experiences abound in the area, including outings with Barrier Island Eco Tours, which offers a boat trip to Capers Island for crabbing, kayaking, shelling and an interactive naturalist presentation, and Coastal Expeditions, which offers guided kayaking tours.
“Both are great for group team building or spouse tours,” Wallace says.
Hilton Head Island
It’s all in the name, and Hilton Head Island can boast that it is literally surrounded by water, according to Jack Reed, director of sales at the Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau.
“I can’t begin to tell you how many meeting planners and group attendees have commented on just how different and unique Hilton Head Island is compared to other destinations in the South,” he says. “It’s the first eco-planned destination in the U.S. and its lush intimate surroundings reflect that.”
Among the area’s meetings-friendly properties is the Inn at Harbour Town, which recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. The home of the popular Harbour Town Golf Links sports great views for group gatherings.
“Just a short walk or golf cart ride away is the 18th green adjacent to the famous candy-striped Harbour Town lighthouse overlooking Calibogue Sound, which is also available for group events,” Reed says. “It doesn’t get much more unique than that in terms of great meeting reception locales.”
Another popular option is the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa, whose open-air outdoor pavilion sits right on the beach with amazing views, smells and sounds of the Atlantic, Reed says, adding that the Marriott Resort and Spa can accommodate 800 people for a sit-down dinner complete with lovely ocean views.
Outside Hilton Head Island is one area outfitter available to lead groups on waterborne adventures.
“Participants actually kayak to Page Island, where they can participate in team-building courses and other activities,” Reed says, explaining that it’s more than just another kayak trip in that the guides set activities based on what the group’s corporate leadership is working to accomplish.
NORTH CAROLINA
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks, home of the 70-mile-long Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and outdoor recreation go hand-in-hand.
Duck, N.C.-based Duck Village Outfitters is one reliable area facilitator of group and team-building activities, including surfing and kayaking, and Kitty Hawk Kites in Kitty Hawk, N.C., specializes in hang gliding, kayaking and kite boarding.
Other area options include chartering a fishing yacht, horseback riding along the seashore and bird watching at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.
A recently opened and increasingly popular area option for off-site group events is the 1,000-foot-long Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and can be rented for conferences, meetings, receptions and dinners.
Crystal Coast
The Crystal Coast, a barrier island on the southern end of the Outer Banks, features 25 miles of south-facing beaches that offer meeting attendees a unique view of both sunrise and sunset, according to Tina Purifoy, director of sales and marketing at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront Hotel.
“The Crystal Coast offers intriguing stories of yesteryear, miles of clean, uncrowded beaches and an endless number of unique activities while maintaining affordability, making this area a favorite among conference attendees,” she says.
The Crystal Coast Lady, which accommodates up to 149 passengers, is the area’s newest and largest cruising vessel that tours the Crystal Coast’s waterways and seaside attractions, including the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, Beaufort’s historic waterfront and the Morehead City state port.
“The Crystal Coast Lady offers the comfort of both indoor and outdoor seating on the upper and lower decks and a giant bow viewing area,” Purifoy says. “This super-cruiser is a favorite off-site group activity for dinner cruises or sightseeing.”
Nestled among the dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is Sandcastles Clubhouse at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront Hotel. According to Purifoy, the rustic cottage-style venue is well-suited for corporate meetings or evening receptions.
“What differentiates Sandcastles is its versatility, with an oceanfront deck lined with old-style rocking chairs, a private boardwalk to the sandy beach and the sense of being ‘off-property’ without attendees having to drive or the expense of hiring group transportation,” she says.
Among the area’s off-session adventures is a scuba diving outing with Morehead City-based Olympus Dive Center.
“The Crystal Coast is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, which adds to the area’s historic flair,” Purifoy says, explaining that it boasts some of the best wreck diving in North America. “The marine life is astonishing both in beauty and number.”
New Bern and Craven County
New Bern-Craven County is another unique coastal meeting destination offering a beautiful, scenic waterfront in a historic setting, according to Mary Harris, director of the New Bern/Craven County Convention and Visitors Center and the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center.
“The opening of Tryon Palace’s North Carolina History Center has set a new standard for the museum experience,” she says, adding that the venue has meeting space in a variety of settings, including Mattocks Hall, a grand hall featuring a sweeping vaulted ceiling and columned corridors, and the Palace Gardens and South Lawn, offering views of the Trent River in an outdoor setting.
Harris says it’s also worth noting that the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, located at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers in downtown New Bern, includes a 12,000-square-foot ballroom and a waterfront veranda overlooking the Trent River.
Two of the most popular waterborne group excursions in New Bern-Craven County are charters on the Ada Mae, a North Carolina Skipjack built in 1915, and stand up paddleboard outings via Stand Up Outfitters.
Wilmington and the Cape
Fear Coast
The Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB recently changed its name to Wilmington and Beaches CVB in order to better represent the area as a single destination with four unique settings: the historic riverfront town of Wilmington and the island beaches of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach.
“There’s water everywhere,” says John Sneed, convention sales manager for the CVB. “Many of the attractions and tours are in some way influenced by our proximity to the river and the sea.”
He adds that the area’s largest meetings hotels are on the water, including the oceanfront BlockadeRunner Resort, as is the new Wilmington Convention Center, which overlooks the scenic Cape Fear River in the downtown historic district.
A popular off-site option for group events is Oceanic Restaurant, an established eatery in Wrightsville Beach that offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.
“The back wall of each floor is glass, so there are great views all around,” Sneed says. “It’s also situated near a pier and a nice surf break, so there’s always lots of action year-round.”
Cruises that last from one to three hours are popular with groups who’d like to get out on the water, Sneed adds, citing river cruises and cruises of the harbor and Intracoastal Waterway aboard several area vessels offering dinner/lunch cruises, nature cruises, narrated history cruises, pirate cruises and even interactive dinner theater.
Area outfitters are also available to facilitate everything from boating, sailing and kayaking to standup paddleboarding and scuba diving outings.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus South.
