Planners picturing the Palmetto State generally conjure images of sublime historical structures and serene beach getaways. And while South Carolina is in no short supply of enticing edifices and seductive stretches of sand, it’s hard to fault its inventory of offbeat and unknown wonders.
Meetings Focus recently explored the state for hidden treasures, from the wave-lapped shores of Hilton Head to the capital city of Columbia, and here’s what we uncovered in the way of great group offerings.
Charleston
While Charleston appeals to groups with its enchanting architecture and Southern charm, visitors are often caught off guard by its modern metropolitan elements, which include a dining scene that gets hotter by the day.
Attendees might also be pleasantly surprised by the array of ways with which to explore the city. A sunset sail on a meticulously reproduced classic schooner offers a different viewpoint of Charleston, while carriage tours for small groups let visitors experience the city in a seriously retro style. Other options include culinary and historical outings presented by Bulldog Tours, and elsewhere even haunted pub crawls and pirate tours are on tap.
Hilton Head
“Hilton Head Island is well known for its beach and golf offerings, but visitors are often surprised by the nature aspect of the destination,” says Charlie Clark, vice president of communications for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. “As the first eco-planned destination in the United States, the island’s founders felt that the island as a resort must blend with nature. Therefore, no buildings over five stories high, no neon allowed, signage must be low and lit from below, and no streetlights so you can see the stars at night.”
Clark also recommends some offbeat activities that are sure to make a lasting impression on attendees.
Groups can take a kayak jaunt to private Page Island for team-building exercises, enjoy an educational eco-tour with marine biologists and students from the University of South Carolina-Beaufort, or even sign up for some high-flying zip-lining through lush tree canopies on Hilton’s east shores.
For the truly adventurous, Clark suggests a deep-sea fishing excursion, a possibility for groups of up to 70 attendees.
“Catching a shark with your colleagues is a pretty unusual experience,” he remarks. “Great outing and great fun!” PageBreak
Myrtle Beach
A renowned golfer’s paradise and outdoor haven, Myrtle Beach surprises many visiting groups with its robust blend of offerings.
“Myrtle Beach has long been known as one of the top leisure and golf destinations in the South,” says Kimberly Miles, spokeswoman for the Myrtle Beach CVB. “Planners are now realizing that what makes Myrtle Beach famous for leisure and golf can also boost the excitement for a great meeting. With more than 100 golf courses, live entertainment theaters, fantastic shopping, endless entertainment and 60 miles of gorgeous beaches, our fresh and diverse offerings are what people are most surprised by.“
Miles also recommends a trio of intriguing historic venues for attendees seeking something a bit different.
Brookgreen Gardens is host to the largest collection of American Sculpture in the world and is based on the serene site of four former rice plantations. It also offers a history center, boat tours and even a zoo. Hopsewee Plantation, meanwhile, was once home to Thomas Lynch Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and is now a sublime setting for groups to enjoy lunch or afternoon tea. And the L.W. Paul Living History Farm is a 17-acre slice of life in Horry County from 1900 to 1955, offering meat-curing, cow-milking and other such doings from the era.
Inland South Carolina
The unexpected can also be found in the state’s inland realms, beginning with the charming capital city of Columbia, where value and variety are part of the pleasant surprises.
“Visitors are often blown away by the outstanding value our numerous world-class attractions offer,” says Ric Luber, president and CEO of the Columbia Metropolitan CVB. “From the No. 1 gated attraction in South Carolina, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, to the South Carolina State House, Columbia Museum of Art, EdVenture Children’s Museum and the South Carolina State Museum, currently undergoing a massive expansion that will include a 4D theater, observatory and planetarium, visitors to the Columbia region have the opportunity to see, do and experience so much while here.”
In Greenville, Taryn Kraimer, spokeswoman for the CVB, hails two awesome opportunities that groups won’t find anywhere else.
At the Dark Corner Distillery, attendees can immerse themselves in an all-day moonshine-making class.
“During this seven-hour experience at South Carolina’s first moonshine distillery, attendees will learn grain science, fermentation, filtration, distillation, proofing, bottling and aging,” Kraimer explains.
Lunch and plenty of samples are provided, she adds, and upon “graduation” each student will receive an official Dark Corner Distillery certificate of completion, a bottle of unaged corn whiskey (moonshine) and a Dark Corner Distillery T-shirt. Classes are led by Richard Wenger, the creator and co-founder of Dark Corner Distillery.
Greenville is also home to the International HQ of BMW, a surprise in itself and a group adrenaline rush just waiting to happen.
“Your heart will race, the wheels will spin, it’s all part of the fun!” Kraimer remarks. “Companies can arrange to spend an entire day out there—with time in the classroom and then an adventure on the off-road course.”
In Clemson, much of the activity is tied to Clemson University, where Gamecock football games are an autumn tradition. But the charming college town is also an unexpected bastion of historical offerings.
Among the best are the Woodburn and Ashtabula estates, both overseen by the Pendleton Historic Foundation. Both sites were built in the early 19th century and feature classic clapboard-style plantation homes and sprawling grounds to explore. Tours are available, a number of event sites are handy for receptions and other functions, and groups can even partake in colorful reenactments held twice a year—with costumes and scripts provided.
In the Rock Hill/York County region, planners are sure to be pleasantly surprised by a veritable gamut of non-traditional event venues.
When was the last time you held an event in a dairy barn, for example? But the Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn is no ramshackle affair; since its two-decade run as a working farm site, it has since been recreated into an appealing event venue with indoor and outdoor spaces that can accommodate groups of more than 400 people. It’s now one of the area’s most photogenic spots for special events, corporate gatherings and more. Today, two birthing stalls remain intact, handrails are formed from steel stanchions in the milking parlor, its hayloft has an original floor, and a silo has become a lookout tower.
Elsewhere in the region planners can ponder Camp Canaan, a religious-focused retreat set on an island in the Catawba River; Inman Farms, a newly opened agri-tourism site popular for events and host to a daily farmers market from May through December; and Brakefield at Riverwalk, an elegant event venue on a wooded bluff providing Old World charm for events of up to 300.
And in historic Spartanburg, a hive of Revolutionary War heritage, attendees are sure to be surprised by Hollywild Animal Park—where groups can take their own personal safari through more than 70 acres, viewing roaming beasts along the way. Zebras, bison, emus and the park’s resident mascot— “Tank” the rhino—provide some serious animal magnetism for visitors, and private events are popular at the park’s picnic area and pavilion.
