Though hurricanes and politics have dominated the Carolinas news of late, the states are better known for their bucolic beauty and Southern charm. From coastal escapes like South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach to North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, the Carolinas scenery, which has long set the stage for movies and TV shows, is just part of the appeal. The cities and towns are just as diverse. Metropolitan strongholds such as Raleigh, N.C., and fast-growing areas like Greenville, N.C., contrast with Old South charmers like Charleston, S.C., and the arts center of Asheville, N.C.
For our second Meetings Today Carolinas, Jeff Heilman gets destination input from locals and offers an in-depth overlook on the current meetings landscape in both states.
In “Rising Above,” Heilman finds strength in numbers, as area CVBs report on expanding hotel inventory and a thriving meetings market throughout both North and South Carolina. Group business is on the rise in both states, and properties as well as CVBs are meeting the challenge.
Heilman enlists the help of local Carolinas gurus for “Expert Advice” and discovers details about meetings options in various locales, everywhere from Columbia, home to the South Carolina State Museum, to car racing capital Cabarrus County in North Carolina, where Adventures in Motorsports Tours caters to the group market.
For “On Location,” Heilman conjures Hollywood with an in-depth look at some of the most memorable film locations in the Carolinas, including industry haven Wilmington, N.C., and discovers former movie locales for such hits as Hunger Games and Forrest Gump.
Check in with Heilman’s Latest + Greatest roundup of new hotels coming online as well as major renovations to existing properties, from upgrades to North Carolina’s Columbia Convention Center to improvements to South Carolina’s Charleston Convention Center.
Also check out MeetingsToday.com for a listing of meeting facilities throughout North and South Carolina, as well as more stories profiling destinations around the two states.
Enjoy this second edition of Meetings Today Carolinas. Ready… action!
