Conveniently located near large cities and offering an impressive roster of meeting facilities, entertainment and activities, the following destinations are excellent choices for a drive-to.
Lehigh Valley, Pa.
The picturesque Lehigh Valley, with its rolling hills and lush farmlands, encompasses towns like Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. Drive-to meetings are an excellent option for groups traveling from Philadelphia (60 miles) and New York City (80 miles). While it doesn’t have a dedicated conference center, there are several intriguing venues, such as the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, which sits adjacent to Bethlehem’s renowned steel furnaces that still exist, and the Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, with a room for banquets and a 1,200-seat theater hall. Popular activities include the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, golf and casino gaming.
Branson, Mo.
Home to more than 100 live entertainment shows, the Branson Convention Center and several resorts with function space, Branson is ideally located only 211 miles from Kansas City and 251 miles from St. Louis.
The 220,00-square-foot Branson Convention Center, connected to the 294-room Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and within walking distance of the historic downtown area, has more than 1,000 parking spaces.
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Major cities like Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina are located less than a four-hour drive from Myrtle Beach, and Jacksonville, Fla. (332 miles) and Atlanta (364 miles) aren’t far away either.
The expansive Myrtle Beach Convention Center, with 250,000 square feet of meeting space, has the facilities to accommodate a wide range of groups.
Enhancing its attraction for meeting groups are more than 100 championship golf courses, 1,800 restaurants and 10 live entertainment theaters, which offer a menu of concerts, variety shows, dinner shows and comedian and magician performances.
San Jose, Calif.
Home to more than 6,500 technology companies, San Jose, situated between the Santa Cruz Mountains and Diablo Mountain Range in the Santa Clara Valley, is only 48 miles from San Francisco and 119 miles from Sacramento, Calif.
San Jose’s massive convention center has a total of 550,000 square feet of meeting and function space.
While technology abounds, there’s a plethora of arts and culture and engaging outdoor pursuits to escape the digital world. Attendees can view the spectacular redwood groves at state parks located less than an hour from the city and also stroll the streets of quaint towns like Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Santa Clara and Saratoga.
