Situated in the bustling Triad region of northern North Carolina, Greensboro has risen from a textile-based economy to taking a lead in the aerospace and defense industries, with a range of group-friendly attractions, accommodations and culinary lures that provide the foundation for a robust meetings and conventions landscape.
Pharmaceutical, lifesciences and agricultural biotech companies are also rising new industries, but not to be too buttoned down, the destination boasts a variety of arts and music festivals, including the 30-year-old Carolina Blues Festival, on its annual calendar. The city’s more than 40 art galleries also make for visually inspired visits, along with the opportunity for off-site reception spaces and tours.
Picking up on a booming trend across the U.S., Greensboro is also “hopping” on the craft brew bandwagon, in addition to its more than 500 restaurants.
“Greensboro’s craft beer scene is really picking up,” said Amy Scott, director of marketing for the Greensboro Area CVB. “Currently we have seven breweries with three coming on tap, and we have some fantastic local dining options that are extremely unique, so our ‘foodie’ scene is another aspect that folks really enjoy. We also have a distillery in our downtown area that is the first legal distillery in Greensboro since 1908.”
Activity options include SKYWILD, a wildlife-inspired treetop adventure park located in the Greensboro Science Center’s Zoo that features 60 challenges and three levels of intensity. Breakout Greensboro is an hour-long event where participants are locked in a room with the opportunity to crack codes, discover clues and solve puzzles with their coworkers. Kersey Valley Attractions offers ziplines, outdoor lasertag and two escape rooms.
The main meetings and conventions properties in Greensboro include the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, located about three miles from downtown and with 197,000 square feet of space, including the 167,000-square-foot Special Events Center, the 23,500-person Coliseum Arena and the adjacent 2,376-seat War Memorial Auditorium, the White Oak Amphitheater that can seat more than 7,500, and the 298-seat Odeon Theatre; the 985-room Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons, with 250,000 square feet of space for up to 3,000 at its Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, which is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Southeast; Grandover Resort and Conference Center, with the 13,000-square-foot Grandville Ballroom; and the 281-room Greensboro Marriott Downtown, with 28,500 square feet of meeting space and 15 event rooms.
The Elm Street Center offers two grand ballrooms: The Empire Room, for groups of up to 800; and The Regency Room, a two-level ballroom that can host up to 1,000 in its 12,000 square feet of space.
CVB Contact
Greensboro Area CVB
336.274-2282
Getting there
Greensboro, N.C., is approximately 90 miles northeast of Charlotte, N.C., and 60 miles west of Durham, N.C. Air access is available via Greensboro’s Central North Carolina International Airport or Charlotte Douglas International Airport, about an hour-and-a-half away.
