The trio of cities that make up the Triad region of North Carolina—Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem—welcome groups with a variety of after-hours attractions and activities, including everything from a pub crawl to an escape room to a great meal at a local restaurant.
The destination also offers ample accommodations and meeting facilities, including Winston-Salem’s Benton Convention Center, which recently underwent an impressive renovation, and the Westin Greensboro, which is expected to bring 180 guest rooms and 22,000 square feet of function space to the area when it opens in early 2020.
Groups can also check out evening baseball games at BB&T Point, High Point’s new multipurpose stadium that will open in May 2019 as the home of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s High Point Rockers.
The region also offers various after-hours experiences that help attendees network and unwind together after a busy day.
Greensboro's Beer and Bar Scenes Inspire Fun
At day’s end, beer-loving groups will have a ball diving into Greensboro’s craft brew scene via a tour facilitated by Tap Hopper Tours.
Each outing offers a peek behind the scenes at three area breweries, including Greensboro-based Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Co., and Natty Greene’s Brewing Co., as well as several samples and a souvenir cup.
According to Ava Pope, director of sales for the Greensboro Area CVB, beer outings are also led by Brew Peddlers, Greensboro’s pedal-trolley pub/brewery tour.
“Listen to music and pedal your way through downtown Greensboro while visiting area breweries, bars and shops,” she said.
Groups can also let their hair down at Boxcar Bar + Arcade, a unique after-hours venue where attendees could grab a bite and a pint, and engage in some friendly competition while playing for high scores on pinball machines, retro gaming systems and Skee-Ball.
Boxcar Bar + Arcade also features a 2,000-square-foot private party room complete with audiovisual capabilities, a bar and free games.
Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Greensboro
Finally, at Breakout Games Greensboro groups will have fun working together and using critical thinking skills to discover clues and solve puzzles.
“Teambuild while breaking out in an hour-long locked room mystery offering multiple adventures,” Pope said.
High Point Is Full of Culinary ... High Points
Groups meeting in High Point can share a meal at the end of the day at one of the city’s popular restaurants, including 98 Asian Bistro.
“It’s a great place to relax and socialize after all-day meetings,” said Nancy Bowman, director of sales and marketing for the High Point CVB. “98 Asian Bistro offers stunning decor with flavorful food and a full bar.”
The dinner menu includes soups, Thai curry dishes, entrees such as cashew chicken, and coconut ice cream for dessert.
Groups can book a private event at the Wine & Taps Bar at Real Kitchen & Market, another local favorite where the ambience is relaxed and the dinner menu includes soups, salads, paninis and pizzas.
“Groups can enjoy a comfortable seating area inside or out,” Bowman said. “Menu options provide a great pairing with wines, and the staff makes you feel at home.”
After dinner, the group might like a nightcap at either Brown Truck Brewery or Rickety Bridge Winery.
Rickety Bridge, Bowman said, provides a laid-back feel with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating that includes fire pits for colder weather, and at Brown Truck Brewery different food trucks arrive each night and bands entertain on the weekends.
Winston-Salem: Food and Beverage Offerings
Toasting with a glass of wine or a pint of beer after a successful day of meetings is also possible for groups in Winston-Salem.
According to Christian Schroeder, director of sales and services at Visit Winston-Salem, groups can book an event with winemaker Jay Raffaldini at Raffaldini Vineyards to learn all about wine-blending while enjoying the paired culinary delights from one of Winston-Salem’s myriad downtown restaurants.
“Winston-Salem also knows a thing or two about beer,” Schroeder added. “It’s home to a plethora of breweries, six of which are located downtown and within walking distance of each other, making it easy for groups to pick a starting point and create their own ‘Craft Draft Crawl.’”
Among the breweries groups could check out are Wise Man Brewing and Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Co.
Groups can also spend an evening playing in the 2,000-square-foot Recreation Room at the 174-room Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, which has over 6,000 square feet of meeting/event space.
The Rec Room includes a bowling alley, a half-basketball court, a pool table, ping-pong and card gaming tables, as well as lounge seating.
A movie night at a/perture cinema in the heart of downtown is another evening possibility.
A/perture, Winston-Salem
“You can even select a movie that ties into the theme of your conference,” Schroeder said. “Two 80-seat theaters provide private screening options for your group with a vast selection of locally owned and operated restaurants within walking distance for an after-theater dinner.”
Triad Region CVB Contact Information
Greensboro Area CVB
336.274.2282
High Point CVB
336.884.5255
Visit Winston-Salem
336.728.4200
Triad Hotel and Venue Openings and Renovations
Greensboro
The Westin Greensboro is scheduled to open in early 2020 with 180 guest rooms and 22,000 square feet of event space.
McAlister-Leftwich House, a newly renovated alternative event space that combines two historic houses within walking distance to downtown Greensboro, opened this fall.
At press time, the $65 million, 108-room Hyatt Place Greensboro/Downtown was scheduled for completion in November. The property was expected to have 2,700 square feet of meeting space.
High Point
BB&T Point, High Point’s new multipurpose stadium, will be home to the High Point Rockers baseball team when it opens in May 2019. The $38 million project will feature a restaurant and suites downtown within close proximity to the Red Lion convention hotel. Retail and nightlife amenities will surround the stadium area providing plenty to do within walking distance of downtown hotels.
Winston-Salem
Located in Winston-Salem’s downtown district, the 105,000-square-foot Benton Convention Center completed a multiphased, multimillion-dollar renovation last year. The entire building received an aesthetic upgrade, including new paint, carpeting, new sitting/conversation space with Internet connectivity, and the addition of custom artwork. The whole front facade was redesigned to be more open and added more flexible use of existing meeting space. Prefunction event space was added and technology was enhanced, including the capability for more advanced presentations, among other highlights.
Within the Twin City Quarter and connected to the Benton Convention Center, the 319-room Winston-Salem Marriott completed a $20 million renovation project this year, including guest room and lobby enhancements. The property offers more than 14,000 square feet of meeting space.
The 75-room Hotel Indigo and 119-room Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown are opening in early 2019. Adjacent to the Hotel Indigo, Hyatt Place will break ground in late spring 2019. The 126-room Courtyard by Marriott Downtown is scheduled to open later next year.
Treasure Hunting in Triad: Cool Retail Options for Groups in Town
There are quite a few unique retail therapy opportunities in Triad, N.C., for groups that are interested in shopping for local treasures to bring home after the meeting.
Downtown Greensboro is a lively place to explore during an off-session hour or two. Here, groups will find Antlers and Astronauts, which sells vintage clothes, antiques and handmade goods such as candles and stationery, and Just Be, a gift shop that sells handcrafted jewelry, accessories, home decor and more.
Antlers and Astronauts, Greensboro
Customized group tours can be arranged or attendees can browse at their leisure at the Winston-Salem-based Old Salem Museums & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark and living-history museum that features several dining options and shops. T. Bagge Merchant sells handmade pottery, various crafts, stationery and more, and Moravian Book & Gift Shop sells, among other items, books, candles and home decor.
Also in Winston-Salem, attendees can shop for original artwork at North Trade Street Arts Center, a collective of artist galleries located in the Downtown Arts District. Here, they’ll find paintings and other artworks available for sale. It’s open from noon to 5 p.m. most days, and by appointment at other times.
And High Point, known as the “Furniture Capital of the World,” is home to many furniture stores where groups can find inspiration for home improvements. Stores here include Persnickety, a boutique that sells an array of furnishings as well as lamps, wall hangings, decorative pillows and other home accent pieces, and High Point Furniture Finds, a 12,500-square-foot space that carries furniture, carpets, gifts and accessories.
