Pristine beaches, a warm Lowcountry climate and world-class golfing facilities have long made Hilton Head Island the destination of choice for vacationers and event planners alike. Now, with pandemic restrictions on the wane and organizations eager for a return to in-person collaboration, the benefits of bringing people together on Hilton Head Island have never been more clear.
For those looking to move beyond the traditional boardroom or convention center setup, the island’s wide variety of oceanfront and open-air venues offer an ideal palate-cleanser for Zoom-fatigued teams looking to reconnect. The island’s robust suite of safety and sustainability measures ensure that the health of guests, staff and the destination’s delicate ecosystem remain top of mind at all times. With two nearby airports offering convenient nonstop flights from major cities across the U.S., bringing folks together in today’s work-from-anywhere world has never been easier or more convenient.
Way Beyond the Boardroom
It’s no secret that Hilton Head Island is a uniquely beloved travel destination. Last year, it earned the title of No. 1 Island in the Continental U.S. in the coveted Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. This was the destination’s fifth time in six years it was awarded such recognition. With 12 miles of beaches, 23 golf courses, 350 tennis and pickleball courts, and more than 60 miles of bike trails and leisure pathways, it isn’t hard to understand why.
Beneath the laid-back Lowcountry vibes and leisurely ambiance lies a powerhouse of hosting potential. The destination recently went through something of a renaissance, including more than $300 million worth of renovations, upgrades and enhancements to its hotels, resorts and events facilities. The island currently boasts over 3,000 hotel rooms, 6,000 villas, a combined total of 150,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space capable of hosting up to 2,000 attendees. In addition to this, there are dozens of unique, creative and non-traditional meeting sites available—from dinner cruises to golf tournaments, oceanfront receptions to beachside conventions.
Memorable events aside, there are plenty of practical reasons that savvy meeting organizers are choosing to eschew the boardroom for the beach, patio or golf course. As teams ease back into in-person gatherings, the outdoor venues of Hilton Head Island offer a more casual, relaxed transition, with the added benefit of open-air ventilation to ease pandemic-related anxiety. This, in conjunction with the island’s Path Forward Readiness Plan, adds up to a safer, more comfortable experience for both residents and visitors—as well as one that never loses sight of the Lowcountry charm that keeps people coming back, year after year.
Connected to Everywhere
Teams, organizations and companies have never been more diffuse than they are today in this fast-paced, work-from-anywhere world. For event planners and meeting hosts, that means selecting sites that not only inspire attendees and facilitate connection, but ones that can also be easily reached by team members from across the country and globe.
Serviced by convenient, nonstop flights from major cities across the U.S., Hilton Head Island offers the ambiance of a remote retreat coupled with the convenience of a major transportation hub. A quick 30-minute drive from Interstate 95 (I-95), the island is also easily accessible by not one but two local airports.
Just 45 miles south of the island and over the border in Georgia is Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, the larger of the two airports, which earned the distinguished title of No. 1 Airport in the U.S. in the 2020 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards.
Not to be outshone, the smaller and more local Hilton Head Island Airport lies within five miles of the island’s many resorts and offers jet services to many major cities throughout the U.S. Beginning this year, Hilton Head Island Airport will undergo a phased, $37-million, 60,000-square-foot expansion—yet another testament to the destination’s enduring popularity with both vacationers and event planners alike.
