Farm Fresh
The South Carolina State Farmers Market in Columbia is expected to open by the end of the year and will include a 400-seat amphitheater, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, restaurants and wholesale vendors providing locally grown and produced goods. scstatefarmersmarket.com
Charlotte, N.C.
Local Update: The 149-room Aloft @ the EpiCentre opened last October in Uptown Charlotte's trendy EpiCentre complex; the property offers 2,000 square feet of meeting space.
Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 700-room Westin Charlotte, 400-room Hilton Charlotte Center City and 274-room Embassy Suites Charlotte. For more area hotels, visit mcmag.com/meeting-facilities.
Convention Center: Charlotte Convention Center; exhibit space, 280,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 37; (704) 339-6000; charlotteconventionctr.com
Airport Transit: Charlotte Douglas International Airport, about seven miles west of downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $20-$25; by shuttle, $10-$12
Taxes: Room tax, 8%; sales tax, 8.25%; total tax on hotel rooms, 16.25%
Group Venue: Kalu opened in June serving authentic Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine. A 7,000-square-foot space is available for private dining. (704) 910-4877; kalunc.com
CVB Services: Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, (704) 334-6040; charlottesgotalot.com
Taking the Leed
The 146-room Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (N.C), opened last October as the city's first LEED-designed hotel. The Ritz employs green practices such as high-efficiency plumbing fixtures that reduce water usage by 35 percent, a comprehensive recycling program and bicycles for guests to ride around town. A vegetated rooftop serves as an insulator to control hotel temperatures while also housing the chef's herb garden and two beehives that provide natural honey for the property's restaurant. The hotel has 12,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 7,000-square-foot ballroom and nine function rooms. Meeting room tables were designed with recycled aluminum, and a water purification system for conferences saves 73,000 plastic bottles per year. (704) 547-2244;
ritzcarlton.comColumbia, S.C.
Local Update:The 122-room Holiday Inn & Suites West Columbia–Airport, South Carolina, opened in April as Columbia's first eco-friendly hotel. The property, just a 10-minute drive from the airport, offers a total of 4,480 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
Meeting Hotels:Properties include the 300-room Marriott Columbia, 238-room Radisson Hotel Columbia & Conference Center and 181-room Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Columbia North.
Convention Center: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center; exhibit space, 24,700 square feet; meeting rooms, 14; (800)264-4884; columbiaconventioncenter.com
Airport Transit: Columbia Metropolitan Airport, six miles southwest of downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $15-$17. Many hotels offer free shuttles.
Taxes: Room tax, 2%; sales tax, 6% (Richland County) or 7% (Lexington County); tourism development tax, 3%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11% or 12%
Group Venue: The Hall at Canal and Senate is a 5,000-square-foot event facility with an attached 1,600-square-foot deck overlooking a garden. The space, with exposed wood-beam ceilings and antique brick walls, holds up to 500 guests.
CVB Services: Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 264-4884; columbiacvb.com
Sports Scene
The new ACC Hall of Champions is set to open in March 2011 in Greensboro, N.C. Details:
theacc.comGreensboro, N.C.
Local Update:The new International Civil Rights Center & Museum opened in February and offers seven meeting and event spaces accommodating up to 555 people.
The Greensboro Historical Museum completed a renovation of exhibit space in July. The museum's auditorium seats 154, and a lobby area holds another 200 for special events.
Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 1,016-room Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons, 281-room Greensboro Marriott Downtown, 219-room Embassy Suites Hotel Greensboro Airport and 175-room Doubletree Hotel Greensboro.
Convention Center: Joseph S. Koury Convention Center/Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons; exhibit space, 100,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 72; (800) 242-6556; sheratongreensboro.com
Airport Transit: Piedmont Triad International Airport, about 12 miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $29
Taxes: Room tax, 6%; sales tax, 6.75%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12.75%
Group Venue: Castle McCulloch is an early-19th-century restored gold refinery that features a moat, a drawbridge and a 70-foot tower. The venue offers several event areas, including the 100-person Great Hall and the 300-person Crystal Garden Ballroom. (336) 887-5413; castlemcculloch.com
CVB Services: Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 344-2282; visitgreensboronc.com
Airport Update
Myrtle Beach International Airport is looking to complete an
expansion project by 2012 that will increase the number of gates from
seven to 12. The estimated $129 million upgrade also will include new
parking facilities, an updated passenger terminal and a new car rental
building.
flymyrtlebeach.comMyrtle Beach S.C.
Local Update:For the first time since the 1950s, Myrtle Beach has a boardwalk. The nearly $7 million Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade was completed in June and stretches for more than a mile across the beach, featuring live concerts, a variety of street performers and fireworks during select seasons.
Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 1,600-room Sands Resorts (with seven properties), 816-room Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort, 621-room The Breakers, 600-room Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, 570-room Landmark Resort, 514-room Crown Reef Resort & Conference Center and 492-room Springmaid Beach Resort & Conference Center. For a more complete listing of hotels, visit mcmag.com/meeting-facilities.
Convention Center: Myrtle Beach Convention Center; exhibit space, 100,800 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 17; (843) 918-1225; mb-cc.com
Airport Transit: Myrtle Beach International Airport, three miles southwest of downtown and the convention center. Transfer cost by taxi, $12-$15
Taxes: Room tax, 2%; sale tax, 5%; various local taxes, 5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12%
Group Venue: Hopsewee Plantation, built in 1740, offers 1,500 square feet of indoor event space. The historic 80-acre property also can host outdoor events among 15-acres of manicured landscaping with views of the North Santee River. (843) 546-7891
CVB Services: Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 488-8998; visitmyrtlebeach.com