Known for peaches, Southern hospitality, and being the birthplace of, among many others, Martin Luther King, Ray Charles, and Julia Roberts, Georgia is a vibrant, culturally rich state. “The Hollywood of the South,” as Atlanta is known, offers energy, dynamism, and an international vibe; the gentle peaks, rushing waters, and mountain retreats of Northern Georgia provide respite; and the legendary music and honky tonks of Central Georgia enliven events.
Central Georgia
Athens and Clarke County
VisitAthensGA.com; @VisitAthensGA
“From convention centers and historic theaters to galleries and outdoor venues, Athens offers unparalleled event venues,” says Elyse Harris, director of sales for Visit Athens GA.
The city and region’s premiere venue, The Classic Center, contains 373,700 square feet of event space and regularly hosts conferences, performances, and special events with a capacity of 6,000. Onsite catering, audiovisual, security, registration, and marketing services are available. The Classic Center has 10 main venues, including the 18,000-square-foot Athena Ballroom, with a 1,900 capacity for receptions and 1,000 for banquet seating. Other areas include a 2,122-seat theater and more intimate settings for smaller groups. The center’s newest addition, The Classic Center Arena, will open in early 2024 with space to accommodate 8,500 people.
More than half of Clarke County’s 3,000 guest accommodations are in downtown Athens. Top hotels include the 190-room Hyatt Place Athens/Downtown, featuring 4,000 square feet of event space for gatherings of 300 people. The recently renovated 122-room Graduate Athens contains approximately 12,000 square feet of event space and can welcome 650 people.
A new event venue near downtown, the Chapel Athens, opened earlier this year and features indoor and outdoor event space for social and corporate events. Oak House Distillery offers two-and-a-half acres of oak-shaded outdoor space for various gatherings.
The Athens Beer Trail Trolley Tour is an excellent way for groups to sample local breweries, while Historic Athens Tours offers walking and shuttle tours. The University of Georgia (UGA) Challenge Course has high and low elements that visitors can navigate as a team.
The city has many charming and eclectic neighborhoods to explore. Downtown Athens, across from UGA’s historic North Campus, offers many sights and sounds. Visitors can follow the Music Walk of Fame through the city’s most iconic concert venues downtown, such as the Georgia Theatre and 40 Watt Club. This lively area is bustling with an incredible dining scene, from Creature Comforts to
The National.
Augusta
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Meeting venues in this city on the Savannah River include the Augusta Convention Center, which can fit 3,895 in its largest space, and combined with the nearby 372-room Augusta Marriott Convention Center, offers 100,000 square of meeting space.
The Augusta Entertainment Complex/Global Spectrum L.P. has 70,000 square feet of event space for live entertainment, including the 23,000-square-foot James Brown Arena and the 10,000-square-foot Bell Auditorium.
Augusta hotels with meeting space include the 182-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Augusta, featuring 12,000 square feet of meeting space and 12 meeting rooms, and the 180-room Crowne Plaza North Augusta Hotel has 10,000 square feet of event space, including 10 meeting rooms. Its largest room is 5,200 square feet.
Columbus
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Columbus, the state’s second-largest city, has more than 30 distinctive breakout venues totaling more than a half-million square feet of meeting space for gatherings up to 5,000.
“Besides outstanding event space, Columbus is also home to over 500 great restaurants with dishes highlighted in nationally recognized publications,” says Peter Bowden, president & CEO of Visit Columbus GA. “We have a vibrant arts and entertainment district and even the longest urban whitewater course in the world, all within walking distance of our meeting facilities and accommodations.”
Located in a 19th-century machinery and munitions foundry on the Chattahoochee River, the recently renovated and expanded Columbus Convention & Trade Center offers 182,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. Other features include more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 22,000-square-foot ballroom, and 27 breakout rooms.
Other venues include the 10,000-seat Columbus Civic Center, which has 5,000 square feet of event space, and the Cunningham Center, featuring a 5,500-square-foot banquet hall, six seminar rooms, and an executive boardroom. The River Center for the Performing Arts contains a 2,000-seat theatre and 150-seat studio theatre, while Legacy Hall can seat 450.
More than 500 hotel rooms are now within walking distance of the Columbus Convention & Trade Center. The newly renovated 178-room Columbus Marriott, built around a restored cotton mill, features five adaptable meeting venues, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and an onsite restaurant. Another new development, the six-story, 125-room A.C. Hotel by Marriott Uptown, is close to the Trade Center and has an A.C. Lounge with local craft beers, cocktails, and tapas-style dining. The new 107-room Hotel Indigo Columbus at Riverfront Place offers 2,500 square feet of meeting space for 100 attendees and features a farm-to-table restaurant and a rooftop bar.
City Mills occupies a renovated historic 19th-century grist mill and features 64 rooms. The hotel opened an onsite restaurant, the Millhouse Kitchen + Bar, in 2022. Opening earlier this year, the new five-story, 100-room Hampton Inn Columbus Downtown has meeting space for small gatherings and is a close walk to the convention center.
Macon
VisitMacon.org; @VisitMacon
“What truly sets Macon apart as a premier meeting and convention destination is our many amazing attractions, eateries, and places to stay interlaced with our destination’s rich history and musical heritage,” says Ann Starley, director of sales with Visit Macon.
Edgar H. Wilson Convention Center has 82,000 square feet of floor space, a 30,800- square-foot exhibit hall, a 9,100-square-foot ballroom, and 11 meeting spaces. The newly renovated 14,012-square-foot Macon City Auditorium boasts 988 balcony seats, portable floor seating for 1,516, a Proscenium stage, and meeting rooms.
For major concerts, sporting events, trade shows, and conventions, the 9,000-capacity Macon Coliseum features a 7,068-square-
foot meeting and banquet area. Opening later this year is the Macon Amphitheater, which will have 10,000 seats with extensive lawn seating, a state-of-the-art stage and sound system, VIP options, concessions, and retail amenities.
Other notable venues in Macon include the Grand Opera House, which has a 1,030-seat performing arts center and two additional reception and meeting rooms for smaller gatherings. Other venues with event space include the Capitol Theatre, now under new ownership; the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, featuring a 205-seat theater; and the 49,000-square-foot Tubman Museum.
Macon has 5,000 guest accommodations, including the Marriott City Center Hotel, which is connected to the Edgar H. Wilson Convention Center. The hotel has 9,594 square feet of event space, including a 3,034-square-foot ballroom and a 1,505-square-foot grand salon. Several other national brand hotels offer meeting space for smaller gatherings.
Mercer Music at Capricorn has information about Macon’s key role in American music. The facility includes state-of-the-art, 20,000-square-foot commercial studios, including historic Studio A, where the Allman Brothers Band, Percy Sledge, the Marshall Tucker Band, and other legends recorded their classics. The 1,200-square-foot Capricorn Museum shares its history through visual, digital, and audio storytelling, including an interactive listening station where visitors can sample the Capricorn Records catalog.
Perry
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Professing itself as the place “Where Georgia Comes Together,” Perry is located in the heart of the Peach State.
The city’s historic district is just off Interstate 75, featuring stunning architecture and unique shopping.
Event and meeting spaces in the area include the Perry Events Center, which can welcome awards banquets, weddings, concerts, or other special occasions. The Grand Magnolia House is perfect for a Southern wedding, with a 4,000-square-foot deck and a pergola among 100-year-old pecan trees.
The Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter sits on nearly 1,100 acres and offers five arenas and a number of exhibit halls.
Coastal Georgia
Golden Isles
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Located on the coast between Savannah and Jacksonville, Fla., the Golden Isles consist of four barrier islands—St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island—and the city of Brunswick on the mainland.
Jekyll Island Convention Center offers 75,000 square feet of meeting space, including 45,000 square feet of exhibit space. The venue can accommodate meetings of 2,000 attendees.
Adjacent to the convention center, the Westin Jekyll Island features 5,000 square feet of meeting space. The 157-room Jekyll Island Club Resort has more than 14,500 square feet of flexible meeting space and 10 outdoor meeting venues. The hotel’s riverfront lawn accommodates 250 guests.
Several national hotel brands on Jekyll Island offer space for smaller events. The Holiday Inn Resort–Jekyll Island has 3,000 square feet of space, including a beach house that fits 200 people. Other hotels include The Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Jekyll Island, which has 2,000 square feet of event space, and Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island.
On St. Simons Island, the King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort features 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Its largest ballroom, spanning 2,880 square feet, can accommodate 300 people. The resort’s picturesque outdoor Atlantic Court Lawn is suitable for receptions. The Ocean Lodge, also on St. Simons, has a private conference room and offers various teambuilding options, including kayaking, golfing, boating, and biking.
Savannah
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Jeff Hewitt, vice president of sales for Visit Savannah, says bringing an event to the coastal city can take it to the next level.
“People have always loved coming here. The squares, parks, and architecture alone are worth separate tours. But you don’t just visit Savannah—you experience it,” he says. “Besides that, we now have more space and capabilities at our convention center, and we are seeing larger groups coming here and higher registration numbers.”
A $276 million renovation at the Savannah Convention Center—located across from the historic downtown on the Savannah River—is expected to wrap up next year and increase its exhibit hall space to 200,000 square feet. Other enhancements include a 40,000-square-foot ballroom, 32 new breakout rooms, expanded loading capabilities, and 900 new parking spaces.
With more than 14,000 guest accommodations, Savannah offers numerous hotel choices close to local attractions, restaurants, and the river. The 403-room Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa near the convention center features 286,600 square feet of meeting space. The hotel’s biggest area, a 96,110-square-foot exhibit hall, can fit 10,116 people. The resort also has 50,000 square feet of outdoor event space featuring harbor views. A short ferry ride across the river, the 387-room Marriott Savannah Riverfront features 40,353 square feet of event space and can accommodate 1,500 in its largest ballroom.
The boutique Hotel Bardo is scheduled to open in February on picturesque Forsyth Park and will offer 22,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, including a ballroom for 200 guests, a two-story restaurant, a courtyard, and a carriage house. Other components include a poolside event lawn and tented events under Spanish moss-draped oaks.
Savannah offers a wide array of tours covering every aspect of the city. For a taste of the local cuisine, Savannah Taste Experience food tours offer an excellent option. With an experienced guide leading the way, groups visit award-winning restaurants and specialty food shops.
Metro Atlanta
Atlanta (Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead)
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Downtown Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center features 1.4 million square feet of prime space, including 12 exhibit halls, more than 100 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, three auditoriums, and two grand plazas. The venue connects to the 1,067-room Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN, which has 120,000 square feet of meeting space and 45 meeting rooms. Scheduled to open in March, a new headquarters hotel, Signia by Hilton Atlanta, will have 900 guest rooms and 137,000 square feet of event space. The largest space, a 40,259-square-foot ballroom, will accommodate 4,578 guests. Other features include a 15,870-square-foot event deck seating 1,050 at cocktail rounds.
The Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart recently completed more than $30 million in improvements and upgrades, including new escalators and meeting room enhancements. The venue features 150 breakout rooms, 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, and 61,500 square feet of meeting space, including the Penthouse Theatre and a grand atrium.
Area hotels include the 218-room Hyatt Centric Buckhead Atlanta, near the Lenox Square shopping hub. The boutique property offers 9,027 square feet of event space, including six meeting rooms. The 5,000-square-foot Spaceman venue features a rooftop bar and lounge and outdoor terraces with city views. Also available for private events is the hotel’s 2,172-square-foot Three Arches Restaurant and Bar.
The 230-room Kimpton Shane Hotel opened last year as part of the planned Midtown Union complex. The boutique hotel features Hartley Kitchen and Cocktails, a ground-level chef-driven restaurant; Aveline, a second-story bar and lounge; and 5,400 square feet of meeting and event space.
ATL Airport District
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Located between downtown Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the ATL Airport District has more than 8,000 hotel rooms and excellent event venues.
“We offer many big-city amenities without a lot of the high costs,” says ATL Airport District president Cookie Smoak, adding hotels in the area are approximately 30 percent cheaper than those in the city.
Another local advantage, Smoak adds, is accessibility. “Eighty percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight or less to the world’s most traveled airport, so this area is a definite sweet spot for planners.”
The district is home to the 400,000-square-foot Georgia International Convention Center (GICC), connected directly to the major airport. The venue offers 150,000 square feet of exhibit space, 90,000 square feet of pre-function space, and 16,000 square feet of meeting space. Its 40,000-square-foot ballroom can accommodate 4,460 for receptions. The GICC sits on the Gateway Center Campus, which includes the Gateway Center Arena, the historic College Park Golf Course, and six hotels, including the 403-room Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway, which features 31,964 square feet of event space and 25 event rooms and holds 1,200 people in its largest area. Another campus hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel, has 204 guest rooms and 12,801 square feet of event space.
Recent area hotel openings include a new 148-room Tru by Hilton Atlanta Gateway Center and a 105-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Gateway Center. Other new properties include the Embassy Suites Atlanta Airport North, featuring more than 3,900 square feet of onsite meeting and event space, and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Atlanta Airport North.
For creative teambuilding and group activities, the Atlanta Printmakers Studio provides classes and workshops, a printmaking museum, a gallery, a store, and an outdoor gathering space. At the Porsche Experience Center, thrill seekers can test their limits on world-renowned racetracks in the Simulator Lab. At the Delta Flight Museum, housed in newly renovated 1940s-era airplane hangars, visitors can strap into the Boeing 737 flight simulator. The museum also has 68,000 square feet of meeting and event space for groups to rent.
Cobb County
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Cobb County, north of Atlanta, boasts more than 14,500 rooms and more than 375,000 square feet of meeting space. The county is home to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves; The Battery dining, shopping, and entertainment complex; and Six Flags Over Georgia.
“Each city in the county has its own unique experience, making Cobb an exciting place for everyone,” says Holly Quinlan, president & CEO of Cobb Travel & Tourism. “Go from hiking and history in the morning, to arts and entertainment in the afternoon, to Atlanta Braves baseball in the evening–all without leaving the county. The Battery Atlanta and Marietta Square offer a vibrant nightlife scene and unique dining, with multiple restaurants within walking distance.”
The Cobb Galleria Centre features 144,000 square feet of exhibition space, five ballrooms, 50 meeting rooms, and a 2,750-seat theatre. Approximately 2,700 guest rooms are within a one-mile radius of the venue at the Renaissance Waverly, Embassy Suites, Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta, and the Sheraton Suites. The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre offers an additional 10,000-square-foot ballroom and a 2,750-seat theatre.
Truist Park has more than 16 newly renovated meeting and event spaces. Other venue options in Cobb County include the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center, featuring 27,564 square feet of event space; the Coca-Cola Roxy concert venue; and Kennesaw State University.
The 400-room Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria recently unveiled a new 11,248-square-foot ballroom with a capacity of 990. Another new addition, the 147-room SpringHill Suites Atlanta Northwest, features 1,800 square feet of meeting space.
The county recently launched an autonomous vehicle called “The Hopper,” which connects travelers to the Galleria area and The Battery. Part of a local mobility project, the shuttle is currently in its pilot phase, which continues through March 2024.
DeKalb
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DeKalb lies six miles east of downtown Atlanta and offers 9,000 guest accommodations at 70 hotels. The 336-room Atlanta Evergreen Lakeside Resort features 64,302 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including 37 meeting rooms. The resort’s largest space can accommodate 1,100 guests.
The 294-room Atlanta Marriott Northeast/Emory Area features 18,877 square feet of event space and can accommodate 600 in its largest area.
Other venue options in DeKalb include the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Community Center, which features more than 12,000 square feet of ballroom space and can accommodate 1,500 people. In Stone Mountain, the 20,000-square-foot Stone Ridge Event Center includes a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, an outdoor pergola with Japanese gardens, and a cedar pavilion.
Gwinnett County
ExploreGwinnett.org; @ExploreGwinnett
North of Atlanta, Gwinnett County is a popular suburban destination and home to 100 hotels, 12,000 guest rooms, and prime event facilities for gatherings of 1,000. Communities include Suwanee, Duluth, Sugar Hill, Lilburn, Dacula, Grayson, Snellville, Centerville, Berkeley Lake, and Mountain Park.
The Gas South Convention Center, in the 118-acre Gas South District, recently re-opened following a $250 million expansion and renovation. The upgrade includes 50,000 additional square feet of convention space, a new junior ballroom, upgraded technology, outdoor plazas, and a food hall. The facility also contains 90,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, a 21,600-square-foot ballroom, 24 meeting rooms, and outdoor gathering areas. The Gas South District also includes a 13,000-seat arena, a 708-seat theater, and the Hudgens Center for Art & Learning.
Key properties in Gwinnett include the 271-room Hilton Atlanta Northeast Hotel with 16,239 square feet of flexible meeting space, a 120-seat auditorium, and a 7,040-square-foot ballroom accommodating 1,000 people. The 300-room Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta offers 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including 18 function rooms. The hotel’s 8,000-square-foot Georgia Ballroom has a capacity of 800.
The new Westin Atlanta Gwinnett, a $110 million development, will open next year in the Gas South District, featuring 348 guest rooms and 28,029 square feet of event space for 1,162 people. Other components include a rooftop bar and open green space connecting the hotel to the convention center.
Lawrenceville, Gwinnett’s oldest city, is also home to the county’s first craft brewery, Slow Pour Brewing Company, featuring revolving craft beers, live music, food trucks, game nights, and a beer garden. A few blocks away, Ironshield Brewing offers authentic European-style lagers and ales.
The new Pickleball Social at the Exchange near the Mall of Georgia combines food, signature cocktails, and entertainment on indoor and outdoor pickleball courts for teambuilding and fun. Gwinnett has more than 50 public greenspaces and numerous hiking and biking trails.
Peachtree City
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Located in the southwestern area of Metro Atlanta, Peachtree City is best known for its affinity for golf carts—with more than 10,000 households in the city owning one. More than 90 miles of multi-use paths give travelers access to shopping, dining, recreation, and other amenities in any of the city’s five distinct villages.
Local hotels include the 236-room Crowne Plaza Atlanta Peachtree City, which has an indoor pool and volleyball, tennis, basketball, and cycling facilities. The hotel also offers 65 meeting rooms, with 63,000 square feet of total meeting space. The largest room is 6,000 square feet, with a capacity for 500 people. Other lodging options include the 93-room Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Peachtree City, with 93 rooms and 3,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and the Hampton Inn – Peachtree City, which features 61 rooms and a fitness center.
Additional meeting and event venues include the Peachtree City Hotel & Conference Center, with 32 rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Regional Airport Falcon Field has 15,000 square feet of meeting space in three rooms, accommodating 400 people.
Northern Georgia
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This region includes the communities of Young Harris, Lake Chatuge, Hiawassee, Lake Rabun, Dahlonega, and Helen.
Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris offers more than 14,000 square feet of event space for a capacity of 330. Resort amenities include equestrian trails, access to a championship golf course, and resort-tailored teambuilding programs.
In Hiawassee, the Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge features a marina, boat rentals, a lakeside water park, and a Topgolf Swing Suite. The resort has indoor meeting venues and an outdoor event space.
For smaller gatherings, the historic Lake Rabun Hotel and Restaurant offers 25 guest rooms with double occupancy. Group events here receive all-day beverage and snack service, lunch, and dinner. Offsite teambuilding exercises are also available.
For mountain outings, Dahlonega in Lumpkin County is home to eight wineries and five tasting rooms. On the Chattahoochee, the Bavaria-inspired village of Helen features Bavarian fare, cobblestone streets, and more than 200 import and specialty shops offering everything from cuckoo clocks to quilts. In Rabun Gap, the artist retreat of Hambidge Center—listed on the National Register of Historic Places–sits on 600 wooded acres and includes the Hambidge House, Rock House, a working grist mill, waterfalls, hiking trails, and gorgeous vistas.
Southern Georgia
Albany
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Part of the Flint River Entertainment Complex, the Albany Civic Center features five meeting rooms and accommodates gatherings of 2,500 people. Also part of the complex, the Albany Municipal Auditorium, seats 965 people.
Other event venues include the 54,000-square-foot Flint RiverQuarium, the Albany Civil Rights Institute, and the Albany Museum
of Art. Featuring 4,500 square feet of event space, the Bindery at Oakland Library can accommodate groups of 600 people. Another popular option for social and corporate meetings is Cheehaw Park & Zoo’s Creekside Center, where event planning and full-service catering are also available.
Valdosta
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Valdosta’s largest meeting and event venue, the James H. Rainwater Conference Center, features more than 47,000 square feet of meeting space, including a pre-function area and an 11,000-square-foot exhibit hall. Other components include a 4,000-square-foot conference hall, seven breakout rooms, and two boardrooms.
For guest accommodations, the 163-room Hilton Garden Inn Valdosta features 3,014 square feet of event space, including three meeting rooms, and accommodates 196 people in its 2,640-square-foot ballroom. The 158-room Holiday Inn Valdosta Conference Center has 4,500 square feet of event space for a capacity of 180 people.
Valdosta’s first boutique hotel, The McKey, opened earlier this year in a restored 1906 building. The hotel features 12 luxury accommodations and a 2,000-square-foot event space accommodating 150 people.
Valdosta offers groups several opportunities for unique and adventurous teambuilding experiences, including Wild Adventures Theme Park, featuring an animal park,water attractions, amusement rides, entertainment, dining, and shopping. Groups can also practice their skills at Skoll Axe Throwing and Epic Escape Room or hit the water at the Valdosta Wake Compound, a wakeboarding complex.
The town has social options such as The Southern Cellar, the award-winning Georgia Beer Company, and Downtown Social. The Southern Cellar offers international wines, tastings, and pairings in the downtown core. Georgia Beer Company specializes in seasonal ales, stouts, and IPAs using local ingredients. Downtown Social offers bowling, sports suites, shuffleboard, darts, virtual reality games, pinball, and food and drinks.
Western Georgia
LaGrange
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Located in western Georgia, close to the Alabama border, LaGrange offers natural beauty and Southern hospitality. The city is less than 100 miles from both Atlanta and Montgomery, Ala.
Local hotels include Great Wolf Lodge, which offers family-friendly activities, including a 93,000-square-foot water park with pools and slides; Courtyard by Marriott – Historic Downtown LaGrange; and the 100-room Wingate by Wyndham LaGrange.
Meeting spaces in LaGrange include the 10,000-square-foot Del’avant Event Center that divides into three rental spaces. The center’s largest area is the 4,391-square-foot Kress Ballroom, which seats 300 people.
Scheduled to open in December 2023, Oakfuskee Conservation Center sits on a natural sanctuary, providing views of West Point Lake. The center will feature 25,000 square feet of event and classroom space and is also home to activities such as hiking, horseback riding, camping, and disc golf
