Eastern Tennessee
Gatlinburg.com; @TravelGburg
Right at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg has more than 17,000 guest lodging choices with full-service hotels and resorts, cabins, and condominiums, plus hundreds of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options for every age and interest. “We have everything a planner needs for a successful event,” says Dave Esslinger, vice president, sales and marketing, for Gatlinburg CVB. “Our state-of-the-art Gatlinburg Convention Center has 160,000 square feet of event space with a ballroom, an auditorium, and 16 meeting rooms. We’re a budget-friendly destination with a walkable downtown and a streetcar trolley that’s a nostalgic way to soak up the sights and sounds of the city. The trolley operates two routes 365 days a year, stopping at popular spots like Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and the Arts & Crafts Community.”
The Park Vista, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Gatlinburg has 300 guest rooms and 26,375 total square feet of function space; 164-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Gatlinburg Resort has 12,800 square feet of flexible meeting space; 215-room Glenstone Lodge has 10,000 square feet of meeting space; 205-room Edgewater at the Aquarium, Hotel & Conference Center has 7,000 square feet of function space; 162-room Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg has 4,000 square feet of indoor event space, plus outdoor venues; and the newly renovated 130-room Black Bear Inn & Suites has event space to host 250 guests. In addition, the 188-room Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg has 1,599 square feet of function space, and Courtyard Gatlinburg Downtown has four event rooms to host 210 guests.
Planners will find unique activities at Ober Mountain, with seasonal skiing and snowboarding, plus a tram, ziplines, mountain biking, and other activities; programs and workshops at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, which also offers event space for 200 guests; Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies; and Smoky Mountain School of Cooking and Appalachian Store, with demonstrations and classes.
