Coastal
MeetCharleston.com; @ExploreCharleston
Whether it’s a corporate retreat in a 200-year-old mansion, a product launch in a cutting-edge art gallery, or a conference set against the backdrop of the harbor, Charleston provides venues as memorable as the events themselves.
“Charleston doesn’t just host events; it elevates them,” says John Michael McCants, senior sales manager with the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A quick shuttle ride from Charleston’s Historic District, Charleston Area Convention Center has 77,000 flexible square feet of exhibit space; it can accommodate 425 exhibitor booths. The convention center campus also features the 13,000-seat North Charleston Coliseum and the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.
The 255-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Airport Hotel & Convention Center has 150,000 square feet of meeting space and exhibit space. It recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of guest rooms, meeting space, common areas, and dining areas. The 434-room Charleston Place Hotel, offering 40,000 square feet of event space, has begun a multi-phased $150 million “reimagination” project. According to hotel representatives, the project will not disrupt bookings or events.
The 344-room Charleston Marriott and the 234-room Francis Marion Hotel each offer 20,000 square feet of event space. For smaller events, hotel options include the 291-room North Charleston Marriott, 218-room Mills House Hotel, 217-room Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, and The Vendue.
Two new boutique hotels opened in June in Charleston’s Historic District: The 50-room Nickel Hotel and 25-room Hotel Richemont. The new 191-room Cooper Hotel will open in 2026. Charleston’s only luxury waterfront hotel along the Cooper River, it will feature 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, a 7,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, five food and beverage outlets, boutique shopping, and a marina.
On the Isle of Palms, a 30-minute drive north of Charleston, the 525-room Wild Dunes Resort boasts 35,000 square feet of event space. South of the convention center, Tides Folly Beach, Charleston’s Oceanfront Hotel features 5,490 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space; the hotel’s largest space can accommodate up to 200 guests. Kiawah Island Golf Resort has approximately 90,000 square feet of event space, including a conference center with 23,000 square feet of dedicated event space. The resort’s Forbes Five Star Sanctuary Hotel has 255 guest rooms; its largest space can accommodate up to 800 people.
Planners should be advised of two prominent events taking place in Charleston. The Food & Wine Classic will take place November 14 ̶ 16, and the world-famous Spoleto Festival USA, founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, will be May 22 ̶ June 7, 2026.
