Central Georgia
VisitColumbusGa.com; @ColumbusGeorgia—“Whether you are planning a small meeting or need an entire performance venue, Columbus offers a variety of unique event spaces rich in history, with modern appeal to accommodate your group’s size, interests and needs,” says Peter Bowden, president and CEO of Columbus CVB.
Located in a beautifully restored pre-Civil War munitions and machinery foundry on the Chattahoochee River, Columbus Convention & Trade Center boasts 182,000 square feet of event space across 17 meeting and event spaces. The facility is within walking distance of approximately 500 of nearly 5,000 guest accommodations in the area. Other venues include Columbus Civic Center, which has a 360-degree concourse and 23,000 square feet of floor space to seat a capacity of 10,000 people. The venue also boasts 5,000 square feet of hospitality suites. For more options, Cunningham Conference Center features a banquet hall, seminar rooms, and a boardroom, and RiverCenter for the Performing Arts offers three theatres and seats up to 2,000 people. Another venue, Bibb Mill Event Center, contains more than 55,000 square feet of event space across eight unique spaces.
For hotel options, the 178-room Columbus Marriott—built around a restored cotton mill —has 3,666 square feet of event space and can accommodate 120 people in its largest space. Hotel Indigo Columbus at Riverfront Place, an IHG Hotel has 107 guest rooms and 2,060 square feet of meeting space for events of up to 100 people, while the 125-room AC Hotel Columbus Downtown, GA features event space for smaller gatherings of fewer than 50 people. Other hotels with space for small events include the 64-room City Mills Hotel in a former 19th-century gristmill and the 100-room Hampton Inn Columbus Downtown. Most of these properties are either fairly new or recently renovated.
Highside Market, Columbus’ new dining and shopping destination in the vibrant High Uptown neighborhood, features many excellent local restaurants, including Flying Biscuit Café, Ray’s Quick Stop, and Nonic Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop. Midcity Yards includes Moe’s Original BBQ and Scofflaw Brewing Co., which has indoor and outdoor space available for private events, including a tasting room. Another casual, new fusion restaurant, Mix Market, features an array of culinary experiences, from Chinese to Italian. Open for lunch and dinner, Mix Market has televisions throughout the restaurant so patrons can watch sports.
