Pine Belt Region
Hattiesburg blends vibrant creative energy with the robust infrastructure of a two-university town, according to Kristen Brock, vice president of marketing and programs for Visit Hattiesburg. “The balance of big-city amenities with a welcoming, artistic atmosphere makes Hattiesburg a smart choice for planners,” she says. Between the city’s globally recognized public art scene and a culinary landscape featuring the state’s largest concentration of locally owned restaurants per capita, Brock adds that visitors will experience a destination that is both lively and approachable.
Lake Terrace Convention Center features 33,269 square feet of indoor event space, including a 14,581-square-foot exhibit hall with a capacity of 1,600 guests theater style or 1,000 banquet style. On the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), Thad Cochran Center features more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space, including a grand ballroom seating up to 900 theater style and 10 meeting rooms, the largest of which can host up to 150 people theater style. The Trent Lott National Center, also on the USM campus, has 6,000 square feet for mid-sized conferences of up to 300 attendees.
The 138-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hattiesburg recently completed a full renovation and debuted 2,000 square feet of new meeting space. Other notable Hattiesburg hotels for groups to consider include the 128-room Holiday Inn Hattiesburg – North, which offers event space for up to 200 guests, and the 85-room Holiday Inn Express – West, which has two small meeting rooms.
For something historic and unique, the beautifully restored 1910 Hattiesburg Train Depot has 14,000 square feet of flexible space for up to 1,000 guests. Downtown Hattiesburg features the whimsical Pocket Museum and Paper Warehouse theater, while midtown offers an energetic “college-town” vibe near USM’s Pete Taylor Park. Unique excursions include Hattiesburg Zoo ropes courses, Longleaf Piney Resort glamping, Southern Prohibition brewery tours, and Pinebelt Blueways paddling.
