Southern West Virginia encompasses nine distinctive counties nestled within a picturesque mountain landscape, each offering unique adventures waiting to be explored, says Lisa Strader, director of Visit Southern West Virginia. “When here for a meeting
or conference, attendees can wander through charming cities and quaint small towns, immersing themselves in West Virginia’s cultural heritage; coal, rail, and Civil War history; and the local arts scene,” Strader says. “And they won’t want to miss the opportunity to experience America’s newest National Park: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (NRGNPP).”
The small towns and communities across the region offer distinct attractions, Strader says. “Fayetteville is the gateway community to NRGNPP. It is a small but vibrant adventure town with world-renowned rafting nearby and a robust foodie scene. Beckley is the bustling hub of Southern West Virginia and provides the largest supply of lodging in the region, Tamarack Marketplace, and the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine,” she adds. “It is centrally located to most of the attractions in Southern West Virginia and the four designated National Park entities within NRGNPP. Hinton, the southern gateway to the park, is a small town experiencing a lot of growth. With businesses in historically renovated storefronts, it is a great walking town for visitors and locals alike.”
There are approximately 2,694 guest rooms in the region, with a new Fairfield Inn opening this fall in Beckley. Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center is the largest event facility in the region, with a 15,000-square-foot arena, eight meeting rooms, and a 3,300-person event capacity. Fairgrounds Event Center has seven meeting rooms and a 1,000-person capacity. Tamarack Marketplace offers boardrooms, ballrooms, theater spaces with a 550-person capacity, and outdoor function areas. Chuck Mathena Center for the Performing Arts in Princeton has a 938-seat theater and a grand hall seating 300 for dinners. In the Hinton Historic District, Ritz Theater—built in 1929 and restored in 2009—features a 310-seat live performance and conference space with a small stage and state-of-the-art digital projection and sound.
Event facilities with lodging include The Resort at Glade Springs, with 201 guest rooms and a 12,000-square-foot conference center with a capacity of 450 people, and Lookout Post at Adventures on the Gorge, with a meeting capacity of 350 and a variety of guest lodging options, with cabins, glamping, and a lodge.
