Coastal
WilmingtonAndBeaches.com/Groups-And-Meetings; @WilmingtoNCoast
The 107,000-square-foot Wilmington Convention Center has a 30,173-square-foot exhibit hall accommodating up to 150 exhibit booths and 2,596 guests theater style. The venue includes an 11,800-square-foot ballroom for more than 1,500 guests and an outdoor event lawn for 1,400 seated guests.
Near the convention center are almost 900 guest accommodations and additional event space. The 272-room Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton boasts 18,842 square feet of meeting space across 17 event rooms and can accommodate 1,000 people for receptions in its largest space. Aloft Wilmington at Coastline Center offers 125 guest rooms and 10,300 square feet of event space, and the 186-room Embassy Suites Wilmington Riverfront Hotel features 6,600 square feet of event space.
New hotels include Hotel Lela Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which boasts an outdoor saline pool, a restaurant, a boutique, and a golf simulator. Element by Westin will open this summer in Mayfaire Town Center, featuring guest rooms with in-room kitchens and other amenities. Holiday Inn Wilmington has undergone a complete renovation and rebrand, scheduled to open this summer as DoubleTree by Hilton Wilmington.
”Besides our pedestrian-friendly convention district—close to shops, restaurants, and a great nightlife—we also have uniquely North Carolina coastal activities just minutes away,” says Molly Johnson, CMP fellow and vice president of sales and services for Wilmington and Beaches CVB. “This premier destination offers the perfect combination of city and beach experiences.”
The 184-room Holiday Inn Resort Lumina on Wrightsville Beach by IHG recently completed extensive renovations and design updates to its lobby, event space, food and beverage venues, and guest rooms; it has 8,400 square feet of event space. Wrightsville Beach’s Blockade Runner Beach Resort recently reopened and rebranded as Trailborn Surf & Sound. The 151-room hotel was also upgraded, including new furniture, finishes, and amenities. Other beach accommodations include Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach Oceanfront, which has 144 guest rooms and event space for up to 300 people seated theater style.
On Kure Beach, Fort Fisher State Historic Site officially reopened late last year after extensive renovations. The attraction features a new 24,000-square-foot visitors’ center with a multipurpose room, an auditorium, and expanded exhibits. Wilmington’s Cape Fear Museum of History & Science contains artifacts and exhibits relating to the Lower Cape Fear region. Following a recent $60 million airport expansion, Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is adding two new airlines, including Breeze Airways, which offers four nonstop routes, including Fort Myers and Orlando, Fla.
