Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535167
over 150,000 square feet of meeting space, minutes from neighborhoods where Black artisans, chefs, and historians have shaped the city's core. Planners can host luncheons beside the International African American Museum, or lead sessions inside restored halls once built by freedmen. Charleston doesn't rely on charm—it wields it. From Gullah-infused menus to courtyards that lilt with resistance, every event becomes part of something older, deeper, and lasting. Here, it's not about the surface—it's where vision finds its voice and identity takes form. Columbia Columbia speaks in civics and confidence. As South Carolina's capital, it doesn't simply accommodate—it posi- tions. At the core sits the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, with 142,500 square feet of meeting space, surround- ed by walkable districts brimming with both history and momentum. Just blocks away, the Modjeska Simkins House offers context that can't be staged—honoring one of the architects of South Carolina's civil rights movement. The University of South Carolina anchors intellectual heft, while venues like 701 Center for Contemporary Art and The Imbibe Bottle House allow for breakout sessions with char- acter and complexity. Nearby, Black-owned cafés, barber- shops, and maker studios stitch frequency into the city's rhythm—turning off-hours into conversations that matter. Menus offer more than nourishment—Carolina gold rice served with red gravy and pickled okra, or bourbon-glazed oxtails plated beside poetry readings and policy roundtables. Columbia doesn't glisten for applause—it carries discern- ment. For planners who need a city that matches intellect with action, this capital doesn't hedge. It decrees. Greenville Greenville doesn't inflate its presence—it validates it. Tucked between the Blue Ridge foothills and the vibration of South Carolina's upstate economy, this city commands atten- tion by design. The Greenville Convention Center boasts over 280,000 square feet of adaptable event space, flanked by hotels, culi- nary anchors, and the energy of a downtown engineered for ease. Riverwalk trails and Main Street's public art installa- tions turn breaks into resets. Civic engagement runs deep—visible in Black-owned bookstores, spoken word stages, and supper clubs where con- versation and strategy mingle over Carolina trout and benne- seed biscuits. The Center for Education Equity and Village Launch offer local partnerships where impact isn't just refer- enced—it's practiced. Events here aren't confined to rooms—they stretch into sculpture gardens, rooftop lounges, and repurposed mills where light pours through history. Greenville's momentum doesn't chase the limelight—it creates structure. For planners who want more than efficien- cy, this city balances purpose with grace and grounds every initiative in possibility.Greenville is not concerned with first impressions—it carries the weight of recognition. Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach doesn't just offer oceanfront—it offers opportunity. Long known for its sun-drenched resorts, the city now asserts itself as a destination where coastal luxury meets serious agenda. The expanded and renovated Myrtle Beach Convention Center features a 400-room luxury hotel, a 100,000 square foot Exhibit Hall, a 18,000 square foot Grand Ballroom, seat- ing 1,500 people, 20 attractive and functional meeting rooms, accommodating breakout meetings for 10 to 120 people as well as spacious, sunlit glass-enclosed pre-function areas. The venue is walking distance from high-rise hotels, live jazz cafés, and emerging Black-owned bistros. Boardwalks double as brainstorming routes. Rooftop venues overlooking the Atlantic become spaces for ideation—not escape. Additional meeting spaces include the Myrtle Beach Sports Center, offering 100,000 square feet of column-free flexibility for exhibits, forums, and expos. Paired with over 89,000 hotel rooms in the greater Grand Strand area, plan- ners have capacity without compromise. The Coastal Grand Mall Conference Suites and Dunes Club private event salons offer refined settings for VIP receptions or executive retreats. Beneath its leisure exterior lies depth: the Charlie's Place Historic Site, once a safe haven for Black performers during segregation, now offers cultural activities and receptions that don't just entertain—they educate. Planners can structure leadership forums near the Atlantic Beach Historic District, known as "The Black Pearl," where legacy still holds presence and pride. Attendees can dine on butter-glazed catfish with sea island B M & T ••• May/June 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 37 Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center Myrtle Beach Boardwalk