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B M & T ••• March/April 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 48 GEORGIA AREA GUIDES Airport (ATL), about an hour's drive away. Accommodations range from Motel 6 to luxurious resorts like Great Wolf Lodge. The Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park and dry-land adventure for the entire family. There are 457 guest rooms, and various suite styles for 2-13 people. There is also a 93,000 sq. ft. water park with a pool and slide. Great Wolf Resorts has adaptable meeting spaces and state-of-the-art con- ference rooms. It offers flexible meeting rooms and audiovisual solutions that meet diverse needs. There are 18,721 sq. ft. of adaptable meeting space and con- ference rooms, as well as a 7,035 sq. ft. outdoor terrace. LaGrange has other meeting spaces, including The White Oak Ballroom (11,062 sq. ft.), Fallen Timbers (1,378 sq. ft.), Eagles Landing (680 sq. ft.), a pre- function space (5,601 sq. ft.), and an out- door terrace (7,035 sq. ft.). Consider the Courtyard Marriott, which has 1,667 sq. ft. of conference space, or the Del'Avant Event Center (2,900 sq. ft.), which has a great view, trees, and a water feature. The Kress Ballroom has 4,391 sq. ft., and the McLellan Parlor seats 120 people. There's also the Oakfuskee Conservation Center, Truitt Vanderbilt Club, 134 Main, and Crescent Station. Diverse eateries abound in LaGrange, from Gus's Grill, Café Brulee, The Oink Joint BBQ, and Nutwood Winery. Attractions range from the Marketplace at Lafayette Square, LaGrange Art Museum, Wild Animal Safari, MagiQuest, Hills and Dales Estate, a historic mansion with beautiful gardens, Bellevue Mansion, a Biblical History Center, and Sweetland Amphitheatre. COLUMBUS Welcome to Columbus, a vibrant, all- out adventure-ready destination where every meeting turns into a story worth telling. Step off a shuttle from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport—just 90 min- utes away—into a city that blends big-city perks with small-town charm, and you're in the middle of a playground for plan- ners, families, and thrill-seekers alike. Columbus is Georgia's second-largest city, boasting an infrastructure that can accommodate events of any size, from intimate gatherings of 10 to massive conventions of 10,000+. The city, where you can "Go All Out," splits itself into four distinct meeting districts—Uptown (780 rooms), Midtown (1,490 rooms), Victory (940 rooms), and Northlake (1,480 rooms)—each packed with its own flavor, venues, hotels, and local vibes. Columbus has 49 hotels with more than 4,800 high-quality hotel rooms—boutique downtown gems to larger district hotels. The city has 750,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including modern convention centers, historic industrial venues, and district-specific facilities. Flagship spots include the restored 19th-century Columbus Convention & Trade Center (the "Iron Works"), with 182,000 sq. ft. of floor space, which includes more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space in its North, Center, and South halls, a 22,000 square foot ball- room, and 17 meeting rooms, while the Columbus Civic Center boasts a 10,000-seat arena. The Cunningham Center Conference Center features a 5,432-sq.-ft. banquet hall, six seminar rooms, an executive boardroom, and four computer training labs. Foodies will go wild in Columbus, with over 500 restaurants (southern sta- ples to fine dining) earning national nods. Adventure seekers can experience the world's longest urban whitewater course—2.5 miles along the 15-mile Chattahoochee RiverWalk, or a Class V rapid, or chill with flat-water kayaking, fishing, or paddle-boarding. The River- Walk is a 15-mile linear park hugging the Chattahoochee. Outdoor lovers can zip- line across state lines, bike the Standing Boy Trails, or explore the Callaway Gardens and the FDR Little White House. Lagrange Callaway college auditorium s • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Great Wolf Lodge 457 Courtyard By Marriott Downtown LaGrange 90 Baymont by Wyndham LaGrange 53 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Great Wolfe Lodge Total Space 25, 756 sq. ft. Largest Hall 11,062 sq. ft. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Visit La Grange – (760) 668-5555 www.visitLagrange.com photo credit: Pinterest