Other Meeting Options
Among downtown Charleston’s existing highlights for meeting planners are numerous hotels and shopping options. Adjacent to the civic center are the 352-room Charleston Marriott Town Center, a 198-room Holiday Inn Express, and a 119-room, 15-suite Courtyard by Marriott. A Hampton Inn and an Embassy Suites are a block away, and a Sheraton Four Points is four blocks away. Across the street, the three-story Charleston Town Center Mall is one of the largest indoor shopping centers east of the Mississippi.
Other city meeting venues include the 240,000-square-foot Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, which houses performance arts, visual arts and interactive science all in one building in addition to meeting spaces; a grand theater with 1,883 capacity; a black-box theater for up to 220; and a 5,700-square-foot lobby for receptions.
“Generally, when people rent a space here, they do it in combination with another part of the center,” said Maria Belcher, the versatile facility’s program and events coordinator. “They buy museum passes for all of the guests or purchase tickets to an evening event, which might be the West Virginia Symphony or a Broadway show.”
Though there’s a cafe on the premises, all catering is furnished through a partnering agreement with Embassy Suites.
Families will want to tag along with attendees to the center to explore its two-level, hands-on Discovery Museum; a planetarium with hourly star talks; and a fine-arts museum with an 800-piece collection of American art and outdoor sculpture. A fascinating facility tour includes a peek backstage and a “hall of fame” of performance promo posters signed by entertainers from James Taylor to Foreigner.
To accompany nearly any event in nearly any venue in the city, National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage program, based at the West Virginia Culture Center since its 1985 inception, can source live musical performances from bluegrass and roots music to indie rock and jazz, performed by Grammy winners and emerging artists.
Area Attractions
By far the city’s biggest attraction for attendees and/or their spouses and kids is the state Capitol itself. Completed in 1932, the main building is capped by an impressive dome modeled after that of the U.S. Capitol, though this one is five feet taller and gilded in shiny 23.5-karat gold. Also at the Capitol Complex, the State Museum and Culture Center offers a glance at West Virginia’s rich history.
Attendees can hit the links at eight golf courses within five minutes of downtown or cheer on the West Virginia Power, a class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, while scarfing down hot dogs and beer at 4,500-seat Appalachian Power Park. On game and nongame days, its Legends Club provides presentation capacities and upscale rooting from an eagle’s perspective for 50 fans. In addition, during games, 200 can indulge on its all-you-can-eat-and-drink Party Deck, or the entire left-field seating area can be reserved for a corporate picnic.
For gathering amid the amazing geographic features that give the Mountain State its nickname, Adventures on the Gorge is an outfitter and resort only an hour from Charleston with extraordinary team building and a brand-new conference center.
Opened in August 2016, the Lookout Post Conference Center perches on the rim of the spectacular New River Gorge. Three of the year-round facility’s four walls are glass, most guests stay in cabins, and catering is on-site, sourced from a seasonal steakhouse — which also doubles as a meeting area — or three other eateries on the premises. There’s even a seasonal pool, complete with more breathtaking vistas.
“Our sweet spot for meetings is from 40 to 60 participants, but we can handle 100 to 150 theater style,” said PJ Stevenson, marketing director. “Ours breaks the mold of a traditional conference center. The views are fantastic.”
Corporate team building is a specialty here, much of it at the gorge’s rim. Known for whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley rivers, Lookout Post fills rafts with eight attendees, all of whom must work together to navigate adrenalin-pumping rapids, with a guide. Timbertrack Adventure Park adds more heart-pumping, team-bonding activities on five aerial challenge courses with differing degrees of difficulty. Each course consists of 10 to 13 elements, such as climbing logs hanging from chains. Some courses are as high as 30 to 40 feet.
“The up-in-the-air aspect can throw even fit folks off their normal game,” Stevenson said. “It’s fun to watch the dynamics among team members.”
Charleston, West Virginia
Location: Southeastern West Virginia on the Kanawha River
Access: Charleston Yeager Airport, Amtrak, interstates 64, 77 and 79
Major Meeting Spaces: Charleston Civic Center
Hotel Rooms: 3,500 citywide, 1,400 downtown
Offsite Venues: Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, West Virginia Culture Center and State Museum, Appalachian Power Park, Lookout Post Conference Center
Contact Info:
Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau
304-344-5075
www.charlestonwv.com
