Georgia’s small destinations can deliver big value.
Meeting planners wanting to escape the congestion and high prices of Atlanta should look no further than these five affordable destinations that feature a mix of rugged mountain terrain, Civil War history, postcard-worthy downtowns, and first-class meeting and event venues.
Dalton
Right off Interstate 75 between Chattanooga and Atlanta, Dalton is an affordable and diverse community in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It is known as the “Carpet Capital of the World,” but it is also an outdoor paradise with mountain biking, kayaking, hiking and paddleboarding, all within easy reach.
The city has an extensive Civil War and railroad history. One of its more interesting attractions is Tunnel Hill Heritage Center & Museum. The Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel, which was completed in 1850, was the first major railroad tunnel in the South and the first through the Appalachian Mountains. Groups can take a guided golf cart tour of the 1,477-foot-long tunnel, learning about its Civil War history and a great locomotive chase that happened in 1862, when Union soldiers hijacked a train traveling through the area.
The Dalton Convention Center offers 143,000 square feet of space that can host groups of up to 5,000 for expos, concerts, conferences and sporting events. It is also home to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. There are more than 1,500 hotel rooms within a half mile of the convention center.
Other venues include Cyra’s restaurant at the historic Trevitt Hall in downtown Dalton, which can accommodate groups of 170, and The Emery Center, an African American heritage and multicultural center with a 250-seat auditorium. The area is also known for its farm and barn venues, including Clisby Pines, which can host up to 200 guests, and Walnut Hill Farm, with its Hilltop Barn that can seat 350 guests.
Alpharetta
Situated 22 miles north of Atlanta, Alpharetta has a vibrant downtown with more than 25 unique shops and over 30 chef-driven and locally owned restaurants, many of which offer patio dining and live music throughout the week. The city also has 700 acres of parkland, including the Big Creek Greenway and the Alpha Loop. Meeting planners have their pick of over 30 hotels, many with meeting and event spaces.
The Hotel at Avalon, Autograph Collection and the Alpharetta Conference Center feature 330 guest rooms and 35,139 square feet of flexible meeting space that can accommodate up to 2,514 people. The facility has 14 event rooms and 15 breakout spaces. The Ameris Bank Amphitheatre can host 20 to 12,000 people for events, and the 318-room Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta can welcome groups of 800 in its 10,193 square feet of event space.
The Alpharetta & Old Milton County History Museum tells the story of Alpharetta from its earliest days as Cherokee Indian territory through its emergence as a high-tech city with over 700 technology-based companies. Groups can take a self-guided walking tour of the city, learning about the industries that used to drive the economy and what drives it today.
The Alpha Loop is a network of urban trails that link the Avalon, Downtown, North Point Eco District and Northwinds districts. The Alpharetta Arts Walking Tour features 18 sculptures throughout the downtown area.
Sandy Springs
About 12 miles North of Atlanta, Sandy Springs is easy to get to with three major highways coming into the city from neighboring states. Sandy Springs is also home to several Fortune 1000 and Fortune 500 companies, including Mercedes-Benz USA and UPS World Headquarters.
The city was founded 20 years ago but got its start as a suburb of Atlanta. Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and the Conference Center at City Springs, located adjacent to the theaters, are the city’s main meeting and event venues. Byers Theatre can host groups of 1,070, and the Studio Theatre can host groups of 350. The 6,100-square-foot main lobby can host groups of 350 for a banquet. The facility also features outdoor spaces that can accommodate a couple thousand people for events.
The city has 20 hotels and 2,800 hotel rooms. The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North features 25,332 square feet of meeting space, and Hyatt House Atlanta/Perimeter Center has 4,600 square feet of event space. Smaller venues include Charcuterie Chick, which hosts charcuterie board-making workshops, and Splatter Studio, which gives groups of up to 30 an opportunity to make splatter paint canvases.
There are 110 restaurants along a 10-mile stretch of Roswell Road, including French, Italian, Armenian, Brazilian, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese. Battle & Brew is one of the first restaurants in the country to focus on video and board games.
Outdoor enthusiasts can hike along trails in Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area or rent rafts, kayaks or stand-up paddleboards to stay cool during the summer months.
LaGrange
LaGrange boasts many of the amenities that larger cities have but with an authentic, small-town feel, including a historic town square full of local businesses; the LaGrange Art Museum, which is housed in an 1892 jail building; a symphony; and two colleges, including LaGrange College.
Two of the city’s main attractions, Hills & Dales Estate and the Biblical History Center, also make great places to host events. Hills & Dales Estate features a 13,000-square-foot home that was completed in 1916 for the Fuller Callaway family. It is best known for its gardens, which have graced the property for more than 175 years.
The Biblical History Center holds the largest collection of Israeli antiquities outside of Israel, and the center examines that part of the world during biblical times. Sweetland Amphitheatre at Boyd Park hosts a summer concert series through October, and the city is building The Thread, a 29-mile multipurpose trail that, when completed, will surround LaGrange. The city also has a lake with 525 miles of shoreline, which is great for boating and water sports.
Great Wolf Lodge offers 457 guest rooms and 25,756 square feet of meeting space. It also offers team-building activities, such as group visits to the water park, climbing walls, miniature golf course or ropes course.
Other unique venues include Truitt Vanderbilt Club; Del’avant Event Center, a 10,000-square-foot building in downtown LaGrange; and the Oakfuskee Conservation Center, a new event center just five miles from LaGrange.
Rome
Downtown Rome looks as if it belongs in a Hallmark movie, with historic brick buildings, a beautiful clock tower and three rivers converging in the downtown area. Many TV shows and movies have been filmed there, including “Black Widow” and “Stranger Things.”
Rome is home to Berry College, a private college with a campus that resembles Oxford University with its gothic-style buildings. The campus, which covers 27,000 acres, is considered the largest college campus in the world. Visitors to Rome can hike and bike through campus, view wildlife, such as deer, or tour the college founder’s former mansion.
The Forum River Center is the largest meeting venue in Rome. It sits on the banks of the Oostanaula River in downtown. The arena can host banquets for up to 600 guests or 3,250 people in theater-style seating. The 6,000-square-foot Riverwalk Ballroom can accommodate 325 for a banquet. The second floor of the center has smaller meeting rooms with windows overlooking three rivers and a bridge with an American flag on it that lights up at night. These rooms can host groups of 50 to 120.
Courtyard Rome Riverwalk is across the bridge from the Forum River Center. It has over 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space and 124 guest rooms. The Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham Rome is within walking distance. After hours, attendees can walk along Broad Street, shopping at local stores and enjoying a wide variety of restaurants; buy tickets to a Rome Emperors Minor League Baseball game; or kayak or tube down the Etowah River.
