Outer Banks, North Carolina
Home to the Wright Brothers’ first flight, the lost colony of Roanoke Island and the black-and-white-striped Cape Hatteras lighthouse, the tallest in the nation, North Carolina’s Outer Banks supply more than sea and sand.
“You’ve got a beach trip that has a lot of historical touchstones to it,” said Aaron Tuell, public relations manager for the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. “You come and do your meeting, but you know you’re going to get to go do plenty of sightseeing, too.”
The 180-room Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk turned the old Kitty Hawk pier into a guest amenity: the Pier House. Although the Hilton has 3,600 square feet of traditional meeting space inside, the 2,200-square-foot Pier House can hold up to 150 people for meetings, dinners or receptions.
“You can shut off access so it’s just your guests having cocktails over the water,” Tuell said.
The Sanderling Resort in Duck completed a major renovation last summer. The property is dotted with swimming pools, fire pits and outdoor bar, and has the 1,500-square-foot Event House and the climate-controlled Pavilion that can hold 200 people.
The Sea Ranch Resort in Kill Devil Hills has 2,000 square feet of meeting space, and its on-site restaurant is one of the few where you can eat outside on the beach.
“You can literally step off the deck and onto the sand,” Tuell said.
At Jennette’s Pier, the top floor of the pier building boasts the 3,500-square-foot Oceanview Hall and a 1,600-square-foot, covered wraparound deck. Jennette’s will also organize miniature fishing tournaments for groups and offers catch-and-cook fishing classes, Tuell said.
Lane County, Oregon
Most of the Oregon coastline from Coos Bay to Waldport is either a national park or a national forest, and Lane County’s 30-mile stretch is no different. With the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area to the south and the Siuslaw National Forest to the north, much of the county’s Pacific front is sandy beaches, rocky outcroppings and towering sand dunes, not resorts and hotels and vacation condos.
But there are still opportunities for beachfront meetings and group activities, said Jessica Chestnut, social media and public relations manager for conventions and sports for Eugene, Cascades and Coast/Travel Lane County.
As the only oceanfront hotel for miles, the 127-room Driftwood Shores Resort and Conference Center in Florence offers “stunning views,” Chestnut said. The 1,600-square-foot ballroom can be broken down into two or three smaller spaces, and a 700-square-foot executive boardroom can seat about 50 people. The resort also has an on-site restaurant and a year-round swim center.
But the area isn’t short on beach activities. Sand Master Park is a 40-acre commercial sandboard park in Florence where groups can take sandboarding lessons — sandboarding is like snowboarding, except on sand — or go on dune buggy rides. The park also brings in professional sand sculptors to lead team-building sessions, showing groups how to prep, pack and carve sand, Chestnut said.
Groups can also tour the fully restored 1893 Heceta Head Lighthouse. The Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast is housed in the former keeper’s cottage just below the lighthouse. The cottage has 15 guest rooms and a one-acre lawn for activities.
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
As far as beach destinations go, Hilton Head Island is relatively unspoiled, just the way locals want it. Although the island has plenty of meeting venues, attendees won’t find any neon signs or much street lighting.
“You’re not going to look around and see giant hotels and bright signage,” said Kelly Smith, public relations and marketing manager for the Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau. “It’s extremely well planned, eco-friendly and just gorgeous.”
All Hilton Head beaches are public, and most of the major resorts front the Atlantic Ocean on the island’s eastern edge. The island’s five major resorts “have spent millions in the past few years remodeling,” Smith said.
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa and the Sonesta Hilton Head Island Beach Resort both wrapped up $30 million in renovations in 2013, the same year the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort completed the $17 million first phase of its renovation. The Beach House finished a $12 million update in 2012, and the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa recently invested $22 million rejuvenating its property.
Each resort boasts a variety of indoor and outdoor meeting space. The Omni has outdoor fire pits and huge Adirondack chairs, and the Westin has both an oceanfront pavilion and an oceanfront deck where “you’re basically overlooking the water, ” Smith said. Many of the resorts also offer bicycles so guests can take advantage of the island’s 60 miles of bike paths and trails.
