Cities and towns across the Southeast continue to grow their meeting and convention spaces through major renovations, expansions or new builds. Here are six cities that have recently unveiled new projects or are in the midst of major improvements that will be completed by 2026.
Cloudland at McLemore Resort
Rising Fawn, Georgia
Perched 2,300 feet above sea level on top of Georgia’s Lookout Mountain, McLemore Resort is a golf resort and community. Before 2024, the resort had only one 18-hole golf course, the Highland, a cliff-edge par 71 course reimagined by Bill Bergin and Rees Jones. But last year, McLemore opened The Keep, an 18-hole course featuring five cliff-edge holes. Golf lovers can take advantage of the resort’s practice facilities, including The Cairn, a Bill Bergin six-hole short course, a nine-hole practice green or an expanded driving range.
In February 2024, the resort opened the Cloudland Lodge, A Curio Collection by Hilton, with 245 rooms, including 19 suites. The lodge has 20,000 square feet of conference and event space, including the Skyline Ballroom, which can host 280 for a banquet, and Cumberland Ballroom, which can accommodate 370 for a banquet or more than 500 for a reception. The lodge has several breakout rooms, a pavilion, and courtyards and terraces that can be rented out for events. Every room is equipped with state-of-the-art A/V equipment, and full-service catering is available.
Cloudland has two restaurants, a café, a full spa, a fitness center and a Peloton spin room. There’s also a cliff-edge infinity pool and an outdoor restaurant and bar called Skyside.
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, Kentucky
In August 2024, Kentucky Venues announced a multi-million-dollar renovation plan for the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Phase I of the renovation is expected to cost $180 million and will include a new interconnected 350,000-square-foot multi-purpose building that will be able to host everything from livestock competitions and equine events to trade shows and sporting events. The new building will be directly east of the existing Broadbent Arena and north of the West Wing.
The second phase will include a renovation of the West Wing, West Hall and Pavilion into a 249,000-square-foot multi-purpose building that includes exhibit space, a large prefunction space and new meeting rooms. Phase II is expected to cost $213 million and will include enhancements to existing food and beverage operations, creating a 40,000-square-foot space to feed the guests that attend events on the property every year.
The event center anticipates the renovations will bring in even larger events and allow the Expo Center to host multiple events at the same time.
North Little Rock Conference Center
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Announced on October 8, 2024, the North Little Rock Conference Center will replace the former City Services Building that was demolished a year ago. The site is on Main Street, one block north of the Arkansas River, and will feature 31,000 square feet of event space, including a ballroom, prefunction space and a prep kitchen. The new facility will be able to accommodate 1,000 guests for a sit-down dinner or 1,500 for an event or trade show.
The conference center is expected to be completed by 2026 and is part of an $80 million investment in North Little Rock’s downtown area that eventually will include two hotels. Attendees visiting the center will be a short walk away from the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, which is home to the USS Razorback and USS Hoga in North Little Rock Riverfront Park. The USS Razorback is a World War II submarine that is 90% operational. The USS Hoga is a tugboat that served at Pearl Harbor during the attack and is credited with saving many lives, battling fires on many of the ships that were attacked and pushing the USS Nevada battleship out of the channel during the bombing. Both are open for tours.
Ameristar Casino Resort Expansion
St. Charles, Missouri
Ameristar Casino Resort is a major destination in St. Charles, Missouri, with a 130,000-square-foot, two-story casino featuring more than 1,000 slot machines, table games and a live poker room. There is a full-service spa and a AAA four-diamond hotel with 397 all-suite guest rooms.
Ameristar’s parent company, Boyd Gaming, has wanted to expand its 22,000-square-foot conference facility for years but didn’t think it could attract enough business in St. Charles. In August, the owners decided the market was ripe for a conference center expansion that will add 43,000 square feet of traditional meeting space and an enhanced prefunction area, bringing its event space to 65,000 square feet. The expansion will be anchored by a 16,000-square-foot ballroom with a built-in stage and state-of-the-art A/V equipment that will have the capacity to host large-scale galas and events. When completed, the space will be one of the largest ballrooms in the area and able to capture events such as trade shows.
The new space will include garage doors and freight elevators to make setup more efficient. Boyd Gaming expects the project to be completed by this fall. The resort has a full-service culinary team that provides food and beverages inside the casino and catering for events held in the conference center. The resort also has 12 different restaurants and bars and a Vegas-style nightclub.
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Sea Trail Golf Resort and Convention Center
Sunset Beach, North Carolina
Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, has undergone major renovation since new owners took over in 2023. They have worked hard to update all parts of the property, which was very outdated.
The first stage of the renovation included a full remodel of the property’s 40,000-square-foot convention center. The lobby was modernized with white marble floors and a large promenade with windows and doors leading to the piazza, garden and gazebo, which overlook the Jones and Byrd golf courses.
As part of the renovation, the owners converted a section of the convention center into 55 Bistro Bar and Sunset Slice, with 24 flat-screen TVs and four different rooms. Groups can wind down there, play a game of darts or pool, or try the Golden Tee arcade game for a fun virtual golfing experience.
The convention center’s grand ballroom can host 400 for a banquet or 1,000 for a reception. The ballroom can be divided into three smaller spaces. Wi-Fi and A/V services are included, and there are two boardrooms for smaller groups.
The resort has three golf courses. The Byrd Course received a full facelift, including all-new greens and fairway bunkers. The clubhouse was remodeled and a new golf shop was added, along with Sunset Prime, an upscale steak house.
The resort has privately owned properties that can be rented, and 27 townhome units were opened this year.
Hotel Heron
Alexandria, Virginia
Located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, just minutes away from Washington, D.C., Hotel Heron is a mix of old and new.
Opened in June 2024, the boutique hotel combines the original George Mason Hotel, which opened in 1926, with a new adjacent building that houses a modern event space and upscale guest rooms.
The 134-room hotel has a beautiful 2,355-square-foot ballroom with 17-foot ceilings, hardwood floors and windows on both sides that can accommodate 120 guests.
The Assembly Room can be used for smaller meetings or events and can be divided into two rooms with 14-foot ceilings.
The hotel features KILN, a ground-floor restaurant that serves hearth-inspired Mid-Atlantic cuisine; Francis Hall, a craft cocktail bar in the heart of the hotel; and Good Fortune, an open-air seasonal rooftop bar with spectacular views of the Potomac River. Good Fortune is the first rooftop bar in Alexandria, offering craft cocktails, eclectic DJs and a summer concert series.
The hotel’s prime location allows guests to explore Old Town, the King Street Mile for shopping and dining, the Alexandria waterfront, and historic landmarks such as Mount Vernon and Tall Ship Providence.