Southern belle, serious meetings.
Come for the charm. Stay for the infrastructure. Savannah may look like a postcard-perfect getaway, but it performs like a powerhouse meetings destination. On a recent meetings media FAM—the first of its kind ever hosted by Visit Savannah—our group got a first-hand look at the city’s compelling meetings story, which includes expanded waterfront convention space, increasing hotel development and air access that connects planners and attendees to key feeder markets across the country.
A year ago, the Savannah Convention Center completed a $276-million expansion, doubling the exhibit hall space to 200,000 sf, and adding a 40,000-sf ballroom as well as 15 state-of-the-art meeting rooms. The 660,000-sf complex overlooks the Savannah River and the city’s historic downtown waterfront district, accessible to attendees via free ferry service.
But the burgeoning convention district isn’t quite finished. Under construction while we were there is the 440-room Signia by Hilton, which is due in 2028 and will be directly connected to the center by a climate-controlled walkway. In addition to 38,000 sf of its own meeting space and a rooftop bar, the property will feature “frictionless” parking, requiring no tickets or waiting to exit.
The Signia by Hilton—which joins the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, also adjacent to the convention center—“will go a long way toward elevating Savannah,” says Kelvin Moore, Director of the Georgia World Congress Authority, who addressed the group and showed renderings of the coming Signia property during a delicious catered lunch at the center.
“But what makes buildings successful are the people and knowing what the customer needs. We have a 96.1 percent customer satisfaction rating,” Moore noted. “If I were to ask you to write about anything, I’d ask you to write about the people.”
Service-Driven, Planner-Approved
The South is known for its welcoming spirit and hospitality and in Savannah, that also translates into extra attention for meetings.
“What sets cities apart is the service…as soon as you stop off the plane here, you see a digital welcome,” says Larry Browder, Sr. Director of Sales for Visit Savannah, who dined with us at the Irish pub Wexford. “We have templates for planners, save the dates, we give away pralines and pecans and we have a discount program for attendees,” he adds, referring to the bureau’s “Show Us Your Badge” program, which does just what it says—attendees showing their meeting badges can get discounts at local restaurants and venues.
“We offer the total value package…plus unique food, drink and music,” says Kellie Linder, Visit Savannah’s Chief Sales Officer. “People tend to stay on post-convention. We call it the ‘Savannah Effect.’”
Linder cites some only-in-Savannah sights: the Savannah Roundhouse Railroad Museum, home to one of the country’s oldest rail roundabouts; Savannah’s famed city squares—there are 22 of them; and attractions like Old Fort Jackson, located right on the river. Linder says CEOs have been known to pilot their teams to the fort via riverboat.
Groups also can gather on the river courtesy of the Georgia Queen, a replica paddle-wheeler once used as a floating casino on the Mississippi. Purchased and remodeled by Savannah Riverboat Cruises, the vessel now features three ballrooms on multiple levels, live entertainment and a small VIP room among the choices for groups.
Where History Checks In: Savannah’s Landmark Buildings Reimagined
While the Georgia Queen was created to look 200 years old, actual vintage landmarks in Savannah have been adapted for dining, treks through history and hospitality.
“We take historic preservation very, very seriously,” says Joseph Marinelli, President and CEO of Visit Savannah, pointing to original preserved homes—some of which are now museums—and heritage buildings repurposed into hotels, like the JW Marriott
Plant Savannah Riverside District, the former 1912 Riverside Power Plant.
One of our dinner venues, the 280-seat Olde Pink House, started life as a private mansion in the late-1700s but is now an acclaimed restaurant with several private dining options, including the opulent room where our group dined. A flight of stairs beneath the Pink House, the mansion’s former kitchen and laundry, is now the cozy Planters Tavern, featuring nightly live piano music.
Among the city’s repurposed heritage venues is the historic William Scarbrough House—now the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—built in 1819 for Scarbrough, a prominent shipping merchant and the first president of the Savannah Steamship Company. Not only does the museum house a remarkable collection of ship models showcasing seafaring history, it offers a trove of private event spaces, including a leafy outdoor garden, along with a variety of educational programs for groups.
Meanwhile, our host hotel, the 173-room Alida, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, was a newbuild designed to look like its historic surroundings, with a brick facade, period touches and a historic namesake—Alida Harper Fowlkes, called the “godmother” of the city’s historic district.
“We’ve grown into the market and with the market,” says GM Michael O’Shaughnessy. “We’re very local, very curated…there’s a lot of intentionality, it’s not cookie-cut. We’re always focused on the experience.”
The Alida offers three main meeting rooms on three different levels, as well as a rooftop venue, for a total 7,000+ sf of event space. Located along the riverfront, the hotel is steps from the City Market hub of shops, pubs, galleries and eateries, set in the heart of downtown.
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