With a significant expansion underway that’s scheduled for completion this summer, the Charlotte Convention Center boasts a range of flexible options for MICE groups.
Charlotte Convention Center offers planners a convenient location steps from the business-centric Charlotte Uptown neighborhood, as well as the assurance of having received GBAC STAR accreditation for its state-of-the-art health and safety protocols.
The convention center’s $126.9 million expansion will add approximately 50,000 sf of meeting space to the venue, bringing the center’s total space to 600,000 sf. That includes 280,000 sf of exhibit space and 154,000 sf of meeting room and ballroom space. Planners will appreciate the varied configurations that will be available upon its reopening, including a 35,000-sf ballroom that can be divided into four 7,700-sf meeting spaces, as well as a total of 54 individual breakout spaces. Two new 10,000-sf meeting spaces will also be added by the expansion, each divisible into 19 different configurations with the capacity to seat between 200 to 1,200 attendees.
“With more than a year’s worth of pent-up demand, we predict the meetings industry in 2022 will be as busy as ever, and we anticipate the completion of the Charlotte Convention Center expansion will align with and complement the industry timeline for the true return of in-person events,” says Mike Butts, VP sales & executive director, Visit Charlotte. “The expansion—which offers planners more space and flexibility than ever before—has already yielded additional business for us, and we expect to see that pattern continue as planners of both new and rescheduled events lock in their dates for next year and beyond.”
When the convention center is completed, an over-street pedestrian walkway connecting to the nearby 700-room Westin Charlotte will also be ready for convention-goers. More than 5,600 hotel rooms are in walking distance of the venue, including the Marriott Autograph Collection Grand Bohemian Hotel, as well as the MOXY Charlotte Downtown, JW Marriott Charlotte, Even Hotels Charlotte, InterContinental Charlotte and Homewood Studios by Hilton Charlotte Uptown.
Charlotte is ideal for COVID-safe meetings as the city is so walkable, with many outdoor dining options and arts and culture attractions just steps from the convention center. Groups can experience socially distanced tours of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art or the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, both located just a 5-minute walk from the convention center. Walkable dining options include 5Church Charlotte, known for its dry-aged steak burger, and seafood restaurant Fin & Fino, serving ocean-fresh delicacies such as lobster and truffles. Nearby bars include Fahrenheit, boasting a rooftop bar for open-air gatherings, as well as The Cellar at Duckworth’s, a speakeasy-style bar with a vintage vibe.
The venue is also conveniently located just seven miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport—American Airlines’ second largest hub—and is connected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which can itself accommodate groups of up to 2,400 for receptions, private events and teambuilding activities.
Planners can have peace of mind when booking events in Charlotte, as the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) has received the GBAC STAR accreditation for the venues that it manages, including the Charlotte Convention Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bojangles Entertainment Complex and Spectrum Center. Incidentally, the GBAC STAR program is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, and under its guidance, the Charlotte Convention Center has implemented stringent cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease protocols.
The CRVA’s We Clean With Care protocols include innovations such as needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI) air purification technologies within the venue’s HVAC system, which delivers safer and cleaner indoor air by reducing harmful pathogens such as COVID-19. The Convention Center has also added thermal cameras to continuously measure body temperatures and conduct more effective health screenings.
For more information visit charlottemeetings.com.
