North Carolina is a rising U.S. economic powerhouse, with major manufacturing and technology companies bringing scores of new residents to rapidly developing communities, and with them, of course, the meetings and events that inevitably follow such success.
Fortunately, the state is chock-full of interesting meeting and event venues. Following are some offsite superlatives in its major destinations: Charlotte, Raleigh and an ambitious new entrant, Greensboro.
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Greensboro
All of North Carolina is in on the secret that Greensboro is hot, hot, hot, and soon the rest of the U.S. will be in on it, too.
“The community is definitely on a huge upward trajectory,” said Anthony Cordo, president and CEO of Visit Greensboro, who assumed leadership of the DMO in July. “You’ve got several new aviation companies—leading aerospace manufacturers—that are bringing in tens of thousands of new jobs over the next couple of years here. North Carolina is the fastest growing state for economic development for new business relocations, and you’re seeing that definitely hit the Greensboro area. And Greensboro is one of the more affordable areas of North Carolina, and that translates into kind of a hipster, cool atmosphere. There’s a lot of colleges and universities here and it’s kind of that neat underground city that is on its way up and hasn’t quite matured yet.”
On the affordability side, Visit Greensboro cited the following statistics to bolster its claim:
- Hosting a meeting in Greensboro can save an association or corporation 45%-55% (over $50 per attendee, per day) on core costs like venue rental and food and beverage compared to the average top 10 meeting destinations in the U.S.
- Lodging costs are lower by an average of 37% compared to the top 10 meeting destinations, reducing a three-night stay from an average of $536 to just $334.
- The total cost of a typical three-day trip to Greensboro, including airfare and hotel, is on average $115 less than a trip to a tier-one convention city like Chicago or Atlanta.
Cordo said the destination is also gearing up for a major renovation of the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center.
“We’re really excited to see that growth in the meetings industry to correlate with those industries that we’re seeing success with on the economic development side,” he said. “It’s a perfect time to be here.”
Cool Greensboro offsite venues include:
Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
This jaw-dropping 3,000-seat downtown performing arts venue opened in 2021 and is one of the largest between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. Its Phillips Hall boasts an 8,000-square-foot limestone and glass lobby, with additional rental options that include the Koury Family Grandview Room, Lee-Wrangler Lounge, Brady Services Suite, Carroll Family Terrace, Joseph M. Bryan Starlight Veranda and Founders Lounge.
The Cadillac Service Garage
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this grand former Cadillac dealership built in 1921 is a 13,000-square-foot brick-and-steel showpiece that features event spaces such as The Classic Showroom, The Spacious Garage and The Garden & Outdoor Spaces.
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Charlotte
North Carolina’s largest metro, nicknamed the Queen City, is also enjoying increased prominence as a convention destination.
“Charlotte’s dynamic energy and welcoming diverse community are just the beginning of what makes it an exceptional meeting destination whether you’re planning a large-scale conference or an intimate gathering,” said Ned Blair, director of sales for Visit Charlotte, a division of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “Charlotte is the engine that drives 157 new people to move to the region each day. That growth has helped make the Queen City the 14th largest city and the sixth-fastest growing city in the U.S. The Charlotte region’s phenomenal growth has resulted in record-breaking interest in Charlotte as a meetings destination.”
[Related: Why Charlotte, North Carolina, Is a Top Meetings Destination]
Popular Charlotte offsite options include:
Sullenberger Aviation Museum
The recently reopened Sullenberger Aviation Museum, a hub for aviation and STEM innovation, offers ample flexible event space, hands-on exhibits and immersive storytelling. The featured exhibit is the “Miracle on the Hudson” original aircraft that pilot Chesley Sullenberger landed on the Hudson River in 2009.
Carolina Theatre
The newly restored historic Carolina Theatre began life as a silent movie palace in 1921, and after sitting vacant since 1978 reopened in March 2025. This historic Uptown venue now frequently hosts meetings, symposiums and elegant networking events.
NASCAR Hall of Fame
A part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Complex adjacent to the Charlotte Convention Center, this paean to American motorsports is a no-brainer offsite option for larger groups. Groups of up to 3,000 can do a full buyout or rent specific areas such as the Great Hall; Inside NASCAR & Heritage Speedway room; Legends Room; High Octane Theater & Lobby; Hall of Honor; and The Plaza. Attendees will appreciate rare NASCAR artifacts and memorabilia as well as pristine racing cars, and can also jump in a racing simulator to really get an adrenaline rush.
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Raleigh
Set in the Piedmont and fed by an area dubbed The Research Triangle because of its longstanding leadership as a center of the technology industry, the state capital is a natural for meetings, boasting an eminently event-friendly downtown that is primed for citywides organized by a DMO, Visit Raleigh, that is one of the best in the nation servicing such meetings.
While cordoning off blocks of downtown is a popular option for larger groups and festivals, the city also has a number of smaller offsite venues that show off its status as an up-and-comer on the national scene.
[Related: Why Raleigh, North Carolina, Knows Citywide Meetings and Events]
According to Visit Raleigh, prime rooftop offsite venue examples include:
Urban Oak
Raleigh’s tallest rooftop bar sits atop the newly opened Tempo Raleigh Downtown. The vibe is clean and contemporary, with sleek firepits, wraparound views and just enough greenery to soften the cityscape.

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RH Rooftop Restaurant at RH Raleigh
This rooftop restaurant atop the 60,000-square-foot design gallery of a former Restoration Hardware furniture store is representative of that iconic brand’s style: wildly elegant, drenched in natural light by day and soaked in moody glamour by night.

La Terrazza
In the heart of Raleigh’s walkable downtown Warehouse District and located on top of The Dillon hotel, La Terrazza serves up breezy Mediterranean vibes with skyline views of the capital city and Mediterranean-Southern Italian fare.
