Long known as a family-focused beach destination and golf mecca, Myrtle Beach has in recent years pumped up its reputation as a meetings and conventions host as well.
For starters, the 250,000-square-foot Myrtle Beach Convention Center that’s connected to a 400-room Sheraton is in the midst of a $20 million renovation that will improve the venue both in function and in atmosphere, according to Bob Harris, executive vice president of sales at Visit Myrtle Beach.
“When complete, the center’s entryway will have a very modern look plus more natural light, and the center will also get new lighting, carpeting, bathrooms and escalators,” he said. “It should all be finished by early 2027.”
Meanwhile, the Sheraton—which houses the convention complex’s 17,000-square-foot ballroom with 24-foot ceilings—recently finished a renovation of all guest rooms, and will update its public areas once the convention center upgrades are complete, including a refresh of the second-floor bar that’s popular among event attendees. One floor below that, the hotel’s lobby features a light-filled atrium that leads right into the exhibit halls of the convention center.
Meetings-Friendly Resorts
Myrtle Beach has four resorts with sufficient indoor and outdoor meeting space to accommodate sizable groups.
The largest among them, located directly on the wide Atlantic Ocean beachfront, is the three-property Kingston Resorts complex. Kingston is home to the 387-room Hilton Myrtle Beach with 33,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including the 14,400-square-foot Palisades Ballroom, the 6,500-square-foot Hilton Ballroom and the 3,000-square-foot Dunes Ballroom that’s on the top floor, offering 180-degree ocean views.
Also on site is the 255-room Embassy Suites Conference Center with a 14,500-square-foot ballroom, 16,000 additional square feet of indoor space and 45,000 square feet of manicured outdoor event space. And the Brighton Tower has an 8,700-square-foot ballroom plus another 12,000 square feet of indoor and terrace space to go along with 156 two-and three-bedroom guest units.
For social events, the latest attraction at Kingston is Black Drum Brewery and Restaurant, a 4,300-square-foot venue with a second-floor Seaside Vista ballroom featuring large windows that open to the ocean. Downstairs, the bar and restaurant flows seamlessly into outdoor areas that offer variety of yard games.
Elsewhere on the oceanfront, the Tapestry by Hilton brand now represents a complex with two towers that are branded as DoubleTree Resort by Hilton and Ellie Beach Resort. The two hotels offer 452 total guest units; 238 at Ellie Beach Resort and 214 at DoubleTree. The resort’s recent renovation paved the way for new prefunction space that leads to the hotel’s 38,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. And between the hotel towers is the Wet Whistle oceanfront bar and restaurant.
[Related: 4 Benefits of Hosting Meetings at Beachfront Destinations]
Another branded meetings property in town is the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes. It offers 405 guest rooms plus 45,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including ballrooms of 15,000 square feet and 5,300 square feet. Nearby is the property’s highly rated Grande Dunes golf course.
And the North Shore Oceanfront Resort & Conference Center offers 140 guest accommodations plus 14,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 6,000-square-foot ballroom. Full-property buyouts are a possibility for meeting groups.
Abundant Offsite Options
Myrtle Beach is among the more affordable year-round warm-weather destinations on the east coast. Though further north than most others, there’s no true “indoor season” in Myrtle Beach, as high temperatures reach about 60 degrees even between December and February.
As a result, the destination has a wide variety of offsite options, many of which use the outdoors in one way or another. For instance, less than a five-minute shuttle ride from the convention center is Broadway at the Beach, a half-mile oval promenade surrounding a small lake. It’s home to at least a dozen bars and restaurants—from the upscale Landry’s Steakhouse to more informal, entertaining spots such as Joe’s Crab Shack, Margaritaville, Fat Tuesday’s, Senor Frog’s, American Tap House and Hard Rock Cafe.
“Broadway at the Beach has also added some new options lately,” Harris noted. “It now has The Hangout, which is a 1,300-seat restaurant where we've done buyouts with groups. It has a huge outdoor area with a stage for live performances and parties. Also, the Old Smoky Distillery and Yee-Haw Brewing Company just opened. It’s a beautiful, 30,000-square-foot place with an outdoor beer garden right on the lake that groups can take over. We're also getting another restaurant there by the end of summer called Go Fish; that will be another really large place.”
As for entertainment venues, Broadway at the Beach has several of those, too. “We’ve got the Ripley's Aquarium,” said Harris, “and just across the street is the rehabilitation center for animals that aren't yet able to be in the aquarium. That’s great for smaller group tours.”
The Broadway Theater on property has a rotation of theatrical performances, while right across the street from Broadway at the Beach is a venue called Legends in Concert Theater. It features musical performers paying tribute to legendary musicians from all genres, and in very convincing fashion.
Meanwhile, a more active social-event option on property is the new PopStroke facility, which is an upscale mini-golf course and F&B outlet that Tiger Woods helped conceive. And for arcade games, there’s a Dave and Buster’s.
Alternatively, a similar dining and entertainment district in nearby North Myrtle Beach is Barefoot Landing, with seven restaurants (including a Greg Norman’s Australian Grille) plus both the House of Blues and the Alabama Theater for live music, all set around a 27-acre lake.
At the Myrtle Beach Mall, there is a new Guy Fieri Downtown Flavortown, which is a 50,000-square-foot "eatertainment" complex featuring scratch-made signature food, a large arcade, 14 bowling lanes, racing simulators and a tiki bar. It’s also next to a Bass Pro Shops outlet.
And at the southern end of Myrtle Beach, the Surfside Beach Fishing Pier is a one-of-a-kind, 25-foot-tall concrete pier stretching 814 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. Besides the fantastic sunsets and people-watching, there are five casual restaurants set around the base of the pier that could work together to create a group dine-around featuring small plates.
Seafood, barbecue, wood-fired pizza, and Mexican cuisine are the specialties here, with an ice-cream shop to serve dessert, too. “It would be a really fun thing for a group to take over that whole square,” Harris noted.
Using Sports for Group Fun
While many second- and third-tier cities have minor-league baseball stadiums, few are as modern and group-friendly as Pelicans Ballpark, a cozy 4,800-seat facility that sits less than one mile from Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the Sheraton hotel.
The home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, Pelican Stadium can accommodate groups for ballgames or for private receptions (with fireworks!) when the team is not playing. However, the centerpiece at the facility is The Diamond, a recently-built 9,500-square-foot space that hosts receptions with comfortable seating options and a variety of F&B choices.
But here’s the kicker: The Diamond sits right near the facility’s indoor batting cages, which attendees can use during a group lunch or evening reception.
“They are very open to hosting group business at the stadium,” Harris said. “The LED boards around the field are perfect for group recognition, and attendees can have photos taken in front of the boards and on the field. As for The Diamond, we’ve actually held a few of our own staff retreats there.”
When it comes to sports and Myrtle Beach, however, the name of the game is golf. With about 80 courses within a 40-minute drive of the convention center, there’s no other destination in America with a portfolio that compares.
For business groups, it’s easy enough to host a golf tournament for attendees, exhibitors and event sponsors. But there are other ways for planners to use golf such that even nongolfers attending the meeting can enjoy it, and in a pleasant atmosphere for socializing.
Three of the largest golf-course complexes in Myrtle Beach are Barefoot Resort, Legends Resort, and Myrtle Beach National Golf Club. Because each of these venues has at least three courses on site, their practice facilities are large enough to accommodate business groups who want to host an evening reception, where attendees can play miniature golf or hit balls at targets for prizes while sipping drinks and sampling appetizers.
There are also single-course facilities that can do such events, including Prestwick Country Club, which works frequently with business groups meeting at the Kingston Resorts complex. Its clubhouse was built in classic Southern style, so dinners there are easily themed. Also, Grande Dunes Resort Course is where groups from the Marriott Grande Dunes and other nearby hotels often host evening events.
Planner’s Perspective
Kim Barclay
Executive Director
South Atlantic Well Drillers Jubilee
You might think the members of an association that has used the same destination for the past 60 years might want to try gathering in another city every so often.
But that’s not the case with the 1,200 folks who attend the South Atlantic Well Drillers Jubilee in Myrtle Beach each July, according to Kim Barclay, executive director. Here’s why.
Why does the Myrtle Beach Convention Center work so well for your group?
We have about 120 exhibitors who must show our attendees—who are drillers in water-well, geotechnical and other sectors—their equipment. And for about 25 of our exhibitors, that equipment is huge. Even with all those large vehicles and rigs, though, the center’s staff doesn’t blink an eye at it. We have a whole team of people that makes sure that when the rigs come into the building and raise their masts, they don't hit the air ducts on the ceiling. At this point, we are a well-oiled machine. I’ve been running this event since 2012 and we haven't had any hiccups at all.
How has your experience been with the Sheraton as your headquarters hotel?
It’s been fantastic. Like when we have our biggest F&B event onsite, which we call The Picnic, it’s for about 600 people and the hotel staff does a phenomenal job with it. We do it in a low-key way and try to keep it ‘beachy,’ and the food is always great. It’s held in the Sheraton’s ballroom, and attendees bring their families so we open up all the airwalls and we just have a great time.
From a wider perspective, what is it about Myrtle Beach that is so appealing to your attendees and sponsors?
First, the convention center and Sheraton are within walking distance to the beach, so that’s great for attendees’ families when sessions are going on during the day.
Also, there are so many entertainment options not only for the families but also for our sponsors, who do a lot of evening events. One of the biggest sponsor events takes place at TopGolf, but there are also a lot of golf outings because there are so many courses nearby. And there's a block party every year at Broadway at the Beach that’s hosted by one of our biggest sponsors.
Connection
Visit Myrtle Beach
https://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/meetings
