In Charlotte, North Carolina, a compact, walkable footprint with vibrant amenities, in an ever-evolving cityscape, seamlessly sculpts the city into a dynamic meetings and events destination. A recent Convention Center expansion, the world’s sixth busiest airport with hundreds of direct flights and new hotel properties coming online invite planners to explore this evolving meetings hub in the Southeast.
With city growth on the horizon, the recent expansion of the Charlotte Convention Center complements the modern cityscape and adds an additional 50,000 square feet of meeting room and pre-function space, bringing the total square footage to approximately 600,000. The expansion increases the total individual breakout spaces to 54, which includes 50 meeting rooms and the ability to divide the 35,000-square-foot ballroom into four 7,700-square-foot breakout spaces.
Just seven miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the Convention Center is easily accessible from the expanding airport. With lounges, restaurants and breweries open, and more on the way, the airport offers much to do before and after flights. Once in the city, navigating all the exciting pre- and post-convention amenities is a breeze—be it on foot, rideshare or the conveniently located LYNX Blue Line light rail. The Brooklyn Village station stop offers access to the Convention Center via an over-street connector. The walkway itself boasts a picturesque “jewel box” aesthetic, layering art upon functionality to enhance the Convention Center’s existing displays of work by local artists. This light rail connection from the Convention Center also means some of Charlotte’s most buzzed-about neighborhoods are a short ride away.
Right off the Brooklyn Village station stop is the ever-expanding Brooklyn Village Avenue corridor, which has spent much of the past decade undergoing major revitalization and is under a multi-million-dollar development boom. In the past five years the corridor has welcomed a Whole Foods, two hotels—a Home2Suites and JW Marriott Charlotte—and several local dining options with much more growth on the horizon.
There are more than 6,000 hotel rooms conveniently located near the Convention Center. During downtime, attendees can feast from 200-plus unforgettable restaurants, marvel in immersive arts and culture attractions and join the excitement at professional sporting events, all within walking distance of the Convention Center. Raise a glass at one of the city’s buzzing rooftop bars like the JW Marriott’s Aura Rooftop Bar, Búho Bar at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte or Merchant + Trade atop the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel. Discover Charlotte’s thriving culinary scene and explore the eclectic flavors at hotspots like Optimist Hall, filled with bars and a diverse array of food purveyors, or The Market at 7th Street, which serves as an incubator for chefs and culinary businesses as they transition to brick-and-mortar establishments. Both food halls are just a few stops away from the Convention Center via the LYNX Blue Line and can accommodate large parties and diners with varying palates.
With endless adventures to choose from, attendees will quickly discover that Charlotte has an experience to ignite their passions and fill their time here with excitement. Delivering memorable experiences is in the city’s DNA, and a big-hearted hospitality community is ready to welcome attendees as they discover first-hand what makes Charlotte the Southeast’s premier convention destination.