10 Reasons Why Savannah, Georgia Is A Great Meeting City

This is a sponsored post by Visit Savannah as part of our HopSkip Industry Partner Spotlight.  

With its rich history, mild weather and diverse venues, Savannah, Georgia, is the perfect destination to host your next meeting, incentive trip, convention, or event. The city overflows with unique attractions, historic sites and some of the best food in the South.

Here are the top 10 reasons to host your next event in Savannah.

1. Location

No matter where you’re coming from or how you arrive, you and your guests will find it’s easy to get to Savannah. The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is located only 15 miles from the city center and is served by many major airlines, including Delta, Jet Blue, United Airlines, Air Canada and Frontier Airlines. Starting in March, 2021 Southwest Airlines will begin new service from Baltimore, Nashville, Chicago, Houston and Dallas And if your guests are traveling from South Florida, they can hop on one of American Airlines’ new daily flights from Miami. The city is also easily accessible by major highways, like Interstate 95 and I-16, and has direct daily rail connections to New York and Miami. Once you and your attendees arrive, you’ll see Savannah is easy to navigate by foot and local transportation.

Of course, the Visit Savannah team is also happy to help arrange bus and car transfers to restaurants and off-site activities for you. 

2. Venues:

Savannah’s unique venues are ready to accommodate events of all sizes. The Savannah Convention Center is situated on the Savannah River and offers fantastic waterfront views as well as plenty of space. There’s a 100,000-sq.-ft. exhibit hall, a 25,000-sq.-ft. ballroom, a 376-seat auditorium and 21 rooms that can be customized for breakout sessions. The Savannah Convention Center recently broke ground to double its overall size to having a 200,000 square foot exhibit hall and a new 65,000 square foot ballroom. This new project will debut in late 2023. When combined with other facilities, like Savannah Civic Center and Coastal Georgia Center, as well as all of Savannah's restaurants and off-site offerings, the whole city is your group’s playground. All of the venues and meeting spaces, from the riverside terraces to the rooftop ballrooms, feature the technology you need to have a remarkable event including Wi-Fi and audio/visual capabilities.

 3. Hotels

Savannah offers over 16,000 hotel rooms in the region with just over 6,500 in the Historic Landmark District. Ranging from popular big brands such as Marriott, Westin and Hyatt, the Historic District also offers a large array of select-service properties, historic inns and B&B’s and over 900 short-term rental units.

Check out some of Savannah’s largest properties for groups and meetings hotels below:

4. Savannah Safe Community

The Savannah community has come together to create the Savannah Safe Initiative, a commitment to help stop the spread of COVID-19 with cleaning and disinfecting protocols to help ensure the health and safety of everyone in our places of business. Over 600+ Savannah area businesses, including the Savannah Convention Center, have taken the pledge and are enforcing new cleanliness and safety measures to keep their visitors and staff safe. Click here for savannah-safe-information to learn more about the Savannah Safe initiative.  

5. Team Building Activities

When it’s time for teambuilding, Savannah is ready to help you host an event your attendees will never forget. Plan a themed party in any of the historic squares or aboard a riverboat cruise or treat guests to a day at the ballpark. You can also plan a networking event among the historic planes and aircraft engines at The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, the city has an array of activities for you to enjoy in the fresh Savannah air. Host a group fishing or kayaking excursion or treat your team to some of the finest golf in the state. Your group will never run out of things to do in Savannah. To learn more, please contact our group sales and services team.

6. The Team

Visit Savannah is ready to welcome you with open arms and to ensure your event is a success. They can arrange pre-planning visits so you can tour the convention center and hotel, and they can help you meet with the local companies that are eager to host your off-site events and meals. Once you pick your favorite venues, the experienced team is here to help you plan every detail of your event, from providing visitor guides and arranging activities to offering large groups their own hotel reservation portal. Once here, Savannah’s unique “Show Us Your Badge” program empowers you to save big while exploring the shops, sites and restaurants in the Historic District. Meet the team and learn how they will go above and beyond to help you host a memorable event.

7. The Weather

Thanks to the mild temperatures and the city’s southern orientation, Savannah’s weather is great year-round. While the rest of the country is shivering and shoveling snow, Savannah enjoys average winter highs in the 60s and 70s, and nighttime lows rarely drop below freezing. And while other Southern cities suffer from humidity, Savannah’s coastal breeze is refreshing during the summer. 

8. The History

Savannah is considered America's first planned city. After General James Oglethorpe arrived in 1733, he designed the city around a series of grids allowing for wide streets and public squares. Of Savannah’s 24 original squares, 22 squares still exist today and are ready for exploring and people-watching. Other historic sites include Bonaventure Cemetery, made famous by John Berendt’s novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the Clint Eastwood-directed film that followed it. Arrange a tour of this centuries-old cemetery, or take your group to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, where the founder of Girl Scouts was born. Other fascinating historic sites include Congregation Mickve Israel, the third-oldest Jewish congregation in America, and The Pirates' House, which is said to have inspired the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Treasure Island.

9. The Culture

Savannah is considered America's first planned city. After General James Oglethorpe arrived in 1733, he designed the city around a series of grids allowing for wide streets and public squares. Of Savannah’s 24 original squares, 22 squares still exist today and are ready for exploring and people-watching. Other historic sites include Bonaventure Cemetery, made famous by John Berendt’s novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the Clint Eastwood-directed film that followed it. Arrange a tour of this centuries-old cemetery, or take your group to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, where the founder of Girl Scouts was born. Other fascinating historic sites include Congregation Mickve Israel, the third-oldest Jewish congregation in America, and The Pirates' House, which is said to have inspired the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Treasure Island.

10. The Hospitality

No matter where you go, what you see or who you meet, you’ll be treated to the Southern charm that has made this city a destination for travelers from around the world. From the moment you start planning your event to the closing night festivities, you and your attendees will be the city’s honored guests. Count on Visit Savannah to make your next meeting, incentive trip, conference or event a huge success.

This is a sponsored post by Visit Savannah as part of our HopSkip Industry Partner Spotlight.  If your organization or hotel property would like to be featured in an upcoming HopSkip industry Spotlight please reach out to us here.