Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

North Carolina

Learn why you should host your next meeting, event or conference in North Carolina.

by Sarah Braley and Lizzie Wilcox
December 4, 2025
Looking to Plan a North Carolina Meeting?
Learn everything you need to know about this popular locale at Destination Southeast, Northstar’s premier event for meetings and incentive pros looking to book biz in the area.

Why N.C. for Your Next Meeting or Event?

Whether your group prefers water, mountains, big-city action or small-town charm, North Carolina has it all.

Recent Hotel & Venue News for Raleigh

The City of Raleigh has selected Omni Hotels and Resorts to brand a 550-room hotel across from the Raleigh Convention Center. Opening in 2027, the property will have 55,000 square feet of meeting space, several food-and-beverage outlets, and a rooftop pool. The hotel will be the first Omni in the city and the third in the state.

A $387.5 million expansion and renovation of the Raleigh Convention Center is scheduled to be completed in 2028. The project will add 300,000 square feet of event space, bringing the total to 800,000. The convention center also will become the new home for the Red Hat Amphitheater, which is moving one block south from its current location.

Hilton's dual-branded Tempo and Homewood Suites hotels in Raleigh opened in October 2024, offering 261 rooms and 9,986 square feet of event space.

Chef and Laos native Lou Bounsanga opened Saap in nearby Cary. Meaning "delicious" in Laotian, Saap serves dishes such as green papaya salad, crispy coconut-rice lettuce wraps, and kabocha squash and root-vegetable curry. The 2,600-square-foot restaurant has 70 seats and a 10-seat private dining room.

Both inside and outside options are available at Ancillary Fermentation, a brewery in North Raleigh with an outdoor patio, lawn games, pop-up food experiences and rotating art. The venue hosts groups of up to 100 people.

Downtown, a mansion built before the Civil War has been revitalized as a boutique hotel. The nine-room Heights House Hotel opened in May 2021. The property, which is a National Historic Landmark, has indoor and outdoor space available for events of up to 120 people.

The AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown opened its doors in September 2021. The new property has 149 rooms, 2,800 square feet of event space, and a rooftop lounge serving tapas and cocktails with views of the city.

The stone-terraced Anderson Point Amphitheater is a gorgeous setting for outdoor events. Inside the sprawling Anderson Point Park, the venue can host more than 300 people. 

The 126-room Origin Raleigh in the city’s Warehouse District opened in 2020. Part of the Bloc(83) mixed-use development, the lifestyle hotel features the Good Day Good Night restaurant serving a plant-forward menu. Also on site are a lobby bar, a fitness center and an 800-square-foot meeting room.

Travel Essentials

TAXES: County tax, 8%; state tax, 4.75%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12.75%

CVB:Visit Raleigh

Transportation in and Around the Area

Raleigh-Durham International Airport, about 18 miles from the convention center. Transfer cost by Taxi, $43; Uber and Lyft starts around $23.

Local Update and Meeting Venues in Wilmington

Breeze Airways has announced four new routes from Wilmington International Airport. Starting this fall, the airline will fly directly to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport and Tampa International Airport in Florida, Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York, and Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio. The carrier also will double its weekly service to Orlando beginning in September. One-way fares will start at $39. 

Formerly the Holiday Inn Wilmington, the DoubleTree by Hilton Wilmington opened in April. The property underwent a head-to-toe renovation and added three rooms, bringing the total to 131. Amenities include an indoor pool, a fitness center and an outdoor patio. 

After completing renovations this winter, the Blockade Runner Beach Resort in Wrightsville Beach reopened under a new name: the Trailborn Surf and Sound. The property received new furniture in all 151 guest rooms, as well as updated public spaces and amenities. Italian and Mediterranean-inspired La Duna Paradiso specializes in fresh seafood and house-made pasta. Planners can take advantage of 7,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, including an oceanfront event lawn.

The 107-room Tru by Hilton Wilmington began welcoming guests in summer 2024 and the 97-room Hotel Lela Wilmington, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton opened in February. The two hotels share nearly 2,300 square feet of meeting rooms. The True features a fitness center, while the Lela includes a signature restaurant and a golf simulator.

Originally scheduled for an early 2025 debut, the 139-room Element by Westin now is expected to open this summer at the Mayfaire Town Center.

A state-of-the-art indoor skydiving spot, iFly Wilmington brings a touch of adrenaline to any corporate function. Events include training, flight gear and experiencing the sensation of flying in their signature vertical wind tunnels. Spaces are available for groups of up to 200 people.

The recently renovated Fort Fisher State Historic Site has been unveiled with a new 24,000-square-foot Visitors Center, containing an auditorium and expanded exhibits, such as "The Fall of Fort Fisher," which details the landmark's impact on the end of the Civil War. The Underwater Archaeology Branch of North Carolina here has a new conservation lab with high-tech equipment and amenities.

A husband-and-wife team converted an old t-shirt factory into Pickle and Taps, Wilmington's first indoor pickle ball facility. The venue has 10 courts: eight standard, and two championship-style with room for spectators. All courts are equipped with cameras for both coaching and recreational purposes. After breaking a sweat, players can cool off with a local craft brew. 

Mocksie is a mobile bartending service founded by a Wilmington local. Once a brick-and-mortar shop, the brand decided to close up shop last summer to be able to staff the growing demand for nonalcoholic drinks at events. The business offers a variety of products, from zero-proof cocktails to dealcoholized wines. 

A 67-acre botanical garden near Wrightsville Beach, Airlie Garden dates back to the 18th century. Choose between the oak lawn, the Bradley Creek lawn, the pergola garden and more for events of up to 300.

A luxury hotel is coming to Wilmington International Airport. ILM Airport Hotel Partners plan to work with IHG Hotels & Resorts to build a 150-room Crowne Plaza with 5,000 square feet of meeting space. The property will be the first to open on the airport's grounds.

Group properties in town include the 272-room Hotel Ballast, 186-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront Hotel and 131-room DoubleTree by Hilton Wilmington.

Lovely raw space with old brick walls and white rafters marks Bakery 105, which was built as part of the American Bakeries complex in the late 1930s. The former bread-loading dock is now a 3,400-square-foot garden courtyard; along with the 4,500-square-foot main room, the facility can hold up to 225 people for a reception. 

Thalian Hall, on the National Register for Historic Places, opened in 1858 to house the town government, the library and an opera house seating 1,000 people — which was fully 10 percent of Wilmington's population at the time. The facility is comprised of the historic Thalian Hall Main Stage, seating up to 546; the two-story-high City Council Chambers and Ballroom holds up to 200 for a reception, and the Ruth and Bucky Stein Studio Theatre seats 60. 

Travel Essentials

TAXES: County tax, 6%; state tax, 4.75%; total tax on rooms, 10.75%

CVB: Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, (910) 341-4030 or (877) 406-2356

Transportation in & Around the Area

Wilmington International Airport, four miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $13; by Uber and Lyft, $8 

Tags