Gatlinburg: Smokey Mountain Splendor, Small Town Goodness
Smokey Mountain splendor, small-town goodness and state-of-the-art meeting facilities all come together in Gatlinburg, TN. Tucked away in the majestic hills and hollers of east Tennessee, this quaint town is the type of place where SMERF groups make memories.
Attracting more than 10 million visitors a year, Gatlinburg offers a family-friendly meeting destination that caters well to small- and medium-sized events. Just look at the numbers: The 3,500 local residents easily handle up to 40,000 visitors annually. Its charming streets contain over 100 restaurants and 400 shops and galleries. And all of this within walking distance of its new convention center.
With over 148,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space, Gatlinburg Convention Center is surrounded by fabulous restaurants, attractions and lodging facilities. The Great Hall provides 67,000 square feet of exhibit space and can accommodate 8,000 people, 350 booths, or be divided into three separate halls for smaller events.
In March 2006, an additional 50,000 square feet was added with the opening of W.L. Mills Conference Center, which adjoins the Convention Center. This expansion includes a beautiful 17,000-square-foot ballroom. Both facilities are ideal for any type of event, from a formal banquet to general sessions. The Convention Center Gallery area is 38,200 square feet, including 18 meeting rooms, pre-function space, two private parlors and a special VIP/media suite.
Plenty of Stress-Free Lodging
Finding a place to stay is surprisingly easy in Gatlinburg, and meeting planners are pleased by the wide array of accommodation options. Gatlinburg boasts over 12,000 sleeping rooms, including hotels, condominiums, chalets, cabins and campgrounds.
For example, at River Terrace Resort and Convention Center, guests can enjoy a breathtaking mountain view on their private balconies. It has more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a ballroom, breakout rooms and a conference center. Flexible meeting and banquet space can accommodate up to 1,000 people.
The new Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg is Tennessee's First Silver LEED Certified Hotel. Its 118 rooms with cozy fireplaces are conveniently located near the entrance of Smoky Mountain National Park. The property offers over 1,500 square feet of flexible meeting space.
Park Vista Hotel and Convention Center also offers spacious rooms with private balconies and stunning views, and it has 25,000 square feet of flexible space that meets the needs of any size group – from large conventions to intimate gatherings.
More to Do Than You’d Ever Expect
“Gatlinburg is fun and full of exciting things to see and do, so it’s a great destination for meetings of all types,” says Sharon Rinehart, Director of Sales at the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism & Convention Center. “It’s a great place to get an adrenalin rush from whitewater rafting, skiing or snow tubing at Ober Gatlinburg, or hiking to the top of Andrews Bald and taking in a magnificent view.”
Few places offer a richer heritage of fine craftsmanship than Gatlinburg’s Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community. Established in 1937, it has the largest group of independent artisans in North America, presenting a range of crafts including pottery, woodcarving, candle-making, quilting, pottery, weaving, broom-making and painting. Gatlinburg also is home to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Founded in 1945, Arrowmont offers summer and spring workshops and an array of special conferences for students in craft-art media. And its art galleries are open for tours all year.
That’s because visitors don’t just flock to Gatlinburg when the leaves are green. Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort entertains year-round by offering downhill skiing, an eight-run snow tubing park, snowboarding, ice skating, a new aerial tramway and scenic chairlift, alpine slide, arcade, mini golf and bumper cars. And don’t forget Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, the Gatlinburg Space Needle and Arcadia, a two-level 25,000-square-foot fun center that includes laser tag, a virtual reality roller coaster simulator and mega arcade.
From downtown Gatlinburg, a one-dollar 30-minute trolley ride delivers you to Dollywood, the 125-acre amusement park in Pigeon Forge, TN that offers thrilling rides such as a wooden roller coaster, as well as live entertainment that showcases country, bluegrass, mountain and gospel music. Master craftsmen demonstrate centuries-old crafts, including blacksmithing, glass-blowing and woodcarving.
And if your attendees bring their family along, the new interactive science and discovery center, Wonderworks, will be a huge hit. Its hands-on exhibits explore space, gravity, earthquakes, nature’s fury and more.
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