Nestled along a bend in the Tennessee River and in the shadow of Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, TN is a unique southern retreat with a wealth of music, outdoor adventure, and arts/cultural events. It's also one of the more high-tech destinations a meeting planner is likely to find, with free Wi-Fi speeds up to 10 gigabit per second citywide, making it the self-proclaimed "fastest Internet in the Western Hemisphere." The midsized city offers 2,200 downtown hotel rooms and a total of 9,000 in the greater metro area, with more hotel inventory coming on board in the next year with the launch of several new hotel properties. Boasting an easy to navigate compact downtown, the city offers visitors a free downtown electric shuttle to get to and from meetings/sessions. Successful Meetings spoke with Brian Murphy, vice president of sales for Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau.
What's new in Chattanooga for groups?
As far as attractions go, the Songbirds Guitar Museum is new and different. It features an amazing collection of more than 400 rare vintage instruments, and some of the instruments are from very famous musicians. The museum offers regular live music and entertainment and can be booked for special events. Another fun thing to go see is the Leamur Forest Exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium, which recently opened. It's really fun to watch them, my kids love it.
We also are very excited with all the new hotel developments which include a Moxy Hotel, Hilton Tru & SpringHill Suites. The new 261-room Westin is opening up this October and includes 40 large suites, skybar with a terrace, and 6,800 square feet of convention and meeting space, with an additional 2,000 square feet outside. The Edwin Hotel is currently under construction which is a boutique hotel downtown that's name celebrates Edwin Thacher who led the development of the iconic Walnut Street Bridge in 1891. The property will include 90 rooms and approximately 1,400 square feet of meeting space.
Although it's not new at all, the Historic Read House Hotel has started a multi-million-dollar renovation of the entire hotel. They are reimagining the hotel to have a 1920's, Great Gatsby theme with today's modern styles. They have a viewing room for people to see and it's amazing.
What's a "hidden gem" for visiting groups?
There are so many hidden gems in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. The Bluff View Arts district is a historic neighborhood filled with restaurants, gardens, plazas, and art gallery. It's great for teambuilding events, receptions, and all sorts of special events. Something that you won't see anywhere else is the International Towing & Recovery Museum which has multiple antique tow trucks and is a neat place to host events.
This city is beautiful and most people want to be outdoors here. Walking around, you will come across many forms of public art. For example, the Passageways was an open invitation to architects, designers, engineers, and artists from around the world to take part in and transform the downtown passageways or alleys into art. The Blue Trees in from of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center created by Konstantin Dimopoulos from New Zealand is really neat to see.
You can even strap your friend or even better, your boss on a hang glider and send them off the side of a mountain. There is also mountain climbing, zip lines, paddle boarding, fishing, etc.
What's a good outing for a group looking to get a sense of culture or history?
Chattanooga is very rich in culture and history. It seems like there are historical markers on every corner. Groups can set up events at Hunter Museum of American Art, International Towing & Recovery Museum or Bessie Smith Cultural Center. If a group wants a historic hotel we have the Read House Hotel or the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo. Other ideas for groups is Gray Line of Tennessee Hop On/Off Tours, Chattanooga Ghost Tours or jump on the Incline Railroad to the top of Lookout Mountain and check out Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park.
Where should a group go to get a truly local culinary experience?
We have some wonderful, locally owned restaurants in Hamilton County. Some that come to mind are, Easy Bistro which is a Chill French bistro with a raw bar and long cocktail list in a renovated bottling plant. The Flying Squirrel is Southern comfort food with craft beer and cocktails in a funky hangar-like spot with a patio. Also there is St. Johns which has an amazing seasonal menu and is located in a vintage space with modern decor.
But one place most wouldn't think about, that you can get a great local experience, is our Chattanooga Convention Center. Our award-winning Chef Keith Quatrano and his team are one of the few in the country with an in-house catering service, but we also are the first in the nation to incorporate a farm-to-table program for a convention center. That means bread, meats, cheese and coffee are purchased from local and in-state purveyors, while seasonal fruits and vegetables are grown from seed specifically for the convention center.
Anything else that you think makes your city a great destination for groups?
We were voted twice as the "Best Town Ever" by Outside magazine, named one of "The 45 Places to Go" in the world by the New York Times, and named the "Gig City" due to having the world's fastest Internet.
The Scenic City boasts one of the nation's top 10 green convention centers, which is a state-of-the-art, one-level, 185,000-square-foot facility. We have 8,500 hotel rooms within the county; unique off-site function venues; revitalized riverfront; live music and entertainment; thriving arts scene; outdoor adventures; shopping; and more than 100 annual events that provide year-round fun.
Also, our community embraces tourism and meetings and conventions, which means groups feel a sincere welcome and great southern hospitality.