CRBJ Event Planning Guide 2023

EVENT PLANNING GUIDE | 2023

SPONSORED

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About our Sponsors

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MIDDLETON PLACE

Middleton Place National Historic Landmark is an enduring, vibrant and essential part of the Charleston and American experience. Nestled along the Ashley River, Middleton Place’s 110 acres include 65 acres of America’s Oldest Landscaped Gardens, a House Museum, plantation stableyards, a full-service restaurant, a 55-room Inn and a working farm.

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SECOND FLOOR

CORPORATE MEETINGS

6 Planners, companies adjust to post-pandemic priorities

9 Venues navigate an uncertain market

Companies adjust events to post-pandemic priorities

Activities focus on work-life balance, team-building, job skills

By Barry Waldman

COVID-19 fractured life in myriad of ways that have been reassembled over time, but to the extent that it altered our values, those may be more enduring. Many parents discovered the opportunity cost of going to work rather than raising their children, particularly when their income barely covered the cost of daycare plus commuting. For others, the realization concerned the sanctity of time with their families, of work-life balance, following a year of working from home.

The result is being felt in the workplace, where employees are demanding more flexibility and rejecting unfruitful demands on their time.

Ben-jamin Toy doesn’t have children, but these new values reverberate in his work. His company, On Purpose Adventures, organizes creative team building and bonding, and the old methods – that is, harking way back to 2019 – won’t fly anymore. His company holds many fewer events after hours and leads many fewer entertainment-first activities. The days of bubble soccer and jet-pack water skiing are waning.

“Businesses are more cognizant of doing employee events during normal working hours,” he said. “This is the reaction to employees taking control of their lives: Fewer meetings without substance; they want to see things more ROI driven. We’re replacing ballgames with personality work, leadership

assessment, training and things that have many more results tied to them. Seventy-one percent of employees are seeking growth development, but 59% haven’t seen it on the job.”

More remote work is prompting businesses to invest more in cohesion culture, a term popularized by Charleston author and talent retention expert Troy Hall to describe workplaces where employees feel valued and a sense of belonging.

Companies must be more intentional about developing bonds among employees who rarely meet in person and building engagement and loyalty between them

and their employer.

Toy and his crew have pivoted to more skill enhancement and soft-skill development than in the past. Their four-hour program might involve directing teams of blindfolded co-workers to assemble a tent together, led by a sighted co-worker selected for their lack of experience with a tent. Participant reactions to the activity are telling: some get frustrated while others identify teammate assets and divide work accordingly.

“We always offer takeaways to implement at work the next day,” said Toy.

COVID disrupted habits, like meeting, conference and conven-

tion attendance. Organizations, event planners and venues are dealing with the fallout. Organizations like Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs are clawing back attendance

Ben-jamin Toy

Charleston Music Hall is filled for singer Boz Scaggs’ recent show. The venue has seen a slowdown in corporate events that has offset a post-pandemic surge in live performances. (Photo/Provided by Charleston Music Hall)

Serving rustic Italian cuisine on Charleston’s Upper King Street

Offering a lively setting for large-party reservations, full restaurant bookings or private events on the courtyard terrace, Indaco’s menu of wood-fired pizzas, hand-crafted pastas, housemade salami and cured sausages may be enjoyed family-style or a la carte. With community tables, an open kitchen, and a comfortable atmosphere, Indaco can accommodate 100 guests.

526 King St., Charleston, SC 29403 | 843.727.1228 events@theindigoroad.com | @IndacoCHS

Charleston’s South of Broad Neighborhood Brasserie

With three unique private event settings, Brasserie La Banque has a space for every occasion. The Brasserie features a selection of traditional French dishes alongside more innovated fare to help you celebrate life’s memorable moments from business happy hours, showers, celebratory dinners, weddings and more.

1 Broad St., Charleston, SC 29401 | 843.779.1800

events@theindigoroad.com @Brasserie_La_Banque

three years after the shutdown.

The Trade Show News Network says national conventions are not expected to return to preCOVID attendance levels until next year.

Kathleen Buckley, who runs a corporate events company in Charleston, sees attendance levels bouncing back after resources were husbanded and meetings shuttered during the pandemic. She says corporate clients have some money to spend and want to offer their employees a nice experience.

One client is celebrating its

20th anniversary this fall and plans to pull out all the stops in its first company-wide event in four years, said Buckley. She has hired live music and reserved the striking Harborside East at Patriot’s Point with its sweeping harbor views. There will be a full bar and nice giveaways, and many of the other amenities that signify an upscale event.

“Ever since companies stopped worrying about quarantine, my events have been packed,” she said.

It’s the same for the concert scene, says Charles Carmody, executive director of the Charleston Music Hall. A booming industry and the draw of our local tourist mecca have conspired to bring popular bands to the venue for sold-out performances. The Music Hall is this year welcoming coveted acts like Milky Chance, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Daniel Tosh 2.0, Drive-By Truckers, Marcus

King, George Thoroughgood and the Destroyers, and Graham Nash, among others.

The robust concert scene is offsetting a slowdown in corporate events at the Music Hall. Carmody speculates that work-from-home is the main culprit.

Replacing the corporate travel is “bleisure,” said Jennifer Maxwell, regional director of sales and marketing for Raines, owners/ managers of several area hotels. That is a newly robust category in which meeting attendees combine business with a short Charleston vacation, appending a few days as tourist to a working event.

“Often, their partners work remote and can tag along for a couple of extra days,” she said.

You can’t spell pandemic without p-a-n-i-c, and now that the virus has been tamed, so has the reaction. Planners and venues alike say the over-the-top safety

precautions and online offerings are almost completely a thing of the past. Although nearly every venue promises that it has stepped up its cleaning protocols, they all say they no longer get asked about it. Event planners aren’t getting requests for any special accommodations along those lines either.

Nor have streaming, or hybrid events, outlasted COVID. They are complicated and costly to organize, and appeared to be attractive during 2020 and 2021 only as a stopgap. Ironically, venues are equipped to offer these extras like never before, having test-run their operations for two years.

In a way, the most salient trend in corporate events is that most venues and planners are harking back to 2019 and throwing parties much like they used to. They just may be a little more focused, and involve fewer attendees.

Kathleen Buckley

King Street in downtown Charleston draws millions of tourists and corporate event visitors to the city every year. (Photo/Provided)

Venues navigate an uncertain market

By Barry Waldman

Last year at the Sanctuary Hotel, the crown jewel of Kiawah Island, a whirlwind of corporate events seemed to be making up for lost time. Pent-up demand for in-person events following two years of social distancing and shelved group gatherings exploded in a flurry of bookings. Add to that the publicity brought by the PGA Championship at The Ocean Course the year before and The Sanctuary was the place to hold your shindig.

Shins were digging so deeply in 2022 that it drove down the hotel’s extraordinary customer-return metrics. Loyal guests ordinarily comprise

Make. Waves.

Entertainment and event venues around Charleston face an uncertain market as more concerts are booked, but corporate and private events are lagging compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

(Photo/Provided)

more than half The Sanctuary’s stays, but the spike in visitors staying for a few nights in connection with events and first-timers drawn to the area by the golf tournament altered the equation, reducing to just 42% the ratio of returnees.

It was a trade-off general manager Bill Lacey would have been happy to endure, but the historic spike in group and transient visitors was extraordinary and ephemeral. 2023 has regressed nearly to the mean, though still ahead of pre-COVID levels, as group bookings have slackened amid an unusual number of cancellations. Lacey attributes the pullbacks to fear of a slowing economy and bemoans the effect the cancellations have on his staff.

“It means servers who don’t serve and chefs who don’t cook and bellhops who aren’t carrying bags. It’s painful for everyone, even though we do our best to resell the space,” he said.

Likewise at the Spring Hill Suites, Cambria Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn and Hyatt Place Towne Center, all in Mount Pleasant; Cambria Hotel in Summerville; and Fairfield by Marriott North Charleston Ashley Phosphate, all owned or managed by the hospitality company Raines.

Jennifer Maxwell is the regional sales and marketing manager for Raines. “Last year was such a big travel boom. It’s leveling off this year, particuarly since international travel is opening up again,” she said.

That is a particularly bitter pill, says Maxwell, for hotels that catered entirely to corporate group meetings. Following two years of disruption, they must once again adjust quickly to a changed marketplace. They are focusing on different types of groups, like tour groups, sports tournaments, family reunions, wedding parties and of course, the now-ubiquitous bachelorette parties. Matrimony homies!

Charleston Music Hall, best known as a concert venue, hosts many corporate events, but fewer this past year as well, says Charles Carmody, executive director.

The decline in group events has hotels scrambling to fill

rooms, but the good news is that “transients,” or non-group guests, are flocking to the Charleston area – and everywhere else – like never before. Hotel occupancy was up 4.1% nationwide through June, according to Smith Travel Research.

As is often the case, local hoteliers say, the trend is accelerated in the city ranked No. 1 for the 11th straight year by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. Simon Firmin, director of sales and marketing for The Charleston Place, credits robust growth in leisure stays here to the enduring attraction of our historic city, our beaches and the work of the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s marketing efforts.

Those transients are a doubleedged sword for hotels: they require more attention per person than groups but pay higher rates.

These mundane market concerns are a welcome relief for event venues, having survived the pandemicdisrupted 2020-2021. COVID is no longer on the lips of patrons,

meeting planners or staff, nor on signage warning visitors to avoid contact with each other. Some staff and guests may wear masks of their own accord and hand sanitizing stations have become a staple, but hotels say they aren’t fielding requests for special arrangements or streaming of meetings to online attendees except when they want to broadcast a prominent keynote speaker.

Event planner Kathleen Buckley says hybrid meetings are costly because they’re like putting on two events at once, with all the technology, equipment and staff time involved, and the two distinct audiences that must be served. The closest alternative is that some companies are recording their events and posting them to YouTube immediately after.

One small exception to the noCOVID rule may be the quirky, creative world. Carmody says a touring musician or other artist occasionally requests minimum staff contact, but for the most part, CO-

Like most venues, The Sanctuary stepped up its sanitizing game postpandemic, says Lacey, over and above an already high level of housekeeping service prior. It now cleans every bed, including the blanket.

Inflation, labor shortages and a wonky supply chain are replacing COVID as the headache du jour for venues, says Maxwell. Her hotels have had to scramble to the local big box store for shampoo mini-bottles when their usually reliable supply of branded shampoos ran out. Multiply that glitch by 100 items on the hotel checklist and it can become a major issue over time.

Moreover, without staff to clean every room every day, her hotels are offering room cleaning service every third day that a guest stays, unless they request it more often. (All rooms are cleaned when guests check out.) The vast majority of guests, who might wash their own linens at home weekly, don’t seem to mind.

Like other businesses, hotels are employing a host of strategies to recruit and retain workers, but the hospitality industry got hit especially hard by the Great Resignation that followed the pandemic. That will probably persist until the next recession, when jobs are scarcer – and so are event attendees.

VID is off the radar.

Bill Lacey

Jennifer Maxwell

Hotels around the Charleston area, like the Cambria in Mount Pleasant, are seeing fewer corporate bookings but an overall increase in guests due to a surge in tourism following the COVID19 shutdowns. (Photo/Provided)

Corporate Event Planning Checklist

BEFORE THE EVENT

o Determine event goals and objectives. This is especially important with client events and sales meetings, as it will help you stay on track.

o Identify possible dates for the meeting. Thinking ahead and checking with others on possible conflicts can limit the inconvenience for all parties.

o Prepare a preliminary agenda and guest list to help set the criteria for the venue.

o Prepare a preliminary budget. Unless you manage your corporate event closely, the budget can grow unexpectedly.

o Send meeting requirements to selected sites with requests for written proposals.

Hot tip:

Communication is a huge key to your event’s success. Strive for clear communication with attendees, sponsors, vendors and the venue representative.

o Conduct site visits as required. This is important when you’re using the facility for the first time.

o Negotiate hotel rates and blocks. If you use hotel meeting rooms for the event, you could get a significant discount on sleeping rooms.

o Determine preliminary food and beverage requirements and negotiate menus and prices.

o Add any deadlines and other requirements to the timetable.

Hot tip:

Plant the seeds of social media early by promoting a hashtag before the event to generate buzz.

60 TO 90 DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT

o Form committees as required. Organizations that have regular events should consider forming standing committees that meet regularly.

o Develop a promotional strategy.

o Do some public relations for the event. Calendar notices, press releases and interviews may all be appropriate.

o For nonprofit or charity events, line up sponsors.

o If you are charging admission to the event, establish

registration fee structures and policies, and be sure to include clear cancellation policies.

o Invite and confirm key speakers. This includes people within your organization.

o Obtain audiovisual needs from speakers and presenters, and order all necessary equipment.

o Review, update and confirm final event budget.

o Identify and communicate on-site responsibility areas for committees and volunteers. Set up training for volunteers and educate them about your expectations.

o Select and order speaker gifts and awards.

o Order special decorations for the event.

o Prepare and order signs. This is another opportunity to build your brand.

o Arrange for travel and housing of all staff and VIPs.

THE DAY OF THE EVENT

o Have a staff and volunteer meeting to review responsibilities, procedures and overlap areas such as registration.

o Confirm and monitor pickup of all rental equipment and supplies.

Use your leverage to get the best out of your vendors. Explain that the event’s audience is invaluable to their business. “Here is what I am bringing you.”

IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD

o Pack and inventory all material. Many of your collateral materials are reusable — and they’re a big investment.

o Do financial reconciliation. Gather the invoices and make sure you have been billed correctly and that you pay in a timely fashion. Watch expense reports for other costs.

o Write and mail thank-you letters.

o Collect and organize data for final meeting reports. Get evaluations from staff, volunteers and consultants to determine what went right and what needs improving.

Hot tip: Hot tip:

Address any problems that need to be handled after the event is over. Take notes for future events if there are things that need to be done differently.

Lifestyle

13 Private events help public venues remain profitable

16 Bottom line more of a priority for brides, grooms these days

Private events help the bottom line for performance venues

By Jenny Peterson

Renting out private event space at entertainment venues continues to be an important part of the bottom line and allows more people to enjoy spaces in Charleston otherwise taken over by national touring acts and professional athletes.

The Segra Club at Riley Park sits above Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, the home field of the Charleston RiverDogs minor league baseball team in downtown Charleston, available for private events during and not during games, giving attendees an unparalleled view of the Ashley River marsh in climatecontrolled comfort.

“Our main source of revenue is

always going to be baseball games, (yet) those are only played from April to September,” said Dave Echols, president and general manager of the RiverDogs. “Any avenue to host events at our ballpark during the other months, and while the team is on the road, is extremely beneficial.”

The Segra Club can be easily converted into a venue for weddings, receptions, social events and corporate events, holiday parties and business presentations.

First opened in 2017 with a managing agreement with Indigo Road, the Segra Club became selfoperated in 2020 and now employs all in-house staff. The club is also used by the City of Charleston and The Citadel for special events.

“This gives us high-end space to partner for community outreach,” Echols said.

Private events allow the compa-

ny to hire additional full-time and part-time employees as well as specialty roles for the kitchen and bar. Joshua Shea was recently named

Charleston Music Farm and other performance venues in the Charleston area are seeing a record number of musical bookings in 2023. (Photo/Provided)

the RiverDogs’ food and beverage director with a hands-on role at the Segra Club.

The space features 150 private parking spots, easily accessible to downtown and is a one-stop shop that can be used for private events day or night and during ballgames.

An additional sports-related venue in Charleston offering private event space is the Charleston Tennis Center and Credit One

Stadium on Daniel Island, which holds its signature annual tennis tournament each spring as well as national musical touring acts throughout the year.

The Stagehouse, a versatile, full-service event space on site, is available for daytime half-day and full-day events with bistro seating, reception space, AV capabilities and parking for 150 cars, suitable for rehearsal dinners, corporate

events and private parties.

At live music venues Music Farm and Charleston Music Hall in downtown Charleston, private events have held steady, adding another revenue stream.

“National touring acts are the economic driver for us, but private events are very important to our bottom line,” said Charles Carmody, director for the Music Farm and Charleston Music Hall.

“Special events, like private rentals, make up 40 percent of our business.”

From birthday parties, weddings receptions, holiday parties, corporate conferences and fundraisers – even TEDxCharleston –the event spaces handle all types of gatherings with a significant capacity: The Music Farm fits 675 people and can comfortably seat 200 people; the Charleston Music

Charleston Music Farm has been busy in 2023 with numerous performances and private events. (Photo/Provided)

Charleston Music Hall (below and right) is filled with concertgoers as live acts have increased in 2023 following pandemicrelated shutdowns of the previous two-plus years. (Photos/ Provided)

Hall, which has removable seats on the ground floor, can seat 965 and has capacity for 1,200 over two levels.

“We do a lot of great community events. We have been the space for an ALS fundraiser, Lowcountry Local First’s Good Business Summit and TEDx. It’s an asset for the

city to have more places to rent and use for larger events,” Carmody said.

Even with an uptick in national touring acts and concerts coming to Charleston – back stronger than ever since before COVID-19, according to Carmody – private events are still in demand, with just three weekend dates available left in 2023 at the Music Farm.

“We’re outcompeting 2022 across the board. We broke our goals on national artist bookings. We’re going to do around 470 (music) events between the two spaces, 210 events at the Charleston Music Hall and 260 at the Music Farm,” Carmody said. “I think by the end of 2023, we’ll see the most touring artists citywide through all the venues that the city’s ever seen.”

Carmody said management is happy to oblige all types of private rentals for people to enjoy the space in different ways.

“My goal is to fill every day possible,” he said.

The Segra Club at Riley Park (below and inset) is an event space that can host corporate or private events and boasts scenic views of the Ashley River. (Photos/Provided)

Keeping the big day simple

Wedding budget concerns play bigger role in post-COVID celebrations, and planners can help

By Jenny Peterson

Charleston still remains a top spot to tie the knot, but couples are being more conscious about their budget than in years past, according to the lead planner at some of the city’s most sought-after venues.

“Going into 2024, we are seeing a bit more price awareness than over the past two years. I think people were coming out of COVID ready to party, but I do think people are scaling back,” said Abby Frye, lead planner and designer for Peninsula Events, a boutique planning firm through Patrick Properties. The hos-

pitality group’s popular downtown properties include the William-Aiken House and Lowndes Grove.

“No one is immune to inflation, we see anywhere from grocery store shopping to gas in the car, and people are slowing down and recognizing, ‘this is a bigger hit on our wallet than we thought,’” Frye said. “I think it’s scaling back on what we’ve seen the past several years.”

Inflation has affected prices in venue food costs, as well as florals. No matter the budget and style, Frye said that while planners add to the overall wedding cost, their exper-

the moment”

“In

photography rather than staged photos is a trend for 2024, according to wedding planners. (Photo/Aaron and Jillian Photography)

Quiet luxury will be a trend for couples in 2024 with more intentional celebrations. (Photo/Aaron and Jillian Photography)

Letting the venue’s natural décor shine is a way to achieve a quiet luxury trend. (Photo/Anne Rhett Photography)

tise and knowledge on what can be scaled back without sacrificing the couple’s vision or guest experience can save money in the long run and the peace of mind they offer is, well, priceless.

Frye said a theme she’s seen from couples in 2023 and 2024 is “quiet luxury done well,” which can naturally be more cost-effective by scaling back some over-the-top traditional wedding staples.

“I think people are fine-tuning what details they want to spend

money on and it being an investment,” Frye said.

Whether it’s the intimacy of a smaller, more intentional celebrations carried over during the era of COVID-19 or a trend made popular by celebrity weddings, Frye said a “quiet luxury” modern minimalist style has been embraced by more couples.

That includes less staged photos of the bride and groom and bridal party and more “in the moment” photos, new invitation shapes and

RSVP options and retro-inspired wedding cakes that are smaller in scale than the multi-tiered traditional cakes, supplemented with a cupcake bar.

“People are really focused more on ‘catching the moment,’” she said.

No matter what the budget and style, Frye said planners work to make the vision complete. Many venues in Charleston, including Patrick Properties, require some sort of planner to make sure the day goes smoothly for everyone.

“It is my job to make sure the bride, the groom, or parents of the couple are very present and enjoy the process. I do all this legwork – it’s my full-time job; it shouldn’t be yours,” Frye said. “People often think they can cut costs without a planner, but what people think we do is just the tip of the iceberg – we handle contracts, we make sure vendors arrive on site, we are constantly thinking of the bigger picture by making sure everything is handled responsibly for them to show up and be present and that’s irreplaceable.”

Some ways to save costs on the big day:

Pops of color

Bringing in pops of color in florals can go a long way. Frye said a trend for couples in 2024 are oranges and bright pink accents, a departure from heavy greenery seen over the past several years. “We’re seeing a lot of these colors coming back into the color palette. Some people look at color and think it makes their wedding appear more approachable, with a sense of fun and are not stuffy,” Frye said.

Cake alternatives

The tall, tiered cake has been swapped out by many couples in lieu of dessert bars, including cupcakes, dooghnuts and cake bites. “These cakes are small scale – more so used for a ceremonial cake-cutting versus feeding their entire guest count,” Frye said.

Digitizing invitations

With the proliferation of smartphones, RSVPs can be done with a simple scan of a QR code, saving money and time compared to returning RSVPs with traditional envelopes and stamps.

Alternative getaway wheels

Rather than spend money on an expensive vintage car to whisk away the couple, there are less expensive options. Think a pedicab for downtown venues with a “Just Married” sign on the back.

Many couples are steering away from large, tiered wedding cakes in favor of a smaller cake and supplemental dessert bar. (Photo/Aaron and Jillian Photography)

7. Have Charleston gift

with Charleston items such as benne wafers or pralines.

8. Hire a bluegrass band or bring in a dance instructor to teach guests the shag.

9. Use local decorations such as greens, Rewined Candles, sweetgrass baskets or prints from a local artist.

10. Have guests sign a distinctly Charleston item, such as a joggling board (a rocking chair bench), at the reception.

Event Services

All American Awards

1039 Anna Knapp Blvd., Suite F Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-884-7808

www.awardsguy.com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional Products

AquaSafaris Inc.

24 Patriots Point Road

Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-886-8133

www.aquasafaris.com

Event Rentals; Transportation

Archer Music Service LLC 108 Pinecrest Blvd. Summerville, SC 29483

www.archermusic.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

Artistic Eye Productions LLC

178 Thames Ave. Summerville, SC 29485

843-214-5968

www.artisticeyeproductions.com

Photography/Videography

Barrier Island EcoTours 50 41st Ave.

Isle of Palms, SC 29451

843-886-5000

www.nature-tours.com

Tours

Bell Digital Media Charleston, SC 803-999-2355

www.belldigitalmedia.com

Photography/Videography

Belva’s Flower Shop 1965 Riviera Drive, Suite 4 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 843-884-9576

www.belvasflowershop.com

Event Decor; Florist

Bird’s Nest Floral & Gifts 549 College Park Road, Suite E Ladson, SC 29456 843-797-7673

www.birdsnestfloristandgifts. com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional Products; Event Decor; Florist

BloomTown Flower Market 626 Coleman Blvd.

Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 843-388-7543

www.bloomtownflowermarket. com

Event Decor; Florist

Booze Pops

Charleston, SC 29414 843-200-8422

www.boozepops.com

Event Rentals; Party Supply Sales

Bulldog Tours Inc. 18 Anson St. Charleston, SC, 29401 843-722-8687

www.bulldogtours.com

Tours

Carolina Polo & Carriage Co. 45 Pinckney St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-577-6767

www.cpcc.com

Tours; Transportation

CC Bloom LLC 85 Vincent Drive, Suite B Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 843-935-2598

www.ccbloomflorals.com

Event Decor; Florist

Charleston Affair

Charleston, SC 29401 843-277-0609

www.charlestonaffair.com

Production/Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

Charleston Black Cab Co. 1529 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Suite 2B

Charleston, SC 29407 843-216-2627

www.

charlestonblackcabcompany.com Transportation

Charleston Carriage Works 20 Anson St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-779-1279

www.mycharlestoncarriage.com Tours

e: mmahoney@tpsmtp.com

o: 843-352-5151 h: 843-352-5100

www.hilton.com/en/hotels/chsmndt-doubletree-charleston-mount-pleasant/

Charleston Entertainment Charleston, SC 29401

843-608-8251

www.charlestonentertainment. com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

Charleston Florist Inc.

709 St. Andrews Blvd. Charleston, SC 29407

843-577-5691

www.charlestonflorist.com

Florist

Charleston Pirate Tours

79 Cumberland St. Charleston, SC 29401

843-442-7299

www.charlestonpiratetour.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment; Tours

Chelsea Paige Photography

2040 Lanneau Lane

Johns Island, SC 29455

304-841-4370

www.chelseapaigephoto.com

Photography/Videography

Chris & Cami Photography LLC

200 Sugar Magnolia Way Charleston, SC 29414

843-324-8900

www.chrisandcami.com

Photography/Videography

Chug-a-Lug Wagon Charleston, SC 843-701-1250

www.chugalugwagon.com

Event Rentals

Cigar Row Events

188 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29407 843-607-4428

www.cigarrowevents.com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional

Products; Party Supply Sales

Coastal Expeditions

514 Mill St., Suite B

Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-884-7684

www.coastalexpeditions.com

Tours; Transportation

Coleman Photography LLC

Charleston, SC 843-437-8407

www.colemanphotography.com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional Products;Photography/ Videography

Complete Weddings & Events

1376 Downsberry Drive

Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 843-856-7177

www.

completeweddingcharleston.com

Audiovisual; Booking Agency/ Entertainment; Photography/ Videography

Crafted Travel Charleston

1529 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Suite 2B

Charleston, SC 29407 843-804-9933

www.craftedcharlestontours.com

Audiovisual; Booking Agency/ Entertainment; Photography/ Videography

Curated Events Charleston

1080 E. Montague Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405 843-881-7576

www.curatedevents.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment; Event Decor; Event Rentals

Darby Events Calhoun Street Charleston, SC 29401 843-779-6224

www.darbyevents.com

Audiovisual; Booking Agency/ Entertainment; Event Rentals; Production/Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

E2 Exhibits & Displays Inc. 1925 High Meadow St. Johns Island, SC 29455 843-327-9038

www.e2exhibits.com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional Products; Production Staging/ Trade Show Display Vendors

ECE EastCoast Entertainment

1039 Anna Knapp Blvd., Suite D Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 843-856-9922

www.bookece.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

Event.Gives

655 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 866-607-1051

www.event.gives

Audiovisual

Flowers by Frankie Summerville, SC 843-296-4252

www.flowersbyfrankie.com

Event Decor; Florist

Fox Audio Visual 4520 Dorchester Road North Charleston, SC 29405 843-608-9473

www.foxaudiovisual.com

Audiovisual; Event Rentals; Production/Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

The French Eclectic 4244 Scott St. North Charleston, SC 29405 843-996-6117

www.thefrencheclectic.com

Event Rentals; Party Supply Sales

French Quarter Floral Charleston, SC 843-779-0440

www.frenchquarterfloral.com

Florist

FunFlicks Outdoor Movies

Charleston, SC 29405 843-823-7070

www.funflicks.com

Audiovisual; Event Rentals; Production/Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

CGT - Chauffeured Service 4211 Fellowship Road North Charleston, SC 29418 843-216-8483

www.ridegct.com

Tours; Transportation

Go To Team Inc. 665 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 201 Mount Pleasant, Sc 29464 888-455-4333

www.gototeam.com

Photography/Videography

Gray Line of Charleston 375 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29403 843-722-4444

www.graylineofcharleston.com

Tours; Transportation

Gullah Tours 375 Meeting St. Charleston, Sc 29403 843-763-7551

www.gullahtours.com

Tours

Innovative Event Services 4238 Scott St. North Charleston, SC 29405 843-410-9888

www.iesproductions.com

Event Rentals; Production/ Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

Jennings King Photography Charleston, SC 704-451-1002

www.jenningskingphotography. com

Photography/Videography

Jessica Yurinko Photography 1054 Anna Knapp Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 724-689-3823

www.jessicayurinko.com

Photography/Videography

Julie Livingston Photography 51 Gadsden St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-817-3974

www.julielivingstonphotography. com

Photography/Videography

Keepsakes Florist

2024 Wappoo Drive Charleston, SC 29412

843-766-7807

www.keepsakesflorist.net

Event Decor; Florist

King Street Photo Weddings

310 King St., Suite B Charleston, SC 29401

843-810-6698

www.kingstreetphotoweddings. com

Photography/Videography

Lee Edwards Entertainment

Charleston, SC

843-412-4484

www.leeedwardsentertainment. com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

M. Dumas & Sons

294 King St. Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-8603

www.mdumasandsons.com

Event Rentals

Meade Agency

409 Altman St. Moncks Corner, SC 29461

843-206-3871

www.meadeagency.cc

Audiovisual; Photography/ Videography

MellBella Photography

672 Marina Drive, Suite 103 Charleston, SC 29492

843-796-6422

www.melbella.com

Photography/Videography

Minuteman Press

108 Central Ave., Suite 9

Goose Creek, SC 29445 843-553-8460

www.goosecreek. minutemanpress.com

Corporate Gifts.Promotional Products

MOD Events Charleston

Charleston, SC 29414

843-475-2310

www.modeventscharleston.com

Event Decor; Florist

Nature Adventures LLC

1 Shrimp Boat Lane

Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 843-568-3222

www.natureadventureschs.com

Tours

OtherBrother Entertainment

Charleston, SC 843-225-5621

www.otherbrotherent.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

Palmetto Carriage Works

8 Guignard St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-723-8145

www.palmettocarriage.com

Tours; Transportation

Paper Party & More

1076 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 843-971-9911

www.paperpartyandmore.com

Party Supply Sales

The Party Music Charleston, SC 29405 843-276-6193

www.thepartymusic.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

PDA - Production Design Associates

2799 Three Lakes Road North Charleston, SC 29418 843-554-3466

www.pdastage.com

Audiovisual; EVent Rentals; Production/Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

Rick Rhodes Photography & Imaging LLC

1842 Belgrade Ave. Charleston, SC 29407

843-766-7425

www.rickrhodesphotography.com

Photography/Videography

Roadside Blooms

4610 Spruill Ave., Suite 102 North Charleston, SC 29405 843-225-7277

www.roadsideblooms.com

Florist

Robin Knight Photography LLC 1856 Belgrade Ave., Unit B3 Charleston, SC 29407 843-364-5773

www.rkdp.com

Photography/Videography

Sandlapper Water Tours

10 Wharfside St.

Charleston, SC 29413 843-849-8687

www.sandlappertours.com

Event Rentals; Tours

Simply Elegant Event Rentals

214 Old Trolley Road

Summerville, SC 29485 843-821-1035

www.simplyelegantrental.com

Event Rentals

Skyline Exhibits & Design 1043 E. Montague Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405 843-606-2152

Audiovisual; Event Decor; Production/Staging/Trade Show Display Vendors

Sloan Photography

Charleston, SC 843-301-4700

www.sloan-photography.com

Photography/Videography

Smoak Stack Studios

1720 Carlisle Road

Charleston, SC 29412 843-224-8555

www.smoakstackstudios.com

Photography/Videography

Snyder Event Rentals

3875 Meeting St.

North Charleston, SC 29405

843-766-3366

www.snyderevents.com

Event Rentals; Party Supply Sales

SpiritLine Cruises & Events 360 Concord St., Suite 201 Charleston, SC 29401 843-722-2628

www.spiritlinecruises.com

Event Rentals

Stello Photography LLC

Charleston, SC 843-425-9902

www.stellophotography.com

Photography/Videography

Tidalwave Watersports 50 Immigration St. Charleston, SC 29403 843-886-8456

www.tidalwavewatersports.com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional Products; Event Rentals; Tours

Tiger Lily Florist 1614 Camp Road Charleston, SC 29412 843-723-2808

www.tigerlilyflorist.com

Event Decor; Florist

Tour Charleston LLC 160 King St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-723-1670

www.tourcharleston.com

Corporate Gifts/Promotional Products; Tours

Travis Allison Band

Charleston, SC 843-367-7290

www.travisallison.com

Booking Agency/Entertainment

Valerie & Ed Photography 334 E. Bay St., Suite 243 Charleston, SC 29401 843-882-7009

www.valerieanded.com

Photography/Videography

Hotels

With Meeting Facilities, Ranked by Total Event Space Square Feet

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit

Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

Hotels

With Meeting Facilities, Ranked by Total Event Space Square Feet

Because

Hotels

With Meeting Facilities, Ranked by Total Event Space Square Feet

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit

Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

Full-Service Caterers

Hamby Catering & Events

Callie's Hot Little Biscuit

Avenue F North Charleston, SC 29405

843-577-1198 www.calliesbiscuits.com info@calliesbiscuits.com

Carrie Morey, Leigh Ann Garrett, Tarah 40

y or staffed catering for small or large gatherings at home, special events or at the office; ser vice and food

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com. • 1 2022 data.

Full-Service Caterers

Ranked by No. of Emplo yees in the Charleston Area

www.relishdistinctivecatering.com

ldavidson@rivertownecountr yclub.com

Matt Barclay 1998

Countr y Club, Snee Farm Countr y Club and preferred caterers at multiple local venues in Charleston

Dish & Design Catering 629 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 5 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

A&P Catering 1 9 Lockwood Drive Charleston, SC 29401

Apple Spice Box Lunch Catering Co.

1 6185 Rivers Ave., Suite M North Charleston, SC 29406

Brick Lane Catering 38 Romney St. Charleston, SC 29403

Caribbean Fresh 1 3316 Ashley Phosphate Road suite 4 North Charleston, SC 29418

843-971-6701

www.dishanddesign.com

charleston@dishanddesign.com

843-224-0529 www.varietystorerestaurant.com mclaltine@gmail.com

843-564-1597 www.applespice.com/charleston stephenlgraves4243@gmail.com

843-323-2696 www.bricklanecatering.com info@bricklanecatering.com

843-305-5259 www.caribbeanfreshfoodtruck.com catering@cfmhospitality.com

Anja Stief 1999

Ryan Collins, Richard P Ritter 1995 24

Sty Graves 2017 13 1

Charlie Giordano 2011 8 > $30

Gina Cordoba, Chante Douglas 2014 6 1

Full catering menu from the corporate buffet and box lunch ser vice to the private event sector with weddings, social parties

Outdoor bar and deck with capacity for 300; more formal upstairs facility with capacity for 40

Selection of hot catering options for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Specializes in creating custom menus; from galas to box lunches

Mobile food ser vice, catering for events and corporate, food ser vice contract

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com. • 1 2022 data.

Event Planners

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

Alternative & Outdoor Event Venues

Ranked by Maximum Capacity

Hyde Park Farm & Polo Club 6763 Davis Road Ravenel, SC 29470

McAlister Field House 171 Moultrie St. Charleston, SC 29409

Firefly Distiller y 4201 Spruill Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405

Charleston Visitor Center & Bus Shed 375 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29403

704-609-6866 www.hydeparkpoloclub.com info@hydeparkpoloclub.com

Vann Flowers

843-953-2665 www.citadel.edu/events reser vations@citadel.edu Allison Bringardner

843-577-1405 www.fireflydistiller y.com info@fireflyvodka.com

843-724-7174 www.charlestoncvb.com binderr@charleston-sc.gov

Jay Macmurphy, Scott Newitt

areas available as well as the stadium's sky suites and Segra Club at Riley Park

parking, 400 acres, 17 miles to downtown Charleston, open air pavilion with fireplace, beautiful barn with brick floors, bridal suite

multipurpose facility and home to The Citadel's basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams

tastings, cocktails and bottles, MondaySaturday 12-6pm; book online or walk in; $10 per person including shot glass; gift shop

Conference Ser vices at Trident Technical College 7000 Rivers Ave.

yce-jacobs@tridenttech.edu

of the

harbor and city skyline; plenty of indoor and outdoor space for any size group or event

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

Alternative & Outdoor Event Venues

Ranked by Maximum Capacity

space, located in downtown Charleston and over 14,000 sq. ft. of combined indoor and outdoor space

843-853-1810

Lowndes Grove

Saint Margaret St. Charleston, SC 29403

https://www.pphgcharleston.com/venues/ lowndes-grove/ hello@pphgcharleston.com

843-723-7952 www.goodfoodcatering.net

Panoramic views of the Ashley River; 1786-era architecture and period furnishings; piazza; grand lawn framed by centur y-old live oaks Prospect Hill Plantation 2695 Laurel Hill Road Edisto Island, SC 29438

The Woodlands Nature Reser ve

Ashley River Road Charleston, SC 29414

Gibbes Museum of Art 135 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29401

Cinebarre

963 Houston Northcutt Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

South Carolina Aquarium 100 Aquarium Wharf Charleston , SC 29401

Summer ville Countr y Club

400 Countr y Club Blvd. Summer ville, SC 29483

Carolina Ice Palace

7665 Northwoods Blvd. North Charleston, SC 29406

The Sanctuar y at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

1 Sanctuar y Beach Drive Kiawah Island, SC 29455

Wild Dunes Resort 5757 Palm Blvd. Isle of Palms, SC 29451

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation 5000 Wescott Club Drive Summer ville, SC 29485

The Grand Pavilion 1 Sundial Circle Isle of Palms, SC 29451

William Aiken House 456 King St. Charleston, SC 29403

The Cedar Room 701 E. Bay St., Suite 200 Charleston, SC 29403

Charleston Fun Park 3255 U.S. Highway 17 N. Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

Daniel Island Club

600 Island Park Drive Daniel Island, SC 29492

Dock Street Theatre 135 Church St. Charleston, SC 29401

Harborside East 28 Bridgeside Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-400 3003 www.woodlandsnaturereser ve.com rou@zunhospitality.com

843-722-2706

www.gibbesmuseum.org

843-216-2690

Holland Duell, Allison Merrick, Roualeyn de Haas

Angela D. Mack

www.cinebarre.com/venuerental.html katie@cinebarre.com Jennifer Braly 2007

843-577-3474

www.scaquarium.org information@scaquarium.org

843-873-2210

www.summer villecountr yclub.com sblanton@knology.net

843-572-2717

www.carolinaicepalace.com info@carolinaicepalace.com

877-683-1234

www.kiawahresort.com reser vations@kiawahresort.com

843-886-6000 www.destinationhotels.com/wild-dunes chsdh-reser vations@hyatt.com

843-376-0487 www.wescottgolf.com jhignutt@wescottgolfclub.com

888-845-8880 www.wilddunesmeetings.com wilddunesreser vations@destinationhotels.com

843-853-1810 https://www.pphgcharleston.com/venues/ william-aiken-house/ hello@pphgcharleston.com

843-793-4103

www.thecedarroom.com cedarroom@theindigoroad.com

601-497-7804

www.charlestonfunpark.com jenn@charlestonfunpark.com

843-971-3555 www.danielislandclub.com info@danielislandclub.com

843-720-3968 www.charlestonstage.com email@charlestonstage.com

843-606-2718

www.harborsideeast.com chelsea@harborsideeast.com

Kevin Mills 2000 800 200 800

Lee Ray, Bufort Blanton, Bo C. Blanton 2009

800 800 500

Matt Mons 1997 750-

Roger Warren 2004 750 750 750

Nico Scherman 1972

Jessica Hignutt, Jason Narwold, Bo Turocy 2000

Jody Harris 1972

Amber Cote 2000

2015

500 500

plantation setting overlooks the Edisto River and Intracoastal Waterway with grand oaks and palmetto trees in the backdrop

Outdoor opportunities for weddings and corporate events in a dispersed and natural environment within minutes of Charleston

Beaux Arts building in Charleston's historic district that features Tiffany-style art glass dome in the rotunda galler y and a classical garden

Full in-house catering team available for all events; selections can var y based on consultation with client; regular menu or buffets available; private movie screenings and business presentations can play on the big screen

Events in front of the Great Ocean Tank or overlooking the Charleston Harbor

Covered outdoor pavilion with pull-down curtains if needed; large outdoor patio suitable for oyster roasts and weddings with 40' x 40' tent available

Banquet and traditional seating for corporate events, team-building events, wedding receptions, sports banquets, baby and bridal showers

Multiple outdoor event spaces anchored by the 18,500-square-foot Grand Lawn overlooking the Atlantic and may be tented

Nearly 60,000 square feet of meeting, event space

Antebellum-style clubhouse with wraparound porch, hardwood floors, twin fireplaces and vaulted ceilings; 6,000-square-foot tented patio for weddings and outdoor events

600800 Oceanfront space in Wild Dunes Resort with views of the Atlantic; ideal for casual corporate gatherings, cocktail parties, dinners or receptions

600 600 500

Restored 1807 estate on acre of landscaped gardens on Upper King Street in the heart of historic downtown.

500 180 500 Open space with historic wood columns, blond reclaimed wood floors from the original space and elements of the circa-1881 building

Jenn Carr, Mike Sherman 2006 500 500 500

Greg Keating 1999

Romanie Heyward, Julian Wiles, Mar ybeth Clark 1736

Chelsea Banias 2006

500500

500 200 200

Corporate meetings, corporate events, team building, birthday parties, group events, school functions, bachelor and bachelorette, networking events

Private countr y club with two championship golf courses; 7,100-square-foot ballroom, dividable; private boardroom; outdoor venues; full-ser vice catering options; weddings, corporate events and fundraising events

Upstairs drawing room available for intimate luncheons and lectures, private courtyard

500 500 500 Patriot’s Point; interior reception space and a waterfront patio with views of the bridge

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

Exhibition & Conference Centers

Ranked by Maximum Capacity

www.charlestoncvb.com binderr@charleston-sc.gov

meeting

venue located along the Wando River; corporate events, weddings, private parties, concerts and more Charleston Gaillard Center 95 Calhoun St. Charleston, SC 29401

7000 Rivers Ave. North Charleston, SC 29406

Sanctuar y Beach Drive

www.shipyardpark.org info@shipyardpark.org

843-779-7533 www.scottishriterental.com info@scottishriterental.com

D. Cole 1801

of the Charleston harbor and city skyline; plenty of indoor and outdoor space for any size group or event

1

800-576-1585 www.kiawahresort.com marty_couch@kiawahresort.com

Kiawah

Roger

Venue providing 23,000 square feet of pre-event and meeting space, including 10,000-square-foot core space that can be further divided into 6 subunits plus 11 breakout rooms

Carolina Ice Palace 7665 Northwoods Blvd. North Charleston, SC 29406

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation 5000 Wescott Club Drive Summer ville, SC 29485

North Charleston Marriott 4770 Goer Drive North Charleston, SC 29406

843-376-0487 www.wescottgolf.com jhignutt@wescottgolfclub.com

843-747-1900 www.marriott.com/chsmn

843-853-1810 https://www.pphgcharleston.com/venues/ william-aiken-house/ hello@pphgcharleston.com

Jennifer

Braly 2007

843-572-2717 www.carolinaicepalace.com info@carolinaicepalace.com Matt Mons 1997

Jessica Hignutt, Jason Narwold, Bo Turocy 2000

Patrick Rogers 2016

Amber Cote 2000

750 15,000 sq. ft. -

600 18,000 sq. ft.

-

600 12,000 sq. ft.

-

600 20,000 sq. ft.

-

Full in-house catering team available for all events; selections can var y based on consultation with client; regular menu or buffets available; private movie screenings and business presentations can play on the big screen

Over 12,000 sq feet of meeting space; will easily accommodate the smallest board meeting or largest social gathering

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.