The editors of ConventionSouth magazine, a national multimedia resource for planning events that are held within the South and Caribbean Seas region, have selected 50 conference centers for being among the “coolest” and “most meetings friendly” conference facilities in the South. These elite meeting and event sites will be featured in the June issue of ConventionSouth. Valdosta's own Rainwater Conference Center was honored!

A full list of “The Elite 50 Conference Centers in the South” can be found at: http://www.conventionsouth.com/conferencecenters.htm.

“The conference centers on this elite list are some of the coolest and most meetings-minded in the South,” said ConventionSouth Associate Publisher and Editor Marlane Bundock. “In today’s business marketplace, meeting planners are especially looking for the business-focused environments and top-of-the-line event services that conference centers offer. The Elite 50 each offer meeting planners and their attendees a unique set of features such as technology and aesthetics, and are able to host a diverse range of gatherings from cutting-edge business meeting to well-orchestrated social events.”

The process to place conference centers on the list and determine the facilities to showcase in the magazine was tedious, Bundock said. “Hundreds of facilities from across 16 states in the South and the Caribbean were reviewed for their eligibility for this list, but we strived to find centers that were a cut above the rest.” 

Conference facilities were assessed based on various factors such as meetings technology and amenities; facility aesthetics, décor and appearance; and meeting planner reviews and recommendations. From there, editors asked a list of 80 to fill out a detailed qualification form, noting their offerings and best attributes such as videoconferencing capabilities, ergonomic seating, catering, recreation options and outdoor gathering areas. After a careful review of the forms, editors hand-selected 50 elite conference centers to place on the list be featured in our June issue. 

Editors are now working on selecting 10 extraordinary conference centers among this “50 coolest list” in order to spotlight and give meeting planners a more in-depth look at their offerings. However, editors will not release the special 10 until the issue has been circulated to meeting planners. Meeting and event planners may register for a free subscription to ConventionSouth at www.ConventionSouth.com.