Hilton Head: Eco-friendly events
Want lush accommodations?
The AAA Four-Diamond Sea Pines Resort sits on 5,000 acres of oceanfront property, incorporating miles of championship golf, numerous rental homes and villas, and the 60-room Inn at Harbour Town. Amenities include 17,000 square feet of indoor meeting and event space, the 10,000-sq. ft. Harbour Town Conference Center, the 9,000-sq. ft. Plantation Club Conference Center, the 600-person Champions Ballroom, multiple breakout rooms and several outdoor spaces.
Want outdoor functions?
The Westin Resort has an oceanfront pavilion that seats 200 banquet-style; its pool deck can accommodate receptions of up to 1,500 people. The Shorehouse is an outdoor cookout area at the Hilton Oceanfront Resort (capacity 300). The Dunes House has an oceanfront deck with beach access within the Palmetto Dunes Resort. At the Crowne Plaza, two oceanfront venues are available: the covered Beach Pavilion, which has space for both banquets and dances, and the Shipyard Beach Club, which has a 1,650-sq. ft. deck. The Inn at Palmetto Bluff has multiple outdoor venues, including a pavilion with a fireplace, oyster pits and a treehouse/waterfront bar built around a live oak tree.
Want group activities?
The island has 75 miles of hike/bike trails. The Hilton Head Island VCB can help planners set up golf, tennis or fishing tournaments. The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina offers classes, concerts and art exhibits. The Sea Pines Resort has high- and low-ropes courses for team building. Other options include kayak or canoe eco-tours, beachside Olympics, birding trips and gallery tours.
Want to shake up a meal function?
Groups can work up an appetite walking the Gullah Heritage Trail, which celebrates the history and culture of the Gullah people, descendants of African slaves who developed their own Creole blend of European and African language, folklore and cuisine. End the tour with a traditional Gullah meal, prepared over an open fire, with entertainment provided by gospel singers.
Want unusual venues?
The Coastal Discovery Museum has interactive exhibits, eco-tours and garden event space; its Honey Horn facility is an 1850s plantation with gallery space, historic buildings and expansive grounds. Dinner and dolphin cruises depart from local marinas. The Harbour Town Lighthouse has event space with 360-degree views of the marina, fairways and surrounding marshland. The funky Ernest Hemingway-meets-Jimmy Buffett Turtles Beach Bar & Grill is one of the island’s few oceanfront restaurants.
