9 Reasons To Book Your Next Meeting in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Voted twice as the “Best Town Ever” by Outside magazine, designated 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, Chattanooga proves to be one of the South’s top meetings destinations. The CVB team has a deep commitment to quality, service, and ensuring that every detail goes the way you want – your personal satisfaction is our highest priority. Our team is dedicated to exceeding your expectations and ensuring the success of your event. Meeting planners that held events or conventions in Chattanooga give the city a 98% customer satisfaction rate (measured by Unifocus Post Meeting Surveys). They remark how their “Chattanooga Experience” of personal attention, efficiency, flexibility, and commitment has made an incredible impression on them and has them eager to return. Chattanooga has received multiple awards including the Reader’s Choice Award by ConventionSouth, Planner’s Choice Award by MeetingNews, Pinnacle Award by SuccessfulMeetings, Top Destination Award by Facilities & Destinations, and the Gold Service Award by Meetings & Conventions. According to Meetings Focus magazine, “Planners looking for something different and a little edgy will find plenty of true adventure in the Chattanooga area.” Chattanooga is the perfect destination to book your next meeting, convention, trade show, or retreat. Here are 9 reasons why:

1. VIP Service: Your job is all about making your event a success which requires substantial planning and effort. We want to simplify the process by working hand-in-hand with you and our partners to provide the following complimentary services: destination and hotel insights, connect you to local partners, coordinate and conduct tours of city, hotel, and event and catering venues, assist with vendors such as transportation, catering, and team building, and gather property proposals and present them in one comprehensive package for review.
2. Convenient Location: Chattanooga has big-city amenities with small-city charm. You will feel welcomed into the city from the moment you arrive. The city is conveniently located less than two hours from Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Knoxville. The Chattanooga Airport is less than 20 minutes from downtown and offers thousands of direct and connecting flights.
3. Great Value: The city offers economical meeting space, restaurants, sophisticated hotels, and sleek unique event venues. The Downtown Electric Shuttle is free and moves your attendees throughout downtown efficiently. Accommodations are affordable, include multiple price points, and provide booking specials for certain times throughout the year.
4. Vibrant and Walkable Downtown: Downtown Chattanooga is nestled along the banks of the Tennessee River and surrounded by breathtaking scenic beauty. The Downtown District, the heart of city’s core, is compact, vibrant, safe, and walkable. The dynamic urban center features accommodations, revitalized riverfront, world-class attractions, restaurants, year-round events, live music and entertainment, Convention Center, and a free electric shuttle that connects all of them. People can also ride the public Bike Chattanooga system with 300 bikes that are available 24/7 and the Hop On/Hop Off trolley tour. The shuttle, bike share system, and trolley can be reserved for special events.
5. Excellent Hotel & Meeting Facilities: Chattanooga can accommodate groups from 10 to 15,000 at a variety of first-class meeting and exhibit space. The Chattanooga Convention Center is one of the Top 10 Green Convention Centers in the nation and boasts 185,000 square feet of flexible meeting space – all on one level. In addition, there are many unique off-site venues such as the Tennessee Aquarium, Hunter Museum of American Art, Tivoli Theatre, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, AT&T Field, and Songbirds Guitar Museum. Downtown offers 2,500 guest rooms, with an additional 8,500 within 5-15 minutes away. The full-service hotels include Chattanooga Marriott (343 rooms and 10,000 sq ft of event space), The Chattanoogan Hotel (199 rooms and 25,000 sq ft of event space), DoubleTree by Hilton (186 rooms and 15,750 sq ft of event space), and The Read House Hotel (235 rooms and 15,500 sq ft of event space).
6. Lots of New: Chattanooga is continuously evolving and growing, so you’ll always find new events, attractions, hotels, and restaurants popping up all over the city. Over the past year, we’ve opened the Songbirds Guitar Museum, Lemur Forest exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium, the Hop On/Hop Off trolley tours, and more. We’ve started the free Levitt Amp Chattanooga Music Series and the free NoonTunes music series. And, Ruby Falls and the Chattanooga Choo Choo are investing $20 million each in expansions and upgrades. New hotels opening downtown soon include the 114-room Hilton Tru, 102-room Moxy Hotel (Marriott’s new millennial-focused brand), 90-room Edwin Hotel, and the 242-room historic Read House is completing a $20 million renovation. In addition, there will be a new SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Ooltewah and an 88-room Hampton Inn in East Ridge, near a new Bass Pro and part of a 50-acre development with retail and restaurants.
7. Incredible Food: The city is filled with incredible, locally-owned restaurants that prepare seasonal menus. Local favorites include Easy Bistro, Flying Squirrel, St. John’s, Public House, The Social, and more. The Chattanooga Convention Center’s culinary team is led by award-winning Chef Keith Quatrano. The Center is one of the few in the country with an in-house catering service and they were the first in the nation to incorporate a farm-to-table program. When possible, they use locally/in-state sourced bread, meat, cheese, and coffee, while seasonal fruits and vegetables are grown from seed specifically for the center.
8. Always something going on/lots to do: There’s never a lack of things for attendees to do. Some of the key attractions include the Tennessee Aquarium, Rock City, Ruby Falls, Incline Railway, Bluff View Art District, Chattanooga Choo Choo, and Warehouse Row or Hamilton Place for shopping. Get inspired outside with hiking, climbing, kayaking, SUP, whitewater rafting, hang gliding, or just relaxing along the 13-mile Tennessee Riverpark. There are more than 100 annual events throughout the year that include great food, live entertainment and music, activities, and lots of fun. Groups can partner with events to create special experiences for attendees.
9. Technology: Chattanooga is known as the “Gig City” for being the first in the nation to offer a community-wide fiber-optic network delivering 1 gigabit Internet speeds to every home and business in a 600 square-mile area, powered by Chattanooga’s municipal utility Electric Power Board. They are now offering the world’s first 10 gigabit Internet to the same service area. This pioneering new solution is the world’s most advanced ultra-broadband technology. All meeting facilities can accommodate your technology and wireless needs, with the majority of them offering the Gig. Attendees can also enjoy free internet in public spaces throughout the city.

The Chattanooga CVB is committed to providing meeting planners with exemplary service. It all starts by contacting Dawn Gilbert at dawng@chattanoogacvb.com or visiting our Cvent Profile.