The newest jewel in the city's crown is the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center which opened in summer 2004 in the historic downtown Vista area. It features 120,000 square feet of space including a 25,000 square-foot exhibit hall, 18,000 square-foot ballroom, divisible meeting rooms, and a full banquet kitchen. Construction on the 222-bed Columbia Hilton convention center hotel was expected to begin in spring 2005. Columbia's Carolina Coliseum offers 60,000 square feet of exhibit space. The South Carolina State Fair Grounds accommodates up to 3,000 delegates in 100,000 square feet of space. The Township Auditorium has a stage and seats 3,224 people. Special services such as teleconferencing are available. The Columbiana Hotel & Conference Center offers 12 meeting rooms and an 11,000 square foot ballroom which accommodates up to 1,800 people for receptions or 1,200 people for banquets. Other area meeting facilities include Williams Brice Stadium, Koger Center for the Arts, and Jamil Temple. Saluda Shoals Park offers a secluded 5,200 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on the shores of the Saluda River, located minutes from downtown. Columbia provides choice accommodations with 7,000 rooms in a variety of hotels and motels.
Convention Information: Columbia Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, PO Box 15, Columbia, SC 29202; telephone (803) 545-0000; toll-free (800)264-4884