Macon, GA

Key Highlights

Hotels 50
Total Sleeping Rooms 3,808
Committable Sleeping Rooms* 220
Committable Meeting Rooms* 6
Largest Ballroom 3,075 Sq. Ft.
Average Hotel Room Rate USD $77
Average Daily Meal Cost USD $46
Average Weekly Car Rental USD $171
*Maximum for a single hotel
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Macon, GA Meeting Planning Overview

Welcome to our Macon meeting planning guide – a Macon, GA city guide for meeting planners. Nicknamed the "Song and Soul of the South," Macon is the third largest city in the state and is a heady amalgam of American history, from pre-Colonial to Civil War to rock 'n 'roll. Nowhere else can you host a reception at the former home of the famed Allman Brothers Band, a banquet at the largest state sports museum in the U.S. or a conference at one of the most advanced antebellum buildings in the country. But it is possible in Macon, which offers more than 10 meeting facilities and 20 hotels with meeting space.

Situated at the juncture of I-75 and I-16, Macon is easily accessible to travelers coming from any direction. Both ground and air shuttle service is available from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is about 85 miles to the north.

At the center of Macon's meeting facilities is the Macon Centreplex, which encompasses the Wilson Convention Centre and Macon Coliseum (110,000 square feet under one roof), and the nearby Macon City Auditorium. Overall, the Centreplex has more than 140,000 square feet of space and seating for up to 9,000 guests spread across these three Macon event venues . Plus, the adjacent 220-room Macon Marriott City Center hotel has an additional 5,000 square feet of event space.

Other large meeting facilities in Macon include the Anderson Conference Center, conveniently located near I-475, with 20,000 square feet of space and a variety of room set-up options. Many of Macon's colleges also feature sizable spaces for sporting and special events. The University Center Arena at Mercer University can seat over 4,000 guests, while Wesleyan College has dining rooms, auditoriums, conference rooms and more for groups of 50 to over 1,000 people.

Macon's historic homes, museums and entertainment attractions are great options for less traditional meeting spaces. Available for banquets and receptions, Hay House embodies Southern elegance with its 18th-century furnishings, Italian marble fireplaces, 24-karat gold leafing and stained glass. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame can put some action into any company event or banquet and has several rooms for private events. Additionally, the 1,000-seat Grand Opera House offers both elegant decor and modern audio-visual technology, ideal for seminars and presentations. There's nothing quite like wrapping up a presentation in the theater by raising the curtain to unveil a full-scale banquet set up on the stage, where attendees can dine looking out on the historic opera house's grandeur.

About Macon, GA / Additional Info

Located near the geographic center of Georgia, Macon is rich in Southern history that dates back thousands of years. The city has been home to the agricultural fields of ancient cultures, a military fort during the War of 1812 and the Creek War, a thriving cotton industry, a Civil War arsenal, a state transportation hub and more. It's no surprise that a city with such a remarkable past is now home to 5,500 National Register historic structures and 11 historic districts.

Visitors to Macon can immerse themselves in the city's past as easily as they can step out onto the streets. Macon's avenues and thoroughfares feature beautiful homes, many known not just for their historic architecture but also for their famed residents. The Sidney Lanier Cottage is an 1840 Victorian-style cottage that was the birthplace of poet and musician Sidney Lanier. The Woodruff House and Cannonball House are stunning Greek Revival mansions, the former owned by one of the South's wealthiest cotton planters Joseph Bond. For a piece of Macon's modern-day history, visit the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House, a Tudor-style home that was the hub of the band's activities during the 70s.

Macon's diverse heritage is also evident through its museums and theaters. The Tubman African American Museum explores African-American art, history and culture through a variety of exhibits and artwork collections. As the largest state sports museum in the country, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, features artifacts and exhibits from a range of sports and levels and honors more than 300 inductees. The Grand Opera House, Cox Capitol Theatre and Douglass Theatre are among the many decades-old performance locations that have been restored to their original grandeur and serve to entertain Macon guests with performances, comedy acts, movies and more.

A visit to Macon is not all about history. The city has plenty of recreational, shopping and dining options to enjoy as well. Golf clubs and biking trails are scattered throughout the city, while, just outside the city limits, Lake Tobesofkee has three parks and two sandy beaches that make for a perfect backdrop to swimming, fishing, camping, boating and disc golf. Guests can also get exercise indoors at one of Macon's many malls, boutiques and antiques galleries. Bargain hunters enjoy Smiley's Flea Market, or "Middle Georgia's largest yard sale," that has hundreds of sellers and even a waterslide during the summer.

 
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