Meetings become a work of art in North Carolina.

In North Carolina, it's easy to craft the perfect meeting. Just as the region's artisans find inspiration throughout the state - from the tallest peaks east of the Mississippi, to the rich history and culture of the heartland, to the quiet beaches of the coast - associations will find a rich assortment of activities and venues. There's no shortage of ideas. The largest cities still manage to evoke small-town charm and Southern hospitality, while smaller towns offer a level of sophistication and amenities usually found only in metropolitan areas. And, of course, everywhere you look, you can find world-class golf. In North Carolina, you'll find that it's easy to make your meetings a work of art.

A quick visit to six cities

The North Carolina Association of Convention Visitor Bureaus is comprised of 40 members representing destinations throughout the state. Here's a peek at a few cities to consider for your next meeting.

Asheville: With more than 6,000 rooms, a convention center with 68,000 square feet of exhibit space, and a variety of unique venues such as the 510-room historic Grove Park Inn Resort, this mountain destination provides the perfect inspiration for your next meeting. Your members can visit America's largest residence, the 250-room Biltmore House, enjoy spectacular views along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains, or do some team-building while whitewater rafting.

Charlotte: The largest city in the Carolinas, Charlotte offers more than 17,000 hotel rooms citywide. Near the New Charlotte Convention Center - which has 28,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, a 35,000-square foot ballroom, and 46 meeting rooms - are the 598-room Adam's Mark Hotel, the 431-room Marriott City Center, the 410-room Omni Charlotte Hotel, and a 381-room Radisson Plaza Hotel.

When business is over, your attendees can stop by the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Discovery Place and its OMNIMAX Theater and Planetarium, the Mint Museum of Art, and Paramount's Carowinds.

Durham: With more than 300,000 square feet of meeting space, including two convention centers and more than 8,500 guest rooms, Durham is equipped to host your next association meeting. You can also find unique meeting space in the Museum of Life and Science, Carolina Theatre, Durham Arts Council Building, Duke University Museum of Art, and Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the East Coast hub for Midway Airlines, is only minutes from the convention centers and downtown hotels and attractions.

Greensboro: With 150,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 15,000 hotel rooms within 30 minutes, the Greensboro Coliseum Complex offers more than 318,000 square feet of meeting space in 18 areas. Less than one mile away is the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center and the Holiday Inn Four Seasons with 250,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 1,000 hotel rooms. You can arrange tours of the North Carolina Zoological Park, Seagrove Pottery, Natural Science Center, The Old Mill of Guilford, Blandwood Mansion, Greensboro Historical Museum, and Chinqua-Penn Plantation.

Greater Raleigh: The capital of North Carolina, Raleigh is the largest city in the Research Triangle area. The Greater Raleigh area is home to the recently expanded Raleigh Convention and Conference Center (130,000 square feet), RDU International Airport, and more than 11,000 guest rooms. You can choose from 20 free family attractions, including three world-class museums, the state capitol, and the executive mansion. The North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Theatre, and Walnut Creek Amphitheatre also call Raleigh home. Scheduled to open in 1999 are the Exploris children's museum and the 21,000-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena.

Winston-Salem: Located in the heart of downtown, the M.C. Benton, Jr., Convention & Civic Center is interconnected to the recently expanded Adam's Mark Winston Plaza offering 615 guest rooms and more than 125,000 square feet of meeting space under one roof. More than 500 additional guest rooms are located within a few blocks of the complex. The award-winning Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum can accommodate seating for up to 15,290 people and offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space. Winston-Salem offers an array of hotels and charming bed and breakfast inns for meetings of any size. The city is served by the Piedmont Triad International Airport only 20 minutes from downtown and the Smith Reynolds Airport located in the city.