Has everything.
Old (by US standards) city-center district with plenty of meeting spots and exploration-worthy restaurants. It's now one of the fastest-growing tourism spots behind Charleston, SC. Great mix of affluent gentrification and hipster trendy. Beaches of several kinds literally adjoining the sprawling city. Should be enough hotels. (Louise will verify availability).
Again, for newcomers, there are no fees, no formal meeting rooms, no podiums. We work out of hotel lobbies and restaurants. You pay as you go. Attendee numbers tend to run between 12-20 (occasionally much higher).
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The South did not surrender when Charleston fell. It was later, when Fort Fisher & Wilmington fell. Charleston was good at starting a fight, Wilmington was good at keeping a fight.