The University of Tennessee offers an impressive combination of event venues and services for events up to 20,000 people. To learn more about all this destination has to offer, we connected with Megan Henderson, part of the Event Conferences team from UTK.

What makes the University of Tennessee a great destination for faith-based conferences & meetings?

The University of Tennessee is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are within a day’s drive of half the nation and have hosted a wide variety of successful faith-based meeting and events over many years.

We can offer a combination of residence hall and hotel beds spaces for groups. We have 6,000 residence hall bed spaces in a variety of styles available May 20 - July 31. There are also 2,500 hotel rooms within walking distance of our on-campus Arena and meeting spaces.

Our on-campus Arena seats over 20,000 and can support any level of production for faith-based meetings and events. We have a wide variety of meeting space options on campus, including a newly opened Student Union, that accommodates large worship sessions, spiritual workshops and small group gatherings for your event.

Our staff provides comprehensive registration services including personal contact with group leaders or individuals registering to attend your event. Our software offers user-friendly group registration capability.

What is unique and interesting about the University of Tennessee to visiting groups?

We operate as a ‘one-stop shop’ for all your needs. We simplify the process by providing one contact, one contract and one final invoice. Our planners have over 60 years of combined experience with a variety of faith-based events.

Our campus sits directly adjacent and connected to downtown Knoxville within easy walking distance to downtown hotel, restaurant, meeting and entertainment opportunities. In fact our on-campus Arena is only 1 mile from the center of downtown Knoxville. We are also conveniently located with easy access to the Knoxville airport, along with being in reasonable driving distance from the Nashville and Atlanta airports as well. We are just a 45-minute drive from America’s most visited National Park in the Great Smoky Mountains, and 45-60 minutes from Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg which offer a wide variety of tourist opportunities.

What are some cultural experiences in your city that groups may enjoy?

Knoxville boasts a vibrant downtown with a variety of unique entertainment, shopping and dining options in and around Market Square. Market Square is also home to outdoor concerts, festivals and more. Market Square is a very easy walk from campus, as it is only one mile from the Arena!

Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, a recreational, cultural, and historic preservation initiative championed by Legacy Parks Foundation, incorporates 1,000-forested acres along downtown’s south waterfront and is perfect for hikers, mountain bikers, trail runners and water lovers!

Guests love visiting the Sunsphere. Installed in early 1982, just in time for the World’s Fair, the Sunsphere’s glass panes are infused with actual gold dust! Take in 360° views of Knoxville from the newly renovated 4th floor Observation Deck which is open and free to the public all year long! Our World's Fair Park is adjacent to our downtown Convention Center and boasts several acres of green space ideal for outdoor gatherings.

What are some new or upcoming enhancements of your venue AND area that event planners should know about?

Over the last several years, the University has spent in excess of $1 billion on new facilities, completely transforming itself from the campus it was before. In addition to the new buildings, existing structures have undergone total renovations. Our crowning jewel of the campus is our newly opened 385,000-square foot Student Union. A completely new structure was built on the site of the old University Center building. The Union has a 12,000 square foot ballroom and two 4,500 square foot mini ballrooms, along with 1,000 seat auditorium, and multiple smaller breakout rooms. We have also updated our dining facilities with one new dining hall already open and another one set to be completed in the summer of 2021.

Several of our older residence halls have been replaced with brand new buildings, while others have been totally renovated. Our campus now offers nearly one-third of our dorm beds in new or newly renovated buildings with modern styles. Knoxville has also experienced a recent boom of hotel business, with over 2,500 hotel rooms within walking distance of our campus.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE BY THE NUMBERS

Thompson Boling Arena seats 21,678.
Largest Event hosted on campus to date is 17,000.
50% of US population within a day’s drive and at the intersection of 3 major interstates (I-40, I-75, and I-81).
Knoxville Airport serviced by 5 major airlines with 19 non-stop destinations.
UT is ranked number 6 in the nation on the EPA’s list of the largest green power users among higher education institutions within its Green Power Partnership.—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2019
A total of 4,223 UT Volunteers broke the world’s record for the largest human letter by forming a giant power T on the field at Neyland Stadium on March 29, 2017. —Guinness World Records