Wedding, January 2019
“Everyone was fantastic! We had a wonderful reception and the food was awesome! We will be recommending the zoo for venues to family and friends!” –Ginny Lynn, Bride
Wedding, January 2019
“I was so amazed and so happy with everything on Saturday!! It was above and beyond what I ever expected!” –Alex, Bride
Holiday Party, January 2019
“Sarah – our on-site event manager was so awesome to work with. She was friendly, professional, and ensured everything went smoothly while still maintaining a ‘behind the scenes’ presence. I would love to work with her again and I really hope you pass along the job well done from the Avtec team. Amanda and Morgan, the two ladies I worked with on the event planning portion were also really good to work with. All questions were promptly answered. We plan to use the event venue again next year.” –Katie, Avtec, Inc.
Holiday Party, December 2018
“I wanted to thank you all for having vegan options for my husband and me. A lot of places do not offer these options, and the plant based/vegan market is growing so thank you for accommodating with vegan options.” –McKenna Gnau, Husqvarna
Holiday Party, December 2018
“This is our second year having our event in the Botanical Gardens and it has been great. Amanda, Sarah and Noelle are all great to work with. Amanda met with us over the phone and had all of our needs met when we arrived. Sarah has a great personality and is fantastic to work with, everything was seamless.” –Kristie Clarke, Bank of America
Employee Picnic, November 2018
“From the beginning of this process to the end of this process everyone was very helpful. The service that I received was very good from everyone that I countered as well. I will definitely keep this in mind for another corporate event we might host.” –India Harrison, DS Smith
Wedding, November 2018
“Working with Riverbanks was a seamless process. From beginning to end it went perfectly. Easy to communicate with and express any needs/concerns. Extremely accommodating and well worth the money spent. The level of service was impeccable and couldn’t have asked for a more perfect place to hold our wedding” –Arieal, Bride
Employee Picnic, October 2018
“On behalf of CarolinaPower, I want to thank you for helping to make this year’s family picnic at the zoo a success. The day ran smoothly, our employees stayed and seemed to enjoy themselves; overall the day was a success. This was our first event for our CarolinaPower employees and it wouldn’t be possible without the assistance of countless people who help prepare ahead of time. Thank you for helping to make the day possible! I heard many great things from our employees. During the day many people come up to compliment us on how smoothly the event ran or how successful it seemed. They loved the animal encounters, the drink bands and the gift cards.” –Crystal Burnett, CarolinaPower
Wedding, October 2018
“Our wedding was wonderful hosted by Riverbanks! Sarah, our event coordinator, was phenomenal in making sure everyone felt relaxed while still keeping us on schedule, and even made a few last minute changes to help improve some of the set up and to feed us – which was much needed!” –Kate, Bride
Corporate Workshop Retreat, September 2018
“The staff and facility were great! My job was made easy thanks to everyone involved. Members of my company complimented the venue, setup, food and the uniqueness of the location. Thank you for making me look good :)” –Charlene Massey, Avison Young
Employee Picnic, August 2018
“This was the first event of this kind for our company and it was an amazing success. We are all looking forward to holding another event there in the future. I am so glad that Columbia, SC has such a great place for people to get together with built in activities. Everyone, no matter their age, was thrilled to experience it. Personally, I have not been to the zoo in 4 years and now am considering a membership because I was so impressed by the upgrades, grounds and events. I cannot thank you all enough for helping put on such an incredible event.”
-Emmy Bickley, McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates, P.A
Youth Leadership Event, July 2018
“Our event ran very smoothly. We appreciate the zoo staff working with us to organize all details of the event, especially allowing us to feed giraffes 30 minutes earlier than normal. Thanks for making our event great!”
-Elizabeth Wood, SC Farm Bureau
Employee Benefits Seminar, July 2018
“Our event was a success thanks to Amanda who helped with our planning and Noelle and Dustin who helped execute the day of our event. The Ndoki Lodge was a perfect venue, very well decorated and the catering was amazing. We cannot wait to host another event there next year. The Animal Encounter was fabulous and the handler was very knowledgeable and friendly.”
-Melissa Shealy, McGriff Insurance
Group Retreat, June 2018
“This was our first time doing this event on such a large scale and the staff at Riverbanks was extremely patient with me. I had multiple questions and confusions along the way, and they handle every situation with efficiency and care. We will be back next year!”
-Dylan Gunnels, Lutheran Services Carolinas
Corporate Workshop, May 2018
“Every person I interacted with on your staff, from the initial conversations about planning the event through executing the event, were very professional, responsive and helpful. We had a last minute need for an extension cord that was quickly addressed. The food presentation was lovely. One of our participants said, “The food just seems to appear out of nowhere,” which is a great way to describe the quiet, efficient and non-distracting approach that the staff took care of us!”
-Lisa Brownlee, Leader’s Imago
Social Event, May 2018
“This was an unbelievably wonderful party! I absolutely loved working with Mckenzie during the planning process and we had a wonderful event! I will recommend the Magnolia Room and the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens to everyone I know!”
-Jennifer, Event Host
Birthday Party, April 2018
“Perfect evening. We could not have been more pleased with the event. We received rave reviews in the days following the event about everything. The event introduced the garden area to folks who had never been there. The next day we took those from out of town to the Zoo Park and spent 3 hours touring. This event was truly a memorable experience for everyone but most importantly my wife. Thanks”
-Steve, Event Host
Corporate Picnic, April 2018
“Morgan and Amanda are Rock Stars! They go above and beyond to help me in the planning of our event and to accommodate our population of employees’ food requirements. They are wonderful to work with. The wait staff kept everything replenished and was so very helpful.”
-Lydia, TM Floyd & Company
Corporate Reception, March 2018
“The event staff at Riverbanks was so helpful and easy to work with. Our event was so well-received. We were at the Sea Lion Landing and those beautiful creatures put on quite a show for us! Guests really enjoyed that, the entertainment (Pantasia) and the food – that got rave reviews. Plus, the event staff gets kudos for being on top of everything so any and every need was met. Thank you so much.”
-Marguerite O’Brien, Southern College Health Association
Wedding, February 2018
“We had an absolutely wonderful time at our daughters happily ever after party last night! The Ndoki Lodge is one of the best venues I have ever been to. The staff could not have been more amazing!! McKenzie, Christine and Noelle were fabulous. Everyone kept telling me all night what a great party it was! I would highly recommend you to anyone for any event! Thank you from the Williams/Forck families for helping to make this a special night!!”
-Renea, Mother of the bride
