Orlando

Just as Lennox Industries found an ideal partner in the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, another industrial company, Cleveland, OH-based Eaton, held a successful meeting at the 400-room Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, which is adjacent to Walt Disney World Resort. About 180 attendees flew into Orlando from various points in North and South America as well as Mexico, Canada, Asia and India. Marty Bogenschutz, principal, with Cincinnati, OH-based meeting planning and marketing firm Nuvera Group, organized the four-day program. Florida in general was a smart site choice for the early February event. “Because of the weather, you eliminate some of the risks that you would have meeting up in the North or Midwest with weather-related delays in air traffic,” Bogenschutz explains. And Orlando in particular has the airlift to service an international group.

Selecting a hotel in Orlando, as in any first-tier city, requires considerable narrowing down, and finding a modestly sized property was important to the Eaton group. “We considered a couple of the major properties, the ones that you would think of initially. But we felt a group of 180 would be lost in some of those hotels, where we would be one of maybe four, five or six groups in-house. We would be a small fish in a very large pond. So the Wyndham was a perfect fit for us.” The Wyndham’s meeting space is “very compact in one area near the main elevators. And the large foyer and prefunction areas are great for receptions,” Bogenschutz adds. The hotel offers 25,000 sf of indoor/outdoor meeting and event space.

He gives the Wyndham staff kudos for accommodating the F&B needs of Eaton’s culturally diverse group of leaders. “We worked with our conference services manager and the chef directly, and we told them that we wanted attendees to feel that the menus were created with them in mind. They came back and customized menus to a degree that I don’t think we would get at a larger property,” he says. “Everything worked out at the Wyndham, from the F&B to the AV. And the proof is that within about six weeks after our first event, we rebooked for the following year.”

A major objective of Eaton’s meeting was to allow leaders from around to world to “get to know each other personally,” Bogenschutz says. Various activities were offered to facilitate that networking. Apart from coordinating golf and spa time, Nuvera Group worked with AJ’s Freelancer Bass Guide Service and West Orange Trail Bike and Blades. “We found that many people in the group, especially the Europeans, liked to bicycle, and fishing was much more in demand than I would have thought.”

Orlando itself is in high demand, having recorded 57.2 million visitors in 2012, according to Visit Orlando. Clearly, a big reason for that achievement is the 40-square-mile tourism empire known as Walt Disney World Resort. Recent Disney developments are advantageous for meeting groups, not just tourists, however. The company promises new private-event options for groups with both the multiyear transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs (opening in phases through 2016) and Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park (opening in phases through 2014). In addition, private events can be booked at the newly opened Splitsville, a 50,000-sf upscale entertainment center in Downtown Disney that offers bowling, billiards, dining, music and nightlife. Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2017 is the mythical land Avatar, inspired by the James Cameron film.

Universal Orlando Resort is also set to expand with this summer’s debut of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. The new expansion is designed to recreate some of the experiences and places found in and around London in the Harry Potter books and films. The themed environment will double the size of the area dedicated to Harry Potter’s adventures, expanding it across both Universal theme parks — Islands of Adventure, where guests now experience Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, and Universal Studios. Guests will be able to travel between the two areas aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Tampa

The city of Tampa, located on the west coast of the state near the Gulf of Mexico, has its own expansion that will make for a nice respite for attendees between meeting sessions. The Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.2-mile waterfront walkway connecting most of downtown’s attractions, is in its final phase and is anticipated to be complete in 2014. The Riverwalk is a perfect spot for meeting attendees to bike, walk, rollerblade and relax with views of the Hillsborough River. A new restaurant and brewery called Ulele is opening along the Riverwalk in spring 2014. Other attractions include the Tampa Bay History Center, which lets attendees stroll through a 1920s cigar store, among many indigenous activities; and MOSI – Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science center in the Southeast with more than 450 interactive exhibits.

Thanks to the 2012 Republican National Convention, Tampa’s technology infrastructure has been improved, with AT&T installing 11 in-building cell systems connecting The Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa Convention Center and nine area hotels. The system features 4G LTE mobile Internet service and more than 200 Wi-Fi hotspots. Since the convention, over the period October 2012–March 2013, Tampa’s hotel occupancy rate has been quite healthy at 66.8 percent, up 1.9 percent over the same period for 2011–2012, according to Smith Travel Research.

Destin

Groups destined for the west coast of Florida also may consider Destin, known for its white sands and emerald waters. “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” is naturally the home of the Destin History and Fishing Museum, showcasing the oldest seine (net) fishing boat still in existence, The Primrose, built in 1925. A bit less predictably, groups can explore the nearby Air Force Armament Museum, with planes and weaponry dating from the early days of WWI, through modern-day materiel such as the fastest plane ever built, the SR-71 Blackbird.

Groups can convene at the award-winning Emerald Coast Convention Center, which offers 12 meeting rooms, ranging from 450 to 10,800 sf, that can be combined to create a 21,000-sf free expanse Emerald Grand Ballroom. After the day’s meetings, attendees can partake of a matchless selection of seafood restaurants. At least 20 different types of fish are caught in Destin’s waters during any season, with local favorites including red snapper, amberjack, yellowfin tuna and triggerfish.

Palm Beach County

This Southeast Florida county is perhaps underutilized for incentives, in light of what it has to offer: upscale resorts in Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach and Boca Raton, combined with cultural venues such as the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and the Flagler Museum, upscale shopping at Mizner Park and plentiful top-notch golf courses. Lennox Industries recently staged an incentive at the Boca Beach Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort. Part of the renowned Boca Raton Resort & Club, the resort has its own distinctive amenities including a half-mile stretch of private beach, oceanfront bar, and pool oasis with three pools. Just a short shuttle ride away is the 44-room Spa Palazzo, inspired by Spain’s legendary Alhambra Palace. An elite group of 125 Lennox qualifiers enjoyed a “totally different feeling” from going to the Boca Raton Resort & Club, according to Daddio, yet attendees “were able to enjoy amenities in both places.” With its cabanas and natural reef for snorkelers, The Beach Club “makes you feel as if you were in a Caribbean destination, but is much easier and quicker to get to.” The Boca Raton Resort & Club houses 1,047 guest rooms and suites, and 144,471 sf of meeting space.

Fort Lauderdale

“It took a while for the word to get out that Fort Lauderdale is no longer just a spring break destination,” according to Rachelle Stone, DMCP, vice president, South Florida Office, AlliedPRA Destination Management. “The whole beachfront and boardwalk has gone through a major renovation, and it looks absolutely beautiful.” Over the last five to seven years, major upscale hoteliers, including Ritz-Carlton, Hilton and Starwood, have established a presence in the area, making it more attractive for corporate groups.

Stone also points to popular offsite activities such as private yachting on the Intracoastal Waterway and restaurant buyouts. Among several eateries that represent the best of Fort Lauderdale’s cuisine, she cites YOLO (You Only Live Once) on Las Olas Boulevard, specializing in American dishes and accommodating from 20–500 guests with its Private Dining Room, O-Lounge and Garden Patio; Timpano Chophouse on Las Olas Boulevard, with private and semi-private facilities for up to 500 attendees; and Truluck’s Seafood Steak & Crab House at The Galleria, offering the Hemingway Room for up to 40 seated guests, with the entire restaurant available for up to 325 guests. These restaurants “have the space, capacities and knowledge of how to work with groups, and they do a great job,” she says.

What’s more, Fort Lauderdale is becoming more accessible, with increased service to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. New service on United has launched from San Francisco daily, as well as an expansion in Latin America service with new flights on JetBlue from Colombia and Costa Rica. To accommodate additional traffic, the airport is at work renovating terminals and adding a new runway.

Miami

Accessible from both the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport, this major metropolis boasts temperatures that average 76 degrees year round and nearly 50,000 hotel rooms. Attractions include the Art Deco District, South Beach nightlife and Biscayne Bay National Park, which offers Eco-Adventure tours. Notable offsite venues include new Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins; Miami Seaquarium; the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; and the New World Center, which offers the rentable 2,330-sf SunTrust Pavilion.

Surrounded by stellar lodging options such as Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Eden Roc Miami Beach and what is now the Trump National Doral Miami (see New & Noteworthy below), the 390-room Trump International Beach Resort Miami is sometimes overlooked in the local meetings market. But with its 22,000 sf of meeting space, including a 5,075-sf oceanfront ballroom, the hotel is certainly well prepared to host corporate groups, as Dina Jacobson, principal at Eventech, confirmed. A meeting planning and marketing firm specializing in the technology sector, Eventech recently brought 200 employees of a “high-energy startup, a leading player in the database space” to the Trump International from New York, San Francisco and points in Europe and Australia. Over the course of the three-day meeting, the group was able to take over the meeting space, according to Jacobsen, “which was important to our group because there’s so much that happens on the fly that we needed that flexibility.”

She admits to having “a little trepidation” with choosing the Trump property “because I thought maybe we would be competing with a lot of the vacation travelers, but we received so much support and attention from their event staff. I was really impressed that their banquet captain had worked there for many years. He was an older gentleman and would be servicing the event until midnight, and then we’d see him there first thing in the morning for breakfast. You could tell he was a hospitality person through and through. And the director of IT helped us install our 24-hour tech support room, where we needed to have uninterrupted heavy-duty Internet access for customer service. He probably didn’t need to be there, but it was a really nice gesture.”

Key Largo

Known to most planners as the home of the exclusive Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo is also the “Diving Capital of the World” with a living coral reef a few miles offshore. Stone finds Key Largo to be a “niche market” suitable for groups looking for a secluded getaway. “It’s more of a spinoff, adjunct destination, for example a Miami/Key West program. I don’t generally have groups staying longer than two days in the Keys.” The Ocean Reef Club she describes as “very much turnkey. So when I have groups calling me and asking me for help with the Ocean Reef, I do steer them back to the hotel and say, ‘Check with the hotel first because you may not need my help.’ And nine times out of 10 they find they really don’t. There is a need for a décor partner and a transportation partner, but really that’s it.” The Ocean Reef Club offers 30,000 sf of meeting space complemented by 36 holes of golf, a salon and spa, more than a dozen restaurants, a 175-slip marina and a private airstrip.

New & Noteworthy

Strategically located in the heart of the Art Deco district of South Beach in Miami Beach, the Shelborne will be “reborn” this year as Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach. The resort’s pool and lounge area leads right up to the boardwalk and a long stretch of beach. The 200-room Shelborne Wyndham Grand will have more than 15,000 sf of meeting and event space, an onsite fitness center and luxury spa suites, as well as an exclusive nightclub. The renowned celebrity chef Iron Chef Morimoto will operate all F&B at the Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach including his first outposts in Miami Beach — Morimoto South Beach, the Bistro, The Grill.

Miami’s iconic Doral Resort has been newly renamed the Trump National Doral Miami. The resort, which is a distinguished member of Associated Luxury Hotels International, is currently undergoing a $250 million capital improvement plan. The 800-acre property features five championship golf courses — including the historic, completely redesigned Blue Monster golf course — 693 guest rooms and suites, The Spa at Doral, and more than 100,000 sf of meeting and event space. The property remains open during the renovation, which is slated for completion this fall.

The 641-room Hotel InterContinental Downtown Miami recently completed a $34 million renovation that included upgrading and redesigning its 65,000 sf of meeting space.

The 598-room Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest beachfront resort on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, has completed a $5 million renovation. The property’s 32,000-sf meeting space features a new beachfront-inspired design. The resort also has the 9,504-sf Emerald Ballroom and 5,600-sf Coral Ballroom with new touchscreen lighting, carpeting, wall treatments and paint. The boardroom features new teleconferencing facilities.

Located near Tampa, the new Streamsong Resort opened its main lodge in January. The lodge includes a conference center with 14,000 sf of flexible indoor meeting space — creating 24,600 sf of total meeting space on the property — and 40,000 sf of outdoor venues. Also, there is 4,500 sf of banquet space in the clubhouse. The property is home to two nationally ranked golf courses, Streamsong Red and Streamsong Blue, which Golf magazine called “the best new courses you can play.” There also is a 7,000-sf spa, a lakeside pool and fine dining restaurants.

The 520-room Hilton Tampa Downtown (30,000 sf of function space), previously the Hyatt Regency Tampa, recently completed renovations to be converted to a four-star luxury hotel.

South of Fort Myers on Florida’s Gulf Coast is the three-mile-long causeway to Sanibel Island, where limited development and pristine beaches allow the charm of authentic old Florida to remain intact — the perfect island retreat for the harried and the overworked. The island’s redesigned Sundial Beach Resort & Spa now features the new Resort Centre with 12,000 sf of flexible space, which accommodates up to 300 attendees. Newly renovated meeting facilities include nine separate event rooms all with expansive Gulf views, a full business center and complete AV capabilities. In addition, the resort offers a unique outdoor event space with water views.

In Lake Buena Vista, FL, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort is under construction in the residential community of Golden Oak, near the Osprey Ridge Golf Course. Slated to open in summer 2014, the 444-room property will offer more than 37,000 sf of meeting space, including grand and junior ballrooms with 14,000 sf and 6,000 sf, respectively.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort has completed a massive, $22 million renovation. The 750 guest rooms were completely renovated with all-new furnishings, beds, window treatments and artwork. Outside, the hotel’s artistic façade has been refurbished in exquisite detail. The hotel also now offers the world’s first and only “Despicable Me” hotel suites inspired by the popular animated film.

In Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa recently unveiled the results of a multimillion-dollar, resort-wide renovation project, which involved every aspect of the 63-acre oceanfront resort including its 56,000 sf of flexible function space. All ballrooms, prefunction areas, meeting rooms and boardrooms have been completely revitalized with new artwork and golf memorabilia reflective of the entire resort. The Villas at Sawgrass are also available for meetings and breakout rooms for up to 12 people.

Construction of the Palm Beach County Convention Center Hilton Hotel has begun following a groundbreaking ceremony in December. Located adjacent to the Palm Beach County Convention Center and across the street from CityPlace, West Palm Beach’s Arts and Entertainment District, the 403-room Hilton Hotel is expected to expand larger convention and event business within the county when it opens in 2015. “The new Hilton Hotel will allow The Palm Beaches to compete with many more regional convention facilities and increase our stature in the meetings industry,” said Discover Palm Beach County President and CEO Jorge Pesquera.

Fully renovated in 2012, the 397-room PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens (39,000 sf of meeting space) has opened a Lakeside Lawn courtyard with panoramic views of the golf, lakes and fountains; and the new Palm Terrace and Bar 91.

More Than Just Sun ’n’ Fun

From niche markets like Key Largo to one of the most popular meeting destinations in the world, Orlando; from upscale Palm Beach to value-added Jacksonville, Florida packs much diversity under that generic sun ’n’ fun tag. C&IT