| Destinations - September 2007 |
This artist’s rendering of the 1,504-room Fontainebleau Miami Beach depicts the oceanfront resort after a $1 billion renovation and expansion. Debuting in 2008, the resort will boast 107,000 square feet of meeting space, including 58 meeting rooms and three ballrooms.
Photo courtesy of Fontainebleau Miami Beach |
By Diana Rowe
Florida’s abundant sunshine, extraordinary golf courses, miles and miles of white sandy beaches, plentiful recreational and leisure activities, myriad dining and entertainment options, and world-famous theme parks are just a few of the many reasons that meeting planners often return to the Sunshine State. The state’s many convention and visitors bureaus boast that planners will discover something new and different from coast to coast at every opportunity.
To ensure that planners stay abreast of all that Florida offers, VisitFlorida has developed a Meeting Professionals Program to make the planner’s job easier by providing an exclusive, comprehensive statewide tool — visitflorida.com — a new, one-stop source for groups. Moreover, according to Ellen Thomas, the organization’s editor, VisitFlorida now offers Cover-Your-Event (CYE) Insurance — “a supplemental insurance intended to cover any costs directly related to rebooking a meeting should it be displaced due to 
a named hurricane.” Thus, planners can stage meetings in Florida all year round and take advantage of reasonably priced group rates. As an added bonus, Thomas suggests that attendees can enjoy vacationing with their families while attending meetings in Florida.
Tampa
Warm winds and appealing beaches are just two of the reasons why Jean Lombardo, executive assistant and meeting planner for global sales and marketing at Woburn, MA-based A.W. Chesterton Company, a large international manufacturer, selected Tampa for their recent global sales meeting.
“We’ve wanted to target Florida for quite some time,” said Lombardo. “However, when we looked at the affordability of the downtown property, the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, and the international accessibility, we knew it was time to visit Florida.”
Strategically located with quick access to the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa is situated on Florida’s largest inlet, Tampa Bay. More than just a big city with sophistication, Tampa is a place to experience rich culture and heritage, evident in the Cuban-influenced district of Ybor City, where the cigar industry is centered. The Cuban influence remains strong in this city, boasting lively Latin festivals and cigar shops as well as Centro Ybor — a famous shopping, restaurant and entertainment district.
Lombardo said that the short transport time from the airport, impressive renovations of the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina and the marked improvements in downtown Tampa made this destination the perfect place for their sales meeting.
“Tampa has really cleaned up its downtown and added high-rise condos, more hotels and lots of restaurants,” noted Lombardo. “In the past, attendees would come to me needing reservations, and I’d have 
to book transportation. Downtown Tampa now offers plenty of dining options to satisfy any budget, and during the day, spouses can safely walk or take the trolley. There’s just something for everyone.”
That something includes the Channelside District, an entertainment-dining multiplex featuring big-name resorts, professional hockey and the Florida Aquarium. Next door, attendees can tour a World War II-era merchant marine ship. Located along the Channel Riverwalk adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center, the new 717-room Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina is a bayfront hotel in the heart of downtown, which offers 50,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service spa and several restaurants.
In addition to the traditional golf outing, Lombardo hosted a spouse breakfast and invited the hotel to bring in representatives from their spa and concierge departments to help plan optional offsite activities.
After three days of meetings, Lombardo said her attendees found the meeting space very convenient. “We need lots of meeting space and lots of ad-hoc, and at the last minute, we’ve had numerous requests to arrange a special meeting for our sales divisions. The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina staff handled these requests without hesitation,” she said.
Lombardo, who plans one special event each year, created the Buccaneers Gasparilla Invasion, based on the local legend surrounding Tampa’s historic pirate invasion. She noted, “Many of our attendees arrived in costume, and it turned into a really fun evening with cooperative 80-degree January weather.”
Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, situated on more than 900 acres near Tampa and 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport is another area meeting option. Salamander Hospitality LLC, recently announced the
Seattle, WA-based Lindal Cedar Homes Inc. hosted 300 dealers recently at their annual meeting in St. Pete Beach at the newly renovated TradeWinds Island Grand Resort, which offers more than 68,000 square feet of meeting space.
Photo courtesy of Lindal Cedar Homes Inc. |
purchase of the 624-room Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, which has superb golf facilities, five restaurants, 11 tennis courts and three conference halls with approximately 65,000 square feet of meeting space.
St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach is conveniently located just a few miles away from St. Petersburg’s restaurants and entertainment, and nearby Tampa’s professional sporting events and Busch Gardens. St. Pete Beach is an attractive option for companies such as the Seattle, WA-based Lindal Cedar Homes Inc., a custom home manufacturer.
Sue Maple, Lindal Cedar Homes’ marketing coordinator, noted that their meeting rotates from coast to coast to accommodate all dealer networks. When the rotation returned to Florida, her company wanted to try something different. “I remembered going on a FAM trip to the TradeWinds about 10 years ago, and I was impressed with their service but noted the property needed repair. Since then, the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort has undergone a major renovation, becoming a perfect fit for our 300 dealers.”
Initially, Maple contacted the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau and the St Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, submitted online RFPs, and narrowed her site inspection down to three properties. “Since most of our dealers are husband/wife teams, our peak room nights were proportionally less than our demand for meeting space. We required classroom-style general sessions, PowerPoint presentations, three to five breakouts, receptions and a vendor showcase venue. The TradeWinds was really the only property that could handle that combination. Besides the phenomenal meeting space, the resort was located right on the beautiful white sand beach.”
The 585-room TradeWinds Island Grand Resort recently debuted their new 10,282- square-foot Pavilion, bringing the total meeting space to more than 68,000 square feet. Located near the front of the property, the Pavilion offers climate-controlled windows, blue awnings and an elegant brick entryway. The Island Grand’s sister property, the TradeWinds Sandpiper Suites, offers planners an additional 11,000 square feet of meeting space nearby.
For the vendor showcase, Maple used the Island Grand’s Banyan Breezeway. “We hosted breakfast and lunch on the breezeway, a 10,000-square-foot outdoor breezeway with sides to protect from wind. Our attendees could enjoy the outdoors, while exploring our vendor booths.”
Another St. Pete Beach option is the 277-room Loews Don CeSar Beach Resort, which is known as the legendary Pink Palace. The oceanfront hotel offers more than 40,000 square feet of meeting facilities 
including two ballrooms and five conference rooms. Spa Oceana, the new, state-of-the-art 11,000-square-foot spa with 16 treatment rooms and a rooftop garden overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, is scheduled for completion in 2008.
Naples
Hotel-based meeting and conference facilities on the Paradise Coast are located on or near the beaches of Naples, where planners can sunbathe on pearly beaches, swing a club at top-notch golf courses, enjoy elegant resorts or dine at cutting-edge restaurants. A short distance from Naples, attendees can experience natural Florida in the Everglades. Top properties include the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Naples Grande Resort & Club and the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club.
Always a favorite for groups, The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, a consistent recipient of industry awards such as Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine’s “Greens of Distinction Award,” boasts 34,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Younette Sleet, sales development manager for the Harrodsburg, KY-based Wausau Paper Towel & Tissue, brought her company’s annual national sales meeting to Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club earlier this year. Sleet said that once she noticed the numerous meeting industry awards the property was garnering, she decided to check it out more thoroughly.
The resort is ideally located on the Gulf of Mexico and blocks from Naples’ famous shopping, which includes the fashionable Fifth Avenue South and historic Third Street South shopping districts. Venetian Village, Waterside Shops, Bayfront and Tin City are also only minutes away.
“This was probably the least stressful event I’ve ever planned,” said Sleet. “Upon my arrival at the hotel, I met with the heads of each hotel department from catering to the president of the facility. We reviewed the details of the entire agenda, and due to their professionalism and thoroughness, I felt confident that the meeting would run smoothly — and it did.”
The setup of the meeting space only added to the effortlessness of Sleet’s meeting. “From general sessions to four breakout rooms, we were able to smoothly congregate, break out and then come together again because the meeting space was located in one area just across the street from the accommodations.”
The resort occupies 125 acres with 1,000 feet of white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico and offers attendees a challenging onsite 18-hole championship golf course, tennis courts, world-class spa and four restaurants. Traditionally, Sleet said that most attendees select golf as their recreational option; however, this time there were so many recreational activities available onsite or nearby, she noticed that many
(Left to right) Julie Lile, Melissa Cohee and John Rankin, attendees at Wausau Paper Towel & Tissue’s recent annual sales meeting at Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, enjoyed the lawnside luncheon, the sunny day and view of the Gulf of Mexico.
Photo courtesy of Wausau Paper Towel & Tissue |
attendees added an Everglades tour, kayaking or shopping to their itineraries. For their closing event, Sleet worked with the hotel to host a surprise dinner on the Naples Princess, a 149-person luxury yacht. “From the lobby, we had trolleys deliver attendees to the yacht for a three-hour cruise through the canals. We enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and cocktails onboard, with an impressive view of the sunset and beautiful homes. Closed-circuit televisions displayed our closing presentations, and we brought our photographer onboard to capture the moment.”
The Florida Keys
Erin Kante, marketing specialist for Bradley Corporation, again selected the Florida Keys for her sales meeting this year because of the unmatched boating and fishing activities as well as the carefree atmosphere. Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI, Bradley Corporation is a manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures and washroom accessories. Kante selected the Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina at the recommendation of her Hyatt representative.
The 118-room Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina boasts meeting rooms that provide outdoor access and magnificent views of the renowned Key West sunsets. Known for its secluded, oasis-like atmosphere and easy accessibility to all Key West has to offer, the resort expects to complete the final touches on a multimillion-dollar renovation this month.
Kante noted, “Key West offers a tropical hideaway, without traveling all the way to the Caribbean, where we can feel comfortable and relaxed. We’ve been so busy that we wanted to offer our guests a low-key relaxing meeting, and the Hyatt Key West was exactly that.”
“For this sales meeting of 35,” said Kante, “we held a teambuilding fishing excursion. I chartered Key West ProGuides, a company we used last year. Captain Paul accommodated every guest, creating a memorable 
fishing trip. The captain made sure everyone had a great time, and that created a perfect atmosphere for networking among our attendees.”
Kante booked an event with Fury Water Adventures, which also included hassle-free pick-up and drop-off in front of the hotel. “Both docked at the hotel, so we didn’t have to deal with transportation. The two-hour sunset cruise was on a two-story catamaran. It was a relaxing sail in the bay with appetizers and drinks on the deck.”
Greater Miami Beach
Charged with the energy of Caribbean rhythms, the vibrant Miami area offers groups big-city sophistication, seductive white-sand beaches, a centrally located international airport, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and more than 210 hotels and three convention centers.
Barton G. Weiss, the founder and president of Barton G., a Miami-based international events, catering and restaurant concern known for creating one-of-a-kind, multisensory experiences, describes Miami as “a city that has metamorphosed in front of my eyes. Within a 15-year period, Miami has reinvented herself, creating a city within a city. What New York City is to SoHo, Miami is to the Design District. South Beach remains the star, but this new district is exciting and fresh. Miami has all the elements of a top destination with a refreshing sense of energy and creativity.”
Locally, Barton G. operates exclusively in four venues: Barton G. The Restaurant, a South Beach favorite dining destination and celebrity haunt; Casa Casuarina, the former Versace mansion — now an exclusive private club and hotel; The Rubell Family Collection, the 40,000-square-foot home to one of the leading collections in the contemporary art world; and the newest addition, the Moore Building, in the heart of Miami’s reinvigorated Design District.
In recent years, Miami has become a popular destination for art and design due to the resurgence of the Art Deco District in South Beach, the revitalization of the Miami Design District, a unique 18-square block
Accessible from both Universal CityWalk and Universal Studios, the newest Blue Man show performs daily at Universal Orlando’s Sharp Aquos Theatre. Their unique form of entertainment, a presentation that combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics, is also available as a customizable group buyout.
Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Studios |
“community of design.” The Moore Building, a renovation of a 1921 former furniture showroom, is a unique venue for groups that boasts four floors of arcaded spaces — a total of more than 20,000 square feet organized around a central atrium, accommodating up to 2,400.
Weiss’ mission is to provide the ultimate, event experience. He said, “I can turn their experience up a notch. Instead of the typical South Beach nightlife, why not a DJ mixology class to educate the attendees on Miami’s music scene and teach them how to ‘mix’ Miami’s cross-cultural music? Or try a cultural tour in Little Havana, jumping into a kitchen with a Cuban chef and ending with a salsa dancing parlor. Miami is known for its ever-evolving personality, and the opportunity to escalate the attendees’ experience to unforgettable is available if a planner is willing.”
Tom Nolan, director of corporate events for New York City-based NBC Universal, was in Miami recently to host a party for 1,000 clients following the Latin Billboard Awards. Nolan enlisted the help of Barton G. to arrange the event at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, and arranged accommodations for his attendees at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami and The Shore Club.
The Mandarin Oriental, Miami boasts 326 guest rooms including 31 suites, all with water views of either Biscayne Bay or the Atlantic Ocean. All rooms feature 10-foot ceilings, outdoor balconies and numerous other luxury amenities. The property’s 15,000 square feet of meeting space includes 15 function rooms, an oversized terrace and 20,000 square feet of private beach.
Located on Miami’s South Beach, The Shore Club boasts a landmarked Art Deco lobby that leads to a labyrinth of gardens and secret passageways, alcoves and outdoor “rooms.” The Shore Club offers 70 suites
The 800-room Saddlebrook Resort, Tampa, has more than 82,000 square feet of meeting space, two Arnold Palmer signature golf courses, spa, pool and award-winning cuisine. Designed for meetings, the resort accommodates up to 2,000.
Photo courtesy of Saddlebrook Resort |
and 307 guest rooms. The property recently unveiled its all-new 2,900-square-foot oceanfront meeting space for a combined total of more than 13,000 square feet of meeting facilities.
At the recommendation of Barton G., NBC Universal hosted their party at Nocturnal Nightclub. Nolan said, “Barton G. knew exactly what we were looking for, and Nocturnal was an amazing choice of venue. This group of attendees loves music, and Nocturnal gave them the opportunity to enjoy that music and get close to the performers.”
Nocturnal Nightclub has an oversized grand entry, and then opens up to three levels of 20,000 square feet. “The first level was a dance floor with food tables,” Nolan explained. “The second level was more of a lounge-type setting where one could look down and see the dance floor. The rooftop third level played different kinds of music, giving our clients an exciting view of Miami. We wanted a different environment with each level, and Barton G. helped us create that effect.
“We love Miami,” Nolan continued. “Many planners associate Miami with South Beach and a big party town. Yet I’ve also hosted and organized many good conservative corporate events at properties like the Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons. Miami is a gorgeous environment to get business done and offers well-serviced hotels and restaurants, and plenty of function space for events of all sizes and occasions.”
Ugur Soylu, project manager for McVey & Associates, an Amityville, NY-based meeting planning company, gets serious business done when he arranges meetings in Miami for a global pharmaceutical company.
“When our physician attendees arrive for these meeting-intensive sessions,” said Soylu, “we have to depend on the property to get it right the first time. We have no room or time for error. We don’t want our attendees involved with hotel guests on vacation, so we look for meeting space separate from the sleeping rooms.” That’s what brought Soylu to the Biltmore for their 60 physician attendee meeting.
Just eight miles from the Miami International Airport and downtown Miami, the Biltmore is a Mediterranean-style resort located on 150 protected acres in Coral Gables. Offering championship golf and tennis, a world-class spa and a cosmopolitan dining experience, the 276-room Biltmore is a true destination resort. Its state-of-the-art conference facilities feature 76,000 total square feet of function space, with an entire wing 
devoted exclusively to small meetings and breakouts in order to enhance productivity and minimize disruption of leisure guests.
“The Biltmore runs seamlessly even when there’s a bump in the plans,” said Soylu. “Just 10 minutes prior to the start of a meeting, we realized that the room was too large for our group. The staff immediately relocated us, and the change was accomplished without the attendees ever realizing there was a problem.”
Another landmark property is the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Its $1 billion renovation/expansion is underway, set for mid-2008 completion. The new 1,504-room Fontainebleau Miami Beach will redefine meetings. The resort’s 58 meeting rooms, totaling 107,000 square feet, are being designed to assure flexibility and diversity, while more than 42,000 square feet of prefunction space and 51,000 square feet of outdoor function space, including the 21,000-square-foot Grand Lawn, will offer a wide variety of venues for events.
Greater Fort Lauderdale
According to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, more than 160 Fortune 500 companies have held meetings here in the past few years. New and renovated hotels and attractions combined with the destination’s international airport, which provides direct service to 52 domestic and 28 international cities, makes the Greater Fort Lauderdale area an attractive option for meetings.
A new 1,000-room, world-class hotel adjacent to the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is on the drawing board. The county is seeking a company to develop the prime waterfront property.
The first St. Regis Resort in Florida opened in Fort Lauderdale this year. The $240 million luxury resort is located on Fort Lauderdale Beach, boasting 183 guest rooms and suites and 24,000 square feet of meeting space. Outdoor event space includes a 29,000-square-foot tropical pool deck.
The Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach SIAN Resort is expected to open this fall. The 311-room hotel has more than 8,500 square feet of meeting space.
The 1,000-room Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in nearby Hollywood offers rooms featuring ocean or Intracoastal views, and a variety of services and amenities including award-winning golf and tennis. The 
adjacent 209,000-square-foot convention center is a state-of-the-art facility, which includes a 50,000-square-foot Great Hall, four ballrooms and 39 individual breakout rooms.
The Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel and Yacht Club is undergoing a massive $63 million renovation, which includes the redesign of all of its meeting space.
Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is nearing completion of a $25 million floor-to-ceiling guest room renovation, with the final product set to debut later this year.
According to Kelly Commerford, CHME, director of sales, since flying the Hyatt flag and completing its $100 million renovation, the 501-room Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa has won numerous awards due in large part to its focus on meetings.
Commerford said, “We are continually improving on a product that began with meetings in mind 25 years ago. Besides the adjacent golf course, we now offer planners a brand-new, state-of-the-art conference center covering 100,000 square feet of meeting space — three newly designed ballrooms, an amphitheater, three executive boardrooms and 10 breakout rooms.” The hotel also boasts a 48,000-square-foot Red Door Lifestyle Spa, Elizabeth Arden, with 30 treatment rooms.
Orlando
Orlando continues to reign as a popular destination for meetings and incentives. From wild to mild, big to small and traditional to urbane, Orlando serves groups of all types and sizes maintaining its reputation as a first-class convention resort destination.
Sandy Habecker, manager of trade shows and events for Invacare Corporation, the Elyria, OH-based manufacturing leader of home medical equipment, returns again and again to Disney resorts because she appreciates the creative planning muscle of the Disney Event Group. “Sure, we return because of the great lift and accessibility, but Orlando also offers something for everyone. From singles to families, from
Groups who want to have fun while building camaraderie might try a cardboard boat-building competition such as this one that the The Invacare Corporation staged at their recent national sales meeting at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
Photo courtesy of Invacare Corporation |
newborns to grandparents, no matter the demographic of our attendees and their guests, Orlando has it covered. What makes Disney Disney is the details. Even when we stay at a non-Disney property the majority of participants end up at Disney venues.”
Habecker now accepts the popularity of Disney resorts with her attendees, and the result is more successful programs. “Whether our host hotel is Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club or Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, their service level stands out. When we are onsite, I feel like we are the only group, even when there are five others. For example, for a recent trade show, we stayed at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. The moment I pulled into the gates, the valet greeted me with ‘welcome home,’ and when I entered the hotel lobby I was greeted by my catering manager. Personal service makes me feel like I have come home.”
Disney’s portfolio of six award-winning convention resorts transports groups to a different time and place, covering more than 40 square miles as the largest and most complete convention resort in the world. Combined, the resorts offer more than 5,000 guest rooms and more than 600,000 square feet of ballroom, meeting and function space. The resort also offers four world-famous theme parks, two entertainment districts, championship golf, spas and lakes for water sports of all kinds. Other group benefits include Disney Institute professional development programming, entertainment and production services through the Disney Event Group, and complimentary airport transfers and luggage transportation.
Habecker’s attendees have stayed in three of the six Disney convention resorts: Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and the Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. Each year, Habecker’s finale is unveiled at the last possible moment. “We use this evening to wow our attendees. This year, we began with a small presentation at the hotel, and then transported attendees via bus to Disney-MGM Studios, which was closed for our private function. Everyone wanted to know what was happening. Then, when we entered the venue, a ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ scene played out with everyone in the midst of the action.”
The adventure unfolded as attendees entered the Mayan Temple to watch Indiana Jones in action. Then, the set parted to reveal a party set on the streets of Cairo. Attendees dined on the stage and were entertained by a disc jockey and a belly dancer.
“It was hilarious to watch everyone’s reaction,” recalled Habecker. “After dinner, I knew there was more to come, as I’d pulled aside a few sales associates to be part of the show as stunt doubles, their identities revealed during the show. After the show ended, attendees could either return to the hotel or continue their adventure at Pleasure Island. Working with Disney Events Group is always fun and exciting, and the challenge is that we have to top the show the next year.”
Habecker appreciates the benefit of one-stop-shopping when working with the Disney Events Group. “From contracts for hotels to events, to arrival/departure manifests, everything is handled through one contact at Disney. Each department of the big Disney wheel communicates with all the other departments, passing
Attendees at the award-winning Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando’s luxurious 1,500-room resort featuring 445,000 square feet of meeting space, enjoy golf privileges at the Shingle Creek Golf Club and lessons from the Brad Brewer Golf Academy.
Photo courtesy of Rosen Shingle Creek |
information on as needed. My only job is to make sure I provide them with the proper information. They even make that job easier by asking all the right questions, even if you are a seasoned planner.”
Near Walt Disney World Resort, Hilton Hotels broke ground on a new 480-acre complex including a 498-room Waldorf=Astoria, the first outside of New York City, and a 1,000-room Hilton Hotel which will be Hilton’s largest mainland U.S. resort. The property will include a Rees Jones-designed championship golf course, expansive swimming pools, a 24,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, and 114,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Hilton Orlando, which broke ground last month, is slated for completion in 2009. The new hotel will feature 1,400 guest rooms, more than 130,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom, a 30,000-square-foot junior ballroom and 38 meeting rooms. The property will include a 15,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, two restaurants, an upscale sports bar, a lobby lounge and a deli. An abundance of recreational amenities will be included onsite also.
Planners seeking quality rely on the Rosen reputation when meeting in the Orlando area. Three major properties include The Rosen Plaza Hotel, Rosen Centre or the newest Harris Rosen property, Rosen Shingle Creek. Each offers award-winning, professional service for meetings large and small.
The 800-room Rosen Plaza and 1,334-room Rosen Centre are adjacent to the country’s second largest convention center, Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, and 12 minutes from the Orlando International Airport. The hotel offers more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 35,000-square-foot grand ballroom, 14,000-square-foot junior ballroom and 33 meeting rooms.
The Rosen Plaza Hotel, across thstreet from the Pointe Orlando dining/entertainment complex, is
renovating the 26,000-square-foot grand ballroom. The hotel has more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including 22 meeting rooms.
The 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek, which marks its first birthday this month, is one mile from the Orange County Convention Center. The hotel offers 445,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 95,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom. The hotel’s internationally renowned pastry chef David Ramirez has created a unique gift program for meeting and incentive groups — the award-winning chef crafts chocolate mementos emblazoned with corporate logos.
Sherri Cook, president and CEO of Sherri Cook & Associates, a full-service planning company in Addison, TX, recently planned a worldwide sales conference for her Stratford, CT-based client, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a world leader in the design and manufacturing of military and commercial helicopters whose founder, Igor Sikorsky, invented the helicopter. Cook selected Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, 20 minutes from downtown Orlando, for her 80 attendees. The property recently completed a $7 million renovation, including the total refurbishment of all 70 guest rooms and guest houses and a new business center, which has five meeting/banquet rooms that overlook the 9th hole of the world-famous championship golf course and provide 2,000 additional square feet to the existing 7,000 square feet of meeting space.
“When our group more than doubled in size,” said Cook, “it was too late to change venues. The staff did everything they could to make the meeting happen without a glitch. We ended up needing every inch of meeting space, including five two- and three-bedroom guest houses for regional managers to house extra folks and host smaller meetings. The hotel exceeded our expectations by bringing in every manager and employee they had, working around the clock to accommodate our needs. Their flexibility and can-do attitude made this event an amazing success, especially considering we’d outgrown their property.”
Even though this particular meeting-intensive event did not include a golf outing, Cook noted, “At our general session, Arnold Palmer still took the time to greet our attendees and welcome them to the property, a pleasant perk for our attendees, and a gracious gesture from the hotel’s celebrity owner, facilitated by Roy Schindele, Bay Hill’s director of sales.”
Northeast Florida
Northeast Florida has some of the most unique destinations in the state, including St. Augustine, America’s oldest continually settled municipality. Planners often overlook this area, but once a meeting ventures north, they find reasons to return year after year.
Jessy A. Culp, director of professional development and events for the Vancouver, WA-based Audigy Group LLC, the largest member-owned organization in the hearing care industry, gladly returned to St. Augustine and held two events last year at the Renaissance Resort at World Village.
Situated on 6,300 landscaped acres 20 minutes south of Jacksonville, the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village is in the process of remodeling 301 guest rooms and suites, and enhancing the main ballroom and 86,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
“The Renaissance Resort at World Village was unique,” said Culp, “as it has all the amenities of a mega resort in a smaller, more intimate setting. This location allowed us to have a captive audience, without the disconnect and distractions of offsite activities. Located in the center of the village was a beautiful lagoon with gushing fountains. Along the perimeter of the lagoon was the hotel, spa, two championship golf courses, the World Golf Hall of Fame, IMAX theater, restaurants and unique boutiques. This gave our attendees plenty to do and see during their free time, all within close proximity of the resort.”
Certainly, planners who want value, a casual environment, an abundance of activities and a great deal of meeting space, will find the Sunshine State a dream destination all year round. C&IT