Pier Sixty-Six, which reopened at the beginning of the year, features 43,000 sf of event space on the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale.

Gina Zappa, director of business administration of Direct Travel, gladly trades her snow boots for sandals for the company’s annual November meeting in Fort Myers, FL.

“It’s a lovely time to be in Florida,” says Zappa, who lives in Minnesota and plans Direct Travel’s internal meetings and incentives.

The warm weather and other amenities in Lee County are responsible for their event attendance more than doubling from about 30 attendees five years ago to 65 this year.

It’s so lovely that Direct Travel’s U.S. corporate director bought a house in Bonita Springs, walking distance to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, where the meeting now occurs yearly. Northerners like Zappa relish a chance to enjoy the climate that is so conducive to the statewide focus on hospitality.

There are few other destinations in the world, let alone the United States, that can compete with the range of premier destinations and attractions in the Sunshine State. The demand from leisure and business travelers has created a one-of-a-kind ecosystem from the Florida Keys all the way to the boundaries with neighboring Georgia and Alabama.

Only in Florida would planners find serious competition to a place like Walt Disney World. Meanwhile meeting planners have their choice of destinations depending on their budget and preferences on large markets or second-tier cities for the experience they are creating.

Never satisfied, organizations from across the travel and events industries — including at the university level with an array of hospitality-based schools and courses — are continuously looking ahead to new ways to attract visitors.

“Florida is built on tourism, and tourism is built on the people that support it,” says John Paladino, founder of Milestone Meetings. “The talent pool that you will find in Florida far exceeds what you’re going to see in many other states and destinations.”

The SBC Leaders Summit was held this summer at Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale, bringing in about 300 C-Suite executives.

Fort Lauderdale

If there is one destination in Florida poised for a surge in meetings and events over the next few years, it is going to be Fort Lauderdale, predicts Santina Simons, CMP, head of events in the Americas for SBC, an events and media company that connects the gaming industry through world-class events, top-tier media coverage and tailored technology.

Simons recently hosted the company’s leadership conference at Pier Sixty-Six, which reopened and rebranded at the beginning of the year to become one of the region’s premier hotels.

Owned by Tavistock Group and managed by CoralTree Hospitality, the resort has 325 guestrooms and 43,000 sf of event space, plus access to a marina with restaurants and luxury retailers nearby.

“We definitely received service that was outstanding,” says Simons.

SBC returns to Fort Lauderdale next summer for its Summit Americas, which will use the convention center and Pier Sixty-Six to host 10,000 industry professionals and more than 400 exhibitors and sponsors.

Simons adds that about half of SBC’s attendees are from Latin America, making Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport and nearby Miami International Airport good fits to fly in and out of.

In almost any other destination, a resort like Pier Sixty-Six would be the shiny new object. But anticipation for the new Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel is palpable. The luxury hotel is the finishing touch on a $1.2 billion expansion project for the Broward County Convention Center campus.

The 801-room property, which is slated to open by the end of the year, is connected to the expanded convention center, which gained 350,000 sf of contiguous exhibit space.

Fort Lauderdale shares many of the same qualities planners gravitate to in other Florida destinations, including beach access, strong airlift and a variety of activities, but has generally been more affordable than Miami and Orlando.

The combination of competitive pricing and new offerings makes the destination appealing to the likes of LaDonna Pettit, an independent meeting professional working with the Stone Fort Group. She is planning the Renewable Fuels Foundation’s 2028 National Ethanol Conference, which is set to take place in Fort Lauderdale.

“Having two new hotels in warm-weather destinations felt like an answer to our prayers,” says Pettit, noting many of the conference’s attendees are coming from cold-weather Midwestern destinations.

The event always occurs in February and also features a golf tournament, making climate a major consideration. San Diego was another tempting option, but Pettit says the new Omni swung the conference to the East Coast.

Due to the construction, Pettit is planning the event at a hotel she has yet to step foot in. Foundation leadership was waiting for the Omni to open for the site visit to get a true feel of the property. She was impressed that the Omni lowered its traditional rates to book the event to help alleviate fears of booking with a hotel sight unseen and the staff’s responsiveness to her team’s questions.

“Ultimately, the combination of warm weather, strong service culture, and a product we know will be exceptional made Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel the ideal choice,” says Pettit.

Fishing during a beautiful sunset in Fort Myers.

Fort Myers

Amrita Nichols, CMP, CMM, HMCC, VEMM, a New England-based vice president of accounts at ConferenceDirect, found that the hotels in Fort Myers tend to be more affordable in January, when her client meets there, than those in larger Florida cities. Also, travel to the region is a smooth experience.

“When you have an easy airport, it takes the stress out of everything,” says Nichols, who is impressed by the variety of hotels available, including Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, the Hyatt Coconut Point and The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village.

“The value is there and the destination is really nice,” she adds.

Fort Myers offers a laid back and relaxed atmosphere with quaint neighborhoods and plenty of opportunities to get out in nature. Planners will find more than 11,000 guestrooms available and 230,000 sf of meeting and event space overall.

The Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, set to open in 2027, will be directly connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center via skybridge.

Miami

Fresh off a record 28 million visitors last year and with the World Cup coming up in 2026, Miami is maintaining its place among many corporate groups’ wish list. Soon, there will be more options for planners.

Groundbreaking for the 800-room Grand Hyatt Miami Beach convention center hotel occurred this spring and the property is scheduled to open in 2027. The Greater Miami CVB says the addition will boost the destination’s ability to attract premier global events, business meetings, trade shows and conventions.

It’s hard to imagine a destination more in-demand. Earlier this year, Greater Miami and Miami Beach hotels ranked first in occupancy in revenue per available room and second in the country in average daily room rates.

To cap off fiscal year 2024, the convention sales team secured 16 new Miami Beach Convention Center bookings that accounted for 65,000 attendees with 107,604 room nights sold. The estimated economic impact of these bookings was more than $131 million.

Look for a significant amount of brand activations surrounding major sporting events next year, including The College Football Playoff National Championship, NHL Winter Classic, World Baseball Classic, FIFA World Cup and NASCAR Championship Race.

The JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes’ features an 18 hole championship golf course, more than 169,000 sf of event space and over 1,000 guestrooms and suites.

Orlando

Named the top meetings destination in the U.S. by Cvent, Orlando has no intention of giving up its premier spot. No less than 20 Orlando convention hotels and resorts were named as a Top Meeting Hotel in North America, with the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes ranking in the top 10.

Planned expansion of the Orange County Convention Center and a slew of hotel developments should add to what’s been a banner year. Last year, Orlando welcomed more than 75 million visitors, including more than 5.6 million in the group meetings segment incorporating business travelers. It remains the most visited destination in the U.S.

To make room for growth, construction begins next year on the Orange County Convention Center that will add an additional 44,000 sf of meeting space and a 100,000-sf ballroom to the North-South Building. Phase two, featuring an additional 200,000 sf of contiguous multipurpose exhibit space for the building, has been approved.

“Orlando’s continued investment in new and enhanced venues, experiences and services helps ensure our destination remains aligned with our customers’ ever-changing meetings goals,” says Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “The destination’s accolades and record-attendance shattering trade shows exemplifies Orlando’s dedication to offer unmatched meeting experiences.”

One of the highlights in the area is the renovation that has been underway at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. This includes a revamp of 756 guestrooms and suites as part of a broader $275 million renovation and expansion project — the largest in the property’s history. The project includes upgrades to the meeting spaces at both the Swan and Dolphin, as well as a 120,000-sf expansion of the Dolphin’s event space. Also, noted steakhouse chain, Bourbon Steak, has added a new luxury eatery onsite at the hotel.

Meanwhile, Conrad Orlando at Evermore has received the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation and is now the third hotel in Orlando (in addition to Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort and The Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes), and 12th in Florida, to receive the distinction.

Just minutes from Orlando’s most sought-after shopping and theme parks, the Caribe Royale Orlando is riding a wave of good feelings from its $140-million renovation. The project, completed last year, adds a fresh and modern new look to this all-suite resort with 1,337 suites.

Despite the many amenities close to the hotel, attendees don’t have to step off the property for a memorable time. There are eight onsite restaurants and 240,000 sf of meeting and events space, including the 50,000-sf Palms Ballrooms and 19,000-sf outdoor event lawn called The Grove. Good luck finding an attendee not eager to try the 75-ft. waterslide. There also is a spa and fitness center, courts for racquet sports, fishing and more.

With stunning new event spaces, Caribe Royale Orlando’s hotel meeting rooms and convention center offer state-of-the-art technology, plus extraordinary indoor and outdoor settings.

Orlando is known for its theme parks. Planners wishing upon a star got their dream come true when Disney Creative Studio opened at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista earlier this year. The studio acts as an all-in-one for managing decor, floral, audiovisual and catering needs. Onsite assistance comes from The Disney Event Architects, which include sales and services managers, event producers, culinary experts and more.

To help planners better maintain updates on new and renovated properties, Visit Orlando has expanded its live virtual site inspection platform that allows for digital visits to more than 1,100 Orlando locations.

South Walton offers 26 miles of sugar-white sand beaches to delight attendees.

South Walton

Few destinations benefit from the increased desire for bleisure experiences than South Walton. There are 26 miles of beach, as well as top-notch golf (four championship golf courses), fine dining (more than 200 restaurants) and boutique shopping.

Ideal for corporate meetings or incentives, South Walton has an array of luxury hotels, including the Hyatt Place Sandestin, Hotel Effie Sandestin, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa.

There are 200 miles of hiking and biking trails to explore the scenic surroundings or plan a morning group run. Yoga on the beach is another popular health and wellness activity.

There are two main commercial airports nearby — Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, making the destination one of the most accessible in the state.

The Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, has a total of 350,000 sf of space across from The Square, which has restaurants, shopping and more.

The Palm Beaches

Paladino hosts up to 25 events annually in Florida, but he has reason to be biased toward Palm Beach County, and specifically at the resort called The Boca Raton, located in the city by the same name. He got his start in industry working banquets at the property until forming his own company. He now lives in Scottsdale, AZ, but is near his old stomping grounds often for meetings and incentives.

He hosted a tech company at The Boca Raton about two years ago and raves about the Palm Beaches as an overall destination. The resort has since received a $130 million renovation, completed at the end of last year.

“There is a lot of variety there and I think that gets overlooked,” says Paladino, noting the region’s celebrity residents and high-end properties, including Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s home away from The White House.

The historic Breakers Palm Beach — which sports a newly renovated $12 million tennis and racquet complex — and PGA National Resort are other hotels Paladino raves about.

High-speed train access via Brightline adds to accessibility in the region.

It’s little wonder that the destination had a record-breaking 5.72 million visitors in the first half of this year. This growth represents an increase of 531,000 visitors compared to the same time period last year.

While hotel occupancy has decreased across the U.S., The Palm Beaches has defied trends by recording growth in hotel room demand and revenue.

Tampa/St. Petersburg

One of the events industry’s most influential events, MPI’s World Education Congress, has selected Tampa for its 2030 home, a sign of the destination’s appeal. More than 2,500 event professionals will see the latest in an already booming destination.

“Tampa Bay stood out not only for its energy and hospitality, but for its commitment to accessibility,” says Colleen Connor, senior director of events at MPI.

Across the bay, St. Petersburg and Clearwater offer beach destinations aplenty for corporate meetings and incentives. Zappa planned a 30-attendee meeting for Direct Travel in January. While the weather was unusually cool for Florida, attendees had warm thoughts about the gathering.

The group stayed at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa but explored other hotels during a dine-around, Zappa says.

With warm weather and a prime location that serves as an easy bridge to Latin America, Florida remains one of the industry’s most in-demand states for corporate meetings. With new developments and major events scheduled for 2026, the forecast remains as sunny as ever. C&IT