Seen as the gateway to the Americas, Miami features a Latin vibe and urban feel, as well as stunning waterfront views, sandy beaches, and an electric nightlife. Courtesy of Greater Miami Conventions & Visitors Bureau

Florida is recognized as a top destination for meetings and events year after year. From its pristine coastlines to its amusement parks and award-winning resorts, Florida has become the ideal destination for financial and insurance meetings.

Last May, Cvent announced its list of “Top Meeting Destinations” worldwide and Florida had five cities ranked in the Top 25 for North America, including Orlando (#1), Miami (#12), Fort Lauderdale (#19), Kissimmee (#22), and Tampa (#24). Cvent also indicated that the state had a record 137.6 million visitors in 2022, which is 12.9% higher than in 2021, and 5% higher than in 2019.

“The energy the cities are getting from pent-up travel demand is truly palpable, and it’s helping Florida stay top of mind for event planners as they look to deliver the most memorable and exciting event experiences,” says Stacey Fontenot, Cvent SVP of marketing.

So, what makes Florida such a popular destination? Weather is always a top reason. “Planners want to minimize travel or flight mishaps while giving attendees a vacation-like experience,” Fontenot says. Florida not only provides that sunny, carefree environment, but its airports have earned accolades aplenty for accessibility, convenience and overall environs.

“State-of-the-art convention centers, award-winning dining, vibrant nightlife and robust entertainment options are also key elements that planners look for — and are what continue to help attract events to Florida,” Fontenot says. “In addition, as we see business travel increasingly paired with leisure travel, cities across Florida have continued to see people book their business events with a side of vacation, be it family or solo.”

Jacksonville

Stacey Bowers, marketing events administrator at Reinke Manufacturing, chose Jacksonville, FL, as the destination for a Reinke’s national sales convention and hosted over 600 attendees at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville. From Bowers’ perspective, Jacksonville is a perfect mix of Florida flair and southern hospitality.

“The location made work feel like a vacation,” Bowers says. “An unforgettable destination with miles of beaches, Jacksonville also offers amazing golf courses, world-class shopping and delectable dining options. It’s a culturally rich city with amazing historic architecture, vibrant street art, an array of museums and a creative craft beer and local food scene.”

Specifically, Reinke held its national sales convention with over 600 attendees in attendance at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville. “At the time, the USS Orleck was docked right outside the hotel and we hosted an event on the ship. What an amazing opportunity,” Bowers says.

“The airport is a short taxi or Uber ride from downtown and the flight schedules worked well for our group, which came in from all over the U.S. and Canada. Downtown Jacksonville’s development is on the rise and with so many areas of town, such as Five Points, Riverside, Mayport and San Marco, there is something for everyone. Take your time to explore and you’ll find the perfect venue and itinerary for your attendees and their guests.”

Orlando

For more than two decades, SAP Global Marketing has held Sapphire, the company’s largest global customer event, in Orlando more than 20 times. As Stefanie Goffredo, category manager — GPO marketing: events & sponsorships NA at SAP Global Marketing, Inc., explains, the partnerships in-place within Orlando — including Visit Orlando, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), the robust hotel community and so many other in-destination resources and service providers — form a stable base for SAP to optimize their corporate brand and achieve event-marketing driven business goals in an exceptionally unique and successful way.

“Sapphire is a business event that’s been co-located with The ASUG Annual conference since 2006. This combination offers the ‘ideal state’ to our customers; one event that provides access to both SAP and America’s SAP User Group (ASUG),” Goffredo says. “We create a fully immersive show floor experience that articulates the SAP ecosystem — SAP, partners and ASUG — delivering content within interactive demos, multiple theaters, substantial meeting centers and curated networking spaces.” For over 30 years, SAP has been masterful in delivering an inspired show floor atmosphere that’s uniquely its own.

“We are both proud and humbled by the year-over-year anticipation and delight of repeat attendees when they arrive and see, hear and feel this year’s Sapphire,” Goffredo says.

SAP Sapphire North America 2023 attracted over 10,000 people to the Orlando I-Drive District; the primary event location was the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) with accommodations across multiple hotel properties — the core four being the OCCC, adjacent Hyatt Regency Orlando and Hilton Orlando along with the Rosen Centre and Rosen Plaza. These are bolstered by a spectacular private celebration evening at Universal Studios featuring Grammy Award-winning R&B superstar Usher.

“We worked very closely with the many people and departments that are Team OCCC,” Goffredo says. “It’s important to point out the multitude of things that go well — the unrecognized things that, if they didn’t go well, would be visible to attendees and potentially negatively impactful to SAP and Sapphire. Thanks to teams that make this type of magic happen.”

What’s more visible and equally impactful on attendee impressions are food and beverage functions. Sapphire at The OCCC enjoys a reputation of dining excellence, and 2023 was arguably the best year yet.

“We challenged Centerplate to go where they’ve not yet gone, and everyone was highly impressed with the creativity and quality of this year’s lunch bowls,” Goffredo says. “F&B is a notable part of the attendee experience and having this type of culinary expertise in a convention center is a competitive advantage for Orlando.”

In addition to unique culinary experiences in Orlando, there are also a wealth of new venue offerings for meeting planners to consider. As Casandra Matej, president & CEO at Visit Orlando, explains, Conrad Orlando includes 40,000 sf of indoor meeting space, a tranquil spa, numerous dining options and a signature rooftop experience.

“The Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando, in downtown Orlando, completed a comprehensive renovation with new additions — like the upscale Altira Rooftop Pool Lounge where attendees can savor seasonally influenced dishes and specialty cocktails,” says Matej. “The hotel includes over 10,000 sf of meeting space.”

JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes recently completed several multimillion-dollar renovations. The property’s new amenities and offerings include an expansive waterpark, refreshed guest rooms and suites, the introduction of inspired executive family suites, and a redesigned and upgraded lobby lounge.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando unveiled the new Central Park Ballroom which offers an 8,000-plus sf ballroom, nearly 2,600 sf of pre-function space and a planned 8,700-sf covered outdoor patio.

As Matej explains, this addition brings the property’s meetings and events offering to nearly 60,000 sf of multi-functional meeting space. “Currently, the Waldorf Astoria Orlando is undergoing a comprehensive, multi-phase reimagination that will encompass the resort’s rooms and suites, lobby space, and select culinary outlets, Waldorf Astoria spa and prestigious 18-hole golf course,” she says.

Miami

Miami is consistently introducing and improving venues, facilities and other key offerings for corporate and incentive programs. According to Carol Motley, senior vice president of convention sales and services at the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), worth mentioning, and amongst the newest hotels, is Arlo Wynwood, which opened last autumn. This 217-room property is one of the first opened in the Wynwood Arts district. In addition, the Loews Coral Gables, opened last fall, with 242 modern guest rooms as well as a spa, a fitness center and a rooftop pool featuring city views.

“Both are fantastic options for planners to consider,” Motley says. And the Elser Hotel & Residences features 646 rooms and suites, all just steps from museums, parks, Art Deco South Beach, the Miami Design District and Wynwood.

Notable renovations and revamps in Miami include Lincoln Road — eight blocks of walkable outdoor dining and shopping that have become a staple for attendees in Miami. The changes will include a $60 million renovation to add new fountains, park space, event space and other much-needed improvements to the attraction. Lincoln Road is part of the City Center District, and across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC).

“We’re also excited about Smorgasbord: the nation’s largest open-air market, open every Saturday and Sunday. After leaving a mark on the New York City area and L.A. the market is now integrating into Miami’s culinary scene,” Motley says. “Both attractions are great resources for planners looking to organize activities beyond the Miami Beach Convention Center.”

Motley also wants planners to know that there are plenty of outdoor and adventure activities to pair with an event in Miami.

“People think of Miami, and they imagine clubs and shopping — sure — but we also have some of the most attractive natural resources in southern Florida at our fingertips,” Motley says. “The Everglades are our backyard and Biscayne Bay is basically our front yard. We can help planners organize all sorts of unique excursions whether it’s an airport tour through the Everglades or a kayaking journey around the bay.”

Miami’s multicultural neighborhoods like Little Havana and Little Haiti, showcase the traditions, and of course the cuisine, of the people who have built Miami. The city’s “artsy” neighborhood Wynwood Arts District is located just north of Downtown Miami and west of Miami Beach. “This Greater Miami neighborhood was once a collection of warehouses and in recent years it has been transformed into one of the world’s hippest hangouts,” Motley says. “Full of eclectic restaurants, bars and shops, Wynwood also offers visitors countless opportunities to enjoy the best of international contemporary art.”

Neighboring Wynwood is the Miami Design District, a luxury shopping destination dedicated to innovative fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences. As Motley points out, organizing events or visits to these neighborhoods are engaging ways to show attendees that Miami is more than its beautiful beaches.

Planners should also take advantage of the Miami region’s restaurants to plan meals and gatherings that attendees will be talking about long after events have passed.

“Greater Miami and Miami Beach were granted the title of “2023 Food City of the Year” by Bon Appétit just earlier this year in March,” Motley says. In April, the new Rum Room restaurant and Venu meeting space opened on the MBCC campus. Venu is a newly renovated space for elegant private events and upscale meetings, and Rum Room, located right next door, is a 1920s restaurant with an enticing tapas-style menu and local South Florida rums.

When it’s time to get down to business, the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) features four main exhibition halls boasting over 490,000 sf of modifiable space in addition to dozens of other smaller spaces for breakouts. An onsite headquarter hotel — the 800-room Grand Hyatt — is slated to open in 2025:

“The MBCC is conveniently close to all of the amenities that make it such an alluring destination for attendees,” Motley says. “This makes planning events outside of the MBCC easy, but also creates more of a draw for attendees since they know they can take full advantage of their time after the conference to enjoy some of the local sights and flavors.”

For Carrie Zack, owner of Carrie Zack events, Miami, and Miami Beach, is easy to get to, offer both city and beach life, and is a great destination full of culture, entertainment, sightseeing, food and beverage.

“It’s very diverse, there is really something for everyone,” Zack says. “After a long day of meetings, clients can have the experience of being on vacation.”

A few years ago, Zack planned an event for Nestle that was a little more unconventional, where details, personalization and customization were key in the planning and executing of the event in Miami.

“We also have done a few events for one of the Amazon teams, where from the arrival amenities to the activities and restaurants, they got a great taste of Miami and Miami Beach each day after full days of meetings,” Zack says.

Tampa Bay

Stacy DeMarse, president of DeMarse Meetings & Events, hosts events across the country but her “go to” and favorite place for events is Tampa Bay.

“Tampa Bay is a transforming city,” DeMarse says. “The transformation of Water Street is only halfway done, but what has been completed has already doubled the footprint of downtown Tampa and has made it into a Tier 1 meeting destination. The investment group behind the growth has really looked at all aspects of the city and created a ‘live and work’ environment that is also growing the meeting and tourism industry in Tampa.”

As a native of Tampa Bay, DeMarse says downtown was previously a hard sell to clients. It was hard to navigate, very dark with very little within walking distance of hotels.

“The transformation over the last few years has been incredible,” she says. In addition, the area’s two-mile Riverwalk connects everything a group could want.

“A plethora of activities, both for individuals at leisure and for private group buy-outs, any type and price point of dining options, including a Michelin-Star restaurant as well as green space, complimentary trolley transportation and the cities commitment to accessibility, make it an easy sell for us,” DeMarse says.

There are a variety of hotel options downtown at various price points, with several of the larger hotels having meetings space large enough to host a 300- to 500-person meeting. “The addition to the JW Marriott has opened Tampa Bay up to some of our clients who previously would not fit into one hotel,” DeMarse says. “We are able to utilize both the JW Marriott and the Marriott Water Street, which are connected via a walkway, making ease of movement between the two hotels simple.”

The highlight and hot ticket for the entire program is the Pirate Cruise complete with “glam station,” DeMarse adds. “Attendees will be made over in full make-up and accessories prior to boarding the pirate ship to set sail for the evening voyage. We work with clients to theme their educational session titles to match the theme so it’s all encompassing. It’s definitely my favorite theme to bring to life with clients who select Tampa Bay to host their event.”

Because Tampa is being discovered and space is getting harder to secure, it is important for planners to book early.

“Tampa Bay is attractive to both group and individual tourism with a ton of activities happening throughout the year,” DeMarse says. “So even if you are not over a city-wide or busy time, transient business is booming with all the dining and activities so hotel room occupancy runs high.” I&FMM.