< Previouscan seat more than 7,000 attendees, banquet style. Twenty-eight breakout rooms are available, along with 15,000 sf of outdoor space, most of it just a stone’s throw from the breathtaking beach. “Originally, the meeting included off-site venues, which we sited during the planning stage,” Fijol says. “Due to convenience, safety and the flexible outdoor space at Loews Miami Beach, we opted to keep the group on property using décor and entertainment to cre- ate unique destination experiences.” Fijol says the outdoor events were well received by attendees, and provided additional safety measures that mini- mized COVID concerns. “During all the events, the Loews conference services team also exceeded food and beverage expectations.” Fijol concludes: “The Loews Miami Beach gets high marks from planners for its prime location, amenities and service. Their team is expert at accom- modating meetings and events, and it is one of our top recommendations for groups interested in Miami.” PROPERTIES LARGE AND SMALL Across Florida, the meetings and incentives industry used the pandem- ic’s pause to refresh and renew their offerings, even in smaller destinations, such as the Florida Keys, which allow for the seamless blend of work and play. “Our outdoor wide-open spaces, with many of them scenic waterfront settings, offer a unique advantage for all types of activities and help to cre- ate unforgettable Keys meetings,” says Jack Meier, group sales manager for the Keys’ Monroe County Tourist Develop- ment Council. “Creatively styled and enhanced outdoor venues throughout the Keys continue to be unveiled as we all look forward to reconnecting and renewing with business opportunities.” Options in the Keys can be large enough to cater to groups numbering into the hundreds to smaller, more inti- mate properties that are ideal for inti- mate incentives. From 427-unit Hawks Cay Resort, offering 48,760 sf of indoor and outdoor meetings space, to the 40-unit Sunset Key Cottages, located just 500 yards off Key West, there is a venue to meet almost any need or size. Now celebrating its centennial, the legendary 311-room Casa Marina Key West, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, has hosted generations of business tycoons, artists and dignitaries, providing more than 11,000 sf of events space, including the historic Flagler’s Ballroom. On Florida’s Gulf Coast, The Ritz- Carlton, Naples is undergoing a signifi- cant expansion and a redesign of inte- riors that commenced late last spring. The resort soon will reveal 92 new luxury suite accommodations, including 57 additional suites and a sprawling Ritz-Carl- ton Club Lounge, as well as enhancements to the lobby, meetings and events spaces, pools and all exist- ing guest rooms and suites. When completed, the hotel will encompass 474 guest rooms and suites, and more than 42,000 sf of versatile events space, including a 10,140-sf ballroom, along with picturesque outdoor venues. The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, honored its 30th anniversary in 2021 by refurbishing its 446 guest rooms and suites. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island’s AAA five-diamond Salt has been joined by Okan Kizilbayir, pre- viously the sous chef at Eric Ripert’s three-Michelin Star Le Bernardin. In 2020, the resort opened Spanish-influ- enced Coquina, North Florida’s largest alfresco restaurant and oceanview bar, while Tidewater Grill debuted in 2021, offering a coastal bounty. That culinary focus is being felt across the state, and for 2022, Visit Flor- ida has teamed with the MICHELIN Guide to create a first-ever MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa. “Visit Florida, along with our destina- tion partners, are thrilled to partner with Michelin to develop a guide to further establish Florida as a world-renowned culinary destination,” says Dana Young, president and CEO of Visit Florida. “This gives Florida the opportunity to highlight the dynamic and unexpected culinary adventures the Sunshine State has to offer from locally grown produce and fresh seafood, to unique fusions from cultures around the world.” With more than 150 convention hotel options alone, Orlando hasn’t missed a beat. New MICE properties include the 597-room JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, located in the Walt Disney World Resort. With 50,000 sf of events space, including a 22,000-sf ballroom and exceptional views of Walt Disney World’s nightly fireworks, the hotel is ideal for VIP group experiences. In Orlando’s Medical City, just south of the Orlando International Air- port, the new Lake Nona Wave Hotel is powered by innovative technology while grounded in visitor well-being. themeetingmagazines.com 30 DECEMBER 2021 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT Joe Fijol, DMCP Principal, Ethos Event Collective Florida’s weather not only provided a wide range of outdoor options but, throughout the state, they have proven their ability to meet safely. Tampa, like many parts of Florida, offers an abundance of outdoor activities, experiences, and fantastic weather year-round that is sure to please any attendee.The property’s View Smart Win- dows use predictive intelligence to respond to outdoor conditions — eliminating any need to adjust blinds mid-meeting — voice-auto- mated in-room controls, TOTO smart toilets and Healthe Inc. Cleanse Solutions to keep surfaces sanitized. The resort has nearly 13,000 sf of flexible events space, and offers access to the 130,000- sf Lake Nona Performance Club fitness center, as well as the first- of-its-kind Chopra Mind-Body Zone and Spa headed by Dr. Deepak Chopra. Nearby, the Caribe Royale Orlando is nearing completion on a $127 million renovation and was awarded the AAA’s highly cov- eted Four Diamond distinction. In 2021, Caribe Royale opened the 50,000 sf Palms Ballroom, bring- ing the hotel’s versatile meeting and events space to 220,000 sf. The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve is the newest addition to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dol- phin Resort. It’s a standalone, 14-story building featuring 349 guest rooms — including 149 suites — that adds almost 16,000 sf of indoor meetings space, featuring two ballrooms, plus almost 14,000 sf of outdoor space. Including the existing Swan and Dolphin wings, the resort’s total meetings space has ballooned to more than 350,000 sf. SO MANY OPTIONS CNO Financial Group isn’t the only company that turned to Florida this year when other options became less feasible. Amanda Coetzee, director of corporate events for Georgia-based Kalos Financial, says her company’s annual meeting is typically based at an overseas location, such as the Carib- bean, Central America or Hawaii. “Our guests were not comfortable leaving the U.S. in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and access to medical care, if needed,” Coetzee says. “They felt comfortable meeting as a group, but within the U.S.” For her recent event, Coetzee wanted to be able to use a hotel’s outdoor venue for an awards dinner and game night. She needed a variety of food and bever- age locations for a dine-around, excur- sion options and warm weather. With abundant air access from across the U.S. also a factor, Kalos ultimately chose Orlando for the 170-attendees event, and narrowed the options to Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Resort. “The Loews Royal Pacific has the feel of a resort in the South Sea Islands,” Coetzee says. “It was reasonably priced, guests have access to the Universal theme parks, and each guest had an express pass for the rides. There was so much to do at the venue, and the guests were well entertained. Plus, the hotel was close to the airport, which is very important to my group.” Coetzee says Kalos employed a number of precautions to ensure a safe and clean event. “We made sure all our attendees were comfortable attending by sending out a health and safety email detailing how the hotel and Kalos would help create the safest conference environment possible within our means,” she says. “Masks and hand sanitizers were made available at all times during the event, and we added additional space to allow for seating that was socially distanced during the meetings and meals.” The 1,000-room Loews Royal Pacific Resort is directly connected to the meeting facilities at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, which cre- ates the Loews Meeting Complex at Universal Orlando, offering 247,000 sf of combined space. However, the one challenge Coetzee cited with the resort is the distance from the hotel rooms to the Oceana ballrooms. “It is quite a dis- tance to walk every day,” she says, add- ing that “the hotel’s service is excellent, and the staff was professional, courte- ous and easy to work with ... [The] area conference manager for Loews Hotels & Co. was key to the successful planning and execution of our conference. [And the] food and beverage sales manager at CityWalk Universal Orlando Resorts was instrumental to our planning of dine-arounds. [Representatives] from Eventures Unlimited Inc., a local DMC, handled all our transportation, excur- sions and off-site dine-arounds. They were responsive and professional, and I would recommend them to anyone planning a conference in Orlando.” When asked what she learned through the process of planning a meet- ing in 2021, Coetzee did not hesitate. “This year, we had more to celebrate than ever,” Coetzee says. “COVID-19 challenged our industry, our advisers, our partners and our clients in unimag- inable ways. While the challenges still continue, there is no doubt that people need and want to meet face to face. These events are a true reminder of the power of in-person connections.” I & FMM themeetingmagazines.com 32 DECEMBER 2021 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT • 2,619 luxurious guest rooms • 348,711 sq. ft. of meeting & event function space • 22 award-winning restaurants and lounges on-site • 128,200 sq. ft. of outdoor event space • Balinese-inspired Mandara Spa • 3 fully-equipped fitness centers • 6 Sparkling Pools • Daily fitness classes and themed activities • Marriott Bonvoy® • Exclusive Walt Disney World® Resort Benefits Complex Fast Facts: Magic ADD SOME TO YOUR NEXT Event 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 407.934.4290 | SwanDolphin.com/Meetings An Ideal Location Signature Dining Options Flexible Function Spaces Booking Your Next Program At The: All-New Walt Disney World Swan Reserve! Brandon Green Co-Organizer Bitcoin 2021 Conference Mayor Suarez and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) are excellent advocates for the city and county. The iconic Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary with hundreds of activities and events in 2021 and 2022. • 2,619 luxurious guest rooms • 348,711 sq. ft. of meeting & event function space • 22 award-winning restaurants and lounges on-site • 128,200 sq. ft. of outdoor event space • Balinese-inspired Mandara Spa • 3 fully-equipped fitness centers • 6 Sparkling Pools • Daily fitness classes and themed activities • Marriott Bonvoy® • Exclusive Walt Disney World® Resort Benefits Complex Fast Facts: Magic ADD SOME TO YOUR Event 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 407.934.4290 | SwanDolphin.com/Meetings An Ideal Location Signature Dining Options Flexible Function Spaces Booking Your Next Program At The: All-New Walt Disney World Swan Reserve! CORPORATELADDER themeetingmagazines.com 34 DECEMBER 2021 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT Discover The Palm Beaches has hired 22-year industry veteran Robin Prakash as associate vice president of group sales. Prakash will work to bring additional groups and meetings to more than 200 hotel partners throughout the county and develop new busi- ness at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Most recently, he worked as director of sales at PGA National Resort & Spa. The Hollywood Roosevelt has hired Nina Dela Fuente as director of sales and marketing. Her last position was working with the Kimpton Everly Hollywood, but Dela Fuente is famil- iar with The Hollywood Roosevelt as she worked there for three years starting in 2012. She also has worked at The Redbury, Hol- lywood and Vine, and other hotels. PRA has promoted Lindsay Breining to global sales director. Before this position, she worked in sales for PRA Northern Califor- nia. In her new role as part of the global sales team, she will work on managing current accounts and supporting clients while also focusing on driving sales and gaining new business opportunities. Tarrytown House Estate Hotel has hired Julianne Juergens as director of sales & marketing. With more than 30 years of expe- rience, she began her career as a corporate sales manager with luxury brands such as Kempinski, Swissotel and Inter-Continen- tal Hotels & Resorts. Most recently, she led the corporate sales effort for Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa. The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe appointed Laurie Munos as director of sales and marketing. Munos, who has more than 25 years of experience, began her career at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii. Most recently, she was the area sales leader for The San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, San Jose Marriott, Sacramento Sheraton Grand Hotel and the San Ramon Marriott. Sheraton Dallas has hired Dave Swift as director of sales and marketing. This industry veteran has three decades of experience. His most recent role was as director of sales and marketing at the Marriott Marquis Houston. In his new role, he will oversee the hotel’s sales and marketing departments, implement brand initia- tives and communications, manage marketing strategies and more. Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel appointed Amanda Kaneski as destination sales executive. With more than 12 years of experience, Kaneski did work in the group sales division for the hotel for four years. She went on to work as the senior sales executive working with large group sales at the Marriott Marquis Chicago in 2017 before her newest position. The New Orleans Marriott and Sheraton New Orleans Hotel have brought on Jennifer Toups as senior sales executive. Four- teen years ago, she began her career working with Marriott Inter- national. She joined the New Orleans Marriott in 2013 and began working as a global accounts manager for Marriott’s Convention Resort Network in 2020. Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa has appointed Alexandra Santa as director of group sales. Santa has more than 10 years of experience in the industry, having worked for the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa in California for most of her career. She began her journey in the industry at Andaz San Diego. The Broadmoor has hired industry veteran Karen Perryman as director of national accounts for the Mid-Atlantic region. Before this, she was at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach for 11 years. She has also worked at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia; Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London; the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere throughout her long career. I & FMM your event can MAKE A DIFFERENCE Atlantis is proud to support World Central Kitchen (WCK) and their mission to use the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. When you hold your event at Atlantis you can help further the humanitarian efforts of World Central Kitchen. Simply choose the WCK banquet option and a donation will be made in your organization’s name along with a matching donation from Atlantis. MEETINGS • INCENTIVES • CONVENTIONS • EVENTS For more information visit MeetingsAtAtlantis.com or call 800.722.2449 SANTAPERRYMAN SWIFTMUNOS TOUPSKANESKI JUERGENSBREINING DELA FUENTEPRAKASHyour event can MAKE A DIFFERENCE Atlantis is proud to support World Central Kitchen (WCK) and their mission to use the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. When you hold your event at Atlantis you can help further the humanitarian efforts of World Central Kitchen. Simply choose the WCK banquet option and a donation will be made in your organization’s name along with a matching donation from Atlantis. MEETINGS • INCENTIVES • CONVENTIONS • EVENTS For more information visit MeetingsAtAtlantis.com or call 800.722.2449Next >