< PreviousOpen for Business For more than a year now, the mes- sage from the state of Florida to meet- ings planners and vacationers alike has been loud and clear: We’re open for business. Any pandemic-related rules that were in place to mandate social distancing, limit capacity or restrict non-essential travel were ended in early fall 2020, when Gov. Ron DeSan- tis’ Phase Three of the Plan for Flori- da’s Recovery was put into effect. Per- haps no U.S. city has benefitted from the aggressive reopening plan as much as Orlando. Plus, during the pandemic, projects continued, producing a roster of new facilities, upgrades and expan- sions. Among the most notable: The Caribe Royale Orlando com- pleted a $127 million renovation that not only gives the property a contem- porary new look, but adds the 50,000- sf Palms Ballroom. All 1,215 one-bed- room suites have been reimagined, and new amenities and services have been added, plus the reception build- ing has been redesigned with new check-in desks and technology, plus a large Starbucks and new lounge, the Rum Bar by Bacardi. The property now has 220,000 sf of total meeting space, including four ballrooms and a bevy of breakout rooms. In 2021, the Hyatt Regency Orlando completed a $20 million renovation of its meetings space that touched five ballrooms, more than 100 break- out rooms and all foyer space. The 315,000 sf of versatile meetings and events space now has a contemporary design that highlights the natural col- ors of Florida and includes new car- pet, wall coverings, artwork, lighting fixtures and seating with communal tables. A new Regency Lounge is per- fect for reception or dinners for up to 70 people, with doors that open onto an outdoor patio. Two large LED walls were added at the registration desk that groups can use to customize messag- ing for attendees. As part of an ongoing renovation to be completed this year, Orlando World Center Marriott is fully renovating its 2,010 guest rooms and Grand Ballroom, and will add 24 additional breakout rooms, providing a total of 450,000 sf of flexible events space, including indoor and outdoor options. A new waterpark opening this year, River Falls, features three waterslides and a 575-foot lazy river, and the resort’s new nightly poolside Laser Light Show can be customized for group events. The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve is the newest addition to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. It’s a standalone, 14-story build- ing featuring 349 guest rooms — includ- ing 149 suites — that adds almost 16,000 sf of indoor meeting space, featuring two ballrooms and almost 14,000 sf of outdoor space. Including the existing Swan and Dolphin wings, the resort’s total meeting space has ballooned to more than 350,000 sf. And, JW Marriott recently debuted a second flag for the brand in the area, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa. The location, at the edge of the Walt Disney World Resort property, calls for a different approach from the elite JW name, to capture some of the family mar- ket headed to the Disney parks. This means Family Suites, custom-designed for multigenerational groups, and fam- ily activities such as a rooftop 9-hole mini-golf course, a rock-climbing wall and a conservatory with daily chil- dren’s activities. A Warm-Weather Destination Although the new JW Marriott has a smaller meetings footprint than might be expected for a 516-room, business-oriented hotel — 50,000 sf of event space — the overall package was “very impressive” for James Walsh, marketing events manager for the North American Partners in Anesthesia. For the company’s first annual Clinical Leadership Summit since the start of the pandemic, held early this year, Walsh needed a warm- weather destination with nonstop flight options, a hotel partner that could roll with attrition, and a setting that would appeal to a special demographic. “I work with a lot of physicians, and they have a very particular kind of taste in what they want to experience at a hotel,” Walsh says. “They want an elevated feel, nothing dated; they want to feel they’re being catered to and, being who they are, they don’t want to stay at a Disney resort. At the JW Marriott, there are no pastel greens, so it doesn’t look like Courtesy of Caribe Royale Orlando Caribe Royale Orlando recently completed a $127 million renovation that brings its total meetings space to 220,000 sf. 60 February/March 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com WHEN NAVIGATING TODAY’S MEETINGS, EXPERIENCE MATTERS. LEARN MORE AT ORLANDOMEETING.COM Orlando is leading the way with the industry’s recovery by continuing to do what we do best—hosting incredible meetings. In fact, we’ve hosted over 200 events since July 2020 at our award-winning Orange County Convention Center alone. And now, with Orlando’s convention district having undergone some of its greatest enhancements to date, there are more new restaurants, entertainment venues and remodeled hotels within walking distance. Paired with world-famous attractions and elevated health and safety standards, there’s never been a better time to meet in Orlando. Orlando simply checks all the boxes for our conferences. As an event executive, Orlando provides me with fresh and exciting opportunities. LEONA LABRUYERE, CMP Director of Events EMPG, LLCWHEN NAVIGATING TODAY’S MEETINGS, EXPERIENCE MATTERS. LEARN MORE AT ORLANDOMEETING.COM Orlando is leading the way with the industry’s recovery by continuing to do what we do best—hosting incredible meetings. In fact, we’ve hosted over 200 events since July 2020 at our award-winning Orange County Convention Center alone. And now, with Orlando’s convention district having undergone some of its greatest enhancements to date, there are more new restaurants, entertainment venues and remodeled hotels within walking distance. Paired with world-famous attractions and elevated health and safety standards, there’s never been a better time to meet in Orlando.a Florida retirement home. It gave me neutral tones, so the space felt very modern, and although it’s technically on the Disney property, there’s not a trace of Disney.” Walsh continues: “It’s a resort that will impress everyone. Yes, a big portion of that is that it’s a brand new space — you can tell hundreds of people haven’t stayed in your room yet. It’s a great space, and not a huge property with a disconnect between sleeping areas and where you have your conference.” But a lot of the service Walsh received was simple reassurance that all was going to go smoothly, and then delivering on that promise. “It wasn’t until I got there that I realized how much support I was going to receive from everyone, that we were all in this together. It never felt like things were my problem, and when I needed someone to talk things through with, my event manager ... was right there to support me. She was my right-hand, my go-to for everything.” Walsh notes that, until the start of the event, he didn’t know for sure how many of the scheduled attendees would show up. “Flights were getting canceled, so I didn’t know how to get the order right on food,” Walsh says. “I was anticipating 10% to not show up, but we actually had more arrive than we expected and needed more food. Every person on the hotel staff and in catering talked to me, said ‘Hello,’ and we had a lot of comments about good the food was.” The measure of a successful con- ference? “I came out of the event and every single one of my executive lead- ers came back to me and said, ‘We’re doing this event here next year, right?’” Plenty of Entertainment Options Nearby, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek was the setting for a conference that also took place early this year. Anne Campbell, CMP, team lead, events and awards at Ohio National Financial Services, was deep into final preparations for an 80-person Agency Builders Con- ference set for late winter. “The hotel [was] absolutely wonderful in pro- viding solutions to any concerns we raised as we return to meeting in per- son,” Campbell says. “The Wyndham is a great match for us with the meet- ing space we need, where even with a smaller group, we can still be the big fish in the house. Almost all of the meeting space is on one level, sepa- rate from the hotel and leisure space. There is a wonderful, nice- sized foyer outside of the ballroom that we love for breaks, and [we had] our group break- fasts and lunches in a sunny inside area that walks out to the pool deck, so our guests experienced the beautiful Florida sunshine even when they were indoors.” The 400-room Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek is located on an inholding within Walt Disney World, and offers more than 50,000 sf of flexible indoor and outdoor function space, including the Ponce de Leon Ballroom, which can be divided into seven sections. The resort is one of the few properties both man- aged and owned by Wyndham; a Wyn- dham-managed time-share is adjacent, and guests of both properties can use the facilities — pools, restaurants and bars — of the other. Naturally, Orlando’s weather is a prime drawing card for the Midwest- based attendees. “Florida is very invit- ing in February,” Campbell says. “We have found Orlando to be a great city for this annual conference due to its unique offerings. Our attendees like the fact that airport transfers aren’t very long. Addi- tionally, while this conference is mostly business, we try to go off-site for dinner one night, as well as host group activi- ties one afternoon to build in some lei- sure networking time for our attendees. Disney Springs offers a variety of options for an off-site dinner venue, and Orlando provides so many recreational opportu- nities that it’s actually hard to narrow down to just two to three choices.” Extracurricular activities included a golf scramble at Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Course, and a group went to EPCOT one afternoon. “We made the decision to not invite spouses this year to allow more social distancing in room sets for both business sessions and meal func- tions,” Campbell says. “The hotel gave us the choice to have attendant-served buffets and break stations, which we happily took them up on. Our [conven- tion services manager was] extremely Courtesy of Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek offers more than 50,000 sf of flexible indoor and outdoor function space. 62 February/March 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Florida is very inviting in February. We have found Orlando to be a great city for this annual conference due to its unique offerings. ANNE CAMPBELL, CMP Team Lead, Events and Awards Ohio National Financial ServicesTriple The Points, Triple The Options *O er valid for new business booked by June 30, 2022 and consumed by December 31, 2023. Cannot be combined with any other o er. O er expires June 30, 2022. We also reserve the right to end this o er at any time. Other restrictions may apply. Contact us for complete o er details. swandolphin.com/meetings 407.934.4290 • Unparalleled portfolio of 3 extraordinary hotels with spacious indoor and open-air venues. • 2,619 luxurious guest rooms and suites • 348,711 sq. ft. of meeting and function space • 22 restaurants and lounges on-site • Exclusive Walt Disney World® Resort Benefits We invite you to meaningful, productive meetings in-person. For any events or group bookings contracted by June 30, 2022, for arrival through December 31, 2023, we are o ering: Triple Marriott Bonvoy™ points on eligible meetings.helpful in coordinating with all in-house departments so we only [had] to worry about getting her the information and know she [got] it in the right hands.” This year’s gathering was the com- pany’s first in two years, and the hotel went “above and beyond” to work with the group when they weren’t ready to meet in person in 2021. “This experi- ence was so positive, not only did we contract for 2022, but we also con- tracted for 2023,” Campbell says. Great for Large Events Of course, with its wealth of large meeting properties and entertainment options, Orlando is also a prime tar- get for city-wide events, a major rea- son Tanya Feldman, senior account executive with ITA Group, chose the city for a manufacturing company’s 9,100-attendee Franchisee Confer- ence last August. “Several factors make Orlando very attractive — the size of hotels and meeting space, the family draw, good airlift and partners who do a good job with large groups,” says Feld- man, who adds, “One of the biggest is the options for entertainment for a large group. We have used Universal and SeaWorld in the past, and this time we used Magic Kingdom. It was definitely a team effort between all parties, includ- ing Disney Event Group and ACCESS DMC, but the event was a huge hit.” The client’s conference was origi- nally set for 2020, but in June of that year, it was moved to 2021. “The biggest impact that the pandemic had was that we needed to have multiple back up plans in place — it was a constant mov- ing target. We joked that we had plan A, plan B and plan C — and probably a few more — and we didn’t know which one we were going to use until the day of.” ITA Group used the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center as the base hotel, with overflow going to Orlando World Center Marriott and four Dis- ney resorts. Guests staying at Gaylord Palms enjoyed the fruits of a just-com- pleted, $158 million resort expansion. The project added more than 100,000 sf of new meetings space, more than 300 new guest rooms and new outdoor meetings spaces, including a terrace venue and an event lawn. The resort’s water park was expanded with an “action river” attraction that guests can enjoy when taking a break or finished with meetings. In total, Gaylord Palms now has 1,718 guest rooms and more than 500,000 sf of meetings and events space. “The new guest rooms and meet- ing space have only increased the value of this property for group business,” Feldman says. “I would also highlight their F&B capabilities. We were a com- plete buy-out of the hotel, but had sev- eral other properties as well, so our F&B numbers were closer to 9,000 and they delivered. They were flexible through- out the planning process and willing to work together to make sure that it was a positive experience for everyone.” Feldman adds, “We have a strong partnership with Gaylord Palms, and they continually deliver an amazing experience for us and our attendees. They have buy-in from their general manager and senior leadership on down. One thing that really stands out is their willingness to listen. Very rarely, if at all, do you hear ‘We can’t do that,’ or ‘No.’ I know that not all of our requests are easy or even realistic, but I appreciate that they are willing to have a discussion around the topic and come to an agreement that is accept- able for everyone. Feldman concludes: “They are com- pletely invested in the success of your event. During a very challenging time in our industry, it was great to know that it truly was a partnership.” C&IT Courtesy of Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center now offers more than 500,000 sf of meetings space. Caribe Royale Orlando’s outdoor space allows attendees to enjoy the outstanding Florida weather — especially in the winter. 64 February/March 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comDiscover a different level of luxury during your next gathering at the all-new Caribe Royale Orlando. Emerging from a $127 million renovation project that’s touched immersive atmospheres and innovative experiences, this Floridian-inspired destination brings productivity, play and imagination together like never before. • 220,000 + sq. ft. of meeting & event space, including the new 50,000 sq. ft. Palms Ballroom • New networking spaces, including an on-property Starbucks® & Rum Bar by Bacardi® • 1,335 newly reimagined one-bedroom suites & two-bedroom villas • Team of creative meeting professionals bringing your vision to life CARIBEROYALEMEETINGS.COM 407 2388000 IMAGINE YOUR ORLANDO MEETING EFFORTLESSLY ReimaginedTEJEDAYOUSFIHENDRICKSJASZCZYKPATERSON ON THE MOVE // Omni Hotels & Resorts, slated to open in the spring of next year, has selected Gus Tejeda as director of sales & marketing. Tejeda has been in the hospitality industry for more than two decades, most recently as the director of marketing at Four Seasons Las Vegas. Fontainebleau Las Vegas has hired Tony Yousfias its SVP, sales, catering & conference services. With almost two decades of experience, Yousfihas worked with Carver Road Hospitality as chief growth officer, at ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa as VP of sales, and at The Bellagio Resort & Casino as national sales manager. Signia by Hilton San Jose has appointed Catherine Hendricks as its complex director of sales and market- ing. Hendricks, who has been with Hil- ton for a decade, will oversee Signia by Hilton San Jose and Hilton San Jose. Before working with Hilton, she worked with DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pleas- anton at the Club, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Modesto and elsewhere. The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, has hired Anna Jaszczyk as director of sales & marketing. Before this, she worked with The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago as director of group sales. Her career in the hospitality industry includes working for Marriott International and The Hotel Chicago. The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California, has chosen Ryan Paterson as director of sales and marketing. Pat- erson has worked with Hilton for more than 16 years, holding positions at var- ious locations, including Hilton Denver City Center; Hilton Portland Downtown; The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel; The Diplomat Resort and Spa; Hilton Anaheim and elsewhere. C&IT 66 February/March 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com 888.671.1756 or info@sanctuaryaz.com SanctuaryAZ.com | Scottsdale, AZ Inspire your group with exclusive meetings in a spectacular setting, featuring casita-style accommodations and private villas along with an impressive diversity of indoor and outdoor space and activity options. Welcome back to paradise “World’s Best: Top 15 Resort Hotels in the West” – Travel + Leisure, 2020 “Readers’ Choice: Top 20 Destination Spa Resorts in the United States” – Condé Nast Traveler, 2020FOR SAFETY INFORMATION VISIT UOMEETINGSANDEVENTS . COM Meetings & Events Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2021 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.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. For more information visit MeetingsAtAtlantis.com or call 800.722.2449Next >