< PreviousNo doubt one of the reasons Las Vegas checks all the boxes for Kindness is the community’s ability to turn on a dime, as she learned for a corporate client’s event she planned for 575 attendees that took place in the summer. “The event was decided upon in April, with only 2-1/2 months to plan. With national hotel demand at an all-time high emerging from the pandemic, and only limited supply, Las Vegas was able to accommodate the event at the five-star Wynn Las Vegas.” She continues, “Wynn Las Vegas boasts 560,000 sf of conference space, complete with turnkey conference services,” Kindness says. “With its world-renowned fine dining, nightclubs and event space, the property was a determining factor for a cli- ent’s high-touch event. Challenges mostly stemmed from the short booking and planning window, but the hotel was very accommodating, and the support of PRA’s team made the process seamless and laid the foundation for a memorable experience for the guests.” The event did incorporate a number of off-site activities, and Kindness says finding suitable diversions can be difficult in the heat of the Las Vegas summer. “Keeping guests comfort- able while taking them off-site was integral to the success of event,” she says. “The activities we landed on were held both on- and off-site and included Topgolf, go karting, Meow Wolf at AREA15, as well as a CSR activity of Hearts Hero’s on-site at Wynn, where participants made superhero capes and care packages for local children’s hospitals. The first evening was held on-site at the XS Nightclub, transforming the nightclub space into a cabaret lounge with a distinct art-deco theme.” She continues, “Two additional evenings were held at Sky- fall at Delano with a James Bond, 007 theme complete with Bond girls and villains and a Sean Connery impersonator. The event concluded on a high with the final evening at OMNIA at Caesars Palace. The impressive interactive chandelier and silk aerial performers surprised and delighted the audience.” Refreshing Upgrades Existing properties are hardly resting on their laurels. Caesars Palace has launched a multimillion-dollar renova- tion of the original main entrance, main casino and porte- cochère to create an extravagant entryway, redesigned gam- ing areas and a new lobby bar. The main entrance to the prop- erty is being entirely rebuilt from the ground up, resulting in an arrival experience fit for a Caesar, matching the glamour of the property’s hotel lobby. Once completed, guests will be welcomed by a soaring dome and barreled ceiling over a 15-foot statue of Augustus Caesar. Most of the project is set to wrap up by New Year’s Eve. Also coming to Caesars: Stanton Social Prime, from Chef Chris San- tos, a new dining concept set to open this winter adjacent to OMNIA Las Vegas Nightclub. This new restau- rant will feature iconic menu items from the original Stanton Social res- taurant in New York’s Lower East Side, known for its spectacular shar- able dishes featuring prime meats. Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in neighboring Summerlin, announced plans to elevate its dining scene, entertainment offerings and gaming experiences with all-new additions to the resort. New concepts underway include the famed Thai restaurant, Lotus of Siam, an all-new Greek restaurant, Naxos Taverna, and an oyster bar, as well as a cocktail lounge and adult-only pool. Located on the north side of the resort, the new restaurants will converge to create a dynamic addition to the resort’s restaurant row. Red Rock features a dedicated conference center that included five ballrooms and 15 break- out rooms — 100,000 sf of indoor-outdoor meeting space in all. The aforementioned Wynn is another Strip icon wrapping up a series of upgrades. Just recently, a new room concept across Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Tower Suites was com- pleted. The project was the largest and most extensive design evolution ever made to the tower’s 2,674 guest rooms, suites, elevator lobbies and resort tower corridors. The new rooms feature new furniture, fixtures, lighting and artwork, and are intended to provide guests with a sense of escapism. Wash- rooms have been reconfigured, dressing areas are expanded, and power and data ports, and touchless in-room technolo- gies, have been added. In 2020, Wynn opened a new 430,000- sf meeting and convention expansion, more than doubling the space at Wynn and Encore. And last year, it was curtains Photo courtesy of SAHARA Las Vegas SAHARA Las Vegas offers more than 80,000 sf of flexible meeting space, which includes a number of indoor, outdoor and unique spaces for any size event. 50 August/September 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com PICASSO AT BELLAGIO YOU HAD TO BE HERE. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR EVENT WITH MGM RESORTS, VISIT MGMRESORTS.COM IS WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER PICASSO AT BELLAGIO YOU HAD TO BE HERE. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR EVENT WITH MGM RESORTS, VISIT MGMRESORTS.COM IS WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHERup for two new dining venues: A modern day supper club, Delilah at Wynn Las Vegas, inspired by 1950s showrooms and supper clubs of Las Vegas, and Casa Playa, a coastal Mexican concept located adjacent to the Encore Beach Club. Always a Draw Planners looking for an upscale setting with a central Strip location may want to consider MGM’s ARIA Resort & Casino, as did Toni M. Ebra, director of operations for Edu- cational Symposia. The medical education company provides physicians and health-care workers with symposia to meet continuing educational requirements. The company’s meet- ings are held around the country, but for the annual Practi- cal Approach to Surgical Pathology held in mid-spring, she looked to Las Vegas, where she has conducted many previous events. “Las Vegas is always a draw for this group of physi- cians,” says Ebra, who uses only a destination’s top hotels. “There is something for everyone — shows, food, nightlife and an easy in/out airport with plenty of flights. ARIA has a great location being in the center of the Strip, and as one of the top-tier Strip properties, we use this hotel often.” Ebra notes that her groups require a ceiling height of at least 14 feet. “This can be difficult ask for a group of less than 100, but ARIA has spacious meeting rooms with high ceilings and great acoustics — it’s perfect for medical education.” Although Ebra is a regular in Las Vegas, she has experienced challenges on the back side of the pandemic. “Don’t expect a pre-pan- demic experience,” she says. “We had a cocktail hour for the speakers, and it was very hard to find a bar or restaurant that would accommodate 10 people on a Friday night. Real estate and staff is still limited, and you’ll have to pay a premium for what is up and running. I think hotels are still struggling to get their footing — service and staffing levels are not what they were.” Jeannine Mason, director of marketing communications for Quidel Corporation, says she experienced no problems planning a mid-spring event, also held at ARIA. “It was the perfect venue, and we look forward to returning for future events,” Mason says. “We had attendees arriving from all over the U.S., as well as international, and the location of ARIA made for easy transfers from the Las Vegas airport.” Quidel Corporation, a San Diego-based diagnostic health- care manufacturer, used the conference facilities at ARIA for its annual sales meeting. “It’s a large conference center with many meeting room options, which easily accommodated our group,” Mason says. “Working with the MGM Events team afforded our group limitless options for décor. Their extensive warehouse provided us incredible inspiration and unique options to decorate the venue specifically for our event and bring the vision of our meeting to life.” Mason calls the accommodations at ARIA first-class, and the hotel offered spa and restaurant options for the group to enjoy when meeting activities concluded. “The advantage of working with ARIA is the wide range of restaurants and enter- tainment options right inside the resort. We were able to take over the Jewel nightclub one evening and host a fantastic party with fine food, a comedian for opening entertainment and a live DJ — all coordinated by the great ARIA staff.” Mason contin- ues, “In addition to the many attractions within ARIA, we were able to take advantage of others around Las Vegas, including golf, hiking, horseback riding, helicopter tours and fine dining all over the city. We offered our guests a menu of activities to choose from, and all came back raving about their experiences.” Las Vegas truly is the destination with something for every meeting planner and attendee. As Ebra notes: “You can’t beat the physical meeting space in Las Vegas — it was built to hold meetings.” C&IT ARIA Resort & Casino offers 500,000 sf of versatile meeting and event space. Courtesy of MGM 52 August/September 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Fontainebleau Las Vegas will introduce a new brand of hospitality to the Las Vegas Strip, built upon more than five decades of classic beauty and unparalleled service. TONY YOUSFI, Senior Vice President of Sales, Catering and Events, Fontainebleau Las VegasA SHORT WALK TO success Get from your room to one of our iconic meeting spaces in minutes! No need to walk through acres of property to get to where you need to go. Here at SAHARA, we’re giving you a shortcut to success. 2535 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.761.7111 | saharalasvegas.com/meetings-eventsANYTHING BUT BUSINESS AS USUAL caesarsmeansbusiness.com | 855-633-8238Offering Plenty of Sun and Fun for Meeting Attendees BY MAURA KELLER E ach year, thousands of meeting planners are drawn to everything Florida has to offer in the meetings and events space. From intimate soirees in Miami Beach to large festive gath- erings at one of the many Disney resorts in Orlando, to beachfront experiences on Amelia Island, Florida simply can’t be beat for its menu of offerings for today’s meetings and events. Jacksonville When Rochelle Frederick, meeting planner & executive assistant at a company based in Winter Springs, Florida, sought a “go-to” destination for a meeting for her company, she was drawn to Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville, thanks to its full-ser- vice convention location — meaning they had everything the company’s team needed in one place. “They had the meeting space — we needed a large area — and they had additional spaces for breakout rooms and for catering,” Frederick says. “We also liked the fact that they had on-site A/V, and they had shipping and receiving through FedEx, so FedEx was also able to provide and install our signage. Most impor- tantly, the event-planning team was on point and provided us with all the information we needed. They answered all of our questions and addressed any concerns we had during the planning stages, and it was all done professionally.” Frederick also chose Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa because of the ease of access and one particular available activity: “We specifically liked that Ponte Vedra Beach is right in the middle of several major golf courses,” Frederick says. Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa is an ideal hotel for meetings and events, offering groups more than 90,000 sf of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, ample options for room configuration, special access to championship golf courses and an excellent location. The ballroom space is con- densed on one level, conveniently located just steps from the main lobby, and the two largest ballrooms come with a built- in registration desk and lockable storage offices. “Meeting Florida 56 August/September 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com DESTINATION REPORT planners are only seconds away from the action while coor- dinating events featuring expert event-manager and event- concierge teams,” says Aaron Weegar, director of sales & marketing at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa. This winter, the property will see a series of exciting upgrades. The resort’s meeting spaces will receive a full refresh, bringing a new modern and neutral ambiance to the ballrooms, breakout rooms and pre-function areas. The Villas at Sawgrass, which offer resort-style accommodations and home-like amenities with room to relax, will be upgraded with a new design inspired by the region’s mineral-rich his- tory, to match that of the ballroom spaces. A new upscale rooftop beachside restaurant at the resort’s private Cabana Beach Club will open, offering fresh seafood, small plates, elevated cocktails and fine wines to go with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, the entire Cabana Beach Club dining experience will be reimagined with a new build- ing, new menus and the reopening of Sea Porch restaurant. “At the Sawgrass Marriott, we have an unbeatable location for golfers looking to get out on a renowned TPC course, a variety of accommodation types to suit various needs, flexible meeting space, a private beach club, plus a beautiful, tranquil property covered with mature oak trees,” Weegar says. “Our unique, open-air, event venues offer a curated experience unlike any other, and we truly have something for everyone.” Orlando Casandra Matej, president & CEO of Visit Orlando, says Orlando is a destination that continues to offer a wealth of options for meeting planners. In fact, the area has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. “We have more than 480 hotels and resorts, including more than 150 convention hotel properties, across every taste and budget, offering more than 5.8 million sf of event space, in addition to our award-winning Orange County Convention Center,” Matej says. And as far as dining, for the first time, 34 Orlando restau- rants will be recognized by the upcoming Florida MICHELIN guide. In addition to those dining gems, Orlando boasts more than 6,000 restaurants. “When it comes to entertain- ment, Orlando is second to none. Our destination continues to unveil theme-park expansions, thrilling new attractions beyond the parks, and a world-class performing arts center welcoming national live acts,” Matej says, also touting Orlan- do’s growing, walkable Convention District. Orlando has welcomed several new properties, including The Swan Reserve at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, Lake Nona Wave Hotel, AC Hotel Orlando Downtown and Tru by Hilton Orlando Convention Center Area. Renovated and reimagined properties with meeting enhancements include the Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando World Center Marriott and Hyatt Regency Orlando. In addition, new venues offer a combination of entertainment and unique meeting space or options for buyouts. Some favorites among meeting planners include “Drawn to Life” presented by Cirque du Soleil and Disney at Disney Springs. The show combines Disney animation and awe-inspiring performances and is available for group buyouts. Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opened early this year in the heart of downtown Orlando. The hall is available for groups and can Courtesy of Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista A hot-air balloon floats near Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista - Disney Springs Area. The resort offers a total of 78,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space, which includes everything from 22 breakout rooms and grand ballrooms, to private patios. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2022 57accommodate 850 for a reception, 600 for a banquet and 1,700 theater-style. The meeting venues within Orlando pride themselves on meeting the needs of planners and attendees alike. For example, at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, the team takes great pride in the mentality of “If you want it, they’ll find a way to make it happen.” As Jim Curtis, director of sales & marketing at Walt Disney World Swan and Dol- phin, explains, the resort has more than 348,000 sf of meet- ing space on the property, which gives the venue a large canvas to work with, and the creativity their teams put into designing experiences is really astounding. “Beyond our indoor meeting rooms, we offer extensive outdoor space fea- turing a variety of different ambiances, including our private beach, lakeside terrace and causeway connecting the Swan and Dolphin,” Curtis says. “We can do a range of unique and memorable events, including a private Food & Wine festival, re-creating the one we host annually at the hotel.” And, of course, the Swan and Dolphin resort is in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort, where attendees are just minutes away from EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. By hosting a meeting with them through Disney Meetings & Events, groups have access to the “Disney Difference” to be able to host private events inside the theme parks, such as EPCOT’s World Showcase or Hollywood Studio’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. It’s also important to note that, at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, they offer three unique properties, featuring three different Marriott brands: Autograph Collection, Westin and Sheraton.“We offer the best of all worlds,” Curtis says.“From small meetings to massive trade shows, we can create cus- tomized programs to create a truly memorable and produc- tive experience for virtually any group.” Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin recently added a third property to its complex, the aforementioned Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. The Swan Reserve offers 349 rooms, all featuring a captivating design and incredible floor- to-ceiling views of the resort. Of those rooms, 149 are suites complete with a large table, two 65-inch HDTVs and exten- sive A/V, perfect for small breakouts or executive meetings. In total, the property has more than 15,000 sf of meeting space, including two modern ballrooms, 12 meeting rooms and more than 13,000 sf of outdoor event space. To top it all off, the entire top floor of the Swan Reserve is dedicated event space featuring floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of Walt Disney World Resort, including all four parks and mul- tiple fireworks shows. “It truly is like nothing else, located in a place like nowhere else,” Curtis says. Another favorite Disney resort meetings and events destination is Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista - Disney Springs Area. Attendees can gather in style in the resort’s many indoor and outdoor meetings and events spaces that encompass 78,000 sf. From 22 breakout rooms to grand ballrooms to private patios, there is ample space for groups of all sizes. In addition, meeting attendees can access special Disney benefits, and an expert meetings and events team can work with outside meeting planners to bring it all together. As part of its $125 million rei- magination, nearby Caribe Royale Orlando recently debuted a signifi- cant expansion to its event space with the addition of the Palms Ball- room, which provides 50,000 sf of additional event space designed to host large conventions and corporate gatherings. All 220,000 sf of Caribe Royale’s versatile meetings and events space is located on a single level — something most planners and attendees appreciate. New highlights of Caribe Royale’s enhanced meetings and events program include exciting and elevated catering offerings, all designed with a focus on creating engaging and interactive culinary experi- ences for attendees. “As a privately owned resort, Caribe Royale Orlando offers planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create standout events. At our resort, there is no event idea that is ‘too big’ or out of the question,” says Amaury Piedra, manag- ing director, Caribe Royale Orlando. “We’ve made it our mis- sion to thoughtfully and completely customize each of our offerings to meet the diverse range of groups we work with. From the moment your attendees step on-site, they receive ‘the Royale Treatment,’ which extends to every aspect of their stay. Our reimagined resort and events experience couldn’t be possible without our team of brilliant and creative hospital- ity professionals, who make planning effortless and help to develop events that exceed all expectations.” Courtesy of Aaron Weegar Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa offers more than 90,000 sf of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, as well as special access to championship golf courses. 58 August/September 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.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.Next >