< PreviousPlenty of Luxury For an event late last year, Bell says the Miami-Fort Lau- derdale area offered multiple luxury hotels to choose from, each offering its own character. The client, a multinational independent investment bank and financial services company, chose The Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. “We were specifically looking for a hotel that was its own destination, so attendees didn’t feel like they had to venture out,” Bell says. “This was important, as the U.S. was still working through COVID. Even though the meeting was in Florida, this is a California headquartered company and people were still hesitant to travel — the safety and well-being of the client’s attendees was top priority. We felt that, given the size of the resort, we could maximize social distancing while taking advantage of its abundant outdoor meeting space and venues.” The client also had other requirements: They wanted exclusivity for their 250 attendees, and to not worry about competing events in the same meeting space, they wanted indoor-outdoor spaces, and natural light was extremely important. A hybrid event was not an option — the face-to- face component was pivotal to the gathering’s success. Bell says a personal priority was also making sure the company selected a venue that was fully open and operat- ing with its full staff. “I reached out to the resort’s general manager and to [a senior sales executive], and we discussed the need for a successful program. They assured me that the team was committed to execute our program and that they were excited to have us. This gave me 100% confidence that the meeting would be executed at the highest level, and that is exactly what happened.” She continues: “COVID was wind- ing down and Florida had stayed open,” Bell says. “Being a California-based company, they wanted to be able to social distance while taking advantage of all of the outdoor meeting space. We were the only group in-house over our dates, so we could spread out.” Florida no longer had a mask mandate, but The Diplomat staff was still wearing masks, which helped align with Califor- nia’s protocols, allowing attendees to feel safe, and the group also conducted daily testing. “Everyone on staff was ready and willing to plan and execute a successful event. The employees were happy to be working and went out of their way to make the event special,” Bell says. “Management was a huge sup- port to our team — they recognized our vision and executed it perfectly.” Located in Hollywood, between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, the 1,000-room Diplomat Beach Resort offers 209,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces, and includes an on-site convention center, four ballrooms, a 50,000-sf Great Hall, and 39 individual breakout/meeting rooms. Just a bit north in Palm Beach County, the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in April was reconfirmed for the eighth consecu- tive time to Forbes Travel Guide’s list of 5-star Florida hotels. With more than 30,000 sf of meeting and event space, the resort accommodates groups from 10 to 1,000 and offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor venues for private events. Eau Palm Beach Resort also recently completed a multimil- lion-dollar renovation to common areas, starting with a new pool area designed to evoke the Riviera lifestyle. The palm- fringed, adults-only Tranquility Pool features new seating areas, cabanas and daybeds, and a seated bar for cold-pressed juices and imaginative cocktails; the reimagined Family Pool emphasizes lighthearted fun, with family-friendly cabanas and a new splash pad. The resort also features six reimagined culinary outlets, four of which are entirely new concepts: a coffee shop, ice cream parlor, spa cafe and sushi bar. Other convention resorts in the area include The Break- ers Palm Beach, which offers 80,000 sf of meeting space; The Boca Raton, which also offers 80,000 sf of meeting space at its Mizner Center; Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, which offers 12,000 sf of meeting space; and Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, which offers 21,000 sf of meeting space. The Palm Beach County region consists of 39 distinct cities and towns and offers the best in golf, spas, dining and entertainment. The area also boasts 47 miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches, more than 160 dive sites, more than 160 golf courses, and more than 80 parks and natural areas, in addition to wild- life sanctuaries, including Loggerhead Marinelife Center and Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. Right on the Beach For an inaugural client meeting in mid-spring this year, R&Q Accredited chose the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, just southeast of Jackson- ville and next door to the TPC Sawgrass golf club. The resort offers traditional hotel rooms and suites, plus family-friendly villas set against miles of pristine beachfront. “We liked that Ponte Vedra is on the beach and right in the middle of several major golf courses,” says Rochelle Frederick, CAP, executive assistant to the CEO. “The Sawgrass Marriott is a full-service convention location, meaning they had everything we needed in-place.” The resort offers more than 90,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including the 15,741-sf Champions Ballroom and 22 breakout rooms. “We also liked fact that they had on-site A/V, and ship- ping and receiving through FedEx, and FedEx was also able to provide and install our signage. Most importantly, the themeetingmagazines.com 30 OCTOBER 2022 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT ThePalmBeaches.com/Meetings BRING THE BEST TO THE TABLE Collaboration happens naturally when you meet in person. But in The Palm Beaches, turn collaboration into camaraderie. Feed creativity with the best in outdoor venues, event spaces and world-class experiences that set the tone for success. Serve up elevated meetings, between-the-sessions. 235-22 Groups Ad for I&FMM.indd 19/6/22 11:15 AM ANTHONY COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHY / COURTESY OF ROCHELLE FREDERICK R&Q Accredited held a client meeting at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, in Ponte Vedra Beach just southeast of Jacksonville, because of the resort's direct access to the beach and renowned golf courses. ThePalmBeaches.com/Meetings BRING THE BEST TO THE TABLE Collaboration happens naturally when you meet in person. But in The Palm Beaches, turn collaboration into camaraderie. Feed creativity with the best in outdoor venues, event spaces and world-class experiences that set the tone for success. Serve up elevated meetings, between-the-sessions.event-planning team was on-point and provided us with all the information we needed. They answered all of our ques- tions and addressed any concerns we had during the planning stages, and it was all done professionally. Frederick adds: “I like the Marriott properties. They’re reliable, have great ame- nities and are usually very nice and well-maintained. They are my go-tos for small meetings — groups of 15 to 20 people.” This event was larger, with 198 attendees, and one chal- lenge Frederick noted was the resort’s distance from the Jacksonville International Airport — 35 miles. She says, “Even though we liked the location, it was not convenient for airport transfers and we really had to plan around transferring our people between the airport and the property because Mar- riott does not provide that transportation. It would have been a huge plus for us if they had.” However, Marriott Sawgrass came through with an alter- nate catering menu for meals, which saved quite a bit of money for the group. “And their team was available and able to assist us in real-time on one-off things. Anything we needed, our conference coordinator was there and constantly available and able to provide it,” she adds. Theme-Park Thrills Orlando continues to serve as Florida’s busiest meeting destination, and development shows no sign of abating, led by a massive expansion of the Universal Orlando Resort footprint with the construction of the 750-acre Epic Universe theme park. The new facility, located immediately northeast of the Orlando Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), is set to open in 2025. Another development, Evermore Orlando Resort, is a 1,100-acre property located immediately north of Walt Disney World Resort, on land that was previously known as the Vil- las at Grand Cypress, a high-end golf resort. While the villas remain closed at the moment, the entire property is receiv- ing a dramatic makeover, starting with the creation of an 8-acre crystalline swimming lagoon replete with white-sand beaches occupying the heart of the facility. When it opens next summer, Evermore Orlando Resort will feature nearly 1,500 bedrooms spread among an array of stay experiences, including vacation homes, villas and flats. The property will be anchored by the Conrad Orlando at Evermore, a 433-room luxury resort overlooking the lagoon and including 40,000 sf of indoor meeting space, a full-service spa and numerous din- ing options, including a signature rooftop experience. Proxim- ity to the Disney attractions will be a key sales point, as will the championship golf facilities. Inside Disney World, Helder has used the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts twice this year, with two separate groups in early spring. One was a payments asso- ciation with bankers and credit unions from all over the Southeastern U.S. that drew 300 attendees. The second was a financial security group from across the country — includ- ing some international attendees — an event for 1,300 people. “The Swan and Dolphin has become, simply put, my favorite property to host an event,” Helder says. “I’ve returned with various clients again and again, because once they utilize the resort once, they come back as often as they are able. The consistently high level of service is impossible to resist. Their sales team takes the time to know our group and our goals, and brings creative solutions to the table each and every time. The planning teams — from technology to catering to set-up — work seamlessly with one another. They anticipate our needs, present fun new ideas to keep meetings fresh, and make what can be a stressful process instead an extremely enjoyable one.” The Swan and Dolphin complex is located between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — within walking distance of both — and guests enjoy some of the same benefits as stay- ing at a Disney resort, such as early park admission and transportation. The Swan and Dolphin features 22 restaurants and lounges, six pools, three health clubs and the Mandara Spa. With a combined 2,267 rooms, the Marriott-managed property possesses more than 332,000 sf of meeting space, including 110,500 sf of contiguous convention/exhibit space. Last year, an expansion added the Swan Reserve, a 349-room, standalone boutique hotel just across the road from the main complex featuring an additional 15,000 sf of meeting space. One of Helder’s events was an after-dark function arranged at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including a private reception at Launch Bay. Proximity to Disney parks and other assets is a key advantage the Swan and Dolphin has over properties located just outside the Walt Disney World Resort. Helder says the exhibit space her clients need requires a unique layout. “We work hard to pull attendees to every corner of it,” she says. “The hotel worked with us on a fun food-truck layout, with a truck in each corner of the hall. Each truck served food at every meal and break, and really helped to facilitate movement around the space. I had another client who went ‘hybrid’ with their event for the first time, and was nervous themeetingmagazines.com 32 OCTOBER 2022 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT COURTESY OF CAITLIN ADAMS The Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC) chose Miami's Loews Miami Beach Hotel to host its annual conference. INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2022themeetingmagazines.com 33 about connectivity issues. The entire technology team at the hotel was so accommodating and reassuring, and it couldn’t have gone better.” Helder continues: “Once we arrive on-site, the smiling faces of the staff and their willingness to go above and beyond make all the difference. We always get great feedback on the quality of food, which is no small thing at an event. And the staff is always on the ball with room changes, refreshes, sleep- ing room needs, and about anything you could think of. We will come back to the Swan and Dolphin again and again.” Not to be overlooked, over the last decade, Universal Orlando has expanded its geographical footprint in Central Florida, but also its facilities for the meetings sector, supple- menting its two theme parks, water park, and Universal City- Walk shopping and entertainment complex with eight hotels offering more than 9,000 rooms. Meeting facilities are found at four of the resorts and concentrated at the 1,000-room Loews Royal Pacific Resort and 1,000-room Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, which share the Loews Meeting Complex at Uni- versal Orlando, offering 247,000 sf of combined space. Lasting Memories Mohile says Oliver Wyman chose Orlando largely due to direct air access, with 1,500 attendees coming in from 15 offices around the country. “We needed to have a high volume of flights from major cities like New York, Boston and Toronto,” Mohile says. Some colleagues were coming from Canada, Mexico and Brazil for the late spring event. “We also needed a location that could accommodate the guest rooms and meeting space for our size — we didn’t want to have a large footprint across too many hotels.” Additional factors included competitive pricing, access to the Universal theme parks and being able to work with one brand across all hotels. Oliver Wyman contracted for Loews Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls resorts, but as the event neared, two neighboring hotels were added to the room block. “You work with one planning team and one contact for guest rooms at all the Loews hotels,” Mohile says. “The entire process felt like working with one hotel, and we could have consistency on all the components for each hotel. For the rooming list, we could move attendees between hotels easily, and since they are part of Universal, we were able to cover costs inside the parks by charging it to our account. For example, we gave everyone a stipend for drinks and food at the parks, and they could charge it directly to their guest room. Offering these amenities was an added service.” Mohile notes in previous years attendees had too many options, giving them reason to go off on their own. At Uni- versal Orlando, the group never needed to go off property for team-building events, and evening parties were hosted at the hotels for all to attend. “We really wanted our colleagues to spend time together in person after a two-year hiatus, and this location was conducive to creating those opportunities.” Oliver Wyman hosted an All Colleague Night at Universal Studios, starting with a block party dinner at Universal City- Walk using multiple restaurants, followed by a buyout of the theme park for dessert, dancing and private access to a few of the rides. “Working with Universal was a seamless expe- rience,” Mohile says. “They were well organized to manage 1,500 people, moving them between the spaces, minimizing wait times for bars and food, and they created custom menus to accommodate dietary requirements. There is something special about walking into the park at night with your name there and owning the space.” Mohile concludes: “If you plan to use Orlando, embrace the parks and leverage the experiences you can offer. There was a perception amongst some of our colleagues that Orlando wasn’t an exciting destination. We really took advan- tage of the Universal parks for team building, dinearounds and evening events,” Mohile says. “Almost all our colleagues said the experiences in the parks, especially the private buyout, made them feel valued and left a memory they won’t forget.” I & FMM COURTESY PHOTO The Five-Star, Five-Diamond Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach offers 21,000 sf of meeting space, which includes the 6,000-sf Royal Poinciana Ballroom and 6,000-sf Flagler Ballroom. Rochelle Frederick, CAP Executive Assistant to the CEO, R&Q Accredited They answered all of our questions and addressed any concerns we had during the planning stages, and it was all done professionally.themeetingmagazines.com 34 OCTOBER 2022 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman has appointed Cynthia Boyett as director of sales and marketing. She has more than 20 years of experi- ence in the hospitality industry. Boyett began working with Ritz- Carlton in 2007 and has worked in various luxury resorts since then. Most recently, she worked at The Ritz-Carlton hotels in South Beach and Bal Harbour, Suncadia Resort hired Sharon Gabriel as director of sales. Gabriel has worked in group sales for more than two decades. Most recently, she worked with Napa Valley Marriott. Before that, she worked with various resorts and hotels, including Man- chester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad and Hyatt Regency Long Beach. The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida has hired Andrew Lott as director of sales and marketing. He has more than 20 years of experience, most recently working at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, also in Florida, as executive director of resort sales. He also worked at Omni Amelia Island Plantation and Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego has hired Casper van Eldik Thieme as director of sales and mar- keting. He has more than two decades of experience, most recently working at Grand Hyatt at SFO, in addition to other Hyatt locales, and working as the regional vice president of sales for Hyatt Sales Force. Fairmont El San Juan Hotel hired Chloe Gray-Le Coz as director of sales & marketing. Prior to this appointment, she worked at Loews Hotels & Co. as the director of brand marketing. She also worked with Starwood Hotel & Resorts and Ansira. Thompson San Antonio – Riv- erwalk has hired Melanie Bruce as director of sales and marketing. Before this position, Bruce worked for various Hyatt hotels, including at Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk and Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riv- erwalk, in addition to working with other resorts. I & FMM The Best Sunsets. Experiences. Meetings. Waterfront Views. Contemporary Hotels. Yacht Receptions. Rooftop Decks. Outdoor Dining. Poolside Networking. Make Marina del Rey your next L.A. meetings destination. Experience 100,000 square feet of total meeting space and an abundance of flexible outdoor spaces – just 4 miles north of LAX and minutes from Santa Monica and Malibu. Contact us to learn how you can save up to $2,000 in incentives for your next meeting. VISITMDR.COM/MEETINGS GROUPS@VISITMARINADELREY.COM PLEASE VISIT US AT IMEX BOOTH #D3058 A the Best Marina del Rey CORPORATE LADDER GABRIELVAN ELDIK THIEMEBRUCEBOYETTLOTTGRAY-LE COZ U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1.Publication Title: Insurance & Financial Meetings Management 2. 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Contact us to learn how you can save up to $2,000 in incentives for your next meeting. VISITMDR.COM/MEETINGS GROUPS@VISITMARINADELREY.COM A the Best Marina del ReyNext >