Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2700
Miami, Florida 33131
305/539-3084, Fax 305/539-2911
http://www.MiamiAndBeaches.com
E-mail: Media@MiamiAndBeaches.com
Contact: Media Relations, 305-539-3084, 800-955-3646 (U.S./Canada)
MEET ME IN MIAMI: TROPICAL PARADISE IS A
MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS DESTINATION
(MIAMI) - A dynamic international city, Greater Miami is a rare hybrid -- a
sophisticated urban resort with world-class business amenities that doubles as a laidback
tropical paradise. Conventioneers reap the benefits when they choose to meet
in a town where combining business with pleasure is as effortless as convening a
conference on a waterfront terrace kissed by glorious sunshine and soft breezes.
Boasting a centrally located international airport, temperatures that average
75ºF year round, state-of-the-art meeting facilities and close to 50,000 hotel rooms,
Miami has evolved into a meeting destination for all seasons. Factor in the lure of the
world-famous Art Deco District, white sand beaches, sparkling Biscayne Bay and
renowned dining and entertainment and it is easy to see why many of the world's most
prestigious associations and corporate meetings, conventions and trade shows choose
to meet in Miami. Each year, more than 880,000 delegates converge on Miami,
contributing close to $1 billion to the local economy.
Takin' Care of Business
Miami Beach Convention Center (www.MiamiBeachConventionCenter.com),
located just blocks from the beach, is a modern, comfortable setting for trade shows
and conventions and offers more than 500,000-square-feet of exhibit space that can
be divided to accommodate up to four groups simultaneously. With state-of-the-art
technology throughout, the convention center's striking architecture complements
Miami Beach's historic Art Deco District and features a palette of soft pastels with
occasional brightly colored accents. Tropical landscaping enhances the building,
which is a model of up-to-date efficiency.
Hoteliers and developers, increasingly hip to the city's growing reputation as a
prime meeting location, have made modifications to existing space, or in the case of
new development, designed properties with meetings in mind. The result is a myriad of
interesting options for meeting planners. Small, trendy boutique hotels feature plush
conference rooms with designer furniture and plasma screens to attract small, imageconscious
groups. At the other end of the spectrum are full-service properties such as
the all-new Regent Bal Harbour, which features 3,700-square-feet of conference and
banquet space offering capacities from 15 to 110 people for meetings and receptions.
Across the board, Miami’s hotel industry has incorporated meeting and convention
business into marketing strategies, offering planners irresistible incentives to select Miami
as their meeting destination.
Since 1999, more than 10,000 new hotel rooms have been added throughout
Greater Miami. Properties like the 790-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel and the 417-room
Royal Palm Resort answered a longtime need on Miami Beach for luxury convention
properties close to the convention center. In 2004, the 375-room The Ritz-Carlton, South
Beach opened two blocks north of the Loews. All three upscale resorts feature ample
function space and on-site business centers, yet are also within walking distance of the
Miami Beach Convention Center. Likewise, in Coconut Grove, the 300-room Sonesta
Hotel & Suites includes over 12,000-square-feet of meeting space while the luxurious
Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove boasts 15,000-square-feet of indoor/outdoor function
space. Both properties are in close proximity to the Coconut Grove Expo Center, a
waterfront, facility that has 150,000-square-feet of contiguous space, often used for arts
and cultural shows, as well as exhibits. Located between 23rd and 24th Street, The
Gansevoort South Hotel includes the Gansevoort Hotel Group’s signature feature, a 110-
foot rooftop pool and bar as well as a spacious multi-level beach club. The property
also features a 6,600-square-foot ballroom that accommodates up to 500 people, six
state-of-the-art meeting rooms, an Ocean Terrace, Suites and a new exciting
Penthouse Suite. This 3,400-square-foot room is located on the North East corner of the
sixth floor with a striking view of the ocean and the northern strip of Miami Beach. The
space is a perfect location for an intimate gathering or a conference style meeting for
up to 30 guests.
Established properties have also kept pace. The Fontainebleau Resort opened a
new 36-story, all-suite Fontainebleau Tower in 2005, adding 460 suites to the oceanfront
resort. In 2008, the resort plans to open an additional 400 new rooms. Next door, the
349-room Eden Roc Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa is undergoing a dramatic $180
million transformation and will introduce a new 270-room tower in 2008 and new 11,500-
square-foot ballroom and additional event space. The 693-room Doral Golf Resort and
Spa has spent $75 million upgrading, including a facelift to more than 100,000-squarefeet
of meeting space. The new Legends Ballroom made its debut in 2007. The new
$25 million facility features a 24,000-square-foot ballroom with 22-foot ceilings and
27,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor pre-function space that can accommodate
up to 2,000 attendees.
Also during 2007, Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach unveiled new oceanfront meeting
and event space with spectacular views of the Atlantic and white-sand beaches from
every corner of the room. The new Ocean Terrace Room is ideal for small and mid-size
meetings and for everything from board meetings to formal dinners and small bridal
receptions. Dressed up in elegant contemporary style, the Ocean Terrace Room offers
925-square-feet of space, an entire wall of windows overlooking the ocean, as well as an
outdoor terrace for breaks, receptions or a breath of fresh sea air. The Ocean Terrace
Room accommodates 70 banquet style, 50 classroom style and 20 in a “hollow square”
configuration.
Downtown Miami, where the city's international business and banking concerns
are centered, has been a hub of development activity in recent years. The AAA Five-
Diamond award-winning Mandarin Oriental, Miami takes excellent care of discerning
delegates with 15,000-square-feet of flexible space, 22-foot ceilings, stunning rice-paper
chandeliers and cutting-edge technology. The JW Marriott Hotel Miami caters lavishly to
its primarily business clientele and the $379 million Four Seasons Hotel and Tower on
Brickell Avenue instantly raised the bar for luxury business hotels throughout South
Florida when it opened in 2003. Just a couple of doors down, the 203-room Conrad
Hilton opened a year later. All of these properties offer easy proximity to the Miami
Convention Center, a major downtown facility that encompasses the 614-room Hyatt
Regency Hotel, which unveiled a $20 million renovation in early 2008, as well as the
5,000-seat James L. Knight Auditorium. A popular concert venue, the Knight Center
boasts state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems suitable for the world's most particular
performers. Ranked as the "largest hotel exhibit space in South Florida," the Sheraton
Miami Mart Hotel & Convention Center offers 24,160-square-feet of meeting space plus
another 115,500-square-foot. of meeting and exhibit space in the adjoining convention
center.
The grand dame of downtown Miami hotels, the Hotel InterContinental Miami
recently completed a $34 million renovation which included upgrading and
redesigning its 65,000 square feet of meeting space, while the nearby Radisson Hotel
Miami, across from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami Dade
County, recently completed a $12 million renovation. Other popular hotels in this area
include the 212-room Doubletree Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay, which completed a
multimillion-dollar renovation in 2005 and the 603-room Biscayne Bay Marriott Hotel &
Marina.
Many other hotels throughout Miami, from the new Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne
(492 rooms) to the historic Biltmore in Coral Gables (280 rooms) offer attendees topnotch
business facilities and service in beautiful resort settings. Also located in Coral
Gables are first-rate business hotels such as the elegant Hyatt Regency (242 rooms) and
the Omni Colonnade (157 rooms), with its new ballroom bringing meeting space to over
30,000 square feet.
Time To Play
One of the best reasons to meet in Miami is that when the day's work is done, visitors
find themselves in America's playground. For delegates on a break or spouses along for
the journey, options for entertainment, both organized and spontaneous, abound.
Whether it's zipping around sparkling Biscayne Bay on a motor boat or lounging
poolside at one of Miami Beach's chic boutique hotels, down time is a great time when
you choose to meet in Miami. Immaculately groomed golf courses throughout the
destination are geared towards duffers of all levels; tennis courts are in the same
league. A gateway to glorious ecological discovery lies less than an hour from
downtown with two national treasures -- Biscayne National Park and Everglades
National Park.
Restaurants are among the top in the nation, with top chefs attracting kudos for
innovative New American cuisine, while nightlife is legendary -- offering ample
opportunities to rub shoulders with hot celebrities and super models. Others may
choose to participate in the great American pastime -- shopping! Check out Lincoln
Road on Miami Beach for trend-setting shops and extraordinary people-watching or
the chic, designer-studded Bal Harbour Shops and Village of Merrick Park in Coral
Gables. Upscale centers like Aventura Mall and The Falls, as well as factory outlet
centers like the Dolphin Mall, offer serious shoppers a wealth of choices.
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is an independent
not-for-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to
Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. For a vacation
guide, visit our website at www.MiamiAndBeaches.com or call 1-888-76-Miami
(US/Canada only) or 305-447-7777. To reach the GMCVB offices dial 305-539-3000.
Meeting planners may call 1-800-933-8448 (US/Canada only) or 305-539-3071 or visit
www.MiamiMeetings.com.
###
Updated: January 2008
|
