Located in Manatee County, Bradenton is between Tampa and Sarasota and 25 miles from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). The Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto has 60,000 square feet of function space and room for 4,000 people in its 32,400-square-foot center hall. The convention center will soon feature the new 252-room Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa, connecting to the venue via walkway. Hotel amenities include a restaurant, VIP rooftop bar and lounge, outdoor event space, and beach club. The convention center also has a $48 million renovation and expansion underway, which includes a new, dividable 14,000-square-foot ballroom for 900 guests, and two other outdoor event spaces. The project will finish in 2025.
Bradenton’s 150-room Legacy Hotel at IMG Academy offers flexible indoor and outdoor event space for private events, accommodating 422 guests theater style and 515 for receptions in its largest event venue. The same space breaks down into numerous configurations for up to 119 people. Downtown, the Courtyard Bradenton Sarasota/Riverfront offers 9,446 square feet of event space, including five event rooms and three breakout rooms. The hotel’s largest space accommodates 400 guests.
The historic Powel Crosley Estate features several indoor and outdoor spaces, and can accommodate gatherings of up to 1,000 guests. Another unique setting, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, features the waterfront Riverside Plaza, which can accommodate up to 400 people. Other components include a planetarium theater that seats 100, cocktail spaces, board rooms, and additional event space.
