North Florida
Amelia Island
Website – AmeliaIsland.com; Social media – @VisitAmeliaIsland
A 13-mile-long barrier island accessible by car and only 25 miles from Jacksonville International Airport, Amelia Island offers natural beauty. Historic downtown Fernandina Beach, home over the years to pirates and Gilded Age millionaires, today reflects its late 19th-century development with more than 50 blocks of shopping, dining, and unique event spaces.
The island has approximately 3,000 guest rooms at resorts, hotels, and B&Bs plus additional vacation rental units. Barefoot Amelia is a new boutique vacation rental company with properties all along the beach, with many that offer space for event attendees to bring their families.
There are three primary conference hotels and resorts, according to the CVB. The AAA Five-Diamond Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island offers 446 recently enhanced guest rooms, according to the hotel, and 12 meeting rooms in 48,000 square feet of indoor space with an additional 87,414 square feet of outdoor space. The resort features five restaurants, four pools, onsite golf, and an award-winning spa. Omni Amelia Island Resort is set on 1,350 acres with oceanfront accommodations, golf, and spa. The award-winning recreation department offers teambuilding options, access to two golf courses, 23-court tennis facility, three and a half miles of beach, and more. There are 402 guest rooms and 80,000 square feet of indoor meeting space with 29,000 square feet of outdoor space. Courtyard & SpringHill Suites Amelia Island is a newly built property three miles from downtown Fernandina Beach and next door to Fort Clinch State Park. It offers many ocean-view rooms with balconies, with a combined 249 guest rooms and 6,060 square feet of function space.
Daytona Beach
Website – DaytonaBeach.com; Social media – @DaytonaBeachFun
The Daytona Beach area checks all the boxes for planners, says Linda McMahon, director of sales for the Daytona Beach Area CVB. “We have more than 180,000 square feet of hotel meeting space between nationally known brands and one-of-a-kind oceanfront resorts,” she says. “And always, the top reason to meet in Daytona Beach is our 23 miles of iconic white-sand beaches and year-round sunny skies.”
Daytona Beach offers unique teambuilding and excursion options. “A popular activity is the NASCAR Racing Experience at Daytona International Speedway, one of NASCAR’s signature racetracks,” McMahon continues. “You can either ride in or drive a stock car around the storied 2.5-mile track. Another great activity is Fun Cat Sailing’s three-hour sunset cruise on board the Arabella catamaran.”
A number of lodging properties have opened recently or are set to open soon, according to the CVB. Max Beach Resort has 72 one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, full-service dining, boardroom, and event terrace. The Plaza Resort & Spa is undergoing a renovation scheduled to be complete in 2024 that will transform the 323-room hotel into a luxury resort entertainment complex offering more than 40,000 square feet of event space. The Renaissance by Marriott Daytona Beach Oceanfront is expected to open in 2024 as a renovated 191-room oceanfront resort-style hotel with ballroom, meeting rooms, and a lawn event space. Also recently opened, Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach has 200 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space with 8,300-square-foot terrace, and Daytona Grande Oceanfront Hotel has 435 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of event space.
In the heart of Daytona Beach, the Ocean Center convention center has more than 200,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor space, including a 9,300-seat arena, 32,000 square feet of meeting rooms, a 93,028-square-foot exhibit hall, and a ballroom that seats up to 840 people for banquets. Directly across the street from the center, the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort offers 744 guest rooms and 60,000 square feet of event space with 29 meeting rooms. The hotel is connected to Ocean Walk Shoppes that offers multiple dining and entertainment options.
The greater Daytona area has more than 12,000 guest rooms. Other major convention hotels include The Shores Resort & Spa, with 212 guest rooms and 16,200 square feet of function space, and El Caribe Hotel & Conference Center, with 110 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of function space plus beachfront event lawn.
The world-famous Daytona International Speedway, home to the Daytona 500 since 1959, has transformed into a state-of-the-art motorsports facility with 120,000 square feet of function space and 75 luxury suites and event rooms with trackside views for meetings, dinners, and receptions. Directly across from the speedway, One Daytona is a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. Lodging at One Daytona includes a 105-room Fairfield Inn & Suites and The DAYTONA, an Autograph Collection hotel, with 144 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
Other event spaces include the Museum of Arts & Sciences that can host receptions of up to 400 guests; the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art that can seat up to 422 people in classroom sessions; and the historic Daytona Beach Bandshell, an open air amphitheater on the beach that can accommodate 5,000 guests.
Florida’s Historic Coast: St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach & The Beaches
Website – FloridasHistoricCoast.com; Social media – @flhistoriccoast
Florida’s Historic Coast offers easy access with a European feel, according to William McBroom, director of conference sales for the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach & The Beaches VCB. “As America’s oldest continuously occupied European settlement, there’s history and Old World charm around every brick-lined corner, from the 17th-century Castillo de San Marcos to Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and the quaint shops along Aviles Street in the historic downtown.”
The area also offers much variety, McBroom notes. “Florida’s Historic Coast boasts 42 miles of unobstructed, pristine beaches on the Atlantic Ocean,” he says. “St. Augustine’s population of 14,000 full-time residents gives the nation’s oldest city a hometown feel, with restaurants and historic sites within walking distance downtown. And Ponte Vedra Beach has a relaxed, residential vibe.”
Jacksonville International Airport is 35 minutes from Ponte Vedra Beach.
Several new properties and extensive upgrades are ready in the area, according to McBroom. The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club recently unveiled the totally rebuilt Ocean House and Peyton House, offering 41 new oceanfront guest rooms and suites. They completed a full renovation of their Ocean Course and are currently completing a similar refurbishment of the iconic Lagoon Course. Hampton Inn and Suites on Vilano Beach recently completed an interior renovation. There are two new hotels on Vilano Beach: a 50-room Holiday Inn Express and a 120-room Hyatt Place with a 7,200-square-foot ballroom set to open in summer 2023. In St. Augustine, the recently opened Homewood Suites by Hilton sits on the banks of the San Sebastian River and features 117 guest rooms. In the heart of the town’s historic district, the Renaissance Historic Downtown St. Augustine Hotel is designed to replicate the historic San Marco Hotel that sat on the same spot during the Gilded Age. The hotel features 89 guest rooms, distinct event spaces, world-class dining, traditional Southern hospitality, and modern amenities.
There are more than 10,000 guest rooms in the region. Other major convention hotels in Ponte Vedra Beach include Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, with 514 guest rooms and 61,000 square feet of meeting space with an event capacity of up to 1,600 people in theater-style seating; Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, with 250 guest rooms and 14,017 square feet of event space to accommodate up to 500 guests for theater-style presentations; and the Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra, with 66 guest rooms and 6,000 square feet of function space. In St. Augustine Beach, the Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Resort has 217 guest rooms and 7,150 square feet of meeting space. Hammock Beach Resort on the Palm Coast has 275 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of event space to accommodate up to 500 in theater-style seating. In St. Augustine, Renaissance World Golf Village Resort offers 301 guest rooms and nearly 37,000 square feet of meeting space with a classroom capacity of up to 1,400 people. Casa Monica Resort & Spa has 138 guest rooms and 9,200 square feet of meeting space to seat up to 175 for classroom events and up to 270 for banquets.
Gainesville
Website – VisitGainesville.com; Social media – @Gainesville; @visitgainesville
Gainesville is centrally located and convenient to I-75. Additionally, there are more than 5,500 guest rooms and multiple conference and event spaces within 10 miles of Gainesville Regional Airport, and as the home of the University of Florida, the city has the resources and facilities to draw business and convention travelers.
Just opened in fall 2022, the 145-room Hyatt Place Gainesville Downtown has space to host 100 event attendees with 1,800 square feet of flexible function space. The Hilton University of Florida Conference Center has 248 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting and pre-function space, with room to host up to 700 people for a reception and up to 280 people for a meeting.
Other hotels with event space include Best Western Gateway Grand, with 8,000 square feet of function space; Holiday Inn University Center, with 167 guest rooms and 4,000 square feet of indoor banquet and meeting space plus a 4,000-square-foot rooftop pool deck; and Hotel ELEO at the University of Florida, a luxury boutique hotel with 173 guest rooms and event space to accommodate 180 reception guests, along with 1,400 square feet of dining space and outdoor terrace. Hotel Indigo Gainesville-Celebration Pointe has 140 guest rooms and six meeting rooms in 5,000 total square feet of event space. Aloft University Area offers 146 guest rooms and 1,350 square feet of event space, and Comfort Suites Gainesville features 1,200 square feet of space to host social events of 100 people. DoubleTree by Hilton has 1,900 square feet of indoor space and a patio.
Other meeting and event venues include the 1908 Grand, a historic downtown venue with ballroom seating for 120 people plus an 80-person capacity event room and a courtyard that can accommodate 200 reception guests, and The Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center, which seats up to 2,000 people and has a clubhouse and showroom. Venues on the campus of the University of Florida include the 1,700-seat theater at Phillips Center; 200-seat Squitieri Studio Theatre; and the Stephen C. O’Connell Center that has a 10,500-seat arena, space to host banquets for up to 1,200 guests or theater-style presentations for up to 7,000, and 45,000 square feet of exhibit space for up to 250 booths. The university offers additional classroom, meeting, and event rooms.
Jacksonville & The Beaches
Website – VisitJacksonville.com; Social media – @Visit_Jax
Jacksonville offers planners incredible value and an easy experience, says Jeanne Goldschmidt, director of convention services for Visit Jacksonville. “Turning the lights on a local bridge the color of your company logo? Creating a full custom menu for your reception? Having a welcome table to provide local information and resources for your attendees? We can help with all of that,” she says.
Jacksonville has unique meeting spaces and consistently offers low room rates, Goldschmidt boasts. “Depending on the time of year, it’s easy to get an affordable rate to stay within budget,” she says. “Also, Jacksonville is a proud military town as the home to two naval air stations and thousands of active-duty personnel and veterans making us a top destination for military reunions and events. The recent addition of the USS Orleck on the St. Johns River offers a unique military venue for events.”
Springfield, just north of downtown, is the oldest neighborhood in the city and home to restored historic mansions, locally owned shops and restaurants, craft breweries, and unique meeting spaces like Brick and Beam, with 2,300 square feet of event space.
Riverside Avondale offers a mix of history, culture, charm, and modern design. Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens features hundreds of world class art works and picturesque gardens along the St. Johns River that are available for evening events.
Downtown is home to many of the most unique event spaces in Jacksonville, including TIAA Bank Field, with space for corporate events, social events, trade shows, and more; the Conference Center at the Main Library, which has a 391-seat auditorium and several multipurpose meeting, event, and reception areas; the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, with 2,090-seat main theater, two smaller theaters, and 20,000 square feet of lobby and reception areas; and the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center that features 48,000 square feet of meeting space in 22 rooms and 78,500 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, plus an 11,000-square-foot terrace, pavilions, and a grand lobby with 75-foot vaulted ceiling.
There are nearly 19,000 guest rooms in the Greater Jacksonville Area. Larger convention hotels include the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, with 951 guest rooms and 116,000 square feet of event space with 30 meeting rooms; Southbank Hotel Jacksonville Riverwalk, with 322 guest rooms and 40,000 square feet of function space; Marriott Jacksonville, with 255 guest rooms and 19,459 square feet of event space; Marriott Jacksonville Downtown, with 354 guest rooms and 12,821 square feet of meeting space; and Doubletree Jacksonville Riverfront, with 293 and 10,315 square feet of function space. Also, One Ocean Resort & Spa has 193 guest rooms and 10,500 square feet of event space; Doubletree Jacksonville Airport has 202 guest rooms and 10,190 square feet of meeting space; Ramada Conference Center Mandarin has 150 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of function space; and the 317-room Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport has 15 meeting rooms in 10,000 square feet of event space.
Other unique venues include the Schultz Center, with auditorium, classrooms, boardrooms, and a 500-person meeting capacity; the 1,906-seat Florida Theatre; and a variety of meeting and event spaces at the University of North Florida, with a meeting capacity of up to 700 guests.
Lake City, Columbia County
Website – LakeCityFL.com; Social media – @VisitLakeCityFl
Located about halfway between Tallahassee and Jacksonville at the intersection of interstates 10 and 75, Lake City invites planners to experience Florida’s Springlands. “The area is a hidden gem filled with everything you need for a truly unique event,” says Paula Vann, executive director for the Columbia County Tourism Development Council. “What really sets us apart, however, are the 300-plus natural springs, which are some of the most highly regarded in the southeast. The crown jewel, Ichetucknee Springs, features eight major clearwater springs that come together to create the six-mile Ichetucknee River.”
There are approximately 2,000 lodging rooms in the area including The Blanche, which Vann calls a “central hub for hospitality for more than 100 years.” The Blanche is a historic, fully renovated boutique hotel with 14 luxury guest rooms and 4,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor event space to host groups of up to 300 guests. A 127-room Holiday Inn has event space to accommodate up to 180 people, and the Best Western Plus has 90 guest rooms and a 900-square-foot event room.
Other event spaces in the county include a 6,700-square-foot event hall at the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds and facilities at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, with antebellum mansion and grounds to host up to 200 people.
Ocala, Marion County
Website – OcalaMarion.com; Social media – @ocalamarion
The Ocala and Marion County area is one of only four major thoroughbred centers in the world and is home to more than 600 horse farms that have produced 45 national champions, six Kentucky Derby winners, and 20 Breeders Cup champions.
Accommodations range from traditional hotels and inns to cabins and B&Bs on horse farms, many of which offer guided tours.
At the World Equestrian Center, the Equestrian Hotel offers 248 luxury guest rooms plus indoor and outdoor event facilities, including two exposition centers totaling more than 250,000 square feet, a 128,000-square-foot Grand Outdoor Arena, meeting and events rooms, and garden venues to accommodate up to 500 guests.
The Hilton Ocala Heart of Florida Conference Center offers more than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space; Courtyard by Marriott has 105 guest rooms and four meeting rooms in 3,062 square feet of space; and Holiday Inn & Suites Ocala Conference Center has space to host up to 400 reception guests. Other hotels with smaller meeting spaces include the 101-room Hampton Inn & Suites Ocala and 107-room Hilton Garden Inn.
Other event spaces include the Brick City Center for the Arts, with space to accommodate up to 80 people inside or 40 in the courtyard; the Appleton Museum of Art at the College of Central Florida, with auditorium, classroom, and courtyard spaces for up to 100 guests; and Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, a multipurpose space with a 36,000-square-foot covered arena and an 11,000-square-foot auditorium with flexible seating for 800.
Palm Coast & The Flagler Beaches
Website – VisitFlagler.com; Social media – @VisitFlagler
Palm Coast and The Flagler Beaches provide planners with more than 1,300 guest accommodations. The Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, set on 11 beachfront acres, has 285 guest rooms in three towers plus one- to four-bedroom condos and villas, many overlooking the marsh, ocean, or one of the resort’s signature golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. The AAA Four Diamond resort has 16,000 square feet of indoor meeting space plus 40,000 square feet of outdoor event areas. Amenities include a full-service spa, tennis, fitness center, and indoor and outdoor pools with lazy river.
Hilton Garden Inn Palm Coast Town Center has 2,500 square feet of meeting space plus an executive board room and can host events of up to 120 people.
