Culture, History, Tranquility: The Other Side of Florida
By Nancy Mann Jackson
Long a favorite destination for family vacations, Florida is also an ideal place to hold your next SMERF meeting. Site of the first permanent European settlement in the U.S., Florida is rich with history. Bordered on three sides by the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, the state has long been a haven for those seeking sun and sand. And with a number of major metropolitan areas, Florida offers a great combination of culture, history, relaxation and convenience. Here’s a look at five areas with plenty of meetings potential.
Gainesville
Home of the University of Florida, Gainesville is affordable, centrally located and offers a wide array of university-affiliated meeting space and entertainment options. With 55 hotels (including four major conference hotels), a wealth of beautiful, kid-friendly museums and natural springs for canoeing, snorkeling, tubing and picnicking, Gainesville is a good place to bring the entire family.
Recently, a group of paratroopers who invaded Normandy in World War II gathered in Gainesville for a military reunion. With children and grandchildren in tow, the group needed 50 motor coaches to take them to the nearby camp where the paratroopers had completed their basic training more than 60 years ago. The CVB worked with local schools to secure the needed buses and included a visit to the National History Museum and a huge veterans park where families picnicked and played soccer together. “The planner was from Chicago and she couldn’t believe what we were able to pull together for them,” says Nancy Fischer, Director of Sales for Visit Gainesville.
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Central Florida
With a landscape dotted with citrus trees and 554 freshwater lakes, Central Florida’s Polk County is one of Florida’s most naturally beautiful, versatile and affordable meeting destinations. Carol DeHaven, spokesperson for the Central Florida Visitors and Convention Bureau, notes that “Polk County is in the geographic center of Florida, between Orlando and Tampa, just a short drive from the rest of Florida. You’ll find everything under the sun except crowds and long lines. And with an average temperature of 72 degrees, we’re the perfect destination for people of all ages and interests.”
The area boasts more than 300,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 100,000-square-foot Lakeland Center, 6,500 hotel rooms and 8,000 vacation homes. Among its hidden treasures is Westgate’s River Ranch, an authentic, 1,700-acre dude ranch surrounded by 100,000 acres of protected wildlife preserve. Westgate River Ranch recalls an era when Florida was home to cowboys and cattle ranchers and offers 4,000 square feet of meeting room space and unique team-building activities.
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St. Augustine
Uniquely suited for SMERF meetings, St. Augustine offers attractions that will interest almost any group. Barbara Golden, Communications Manager at the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches CVB, notes that military bases in Jacksonville and the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum provide history and tours that appeal to the military markets, and educational groups will find extraordinary history and learning venues and programs here, from the University of Florida Whitney Labs at Marineland to the Castillo de San Marcos to the Environmental Education Center at GTM preserve.
Golden says that religious groups are also attracted to the area. “St. Augustine is home to the oldest Catholic congregation in the United States,” she notes. “Many historic landmarks – like the Mission de Nombre de Dios and the Cathedral Basilica, Memorial Presbyterian Church and United Methodist Church in St. Augustine – are both exceptional places to visit and have key roles in the story of the oldest city in the United States.”
The CVB has developed a program called “Tapestries, A Collection of Unique Experiences,” which may be of interest to SMERF groups. “This collection of programs provides authentic, educational and interactive experiences designed to immerse groups into the characters, customs, costumes and landscape we call home,” Golden explains. “In most cases these experiences aren’t available to the general public, making them uniquely suited for off-site activities.”
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Pensacola
If it’s the beach you’re after, Florida has an abundance of them. In Pensacola, “participants get the best of both worlds – 52 miles of sugar-white beaches alongside a historic town rich with culture and Southern hospitality,” says Laura Lee, Media/PR Manager at the Pensacola CVB. “We offer unique space and plenty of free activities and team-building opportunities.”
Among the meeting hotels available here are the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front, the Hampton Inn and the Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand Hotel. In addition to meeting space available in these hotels, groups can also book space at the National Naval Aviation Museum (home to the world-famous Blue Angels) and the Pensacola Civic Center. For off-site group events, Lee recommends Adventures Unlimited, located along the Blackwater River. “[Pensacola is] considered the ‘Canoe Capital of Florida,’ and at Adventures Unlimited guests can rent kayaks, tubes and canoes and enjoy the pristine nature of our area. There’s also a ropes course that’s perfect for team-building activities.”
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