Destination Articles

• Daytime, Nighttime, Anytime

  By Christine Loomis

  December 28, 2012

  Southeast Florida has long drawn visitors to its inviting white beaches and opulent resorts. The fortuitous confluence of railroads, sunshine and classic hotels helped make the area extending from Fort Lauderdale to the Florida Keys the vacation destination of choice for northerners escaping winter’s chill. But that was just the start.

• The Call of The Wild

  By Jessie Fetterling

  November 20, 2012

  Florida is full of excitement, from Miami’s Latin-inspired festivities to Orlando’s never-ending theme-park rides. But it also offers a bounty of natural wonders to FdMisicaomvier : The tvheirrgdl aldaregse isn't cthorea sl orueethf . Tharrieern asytisotenm’s lianr gtehset wurobraldn opffar tkh sey cstoeamst of Jacksonville. And several national and state parks in between.

• Local Down Low

  By Steve Winston

  December 29, 2011

  The Greater Miami and Greater Fort Lauderdale areas, known as South Florida (with Palm Beach County to the north), have as much experience at hosting big gatherings as anywhere in the world. Super Bowls? The region has hosted 10 of them—the most of any city—and accommodated more than 100,000 visitors during each one. Democratic and Republican National Conventions? Yes. Major association and corporate conventions? Yup.

  As a result, the hospitality and meetings infrastructure here is adept at turning last-minute emergencies into mere momentary blips. And the facilities can handle any meeting or lodging contingency.

  South Florida images are iconic: the skyline of Miami, a mass of striking glass towers piercing the sky over the aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay; fashionable Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, the heartbeat of a newly trendy downtown filled with dramatic architecture that wasn’t there a few years ago; and the beaches. And let’s not forget Miami Vice, the suave and style-setting television series of the 1980s that first put this area on the “international hot-spot” map.

  This region is bordered by the Everglades, called by locals “the River of Grass.” It’s America’s only tropical jungle, and it’s filled with hundreds of species of wildlife found nowhere else on earth. There’s also every type of water activity that you can think of available to visitors.  

  In the span of just a couple of decades, Miami and Fort Lauderdale have metamorphosed from communities where the streets were empty after 5 p.m. into 24/7 destinations where the lights never go out. Here, celebrity chefs offer their signature dishes at some of the finest eateries in America. Galleries are often open late at night. Sidewalk cafés, trendy bistros and one-of-a-kind shops line streets. Several types of music flow out from nightclubs and music haunts—rock to reggae, jazz to juke and boogie to Broadway—and music, art, ethnic, collectible and culinary festivals fill the calendar each season.  

  “There are few places better to hold a meeting or conference than South Florida,” says Steve Nichol, president of Jack Russell Communications, a boutique public relations, marketing and advertising firm based in Boca Raton. “We have excellent space, technology and all types of venues that can handle—and have handled—about any type of event or conference. Everything here is set up for the meetings market.”

  While South Florida is best known for its moderate winter temperatures accompanied by picture-perfect blue skies, it is truly a year-round meeting destination consideration, Nichol says.

  “During ‘the season’—October to May—you have some of the best weather in the country,” he says. “The summer brings some of the best values in hotel and meeting space. Year round, we enjoy sunshine, miles and miles of beaches and an abundance of restaurants, shopping, professional sports and the arts. South Florida offers everything associated with a cosmopolitan area, making every minute meaningful for visitors here on business.”

  South Beach. Coconut Grove. Las Olas Boulevard. Downtown Miami. Downtown Fort Lauderdale. And State Road A1A on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Each offers a distinct flavor all its own.

• By the Book

  By Steve Winston

  November 29, 2011

  Few of us would associate the word "writers" with Florida. "Sun," certainly. "Beaches," for sure. "Attractions," without a doubt. But "writers?"

  It may surprise you, then, to learn that Florida writers have won more than 50 Pulitzer Prizes and other national awards.

  Writers have always been drawn to Florida, perhaps because it’s a geographical last frontier, where the U.S. melts into a Caribbean collage of exotic cultures and islands. Perhaps because of the juxtaposition of diverse cultures, lifestyles and peoples. Perhaps by the melding of sun, sky and water. Or perhaps by the colors—flaming tropical hues splashed over flat horizons that never seem to be reached.

• Down South

  By Jessie Fetterling

  May 31, 2011

  Southern Florida is the most tropical any meeting’s going to get in the confines of the continental United States. The white-sand beaches stand in striking contrast to the iridescent teal-blue color of the water, resort pools abound with never-ending infinity lines and the heat is certainly on—temperatures average 65 degrees in January and 85 in July. That tropical setting is present in a variety of meeting hotels in the area and sets the backdrop for memorable off-sites. Whether you’re hitting up the nightlife scene in Miami or relaxing at resorts in Palm Beach, southern Florida has a beach vibe to suit any niche. Just don’t forget to pack the sunscreen.

• Tropical South Florida

  By Maxine Cass

  December 30, 2010

  As cooler temperatures invade more northern and central climes, the warm weather of South Florida offers a respite from the seasonal cool. Glitz and glam, posh shopping and culture are on your planning plate. As a change of pace, why not include a taste of nature during your meeting group’s encounter with the unique Everglades ecosystems or the tropical blue Caribbean waters of the Florida Keys?