Location Scout Archive
05.08.09 1:39 PM
Where to Host Massive Meetings
Rosen Photo: Courtesy of Rosen Plaza
Already one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations, Orlando is increasingly a go-to spot for conventiongoers, bringing in more than 10 million business travelers a year. And venues are keeping up with the demand. Orlando's hotels—and their ballrooms—just keep getting bigger. Here are five venues to check out.Orange County Convention Center . The hotel completed a renovation of its 60,000 square feet of meeting space in March 2008. All of the meeting rooms, including the 26,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, which holds 2,800 theater-style, were outfitted with custom Axminster woven carpets, gold Dansk lighting, and new furnishings throughout.
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05.08.09 1:34 PM
Where to Entertain Clients or Staffers
Aquatica Photo: Courtesy of Sea World
Whether for swimming, singing, sailing, or sporting, Orlando has a new roster of activity venues.Aquatica , opened in April 2008 with 36 waterslides, six rivers and lagoons, and more than 80,000 square feet of sandy beaches. The park’s signature ride, the Dolphin Plunge, shoots guests down side-by-side clear tubes through a pool of black-and-white dolphins. The park features private cabanas for as many as seven guests and hosts evening parties for 500 to 7,500, complete with interactive entertainment such as beach games, performances, and dancing.Jostens Center , in July 2008. The sprawling complex includes space for 12 volleyball courts or six basketball courts, two roller hockey rinks, and a 1,200-seat field house. Each space is available for private event rental, as are the existing indoor and outdoor sporting facilities throughout the 220-acre property.
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05.08.09 1:22 PM
5 Restaurants and Lounges With Private Rooms
Rix Lounge Photo: Gary Bogdon
Here's a look at five event-ready restaurants and lounges that offer private spaces for large groups.Red Star Tavern opened in the Orlando Fashion Square shopping mall in November 2007. Outfitted with oversize burgundy leather booths, high ceilings, and dark mahogany walls, the restaurant can be bought out for 260, with space for an additional 40 on the private patio. The contemporary American menu serves sandwiches, salads, and seafood alongside a lengthy beer, wine, and specialty cocktail list.Coronado Springs Resort inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom resort area added the upscale party spot Rix Lounge in December 2007. The 5,000-square-foot venue features nightly DJs, a tapas-style appetizer menu, and specialty cocktails like chocolate mintinis. The main lounge, which is available for buyouts, holds 300 or seats 150 and features several 12-seat V.I.P. tables. A private party room holds 100 and seats 75.
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05.08.09 1:15 PM
A Night Out Downtown
Graze Photo: Brian Adams
Beyond the resorts, the city's center lures visitors with fine dining, an expanding nightlife scene, and new accommodations. Here's a look at four venues worth checking out.Graze Orlando has become a go-to spot for high-end eating downtown. The restaurant features a sleek silver interior, and chef Jephanie Foster’s fusion menu is focused on “grazing platters” loaded with exotic items like foie gras skewers in mango-candied star fruit gastrique. The 200-seat dining room is available for full buyouts. The restaurant, located in the swank Sanctuary apartment building, can also cater events in the 150-person penthouse, which includes an 1,800-square-foot terrace.Dessert Lady Café , which opened in January 2008. Locally famous for her flourless chocolate torte and key lime pie, Schmidt added cheese platters, entrées, and a lengthy cocktail list. The 80-seat café is available for full buyouts and seats 25 in a private room.
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05.05.09 5:36 PM
5 Convention-Ready Hotels
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort Photo: Courtesy of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
New and upgraded hotels are luring conventioneers and meeting groups alike. Here's a sampling of spaces to consider.Point Orlando Resort : This condo hotel with 144 one- and two-bedroom units opened in January 2008. A mile and a half from the Orange County Convention Center, the resort includes such amenities as a heated swimming pool, a fitness center, a restaurant, and a 3,300-square-foot meeting room that holds 325.Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes : In May 2007, this property added the 13,485-square-foot Tuscany Ballroom, which can hold 1,500 guests. The hotel also added the intimate Florence and Pisa meeting rooms, as well as prefunction space and a 3,000-square-foot terrace, bringing its total meeting space to 47,000 square feet indoors and 64,000 square feet outdoors. Also on site: a 40-treatment-room spa and an 18-hole golf course.
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05.05.09 5:32 PM
4 Places Brimming With Activities
Shuttle Launch Experience Photo: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
For a Launch Party The 44,000-square-foot Shuttle Launch Experience opened in May 2007 at the Kennedy Space Center . Thanks to high-definition audiovisual effects, as many as 44 guests can strap into the simulator and experience what it feels like to lift off at 17,500 miles per hour. After the transition from the initial vertical position to the horizontal cruising mode, shuttle bay doors open to reveal a view of the earth. Buyouts are available.To See a Joust Serfs and wenches dressed in period costumes serve guests roasted chicken and spare ribs (as well as vegetarian grub, when requested), as knights joust on horseback at the
Kissimmee location of the kitschy
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament , which completed the last phase of its $6 million renovation in April 2007. The 1,100-seat castle includes an area for the main event, a wine cellar for 75, and King’s Hall, which holds 100.
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05.05.09 5:26 PM
2 Spots for Wine and Cigars
The Grape Photo: Courtesy of the Grape
1. If you prefer to receive your antioxidants through the vine, a good place to start is the Grape , a 3,000-square-foot wine store and bar that serves gourmet small-plate fare. The round, dark-wood space opened in December 2006 near the Orange County Convention Center and holds 70 in the dining room and 30 on the patio. Chandeliers and parachute-fabric-covered chairs accent the dining room, while the store’s dominant color is, appropriately, purple.Pleasure Island is Fuego by Sosa Cigars , a cigar bar that opened in June 2007. Aficionados can stroll through humidors filled with 100 premium smokes and puff on them at the 800-square-foot backlit bar or outside on the patio. The space holds 50, but don’t stroll through Disney World with your cigar—smoking is
limited to designated areas.This information was previously published in the 2008 BizBash National Venue Guide.
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05.05.09 3:47 PM
5 Meeting-Friendly Resorts
Regal Sun Resort Photo: Courtesy of Regal Sun Resort
In addition to the Reunion Grande , Ginn Reunion also opened Annika Academy , a new golf school from Swedish pro Annika Sorenstam, in April. Private chipping and putting greens ring the 5,400-square-foot teaching facility, and Sorenstam’s longtime coach, Henri Reis, is available to teach groups of eight. The resort also features three golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Watson.Mike Ditka’s Runaway Beach Club Resort in Kissimmee. The resort includes a fitness center and 192 one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas. In May 2007, Mike Ditka’s Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa unveiled its two-, three-, and four-bedroom villas, adjacent to a 69-acre recreational lake. Located 2.5 miles from Walt Disney World , the resort includes a billiard room, a large game room, a full-service spa, and a 50-seat movie theater available for events.
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05.29.08 10:17 AM
Orlando Properties Piggyback to Celebrate Ongoing Construction
Courtesy of the Hilton Hotels
Slated for a September grand opening, both the Waldorf-Astoria Orlando-the first Waldorf outside of New York City-and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hosted a "Topping Out" ceremony at their Walt Disney World Resort locale. The event, with an appropriate construction-chic theme (a favorite these days among many planners for groundbreakers and grand openings), included guided tours for civic, community, and business leaders, as well as delectable bites compliments of the Waldorf's resident chef and author, John Doherty. Doherty also hosted a cooking class with children from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida in conjunction with the event. MORE >>
05.13.08 12:55 PM
Company Picnics and Outings Redefined
Twilight Features in South Florida can provide and set a blow up big screen in your local park or on the beach for a relaxing, outdoor entertainment experience. Courtesy of Twilight Features
FROM MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA
A Memorable Movie Experience. For many, dinner and a movie is a Friday or Saturday night ritual. So why not incorporate everyone's favorite activity into your next company outing? Companies such as Twilight Features in South Florida can provide and set up a blow up big screen, some three-stories high, in your local park or on the beach to show the latest hit movies--including family-friendly releases. This is a great way to keep the children, and even adults, suitably entertained throughout the afternoon and evening as being outside, and even under the stars, adds a unique element to your movie-going experience. Paired with popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, hamburgers, and a selection of candy choices, your event is sure to be a hit with attendees of all ages.
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