"Aruba is a genuinely happy place to be.".

When you bring your meeting to Aruba, you and your members will notice smiling faces everywhere," says Adriaan Arends, director of conventions and business development, Aruba Convention Bureau. "Maybe it's the Dutch tradition of hospitality, the long and prosperous history of the island, the year-round warmth and fresh breezes of the trade winds, or all of these things. Whatever it is, you'll find that Aruba is a genuinely happy place to be and that the people who live here, in the cities, in the towns, in the countryside, are genuinely happy to be sharing it with you."

Center Sits on Harbor

With the opening of the Seaport Conference Center, Aruba can accommodate association meetings, conventions, and exhibitions. The conference center, which opened in 1996, offers 40,000 square feet of space with 22,000 square feet reserved for meetings and functions. The main ballroom, measuring about 15,200 square feet, features 18-foot ceilings and can seat up to 1,200 people for banquets and 1,900 theater-style. Another 6,800 square feet of prefunction and meeting space is available in an outdoor breakout area.

The center, owned and managed by Aruba Sonesta Resorts, is located on the harbor in downtown Oranjestad, just four miles from Queen Beatrix International Airport.

Easily accessible by air, Aruba can be reached via nonstop flights from New York, Houston, Newark, Miami, Tampa, and San Juan. Carriers include Air Aruba, Air ALM, American Airlines, Aserca, Avensa/Servivensa, Avianca, Continental Airlines, KLM, and VASP, as well as various charter airlines.

Several hotels provide meeting facilities, including the Hyatt Regency, Allegro, Marriott, Wyndham, Radisson, and the Aruba Grand. Members of the Aruba Meetings & Incentives Partnership offer a wide range of services, from island tours to special Aruba meals to familiarization workshops. A scenic beachfront walkway bridges most of the Palm Beach meeting facilities.

Two destination management companies will work with you to handle trip details, such as deluxe coach transfers upon arrival and menu planning for theme events.

Scuba Diving Anyone?

When they aren't in meetings, your athletically inclined members can try windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, water skiing, golfing, or horseback riding. Members who are feeling less adventurous can see the underwater sights by submarine or glass-bottom boat, stroll the beach, or go for a lazy swim in the warm, relaxing Caribbean sea, which is alive with neon-yellow fish and flame-bright coral reefs.

Members will enjoy shopping in Oranjestad for luxury items and browsing in the marketplace for local art and handicrafts. They can visit the coves of Andicuri and Dos Playa; the calm of the "Conci," or natural pool, on the windward coast; the colorful houses of the countryside; and the birds at Frenchman's Pass. One of Aruba's most famous landmarks, the Natural Bridge, rises 25 feet above the sea and stretches across 100 feet of rocky waters. It is carved out of solid coral by the relentless pounding of the surf.

Meeting delegates can choose from dozens of restaurants offering every kind of international cuisine, from Argentinean to Italian to Thai. They can savor the fresh local seafood or sample Aruban specialties such as scavechi, sopi di jambo, and kesbi yena. Afterward, they can dance to the beat of a local Aruban band, enjoy live nightclub entertainment, or try their luck at one of 11 island casinos.

"Our beautiful beaches, rich multicultural history, renowned Dutch Caribbean hospitality, and quality facilities make Aruba an ideal destination for your next meeting," says Arends.

Just the Facts, Please

History: Discovered by the Spaniard Alonso De Ojeda in 1499, Aruba today maintains its own separate status within the Dutch Kingdom and enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean.

Language: Dutch is the official language, although English and Spanish are widely spoken. Papiamento, the local language, is a mix of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English.

Money: The exchange rate is about 1.78 Aruban florin to $1 in U.S. currency Hotel rates are quoted in U.S. dollars. Location: Just 19 miles from Venezuela, the island is located where the Americas meet.

Weather: Outside the hurricane belt, Aruba is dry and sunny with constant trade winds and an average year-round temperature of 82 degrees.

Size: The island is 19.6 miles long and six miles across at its widest point, with a total area of 70 square miles.