Florida.

ORANGE COUNTY'S CENTER OF HOSPITALITY SHINES BRIGHT

In Orlando, everything shines brighter. Even our people. So, it's no wonder that the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is considered the Center of Hospitality. Our team of meeting professionals is committed to delivering the most complete, productive and enjoyable experience for planners, exhibitors and attendees.

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With our recent expansion, OCCC now offers:

* 2.1 million square feet of exhibition space that includes 2 general assembly areas

* 74 meeting rooms/235 breakouts

* 173 covered truck bays for event load-in

* 3 full-service restaurants/7 food courts

* Wireless internet throughout the facility

Ten million convention delegates have not only fallen in love with Orlando's great weather and attractions, but also our award-winning Center. And to back that up, Tradeshow Week magazine's 28th Annual Survey of Corporate Exhibitors named Orlando the #1 meeting and tradeshow destination in the world.

So, if you are looking for a Convention Center that has everything under the sun, let Dan, Lisa, Kathy or Mercedes help you plan your next meeting or tradeshow in Orlando.

9800 International Drive * Orlando, Florida 32819

Phone [phone] * Toll-free 1-800-345-9845

Please visit us at www.orlandoconvention.com

Dan Hepler

Senior Account Executive

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MIDWEST

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Lisa Williams 

Senior Account Executive

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SOUTHEAST

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Kathy Hogan

Senior Account Executive

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NORTHEAST

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Mercedes Rivera

Senior Account Executive

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FLORIDA

YOUR MEETING PARADISE AWAITS

Florida is not only beautiful; it's amazingly resilient. The Sunshine State's meetings infrastructure has bounced back quickly from being hit by four major storms in last summer's historic hurricane season. Visit Florida reports that 75 percent of the state experienced no significant damage and welcomed visitors almost immediately after each hurricane. And many properties that experienced damage used it as an opportunity to upgrade, improve, and even expand their facilities and amenities. Simply put, you can't keep a fabulous place like Florida down. With a host of new and freshly upgraded resorts, attractions, airports, and other facilities, Florida is shining brighter than ever.

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NORTHWEST

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Pensacola rapidly recovered from damage caused by Hurricane Ivan and is poised for new growth in its hospitality infrastructure. This summer, a new 85-room Hampton Inn & Suites will open north of downtown with meeting space for 40 people. Come early 2006, a 120-room Courtyard by Marriott will open downtown with meeting space for 75 people, in-room high-speed Internet, and wireless access.

The physician-based Portofino Medical Spa opened in October with 13,000 square feet of waterfront space providing leading-edge health and wellness services.

In November, American Eagle/American Airlines restarted service at the Pensacola International Airport with daily flights to Dallas. In December, Delta Connection expanded its nonstop service on routes to Cincinnati, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa.

The Hilton Garden Inn on Pensacola Beach is recovering from storm damage by expanding its outdoor pool deck with a new 1,200-square-foot canopied area. It has 10,000 square feet of meeting space. The Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand suffered storm damage as well but is on track to reopen by June. It is close to the undamaged Pensacola Civic Center, which offers 20,000 square feet of exhibit space, 13,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 10,000 arena seats.

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Florida's Emerald Coast earns its name with 24 miles of white sand beaches, great resorts, and world-class fishing and golf. Just celebrating its second anniversary this spring is the Emerald Coast Conference Center on Okaloosa Island. Within walking distance of 4,000 hotel rooms, the center offers 35,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, 13 meeting rooms, and a 21,500-square-foot ballroom.

Increasing access to the region's meeting facilities is a new $30 million, 107,800-square-foot terminal that opened in November at the Okaloosa Regional Airport. Six carriers serve the airport.

Overall, more than 30 hotels in the Okaloosa Island, Destin, and Fort Walton areas offer meeting space. While the region sustained minimal damage during the 2004 storm season, the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort in Fort Walton has been closed but is scheduled to reopen this month. The 335-room hotel has 14,000 square feet of meeting space.

Two new hotels are under development at Santa Rosa Beach, just east of Fort Walton and Destin. The two new hotels--a 168-room Courtyard by Marriott and 108-room Residence Inn--are part of a mixed-use development.

Also east of Destin and Fort Walton is the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, which continues to expand as part of a $400 million master plan. With 1,350 guest rooms, four championship golf courses, and 60,000 square feet of meeting space, the Sandestin is its own destination. In 2003, it opened the 168-room Grand Sandestin hotel tower and Baytowne Conference Center with 32,000 square feet of meeting space.

Panama City Beach continues to invest in its infrastructure with several new projects that have enhanced lodging and entertainment options as well as access with a new bridge and expanded highways. More than 30 area lodging properties will be redeveloped and refurbished across the next two years, as well as an estimated construction of 10,000 guest rooms in 2006. The projects will bring Panama City Beach's total guest rooms to more than 28,000.

Among the new projects is the Aquatica Beach Resort that will include 982 condominium-style units, full concierge service, a luxury spa, fitness facility, and outdoor theater with a grand lawn area.

Four resort properties possess the bulk of the city's meeting facilities, collectively offering more than 125,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 1,800 guest rooms. The four properties include Marriott's Bay Point Resort Village, Boardwalk Beach Resort, Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, and Edgewater Beach Resort & Conference Center.

Also under development is an expansion of the Pier Park area that will include more than 1 million square feet of shops, restaurants, and other family entertainment venues.

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NORTH CENTRAL

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Closer to Atlanta than Miami, Tallahassee more closely resembles its traditional Southern neighbors than Florida in topography, climate, and lifestyle. Home to Florida State University, numerous state associations, and all the activity that goes with being the capital of a populous state, Tallahassee is a hub for meetings.

Tallahassee offers more than 5,000 guest rooms in more than 50 hotels. The city's 23 meetings-oriented hotels offer 48,580 square feet of meeting space that complements the ample space available at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. As the third largest arena in Florida, the downtown Civic Center boasts 69,000 square feet of event space, including a 40,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 13,800-seat arena. Six meeting rooms can be customized to accommodate up to 1,200 participants.

Located only 13 miles from the capitol building is the historic Wakulla Springs Lodge and Conference Center. The 27-room lodge, built in 1937, is perfect for smaller retreats. Another unique setting is the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum, with 6,000 square feet of event space and a large hardwood dance floor. Groups can view rare and famous vehicles in a setting that can accommodate receptions for up to 300 people.

For post-meeting excursions, the Gulf of Mexico is only 20 miles away. Also, America's largest concentration of plantations--71 plantations encompassing 300,000 acres--exists in the 28 miles between Tallahassee and Thomasville, Georgia.

Gainesville/Alachua County will get two new 100-room hotels adjacent to Interstate 75 when Homewood Suites opens in May and a Country Inn & Suites opens in June. They join more than 4,000 other guest rooms in 16 municipalities throughout the county. Among the most prominent area hotels is the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center, which has 245 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting space in 13 rooms.

Also connected to university is the on-campus Stephen O'Connell Center. A multipurpose facility, the center offers a 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall and capacity for up to 12,000 people for theater-style events.

The State of Florida Natural History Museum recently unveiled its newest permanent exhibit, the "Butterfly Rainforest." The screened exhibit houses tropical plants as well as hundreds of free-flying butterflies representing some 65 species.

NORTHEAST

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Amelia Island is the region's ultimate getaway resort destination, yet it's only 30 minutes from Jacksonville International Airport and 45 minutes from downtown Jacksonville. With the sparkling Atlantic Ocean on one side and lush marshes on the other, Amelia Island Plantation defines the Florida resort experience. Between its luxurious hotel rooms and villas, the 1,350-acre resort offers 667 guest rooms. It also offers more than 57,000 square feet of meeting and event space that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. Resort amenities include a full-service spa, 54 holes of championship-caliber golf, a golf instruction academy, 23 Har-Tru clay tennis courts, and its newest attraction, Segway safari tours of the resort aboard the revolutionary Segway personal vehicles.

The 449-room Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is another attractive resort meetings facility. It offers more than 35,000 square feet of event space, including a 13,350-square-foot ballroom as well as 18 holes of golf and a full-service spa. Several other hotels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts are on Amelia Island as well, including the Summer Beach Resort with its 2,200-square-foot Executive Retreat Center.

Culturally rich and historically significant St. Augustine showcases an 11-block, pedestrian-only historic district filled with fascinating architecture and unique shops. Two new boutique hotels opened earlier this year in America's oldest city. The Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront has 72 guest rooms with terraces and balconies overlooking beautiful Matanzas Bay. Composed of 19 separate buildings designed to resemble Spanish Colonial structures, the Hilton offers more than 1,600 square feet of meeting space. The Mediterranean-inspired Castillo Real offers 60 colorful, upscale guest rooms on St. Augustine Beach.

The Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa on nearby Ponte Vedra Beach hosted the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XXXIX. The 508-room resort completed an expansion of its meeting space in 2004. Its newly expanded conference center features ballrooms of 16,000, 8,000, and 4,000 square feet and the 12,500-square-foot tournament hall. Also just completed is the 20,000-square-foot Spa at Sawgrass. The Marriott is surrounded by 99 holes of championship golf and is home to the PGA Tour's TPC Stadium Course.

The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village hosted the New England Patriots during the Super Bowl. The 271-room resort offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space and adjoins the St. Johns County Convention Center, which features more than 40,000 square feet of event space on one level. The center was recently refurbished with new furniture, carpeting, and wall coverings.

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The PGA Tour Spa Laterra, a 12,900-square-foot facility with 11 private treatment rooms, opened in late 2004. Located at the World Golf Village, the new spa is the first spa to bear the PGA Tour name.

Jacksonville is still basking in the glow from hosting Super Bowl XXXIX. Five cruise ships were moored in the St. Johns River during the big event to host the influx of visitors, providing 3,500 guest rooms.

On land, Jacksonville offers 15,000 hotel rooms and the kind of world-class amenities package that can attract a mega-event such as the Super Bowl. The 966-room Adam's Mark Jacksonville rebounded in impressive fashion from $2 million in water damage caused by a pump break that washed out 252 guest rooms. All guest rooms were open before year's end, in plenty of time to host fans for both the Gator Bowl and Super Bowl. The Adam's Mark has 110,000 square feet of meeting space.

Other major hotels in downtown Jacksonville include the 354-room Omni Jacksonville, 292-room Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, and 322-room Radisson Riverwalk Hotel Jacksonville, which offers a 25,000-square-foot conference center.

The largest meeting facility in Jacksonville is the Prime Osborn Convention Center, which offers a 78,500-square-foot exhibit hall and 40,000 square feet of carpeted meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom.

CENTRAL WEST

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Tampa Bay's tourism tagline, "No Better Way To Do Florida," sums up this oceanfront city's appeal for meetings. Tampa Bay is fresh from several exciting new projects that have enhanced its meetings infrastructure significantly.

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Tampa International Airport opens its $134 million Airside C terminal this month. The new terminal will serve Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and newcomer Independence Air.

One of the area's best-known resorts, Saddlebrook, completed an $8.5 million renovation of all 800 guest rooms in January. The room upgrades were part of a $14 million project that included improvements to guest room bathrooms and kitchens. Hampton Inns & Suites also broke ground in January on a 75-room Hampton in Tampa that will serve as the chain's new prototype hotel with wider dimensions and other elements designed to create more living space.

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Also breaking ground recently was a 360-suite Embassy Suites Hotel. Opposite the recently upgraded Tampa Convention Center, the Embassy will open in mid-2006 with 11,000 square feet of meeting space.

Tampa-area hotels that debuted in 2004 include the 138-room Hampton Inn Ybor City, the 293-room Renaissance Tampa Hotel with 12,500 square feet of meeting space, and the 272-room Quorum Hotel-Tampa, the former Crowne Plaza Westshore that received a $5 million renovation.

Also recently opened is the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with 250 guest rooms and the 717-room Tampa Marriott Waterside. Clear Channel Entertainment also opened the $23 million Ford Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds in July with outdoor seating for 20,000 people.

In nearby Winter Haven, the famous Cypress Gardens reopened in late 2004 after a $45 million makeover that added dozens of new thrill rides. The park's legendary ski show also is featured.

It's no wonder that St. Petersburg/Clearwater's inventory of more than 30,000 hotel rooms continues to grow, given the area's traditional appeal as a major resort destination.

Clearwater City Council in December approved plans for the 250-room Hyatt Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa. The Hyatt soon will join the new Marriott Suites Clearwater Beach on Sand Key, Florida's first and only all-suite Marriott property. The former Radisson property underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. It offers 7,500 square feet of meeting space, 220 suites, and fitness center. The former Adam's Mark Clearwater Beach currently is undergoing a major renovation and will reopen as the Radisson Resort on Clearwater Beach in mid-2005. The hotel has 217 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space.

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Another prominent resort in Clearwater is the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, which recently incorporated wireless Internet access in all public spaces. The Sheraton recently remodeled its 390 guest rooms, Mainstay Tavern, and other public areas. It offers more 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The area's landmark Don CeSar Beach Resort & Spa recently joined the Loews Hotel Group. The historic 277-room hotel offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space and a full-service spa.

Downtown's Clearwater Harborview Center, which features a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall among its 65,000 square feet of meeting space, is near all of the top hotels in Clearwater and Sand Key.

St. Petersburg will get a brand new hotel in late 2005 when the Hilton St. Petersburg at Carillon Park opens. The Hilton will offer 217 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of meeting space. Wireless Internet also will be accessible throughout the hotel.

The area offers ample event space away from its fine resorts, too, as witnessed by the 231,000-square-foot Bayfront Center in downtown St. Petersburg. The multifaceted complex houses several entertainment and meeting facilities. Among them is the Times Bayfront Arena that has 23,500 square feet of exhibit space and can seat 8,140 people. The Coliseum, built in 1924, also can seat 2,000 for banquets or concerts.

CENTRAL

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Orlando is gearing up as Disney celebrates 50 years of theme park magic in 2005. Disney is celebrating with the debut of several new attractions including "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show," a spectacular car and motorcycle show at Disney-MGM Studios. Epcot also will feature "Soarin'"--a ride that sends guests flying in a simulated hang gliding experience, while Disney's Animal Kingdom features the "Expedition Everest" roller coaster.

The meetings and hotel offerings at Walt Disney World Resort keep expanding as well. This spring, Disney's largest convention resort property, the Coronado Springs Resort, opens a new 86,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The 1,921-room resort already offers 95,000 square feet of meeting space, including a column-free ballroom encompassing 60,214 square feet. All meeting space will be on one level.

Disney's Swan (758 rooms) and Dolphin (1,509 rooms) hotels also recently expanded their meeting space package that now encompasses more than 329,000 square feet, including 110,500 square feet of contiguous exhibit hall space.

Universal Orlando has partnered with the Orlando Convention Center to offer one-stop shopping for planners. Universal now has an on-site office at the center where planners can purchase tickets or book meetings and hotel rooms at the theme park and its hotels. The theme park also debuts its "Fear Factor Show" this spring where guests get the chance to test their courage and strength against other contestants. On the hotel front, the 750-room Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando recently opened its Mandara Spa. A Loews Hotel, the Portofino Bay offers 42,000 square feet of meeting space. Two other large hotels also operated by Loews are at Universal Orlando--the 1,000-room Royal Pacific Resort and the 650-room Hard Rock Hotel.

The world's largest Marriott, the 2,000-room Orlando World Center Marriott Resort, announced in January that it will undertake a $200 million expansion of its meeting space. Upon completion, the Marriott will offer 400,000 square feet of event space that will be almost entirely on one level. Showcase of the project will be creation of the new 105,000-square-foot Cypress Ballroom.

The Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort & Convention Center continues to upgrade. Following its recent $30 million expansion that more than doubled its meeting space, the Caribe Royale spent $10 million to renovate each of its 1,218 suites. The resort also offers 120 two-bedroom villas. A gourmet restaurant, The Venetian Room, was added in 2002, and a new fitness center will debut this fall. The meeting space expansion included the 40,000-square-foot Grand Sierra Ballroom. The Caribe Royale now offers more than 150,000 square feet of meeting space.

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Come fall 2006, the 230-acre Shingle Creek Resort will open with 1,500 guest rooms and 250,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 96,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom. Located just one mile from the Orange County Convention Center, the new resort also will feature a full-service spa and an 18-hole golf course that opened in 2003.

In 2003, the convention center completed a $748 million expansion that doubled its exhibit space to 2.1 million square feet, making it second only to Chicago's McCormick Place for total exhibit space. The expansion also increased total meeting space to 492,000 square feet. The 1,334-room Rosen Centre Hotel adjacent to the convention center also installed high-speed Internet access and upgraded its guest rooms in 2004.

Kissimmee/St. Cloud is becoming known for its luxurious mega-resorts. Following the 2002 opening of the Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Center, the 730-room Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate opened last October with more than 70,000 square feet of meeting space. Included in the amenities are ballrooms of 25,000 and 20,000 square feet, 27 breakout rooms, and a 10,000-square-foot spa. The Omni is adjacent to two Greg Norman-designed golf courses and the David Ledbetter Golf Academy.

The Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Center offers 1,406 guest rooms and 400,000 square feet of event space. The resort's amazing meeting space includes a 178,500-square-foot exhibit hall, 48,500-square-foot ballroom, and 46 breakout rooms. The Gaylord Palms includes 4.5 acres under a massive glass atrium, as well as the 20,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch Spa. Recently, Gaylord installed a new "IConnect" in-room computer system that allows guests to stay linked to e-mail, resort services, and other guests without using a laptop computer.

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The 712-room Radisson Resort Parkway is upgrading its 6,200 square feet of meeting space with new decor. It is part of a larger project that refurbished guest rooms and public spaces during the past few years.

The Best Western Maingate East Hotel & Suites used roof damage sustained last fall as an opportunity to overhaul the property and give it a more contemporary look. In addition to renovating its common areas and 221 guest rooms, the hotel also redesigned its 1,200 square feet of meeting space.

Other area news includes downtown St. Cloud installing a free wireless Internet system encompassing 20 square blocks, the Reunion Resort & Club opening a new swimming pavilion that can accommodate group events, and the fall 2003 opening of the Osceola Heritage Park that includes 10,800 square feet of meeting space and an 89,500-square-foot exposition building.

CENTRAL EAST

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Daytona Beach is enjoying a wave of transformation that includes new luxury resorts, a $7.5 million streetscape improvement program along the city's central beachside tourist corridor, and an expanded convention center. The $57 million expansion of the Ocean Center Convention and Entertainment Complex is under way and scheduled for a 2008 completion. The expansion will add 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and 30,000 square feet of meeting space. It also will upgrade existing facilities to match the quality of the new space and enhance its facade.

A $20 million upgrade that transformed the former Adam's Mark into the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort at Ocean Walk Village debuts this month. The enhancement comes on the heels of a $53 million expansion in 2002 that added 306 guest rooms and 35,000 square feet of meeting space. The resort now offers 746 guest rooms and 60,000 square feet of space in 32 separate meeting rooms.

Another $23 million project is under way that will transform the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort into a four-star spa resort, The Shores Resort & Spa. Scheduled for a June 2005 debut, the 214-room resort will include a new spa/fitness center and fine-dining restaurant as well as $30,000 in upgrades for each guest room.

The Daytona Lagoon at Ocean Walk Village is the resort area's newest attraction. It opened in February with a water park, arcade, restaurant, and other family entertainment. The $250 million Ocean Walk Village project features two resorts--the Hilton and the 1,300-room Ocean Walk Resort with 139,000 square feet of meeting space--along with Ocean Walk Shoppes, a retail, dining, and entertainment complex.

Florida's Space Coast combines natural beauty with a central location. It is located less than an hour from the world-famous attractions at Orlando and Daytona Beach and only a short drive from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Spaceport USA. Comprised of the communities of Cocoa Beach, Melbourne/Palm Bay, and Titusville, the Space Coast offers 9,500 guest rooms and 160,000 square feet of meeting space that are complemented by 72 miles of Atlantic shoreline and the 220-square-mile Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The Doubletree Cocoa Beach made the most of a difficult situation when it undertook an $8 million upgrade to the property after damage caused by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. The Doubletree reopened in January after being closed since September for the renovation.

SOUTHWEST

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The big news on the Lee Island Coast is the June opening of the new midfield terminal at the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. The $438 million expansion project will create a 28-gate, 798,000-square-foot terminal that is designed for future expansion of up to 65 gates. It also includes a new taxiway and related roadway improvements. Several carriers recently initiated new service at the airport, including nonstop flights to Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Montreal, Baltimore-Washington, and Denver.

The sea shell collector's paradises of Sanibel and Captiva Islands both took hits from Hurricane Charley last August but are making the most of it with improvements to their leading resorts. The South Seas Resort & Yacht Harbour on Captiva closed due to damage from Charley, but it suffered no major structural or water surge damage. A top-to-bottom renovation is under way at the 500-unit resort, which also is adding 8,000 square feet of meeting space to bring its inventory to 36,000 square feet. Some accommodations and amenities reopened in mid-March, and the resort will be fully renovated and open by Thanksgiving.

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The 407-unit Sanibel Harbor Resort & Spa in Fort Myers also closed due to hurricane damage but reopened in February after renovations. It completed refurbishing its 40,000-square-foot spa and 240 hotel rooms and suites in 2003. The resort also opened a 45,000-square-foot conference center in 2000.

Sarasota is still beaming from Siesta Key beach recently being named among Dr. Beach's "Top 10 Beaches in America." There's more to do on Sarasota's beaches than ever with the recent opening of the Ritz-Carlton Members Beach Club on Lido Key. The 30,000-square-foot facility features banquet venues, a private beach, several dining options, and elegant waterfront pool. It is located only three miles via a complimentary shuttle service from the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, which has 266 guest rooms and 18,000 square feet of meeting space.

Other hotels with substantial meeting facilities in Sarasota include the 297-room Hyatt Sarasota with 20,000 square feet of meeting space, the 234-room Longboat Key Colony Beach & Tennis Resort with 7,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 155-suite Resort at Longboat Key Club with 7,000 square feet of meeting space.

Also new is the Mote Marine Laboratory's Keating Marine Education Center, featuring a 4,300-square-foot conference room and 1,300-square-foot balcony with views of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is a unique location for private group events.

Located directly across from the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is the Sarasota Bradenton International Convention Center, which opened in mid-2003 with 93,000 square feet of exhibit space and 6,400 square feet of meeting rooms.

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Another area exposition facility is the Manatee Convention Center, located just north of downtown Bradenton. The center, which features a 32,400-square-foot exhibit hall and a 15,000-square-foot conference center, has more than 5,000 guest rooms nearby. Plans are in the works to build an on-site convention hotel.

There's no arguing the fact that Naples is an upscale resort area, given that it boasts two Ritz-Carlton properties and other properties that are among some of Florida's most luxurious.

Guests at the two Ritz properties can enjoy the upscale amenities of both hotels. The 295-room Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort offers two 18-hole golf courses, 14,800 square feet of meeting space, and a full-service spa. It is only minutes away via complimentary shuttle service from its big brother, the 463-room Ritz Carlton Naples Beach Resort, which offers a spa with 30 treatment rooms and over 35,000 square feet of meeting space.

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Also in Naples is the 395-room Registry Resort Naples, which recently completed a $30 million upgrade that enlarged meeting space. Also in the area are the 199-room Hilton Naples & Towers with over 18,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 189-room LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort with 11,000 square feet for meetings.

Marco Island's largest meetings resort is the 727-room Marco Island Marriott Resort & Golf Club, which recently completed a $43 million renovation that added a 24,000-square-foot spa. The Marriott offers 60,000 square feet of meeting space. Marco Island's Radisson Suite Beach Resort also opened a new spa recently following a $45 million renovation.

SOUTHEAST

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With its sizzling nightlife, dazzling Art Deco hotels, and flair for fashion, Greater Miami is both cool and hot. The Miami hotel market remains decidedly hot, with more than 8,000 new guest rooms appearing across the past three years and more on the way. Properties such as the 790-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel and 417-room Royal Palm Crowne Plaza answered a need on Miami Beach for luxury convention properties close to the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is in the planning stages for an expansion that would add 60,000 square feet of multipurpose space to its current inventory of 650,000 square feet.

In Coconut Grove, the 300-room Sonesta Hotel & Suites includes more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space, while the luxurious, new Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove has 15,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor function space. Both properties are close to the Coconut Grove Expo Center, a waterfront, modernized facility with 150,000 square feet of contiguous space. Also close is the 179-suite Mayfair House, which has new owners who are undertaking a $10 million renovation, including the creation of a new ballroom.

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Among the most substantial new projects in Miami is the opening of the Fountainebleau Hilton's 462-suite tower in February. The legendary Miami Beach hotel also recently debuted a 15,000-square-foot spa. Additionally, it was announced in January that Turnberry Associates has purchased the Hilton and will undertake an additional $150 million enhancement project, including a new 18-story condo-hotel tower.

Two new upscale hotels also opened recently in downtown Miami. The Conrad Miami opened in July with 203 guest rooms, spa, and fine-dining restaurant. The $60 million Hotel Victor opened in January with 91 guest rooms and suites and a 6,000-square-foot spa in a lavish 1938 building adjacent to the famed Versace Mansion. Several other upscale boutique hotels have opened recently in Miami, including the 140-room Catalina Hotel & Beach Club and the 97-room Acqualina. Both properties opened in early 2005 with spas.

Fort Lauderdale is one of Florida's long-standing tourism and meetings icons. Wildly popular long before many of the state's other major meetings destinations emerged, Fort Lauderdale is now offering a host of new projects that will certainly further enhance its standing.

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Several projects are adding luxurious, new properties throughout the area. A $220 million W Hotel is scheduled to open in late 2006 on Fort Lauderdale Beach with 346 guest rooms, more than 13,000 square feet of meeting space, and a 10,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility. Also opening on the beach in 2006 will be the Hilton Fort Lauderdale with 333 units, a spa and fitness center, and a 2,700-square-foot ballroom.

On Hollywood Beach, the $30 million Hollywood Grande Hotel will open in fall 2006 with 148 guest rooms and retail shops. A new Marriott with 229 guest rooms and more than 8,000 square feet of meeting space is also under development in Hollywood Beach and is scheduled to open this spring. The oceanfront Pelican Beach Resort opened in January with 180 guest rooms.

Florida's first St. Regis Resort is scheduled to open this fall with 14,000 square feet of meeting space, a 20,000-square-foot spa, gourmet restaurant, and 166 guest rooms. The $135 million landmark resort also will feature a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.

Among the 610 hotel and resort properties in the Fort Lauderdale area are long-standing landmarks that have undergone recent enhancements. The Turnberry Isle Resort & Club recently became a Fairmount property and debuted its Golf Learning Center. The 392-room property offers a 45,000-square-foot conference center. The Bonaventure Resort & Spa currently is undergoing a $90 million renovation that is adding a spa by this summer.

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Perhaps the area's largest new meetings-oriented development occurred last May when the $200 million Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Resort opened in Hollywood with 500 guest rooms, casino, spa, 100,000 square feet of meeting space, and outdoor entertainment center.

Located on exclusive Harbor Beach is the Lago Mar Hotel Resort & Club with 212 oversized guest rooms and suites and a new 1,000-square-foot fitness center at its spa. The Lago Mar's event space includes the 3,000-square-foot Lakeview Room, 5,000-square-foot Fountainview lobby, boardroom, and two meeting rooms that can accommodate 125 people each.

Palm Beach County's new convention center added an attractive new option to what was already a region with some of the nation's most highly regarded resort meetings destinations. The $83 million Palm Beach County Convention Center that opened in November 2003 features a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall that can be split in half, a 25,000-square-foot ballroom, and 23 separate breakout rooms encompassing 23,000 square feet. With an infrastructure that supports high bandwidth access and facility-wide fiber optics, superior technology is an attractive feature of the new center.

In addition, a new Intercontinental Group hotel is under development and is currently scheduled for a late 2006 completion. The luxury 20-story hotel and condo tower, which is tentatively titled Hotel Beluga, will offer approximately 225 guest rooms.

Several of the area's top hotels are boasting newly upgraded facilities. In October, the rebranded 352-room West Palm Beach Marriott was dedicated after an extensive renovation that included a completely redesigned 6,650-square-foot ballroom. The Marriott, located next to the new convention center and only two miles from Palm Beach International Airport, offers 18,000 square feet of meeting space. In January, a former Radisson property became the Hilton Suites Boca Raton through a $2 million renovation. The 200-suite hotel is part of a business center.

The venerable Boca Raton Resort & Club recently completed a $100 million project that upgraded nearly every phase of the 356-acre resort that offers 146,000 square feet of function space. The PGA National Resort & Spa also recently completed a multimillion-dollar upgrade of its 33,900-square-foot conference center that features the 10,000-square-foot PGA Ballroom. The resort offers 339 guest rooms, 50 two-bedroom cottages, five 18-hole golf courses, and a spa offering more than 100 treatments.

The Florida Keys offer groups the quintessential tropical island experience in a U.S. destination. Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key, and Key West combine luxurious resort accommodations with all the activities and natural beauty that their sparkling Caribbean waters provide.

Scheduled to open in mid-2005 on Islamorada, the Florida Keys History of Diving Museum will provide an educational and cultural experience focusing on the fascinating history of undersea exploration in the Keys. Two renowned wildlife artists are painting a landmark 300-foot mural on the museum's exterior.

Also on Islamorada, the Chesapeake Resort now incorporates the Rainbow Reef Dive Center, which offers a full range of dive- and snorkel-related trips and services. The resort also recently debuted wireless Internet service so guests can stay connected even on the beach.

Key Largo's Ocean Reef Club recently opened a 12,000-square-foot conference center with a rooftop terrace suitable for various outdoor functions. The 404-unit resort offers over 30,000 square feet of meeting space and two 18-hole golf courses.

The Hammocks at Marathon recently celebrated its grand opening. Formerly the Best Western Marathon Resort & Suites, the Hammocks offers various studio, one-, or two-bedroom villas.

Key West's Ocean Key Resort opened a new 2,550-square-foot spa with several treatment rooms and a fitness center. A couples massage room is included. Also in Key West, the historic Crowne Plaza La Concha recently underwent a $500,000 renovation. The hotel, built in 1926, has 150 guest rooms and 10 suites.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

STATEWIDE

VISIT FLORIDA

661 E. Jefferson St., Suite 300

Tallahassee, FL 32301

850-488-5607; fax: [phone]

www.flausameetings.com

NORTHWEST

Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 609

Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549-0609

800-322-3319

850-651-7131; fax: [phone]

www.destin-fwb.com

Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 9473

Panama City Beach, FL 32417

800-PC-BEACH

850-233-5070; fax: [phone]

www.thebeachloversbeach.com

Pensacola Convention and Visitors Bureau

1401 E. Gregory St.

Pensacola, FL 32502

800-874-1234

850-434-1234; fax: [phone]

www.visitpensacola.com

NORTH CENTRAL

Alachua County Visitor and Convention Bureau

30 E. University Ave.

Gainesville, FL 32601

352-374-5231; fax: [phone]

www.visitgainesville.net

Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

106 E. Jefferson St.

Tallahassee, FL 32301

800-628-2866

850-413-9200; fax: [phone]

www.seetallahassee.com

NORTHEAST

Amelia Island Tourist

Development Council

961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101G

Amelia Island, FL 32034

800-226-3542; fax: [phone]

www.ameliaisland.org

Jacksonville and the Beaches

Convention and Visitors Bureau

550 Water St., Suite 1000

Jacksonville, FL 32202

800-733-2668

904-798-9111; fax: [phone]

www.visitjacksonville.com

St. Johns County Visitor and Convention Bureau

88 Riberia St., Suite 400

St. Augustine, FL 32084

800-418-7529

904-829-1711; fax: [phone]

www.getaway4florida.com

CENTRAL WEST

St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area

Convention and Visitors Bureau

14450 46th St. North, Suite 108

Clearwater, FL 33762

877-352-3224

727-464-7200; fax: [phone]

www.floridasbeach.com

Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau

400 N. Tampa St., Suite 2800

Tampa, FL 33602

800-448-2672

813-223-1111; fax: [phone]

www.visittampabay.com

CENTRAL

Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau

1925 E. U.S. Hwy. 192

Kissimmee, FL 34746

800-831-1844

407-944-2408, ext. 427

fax: [phone]

www.floridakiss.com

Lake County Economic Development and Tourism Bureau

20763 U.S. Hwy. 27

Groveland, FL 34736

352-429-4265; fax: [phone]

www.lakecountyfl.com

Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce

35 Lake Morton Dr.

P.O. Box 3607

Lakeland, FL 33801

863-688-8551; fax: [phone]

www.lakelandchamber.com

Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau

6700 Forum Dr., Suite 100

Orlando, FL 32821

800-662-2825

407-354-5506; fax: [phone]

www.orlandoinfo.com

Seminole County Convention and Visitors Bureau

1230 Douglas Ave., Suite 116

Longwood, FL 32750

800-800-7832

407-665-2900; fax: [phone]

www.visitseminole.com

Universal Orlando

1000 Universal Studios Plz.

Orlando, FL 32819

407-363-8000; fax: [phone]

www.universalorlando.com

Walt Disney World Resorts

P.O. Box 10000

Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

407-828-3074; fax: [phone]

www.disneymeetings.com

CENTRAL EAST

Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

126 E. Orange Ave.

Daytona Beach, FL 32114

800-544-0415

386-255-0415; fax: [phone]

www.daytonabeachcvb.org

Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism

2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Suite B-105

Viera, FL 32940

321-637-5483; fax: [phone]

www.space-coast.com

Melbourne/Palm Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

1005 E. Strawbridge Ave.

Melbourne, FL 32901

800-771-9922

321-724-5400; fax: [phone]

www.melpb-chamber.org

SOUTHWEST

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 1000

Bradenton, FL 34206

800-462-6283

941-729-9177; fax: [phone]

www.flagulfislands.com

Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau

12800 University Dr., Suite 550

Fort Meyers, FL 33907

800-237-6444

239-338-3500; fax: [phone]

www.fortmyers-sanibel.com

Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau

655 N. Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, FL 34236

800-522-9799

941-957-1877; fax: [phone]

www.sarasotafl.org

SOUTHEAST

Florida Keys and Key West

Monroe County Tourist

Development Council

1201 White St., Suite 102

Key West, FL 33042

800-FLA-KEYS

305-296-1552; fax: [phone]

www.fla-keys.com

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau

100 E. Broward Blvd., Suite 200

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

800-22-SUNNY

954-765-4466; fax: [phone]

www.sunny.org

Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

701 Brickell Ave., Suite 2700

Miami, FL 33131

800-933-8448

305-539-3000; fax: [phone]

www.miamimeetings.com

Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau

1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 800

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

561-233-3000; fax: [phone]

www.palmbeachfl.com