Meeting News - July 7, 2008 - (Page 22)

Destination Insider: Florida Gulf Coast Three-Decades-Old Meeting Property in Sarasota Gets A Sizeable Improvement The Hyatt Regency Sarasota, a 33-year-old property that’s one of Sarasota’s primary meeting venues, has completed the first phase of a $22 million renovation. The upgrade, finished in May, is meant to keep the property competitive for local meetings. “This redo included a complete reconstruction of all 294 guest rooms—we’re talking stripping down to the bare walls, replacing the ceilings and floor covering,” said Nancy Longstreth, director of sales and marketing.“Our plan includes a refurbishment of our 20,000 sf of meeting space by year’s end.” Already done is a new 2,000-sf, high-end conference room overlooking the water, and is suitable for small banquets, said Longstreth. Next up: the Boathouse, a 3,500-sf meeting and banquet room on the water and adjacent to the hotel’s marina. Also set for completion by year’s end is refurbishment of the hotel’s 10,000-sf ballroom. When all the projects are complete, the hotel will offer 23,500 sf of meeting and event space. Event Report A Salty State of Affairs Scientific meeting attendees found much to study in Southwest Florida Participants at the 20th Salt Water Intrusion Meeting (SWIM), held bi-annually and never before outside of Europe, gathered at the Naples Beach Resort in southwest Florida late last month and then moved on to points south, visiting both the Everglades and the Florida Keys. But the side trips were not for entertainment. “Attendees at our meetings don’t come to play— they come to work and learn and exchange ideas,” said Beth Miller-Tipton, director of the office of conferences and institutes at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, who plans as many as half a dozen educational conferences and symposiums a year in the Naples area. In the case of this particular meeting, the Everglades was of particular appeal to study, since it is the largest wetland in North America, and salt water incursion is a growing problem. “Our attendees are scientists, engineers, environmentalists, water resource managers and other serious professionals,” Miller-Tipton said. “They work and exchange ideas during the entire meeting, they don’t come for the beach or to play golf.” But the fact that lots other travelers do come to Naples to enjoy the weather and the beaches and the golf courses has created many offerings that are useful to an education-oriented meeting—a destination with many hotels for small to mid-sized groups and competitive rates, especially in summer. Also, there’s plenty of lift to Naples from Southwest Florida International Airport, which is 45 minutes away by shuttle bus, and close to Fort Myers. Miller-Tipton said the Naples area also is attractive for environmental groups because the Everglades are nearby, as is Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Blair Audubon Center. r Even Mother Nature is impressed. 22 MeetingNews July 7, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.sandpearl.com http://www.sandpearl.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - July 7, 2008

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