n Florida, you head north to get to the South, but you have to veer northeast to time-travel through the centuries and discover a region that is equal parts Old Europe, seaside Victoriana, nature retreat, and thoroughly indulgent golf and beach resort enclave.
Delegates might forget what time it is—or what year it is, for that matter—but they won’t soon forget the view from horseback on an Amelia Island beach, the feel of an early 18th century home in St. Augustine, the taste of Jacksonville’s
multicultural dining scene, or the sounds of silence on a hike through a Flagler County park.
Excursions, diversions, dining, culture, antiquity, and pristine eco settings all converge in Northeast Florida, Florida’s “First Coast”—historically and geographically—and a first-rate setting for group functions thanks to a range of venues that includes everything from massive exhibit halls lined with trade show booths to gracious porch-view parlors set with a few tables for an afternoon tea.
Jacksonville
It may have bragging rights as the country’s largest city in terms of land area, but Jacksonville is easy enough to navigate, with a centralized downtown core set on the banks of the St. Johns River, minutes from the airport and Atlantic beaches. This hub of attractions, restaurants, museums, parks, and sports venues is also home to premium-brand convention properties, many within walking distance of each other.
“We have very strong brands in the groups and meetings market, so it allows us to talk more about what we can do when a group comes to our destination,” says John Reyes, president and CEO of the Jacksonville and the Beaches CVB, referring to properties like the 966-room Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, which boasts 110,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and is adjacent to the Jacksonville Landing, a waterfront marketplace of shopping and dining.
Also adjacent to Jacksonville Landing is the 354-room Omni Jacksonville Hotel, with 14,000 square feet of meeting space and an outdoor rooftop pool overlooking the river. Nearby, the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront offers 292 rooms and 12,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, while the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk checks in with 324 rooms and a new 30,000-square-foot conference center.
In addition to hotel meeting space, downtown Jacksonville welcomes larger groups at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, featuring a 78,500-square-foot exhibit hall, 22 meeting rooms and a ballroom; the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, with three main theaters plus a number of meeting and lobby areas for receptions and parties; the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, with 27,000 square feet of column-free space; or, if your group is really more of a throng, the 82,000-seat Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Smaller groups, on the other hand, should get their bathing suits ready, because Jacksonville Beach is dotted with properties in the 50- to 150-room range, offering smaller meeting space and boardrooms. In fact, small meetings are something of a specialty for the Jacksonville CVB, whose Express Meeting Program has been in place for the past three years.
“We’ve seen an increase in interest among meetings of 50 peak rooms or less,” says Lyndsay Rossman, spokesperson for the CVB. “Jacksonville has increased its presence as an ideal location for family reunions, wedding receptions, amateur sporting events, and other smaller meetings.”
If even a small crowd feels crowded, though, total escape is just around the corner at the Timucuan Preserve, a 46,000-acre tract of coastal uplands and vast salt marshes, much of it not accessible by foot, which is where kayak rentals come in handy. Closer to the coast, Big and Little Talbot Island state parks are lined with hiking trails through driftwood forests and along untouched beaches.
Like most of Florida, Jacksonville’s attractions and activities can be enjoyed year-round, though bargains are seasonal, even in a region known for its value in comparison to some other Sunshine State locales.
“We’re rolling out a new initiative to enhance our off-season, typically July to December,” Rossman says. “We’ll be offering special rates on hotel rooms and incentive packages to entice groups to come to Jacksonville during our slower meeting months.”
The CVB hopes to launch the program for this fall, but it will definitely be in place by next July, Rossman says.
St. Augustine
You might be tempted to check your watch in St. Augustine to see if time really is standing still. That’s how it feels on the well-trodden byways of the historic district, whose main thoroughfare—St. George Street—is lined by 18th century Spanish Colonial houses and where a living history museum is occupied by “settlers” clad in 1740s-style garments, busy with blacksmithing, spinning and woodworking.
Old Florida, Old Spain and early Americana meet in this oldest of U.S. cities, founded 42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. From the impenetrable fortress Castillo de San Marcos—which dates to 1695—to the great hotels built by Florida pioneer Henry Flagler in the late 1800s and the simple coquina rock and tabby cottages along ancient brick lanes, St. Augustine reflects historical grandeur down to the smallest cobblestone.
And yet, a sense of fun prevails at places like the century-old St. Augustine Alligator Farm, which is crawling with 2,700 gators and crocodiles; Potter’s Wax Museum, featuring lifelike re-creations of historical figures; and the Whetstone Chocolate Factory, offering daily tours of sweet treats in the making.
You’ll find a similar variety in style and tone among St. Augustine’s meeting facilities, whether you want to keep things simple at a property like the Hampton Inn St. Augustine Beach or go for the gold standard at the AAA Five Diamond Ponte Vedra Inn & Club or AAA Four Diamond Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach.
If green is the color of choice, St. Augustine’s World Golf Village resort and residential complex offers a number of hotels, including the Renaissance Resort, which adjoins the St. Johns County Convention Center, offering over 85,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
Groups that want to get into the spirit of St. Augustine can choose the historic Casa Monica Hotel, which dates back to 1888 yet still boasts 12,000 square feet of function space, or the historic-looking Hilton St. Augustine Bayfront, which hides a state-of-the-art, 72-room hotel behind its Spanish Colonial facade.
Amelia Island
Flanked by two park preserves and edged by natural Appalachian quartz beaches banked by 40-foot sand dunes, Amelia Island would be a must-see even without its historical attractions, which are considerable. At one time or another, the 13-mile island northeast of Jacksonville has been ruled by eight different nations, including Spain, France and England, and is home to Florida’s only spoken history museum as well as a Civil War fort where monthly reenactments are conducted.
Set on the island’s northern end is its only town—Fernandina Beach—a 19th century seaport village whose 52 blocks of ornate Victorian homes and buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But lest you think it all sounds a bit too genteel, Fernandina is also home to the Palace Saloon, which has been standing on the same spot since 1878, making it the state’s oldest bar.
Amelia Island has the look and feel of a secluded retreat, but there are extensive meeting facilities set within the lush, beachfront vegetation. Amelia Island Plantation, for one, has nearly 50,000 square feet of function space, including the Amelia Inn and Executive Conference Centers, with more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space.
Also fronting the ocean is The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, where 32,000 square feet of function space includes 15 meeting rooms, two boardrooms and a ballroom; and Summer Beach Resort, whose Executive Retreat Center provides 2,200 square feet of multifaceted space.
The island’s Victorian inns also make memorable settings for small meetings and receptions. Choices include the Florida House Inn & Restaurant, Hoyt House and Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, a Nantucket-style inn with a separate cottage for group gatherings.
Palm Coast/Flagler County
South of St. Augustine is mellow Flagler County, home of one of the country’s fastest-growing cities, Palm Coast, which is also rapidly developing into one of Florida’s premier golf destinations.
Groups that check into Ginn Hammock Beach Resort can check out two signature golf courses—including the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course—while enjoying condo and suite accommodations, and meeting space that includes conventional ballrooms and conference rooms plus a 117-foot yacht built specifically for private events.
In addition to oceanside golf, Flagler County is home to such “original Florida” attractions as Marineland, “the World’s First Oceanarium,” along with newer venues like the European Village shopping enclave in Palm Coast. Meanwhile, unspoiled nature awaits at every turn, from observing nesting sea turtles in Gamble Rogers State Park to trekking through Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park.
For More Info
Amelia Island TDC 904.261.3248
www.ameliaisland.org
Flagler County TDC (Palm Coast) 386.437.0106
www.visitflagler.org
Jacksonville and the Beaches CVB 904.798.9111
www.visitjacksonville.com
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches VCB 904.829.1711
www.getaway4florida.com
