Expect the unexpected" may be a cliche, but it definitely applies when you’re talking about the central-west region of Florida. Beautiful beaches are a given on this sunny stretch of coastline that starts in the Greek-flavored village of Tarpon Springs, threads through the shimmering expanse of Tampa Bay and settles along the placid shores of Sarasota.
What you might not expect to find, though, is one of the top-rated beaches in the country; a rare bird that’s never been bred in captivity on this continent; a shipwreck dating back to the Civil War; or artistic masterpieces hanging in museums that rival the world’s best.
But they’re all here, along with a growing meetings and conventions scene that continues to thrive despite a struggling economy.
Tampa
In Tampa, group bookings are actually ahead of where they were projected to be.
"In a year when most, I think, were down, we ended up making 100 percent of our goal in conventions and meetings," reports Norwood Smith, vice president of sales for Tampa Bay & Company. "We thought it was going to be an impossible task when we started the year, so we’re very proud of it."
Smith acknowledges at least part of the credit goes to Super Bowl XLIII, which gave the area a major boost in publicity last year.
"No one calls and says, ‘I’m calling because of Super Bowl,’ but when you host an event that has a worldwide audience of a billion viewers, it can’t be bad for your city," he says. "I think we can thank Super Bowl for driving those numbers."
In addition, partial credit no doubt goes to the breadth and variety of improvements taking place throughout Tampa Bay. Newly opened on downtown Tampa’s waterfront is the Tampa Museum of Art, which—in addition to a permanent collection of Greek and Roman antiquities—offers about 18,000 square feet of covered outdoor meeting space, sheltered by a cantilevered roof and with a view of the University of Tampa’s famous minarets across the Hillsborough River.
Also on the waterfront are the new Tampa Bay History Center, the revamped Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, and the new Glazer Children’s Museum opening in late summer. It’s all part of the still-developing Tampa Riverwalk project, a waterfront promenade linking the Tampa Convention Center to hotels, cruise terminals, parks and attractions, including the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the Channelside entertainment complex, the Florida Aquarium and now, the new museums.
"We’re telling planners, ‘This is your welcome mat,’" Smith says. "It truly connects everything their delegates are going to want to see, touch and experience. And as a destination, it allows us to tell a story of connectivity, and that resonates so well with meeting planners. Because one of the first questions is, ‘How do we get there?’ And here, you have this pedestrian thoroughfare that’s all waterfront. You can’t beat that."
Except maybe if you’re Tampa’s streetcar system, which will expand northward into the downtown area by December, increasing connectivity between shops, restaurants and more hotels. While club-hopping, groups will want to check out historic Ybor City, another stop on the streetcar line. You also can’t go wrong with excursions to the Florida Aquarium, whose ongoing research has turned up evidence of Civil War-era shipwrecks at the bottom of Tampa Bay, or the Lowry Park Zoo, which recently added an 11,000-square-foot event center but had even bigger news in December: the hatching of a rare African shoebill stork chick, the first time this species has been bred at any North American wildlife institution.
St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Across the bay from Tampa, the neighboring peninsula of St. Petersburg/Clearwater has its own claim to fame: beaches that never fail to impress both visitors and the scientists who analyze the sands for quality and environmental management.
In fact, coastal geologist and beach analyst Dr. Stephen Leatherman, also known as "Dr. Beach," consistently ranks the beaches here at the top of his annual list of "America’s Best Beaches." Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin/Clearwater reached the No. 1 spot (of 10) in 2008, while Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg took the honors in 2005.
At the same time, Clearwater Beach remains Dr. Beach’s top pick among city beaches in the Gulf region, and it just got easier to appreciate this incredible spot thanks to the new Beach Walk, a two-and-a-half-mile promenade that includes covered seating areas from which to view spectacular sunsets over the Gulf.
A newly opened property also capitalizes on the beach’s beauty with pool areas and walkways that keep the magnificent views in sight: the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa, offering 250 suites and 12,000 square feet of function space. You’ll want to plan events on the eighth-floor pool deck, which can accommodate 600, or the 4,400-square-foot rooftop terrace, which takes in a jaw-dropping panorama of beach, Gulf waters and the neighboring city.
The Hyatt joins other beachside properties such as the Sandpearl Resort, with 25,000 square feet of event space inside and out, and to the south on St. Pete Beach, Sirata Beach Resort & Conference Center, featuring 14 meeting rooms with 15,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor function space.
Also on St. Pete Beach are the Tradewinds Island Resorts—the Island Grand and the Sandpiper Suites—which together offer 84,000 square feet of function space along with their sweeping Gulf of Mexico views.
For something a bit off the beaten path, the Postcard Inn can accommodate groups on a great deck overlooking the property’s intimate courtyard and the beach beyond.
At some St. Pete/Clearwater properties, though, the interior is as striking as the view outside. The Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Gulf Club in St. Petersburg, for one, just installed a massive chandelier designed by glass artist Dale Chihuly in its Grand Ballroom, capping a complete makeover of that historic facility.
Weighing in at 1,250 pounds, the chandelier "just overwhelms you when you walk in there," reports D.T. Minich, executive director of Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater. "And when it lights up, it’s unbelievable."
Get used to seeing Chihuly’s glass sculptures here; by late summer, Minich hopes a museum dedicated to his work, set a block away from the Vinoy, will have its grand opening. It will be followed in January 2011 by the new Salvador Dali Museum, which will double the existing space of the current
museum, already housing the largest collection of Dali artwork outside Spain. Both museums will offer extensive group facilities.
Sarasota
Heading south from the Tampa Bay area, the pace slows down to tranquil in the seaside enclave of Sarasota, which boasts its own award-winning beaches, including those found on Siesta Key, whose warm waters and sloping white-sand beach earned it the No. 2 spot on Dr. Beach’s 2009 list of top 10 beaches.
"We have much more to offer than just beaches, though," notes Erin Duggan, spokesperson for the Sarasota & Her Islands CVB.
Indeed, Sarasota is known for its thriving arts scene, which includes one of the state’s most prized cultural centers: the Ringling Museum of Art, whose collection of masterpieces by Rubens, El Greco, Gainsborough and others is matched only by its lavish grounds and gardens (also available to groups).
The great thing about Sarasota, though, is that many facilities, including Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, are either within walking distance or a very quick drive away from each other.
"Everything’s so close. Literally, you can be at a beach within two minutes of downtown Sarasota," Duggan says.
Proximity and convenience also apply to three new properties that recently opened at the airport: a Hyatt Place, a Hampton Inn & Suites and a Holiday Inn.
"All three are ridiculously gorgeous, so much more than what you would expect from select service hotels. But what’s nice, too, is that folks can fly into the airport and walk to one of these hotels or get free transportation," Duggan says. "Yet you’re three minutes from downtown and you can walk to the Ringling Museum."
Your delegates’ boots may be made for walking, but farther afield in Sarasota are luxurious full-service properties, including Longboat Key Club & Resort, and eco-adventure areas like Myakka River State Park, featuring a three-mile canopy trail.
