Corporate parties in the shadow of Cinderella’s Castle, while definitely unique, are likely a familiar concept to many planners contemplating an off-site event or function in Central Florida, land of the mega-attraction.
But set your sights a little farther and you’ll find venues related to the region’s thriving cattle industry, vivid arts and entertainment scene, forests and rolling countryside, countless lakes, and high number of lower-profile attractions.
“One of the things companies love about coming here is taking their groups off-site into the venues we have,” says George Aguel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “We’re the theme park capital, but there are so many other options... this is a place that never stops building and never stops adding.”
Whether you’re looking for something totally unique, something with a little fun on the side or a venue sized for serious numbers, Central Florida delivers.
Following are just a few of the possibilities.
Totally Unique
Baby, it’s cold inside. At least it will be when you host an event at the new minus5 Ice Bar at Pointe Orlando, where everything, including the bar, tables, benches, walls and even the drinking glasses, is made of ice. Attendees don warm gear during receptions in the 85-person lounge, or nearby venues can join in to host block parties of up to 400.
“We thrive on convention business since we are within walking distance of the convention center,” says Kate Naumann, minus5’s director of group sales. “They expected most of the business to be tourist and social driven, but it’s completely the opposite. We are a hit with convention attendees.”
A chill vibe for corporate events is also created at Orlando’s Heaven8240 courtesy of LED lighting indoors and out, an LED Glow Bar and white sheer draping that frames a number of banquet halls, a patio terrace, a VIP suite and a boardroom.
“If you combine our main and secondary halls, we can host a thousand,” says Eman Dillon, Heaven’s sales coordinator. “We do a lot of weddings, but we’re seeing more and more convention groups.”
Popcorn flicks and cult classics are what’s playing at the Enzian Theater in Maitland—home of the Florida Film Festival, which recalls the bygone days of movie-going with a single large screen and generous, four-tiered seating. Private screenings are available, either using one of theirs or bring your own, with group functions hosted at up to 200 tables seating two and four. Catering is offered on-site.
“We will work with meeting planners to create the best menu and options for their groups,” says Veronica Jaramillo, food and beverage manager.
Meanwhile, nature takes center stage at the Woods Haven Retreat Center in Gainesville, part of the Lubee Bat Conservancy, an international organization dedicated to saving fruit bats and their habitats. Ideal for workshops, meetings or retreats, Woods Haven has overnight accommodations for 10, meeting space for up to 50, wireless Internet service, a full kitchen, and is a short walk away from the primary bat exhibits.
Just for Fun
Sports simulators offer real excitement at Orlando’s Dewey’s Indoor Golf & Sports Grill, as attendees challenge each other at golf, soccer, football and hockey while gathering in a 400-person main room, a private room that can host up to 100, along with an outdoor lounge for 100.
“We host groups that are looking for something that’s a little more fun and out of the box,” says Audrey DeGia, event coordinator for Dewey’s, which is a few highway miles away from the Orange County Convention Center.
Something else that’s out of the box—that perennial favorite, crayons, which are celebrated at the Crayola Experience, newly opened at the Florida Mall in Orlando. Private meeting rooms are available as well as buyouts of the entire facility, allowing attendees to channel their inner preschooler with attractions like the Crayon Factory, a colorful demonstration of how crayons are made.
“It’s a brand that everyone knows and loves,” notes Jackie Vasquez, the attraction’s marketing and sales manager. “We have a lot of activities that can be used as teambuilding and we’re also working on new teambuilding packages.”
The training wheels come off at Orlando Harley-Davidson, where private events include Harley ride-alongs, scooter races in the parking lot and something called “Jump Start,” allowing attendees to climb on a Harley (which is locked into place) and try to start it up. Actually, the fun begins even before groups arrive.
“A lot of these parties come in on buses, so we send motorcycles to escort them along,” says Events Manager Jen Armstrong. When the group arrives, they find an 8,000-square-foot showroom decked out Harley-style, with food stations, bars and activities, along with tented outdoor space for up to 1,000. Planners also can opt for t-shirts, jackets and other Harley gear for their “easy riders.”
Events get a lift at Lakeland’s Sun ’n Fun, which hosts a hugely popular annual airshow and also boasts an array of indoor and outdoor venues for private events, including aircraft hangars, the Florida Air Museum, the Sun ’n Fun Pavilion and a butterfly garden, among others.
When Size Matters
Set on 87 acres northwest of downtown Orlando, the Central Florida Fairgrounds comprise an expo park of sprawling proportions, with more than 63,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space and enough outdoor space for up to 20,000 attendees.
“It’s a huge facility…not the typical convention center,” says Frances Salas, assistant to the director of marketing and operations. “We host the annual Central Florida Fair, and when that’s over we go into our off season, which is misleading because we’re always busy.”
That busy schedule includes frequent festivals and tradeshows, while a new 10,000-seat amphitheater is in the planning stages, Salas says.
Larger groups aren’t limited to bustling Orlando, though. To the north, in the leafy hamlet of Lake Mary, the Lake Mary Events Center offers expansive waterfront space outside and a number of event rooms inside, including a grand ballroom, a meeting room, a rotunda and a conference room.
“Groups have held conferences here as well as receptions,” says the center’s assistant manager, Amber Lyons. “We’re close to hotels that are right off I-4, so it’s very convenient.”
Heading north into Central Florida’s horse and cattle country, the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala—an agricultural showplace since 1945—can host 4,200 in grandstand seating (when the rodeo’s not in town), plus another 800 in an adjacent air-conditioned auditorium. Other rentable areas include an open arena, a reception hall, an exhibition building and a picnic pavilion.
LISA SIMUNDSON is a regular contributor to Meetings Focus.
