Visitors to Southwest Florida are always up to something. Up to their ankles in shells on Sanibel Island; up to their knees on swamp walks through the Everglades; up to their hips on wading tours through sea grass in Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor; and up to their elbows in stone crabs during season (October-May).
With offshore islands and pristine beaches lining the coast from Englewood down to Everglades City, inland waterways so remote that kayakers create the day’s only waves, and picturesque city centers that range from laid-back Punta Gorda to dazzling downtown Naples, this sunny corner of Florida more than lives up to its reputation as a premier leisure destination. But meetings are coming on strong.
Naples, Marco Island & the Everglades
“Corporate business is probably still our biggest target and our biggest market,” says Debi DeBenedetto, tourism sales and marketing manager for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB, which promotes the southernmost region of Southwest Florida as the “Paradise Coast.” Here, a full 80 percent of land is set aside for preserves and parks, including the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve just outside Everglades City and, of course, Everglades National Park itself, the only subtropical preserve in North America and part of the largest wetlands ecosystem in the U.S.
“We have so many opportunities… to bring the meeting outside and learn something in the destination, like about dolphins, agriculture and the Everglades,” DeBenedetto says. “Groups who come here also enjoy island excursions and sea excursions, and now they can go below the waves,” she adds, referring to the area’s new artificial reef project, which splashed down in January as the first of 36 reef modules deployed 10 miles off Marco Island.
Groups can escape civilization altogether, paddling along such streams and rivers as the Wilderness Waterway, extending 99 miles from Everglades City to Flamingo and taking a week to traverse. Also off the beaten waterway, the Paradise Coast Blueway provides a network of paddling trails with GPS-marked routes covering the wilderness area between Everglades City and the town of Goodland on Marco Island.
But when the 21st century beckons, your group can head to one of 91 golf courses on the Paradise Coast or take an afternoon to explore Naples’ popular shopping enclaves, Third Street South and Fifth Avenue South, both home to gift and fashion boutiques, outdoor cafes, art galleries and in the case of Fifth Avenue, major venues like the Sugden Community Theatre and the von Liebig Art Center. Further north, the acclaimed Artis-Naples—home of the Naples Philharmonic—makes an impressive setting for private events.
Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel
Compact, pedestrian-friendly, packed with things to do—and growing—downtown Fort Myers is another great stop for group strolls, dining and entertainment.
“We’re really excited about the future of downtown Fort Myers,” says Pamela Johnson, deputy director of the Lee County VCB. “Every time we have groups here, people love it. It’s small, so it’s got a great footprint for walking, and it has amazing restaurants and shopping.”
But speaking of size, there’s something big on the horizon for downtown Fort Myers—a major renovation at the Harborside Event Center, including the addition of a headquarters hotel. In the planning stages for the last few years, construction was originally slated to commence this summer on both the event center and an adjacent Sheraton hotel. But with the original developer withdrawing and a new one in place, both the timeline and the hotel flag have changed, with construction now expected to begin next spring and the hotel planned to be either a Westin or a Hyatt. Completion is slated for late summer 2017.
“It’s encouraging for us because we think [those brands] have better implications for downtown Fort Myers,” Johnson says. “We were concerned because originally the hotel was only going to be 225 rooms and now we’re hoping it will be bigger.”
In the meantime, Fort Myers continues to grow its meetings niche, as groups descend for such events as the annual Sand Sculpting Championship and the newer but already popular Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, while attractions like the Edison and Ford Winter Estates are perennial favorites for both visitation and off-site events.
“We continue to have a strong outlook for our area; the last time I checked, we were still 11 percent ahead of where we were last year,” Johnson says. “Our fiscal year just ended and it looks like another strong year is on the way.”
Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands
Also boasting strength in meeting numbers is Fort Myers’ neighbor to the north, the Charlotte Harbor area, where group bookings are “on pace or exceeding last year’s numbers,” reports Lorah Steiner, the Charlotte Harbor VCB’s director of tourism. “We’ve had a lot of inquiries for 2016 and beyond. We’re an unheralded corporate retreat destination.”
Anchored by the charming hometown cities of Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Englewood, Charlotte Harbor exemplifies the small town/big nature mix prevalent in Southwest Florida, with more than 70 parks, preserves and recreational areas, including the massive Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area—one of the last undeveloped expanses of wet pine flatwoods in Southwest Florida—where visitors commune with nature via hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
To the east, sprawling Babcock Ranch is home to Babcock Wilderness Adventures, offering 90-minute tours across a working cattle ranch and through the surrounding wetlands; private group tours are available.
Getting back to business, downtown Punta Gorda makes a nice landing spot for meetings, as the 44,000-square-foot Charlotte Harbor Event Center offers panoramic views of the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, with restaurants, bars and hotels within walking distance.
“The Event Center is perfect for small meetings. You could be at one of 10 great restaurants in minutes or having your favorite beverage right on the harbor in about a minute,” Steiner says.
