Northwest Florida, or the “Florida Panhandle,” is a glorious 200-mile stretch of beach with fantastic meetings spots, like Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City Beach and Tallahassee, the capital of Florida. With a rich local history, it’s no wonder meeting professionals are drawn to book one of the many marvelous venues for meetings, dinners and other events.
Emerald Coast
Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, the heart of Florida’s Emerald Coast, are renowned for breathtaking white-sand beaches, emerald green ocean waters and a host of unique meeting venues. According to Maureen Morgenthien, deputy director, sales and marketing, Emerald Coast CVB, the area promises plenty to do for groups.
“The Emerald Coast’s forte is small- and medium-size groups looking for something unique and off the beaten path,” she said. “While we have a reputation for one of the finest beaches in the world, groups are just now discovering all we have to offer.”
One spot she recommends is the Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village in Destin. The Harborview Room is a circular dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows and can accommodate up to 120, with indoor and outdoor seating. There are also two smaller private dining rooms and a cool, retro bar with a nod to ’50s Las Vegas.
In Fort Walton Beach, a truly unique experience awaits those hosting a reception or dinner in the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. The entire park can be rented out for events, including private animal encounters where groups dine surrounded by a charming motif of seahorses, clown fish and other sea creatures.
“We do have opportunities for private events after hours,” said Meredith Horn, director of marketing and communications. “Our space holds 100 in The Living Sea room, which faces a 45,000-gallon coral reef with tropical fish and a black-tip reef shark. We also have audiovisual capabilities for meetings.”
For larger meetings, the WaterVue at Brooks Street is one of Fort Walton Beach’s most popular waterfront venues. Located at the historical Brooks Bridge, WaterVue offers more than 5,000 square feet of customizable space with an open floor plan.
The waterfront patio, often used for barbecues and other outdoor events, features a wrap-around deck that sits directly on the Santa Rosa sound.
Pensacola
“The Pensacola Bay Area is known for its sugar white-sand beaches, crystal clear waters, award-winning restaurants and two magical islands,” said Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola. “Here, meeting groups enjoy a perfect blend of Southern hospitality, a thriving downtown, world-class beaches and unforgettable experiences. Our meeting space options are as unique as we are and allow you to choose from walkable beachfront resorts to historic downtown hotels, boutique properties and one-of-a-kind spaces that will transcend ordinary meetings into extraordinary experiences.”
Founded and settled by the Spanish in 1559, Pensacola is filled with stunning Spanish architecture and streets with charming Spanish names. Planners can easily incorporate meetings into one of many art, food, cultural and music festivals that occur throughout the year.
An interesting tour at the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum can include a ghost hunt in the 1869 Keepers’ Quarters, still thought to be haunted. An idyllic spot to host an outdoor event or meeting, visitors willing to make the 177-step climb into the top of the lighthouse can also experience a panoramic view of a spectacular sunset over the Pensacola Bay.
The Historic Pensacola Museum of Commerce, housed in a turn-of-the-century warehouse, spotlights a reconstructed 1890s-era streetscape as one of its featured exhibits. Historic shops featuring toys, hardware, music, household items and leather goods, as well as a print shop where one of the most comprehensive collections of antique presses in the Southeast is on display. The museum accommodates 150 for a seated function and 200 to 250 for cocktails.
PageBreakSouth Walton
“Our mild weather and abundance of natural, outdoor areas provides ample opportunity to get creative with meetings,” said David Demarest, director of communications for Visit South Walton. “From cool rooftop lounges and restaurants to beachfront houses with plenty of space for group talks and breakout meetings, the variety is what makes a meeting special and memorable.”
The 26 miles of beach located along the Gulf of Mexico encompasses 16 distinct beach neighborhoods to explore, and Demarest suggests taking full advantage of the gulf location.
“One of the more popular activities is SunQuest Cruises’ Solaris dinner and dancing cruise on the Choctawhatchee Bay,” he said. “The menu on the three-hour cruise is decidedly upscale, with filet mignon and gulf shrimp, and bands include the sounds of Motown.”
Groups of up to 150 can be accommodated.
Another spot he recommends is The Pearl, part of St. Joe Club & Resorts, a boutique hotel in Rosemary Beach. It offers groups the opportunity for full or partial buyouts of the Havana Beach Bar & Grill, a bar and restaurant modeled after one of Hemingway’s favorite spots in Cuba, as well as the Havana Beach Rooftop Lounge. The menu is infused with Spanish, Portuguese and French influences, and both the grill and lounge have views of the Gulf of Mexico.
Eden Gardens State Park is another favorite, Demarest noted.
“In the charming and historic park, groups can tour the 1896 Wesley House or hold meetings in the Pavilion, which has a capacity for 100 people,” he said. “It’s a covered and screened-in space. Additional space on pavers outside expand the space a bit, or if the group wants to do an outside event—say under the trees—the capacity increases to 200.”
Panama City Beach
According to Ann Gager, vice president of sales for Visit Panama City Beach, when people come to the area they typically want to relax and be on the water. With that in mind, she suggests groups staying at the Sheraton Bay Point Resort charter a boat.
“They can bring coolers and boxed lunches and make a day of it, utilizing the beauty of the bay,” she said. “We’ve also held off-site receptions at dining and entertainment venue Pier Park, with 124 stores, including more than 25 restaurants and live music at Tootsies.
“We’re so lucky that our beachside conference properties mean groups can do fishing contests and watch the dolphins play,” she said. “Evenings, groups can go to Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant & Waterfront Market where they can host large groups for dinner.”
Tallahassee
“Tallahassee is full of activities for groups to enjoy, everything from simulating a space mission and touring local breweries to the thrills of an escape room,” said Janet Roach, meetings and conventions director, Visit Tallahassee. “Added to that is award-winning dining and walkable districts, ensuring there’s something for everyone.”
The Challenger Learning Center Space Mission Simulator allows visitors to experience space flight with a Mission Control room designed after NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in addition to an orbiting space station modeled after the International Space Station laboratory.
Groups work with “astronauts” in the Mission Control Simulator to fly three simulated space missions to challenge the crews in space and on the ground.
From hoedowns and picnics to elegant dinners, the Old Willis Dairy, home to Frank and Peper Willis, is a popular spot. Frank Willis’ grandparents settled on the property and his grandmother Emma Kate lived there until the tender age of 102. Today, the historic dairy barn is a wonderful place for events of up to 125 surrounded by a 400-year-old oak tree.
“We’ve had the entire Florida Senate here for a dinner where 50 steaks came out at the same time,” Peper said. “We have a list of catering companies that can do everything from paella to barbeque. The best part is we’re just 2.4 miles from all the best downtown hotels.”
