Always ready to host a party, Fort Lauderdale is definitely in a celebratory mood via the opening of the Pier Sixty-Six hotel/meetings/entertainment complex, a major convention center expansion and a growing emphasis on colorful arts and culture festivals and installations that showcase its festive Floridian personality.
“Historically, there’s been a big focus on the beach as it relates to tourism, on hotels and those kinds of things—we’re a beach destination,” said Philip Dunlap, director of Broward County Cultural Division. “But I think as the county grows there’s a desire for more of a focus on things outside of what we’ve typically promoted.”
Indeed, the Broward County Cultural Division figures into many of the happenings, from the expanding IGNITE Broward Art & Light Festival and helping to curate the work of local artists in the new Omni convention center headquarters hotel to a $6 million public art installation that will illuminate the E. Clay Shaw Jr. Bridge, aka Southeast 17th Street Causeway, right in the heart of Lauderdale’s Broward County Convention Center area.
“What we’re trying to communicate to folks that come to visit our community, or folks that come to meetings or events in our community, is about who we are. Are we the beaches? Are we the hotels? Are we the nightlife? There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but I think some of that can be very transactional,” Dunlap explained. “I think this is an important way for us to introduce who we are as a community and get them off the beaten path, get them into the neighborhoods and kind of discover some really cool things about our community they may not be aware of.”
Following are four of the biggest and brightest areas of interest for meetings and events that celebrate the changing face of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.
[Related: The Latest Developments in South Florida Locales Miami and Fort Lauderdale]
Pier Sixty-Six
Opened in early January, the 17-story Pier Sixty-Six development has transformed the marina area and features more than 40,000 square feet of entertainment and meeting space, with a rotating lounge fully capitalizing on its panoramic views.
“Fort Lauderdale is emerging as Florida’s premier destination with the convention center’s expansion, incredible Intracoastal Waterway and ever-expanding airlift,” said Brett Boreing, executive director, sales and marketing, for Pier Sixty-Six Resort. “Pier Sixty-Six is playing a key role in this growth by bringing a completely new product to the region.”
A Mid-Century Modern showpiece located on the Intracoastal Waterway less than six miles from Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Pier Sixty-Six also offers 12 additional dining venues and a multi-level pool deck that will be a hot special events commodity.
Other highlights of Pier Sixty-Six include:
- 28,670 square feet of indoor meeting space
- 3 ballrooms and 15 meeting/boardrooms
- 5,600 square feet of prefunction space
- 6,000 square feet of pool deck space
- 11,177 square feet of outdoor event space
- 325 guest rooms
- A 13,000-square-foot Zenova Spa & Wellness facility, with features that include a Snow Room kept between 10 and 14 degrees Fahrenheit; a Sensory Shower that delivers a combination of hot and cold therapy, chromotherapy, aromatherapy, wellness sensors and oxygenation; and a Vitality Pool that warms the body, stimulates the lymphatic system and enhances circulation
Massive Convention Center Expansion
Set for a late-fall 2025 completion, Fort Lauderdale’s Broward County Convention Center is gearing up to unveil the final phase of a $1.3 billion expansion that will elevate it into the meetings and conventions competitive set with the likes of Phoenix; Austin, Texas; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Capitalizing on the South Florida destination’s sunny climate, a major feature of the expansion will be a six-acre, tropical-themed waterfront plaza that will be pressed into service as a special events venue. Located on the Intracoastal Waterway, the convention center sits only a mile from the major hotel properties on the ocean beaches.
The project will result in 1.2 million square feet being added to the venue, including a 65,000-square-foot ballroom facing the Intracoastal Waterway.
Feeding the convention center will be a planned AAA Four-Diamond, 801-room Omni headquarters hotel that is scheduled for a 2026 opening.
Another unique aspect of the Gold LEED-status project will be its fleet of water taxis that will shuttle attendees between nearby restaurants and shopping, with group charters available.
[Related: 4 U.S. Convention Center Projects That Are On-Trend]
IGNITE Broward
Marking its fourth year, IGNITE Broward has expanded from Fort Lauderdale to two other Broward County communities, adding Dania Beach and this year, Hollywood.
The festival is an event geek’s dream, melding art, technology and interactivity via colorful art installations and cutting-edge projection mapping. It is typically held in the first two months of the year, with this year’s edition held February 14-23. Meeting groups are even starting to take notice, with CODAworx actually scheduling its annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale in concert with the free event.
“We’re doing a significant expansion on [IGNITE] this year, from five days to 10 days, and adding cities,” Dunlap said. “We’ve got our existing activation in the park next to [Fort Lauderdale’s] Museum of Discovery and Science and the Broward Center for Performing Arts, and it’s going to expand along the river right there—the Intercoastal Waterway—and into Dania Beach, the city just to the south of us. And then the city just to the south of them is Hollywood, where we’re adding a whole new experience in their downtown arts park, with live performances and all this really cutting-edge technology with projection mapping onto trees and sculptures and interactive pieces.
“This coming year, we’re going to have 30-plus art installations in the three locations and it’s all free and open to the public,” he added. “Technology is so much a part of our lives, and I think art that utilizes technology is even that much more approachable and accessible to people. This is certainly a way to democratize art in a way that’s really impactful.”
Reopening of Mai-Kai
An iconic Fort Lauderdale offsite option, Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show has reopened after an extensive four-year, $20 million makeover.
Originally opened in 1956, this embodiment of tiki culture soon grew into a must-visit venue in South Florida and is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From an entrance over a textured pathway past lava-rock slabs, visitors can revel in South Seas splendor in eight themed rooms that celebrate Polynesian cultures stretching from Hawai’i to New Guinea, along with a tropical garden. Mai-Kai also features Polynesian Islander Revue show experiences twice nightly, curated by Cultural Arts and Entertainment Director Teuruhei Buchin, all of which culminate in fire performances.
Of course, rum-forward cocktails are the highlight of the drink menu, with an impressive lineup of 57 cocktails available. New food additions to the Polynesian-inspired menu include Kona beer-glazed short ribs and Wagyu strip steak.
Groups have the option of hosting a sit-down dinner in the show room for up to 300 and in non-show dining rooms Tahiti (50) and Samoa (40). Outdoors, the Lanai area can host up to 20, the Molokai Bar 100 and 75 in the Bora Bora Bar.
$1 Million in Grants Offered for Broward Events
Are you a festival or special event planner who could benefit from matching funds for your big to-do? Well, Broward County, Florida, just approved a $1 million investment for its new Arts & Cultural Festival and Special Event Sponsorship Program.
Approved as part of the Broward County Cultural Division’s (BCCD) 2025 fiscal year budget, the program provides startup and matching funds to support special events and arts and cultural festivals across the county, which includes Fort Lauderdale.
According to the BCCD, events that showcase Broward County-based talent will receive priority, with key features that include the following:
- Support for multiday festivals or year-long event series with a central arts theme
- An enhanced focus on community building, audience engagement and economic impact
- Prioritized funding consideration for events featuring local artists and businesses
The BCCD is holding monthly Zoom virtual application workshops with more information available here.
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