Keys Traveler Magazine, MICE Edition
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Keys TravelerMeetings + Incentives Edition Resorts Welcome Groups Experiences Highlight Meetings Indigenous Keys Seafood Key Lime Academy fla-keys.com BOB CARE Florida Keys resorts By Laura Myers welcome groups Marathon’s Isla Bella Beach Resort features 20,000 square feet of function space. with new offerings any Florida Keys resorts recreational beach and pool area, while an 1,870-square-foot ballroom offer memorable settings for two 18-hole golf courses, a full- has capacity for 140. cheeca.com Munforgettable outdoor events service 175-slip marina and a private Islamorada’s 25-acre Islander and programs for groups. airport. meetingsatoceanreef.com Resort offers contemporary “In the Florida Keys and Key West, Set on a 15-acre nature sanctuary, cottage-style accommodations it’s all about finding the right fit for Baker’s Cay Resort Key Largo, a with screened lanais. The resort your group,” said Jack Meier, group Curio Collection by Hilton, has 200 has a 6,000-square-foot lawn sales manager for the Monroe pet-friendly rooms, 17,000 square with oceanfront event space, a County Tourist Development Council. feet for meetings, two bayfront 2,760-square-foot ballroom and “The Keys are a world away from ballrooms, outdoor event venues and 114 oceanside villas. Nearby a typical meeting experience at a on-site team building. Islander Bayside Townhomes offers mega-metro convention center. Our bakerscay.com 25 two-story two-bedroom units. outdoor wide-open spaces, many The 12-acre “all- islanderfloridakeys.com of them waterfront, offer a unique inclusive” adults-only Hawks Cay Resort, a 60-acre advantage,” Meier added. 135-unit Bungalows destination resort on Duck Key in the The private Ocean Reef Club Key Largo Middle Keys, is a AAA Four Diamond on North Key Largo has 30,000 features stand- recipient and Preferred Lifestyle total square feet of meeting space alone bungalows Collection member. The expansive including a 7,500-square-foot averaging 800 resort features 177 guestrooms, ballroom. Ocean Reef includes a to 900 square 250 two- and three-bedroom villas, a 145-room inn, Buccaneer Island feet. On-site Jack Meier full-service marina, saltwater lagoon, amenities include a spa, two spa, adults-only area, multiple pools, three restaurants, Tiki-style outdoor venues and 20,000 square Keys Traveler boats and 1,000 feet of shoreline. feet of oceanfront meeting and Meetings + Incentives Edition BungalowsKeyLargo.com event space. The ballroom hosts Editor Islamorada’s 27-acre, 214-room 480 banquet-style. Another ballroom Andy Newman oceanfront Cheeca Lodge & Spa can accommodate 450. Upscale Managing Editor Carol Shaughnessy has acquired 10 private villas. The dining at Sixty-One Prime and casual Senior Writer Casitas at Cheeca Lodge, with marina-side dining at Angler and Ale Laura Myers personalized butler service, feature can both be reserved for private Copy Editor one- and two-bedroom units from groups.By hawkscay.com Captain Ted Lund Buck Banks 750 to 2,100 square feet with full The 125-room Faro Blanco Keys Traveler is published by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, the kitchens. With three pools and two Resort and Yacht Club in Marathon official visitor marketing agency for the Tiki bars, Cheeca has over 6,300 offers 1,820 square feet with three Florida Keys & Key West. Director: Stacey square feet of versatile space and a meeting rooms, event lawns, marina Mitchell; Group Sales Manager: Jack Meier Cover photo of Little Palm Island near Big Pine luxury spa. One ballroom has 2,100 walkway, Lighthouse Grill and fishing, Key in the Lower Keys by Andy Newman. square feet for parties of up to 175, watersports and sunset cruises. 2 fla-keys.com • fla-keys.co.uk • fla-keys.it • fla-keys.de • fla-keys.ie • fla-keys.fr • fla-keys.nl • fla-keys.be • fla-keys.cn Keys Traveler faroblancoresort.com space for incentive getaways. space. casamarinaresort.com or Marathon’s newest resort, the kimptonkeywest.com reachresort.com 24-acre, 199-unit Isla Bella Beach Also in Key West, sister properties The new 184-room Barbary Resort at mile marker 47 at the Casa Marina Key West, A Waldorf Beach House Key West across Seven Mile Bridge, has more than Astoria Resort, and The Reach from Smathers Beach features a 20,000 square feet of function Key West, Curio Collection by 1,500-square-foot event palapa space, including a 3,800-square-foot Hilton, have beaches on the (open hut with thatched roof crafted Hibiscus Event Center and 16,000 Atlantic Ocean. Casa Marina, with from dried palm leaves), Hobie Cat square feet of outdoor space. 311 rooms and suites, offers the sailboats, paddleboards and kayaks. Nearly a mile of shoreline includes island’s largest meeting facility barbarybeachhousekeywest.com an oceanfront event area. There’s a with 11,000 square feet of indoor Key West’s 216-room DoubleTree marina, a 4,000-square-foot spa, five event space and the largest private by Hilton Grand Key Resort offers pools and three food and beverage beach. Newly renovated, The 7,000 square feet of indoor and venues. islabellabeachresort.com Reach Key West, with 150 rooms outdoor meeting space. Its ballroom The fully renovated Little Palm and suites, has Key West’s only can seat 200 or accommodate up Island Resort & Spa has reopened private natural beach. Facilities can to 300 at a reception. The property on a secluded island off Little Torch accommodate up to 300 with over completed a $7.5 million renovation Key in the Lower Keys. The exclusive 4,000 square feet of indoor event in 2016. doubletree3.hilton.com adults-only property offers 2,480 total square feet of oceanview CAROL TEDESCO meeting and event space, including the 1,080-square-foot Sunset Terrace, 450-square-foot Sunrise Terrace and 950-square-foot Great Room. Venues can be one space or separate. littlepalmisland.com The 100-room The Perry Hotel Key West at Stock Island Marina Village has a variety of meeting venues: the 1,300-square-foot Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen & Bar, a 1,340-square-foot rum distillery offering tours, a 2,980-square-foot pool deck and 1,630-square-foot pool bar, a 3,200-square-foot event lawn and a 545-square-foot VIP Terrace Lounge. The resort offers the Keys’ largest deep-water marina, accommodating boats with up to a The Fitch Lodge is one of five Kimpton Key West boutique properties. 12-foot draft. perrykeywest.com/ meetings-and-events Key West Marriott Beachside, with Online academy aids travel pros 129 one-, two-, and three- bedroom web-based video-learning platform provides travel professionals with suites and 93 king rooms, offers education to become certified Florida Keys destination specialists. a 5,673-square-foot ballroom and A Key Lime Academy uses seven video-driven modules to educate 10,000 square feet of meeting participants on Keys properties, attractions and history. Each module is space with 2,000 square feet of followed by an eight- to 10-question quiz in multiple-choice format. waterfront patio and 16 boat slips. The process takes about 30 minutes and can be done either Its ballroom can seat 440 at a sit- incrementally or in a single sitting. When the user has completed the entire down dinner. beachsidekeywest.com e-learning series and passed all quizzes with a grade of 80 percent or Kimpton Key West’s new collection better, an electronic certificate is issued. of five boutique properties, unveiled Key Lime Academy is offered on the Keys tourism council’s official in 2020, offers outdoor gathering website at fla-keys.com/kla-mice. Keys Traveler fla-keys.com • fla-keys.co.uk • fla-keys.it • fla-keys.de • fla-keys.ie • fla-keys.fr • fla-keys.nl • fla-keys.be • fla-keys.cn 3 Rich experiences highlight meeting trends in Keys By Laura Myers Photos by Andy Newman he Florida Keys, with authentic indigenous Cove and Postcard Inn in Islamorada — strive to create experiences, healthy cuisine and relaxed activities memories. Tfor visitors, offer a rich 125-mile-long setting “No more of the cookie-cutter classroom- style for meetings of virtually all types. The island chain’s meetings. They want specialty menus, customized eco-attractions, offshore fishing and fascinating meeting packages, intimate dining, things that can make history provide engaging, interactive opportunities for attendees’ experiences memorable,” said Mark Calibo, enrichment and enjoyment. regional director of sales and marketing for the Florida In Key Largo, Ocean Reef Club’s partnership with Keys Ocean Properties, which manages Islamorada the Coral Restoration Foundation enables groups “to Resort Collection. islamoradaresortcollection.com contribute by taking either a snorkeling or scuba-diving At Islamorada’s Islander Resort, “we see many smaller trip to a coral nursery and helping to plant coral on the incentive groups combining meetings and fun activities,” reef,” said Rudy Gonella, executive director of sales. said Dan Martin, director of sales and marketing. “These team-building events allow groups to be a part of islanderfloridakeys.com this nonprofit conservation organization while putting life At nearby Cheeca Lodge, dining requests include back into the ocean.” oceanreef.com current foodie trends of Asian noodle bowls and poké Key Largo’s Playa Largo Resort & Spa is targeting dishes. Team-building activities with wine, beer and travel groups, executive board meetings and incentive spirits tastings are included in offerings such as paint- retreats. ”With our location, caliber of service, and and-sip classes with a local artist. dedication to cleanliness, we’re ideal for these types “Creating these types of experiences allows us the of groups,” said Valerie Pagan, director of sales. opportunity to make a meeting or event truly destination- playalargoresort.com specific and infuse some authentic Islamorada and Planners booking Islamorada Resort Collection’s four Florida Keys flavor,” said Brianna Birtles, Cheeca’s properties — Amara Cay Resort, La Siesta, Pelican director of sales and marketing.