Plan Your Meetings

Watch for:

• The Courtyard by Marriott recently opened at Gulf Coast Town Center in San Carlos Park with 134 guest rooms, six suites and a meeting room for up to 80 people.
• The Crowne Plaza Hotel at Bell Tower became a “One Palm”-certified green lodging destination.
• Golf Digest named Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero one of “America’s Best New Courses.”
• The Florida Green Lodging Program hotels include The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa (Bonita Springs), Bridgewater Inn (Matlacha), Crown Plaza Hotel (Fort Myers), the Inn at the Springs (Bonita Springs), Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa (Fort Myers Beach) and Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa (Fort Myers).
• The Great Calusa Blueway has 190 miles of paddling trails.

Want green-friendly accommodations?

Three area hotels have been named to the Florida Green Lodging Program: the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, The Bridgewater Inn in Matlacha and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fort Myers. The hotels have earned Green Lodging designations for their commitment to proactive environmental protection and conservation.

Want evening activities?

The Seminole Gulf Railway offers a Murder Mystery Dinner Train. The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre’s mainstage and smaller 100-seat Café Cabaret are available for meetings and special events. The Laugh In Comedy Café also is available for private groups. The Sanibel Harbour Princess is a luxury yacht available for sunset dinner and Sunday brunch cruises.

Want group dining?

The Prawnbroker in Fort Myers is one of Florida Trend’s top 100 restaurants; its parent company, the Prawnbroker Restaurant Group, operates several restaurants in Fort Myers and on Sanibel Island. Each table at Sanibel Island’s Mad Hatter has a view of the spectacular sunsets; off-site catering also is available. Roy’s Restaurant in Bonita Springs serves Hawaiian fusion and has private rooms for large and small groups. Cru Lush Wines and Pure Food is a local hot spot known for its organic foods and Australian wine selection. La Brasserie has private dining rooms for small groups.

Want artistic venues?

The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall hosts touring Broadway shows and big-name concerts and performers. The 12,000-sq. ft. William R. Frizzell Cultural Centre is home to a 200-seat theater, an arts gallery and educational workshops, an outdoor amphitheater, the Theatre Conspiracy, the Film Society of Southwest Florida, the Lee County Alliance for the Arts (which manages the venue) and Lee County Art in Public Places.

Want a sports-themed activity?

The Minnesota Twins hold spring training at Fort Myers’ Lee County Sports Complex, also home to Class-A affiliates, the Fort Myers Miracle. The Boston Red Sox hold spring training in Fort Myers at the City of Palms Park, which looks like a miniature Fenway Park. The Florida Everblades play professional ice hockey matches from October through April at the Germain Arena; Florida Firecats Arena Football and Florida Flame National Basketball Development League games also take place here.

Want to meet in a place with history?

The recently renovated Edison & Ford Winter Estates have several venues, including a 20,000-sq. ft. museum, a coconut grove and the Edison Caretaker’s House, which became available for meetings for the first time last summer. The 393-seat Arcade Theatre is a renovated Victorian playhouse in downtown Fort Myers and home to the Florida Repertory Theatre.

Want to please adventurous groups?

SoulMate Charters leads group fishing, shelling and sightseeing trips along the Lee Island Coast. Explore the Everglades with eco-safaris from Everglades Day Safari. Several quality golf courses are available. Groups can kayak, fish, bike, and go on bird-watching or photography walks through the 6,400-acre J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. On Captiva Island, ‘Tween Waters Inn’s premium adventure packages take attendees on adventures that follow in the footsteps of historic guests such as aviator Charles Lindbergh and President Teddy Roosevelt, an avid fisherman. The Fort Myers Skatium has an NHL-regulation skating rink, an arcade and private rentals for groups up to 500.

Want locally made items for gift baskets?

Norman Love Confections can put corporate logos on hand-made chocolates. Sun Harvest Citrus creates colorful gift baskets of locally grown oranges and grapefruits. Paradise Gardens Preserves sells gift baskets of preserves, salsas, dip mixes and hot sauces. Eden Vineyards is the southernmost winery in the U.S. and has wines for sale by the case and half-case; wine tastings also are available. In addition to coffee, Sanibel Island Bean also sells travel coffee mugs, apparel and other knickknacks. Leoma Lovegrove calls herself Pine Island’s “painting princess”; her gallery sells original paintings, giclée prints and postcards.