Plan Your Meetings

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Kissimmee
Central Florida’s Polk County
Seminole County

Want to meet green?

Melissa Kelly’s Primo and Houston’s restaurants grow their own vegetables and seasonings. The Orange County Convention Center is adding solar panels to its roof. Theme parks are transitioning to the use of biodegradable fuels. More than 30 local hotels are Florida-certified Green Lodging hotels. Check with the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau for a complete list of all green initiatives in the city. In addition to being a certified Florida Green Lodging Property, Peabody Orlando has a partnership with Clean the World that lets them turn those little bars of soap attendees leave behind into life-saving donations. The bars of soap are sanitized, remolded and shipped to Haiti, where a bar of soap costs $3-5, a family only has $2-3 a day to live off of and preventable sanitary diseases kill thousands of people every year. The Peabody’s program has inspired hotels around the country to look into forming similar partnerships.

Want creative venues?

Fantasy of Flight’s historic aircraft museum offers banquet and reception space for up to 5,000, interactive flight simulations and conference facilities. WonderWorks, an upside-down “museum of the mind,” is a fun alternative for a reception or evening function for up to 1,200 people; in addition to a laser tag arena and a dinner theater magic show, the facility has virtual reality rides, hands-on science experiments and other games. At the CityArts Factory, groups can learn the art of glass blowing; the facility also has gallery and performance space. The Harry P. Leu Gardens has indoor and outdoor meeting space as well as classrooms for educational programs. The Mall at Millenia has an airy rotunda, which is surrounded by high-definition panel screens and available for small banquets and receptions. Mall gift packages offer meeting attendees free valet parking, a gift, coupons and a free cocktail just for visiting the upscale shopping center.

Want to golf?

The Reunion Resort is home to three golf courses, designed by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Other amenities at the luxury resort include villa accommodations, elegant conference space, a rooftop pool/patio venue and a 4,700-sq. ft ballroom overlooking natural wetlands. The El Campeon course at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills is one of Florida’s Top 10 courses; the neighboring Las Colinas course was designed by Gary Koch and recognized by Golf Digest as one of the best new resort courses when it opened. Walt Disney World Resort has four championship golf courses, a nine-hole walking course and fantasy mini-golf courses for families. Other top-ranked Golf Digest courses include the National and the International at ChampionsGate, the Lake Nona Golf Course, and the Tom Watson- and Jack Nicklaus-designed courses at Reunion Resort. Zagat gives top marks to the Panther Lake and the Crooked Cat courses at Orange County National.

Want locally made items for gifts?

Orlando Brewing Company brews a wide variety of organic beers and coffee. Winter Parks’ boutiques sell specialty goods and foods. The Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau sells Magicards, offering savings at 67 attractions, shops, hotels and restaurants. Florida’s Natural Brand Co-op has a gift shop with branded merchandise, food and gift items, as well as an online store. Behr’s Chocolates can create customized chocolates and gourmet treats, such as s’mores and chocolate-dipped fortune cookies.

Want to meet at one of the “big three” amusement parks?

In addition to Walt Disney World Resorts’ four parks (Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom), the resort has four championship golf courses, a waterpark, spas and entertainment complexes, as well as professional development workshops and unusual venues such as the 10,000-sq. ft. Stage 17 Hollywood-style soundstage. Groups can stay at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, which has 2,265 guest rooms, 84 meeting rooms, two boardrooms, four ballrooms and 110,500 contiguous square feet of exhibit space. For meetings that rock, head to Universal Orlando Resort’s CityWalk complex and check out the Hard Rock Café Orlando. In addition to a living museum of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, the restaurant has eight function spaces for music-themed meetings and events, including the 150-person Art Bar and the 60-person Elvis Library. The entire venue accommodates up to 4,000, reception-style, and is attached to a 3,000-person concert venue, Hard Rock Live. The resort and its entertainment district also is home to The Blue Man Group, three hotels,  golf and spa programs, nine soundstages, five themed amphitheaters and unusual team-building programs. At SeaWorld Orlando, groups can dine surrounded by sharks at Sharks Underwater Grill, take in one of the water- and land-based shows, throw a themed party, or have catered functions with fireworks on The Waterfront.

Want to stay near one of the “big three”?

The Doubletree Resort Orlando International Drive, formerly the International Plaza Resort & Spa, is located on 28 acres across the street from SeaWorld and Aquatica and a short shuttle ride away from the other two. Amenities include a full-service spa, three swimming pools and 60,000 square feet of meeting space, including 12,000-sq. ft. and 10,000-sq. ft. ballrooms. The 246-room Orlando Vista Hotel is located at the entrance of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks, six miles from the Orlando Convention Center. Amenities include in-room spa services, a complimentary shuttle to all four Disney theme parks and meeting space for groups of 100 or less. The Doubletree Castle Hotel is a 216-room Medieval-themed “palace.” Within walking distance of International Drive and a short ride to the Disney parks, the Kessler Collection property has 10,000 square feet of function space, including two ballrooms and rooftop terraces. The Mona Lisa Suite Hotel in Celebration has 240 one- and two-bedroom suites (704 to 1,267 square feet in size). Other property amenities include fully equipped in-room kitchens, Caribbean-style landscaped public areas with water features, a 150-seat restaurant with balcony seating, a designated VIP meeting concierge, and an executive meeting room for up to 40 people. The 115-room, AAA Four-Diamond Celebration Hotel is five minutes away from the Disney magic. The boutique property has 5,000 square feet of indoor meeting space with panoramic lakeside views, and two lakeside terraces for outdoor functions. Free shuttle service to Disney theme parks also is provided. The Westin Imagine Orlando, next to the convention center, is an Art Deco-style hotel with 315 guest rooms near Universal Studios. Amenities include kitchenette suites, a poolside tiki bar, a signature Italian restaurant and more than 7,100 square feet of meeting and conference space.

Want to surround your group with culture?

The 250-room Grand Bohemian Hotel has 9,600 square feet of function space, including the rooftop Bohemian Garden. Amenities include a gallery of over 150 works of rare art; live nightly entertainment, featuring a Imperial Grand Bösendorfer Piano (one of only two in the world); and AAA Four-Diamond, DiRoNA dining at its Boheme Restaurant. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park has the world’s most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany works, including Tiffany jewelry, lamps, art glass and the chapel interior he created for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Other exhibits include late-19th and early 20th century American paintings, pottery, graphics and decorative arts. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College has six galleries displaying modernist and contemporary art. The Mennello Museum of American Art focuses on American masterworks and public arts programming. ArtsFest is a festival of free arts and cultural events held in early February in 54 locations throughout Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival is the only professional, classical theater company in Central Florida. In addition to Shakespeare, they also produce new plays and theater for young audiences in its mainstage and blackbox theaters. The Orlando Philharmonic presents classical, pop and chamber music. New for 2010 is a Concert Opera Series, featuring performers from the late Orlando Opera, that puts the focus on the music instead of opulent sets.

Want to shake up a meal function?

Send attendees on a scenic boat tour through the lakes and canals of historic Winter Park. Disembark at the Albin Polasek Museum and Gardens for an afternoon luncheon or evening reception in the sculpture garden, which accommodates more than 300 people. Polasek helmed the Art Institute of Chicago’s sculpture department for nearly three decades before retiring to Winter Park to build a home for his “children” — life-size sculptures that he arranged in his garden overlooking Lake Osceola. What’s remarkable about the museum’s collection is that many of the large sculptures on display were created by Polasek after he suffered a stroke, which left him wheelchair-bound and with the use of only one arm. A smaller chapel and indoor house museum with galleries also are available for groups to tour.

Want to team-build?

SkyVenture offers a free-fall skydiving adventure in a specially constructed wind tunnel. Teams of eight to 12 go every 30 minutes; a viewing platform allows waiting groups to watch each mission. Corporate Astronaut Training Programs (ATX) are available at the Kennedy Space Center.

Want an innovative way to train attendees?

Sidecoach Simulation Training uses technology, coaching and improvisation to create realistic simulations used to teach attendees soft skills, crisis management and more. Planners can create small group simulations or individual simulations that may be viewed by as many as 2,000 people. Real-time digital feedback may be incorporated to enhance the experience. Unlike software trials, Sidecoach uses trained “inter-actors,” which injects a human element into theoretical situations.

Want group dining?

Be sure not to overlook hotel restaurants — some of Orlando’s best, such as Todd English’s Bluezoo and Dux are hotel-based. Orlando and neighboring Kissimmee have dinner theaters catering to groups with themed entertainment ranging from Polynesian luaus to Howl at the Moon’s dueling piano shows. At Sleuths Mystery Dinner, shows are interactive affairs. Restaurants within walking distance of the convention center include The Capital Grille, The Oceannaire Seafood Room, Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café and B.B. King’s Blues Club. Chain restaurants such as Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood have private dining areas and room for entertainment. To get away from chain or themed eateries, head to one of Orlando’s neighborhoods such as Thornton Park or Winter Park; some restaurants, such as Luma on Park, have private dining areas for small groups.

Want unusual activities?

Glo Lounge Orlando is an upscale lounge with on-site catering, event space for up to 400 people and private VIP areas for small groups. The Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp is a 112-year-old community in Central Florida; in addition to readings and spirit healings, classes, workshops and historic tours are available. Contact Electronic Arts Tiburon about developing a custom video gamelet for your group or Full Sail University about creating a filmmaking program

Want spectator sports?

The Atlanta Braves hold spring training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, playing 15 games throughout February and March. Replicate the NASCAR experience by having attendees ride along with professional drivers from the Richard Petty Driving Experience at the Walt Disney World Speedway; driving lessons are available.