Plan Your Meetings

Watch for:

• The Mona Lisa Suite Hotel opened in Celebration, Fla., (near Orlando) with 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 Orlando World Center Marriott Resort opened a new sports bar, High Velocity, one of the largest sports bars in Central Florida.
• The Rosen Plaza completed a multi-million dollar renovation of its 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and replaced linens and beds throughout its 800 rooms.
• The International Plaza Resort & Spa completed a multi-million dollar renovation of 120 guestroom and suites.
• The Westin Imagine Orlando opened by the convention center with 315 rooms and suites, 7,200 square feet of meeting space, and outdoor event areas.
• A 1,400-room Hilton Orlando Hotel is to open adjacent to the convention center in summer 2009 with 130,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 50,000-sq. ft. ballroom.
• The Hilton Bonnet Creek Project, scheduled to open in late 2009, will have a 1,000-room Hilton and a 498-room Waldorf-Astoria.
• A 450-room Four Seasons Resort Hotel is slated to open in 2010 as part of the Walt Disney World Resort. Amenities will include an 18-hole championship golf course.
• The Peabody Orlando is scheduled to complete a 750-room expansion, adding 140,000 square feet of meeting space to the property, by early 2010.
• A 450-acre entertainment district with restaurants, hotel rooms and shops is scheduled to open in phases over the next 10 years adjacent to the Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center.
• The Jostens Center, a multi-purpose sports facility and conference center, opened at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with 70,000 total square feet of exhibit, meeting and function space.
• Recent “Green Lodging”-certified properties include The Rosen Centre Hotel, The Florida Hotel and Conference Center and the Orlando Airport Marriott.
• A 227-room Crown Plaza (formerly the Lexington Orlando CityPlace) is now open.
• The new 240-room Mona Lisa Suite Hotel in Celebration is seeking certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Green Lodging Program. The hotel will have a roof with heat-reflective properties that minimize radiant heat, energy efficient lighting fixtures, dual-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, in-suite recycling containers and energy-saving kitchen appliances.
• All nightclubs at Downtown Disney are closed. A new complex of shops, restaurants and family-friendly establishments will open on the site in 2010.
• Hilton Bonnet Creek still scheduled to open in late 2009.
• The Hilton Orlando Hotel is scheduled to open in summer 2009 with 400 guest rooms, 130,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa and fitness center.
• The Orlando/Orange County CVB gained accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP).
• A Four Seasons Hotel & Resort is scheduled to open at Walt Disney World by 2012 with amenities including 445 rooms and a golf course.
• Holiday Inn at the Walt Disney World Resort will open in February 2009. Features will include 323 guest rooms, 11,000 square feet of event space and the Atrium Restaurant.
• The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is now part of the Florida Green Lodging Program.
• Lake Buena Vista Resort Village Spa opened a 2,600-sq. ft. meeting facility accommodating up to 250 people and a 9,000-sq. ft.spa with 12 treatment beds, two private couple’s rooms and separate lounges for women and men.
• The Marriott’s Lakeshore Reserve is expected to open at Grande Lakes Orlando in summer 2010. Amenities will include 240 villas and townhomes, a main pool with two waterslides, a fitness center and three whirlpool spas.
• The Point Orlando Resort opened with 144 suites. Its fifth floor can accommodate groups of up to 150 people.
• The 155-room Venturella Resort Spa will open this month. Amenities will include a luxury spa, pool, walking trails, complimentary wireless Internet and 6,500 square feet of meeting space.
• All 23 Walt Disney World Resort hotel properties have been designated Florida Green Lodges by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
• Construction is underway on North America’s largest observation wheel, the Great Orlando Wheel. Opening in 2010, the 400-ft. wheel will have views spanning 25 miles in all directions. The wheel can accommodate 40 passengers; each ride will last 30 minutes.
• Universal Orlando Resort announced plans for a new roller coaster, “Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit,” opening spring 2009. Thrill seekers can customize their ride experience by choosing which song they will hear while on the roller coaster.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened Toy Story Mania! The ride is an interactive 3-D Toy Storycompetition that puts guests in the middle of the action as they play games hosted by the movie’s characters. An “American Idol” attraction is scheduled to open in 2009. Guests will choose to be performer or judge. The guest performers with the highest votes will compete in a Grand Finale show at the end of the day, and every winner will get a chance to audition for the real T.V. show.
• SeaWorld Orlando announced the development of Manta, a rollercoaster that transitions from air to sea. Opening in summer 2009, guests will experience underwater animal habitats, soar facedown in a horizontal position at nearly 60 mph and come within inches of the ocean. The attraction itself will have floor-to-ceiling window views of more than 300 rays.
• The Orlando Regional History Center opened a new permanent exhibit, “Destination Florida: Tourism Before Disney.” The History Center has 67,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, accommodating groups of up to 2,000 people.
• Cuba Libre Restaurant Rum Bar will open at Pointe Orlando this fall. The restaurant will accommodate up to 1,000 guests and features Cuban cuisine, more than 70 rums and professional salsa dancers.
• Prime Outlets International Orlando completed a $300 million expansion and renovation. Features include 175 stores, a food court with eight restaurants and the full-service restaurant, Kafe Kalik.
• Disney’s Wide World of Sports is building a 160,000-sq. ft. bowling stadium to open in 2010 with 100 lanes, stadium style seating and a restaurant.
• Rosen Hotels & Resorts launched rosengreenmeetings.com, a Web site that assists meeting planners interested in planning eco-friendly events.

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.

Want creative venues?

Fantasy of Flight’s historic aircraft museum offer 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.

Want to golf?

Arnold Palmer lives and plays at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, which also is home to his golf academy. 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 Ginn 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?

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. In addition to three hotels, Universal Orlando Resort has golf and spa programs, the CityWalk entertainment complex, nine soundstages, five themed amphitheaters, team-building programs, a Hollywood-themed amusement park and an island-themed amusement park. The Blue Man Group also performs in a 1,000-seat theater at the Universal Orlando Resort. In addition to Walt Disney World Resorts’ four parks (Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom), the complex has accommodations, four championship golf courses, a waterpark, spas, entertainment complex Pleasure Island and the Wide World of Sports Complex, as well as convention facilities, professional development workshops and unusual venues such as the 10,000-sq. ft. Stage 17 Hollywood-style soundstage.

Want to surround your group with culture?

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 produces a full season of professional theater annually from September through April.

Want to team-build?

If your group has graduated from physical team-building sessions and eco-safaris, investigate the Interactive Performance Lab at the University of Central Florida. Innovative programming includes “The Voice,” a live, interactive story placing attendees in the middle of a story that unfolds in multiple locations around Orlando, and workshops focusing on the real-world application of “human-to-human” experiences augmented by digital technology. 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 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.