Northwest Florida hosts ‘coming out’ party
Published: November 8, 2007
Long referred to as Florida’s “hidden coast,” Northwest Florida is emerging as a major contender for the state’s valuable tourism and destination meetings dollars. With its abundance of natural resources — beautiful beaches, coastal lakes, varied topography — and an interesting and growing mix of venues, from resorts with conference facilities to cottages for executive housing, the area is getting more and more attention.
Last month, Beaches of South Walton played host to the VISIT FLORIDA Encounter, an annual statewide trade show connecting meeting planners and suppliers. It was the 27th year for the event, but a first for the Northwest Florida communities.
— Bud Nocera, President & CEO, VISIT FLORIDA
“Up until Sandestin [Golf and Beach Resort] built the Baytowne Conference Center, there wasn’t anything big enough [for the event],” says Pamela Watkins, director of sales and special events for Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council. “A few years ago, I invited the sales team from VISIT FLORIDA to our area; several had never been to Northwest Florida before. I took them around to show them all we had and all I heard was, “Oh my god, I never knew. They had no idea we had come of age, that we’d grown up.”
To her great satisfaction, Watkins reaped the rewards of her efforts (three years of planning) when she heard the same reaction from planners attending the Oct. 27-31 event.
“We know planners love Florida, and they are always looking for something new,” she says. “The best part for me was when planners said to me that they didn’t know [about this area]. This is going to open so many doors.”
Watkins cited the response of one planner from Ontario, who was “astounded” and promised to “go back and spread the gospel.”
Planners were treated to tours of venues, entertainment, shopping, cruises and some of the area’s plentiful and popular golf. “They took away a fresh new face in Florida to bring their clients,” Watkins says, “… with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and with a high level of customer service.”
She says they also were surprised that November to February, the peak tourist season for South and Central Florida, is the least expensive time to visit Northwest Florida.
“I was thrilled to host and share our stretch of the beach, and introduce them to all our different types of venues from traditional space to outdoor facilities.”
Planners and suppliers exchange industry experiences
A roundtable with meeting planners and suppliers at the VISIT FLORIDA Encounter at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort resulted in a lively exchange of meeting ideas and comments about Florida as a top destination choice. Here, a summary of some of the discussion points and suggestions:
On current market conditions …
“Availability is a challenge for short-term planners … to find a destination to fit into as the lead time shrinks.”
“As the market gets stronger (supplier-side), service gets worse.”
“Hotels have choices. They have preferences, and it may take time to develop that communication … they can’t make the right decisions if they can’t get the right information [from the planner]. We have to decide where we bend together to get a win for both … got to be flexible and compromise.”
“24-48 hour turnaround is realistic. The first call I make is for rates and availability. We’re never flexible on that.”
“The problem is often with green salesperson. Our history is obvious; we don’t want to take time to explain it. I go to a partner that’s good for my client, not necessarily a chain brand.”
“I don’t see a shift from the sellers’ market on prices for quite a while.”
On the appeal of Florida …
“The lift … the ease of getting there.”
“Florida is a warm destination, and you can get there fairly quickly from Missouri.”
“The weather … ”
“Golf, family activities, outside activities and the value season.”
“Yes, there are sometimes weather issues, but that doesn’t take it off the running. You just have to be aware. ”
Tips & Trends …
“Hotels with shops and restaurants nearby save on ground transportation, which can be costly. Airport destinations also can result in savings.”
“An A/V person travels with me … I’ve saved tons, even paying his expenses to travel with me, plus I have that comfort zone.”
“Gulf and spa are still most popular activity but we’re really customizing, trying to give attendees the full experience.”
“Scavenger hunts, Treasure Island style … geo-caching is popular.”
Mishaps
“Shipping is often the biggest problem. Pay attention to it ahead of time.”
“Do as well as you can to plan and be prepared. It’s not about the mishap — it’s about the resolution!”
“Services and friendliness are the most important things.”
Green meetings …
“We’re hearing from attendees more and more every day. They want to know about paints, rugs — to make sure they don’t have certain chemicals. They want to know how conference is being green.”
“We have planners in our corporation who are charged with that.”
“60 percent of RFPs are asking for green components.”
“Some things we do are eliminate linens, use white boards as opposed to flip charts with paper … ”
About the Encounter …
“We are not the decision makers, we are the influencers. We are only as good as the properties we know.”
“Florida Encounter takes you back to the good old days of relationships.”
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December 4, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Our real estate company is located in Seaside Florida, one of the communities that hosted tours for the meeting planners. We have just launched a new website for our company that includes a “news” feature. I would like to get permission to publish this article on our site.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my request.
Kindest Regards,
Jamie Conley, Business Manager
Davis Properties of NW FL Inc.
http://www.davisprop.com