Miami's world-class meeting facilities, surrounded by a sophisticated tropical playground, draw convention and business travelers in droves each year – more than 1.3 million to be exact. Offering great business amenities and an endless array of entertainment day and night, Miami is a sure bet for meeting planners looking to build attendance and entrepreneurs looking to seal the deal.

Boasting a centrally located, state-of-the-art international airport, temperatures that average 76ºF (24 ºC) year round, and approximately 50,000 hotel rooms – from chic boutiques to luxury beach and golf  resorts -- Miami has evolved into a meetings destination for all seasons. Factor in the lure of the world-famous Art Deco District, azure ocean vistas, sparkling Biscayne Bay and renowned dining and nightlife, and it is easy to see why many of the world's most prestigious associations and corporate meetings, conventions and trade shows choose to meet in Miami.  And with family friendly attractions, unlimited outdoor recreation and amazing arts and culture, many business travelers opt to stay and play.

Taking Care of Business

Miami Beach Convention Center (www.MiamiBeachConventionCenter.com), located just blocks from the beach and close to dozens of Art Deco hotel gems, is a convenient setting for trade shows and conventions.  In recent years the Center underwent $35 million in upgrades – including installation of state-of-the-art telecommunications and networking infrastructure and fresh carpet throughout. Meeting planners currently have more than 1.1 million square feet of flexible space to work with, plus more on the way. Following Art Basel in December 2015, the City of Miami Beach plans to launch a $500 million expansion and renovation of the center, scheduled for completion in 2017. The City also released an RFP in early 2015 for construction of a convention hotel next to the Center, which should be finalized in November 2016. For ongoing updates, visit www.MB2017CC.com.

Other great meeting centers abound throughout the county. The Miami Convention Center, located beside the Hyatt Regency Miami and walking distance to Bayside Marketplace, is one of Greater Miami's most functional meeting, exhibit and entertainment venues. This major facility, designed to maximize convenience and flexibility, has 34 well-appointed Miami meeting rooms, including a 444-seat auditorium and a 117-seat lecture hall, and can accommodate from 20 to 5,000 attendees in a variety of configurations. Another great option is the recently redesigned Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC), which is located adjacent to Miami International Airport, adjoining the Doubletree Hotel and the Miami International Merchandise Mart. Minutes from downtown Miami, the MACC features 172,000 square feet of high-tech meeting, conference and trade show space, including a 29,000-square-foot social catering ballroom (second largest in the region) and 100,000 square feet of exhibition and function space.

For groups who prefer a more unconventional convention space, Greater Miami offers a wide variety of meeting and event venues, from hotels and art centers to museums and parks. The latest alternative space that's causing a stir is downtown Miami's Perez Art Museum (PAMM). Located in the beautiful new Museum Park, the PAMM features sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, sprawling outdoor plazas with lush vegetation cascading from the canopy's overhang and a variety of modern indoor spaces for business meetings, cocktail receptions, weddings, elegant brunches, dinner parties and more.  Here planners can provide their guests with a complete and unique, contemporary art-inspired experience, from private tours and viewings to indoor or outdoor performances, film screenings and educational activities. In 2016 the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science – a.k.a. MiaSci – will open next door in the park and offer great options for group activities and receptions. Currently located in Coconut Grove, MiaSci will double in size when it moves to its new home and offer great options for meetings and events. The 250,000-square-foot facility will feature advanced communications and energy-conservation technology, and will be structured around a lushly landscaped indoor and outdoor 'living core' of terrestrial and aquatic exhibits, featuring one-of-a-kind aquarium components, a state-of-the-art digital dome, hands-on exhibits and interactive digital technology.

Mid-way between downtown Miami and South Beach lies Jungle Island, a popular attraction featuring lush tropical foliage and interactive animal encounters. 

Jungle Island recently completed a $700,000 renovation of its signature Treetop Ballroom and meeting  spaces, which can accommodate up to a few thousand and feature custom menus.  Guests can participate in an array of interactive activities from feeding the animals to participating in animal shows. The attraction is in the midst of executing a multi-million-dollar enhancement plan to add a new entry atrium, three destination restaurants, pool areas and waterfalls, zip lines, bridges, bungee swings and other aerial activities, new interactive environments for animals, and much more by summer 2016.

            Other intriguing spaces include everything from Miami Beach Botanical Garden and Fairchild Tropical Garden to a variety of art museums, sports venues and nightclubs. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens – an Italian-Renaissance-style palace and gardens overlooking the Bay – is great for outdoor receptions. Down in the South Miami Dade agricultural region, one of the latest and most unexpected venues is Schnebly Redland's Winery & Brewery, which makes wine from tropical fruits and boasts great entertainment and activity space.

Hotel Space

Hoteliers and developers, increasingly stylish to the city's growing reputation as a prime meeting location, have made modifications to existing space, or in the case of new development, designed properties with meetings in mind.  The result is a myriad of interesting options for meeting planners, from ocean terrace board rooms to designer driven spaces that inspire creativity.  For example, small, trendy boutique hotels feature plush conference rooms with designer furniture and plasma screens to attract small, image-conscious groups.  

In recent years, thousands of new luxury hotel rooms have been added throughout Greater Miami and the Beaches, and many others have been extensively renovated to keep in line with Miami's fashion-forward attitude. As of December 2014, Greater Miami and the Beaches boasted 378 hotel properties, and more are on the way. As of that date 26 properties featuring a total of 4,000 rooms – from mid- and upscale to luxury class – were underway.

In addition to major global brands, Greater Miami and the Beaches boasts an impressive roster of stylish independent brands, such as Miami Beach EDITION, Grand Beach Hotel (Miami Beach and Surfside), Thompson Miami Beach, Solé on the Ocean,   Hotel Victor, The Viceroy Miami, Hotel Beaux Arts, Soho Beach House, Casa Moderna, Delano, Shore Club, Biltmore Hotel, 1Hotel South Beach, Element Miami International Airport and Trump International Beach Resort.

Miami's renowned classic convention resorts have also kept pace. The Fontainebleau Miami Beach and the Eden Roc Miami Beach – among the area's largest -- recently underwent multimillion-dollar restorations that brought the legendary beachside resorts back to their glory days and beyond. The Eden Roc has launched  the largest Nobu Restaurant and Bar Lounge in the World, created by Chef Nobu, Academy award-winner Robert DeNiro and Hollywood producer Meir Teper.  

            Meetings with a side of golf are de rigueur at Trump National Doral Miami, a 650-acre resort (26 hectares) offering five 18-hole championship golf courses that can cater to golfers at every skill level. The resort recently completed a $250 million renovation, which included the restoration and expansion of 100,000 square feet of event space, including technology upgrades and the creation of a beautifully detailed 7,200 square foot ballroom and 8,000 square terrace, located atop the main Clubhouse with a scenic overlook of the resorts signature golf courses.

         Downtown Miami, where the city's international business and banking industry are centered, has been a hub of development activity in recent years.  The AAA Five-Diamond award-winning Mandarin Oriental, Miami takes excellent care of discerning delegates with 15,000-square-feet of flexible space, 22-foot ceilings, stunning rice-paper chandeliers and cutting-edge technology.  The hotel is one of the few hotels in the U.S. to achieve Forbes' Triple Five Stars – one for lodging, spa and restaurant. The JW Marriott Hotel caters lavishly to its primarily business clientele and the $379 million Four Seasons Hotel and Tower on Brickell Avenue instantly raised the bar for luxury business hotels throughout South Florida.   All of these properties offer easy proximity to the Miami Convention Center, a major downtown facility that encompasses the 612-room Hyatt Regency Hotel, which recently finished a multi-million-upgrade, as well as the 5,000-seat James L. Knight Center Auditorium.  A popular concert venue, the Knight Center boasts state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems suitable for the world's most particular performers.  Ranked as the "largest hotel exhibit space in South Florida," the Doubletree Miami Mart Hotel & Exhibition Center offers 24,160-square-feet of meeting space plus other 115,500-square-feet of meeting and exhibit space in the adjoining Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC).  

     The grand dame of downtown Miami hotels, the Hotel InterContinental Downtown Miami recently completed a $34 million renovation which included upgrading and redesigning its 65,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is located near the Bayside Marketplace, as are other popular hotels, such as the 152-room (plus 50 condos) DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay, the 579-room/21-suite Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay (23 meeting rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space) and the 527-room/58-suite Hilton Miami Downtown (45,000 square feet of meeting space and 19 meeting rooms).  

Many other hotels throughout Miami, from the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne (450 rooms, including 113 suites) to the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables (275 rooms) offer attendees top- notch business facilities and service in beautiful resort settings.  Also located in Coral Gables are first-rate business hotels such as the elegant Hyatt Regency (250 rooms) and the Westin Colonnade (157 rooms), with its new ballroom bringing meeting space to over 30,000 square feet. 

Groups who want to stay green have a variety of eco-friendly hotels to choose from.  The Florida Green Lodging Program encourages hotels to become sustainable while lowering operating costs. In order to receive a Green Lodging designation, properties must implement environmental practices in six areas: communication and education; waste reduction; reuse and recycling; water conservation; energy efficiency; indoor air quality; and transportation. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau website and Meeting Planner Guide indicates these Green Lodging Certified accommodations with a greenhouse icon.

Time To Play

       One of the best reasons to meet in Miami is that when the day's work is done, visitors find themselves in America's Riviera – a playful mix of sun and fun.  For delegates on a break or spouses along for the journey, options for entertainment, both organized and spontaneous, abound.  Whether it's zipping around sparkling Biscayne Bay on a motor boat, lounging poolside at one of Miami Beach's chic boutique hotels, or swimming with the dolphins, Miami attracts record delegates for many conventions.  Immaculately groomed golf courses, world-class tennis courts and amazing sports teams satisfy recreational and spectator sports fans.  Most intriguing is Marlins Park, the spectacular ultra-modern home of the Miami Marlins in Little Havana. Featuring one of the most innovative designs in the nation, the venue is perfect for many events, from concerts and trade shows to private and corporate gatherings. The state-of-the-art masterpiece offers stunning vistas of downtown Miami, and the option of having the roof and left field skyline wall closed to keep the ballpark at a cool 75 degrees or opened to enjoy the Miami tropical sun.

      Speaking of sunshine, a gateway to glorious ecological discovery lies less than an hour from downtown with two national treasures -- Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park, as well as many county parks offering Eco-Adventure tours close to the city.

Miami's emergence as one of the world's preeminent centers for art and culture has increased the appeal dramatically.  Case in point is the dazzling $500 million Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami Dade County in downtown. Designed by world-renowned Argentinean architect Cesar Pelli, the 570,000-square-foot complex features three separate performance facilities: the 2,200-seat Knight Concert Hall, the 2,400-seat Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House, and a 200-seat black box Studio Theatre. The center recently opened the BRAVA! Farm-to-Table eatery led by Chef Hector Torres, as well as the Café at Books & Books with cuisine by the legendary Chef Allen Susser. Miami Beach's New World Center, home of the New World Symphony, features a flexible concert hall with 757 seats at its largest configuration in the round.  The center's SunTrust Pavilion offers 2,330 square feet of flat floor multipurpose performance space, while the dramatic rooftop garden and patron's lounge features unparalleled views of Miami beach and Biscayne Bay. The centers, along with cutting edge museums and galleries, as well as arts districts (i.e. Wynwood and Design Districts), have enhanced Miami's reputation, drawing globally renowned events such as Art Basel Miami Beach.

            Restaurants are among the top in the nation, with top chefs attracting kudos for innovative cuisine – best enjoyed during Miami Spice Restaurant Month(s)(August/September), featuring value-driven pre fixe menus.  Miami Spa Month(s) in July and August feature rejuvenating special treatments for as low as $99 at Miami's premier spas.

For delegates who prefer retail therapy, Shop Miami Month (March) features special offers from leading Greater Miami malls and retailers. The destination's exciting mix of haute couture, quaint designer boutiques and colorful bargain outlets help make this city a true shopper's paradise.

            One of the hottest retail areas these days is the Miami Design District, the ultimate destination for cutting-edge fashion, art, design and culture with brands such as Bulgari, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Max Mara, Tiffany & Co., Valentino and Versace. Up north the Aventura Mall, one of the top five highest grossing malls in the nation, is in the process of building a new three-level, 241,000-square-foot retail wing with special emphasis on upscale, fashion-centric stores. A continued favorite is Lincoln Road in South Beach, known for trend-setting shops and extraordinary people-watching, while the chic, celebrity-studded Bal Harbour Shops is sure to please, even if you're only window shopping.  Bayside Marketplace downtown offers midscale mall shops as well as independent kiosk retailers, and is home base to day cruises (including tours of the stars' homes) and hop-on, hop-off bus tours of the city.  Other notables include the tony Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables, CocoWalk in Coconut Grove and outlet-driven Dolphin Mall near the airport.

            Of course no playtime in Miami would be complete without nocturnal pursuits.

Miami's nightlife is legendary -- offering ample opportunities to spot hot celebrities and super models. Word of caution: the clubs don't get going until after midnight, so a disco nap and a shot of Café Cubano is a sure way to recharge!

For those wanting to stay and play with the family, Miami offers a surprising variety of attractions, from Miami Seaquarium, Jungle Island, Monkey Jungle and the Miami Children's Museum to the Dezer Collection Auto Museum, Miami Museum of Science and Coral Castle.

            Access into and around Miami is top rate. MIA offers great connectivity, serving approximately 150 cities around the world with non-stop service – making it attractive for growing international attendance.  With a Rental Car Center at MIA, renting a car is easy for moving in and beyond the city.  Delegates can also take advantage of Metrorail, Miami-Dade County's 24.4-mile, elevated rapid transit system that connects them from MIA to downtown, and then on to great places such as Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, South Miami, Coral Gables, and the renowned Dadeland Mall.

            The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is an independent not-for-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. To request our Meeting Planner's Guide guide, visit our website at www.MiamiAndBeaches.com or call 1-888-76-Miami (US/Canada only) or 305-447-7777. To reach the GMCVB offices dial 305-539-3000.  Meeting planners may call 1-800-933-8448 (US/Canada only) or 305-539-3071 or visit www.MiamiMeetings.com.

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