Florida’s infrastructure has been designed with meetings in mind, and its destinations and hotels are known for delivering top-notch service and selection for programs of every shape and size. Here’s what’s new downtown in 5 Florida cities.
West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach will have a new foodie district this year, The Warehouse District, located southwest of the Palm Beach County Convention Center near downtown. It comprises eight vintage-style buildings and a New York–inspired food hall, Grange Hall Market.
Miami
Miami Worldcenter has broken ground and will become the hub of downtown, a 10-block mixed-use development with retail, hospitality and residential space within walking distance of $3 billion in new public and private projects in mass transit, cultural institutions, recreational parks and entertainment venues. The Marriott Marquis Worldcenter, still in the approval process, will be the largest in southern Florida, with 1,700 rooms and its own convention center.
Orlando
Orlando’s Convention District is a two-mile stretch along International Drive that most recently saw the opening of the Orlando Eye and Mango’s on International Drive. Attracting a lot of excitement for group events will be Topgolf, a 65,000-sf golf entertainment complex opening this fall with 102 climate-controlled hitting bays big enough to host up to six players at one time.
Ocala
The Feel Downtown redevelopment project is promoting downtown Ocala as a destination experience and will include a 90-room hotel with 10,000 sf of meeting space.
Tampa
This year, Tampa will see the opening of the Heights Market in a huge building that was formerly a storage and maintenance facility for streetcars. It will feature eateries headed up by local chefs along with two event spaces (the largest accommodating 1,300 for cocktails) and a rooftop social area.
