5 Attendee Mindsets, Infinite Curated Experiences

February 28, 2019

With more than 400 flights daily, exceptional meeting spaces, hotels for all budgets and year-round sunshine, Miami is the place to be for unforgettable meetings.

The demand for more curated, non-traditional experiences that go above and beyond online booking platforms is growing. Greater Miami and the Beaches can help you with that. Here are just some of the curated experiences Greater Miami offers to inspire your next meeting or incentive.

For Millennials

An afternoon in Little Haiti filled with traditional Bahamian and Creole dishes will undoubtedly fulfill millennials’ desire for authentic and tangible experiences. They can also participate in an Ayikodans drum and dance class at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and interact with local artisans.

Miami’s eclectic Wynwood Arts District, its repurposed warehouses for galleries, studios, bars and workshops, is another hot spot for millennials. Here, fashion, innovation and creative enterprise merge. Groups can partake in guided art and culinary tours, or hop on the Miami Brew Bus for an introduction to some of the area’s best craft brews.

Adventurers

A luxury speed boat excursion down Biscayne Bay or backwater tour of the Everglades will thrill the adventurers in your group. Attendees can bike, hike, take an airboat or even kayak through this pristine area that is brimming with wildlife. The Miccosukee Indian Village offers a unique dining and entertainment experience, including a cultural arts festival. Take the event back indoors, but no less exciting, to experience Miami’s first and only all-female roller derby league, Vice City Rollers.

The adventurers in your groups also have a new meet on-the-go option in Brightline, a hospitality-focused high-speed rail service. Brightline trains connect West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, with service to Orlando soon to follow. The Miami train station at MiamiCentral offers shopping, dining and the city’s first food hall, as well as a new 11-acre terminal. The ride from West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale includes an exclusive monthly wine tasting from the Antinori Family Winery, as well as hors d’oeuvres and live music.

Techies

Meetings and incentives that implement augmented reality and artificial intelligence are already happening in Greater Miami, especially during the planning stage, e.g., site inspections, room design and customization. An immersive tech experience awaits at the Frost Museum on Museum Park, one of the only science museums in the world with both an aquarium and planetarium under one roof.

Just a 25 minute drive from Miami International Airport and a short walk to stunning world-class beaches and the famed Art Deco District, the newly reimagined LEED Silver-certified Miami Beach Convention Center is another case in point. The artful center, whose front facade grants the impression of a cascading ocean wave through 500 giant aluminum “fins,” offers nearly 500,000 sf of versatile exhibit space, as well as a 60,000-sf grand ballroom, 20,000-sf junior ballroom, 84 breakout rooms and the latest in A/V technology and soundproofing. A convention headquarter hotel will soon connect to the center with 800 rooms

Wellness Seekers

Greater Miami and the Beaches is recognized as a health-conscious destination and this translates well for groups. The integration of health and wellness into meetings is continuing to grow—from expanded food choices to organic cooking classes to farm-to-table menus. Mindfulness activities that harness the power of Greater Miami’s beaches and sunshine, such as paddleboarding, a bird walk, sunrise yoga, Flyboard lessons and spa breaks, are popular group options.

Top Performers

One-size-fits-all gifts are phasing out and gifting suites are in. Consider booking suites that allow attendees to “shop” for their perfect reward while also instilling a sense of being valued and appreciated.

For a unique shopping experience try Brickell City Centre in Downtown Miami. The mixed-use shopping, dining and entertainment development is anchored by the 100,000-sf Saks Fifth Avenue, a 500,000-sf luxury and premium retail center, and an array of restaurants and bars.