St. Augustine Florida Travel Guide

Meeting and event planners are always searching for new event planning tips, whether they’re to use for their next Florida meeting or to simply know what others are doing so that they can validate some of their own approaches. That’s because meeting and event planners organize a lot of meetings, and the annual Florida Convention or congress is an excellent program that also requires a lot of meeting planning ideas.

When you hold a White Glove Meeting or Florida Convention at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort & Convention Center, our extraordinary Florida meeting space and group amenities are only surpassed by our impeccable attention to detail. Here we have 4 simple tips that may help make your next event even more eventful.

1. When planning a Florida convention, consider how to utilize new technologies within your program. We have a comprehensive onsite AV department that can help you plan a variety of special effects that can make your opening or closing event a real Wow.

2. Consider incorporating Café Conversations into your program. These informal roundtable discussions emerged from the high-tech industry and have proven to be effective. Topics and moderators are not pre-determined, so they allow attendees to learn from their peers. And they make a perfect complement to your Florida convention.

3. It’s important to create special events – including cocktail and closing night receptions – that engage all five senses. At the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort & Florida Convention Center, our incredible culinary team takes particular pride in planning events that are uniquely yours, with design, décor and dishes that are out of this world! And we can help you with all the special effects and entertainment, as well.

4. Finally, remember that the best time to ensure attendee retention for future Florida meetings and conventions is by promoting it during this year’s event. Make sure you have some sort of “see you next year” message prepared for your attendees.

At the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort & Convention Center, our Florida meeting specialists are here to help you plan every aspect of your next Florida convention. Contact us today at 904-940-8000, or visit www.worldgolfrenaissance.com/meetings.

According to Jeffery Oliasami, General Manager of the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort, a major Florida Convention Center, the Conventions Industry Council recently released a new study – The Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy – which showed that the U.S. meetings industry directly supports 1.7 million jobs, a $106 billion contribution to GDP, $263 billion in spending, $60 billion in labor revenue, $14.3 billion in federal tax revenue and $11.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.

It’s not really surprising,” said Mr. Oliasami. “It’s easy to see the impact that Florida meetings and Florida conventions at our hotel have on the local economy.”

The research quantifies the economic contributions made by the 1.8 million meetings, trade shows, conventions, congresses, incentive events and other meetings that take place across the country. The 1.7 million jobs generated by the meetings industry are more than many U.S. industries, including broadcasting and communications (1.3 million jobs), truck and rail transportation industries (1.5 million jobs) and computer and electronic product manufacturing (1.1 million jobs).

Mr. Oliasami sees that trend clearly in the Florida conventions market. “The meetings and events sector supports both jobs and spending in a host of industries, including professional meeting organizers, food and beverage, transportation, recreation/entertainment, retail, travel services and more. It impacts more than just the Florida meetings and Florida conventions held at our hotel.

“Meetings are how business gets done in virtually every state, city and town in America,” said Mr. Oliasami. “They are the very definition of working together and are essential to the economic future of our country.”

For information about meetings at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Florida Convention Center, call Scott Selvaggi, Director of Sales & Marketing, at 904-940-8000, or visit www.worldgolfrenaissance.com/meetings.