and excusive lofts, it’s hard to pick a favorite space in The Peabody Orlando, a luxury hotel in the heart of Orlando’s celebrated meetings epicenter — and directly connected to the Orange County Convention Center. “The expanded and newly renovated Peabody Orlando has transformed that property into one of the most user-friendly, qual- ity venues in the U.S.,” said John Wasilewski, president of JRW Asso- ciates. “The meeting space is now significantly greater, with a variety of options to meet a variety of needs. It is clean, high-tech, and exciting. The restaurant and gathering-place options are plentiful and conducive to business meetings. While it’s con- sidered a higher-end venue, the value is appropriate.”
GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER, NASHVILLE, TENN. gaylordopryland.com Two words: Teal Coats. What helps make the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville so unique are its renowned conference coordinators, nicknamed “Teal Coats” for their easily identifi- able teal jackets. They keep opera- tions running smoothly throughout the property’s 600,000 square feet of
flexible meeting space. “The service is by far the best we’ve ever experi- enced,” said Becky Seiler, learning & development and events administra- tor for BrightStar Care. “Any request we had was met instantaneously. The Teal Coats were always right there with the radio to reach out to who- ever we needed; they’d act as liaison for the concierge, and help change room setups.”
OMNI DALLAS CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL
omnidallas.com As the newest meetings destination in Dallas, the 1,001-room Omni Dal- las doesn’t disappoint. The property offers more than 110,000 square feet of usable function space, with a sky bridge that connects directly to the Dallas Convention Center — and more than 2.1 million square feet of additional meeting facilities. The Omni Dallas’ on-site restaurants offer everything from farm-to-table meals at Texas Spice to elegant din- ners at Bob’s Steak & Chop House. In every way, the Omni Dallas expands planners’ possibilities. “The new Omni Dallas has great meeting space,” said Kristy Breaux, associate director of TCEA, “with lots of flex- ibility and convenience.”
Places for Small Meetings
SAN FRANCISCO sanfrancisco.travel Rated one of “America’s Favorite Cit- ies” by Travel + Leisure in 2011, San Francisco is also an ideal place for meet- ings — and not just big citywide events. The city’s stunning location, culture, and shopping are just some of the things that delight attendees, and its distinct, intimate neighborhoods help you tailor an authentic backdrop for groups of any size. “There is a high demand from many of my customers to place groups in San Francisco,” said Dawn Aronson, global account executive for Conference- Direct. “It has the best of all worlds: things to do and see, great restaurants and famous eating establishments, fresh local seafood, transportation means for those who don’t want to drive, and great meeting hotels that have functional meeting space to accommodate large or small groups.”
SHERATON NEW YORK HOTEL AND TOWERS, NEW YORK CITY sheratonnewyork.com While the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers works for larger meetings — the Metropolitan Ballroom alone can host up to 2,500 guests — it’s the little things that make the property ideal for small meetings. The Executive Confer- ence Center level features 13 rooms for meetings of up to 100 attendees, and the hotel’s location is ideal for out-of-town visitors. “The Sheraton New York has worked hard to include all conference center amenities, both for the planner and for the attendees,” said Connie Bergeron, CMP, president