Selling Florida as a business destination is like announcing free drinks and eats. Everyone wants to participate. The most difficult question facing planners isn’t whether to book Florida; it’s which area of Florida will best fulfill the needs of their conference agenda and attendees. No passport is needed for even the most exotic locations, from the palm tree-lined beaches of the Florida Keys to the subtropical wetlands of the Everglades to the emerald waters of the Sunshine State’s northern reaches.

So why should meeting and incentive planners choose to bring their groups to Florida?

“Booking Florida is an attendance booster,” says Cheryl Hatcher, director of sales for VISIT FLORIDA. “Attendees ask to come here for our diverse collection of tried and true iconic experiences, whether it’s dolphin watching, outdoor sports like golf, or visiting theme parks.”

In other states, the destination marketing organizations are overseen by a governmental tourism office. Hatcher says the public-private structure of VISIT FLORIDA gives it leverage to market more effectively to groups, when coupled with the individual destination DMOs.

“Incentive travel is on the upswing, but planners are still looking for more ROI and ROE,” she says. “Florida’s accessibility and affordability fulfills that sweet spot for the corporate or incentive planner.”

Another major factor in attracting groups, Florida’s entire hospitality engine offers a unified delivery of one-of-a-kind experiences. Hatcher says, “That cohesive message and VISIT FLORIDA’s website at FloridaMeetings.com gives us a high-level presence worldwide.”

So why should meeting and incentive planners choose to bring their groups to Florida?

“Booking Florida is an attendance booster,” says Cheryl Hatcher, director of sales for VISIT FLORIDA. “Attendees ask to come here for our diverse collection of tried and true iconic experiences, whether it’s dolphin watching, outdoor sports like golf, or visiting theme parks.”

In other states, the destination marketing organizations are overseen by a governmental tourism office. Hatcher says the public-private structure of VISIT FLORIDA gives it leverage to market more effectively to groups, when coupled with the individual destination DMOs.

“Incentive travel is on the upswing, but planners are still looking for more ROI and ROE,” she says. “Florida’s accessibility and affordability fulfills that sweet spot for the corporate or incentive planner.”

Another major factor in attracting groups, Florida’s entire hospitality engine offers a unified delivery of one-of-a-kind experiences. Hatcher says, “That cohesive message and VISIT FLORIDA’s website at FloridaMeetings.com gives us a high-level presence worldwide.”

International circus acts spend their winters in Sarasota, and that’s when the region is in high demand for groups too. The county is known for its fine art museums, 35 miles of coastline that’s been compared to the Caribbean, and fab culinary scene. But with such great weather year-round, look beyond winter.

“Booking a meeting during our off season, from June to September, generates the biggest returns,” says Kelly M. Defebo, CMP/TMP, meeting & group sales manager for Visit Sarasota County. “But our shoulder season, from October through December, also adds extra value.”

Visit Sarasota’s staff supplements the value with site visits, vendor recommendations, save-the-date cards, and welcome bags for attendees. And through 2013, the DMO is offering cash-back and room night incentives for meetings generating a minimum 300 consecutive room nights.

In 2011, Siesta Key Beach was named the #1 beach in the country in 2011. Last year, the county was recognized as one of the leading small arts destinations in America.

“We have amenities that rival major metropolitan destinations,” says Defebo. “We also have the highest number of Zagat-rated restaurants than anywhere else in Florida.”

Two of the latest earning raves from groups are Duval’s New World Cafe on Main Street and Owen’s Fish Camp. Duval’s is famous for its eclectic contemporary seafood while Owen’s serves Southern-influenced dishes in a quaint cottage built in 1923. The 146-room Ramada Venice opens in January with 10,000 sf of meeting space. In May, Hilton Longboat Key closes for a 14-month renovation. When completed, it will have 182 rooms and 3,000 sf of meeting space steps from the Gulf.

One of the country’s largest cities in land mass, stretching along Florida’s northeastern coast from St. Augustine to Amelia Island, Jacksonville covers over 840 square miles. Meaning, the destination offers almost every imaginable amenity and activity one associates with Florida, like championship golf courses, top rated museums, water activities and a wide range of beachfront accommodations and meeting venues.

“What surprises planners though are the affordable prices and that the downtown core is set along the St. Johns River, which provides a dramatic backdrop to any event,” says Dennis Tracy, CDME, senior vice president for destination sales/marketing for Visit Jacksonville.

Water plays a key role in Jacksonville’s popularity for conferences. Just 20 minutes from downtown, the Atlantic Ocean provides a pathway for cruises to the Bahamas. Pre/post cruise stays in Jacksonville are common. Groups can hire deep sea fishing charters from the port, kayak along the river for an eco-adventure, or cruise more languidly in a pontoon boat along the intracoastal waterway. A dine and dance cruise on one paddle wheel riverboats along the St. Johns has become almost de rigueur for many groups. The Lady St. Johns holds 250; the Annabelle Lee, 150.

“Fish camp restaurants with their local character are really popular, and watching the shrimp boats come in is just plain fun,” says Tracy.

The longest running professional dinner theater in America completed a recent makeover, making it a hot spot for groups. Well-known TV and film celebrities like Loretta Swit and George Wendt star in productions at the 375-seat Alhambra Theatre. Chef DeJuan Roy’s fine dining dishes at the playhouse earn top billing too. His menu taps into each production’s theme, such as crispy duck confit served during The Phantom of the Opera.

When the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB launched its new “Meet Sunny” meetings campaign in January, they highlighted the sun and fun activities and sunny service offered by hospitality partners educated by the CVB’s SunSational Service Training Program. Now in its 10th year, the free program offers cabbies, porters, bellmen and other CVB vendors training on how to provide superior service.

Another draw for groups, the region has some of the lowest average airfares in the country due to the volume of value-based carriers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Furthermore, the Global Business Travel Association ranked Fort Lauderdale as being the lowest business tax-burdened area in the U.S. for the third year in a row, with 5% hotel occupancy taxes.

“If you’re paying lower airfares and fewer taxes, there’s more money to visit the Everglades to see the alligators,” says Christine Roberts-Tascione, CMP, vice president of convention sales/services. “Or fish along 300 miles of waterways, walk along 23 miles of beaches and play on over 40 golf courses.”

Over $800 million is being invested in airport upgrades. A new 8,000-foot runway will allow jumbo jets to land for the first time near a new international terminal with 14 gates and expanded customs area. Existing terminals are getting new F&B outlets, floors and other features.

Roberts-Tascione says, “The expansion will create a seamless experience for travelers from the airport to the cruise port, which is also reopening four refurbished terminals. We hope it will be an incentive for groups to do pre/post stays when adding a cruise to the mix.”

For offsite dining, the upscale Royal Pig Pub and Grille 401 Las Olas opened in October. Grille 401 offers New American cuisine and a wine cellar. In November, the Bonaventure Golf Club reopened after a $2 million redesign. And Benchmark Hospitality acquired the 500-room Bonaventure Resort & Conference Center, presently undergoing an $8 million renovation.

There’s a spiciness to Miami that flavors its cuisine, heats up its South Beach nightlife and enhances its hip image.

“We’re the only American city that provides a cosmopolitan atmosphere in a tropical setting, where culture intertwines with couture and beach life mixes with big business,” says Barry Moskowitz, vice president of sales for Greater Miami CVB. “The goal of planners is to increase the bottom line by increasing attendance. Miami’s appeal makes that happen. The added value of booking Miami is that when the conference is over, attendees get to experience the pulse of the city,” Moskowitz says.

Take the state-of-the-art, 37,500-seat Marlins Park in the heart of downtown, whose floor-to-ceiling glass walled concourse overlooks Miami. One group created a baseball-themed evening by renting out part of the stands, while the Jumbotron gave all 1,000 guests a clear view of the speakers. Traditional baseball snacks like hot dogs and Cracker Jacks were served at the concourse reception. The facility includes a retractable roof, perfect for a starlit dinner for 4,000 served on-field, which can also be closed quickly when required.

Opening this winter, the 290-acre Museum Park on Biscayne Bay will include public gardens and sculpture installations, the Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum of Science.

In South Beach, two new beachfront hotels opened. The 142-room SLS Hotel South Beach, with some suites designed by rocker Lenny Kravitz, blends contemporary and Art Deco influences with Latin/Asian accents. The restaurants are garnering huge buzz. The Bazaar, by James Beard chef José Andrés, offers modern twists on Spanish dishes. Master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi’s Dragon Lounge menu features innovative sushi and robata.

Following a $42 million renovation, the 400-room James Royal Palm reopened in October. The Art Deco jewel houses 10,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space. The signature restaurant is Florida Cookery.

In late 2013, look for the opening of the Marriott Edition South Beach Hotel. The 12-story hotel-condo complex will have 300 rooms, an ice skating rink, bowling alley and, of course, a happening nightclub.

On most nights of the year, warm breezes blow across the 126 miles of the 1,700 islands that form the Florida Keys. Groups visiting the Florida Keys love that few of the gorgeous islands are inhabited, as well as the let-and-let-live attitude among the 30 that are populated.

“We offer an exotic tropical experience without having to leave the country,” says Jack Meier, corporate group/ incentive sales director of Florida Keys & Key West.

The coral archipelago offers a wealth of water activities unparalleled in the nation. Key Largo is known as the Diving Capital of the World. Islamorada claims bragging rights as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World. And then there’s Key West, the largest of the inhabited islands with the most meeting space.

Meier says, “The value for meeting planners is that their group can receive a richer experience without being perceived as being over the top.”

In Key West, book dinner at the Hemingway House & Museum with a steel band, followed by more music and margaritas on busy Duval Street. Midway down the Keys near Marathon, the Dolphin Research Center offers private tours, and interaction with the dolphins. Organize an elegant 4-course meal for 20, which includes a commemorative CD of photographs taken during their dolphin experiences.

Among Palm Beach County and Boca Raton’s allure is an intoxicating brew of mansions of the rich and famous, and shopping on Worth Avenue—the Rodeo Drive of the Southeast. Supporting that, iconic luxury resorts like the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach; The Breakers; The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach and Boca Raton Resort & Club offer meeting and incentive groups an elite experience.

“Palm Beach is an aspirational destination based on its reputation for luxury, yet it’s still quite affordable,” says Douglas McLain, senior vp of sales for Palm Beach County CVB.

Even world executives are razzle-dazzled by some of Palm Beach County’s signature events, like having a private reception at Donald Trump’s mansion, Mar-A-Lago, or shopping for Gucci and Prada in the Mediterranean-style Addison Mizner mall. And only in Palm Beach, groups can attend winter polo at the International Polo Club.

“Any time you can deliver a one-of-its-kind experience for an incentive or meeting program, that’s the sweet spot for a meeting planner,” says McLain.

Rand McNally recognized Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach as America’s #1 small town in 2012. The 154-room Seagate Hotel & Spa has an 8,000-sf spa with a 7,000-gallon aquarium. The 134-room Hyatt Place Delray recently opened with 1,500 sf of flexible meeting space in the Arts District of downtown Delray Beach, one mile from the beach.