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Miami, Florida City Guide

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Miami Meeting Planning

Miami Skyline

With an unparalleled combination of atmosphere, attractions and beautiful weather, Miami offers a unique option for meeting planners. The self-proclaimed "Tropicool" destination recently underwent a series of renovations that included improvements to hotels, transportation, attractions and beaches. This $5.5 billion makeover has taken Miami's exceptional meetings environment to even greater heights.

Nowhere else is the sky-rocketing growth of Miami more apparent than in the abundance of hotel properties dispersed throughout the city. From beachfront to urban retreat, Miami has an ever-increasing array of accommodations to satisfy a wide range of interests and price points. In 2007, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau reported 43 new hotels on the horizon, as well as major expansions by many other existing properties. South Beach is home to a large collection of chic boutique hotels offering stylish surroundings and amenities customized for a unique experience. Additionally, Miami continues to sprout numerous ocean-front resorts and world-class hotel high-rises.

South Beach

Meeting planners will find an abundance of venues in Miami that are as diverse as the city itself. With three major convention centers in the area - Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Convention Center and Coconut Grove Convention Center - Miami can fulfill the needs of a broad spectrum of conferences. The Miami Beach Convention Center offers over one million square feet of meeting space on prime real estate near the spectacular sands of Miami Beach and within walking distance to sizzling South Beach. Designed with an Art Deco motif, the space compliments the unique architectural allure of the surrounding area. The Miami Convention Center is centrally located in the downtown area adjacent to the financial district and overlooking the Miami River. Just minutes away from Miami International Airport and Port of MiamiPort of Miami
Port of Miami, this versatile space can be configured to accommodate from 20 to 5,000 people. The Miami Convention Center's 5,000-seat James L. Knight auditorium, with its superior sound and lighting systems, has hosted notable individuals such as Luciano Pavarotti to presidential candidates to convention groups such as the 1994 Summit Congress.

A unique alternative for meeting planners can be found in the various specialized facilities that Miami offers. The Miami Metro Zoo has numerous colorful and unique venues for groups ranging in size from 20 to 100. For larger accommodations, seating for up to 2,600 is available at the recently-renovated Jackie Gleason Theater, which serves as home to the Miami City Ballet and the Miami Beach Broadway Series, among several other year-round comedy, concert and television productions. Cruises, resorts, gardens, museums - Miami is bursting with sites available to host guests with a distinctive Miami flair.

Everglades National Park

With an ideal climate and a diverse population representative of a truly multicultural city, it is no wonder that Miami is the 3rd most popular destination in the United States for international travelers after New York City and Chicago. There are many one-of-a-kind attractions that convey the city's tropical flavor including Parrot Jungle Island, Monkey Jungle, Island Queen Cruises and Coral Castle. Miami also offers several other notable attractions such as the Miami Children's Museum, the SeaquariumMiami Seaquarium
Miami Seaquarium, the Florida Everglades and the Miami Metro Zoo.

Miami's downtown area serves as the regional headquarters for many Latin American operations of multinational corporations such as American Airlines, Cisco, FedEx and Exxon. Several large companies are headquartered in or around Miami, including Bacardi, Brightstar Corporation, Burger King, Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Perry Ellis International, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Ryder Systems and Telemundo. The city is also home to top-rated colleges and universities, including the University of Miami, Florida International University and Miami Dade College.

Key Statistics

About Miami / Additional Info

Brickell Financial District

Often referred to as "The Gateway of the Americas," Miami is a cultural Mecca rich with diversity stemming from its proximity to North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. The vast Spanish-speaking population in Florida and the economic ties to Latin America have elevated the greater Miami area to an international financial and cultural center. A flavorful melting pot, Miami is exemplary of a new generation in American cities drawing tourists from around the globe to experience its unique spirit.

Located on the lower east coast of Florida, Miami and its surrounding area comprise the 5th largest metropolitan area in the United States. However, the city proper, with an estimated population of 404,048, has the smallest land area of any major U.S. city at only 35.7 square miles. Fewer than one in 13 residents of the South Florida metro area live within the city proper. Most greater Miami residents reside in the sprawling area that stretches out across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. About 52 percent of the population within the Miami-Dade area does not live in an incorporated city.

Blue and Green Diamond Condominiums

The lush tropical area that is now Miami was once populated by Tequesta Indians for more than a thousand years. Since incorporation as a city in 1896, Miami has been on the rise. The only major city in the United States founded by a woman, Julia Tuttle, Miami had just 300 residents at its inception and 110 years later had expanded to 2.2 million residents in its metro area. This miraculous escalation earned the city its nickname as "The Magic City." Continuing in this tradition of rapid growth, the city is currently in the midst of a building boom that ranks it 1st in the United States and 2nd worldwide for the most buildings under construction that will be over 492 feet tall. Its skyline is the 18th largest in the world and ranks 3rd in the United States after New York City and ChicagoChicagoChicago.

A diverse multilingual metropolis, where more than 150 ethnicities reside and over 60 languages are spoken - including the three official languages of English, Spanish and Haitian, or French Creole - Miami also has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the Western Hemisphere outside of Latin America. Additionally, it has one of the largest percentages of population, nearly 75 percent, in the United States of residents who speak a language other than English in their homes.

Miami Beach

With year-round sunshine, the vibrant city of Miami has long been touted as the ultimate destination for lovers of superior sand and surf. Miami Beach is a long and narrow barrier island adorned by blue water and white sand. Sometimes referred to as the "American Riviera," Miami Beach boasts world-renowned chic hotspot South Beach. For outdoor enthusiasts, Miami is much more than a beach town, as it is the only major American city to be bordered by two national parks, Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west.

Miami is emerging as a serious contender on the International Art Scene with world-class museums such as the Bass Museum and the Wolfsonian Museum scattered throughout the city. It is also host to high profile cultural events including the world-famous Art Basel and Art Miami shows. Moreover, the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world graces the palm tree- lined streets of Miami Beach's Art Deco District.