Article

Unconventional Spaces

By Hannah Wallace August 31, 2007

Hey you, stuck in a boring meeting? Don’t you wish you were brainstorming ideas in the middle of a beautiful botanical garden or a charming old train depot instead? And maybe you’d feel more engaged and energized if you were taking notes at an Italian Renaissance mansion or absorbing new ideas in the middle of a working marine laboratory.

All of those scenarios are possible in our area, thanks to the many major attractions that provide out-of-the-ordinary places for meetings and events.

While hotels still host the bulk of meetings business here, unusual spaces and locations can attract clients who are looking for something smaller and less expensive. “[Manatee County’s] different venues give us an advantage over other cities of our size due to the diversity of our facilities,” says Sharon Kingston, a sales representative at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, who lists an auditorium, a 21-room mansion, two convention centers and private banquet halls clients as some of the county’s offerings.

Tervis Tumbler and Michael Saunders & Company are among the local companies that have taken advantage of our unique meeting locales. Out-of-town firms that host larger meetings at a hotel often utilize less traditional venues for breakout sessions and luncheons or cocktail receptions. The Vision Sciences Society, for example, has held an annual meeting at the Hyatt Sarasota for several years that includes an evening event at nearby G.WIZ science center.

“We’re not a convention town; we don’t have massive hotels in one central area,” says Stephanie Grosskreutz, Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau managing director. “The groups we attract, like sales retreats and corporate board meetings, often want unique experiences. That’s why it’s good for attractions to host events.”

From museums to parks to historic sites, options for interesting meeting sites abound. Here are 10 spots to consider.

Powel Crosley Estate

Built during the 1920s as a winter estate by industrialist inventor Powel Crosley, this 21-room bayfront mansion near the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport offers sweeping waterfront views. Now owned and operated by Manatee County, it’s become a popular spot for weddings and parties. The Mediterranean Revival mansion is a picturesque setting for meetings, with space available on both floors and a convenient location off U.S. 41 between downtown Sarasota and downtown Bradenton. And after a long day of business, you can reward attendees for a job well done. “Have one of the area’s private yachts pick up your group at the Crosley Yacht Basin and take a dinner cruise toward the [Sunshine] Skyway Bridge,” suggests Kingston.

Gulfcoast Event and Conference Center

The Gulfcoast Event and Conference Center, located on the Girl Scouts’ regional campus in Sarasota, deserves a merit badge for its dramatic, modern angles and expanses of windows. Meetings of up to about 300 people can take place in the 3,000-square-foot auditorium, which includes a stage and state-of-the-art audio and visual systems. There is an upstairs mezzanine level, three troop rooms and an outdoor balcony overlooking the site’s six acres of natural wetlands. Valet parking is a must for large events since the facility was built primarily to accommodate groups of girls who aren’t of driving age. But that shouldn’t be a problem for this emerging event center that opened in 2005. “It’s taken on a life of its own,” says facilities manager William J. McCarthy. “People are starting to know about it, mostly with the help of caterers [who have worked here]. They love the place.”

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Companies like Wachovia, Merrill Lynch and Michael Saunders & Company have all gathered among the tropical splendor of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. “It’s a beautiful space,” says Tom Heatherman, corporate communications director of Michael Saunders & Company. “You can basically host a meeting of just about any size there. And weather permitting, the outdoor space is magnificent.” Larger groups can assemble in the Great Room by the Bay, where 60 feet of windows overlook Sarasota Bay. For smaller functions, the Southern Colonial–style Christy Payne Mansion and the Cooley Theater fit the bill. And of course there are the gardens themselves. “Every guest who comes through just falls in love with the gardens,” says Rolph Vassor, events assistant at Selby Gardens.

Mote Marine Laboratory

No one wants to sleep with the fishes. But what about meeting with them? Tropicana, AAA and Outback Steakhouse are among the companies that have held meetings and events at Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory. Two board room–style spaces with full audio/visual capabilities in the main laboratory building are available for smaller groups. Groups of around 200 can meet in the New Pass Room at the Keating Marine Education Center, where plenty of windows and a 1,300-square-foot balcony offer views of Sarasota Bay, New Pass and the Gulf of Mexico. “So if you’re trying to get any work done, you have to put the shades down,” facilities manager Wayne Yingling says with a laugh. In addition, a new room at the Ann & Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research & Rehabilitation Center can seat about 300 people auditorium-style. Special events can also be held in Mote Aquarium, where corporate sharks can get a look at the real thing.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

From fine art to flying trapezes, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art offers companies a variety of meeting settings. Clown around a bit by hosting a function in the backyard of the Circus Museum. For elegant affairs, consider the terrace of the Venetian Gothic Cà d’Zan mansion or the art museum’s courtyard and loggia. “If the weather gods are on your side and you’re doing an event in the Ringling courtyard, nothing beats that with the sun setting in the background and David overlooking the party,” says Grosskreutz.

Manatee Central Banquet Hall

When the Manatee Central Building was completed in 1904, its second floor held a 30-room hotel. Today part of that former hotel in downtown Bradenton is the Manatee Central Banquet Hall. Recently renovated, the space still features touches from its turn-of-the-20th-century past, including exposed brick walls and original trim work. “It’s the oldest commercial building in Manatee County,” says owner Steve Parisian. Of course, it offers modern amenities, too, like audio/visual capabilities and a bar with an ice machine and refrigerator. Downstairs are a coffee shop and restaurant where meeting attendees can grab lunch or a cup of java. “There’s plenty of parking, and we’re centrally located to Manatee Avenue and downtown,” says Parisian, who’s looking to increase the hall’s meeting business. “You can catch us coming from the beaches or coming from the Interstate easily.”

Venice Train Depot

Built in 1927 by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Venice Train Depot once served as an arrival point for tourists, members of the military, circus performers and other visitors to the Gulfside city. Today the restored Mediterranean Revival depot functions as a Sarasota County Area Transit transfer station and a historic site aimed a preserving a piece of the area’s past. It’s also an affordable meeting spot, with a brick-walled former freight room that can be rented for meetings of around 40 people or receptions for abut 80 guests. But with the depot’s location on the Intracoastal Waterway and the Venetian Waterway Park, it might be hard to keep employees focused on business all day. “You get a lot of extra outdoor park space in addition to a meeting space, so people can take a break, get some fresh air and have some nice scenery with it,” says Wendy Mages, program coordinator for Sarasota County, which manages the building.

Historic Spanish Point

Native Americans, a Florida pioneer family and a Chicago socialite all resided at one time at Historic Spanish Point. But the 30-acre property on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey now operates as an archaeological, historical and environmental museum. A circa-1927 former school building serves as the visitors’ center, and two renovated former classrooms complete with wood floors, blackboards, and tables and chairs can be rented for meetings. Meeting space is also available at the property’s former visitors’ center, the circa-1885 White Cottage. Originally built as part of the area’s first tourist resort, the renovated cottage features an intimate upstairs meeting room where a turquoise bead board ceiling reflects top-notch views of Little Sarasota Bay. Downstairs, two screened porches provide a pleasant spot for lunch or coffee breaks. Groups can also arrange for guided tours of the historic site.

(941) 966-5214 ext. 240

G.WIZ

G.WIZ, the hands-on science museum in downtown Sarasota, isn’t just for kids. Lots of businesses have held events at the museum, where adults in attendance have indulged their inner Einsteins. “G.WIZ is a very exciting place to have an event because you get the exhibits incorporated into your event,” says Sarah Lansky, director of marketing and community relations. “That gives people a chance to explore.” Meeting and event space includes three classrooms, the Interactive Learning Center, the exhibit area and atrium. “We work really well with most caterers in town; most have worked at G.WIZ at one time or another,” says Lansky. “And we’ve had everything from press conferences to major galas.”

Phillippi Estate Park

Phillippi Creek got its name from Felipe Bermudez, a Spanish fisherman who had a small ranch in the area during the 1800s. In 1916, Chicago businessman Edson Keith built an Italian Renaissance–style mansion on a 60-acre parcel on the shores of the creek, which today is the centerpiece of Sarasota County’s Phillippi Estate Park. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mansion can accommodate meetings, weddings and other events. Groups gather on the first floor, which includes a paneled library, two large sunrooms with Palladian windows, a living room and an 86-foot-long terrace that overlooks the park’s tree-lined grounds. Also appealing is the location off of U.S. 41 between Osprey and downtown Sarasota.

For more information about meeting and event spaces in Sarasota County, contact the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau at (941) 955-0991 ext. 102 or visit www.sarasotafl.org/meetings. For Manatee County, contact the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 822-2017 ext. 243 or visit www.flagulfislands.com/meetings.

Gulfcoast Event and Conference Center

No. of venues: 7

Capacity: Up to 400

Rates: Varies with venue, nonprofits receive 25 percent discount

(800) 232-4475 ext. 337

www.girlscoutsgulfcoastfl.org/council.htm

G.WIZ

No. of venues: 3

Capacity: Up to 400

Rates: $80 for two hours to $2,500 for two to four hours, depending on venue and time

(941) 309-4949 ext. 100

www.gwiz.org/rentalfacilities.html