Frequently Asked Questions
Find the answers to many of the commonly asked questions about Florida Encounter and VISIT FLORIDA here. Can’t find the answer to your question? Please click here to contact your Florida Encounter team.
Meeting Professionals
What exactly is Florida Encounter?
Who organizes Florida Encounter?
I’m a meeting professional. Why should I attend Florida Encounter?
Which suppliers are currently scheduled to attend Florida Encounter?
How do I schedule my appointments?
How do I register for the Sunday morning activities?
How do I register for the post-Encounter FAM trips?
How do I register my Executive / Senior Level Manager for the Executive Track?
I’m a third-party meeting planner and I want to invite one of my clients. How?
I want to bring my spouse or significant other. How?
What is the dress code at Florida Encounter?
What is the average profile of an “approved” meeting planner?
I’m a meeting professional and I just received an e-mail that my application has not been accepted. Why not?
What are the future dates and locations of Florida Encounter?
See which suppliers are attending this year's Florida Encounter.
Suppliers
What exactly is Florida Encounter?
Who organizes Florida Encounter?
I’m a supplier. Why should I attend Florida Encounter?
Which suppliers are currently scheduled to attend Florida Encounter?
How do I schedule my appointments?
I’m a supplier. How do I indicate that I want to meet with a representative of the meeting media?
I’m interested in increasing my organization’s exposure. Do you have sponsorship opportunities available?
What is the average profile of an “approved” meeting planner?
I’m a supplier. How do I make hotel reservations?
I'm a supplier. How do I get from the airport to the hotel?
I need directions/address/contact information/shipping information to/of the Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Spa
How do I register for the Sunday morning activities?
I want to bring my spouse or significant other. How?
What are the future dates and locations of Florida Encounter?
What is the dress code at Florida Encounter?
Do you have the floor plan/show colors/my booth number/exhibitors’ kit available yet?
Media
What exactly is Florida Encounter?
Who organizes Florida Encounter?
I’m a representative of the meetings industry media. How can I attend Florida Encounter?
Which suppliers are currently scheduled to attend Florida Encounter?
I’m a representative of the meetings industry media. How can I schedule an appointment with a supplier?
What is the dress code at Florida Encounter?
What exactly is Florida Encounter?
Florida Encounter is an appointment tradeshow, providing a simple one-stop solution for meeting planners to meet individually with Florida's premier meeting suppliers including CVBs, DMCs, hotel/resorts and attractions, over a three-day period.
This year, Florida Encounter will be held on November 16 - 18, 2008, at the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches.
Click here to view pictures from last year's event at the the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Beaches of South Walton, FL.
Who organizes Florida Encounter?
Florida Encounter is designed and produced by VISIT FLORIDA, the official tourism industry marketing corporation for the state of Florida, headquartered in Tallahassee, FL with satellite offices in Miami, Toronto, London and Paris. Please visit meetings.VISITFLORIDA.com and www.VISITFLORIDA.org for additional information.
VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,300 Partners in the Florida hospitality industry, ranging from hotels and resorts, amusement parks, convention centers and CVBs to transportation companies and DMCs.
The Meetings and Conventions department assists meeting professionals from throughout the world by providing complimentary assistance and managing/producing industry networking events and trade shows.
I’m a meeting professional. Why should I attend Florida Encounter?
Our exclusive computerized appointment selection system makes it easy for you to meet one-on-one with only the meeting and convention suppliers you want to see. It's just one of the reasons why Florida Encounter received the "Best Industry Tradeshow" award from readers of Meetings South magazine.
By attending Florida Encounter, you'll efficiently experience the diversity of Florida meetings and convention offerings - allowing you to save time and money when planning your next meeting in Florida. Directly following Florida Encounter, optional FAM trips to exciting areas in Florida will be offered.
The $195 meeting professional registration fee includes round-trip airfare, three or four night accommodations at the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort, all scheduled meals, activities and other exciting networking opportunities. Applications will be accepted beginning July 7, 2008.
Click here to start.
I’m a supplier. Why should I attend Florida Encounter?
If you only participate in one show per year, this is it! Florida Encounter virtually guarantees you business. No wonder we sell out every year!
When completing the registration process, the following must be completed and received at the VISIT FLORIDA offices:
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Your completed on-line registration
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Your signed summary/invoice
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Contact information for the applicable number of meeting professionals you want invited to Florida Encounter, pending approval by VISIT FLORIDA
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Full payment
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Which suppliers are currently scheduled to attend Florida Encounter?
Registration for Florida Suppliers opened on March 17, 2008, and is now closed.
Click here to see a list of top Florida suppliers that will attend.
What are the future dates and locations of Florida Encounter?
Keep checking with us!
How do I schedule my appointments?
Once you have been approved to attend Florida Encounter, you will receive an e-mail from us with your member number and password. This will gain you access to YourSpace.
On this site, you can register for Sunday morning activities, review all the profiles of other attendees, request appointments and see who requested an appointment with you!
The appointment requesting period will open in late October, leading up to Florida Encounter, so please stay tuned!
What is the dress code at Florida Encounter?
Tradeshow appointments on Monday and Tuesday are business casual. Feel free to wear resort casual at all other events.
I’m interested in increasing my organization’s exposure. Do you have any sponsorship opportunities available?
We most certainly do. Visit the Sponsorship Opportunities page or contact Steven Bonda, CMP at 850-205-3856 or sbonda@VISITFLORIDA.org.
What is the average profile of an “approved” meeting planner?
Whether or not a meeting planner is approved to attend Florida Encounter is dependent upon many factors: total number of room nights that he or she can bring to Florida; how many and which services (CVB, DMC, transportation, etc.) they use; whether or not they have previously attended Florida Encounter and how often; if they were recommended by suppliers, etc. In general, we decline about 25 to 30% of all meeting planner applications received.
The profile of an approved meeting planner is diverse, but all have one thing in common: they can book a substantial amount of business in Florida. He or she can be a corporate, association, government or a third party planner; an independent or work for a multi-national firm; or, can work on meetings from 20 people to 20,000 people.
I’m a meeting professional and I just received an e-mail that my application has not been accepted. Why not?
It depends on many variables: total number of room nights that could potentially be placed in Florida (we are usually looking for a combined total of 500+ room nights for all three future meetings), how many and which services (CVB, DMC, transportation, etc.) you use, whether or not you have previously attended Florida Encounter (we maintain a 50% new meeting planner ratio) and how many suppliers have recommended your attendance (if you were recommended by attending suppliers).
I’m a supplier. How do I make hotel reservations?
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort. Attending Suppliers are responsible for securing their own accommodations. The group rate for Suppliers is $174 + taxes per night, single or double occupancy. Group rates are available until October 24, 2008, or until the Supplier block is sold out, whichever comes first. Instructions to book your accommodations are forthcoming.
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I need directions/address/contact information/shipping information to/from the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort.
Visit www.sawgrassmarriott.com for the hotel’s web site.
I’m a representative of the meetings media. How can I attend Florida Encounter?
Please click here for more information.
I’m a representative of the meetings media. How can I schedule an appointment with a supplier?
Please click here for more information.
How do I register for the Sunday morning activities?
You can register for Sunday morning activities in YourSpace.
How do I register for the post-Encounter FAM trip?
During your application process, you will be asked if you are interested in attending any of the FAM trips. Or, if you already have been approved and decide you want to go, log into YourSpace after you have been approved and simply indicate which FAM you would like to attend.
How do I register my Executive / Senior Level Manager for the Executive Track?
After you have been approved to attend Florida Encounter, contact the Florida Encounter team who will send you the Executive Track application he or she needs to complete. Additional details and information will be included as well.
I’m a third-party meeting planner and I want to invite one of my clients. How?
VISIT FLORIDA will now allow two meeting professionals to attend one appointment. Please note that this will only be allowed in rare circumstances and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The parties that are interested in this new program need to contact the Florida Encounter team prior to applying to attend.
If allowed, the second delegate will be a guest (see the guest program for further details) and will receive a special designation on his/her guest badge, allowing for entrance onto the tradeshow floor.
I want to bring my spouse or significant other. How?
We have a guest program. This program is primarily intended for spouses of meeting professionals. One attendee can bring only one guest. Guests are responsible for their own airfare, accommodations (if not sharing a room) and any other costs.
Please click here to register your guest. Cost for guest registration is $175 per day or $525 for the entire event. When you register for one or more days, the early arrival reception on Saturday is complimentary.
Under no circumstances are guests admitted on the tradeshow floor. Florida Encounter is produced and designed for business purposes ONLY. All registered appointment taking attendees are required to attend ALL events and ALL appointments. VISIT FLORIDA reserves the right to refuse a guest registration or to cancel an attendee’s participation at any time if an attendee does not fulfill his/her obligations as outlined in the application summary. Any costs incurred after VISIT FLORIDA cancels the attendee’s participation are the sole responsibility of the attendee.
I’m a supplier. How do I indicate that I want to meet with a representative of the meeting media?
When appointment selection opens in October, you will also receive the option to request an appointment with the media as well. They will be included in the list of attendees you can review, check out their profiles and request appointments with.
Again, meeting with a representative of the media is strictly optional. Also, we want you to be aware that you will be meeting with the reporters, not the people that try to sell you advertising!
Do you have the floor plan/show colors/my booth number/exhibitors’ kit available yet?
Information will be posted closer to the Florida Encounter date.
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