Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/52019
while you lounge, you gotta have dinner in B.E.D., an eclectic restaurant and lounge that boasts large mattresses and pillows. Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant is a must for authentic Haitian cuisine and music. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort is one of America's lead- ing golf resorts, featuring five golf courses. It's also the home of the PGA Tour Golf Tournament, the Jim McLean Golf School and the world-famous Spa at Doral (just say aaaahhh). It has 27 meeting rooms, 71,977 sq. ft. of total meeting space. The largest meeting room is Legends Ballroom with maximum meeting space of 24,079 sq. ft. and maximum seating capacity of 4,200. The property boasts up to 50 break- out meeting rooms. The Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay is located at the intersection of Downtown and Miami Arts District, which is near the Miami International Airport, the Port of Miami and South Beach. It has 23 meeting rooms, 20,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space. The largest meeting room is Grand Ballroom with maximum meeting space of 9,860 sq. ft. and seating capacity of 1,350. Also check out the Royal Palm Hotel Miami Beach in South Beach. It's ideal for large or small meetings. Choose from six meeting spaces accommodating 10 to 300 guests. It features more than 10,000 sq. ft. of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. There are more than 210 hotels and three convention centers. Spanning four city blocks in the heart of Miami Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Center boasts more than one million sq. ft. of meeting space. The Miami Convention Center (totally different facility) has 34 meeting rooms, including a 444-seat auditorium and a 117- seat lecture hall, and can accommodate from 20 to 5,000 people in a variety of configurations. The Doubletree Hotel & Miami Airport Convention Center is located adjacent to Miami International Airport, adjoining the Doubletree Hotel and the Miami International Merchandise Mart. Minutes from Downtown Miami, the MACC fea- tures 172,000 sq. ft. of high-tech meeting, conference and trade show space, includ- ing a 29,000-sq. ft. social catering ballroom (second largest in the region) and 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibition and function space. 20 BEVERLY NICHOLSON-DOTY USVI Buck Island - St. Croix St. Thomas are all located in the eastern Caribbean, just 1,100 miles southeast of Miami. St. John is just 20 minutes from St. Thomas by ferry, and there is frequent daily direct service between St. Croix and St. Thomas by small plane. "Given the U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory, U.S. citizens like the fact that no passports are required to get here," says Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism, U.S. Virgin Islands. "With the non-stop flights available from many major U.S. cities, the destination really offers great value and hassle-free, city- to-beach access for meeting groups year-round." When it comes to deciding whether to make USVI your next destination, and seaplane. This really offers meeting groups the opportunity to expand their vacation experience while on-island — they're not just limited to one island." USVI highlights include tours of Fort Frederik on St. Croix, Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins on St. John and historic Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, under- water trails at Trunk Bay, St. John or at Buck Island National Monument, St. Croix. Kayaking over to Hassel Island or through the preserved waters of the VI National Park on St. John. Take a quick 10-minute ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas to Water Island, also known as the fourth Virgin Island. Also, check out Emancipation Park, Market Square (This was the center of a large slave-trading market), Frederik Lutheran Church, The Waterfront, Seven Arches Museum, 99 Steps and Crown House. There are walking tours and driv- ing tours. Visit the port of Charlotte Amalie, or the Butterfly Farm or see the colorful Caribbean water world from an Atlantis submarine dive. Explore island Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Ride through the City of Miami Gardens, which is the host city of Jazz in the Garden. It's also the home of the Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins and the Miami Marlins. For information: www.miamiandbeach- es.com/visitors/. USVI What can you say about a destination that is so beautiful it leaves its visitors speechless? You can say OMG, it's the US Virgin Islands! St. Croix, St. John and Nicholson-Doty says the choice is easy. "We offer accommodation and activi- ty selections at every price point," she says. "We have all-inclusive resorts, small and boutique hotels as well as private vil- las. There are also multiple Destination Management Companies (DMCs) that offer comprehensive services for groups and can handle everything from the moment they arrive to when the group departs. Another great incentive is the ability to hop between St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix for day trips via the ferry