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B M & T ••• March/April 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 46 MEETING IN PARADISE BY SONYA STINSON Picture holding your next meeting at a tropical resort surrounded by stunning views of jewel-toned water. During day- time off hours, the group can choose from a bevy of activities from watersports to shopping to horseback riding, while at night they can cozy up to a beachside bar pulsing with the sounds of reggae and Caribbean soul. All that and more awaits in Anguilla, the northernmost island of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. Located roughly 150 miles east of Puerto Rico and nine miles north of St. Martin, this compact island in the British West Indies stretches only three miles across at its widest point and is approximately 16 miles long. Several major U.S. airports offer one-stop flights to Anguilla—primarily through Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and Antigua—while American Airlines has a direct flight to the island from Miami. Anguilla's largest meeting and lodging facility, the Aurora Resort & Golf Club, is only a 15-minute drive from Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport. The five- star beachfront property boasts a prime view-catching location along the Rendezvous Bay. There are 178 guest rooms and suites housed within the Aurora Anguila's Greek- inspired, whitewashed hotel building, vil- las and estates. The facility contains eight function areas totaling 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including a 4,800-square-foot ballroom that holds up to 200 people and an amphitheater that seats 500. Meeting attendees and incentive travelers will have ample options for spending their leisure time, with a spa, six restaurants, five retail shops, five tennis courts, 11 pickle ball courts, an 18-hole golf course, a water park and access to diving and snorkeling excursions available on site. For groups numbering a few dozen instead of several hundred, many of the island's other hotels offer smaller event spaces that might fit the bill, while also providing ideal basepoints for an unfor- gettable incentive trip experience. On an island where you can drive from one end to the other in 45 min- utes, it's easy to pack in a lot of sight- seeing and adventure even on a short trip. Aguilla's 33 beaches beckon those seeking spots for lounging, hiking, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, sailing or horseback riding, just to list a few water and seaside activities. The beach- side bars and lounges in the north coast village of Sandy Ground provide some of the island's most popular nightlife experiences, from dancing to rum tasting. Diners can enjoy fresh seafood and more of Anguilla's Caribbean fusion cuisine at beachfront restaurants. The Anguilla National Trust, dedicated to preserving the island's natural and cultural heritage, offers sev- eral walking and driving tours. The ANT Heritage Tour, for example, takes you on a drive to places like the Old Valley Well, the Ebenezer Methodist Church, the18th century Wallb- lake Plantation House and the Big Spring Heritage Site, which features 1,000-year-old petro- glyphs and tells the story of the island's first inhabitants, the Amerindians. For outdoor enthusiasts, the ANT also con- ducts nature hikes and birding tours, as well as nighttime sea turtle patrols in September and October. An event scheduled to coin- cide with the annual Anguilla Summer Festival in late July and early August brings an opportu- nity to experience even more of the island's vibrant culture. The 14-day celebration features music, food, beauty pageants, teams of costumed dancers per- forming in the Parade of Troupes, a Calypso Monarch competition and boat racing— the island's national sport. Whenever you're planning a trip to Anguilla, the island's natural beauty, invit- ing culture and premier accommodations will make it a time to remember. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Anguilla Tourist Board +1(264) 497-2759 https://ivisitanguilla.com/ ANGUILLA AREA GUIDES Anguila Island