Connecting inclusively Greater Miami is experiencing a fast event industry recovery post-Covid, with increasing demand from feeder markets such as the UK, Germany, Canada and Mexico. A delegation, including key politicians, recently visited London and Dublin to connect with the message that Greater Miami is booming for business. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) sales team reports securing 13 new major convention bookings at the Miami Beach Convention Center alone by the end of May 2024. This represents over 91,000 total room nights throughout Miami-Dade’s communities and is set to generate $195m in economic impact. There is a pipeline of new hotels entering the Miami market in addition to the Grand Hyatt Convention Center headquarter hotel project and the CVB reports seeing a significant growth in Medical, Finance and FinTech meetings. New hotels include the Moxy Miami Wynwood in the cultural hub. The hotel offers ‘Plug and Meet’ gathering areas and the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, near the Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, which now offers 242 guest rooms and a large ballroom. In Downtown Miami, citizenM Miami World Center offers 351 app-controlled rooms. The GMCVB has a subvention programme for bookings made before 30 September, 2024 and actualised before September 30, 2025. Conditions include a minimum 100 rooms per night for three-night minimum stays. Initial RFP must be sent to the GMCVB directly and conditions apply. Additionally, the ‘Miami Temptations’ programme showcases the city’s diverse offerings through themed promotions. Examples include:
- Miami Spice: A culinary celebration offering discounted prix-fixe menus at top restaurants.
- Miami Spa Months: Exclusive deals and packages at luxurious spas.
- Miami Attraction & Museum Months: Discounted admissions and special offers at local attractions and museums.
- Miami Hotel Months: Special rates and packages at participating hotels.
- Miami Arts, Culture & Heritage Months: Special deals and events as a guide to discover some unique art.
Certified Autism Centre The newly reimagined Miami Beach Convention Center recently added another string to its bow, having been named a Certified Autism Centre™. Sensory guides are available as well as designated quiet spaces inside the MBCC, while Pride Park, Collins Canal Park, and the Miami Beach Botanical Garden provide naturally calming surroundings. MBCC is big on accessibility with special parking, pavement ramps, bathrooms, lifts, and automatic entrance doors are installed. For visually impaired attendees, the MBCC provides Braille signage and a visual interpreting service via the Aira app. The MBCC earned LEED® Silver Certification as part of the venue’s $640m expansion project and also recently achieved the Foundations Certificate for Sustainability and Social Impact from the Events Industry Council. “Inclusion and accessibility are priority initiatives for our destination,” said GMCVB president & CEO David Whitaker. “MBCC achieving this designation is a critical step in better serving our diverse travel community, helps us attract meetings and gets us closer to achieving our goal of being a Certified Autism Destination (CAD).” Achieving that standard better positions Miami to tap into the tens of billions of dollars spent annually by travellers with disabilities, as well as significantly increasing customer satisfaction. With the new expansion, the MBCC now features nearly 500,000 sq.ft. of exhibition space, a Grand Ballroom and there will be a new headquarters hotel in 2026, the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, an 800-room property.
