Tom Stieghorst
One hope for jump-starting Florida's tourism economy after coronavirus-related social distancing is behind us lies in the group and convention side of the business, where many events have been postponed.
To be sure, there have been significant cancellations. And some events have been pushed forward without announcing new dates. But at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida's largest meetings venue, at least half of the scheduled conventions that had to be scrubbed in March are rebooking.
Of 28 meetings, 14 were rebooked, saving an estimated $371.5 million in convention-related revenue, according to a report by Northstar Meetings Group, which shares a parent company with Travel Weekly. Another 14 events with $446.4 million in economic impact were canceled.
A big save for the Orlando area was the ISA International Sign Expo, which was expected to bring 20,000 attendees and more than $51.3 million to the area April 1 to 4. It has been rescheduled for Aug. 23 to 25.
But a corresponding loss was the March 24 to 28 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, which was canceled. It would have drawn more than 27,000 attendees with an estimated impact of $77 million.
In Tampa, the story is similar, with a good deal of optimism about rebooked events, along with some meetings lost forever. The April 21 to 24 expo of the Florida Chapter of the American Public Works Association has been moved to Aug. 24 to 27, while the Applied Superconductivity Conference slated June 29 to July 3 is now expected to occur from Jan 3 to 7. The 2018 conference in Seattle attracted about 1,600 scientists and engineers in the field.
However, several events have gone virtual, including the Special Operations Forces Industry conference being held May 11 to 14 and the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference and Expo, which was set for Tampa May 18 to 20 but will now be held online from Sept. 22 to 24.
And the U.S. Geospatial Conference scheduled April 27 to 29 has been canceled. It alternates between Tampa and San Antonio, and last year's event drew 4,045 members of the satellite intelligence community and 216 exhibitors.
In Miami Beach, the biggest conventions are off the table for the foreseeable future as the city is converting the 1.4 million-square-foot Miami Beach Convention Center to a field hospital for coronavirus victims. The center had already lost one of its signature events, the Seatrade cruise conference, which would have drawn more than 20,000 attendees during its April 20 to 23 run. The event is now slated for April 12 to 15, 2021.
However, Jewelers Showcase, a seasonal, trade-only buyer's show on April 28 to 30, is listed as postponed "with new dates to be announced soon."
At some individual hotels, there's also room for hope. At the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Naples' largest meetings venue with 83,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, over 85% of the group and event reservations this spring have been rescheduled, director of sales and marketing Melinda Hutchins said.
"All of the organizers we worked with did not want to completely cancel their events," Hutchins said. "With many also experiencing stronger than normal attendance for these events, our goal has always been to work closely with them to find new dates in the future and make this change as seamless as possible."
And in the Florida Keys, over 90% of the group reservations and events that were on the books for this spring at the Cheeca Lodge & Spa have been rescheduled. "We are working closely with all of our groups to extend flexible terms, with most aiming to reschedule their travel plans for Q3, Q4 or early 2021," Brianna Birtles, director of sales and marketing, said.