Incentive groups are loyal to the sandy shores and sunny skies of Florida.
The destination’s appeal may start with its warm weather, but it has other draws including accessibility, nearly half a million hotel rooms, world-renowned theme parks, high-profile accommodations and more. Combine it all, and it’s no wonder planners count it as a luxurious, rewarding and memorable escape for top-performing employees and incentive program qualifiers.
We spoke with three planners who designed incentive programs to remember in Orlando, Clearwater and Miami that might help inspire your next program.
Opportunities in Orlando
When Trisha Pollock, vice president of corporate events at the Irvine, California-based loanDepot, was doing a site inspection at a hotel in Orlando for the company’s yearly sales incentive program, she got a bit of a shock. They were doing construction on property that would affect the views from many of the guest rooms.
“It probably would have been OK for a business meeting, but not for an incentive,” she said.
So, at 10:00 p.m. on March 28 (her birthday, no less), she hopped in an Uber and decided to check out the brand-new Conrad Orlando located within the larger Evermore Resort campus, which spans 1,100 acres and features an 8-acre lagoon.
“Because the hotel was new, we hadn’t yet heard back from our RFP, so I didn’t have a scheduled site visit during the trip,” Pollock said. “Once I arrived, I asked a bellman to show me around. If he hadn’t taken me on a tour of the ballroom and some rooms, we probably would have had to keep looking.”
Fortunately, Conrad Orlando had enough rooms for the 315 participants and guests of the May 1-4 Chairman’s Elite Club 2025. Evermore Orlando Resort, with its flats (apartments), would be home for production staff, security team and media for the event.
“From beginning to end, I worked with the best conference service manager at the Conrad,” Pollock said. “We started out with an elaborate VIP dinner for top winners at the Boathouse overlooking Evermore Bay, with guests taking turns riding on the vintage Criss Craft Forevermore that takes guests from one end of the lagoon to another.”
Following the VIP dinner the next day, as the rest of the group started checking in, guests were offered an elevated lounge experience designed by EightOne Events and a luxury gifting experience curated with the help of gifting partners Global Gifting and Stowebridge Promotions. Guests could choose from high-end sunglasses, Custom Marine Layer T-shirts, beach bags by Aloha and Havaianas flip flops while sipping a welcome cocktail and snacking on delicious appetizers.
The opening night was a beach party overlooking the crystalline lagoon with a DJ and live saxophone combo. The menu featured Florida/Caribbean-style cuisine such as Florida ceviche with Cape Canaveral shrimp, jumbo scallops, roasted pork loin Mojo style and prime ribeye, plus specialty drinks and an open bar.
Winners and their guests lined up for photo ops on the beach at Conrad Orlando in front of a custom sand sculpture that featured an elaborately carved home, sea creatures and Chairman’s Elite Club logo and weaved loanDepot’s tagline of “Home Means Everything” into the detailed sand creation.
On the beach, guests also played cosmic golf, where they could chip golf balls into Evermore Bay to try and hit glowing, interactive targets over the water that lit up when struck.
During the day, attendees could choose between passes to Universal Resort or any of the Walt Disney World Resort parks or take an airboat ride through The Everglades. On property, guests could enjoy a pampering day at Conrad Spa for a luxurious massage or facial while enjoying their private Water Gardens. They could also get their hair and makeup done (with champagne!) in a meeting space transformed into a Beauty Glam Bar (outfitted by EightOne Events) for the awards evening, or lounge in private cabanas and daybeds while enjoying the lagoon.
While winners met another day, spouses had their choice of activities from a floral design class, golf clinic at Grand Cypress Golf, a pickleball clinic, yoga on the beach or a candle-making class. Chefs at Conrad Orlando also created a cooking class where guests made empanadas and sangria in their fancy Hedley & Bennet aprons.
“The entire staff at the Conrad Orlando were true partners in planning our event. They rarely said no and were open to our outside-of-the-box ideas, allowing us to show off our company in unique ways, from branded pool toys and floaties to swapping out Conrad-branded water bottles in the guest rooms and adding branded coasters with the provided water at turndown,” Pollock said. “It is always fun to work with hotel partners that are excited about your program. They even helped me make a last-minute idea come to fruition by creating a grab-and-go airport snack for departures with a ‘May the 4th Be With You’ sticker as one final surprise and delight.”
In the end, the doubt Pollock felt in the beginning disappeared and the event was a huge success.
“To be honest, we were worried about having our program in Orlando at first because our group was expecting a beach property. But the reviews came back, and the program was their second favorite of all time,” Pollock said. “From the hotel that was built with events in mind, to the fine dining, activities and nightlife, we really had a five-star experience.”
[Related: 3 Luxurious Los Cabos Resorts for Incentive Travel Programs]
Captivating Clearwater
Each year, the franchise owners who operate 180 Valvoline Instant Oil Change stores in the northeast reward their top managers with an incentive trip, organized by planner Christine Franchere, who has been creating these trips for the past 20 years.
“We started with a day trip to Six Flags [amusement park] when there were 12 stores,” Franchere said. “Now, it has evolved into a four-day, five-night stay at a four- or five-star resort.”
In March, winners were treated to Opal Sol Resort on Clearwater Beach, partially because the resort is new, and partially because the 63 store managers, guests and upper management mostly come from the northeast and Franchere likes to make sure they travel to a spot with great weather.
“First, we want to eliminate long travel times and second, we want a destination that’s warm and inviting, so Florida is consistently on our list,” Franchere said, and while they did worry there might be residual effects from last fall’s hurricanes, that just made them even more determined to choose Clearwater.
“We really wanted to support local businesses,” she said. “We like to take our money and spread it down the street. Everyone from the bartenders to the hotel workers were so thankful.”
As attendees made their way to Opal Sol, there were plenty of beach chairs set up for them to relax and take in those soft Gulf breezes, but Franchere made sure the incentive trip was also full of activities, starting with the opening night party on Opal Sol’s event lawn, where Franchere—leaving no detail to chance—flew professional DJ/Emcee Will Gill in from the West Coast for the festivities, which included a trivia contest where spouses had to answer questions like, “How many oil changes did your husband’s store do this year?”
Additional activities included jet skiing and a spring training game at BayCare Ballpark with the Philadelphia Philles and Tampa Bay Rays squaring off.
“Our store managers give their all every day, and for many, this trip is the one chance they get to truly unwind,” Franchere said. “Our mindset is we believe in going all out to make it unforgettable for them.”
Yacht StarShip hosted a pirate-themed sunset cruise one night (Tampa Bay is known for its Gasparilla Pirate Festival each year), and Franchere said most of the group dressed for the occasion. After that it was on to a branded Valvoline Jolley Trolley for a pub crawl and after party at Hogan’s Hangout, where the group could cover their favorite karaoke songs for prizes. The bonus? Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan was there!
Another night offered a dance party at Jimmy’s on the Edge rooftop where guests dressed as their favorite pop culture icons—Franchere channeled Madonna, while other participants inhabited the likes of Axl Rose and Taylor Swift.
The final night featured a Hawaiian-themed luau at Opal Sol with a casino night set up with nine gaming tables where guests bet with fake money to win real gift cards. The pièce de résistance was a breathtaking 13-minute drone light show that showcased the Valvoline brand and brought the company’s growth to life with the map of the U.S. showing the recent expansion of 17 locations in Las Vegas, and an oil filter with the number 29, the company’s total years in business.
As Franchere looked over to the group during the drone show, she noticed some of the attendees getting emotional—and all the hard work in planning the event paid off.
[Related: Luxury Redefined: Gritty Lessons in Incentives From Riding Castle to Castle in France’s Loire Valley]
Miami: Location, Location, Location
In May, Gurobi, a prescriptive analytics platform and leader in decision-making intelligence technology, brought its whole company together for the 2025 Gurobi ASPIRE-Miami, held at Kimpton EPIC Hotel in the Brickell area of Miami. The company’s 175 team members, who all work remotely, traveled from their homes in destinations as far away as Japan and Australia for the annual event.
First impressions are everything, and planner Molly Muir, executive assistant, Gurobi Optimization, said her guests were impressed as soon as they arrived in the city.
“Everyone flew into Miami [International Airport (MIA)] and the airport was easy to navigate for both arrivals and departures, with clear signage and an overall smooth experience,” Muir said. “MIA is a vibrant and lively hub that offers a welcoming first impression, with friendly staff and great customer service throughout.”
Each team member had access to Gurobi’s corporate Uber account, which made ground transportation efficient and convenient for everyone—an especially helpful perk for international business travelers.
From the pre-con at Kimpton EPIC Hotel—where every department head was in attendance and the hotel’s chef created Gurobi-branded cookies, macarons, truffles and fruit platters—to the execution of the program, Muir said the hotel staff was exceptionally professional.
“Not only did they waive the resort fee, but they were also consistently proactive, responsive and attentive to our needs throughout the duration of our program,” she said. “Maria Sulkowski, conference service manager, was exceptional. Her professionalism, warmth and attention to detail made all the difference and were a standout part of our experience.”
The welcome reception on the first night took place around the pool at the hotel. A “Miami Vibes” theme came alive with a custom poster, floats in the pool and bartenders who created both a Gurobi cocktail and mocktail for the evening.
“The food was outstanding—beautifully presented, generously portioned and consistently delicious,” Muir said. “The Kimpton chefs treated us to pan-roasted branzino, lobster, red snapper, tacos and vegetarian-friendly sides like watermelon, feta and arugula salad. The chef went above and beyond to accommodate our team’s dietary needs with thoughtfully crafted meals.”
The event’s offsite activities included an evening aboard the Biscayne Lady luxury yacht for a reception and dinner cruise complete with casino games on board, and an immersive experience at Wynwood Walls, Miami’s original street art museum, that featured a cigar rolling station, breakdancers, a graffiti street art experience, canvas painting area, Mojito lessons with custom-branded Gurobi muddlers and a DJ. They also hosted a soccer match at Stadio Soccer for 40 team members.
“One night we arranged for group dinners for our teams as bonding experiences,” Muir said. “It was a lovely way to enjoy Miami. Groups went to Sushi Bichi, Café La Trova and Quinto, among others.
“That’s what we loved about our location: we were within walking distance of many of the restaurants,” she continued. “The nearby Bayside area and waterfront promenade offered a beautiful spot for daily walks. Many of our team members also took advantage of the Brickell area for their morning runs—it was a perfect fit for our group.”
Muir made sure to include gifting as part of Gurobi’s incentive experience, too, giving out items her team will use, enjoy and appreciate. During her pre-con, she was gifted a logoed gray pashmina by the folks at Kimpton EPIC Hotel. (Many people don’t realize venues in Florida are often chilly because of air conditioning temperatures that most people aren’t accustomed to.) Muir loved the gift and idea so much, she had a custom-branded version made for the Gurobi team—and it was a big hit!
On the bus ride to Wynwood Walls, she handed out a bag containing a custom logoed bucket hat, and employees also received a commemorative, uniquely designed poster by Derek Hatfield Design, logoed socks, Koozies, sunglasses, luggage tags and canvas bags.
“And if someone wears something that sparks a conversation about our company—especially while traveling—even better,” she said. “I saw several team members put [the bucket hats] on, and it was such a proud moment. One of our new hires turned to me and said, ‘You know you have cool swag when people actually want to wear it outside of work—to the beach or a game.’ That completely made my day.
“It was more than just a gift; it’s a way to celebrate our culture and team spirit,” Muir continued. “Our group is so passionate and committed, and I see it as my responsibility to give back in ways that bring joy and foster connections.”
[Related: More Meeting and Event News in Florida]
Plus: Incentive Travel Index: Florida Insights
The 2024 Incentive Travel Index (ITI) had a lot of interesting stats that bode well for those traveling to The Sunshine State.
Incentive buyers tend to look for ease of travel and areas closer to home to host their program, which for North American programs, Florida is a good choice. Consider the thousands of flights in and out of the state. For example, Orlando’s International Airport (MCO) has 850 flights daily, Miami International Airport (MIA) has 1,000 a day and Tampa (TPA) has 500 in and out of the city. Florida has 20 commercial airports –from the Panhandle in the North to the Florida Keys in the South.
Thirty-nine percent of buyers said they would use a resort for their program and while it’s hard to say how many resorts there are in Florida, there are close to 500,000 guest rooms in the state. Disney has 25 resorts alone in and around Orlando, every chain in every budget is represented and 35% of planners said they will use high profile or long-established accommodations for their programs. This bodes well for the many historic properties in the state including The Breakers (1893) in Palm Beach, Don CeSar (built in 1928) and Casa Monica Resort & Spa in St. Augustine (1888).
This appeared in the Spring/Summer 2025 edition of Incentives Today. Download your copy now to discover more in the world of incentive travel.
