Coastal destinations are hot spots for meetings, board retreats and incentive groups for obvious reasons – beaches, seafood and water-based activities draw attendees.
But not all beach destinations are equal. Groups seeking an authentic beach meeting experience should consider the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach – Alabama’s 32-mile beach destination – offers groups an escape from a typical meeting setup with venues to please any size group…even on the sand. With more than 17,000 accommodation units at hotels and condos with meeting space, and private beach houses perfect for planning sessions and retreats, coastal Alabama gives groups flexible options to pair the suitable space with immersive adventures.
The coastal communities have two full-service beachfront convention hotels, catering to larger groups. The Lodge at Gulf State Park – a Hilton hotel in Gulf Shores and Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach both have more than 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, on-site restaurants and amenities. Many other nationally branded hotels, as well as condo properties, have ample meeting space and on-site amenities with activities nearby to please any crowd. Additionally, many restaurants have private rooms and, of course, succulent Gulf seafood and local land fare.
Groups seeking off-site and team-building activities have plenty of options by land and sea, from sandcastle building classes or animal enrichment projects to charter fishing or sunset sails. Sand Castle University sets up at any beach location and teaches groups the art of sandcastle building with all equipment provided. If corporate social responsibility is a key focus, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo helps groups create interactive items for the animals, such as treat puzzles for baboons made from recycled fire hoses. On the water, groups can soak up a sunset on a nature cruise or reel in big catches on a charter fishing trip. Home to one of the largest charter fleets on the Gulf Coast, fishing experiences are geared toward any size group or timeframe from 4-hour inshore trips to overnight deep-sea excursions.
Are you convinced? Planners considering coastal communities should put Alabama’s beaches on their radar. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are within driving distance to many Southeast cities and a convenient distance from two airports. This up and coming meetings mecca is a must-meet beach retreat and is a seaworthy reason to go coastal. Visit GulfShores.com/Conventions-Meetings to learn more and meet the beach team.
