Since I have been working in Sales at various corporations, I can't count on both hands how many times the National Meeting has been scheduled in the sunny state of Florida. Which for those of you who weren't Math majors in grade school, high school, or college that means more than 10 times. Why is Florida the destination for so many national meetings? Well there are a number of reasons why the Sunshine State is the first and last choice for so many corporations to hold their National Meetings:
1.) It's Warm - For East Coast people this is a vacation spot, and a place to get away from the cold. In fact many of them probably have parents who live in Florida during the winter, so they can even visit them while they're in town for the meeting. The nice weather will make a great retreat for so many people already sick of snow in January, February, or even March. Let's face it, if your from the East Coast, Midwest, or Central states, the place to go is Florida.
2.) It's Cheap - Since the CEO just gave himself a raise, he/she can't be wasting money on an extravagant meeting in a nice place, so Florida is the next best thing. The room rates are more than accommodating and you can stay in a nice place for cheap. Hell you can even find a nice pant suit at one of the hundreds of local flea markets. Who doesn't need a good pair of $2 plaid pants to wear on the golf course. The rates on hotels, food, and even airfare are very reasonable and make Florida a prime destination spot for meetings.
3.) The Elderly - Since most places in Florida are filled with elderly people, there will be little to distract the participants in a National Meeting. What are they gonna do, go to Olive Garden, and pick up girls or guys? One thing I will say is there are a lot of strip clubs especially in the Tampa area, so this could be a distraction. However, with elderly men taking up most of the prime spots around the stage, the young male participants in meetings would rather have a seat in the hotel bar, then next to an old man's dentures in a glass at a strip club. More elderly, less distractions, so this keeps people involved in the daily activities.
4.) The Resorts - Florida is LOADED with resorts. In Clearwater Beach you can throw a rock and hit maybe 10 resort hotels within a 5 mile radius. The resorts allow the people who coordinate the meeting to keep everyone at the resort and reduces the amount of "stray" employees. Since everything the people need is at the resort, why should they go anywhere else? However keep in mind, that some of these places are resort in name only. One year I stayed at an older "resort" which seemed to be more of an overgrown hotel then an actual resort. The food was terrible, the beach was small, and our fellow guests were frightening. I was lucky to escape that meeting alive.
5.) The Alligators - I don't understand why, but alligators are everywhere in Florida. You can be walking in the parks and almost step on one. It's alarming how they just lie around like lawn furniture in so many different parts of the state. Yet if you're having a National Meeting, they make an ideal deterrent for people who try to leave the resort.
All it takes is a subtle hint to participants like, "Please be careful not to leave the grounds, there are alligators everywhere and the company cannot be liable for your safety outside of the resort."
This works every time to help keep people in line and in attendance for the meetings. Although sometimes it feels as if you're going to die, sitting through 3-4 days of Hell Week, the alternative is death, and no one wants to die trying to make it to a Chili's or a strip club. It's safer to just attend the meetings, get a good night's sleep, and not sacrifice a limb.
Have a great day selling and look forward to your next National Meeting....in Florida!
-M
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