December | Sandestin | By Peyton Posey

ConventionSouth On The Road

Sandestin

By Peyton Posey
When it comes to hosting special events like weddings where attendees want to have space to themselves—the tagline “Off in our own little world” rings true for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort located in Northwest Florida. Comprising more than 2,400 acres situated between the panhandle cities of Pensacola and Panama City, the resort resembles a small, quaint town with clusters of more than 1,800 townhouses, condominiums, and residential homes nestled among championship golf courses, tennis courts, a marina and seven miles of beach and bayfront property.

“With us the possibilities really are endless,” said Patricia Wagner, director of national sales. In her 30-plus years with the resort, she never fails to come up with something original and exciting for groups and meetings, said her colleague and sales manager Karen Morris.

“We once had a client say that I didn’t have enough imagination to pull off an original event for them,” Wagner said. “So I arranged a white glove tea in our wooden tree house (located along the wooden pier leading to the marina) with full tea service to show them that anything can be done,” she said of the unusual locale for the proposal. “Right then I got their business.”

As you wind your way through the resort, it’s a regular occurrence to see persons fishing in the lagoons, putting on the greens, riding bikes along the 26-mile pathway or walking with shopping bags from one of any of the 51 retail shops located in and around The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

There’s really no need to leave, especially since there are 24 restaurants and eateries to choose from, plus 14 bars and pubs, within the four designated districts—Bayside District, Beachside District, The Village District and Lakeside District.

As far as meeting space, Sandestin offers 65,000 square feet of meeting space to accommodate groups of 10 to 1,600 within many unique venues on the resort. The 32,000-square-foot Baytowne Conference Center is located in the Village District, adjacent to the Grand Sandestin condominium hotel and within walking distance to The Village of Baytowne Wharf. The center features the Magnolia Ballroom, which is the largest ballroom in Northwest Florida. Also located on the bayside of the resort is the 12,600-square-foot Linkside Center Exhibition Hall, ideal for trade shows, large group meetings, themed events and gala dinners. Located nearby is the renovated Linkside Conference Center, which offers a boardroom, two ballrooms and several flexible breakout rooms.

With the meeting space and the accommodations taken care of, meeting planners can focus on adding entertainment to the itinerary. Sandestin has plenty activities to choose from including golf, watersports, fitness centers, spas, salons and shopping. Free amenities included in a stay at the resort include children’s activities, a four-hour bicycle rental, an hour of canoe, kayak or boogie board rental, one hour of tennis time, a resort-wide tram service and much more. “There is no need to schedule off-site activities, as everything an individual or group will need is available on property. Sandestin is your one stop for memorable meetings,” said public relations manager Colleen Kirsch. “We also have programs specifically designed to cater to kids and spouses so that while one member of the family is getting down to business, everyone else also is staying busy.”

If groups are looking for more of an adventure or excursion, then look no further than the Baytowne Marina, which can accommodate deep-sea fishing charters, sailboat, pontoon and Jet Ski rentals, or even a dinner cruise ship. The 125-foot Solaris yacht is docked in the marina on Choctawhatchee Bay, and offers chartered dinner cruises with live entertainment. The three-deck yacht can accommodate 150 dinner guests, with an on-board chef, full-service bar and extensive wine list. Operated by SunQuest Cruises, the staff at Sandestin can help any group with special arrangements such as outside entertainment, decorations, flowers, photography, transportation, audio/visual equipment, souvenirs or any other service.

Whether it is corporate events, weddings, team building activities or receptions, Sandestin has an advantage over other resorts, said special events manager Barbara Miller. “Sandestin is the total package. When holding your special event, we are truly able to offer everything.”