Christmas in July - Reunite After a Year Apart! - EventPros.com

Christmas in July - Reunite After a Year Apart!

For groups who haven't seen each other in over a year, reuniting this summer for a "holiday party" is an ongoing trend that we're seeing for associations, corporate and social networking groups. Following is a summary of venues and catering companies in Florida that are offering groups a place to gather and reunite for the first time in a long time.

Villa Woodbine, an award-winning historic 20th century Mediterranean Revival mansion which is now a venue, is located just south of Downtown in Coconut Grove and houses 400 guests and has a total of 3,000 square feet of meeting and events space. Bill Hansen Catering has an exclusive partnership with Villa Woodbine and all events at this venue are exclusively hosted by the renowned team at Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production. With its enchanting oak trees surrounding the spacious garden to a perfect combination of elegance and historical charm in the Villa's interior, this stunning venue has the perfect ambiance for a summer suare.

Grateful Palate Catering & Events

Grateful Palate Catering & Events, the premier private event space for event functions in Fort Lauderdale, reopened in 2019 after an intensive interior renovation and now has over 4,000 square feet of event space. The waterfront location which overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway serves as a natural backdrop with gorgeous floor-to-ceiling, sliding glass doors boasting an uninterrupted, 180 degree view of picturesque waterfront and is designed to accommodate both sit-down meetings as well as standing social events.

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits’ SGWS Wynwood has a total of four different event spaces and can seat around 230 guests. The Mixology Lounge seats 110 guests, the Tasting Room seats 60 guests, the Founders Room seats 24 guests, and the Terrace seats 40 guests. It boasts a modern hospitality and education center with a sensory culinary experience through its catering service, with menus and services exclusively curated by Constellation Culinary Group.

Shooters Waterfront

Shooters Waterfront A Fort Lauderdale landmark since 1982, the recently renovated Shooters Waterfront Restaurant just launched a trio of new private event and meeting spaces totaling 6,000 square feet and can seat up to 175 guests on their second floor. Floor-to-ceiling windows conveniently slide open to offer an unobstructed view of the Intracoastal Waterway allowing guests the salty air feel with the luxury of air conditioning and safety from inclement weather. The attendees will enjoy the option to arrive to their Christmas in July by boat or yacht.

The Marker Key West Harbor Hotel

The newly-updated event and meeting spaces at The Marker Key West Harbor Hotel, which totals 1,400 square feet, revive The Marker’s legacy of combining Key West’s history and tradition with unique character, modern amenities, and sophisticated eclecticism. Even though the views of Duval street and Mallory Square are breathtaking, the event space ties the entire aura of the hidden sanctuary of lush tropical grounds together. The Marker invites guests to book their holiday party in their meeting room.

Glistening waters of the Emerald Coast, shimmering quartz sand beach and lush lawns, Hotel Effie at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort offers 20,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and event space, including a 13,000 square foot ballroom. The hotel meeting and event space is contiguous to the existing 30,000 square feet of function space located at the Baytowne Conference Center (part of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort). The complete 50,000 square feet of space will enable Sandestin to accommodate groups upwards of 1,200 attendees.

Shelborne South Beach

Located in Miami Beach, the iconic Shelborne South Beach Hotel boasts Art Deco design details and has a playful modern touch throughout with over 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The main room, the Grand El Dorado Ballroom which has a contemporary Miami feel, is 4,388 square feet and holds up to 360 guests. When planning an intimate or extravagant company gathering, The Shelborne’s meeting and events spaces offer a vintage-chic legacy of luxury, elegance and impeccable service.

THesis Hotel Miami

Besides being an elegant hotel, THesis Hotel Miami is a communal gathering space located at the intersection of Coral Gables, South Miami, and Coconut Grove. The hotel has more than 20,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event spaces that are filled with ample natural light, offering endless possibilities to create a truly personalized and unique event for you and your guests. Along with each meeting room being equipped with necessary amenities, Thesis Hotel also offers on-site catering that is overseen by Chef Niven Patel, a James Beard nominee and Food & Wine Top 20 award-winner.

The Gabriel Miami

The Gabriel Miami is a 129-key lifestyle hotel in Downtown Miami, offering spacious rooms and suites, a Dermanova Med Spa & Salon, and views of Biscayne Bay. For groups seeking a stylish venue within walking distance to the city’s cultural attractions and growing tech epicenter, The Gabriel Miami offers 10,000 sq. ft. of flexible indoor/outdoor event space, accommodating up to 150. For groups looking to reconnect, the hotel offers a variety of options for team building and brainstorming, adding a level of experience and entertainment to group sessions.

The Balfour Hotel

Located on the infamous Ocean Drive, the Balfour is a welcomed hideaway from the hustle and bustle. It’s where guests can unwind, recharge, and refresh before setting off again to discover Miami’s vibrant, artistic, and flamboyant culture. Known formerly as the Lord Balfour, the South Of Fifth neighborhood hotel recently went under a $3.8 million improvement has renovation, upgrading the guestrooms, bathrooms, corridors, major upgrades to public spaces and the lobby, the remodelling of the courtyard and pool area and the creation of a new fitness and wellness studio.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Apart from in person events and meetings, the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science is now holding virtual celebrations and ceremonies within their 16 event spaces totaling 1000,000 square feet. The main space fits 5,000 guests standing and 430 guests seated. You can capture your event under the stars of the Frost Planetarium, on the Rooftop Terrace, next to the Gulf Stream Oculus and you can even live-stream it for guests.

Pérez Art Museum + Constellation Culinary

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) features sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, outdoor plazas with lush vegetation cascading from the canopy's overhang, and a variety of modern indoor and outdoor spaces for various events and meetings totaling 200,000 square feet and accommodates up to 500 guests. This also includes exclusive use of all spaces and galleries, discounts at the museum’s retail store, and more. The venue has an exclusive partnership with Constellation Culinary Group, who offers customizable menus for groups large and small virtual programming offerings are available.

Sarasota Art Museum + Constellation Culinary Group

The Sarasota Art Museum is the place to dine and dance into the winter wonderland surrounded by replicas of ancient Greek, Roman and Baroque statuary on magnificently manicured lawns with four different event spaces that can fit 570 people maximum. The McGuire Hall, which has floor to ceiling windows on the East side of the room and allows for an indoor-outdoor feel without leaving the comforts of an indoor space, accommodates up to190 guests cocktail style and 140 guests seated. All culinary includes curated menus by Constellation Culinary Group.

Norton Museum of Art

The recent $100,000,000 renovation of the Norton Museum of Art has brought in dynamic indoor and outdoor spaces that allow for jaw-dropping views with over six acres of land, 19,750 square feet of event space, and 10 different spaces to choose from. When planning your summer suare, food and beverage packages are provided by Constellation Culinary Group. The event space has its own unique flair which provides the host with a wide selection of locations to choose from that best fits the Christmas in July theme.

Mixology Mixer is a virtual cocktail experience company known for crafting unique, elevated team building and employee interactions in the 21st century via custom cocktail kits for groups to enjoy at home accompanied by a live, virtual tutorial by award-winning bartenders. Nationwide, companies including Nike and Amazon have partnered with Mixology Mixer to host virtual mixology events including holiday parties for their teams, revolutionizing team bonding in a new interactive way and prioritizing bringing people together even when they are apart. Continuing their efforts to boost company morale and encourage networking beyond the work setting, Mixology Mixer is offering groups and businesses a jump start on the holiday celebration season with the Christmas in July cocktail kit, “Sleighin’ It!” ($175 per kit + tax) with a special 10% discount when groups book their holiday party in July. The “Sleighin’ It!” kit will teach cocktail enthusiasts from novices to experts how to create three holiday themed drinks including Sugar & Spice, Candy Lane, and The Grinch cocktail. Inside the kit will include the featured spirits such as Gin, Vodka or Rum, Mixology Mixer’s gourmet Cinnamon and Spiced Cranberry syrups, a recipe card, as well as all of the ingredients, tools, and garnishes needed for at-home mixologists to craft each of the kit’s cocktails. A QR code leading guests to a live virtual 1-hour mixology class, hosted by one of Mixology Mixer’s renowned mixologists, will be located on the back of the recipe card.

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