Discover the unconventional meeting destination.

Transcription

1 Discover the unconventional meeting destination.

2 Everything you need. Facilities. Services. Support. Scenery. Access. Attractions. Culture. Adventure. Options. Options. Options. Options. Options. Options. Options. Options. More options. On a tropical island. In the Caribbean. Talk about a recipe for success! Perfect weather. O ver a million square feet of meeting space. Thousands of hotel and resort rooms. Cosmopolitan cities, ancient fortresses, and mountainside haciendas. 500 years of cultural heritage. 272 miles of beaches. 16 championship golf courses. Amazing music and food. Rum of everycharacter. Bioluminescent bays, unspoiled rain forest, surfing, diving, and dozens of other natural attractions. Easy connections from everywhere, and no passport required for U.S. citizens. It s simple. Plan your next meeting in Puerto Rico and your attendees will toast you. Your boss will congratulate you. Your accounting department will smile (seriously). Even your cardiologist will nod approvingly s ince from beginning to end, your mood will stay as tranquil as our legendary island breezes. That s because, not only is Puerto Rico one of the best meeting destinations you ve ever encountered, bu t our Discover Puerto Rico team is here to help make it so. Working as liaison between your organization and nearly 300 member-suppliers, we can be your link to state-of-the-art venues, accommodations of all styles and sizes, breathtaking itineraries, customized special events, and stress-free outcomes. We ll do as much of the heavy lifting as you like providing contacts, gathering proposals, coordinating site inspections. All you have to do is ask. To learn more about what happens when you escape the mainland and depart the conventional, read on. But, w e warn you: it s going to prove tempting. When you re ready, we re waiting for you at sales@discoverpuertorico.com, or online at

3 Travel more than 500 years in just a few hours. In 1493, Christopher Columbus happened onto a paradise now known as La Isla Del Encanto aka The Island of Enchantment. Puerto Rico quickly became one of Spain s most important military outposts in the Caribbean, and forts like the Castillo San Felipe del Morro stand to this day and are open to the public. Puerto Rico became a U.S. Commonwealth in The rest is multicultural history. Today, Old San Juan is a photographer s dream come true. Dare your attendees to take a bad photo! The free trolley is a visitor s time machine transporting them to over 400 restored buildings from the Spanish colonial period. But don t let all that rustic charm fool you: we enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the hemisphere. Planner s Note: Let your attendees know they should pack comfortable shoes; this cobblestone neighborhood is steeped in history and steep in hills.

4 So different, yet so much the same. Whether it s in our architecture, food, music, or art, Puerto Rico s diverse influences can be seen everywhere throughout the island. Our roots are Spanish, but we are a fully bilingual culture. We speak English, we use U.S. dollars, and U.S. citizens don t need a passport to travel here. Your plugs plug, your Internet connects, and your postcards mail just like home. Plus, your cell phones won t realize you ve even left the mainland they ll just work like always. Meeting in Puerto Rico is all about experiencing a unique culture without the shock. And going somewhere very new without leaving the country. Like, say, a tropical island. In the Caribbean. Planner s Note: Getting to Puerto Rico is a breeze. There are hundreds of non-stop flights in and out of San Juan (SJU) every day. Chicago is less than five hours away. New York or Atlanta, under four. Orlando or Miami, around two and a half. Once you re here, getting around is even easier. Taxis are everywhere and your favorite rental car companies are all here. Roads are well marked and many are scenic.

5 Taste, sip, see, spin. Repeat. No matter how your group likes to spend time, they ll like spending it here. Almost every inch of our island s 3,500 square miles has something delightful to offer. Which makes the perfect segue to our next Planner s Note: You may want to suggest your attendees stay on for a few days before or after your main event. There s a lot to be done here. Food & drink Puerto Rico s restaurants prepare some of the finest cuisine in the world, but no island visit is complete without a sampling of our cocina criolla, the typical cuisine of Puerto Rico. Favorites include classic rice & beans (a P.R. staple), asopao (a stew-like soup), tostones (fried plantain slices), and mofongo (another green plantain treat). Of course, a great meal deserves a great beverage to accompany it. Perhaps a piña colada invented at a hotel bar right here or a rum-and-anything, celebrating Puerto Rico s role as the world s leading rum producer. Nightlife After long days of conference sessions, it s time to really break out and have some fun. Gambling is legal in Puerto Rico and lady luck may be lurking in any of our casinos. Lounges, dance clubs, restaurants and cafes are everywhere in metropolitan areas like Old San Juan, Miramar, Condado, Santurce and Isla Verde. All kinds of live music can be heard and danced to from modern jazz to salsa, to folkloric plena and bomba, and the latest reggaeton (Puerto Rican reggae/hip-hop). Dancing shoes are a must-have travel accessory! The arts There s probably no other Caribbean island with a greater number of venues dedicated to local artisans and performers. You literally can t walk a block without seeing a brightly painted mural, hearing the rhythm of a street salsa performance, or running into a gallery, museum, concert, opera, or theater with something to enjoy. In San Juan, the collection at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico and its surrounding gardens with koi ponds and waterfalls are not to be missed.

6 82 F? Again? Yeah, life is tough here. And incredibly boring for meteorologists. But with an 82 F (28 C) average temperature, nature is always calling our visitors. Topping the list of must-dos are water sports including boating, sailing, swimming, kayaking, surfing, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, and windsurfing. Puerto Rico is home to over 100 tennis courts and 16 championship golf courses, designed by the biggest names in the game. Thrill seekers will be suitably thrilled by our variety of eco-tourism packages and extreme adventure tours. Or, if your attendees aren t much into much action during this trip, they can just kick back under a palm tree on the beach and escape the conventional in horizontal mode.

7 The Puerto Rico Convention Center. Breathtaking by any measure. Its design is suggestive of a wave in motion. Its colors reflect the vibrant natural palette of the Caribbean. And at 600,000 square feet, its size ranks it as the largest meeting facility in the region. This is the magnificent Puerto Rico Convention Center, accommodating groups of 10 to 10,000 in true world-class style, with soaring interior and exterior function spaces that can be customized and optimized for any event, including yours. Excellent accommodations, shops and restaurants can be found right across the street. And when the session s over, attendees can stroll the vibrant city of San Juan, hit the beach, or take advantage of hundreds of sun-filled activities on foot, by car or by hopping on a local island flight. For full Convention Center specs and superlatives, call us at or visit prconvention.com

8 The specs speak for themselves: 600,000 sq. ft. Total Space 152,700 sq. ft. Exhibit Hall, divisible into 3 individual exposition spaces 39,500 sq. ft. Ballroom, divisible into two rooms 36,400 sq. ft. of meeting space 15 separate meeting rooms can be divided into 28 breakout rooms Loading Docks for 22 tractor trailers; 6 with automatic levelers Broadband and high-speed wireless Internet connectivity Videoconferencing with simultaneous language translations surrounded by 1000 s of cubic meters of fresh tropical breezes and warm island welcomes.

9 Let Discover Puerto Rico help make it all happen for you. On tap 24/7 to assist in planning your meeting, the Discover Puerto Rico team has but one goal: to make sure your event is a notable success. As Puerto Rico s most informed resource for arranging group and convention visits, we ve accumulated over 50 years of experience at delivering top-notch gatherings with every detail from beginning to end covered. You ll have a true one-stop-shop team at your side, every step of the way. Matching your group to accommodations and meeting facilities that meet your criteria and budget. Gathering hotel proposals and assisting with site inspections. Providing carefully vetted contacts for arranging special events or theme parties at venues only Puerto Rico can offer. Best of all, our services are always free which is a very bottom-line-friendly price. Don t be shy, reach out to us at sales@discoverpuertorico.com, or online at.

10 Places to go. Things to do. Where to start? North? South? East? West? Which region of Puerto Rico fits them best? Just depends on what your attendees are looking for. From bustling cities to idyllic beaches. From the clack of a roulette wheel to the chirp of our native coqui frog. From majestic tropical caves to magnificent oceanfront links to the world s largest intergalactic listening station. The list goes on and on. And every visitor finds a part of Puerto Rico to call their favorite. Until the next time they visit.

11 Airport City Highway Panoramic Route Golf Course getaways, check. Bioluminescent bays, checkitycheck because there are not one, but two. VIEQUES ISLAND Just under two hours from Fajardo is 52 square miles of unscheduled peace and tranquility. Wild horses. Unspoiled beaches. No traffic lights or fast-food restaurants. Boutique accommodations that range from avant-garde to elegant, including a W Retreat and Spa. Oh, and another ethereal bioluminescent bay. The island is also home to three museums one set in a fort, one in a lighthouse, and one on a former sugar estate. CULEBRA ISLAND This island is 11 square miles of scooter-riding, windsurfing, sailing Nirvana. Visitors come here to disconnect from the world and lose themselves amongst dozens of beautiful coral reefs and beaches. From April to June, the Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles hit the beach to nest. Theodore Roosevelt designated most of Culebra s offshore cays as a National Wildlife Refuge, primarily for migratory birds. WEST This west coast diver s and surfer s paradise, known as Sun Gate, offers something the rest of Puerto Rico can t: sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean. CENTER Some planners might gloss over the Center Region of Puerto Rico, but that would be their loss. The center is an adventure from start to finish. The Cordillera Central offers everything you d expect from the mountains panoramic views, 165 miles of scenic winding roads, stellar waterfalls, vistas and peaks overlooking the coast, small towns plus something not typically expected: a chance to really pig out. Beach Forest Point of Interest A GUIDE TO ESCAPING THE CONVENTIONAL. METROPOLITAN SAN JUAN If your attendees don t have time to venture around the island but still want to explore, the capital city of San Juan and its surroundings are perfect. The most cosmopolitan city in the Caribbean, San Juan has it all from beaches to museums, malls, restaurants, nightclubs, and concert halls. ATTRACTIONS Old San Juan is an absolute must-see. Settled in 1521, it s the oldest historic district under the U.S. flag and a designated World Heritage site. Most of its fortresses and urban squares, government buildings and colonial homes have been meticulously restored. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended since these streets are cobblestone. Historical tours and visits into the many museums, art galleries, restaurants, and stores make it a fascinating journey into the past. SHOPPING The exclusive Condado district is the place. Forgot to pack comfortable walking shoes to explore Old San Juan? No worries, pick up a pair here. Seeking high fashion? Ashford Avenue is Puerto Rico s version of Rodeo Drive or Fifth Avenue. Condado is a who s who of boutiques, fusion bistros, a fair trade bazaar and tourist shops. And though it is the ritziest neighborhood in San Juan, planners can often find great deals at the oceanfront hotels. MUSEUMS/ART GALLERIES There are 12 museums just in Old San Juan alone, enough to feed any cultural craving attendees might have. BEACHES Many hotels have beachfront access in San Juan, but all beaches are open to the public.. NORTH Puerto Rico s newest tourist region with natural and scientific wonders, large resort accommodations including a 6-star hotel, and one of the world s finest golf courses. SOUTH Meaning Doorway to the Caribbean, this Southern part of Puerto Rico is full of cultural and historic relics from both Spanish aristocracy and pre-taíno civilizations. The Beautiful South also offers a dry forest, mangrove bays, and stunning beaches facing the Caribbean Sea. EAST Not to play favorites, but if the East Coast of Puerto Rico isn t paradise, we don t know what is. In fact, highlight this section. Put gold stars next to its attractions and activities. Stunning beaches, check. The only U.S. subtropical rainforest, check. Oceanside championship golf courses, check. Offshore island

12 Contact us at or