The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel meetings fact sheet

CONTACTS:
Jackie MacKay (407) 814-0014 or (407) 496-1770
Nancy Hamilton (239) 338-3500

LOCATION
Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast between Naples and Sarasota (Lee County, between Collier and Charlotte counties). Included areas are: Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs & Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer Islands, (Cabbage Key, Useppa Island, Cayo Costa State Island Preserve), North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres.

MEETING SPACE
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel offers a variety of meeting room options via its many hotels and resorts. A total of 256,129 square feet of meeting space, encompassing 167 meeting rooms is available throughout the county, with area properties offering from 600 square feet up to 73,000 square feet at one venue. There also are meeting options in myriad off-site venues, including one-of-a-kind museums, parks and other attractions.

ACCOMMODATIONS
More than 39,000 rooms range from inexpensive motels to idyllic cottages to condominiums and full-service resort properties.

TRANSPORTATION
Air transportation
Southwest Florida International Airport
11000 Terminal Access Rd.
Fort Myers, FL 33913
(239) 768-1000, www.flylcpa.com

Southwest Florida International Airport's new Midfield Terminal Complex opened in September 2005 with more than three times the capacity of the previous facility. Twenty-eight gates along three concourses have been incorporated into the design, more than doubling the number of aircraft that can be handled. Currently, the facility offers 120 daily non-stop flights on 24 carriers to 35 domestic destinations as well as Dusseldorf, Munich and Frankfurt, Germany; and Toronto and Montreal, Canada. Designed to expand in increments, the airport will eventually have five concourses and 65 gates. In addition, the terminal is one of the first in the United States to be built with new security equipment incorporated into the design. Located southeast of Fort Myers, the airport serves Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties. Opened in 1983, it is the central gateway to southwest Florida for most major domestic carriers and several international charter operations.

In addition, Field Executive Airport and Page Field General Aviation Airport, both near downtown Fort Myers, serve smaller aircraft for VIP and celebrity meeting attendees.

Ground transportation
Airport based transportation
Reservations are not required for taxis and limousines. Travelers simply make arrangements upon arrival at the ground transportation booth located in the median between the terminal and the parking lot. Airport ground transportation information: (239) 768-4457.

Non-airport based transportation
Additional taxi and limousine companies serve Southwest Florida International Airport by advance reservation. Meeting attendees can check the local telephone directories for complete listings. The Lee County Port Authority does not recommend specific companies.

Cell phone lot
Southwest Florida International Airport now offers the new cell phone lot. Drivers can wait, free of charge, in the new parking lot until arriving passengers contact them via cell phone.

Rental cars
All major rental car companies are available, with most having in-terminal desk locations.

Public transportation
Lee Tran Airport Service provides hourly service between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. to a transfer point at Daniels Parkway and U.S. 41 with connections to other routes. Phone (239) 275-8726 or visit www.rideleetran.com.

MAJOR ACCESS ROADS
Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 north-south
Alligator Alley and U.S. 41 east-west (east of Naples)

MILEAGE FROM FLORIDA CITIES

Miami	148 miles (2½ hours drive time)
Orlando	167 miles (3½ hours drive time)
Tampa	134 miles (2½ hours drive time)
Daytona	219 miles (4¼ hours drive time)
Jacksonville	311 miles (6 hours drive time)

DINING
There are hundreds of restaurants and lounges on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. From laid-back waterfront cafes to sophisticated and romantic dining rooms, there are a wide variety of culinary choices. Included are well-known favorites such as Roy's, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's, Chili's, Romano's Macaroni Grill and Beef O'Brady's, to a rapidly-expanding list of home-grown hot spots, including The Veranda and Bistro 41, to name a few.

SHOPPING
From four shopping malls -- including the largest in the southeast – and a myriad of eclectic boutiques to upscale specialty stores, souvenir shops, and fun flea markets, there is plenty of shopping to be enjoyed throughout the area.

CULTURAL ARTS
Symphony concerts, Broadway shows, dinner theater, museums, art festivals, and galleries are just some of the many cultural encounters available.

RECREATION
Whether it's learning to sail, taking off on a shelling charter, or trying your hand at fishing in the "Tarpon Fishing Capital of the World," the recreational opportunities are endless. From the Florida Grapefruit League to professional ice hockey, sports are a big part of life here for both spectator enjoyment and participation.

Golf: 1,549 holes on 95 courses, including 47 public courses and semi-private courses.
Marinas: 31 marinas, half of which offer boat rentals or charters.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE
74.4 F/23 C average annual temperature

High	84.1 F/29 C
Low	64.7 F/18 C

AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE

	High	Low
January	74.4F	53.2F
February	75.5F	54.1F
March	80.0F	58.7F
April	84.6F	62.0F
May	88.8F	67.6F
June	90.6F	72.9F
July	91.4F	74.6F
August	91.4F	74.8F
September	90.0F	74.2F
October	86.0F	68.5F
November	80.7F	60.9F
December	76.0F	55.0F

TIME ZONE
Eastern Time Zone

ANNUAL VISITATION
Conference and meeting visitation continues to grow on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, with room nights increasing 8.9 percent, from 251,340 room nights in 2004 to 273,750 in 2005. Similarly, total economic impact from conference and meetings visitation grew 14.3 percent, from $63.5 million in 2004 to $72.7 million in 2005. The destination hosts a total of 2 million visitors annually.

SEASONS
Peak
January 15 through April. Reservations are essential during peak season.

Off Peak
May through January 14. Rates are generally 30 percent to 60 percent lower during off-peak vacation season, excluding holidays.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau & Lee County Economic Development Office