From: The Reunion Network
Title: TRN Con FAM Happening
By: Charlene Adamson
Winter 2005 Edition
Jacksonville, FL
Easily
accessible be air or highway, Jacksonville as great
appeal to the military reunion market created by the winning
combination of Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau (Lisa
Betley) and the entire hospitality community of hotels,
attractions, military installations, history and the Beach! For
those who’ve
never visited Jacksonville Beach area, you will be surprised
at the soft, white, powdery sand and the broad beach.
Hosted
by the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel (Joe Hockenbury, GM,
and Grace Blockburger, Senior Sales Manager), TRN staff,
planners and exhibitors enjoyed the hotels closeness
to the beautiful St, John’s Riverwalk. While
Jacksonville is geographically the largest city in this
country, the riverwalk area creates a small town atmosphere
and a myriad of activities.
The
Alhambra Dinner Theatre’s
(Jack Booth, Director of Marketing) presentation of Showboat with
a great buffet was a special night fun-filled event
and the theatre was filled with laughter, song and
satiated appetites. This event will be a great addition
to reunion activities!
The CVB
and hotels provided a winning combination, some on-you-own
time as well as a guided walk along the river with out
tour compliments of Lady Bug Tours and complimentary
admission to Museum of Science and History.
Friday
evening, American Coach Lines of Jacksonville transported
us to a reception, dinner, entertainment and site inspection
of the Holiday Inn Airport (Carole Portner, DOS and Gigi
Kosalko, Military Reunion Sales). Great
dinner once again and planners all admitted to the beginning
to add a few pounds as the day went by!
Saturday
proved to be a fun-filled, activity day beginning with
breakfast on the Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront’s
yacht the Jacksonville Princess, followed by a tour
of the hotel. What a beautiful morning cruise and what a bountiful buffet breakfast aboard. Destination
Planning Corp. (Anne Urban) gave the group a great
commentary along the St. John’s
River.
The remainder
of the day included a tour of downtown and the Veterans
Wall, compliments
of Tour Time, Inc. (Jim Uccio), the Anheuser-Busch
Brewery, Jacksonville Zoological Gardens and
a little rest time before an invitation only cocktail
reception compliments of The Radisson Riverwalk
our host hotel.
En route
to the beach area Military Reunions.com gave us a great
commentary (Rear Admiral Kevin F. Delaney, USN Ret.). The
Sea Turtle Inn at Atlantic Beach (Karen Townsend, DOS)
and a favorite of mine when I lived at Atlantic Beach,
so many moons ago, provided us with yet another reception
and the planners enjoyed watching a wedding beachside,
as well as a site inspection.
Following
a luau dinner at Mayport Naval Station the CPO Club (MWR
Catering), we were off to the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort
(Lisa Dickenson, DOS) at Jacksonville Beach. Coffee
and desserts were served beachside under a beautiful moon-lit sky. Sleep
came easily that night as we arrived back at our host
hotel.
Sunday
we departed for the Embassy Suites Hotel Baymeadows (Luisa
Arespacochaga, SM) and ate as if we had no food for a
week prior. The planners enjoyed another great site inspection. While
some planners, and Paul and I, departed for our home destinations
after breakfast, the CVB arranged Complimentary post-breakfast
option in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine areas.
Final
Analysis? Great
job by everyone and planners responses were that Jacksonville surely is on their “can do” list
of reunion sites. Thanks for another terrific ConFAM, Jacksonville! Check
the agenda for 2005 ConFAM – more great sites – get
your forms in early! |
