26-02-2025
Panama City Beach hosts ‘Rendezvous South'
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Premier destinations and event planners from as close as South Walton and as far away as Tennessee are in Panama City Beach for a networking extravaganza.
The three-day event known as the Rendezvous South is being hosted by Panama City Beach this year.
'To be able to host this show is just magnificent for us as a destination. It allows not just one or two planners to come in, but now I've got all 60 of them in one room at one time in Panama City Beach. I'd say, 90% of these folks have never been to Panama City Beach before,' said Steve Bailey, vice president of sales at Visit Panama City Beach.
One 'World's Most Beautiful Beaches' first-timer, is a manager of global accounts at HelmsBriscoe, a company that helps businesses around the world plan meetings and events.
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'I just think it's an awesome destination for many groups, but it has a charm that certain groups might feel much more. Relaxed on a day-to-day basis, even though they're here for business,' said Barbara Mancuso.
Mancuso says Panama City Beach has yet to disappoint her. The city has sold her, on selling it to her clients.
'100%, definitely. And I think winter is a good time,' added Mancuso.
Throughout the day, the event planners will get the chance to rotate through around 60 different destination booths. They'll get the opportunity to connect and figure out what makes that destination worth bringing business to.
'The destinations are here to meet planners, to encourage them to hold their meetings in their venues. And their destination, their location, so and so, having successful meetings for people here, that's going to be a highlight,' said John Macpherson, publisher of ConventionSouth Media Group.
It's an almost speed dating-like process. Meetings last for precisely 15 minutes each.
51 planners rotated through a variety of destinations such as New Orleans, Montgomery, Destin-Fort Walton, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, and more. All while having fun in Panama City Beach.
The event wraps up on Wednesday. Bailey says it was a nearly 2-year process for Panama City Beach to become the host city for Rendezvous South. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort from Visit Panama City Beach.
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