Daytona Beach, Florida, is known for its white-sand beaches, mild climate, and being home to NASCAR’s iconic race, the Daytona 500, which runs every February. It is also a premier year-round meeting destination that allows attendees to blend business and leisure, creating a fun, productive environment for groups. Boasting 230 days of sunshine annually, 23 miles of iconic beaches, and first-rate accommodations and attractions, Daytona Beach has everything needed to host memorable meetings and events.
Vibe: “Daytona Beach provides more of a community vibe rather than a large-city feeling,” says Brenda Redmon, director of sales for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “In addition, our pristine beaches really set us apart. Accessibility and affordability are two other great assets of Daytona Beach.”
Transportation: Getting there is easy, too. Visitors can fly direct to the smaller Daytona Beach International Airport from Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, while Orlando International Airport—one of the busiest in the world—offers direct flights to almost every major American city and is just an hour’s drive away. Daytona Beach is also conveniently located off Interstate 95 and Interstate 4. Votran buses offer public transportation around town, with the MyStop app providing minute-by-minute arrival updates.
Venues and Hotels: Go big at the 205,000-square-foot Ocean Center or Daytona International Speedway, the site of the Daytona 500, which has its own meeting and event space. Venues offering a more intimate setting include the Peabody Auditorium’s theater-type space, and the open-air Daytona Beach Bandshell. Attendees can stay in the racing mindset at The Daytona, Autograph Collection, a hotel nodding to motor sports history located in the One Daytona entertainment district, across the street from the racetrack and just 1 mile from Daytona’s airport. Beachcombers will enjoy the Daytona Grande Oceanfront Resort, opened in 2021; the recently renovated Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort; or the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, all steps from the sand.
Restaurants: Chart House offers fine dining with seafood, steak, and water views, accommodating private events for up to 250 people. The Rose Villa Southern Table and Bar in Ormond Beach (6 miles north of Daytona Beach) also welcomes private gatherings to a refined, Southern culinary experience—think ingredients like shrimp and grits, buttermilk biscuits, collard greens, and pork belly. Ocean Deck, right on the beach, is all about fresh-catch seafood and daily live music.
Must-Sees and -Dos: In addition to beaches and racetracks, there is plenty to discover in the area. “From the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of Arts & Sciences to the Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure and the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, there’s an abundance of things to do in Daytona Beach for attendees,” Redmon says. The breathtaking 12-mile drive on state Route A1A along the ocean from Daytona Beach to the rusty-red Ponce Inlet Lighthouse introduces visitors to the Florida beach idyll. Attendees can climb to the top for panoramic views—eagle-eyed visitors might spot dolphins or manatees.
