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I spent a fair number of hours over the weekend at the Broward Convention Center. I was there for the big annual gathering of cruise industry professionals at the Cruise Lines International Association, or CLIA, convention. This experience reminded me of a couple of interesting things. First, what a terrific convention center it really is. Second, how important Fort Lauderdale is to the cruise business. If you’re not around the building or the ships for a while, it’s easy to forget that.
The Broward Convention Center is a place I find pleasant and inviting. Each time I go there, the sea-themed décor and large openness of the structure make me want to stay longer than I might have planned. I guess that’s why I hung out as long as I did on both Saturday and Monday, though I really didn’t have to go at all. As a former cruise columnist for Budget Travel magazine, I have friends in the industry and a strong feeling for the value of cruising. So I was interested to catch up on the latest. But the event also gave me a good excuse to visit the convention center again.
It’s a simple place to park, for the most part, and the entrances from the parking lot to the convention center are easy to use. The whole building is convenient, with well-placed escalators and elevators and bathrooms.
And it has one of the best fountains anywhere in Florida. Have you seen this thing? I’ve always loved it. The 35-foot bronze sculpture depicts a sailfish in three stages of leaping from the water: With a fin barely breaking the waves, with the fish’s head poking through, and with the entire grand sailfish in full jump over the ocean. To me, it’s really a beautiful piece and I don’t think enough people who visit Fort Lauderdale find it, unless they happen to be at a convention.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about all the cruise ships that pack Port Everglades all week long, especially on the weekends. And about all the great things for vacationers to do in this area before and after their cruise. This community is a vital link in the thriving cruise business and all of the travel agents, cruise line professionals and media members I talked with in the past few days seemed happy to converge here for the big conference. And why not? Where else can you hold a convention in a place with great views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Port Everglades and cruise ships … and a very remarkable bronze sailfish, caught permanently in mid-air?
The Broward Convention Center is a place I find pleasant and inviting. Each time I go there, the sea-themed décor and large openness of the structure make me want to stay longer than I might have planned. I guess that’s why I hung out as long as I did on both Saturday and Monday, though I really didn’t have to go at all. As a former cruise columnist for Budget Travel magazine, I have friends in the industry and a strong feeling for the value of cruising. So I was interested to catch up on the latest. But the event also gave me a good excuse to visit the convention center again.
It’s a simple place to park, for the most part, and the entrances from the parking lot to the convention center are easy to use. The whole building is convenient, with well-placed escalators and elevators and bathrooms.
And it has one of the best fountains anywhere in Florida. Have you seen this thing? I’ve always loved it. The 35-foot bronze sculpture depicts a sailfish in three stages of leaping from the water: With a fin barely breaking the waves, with the fish’s head poking through, and with the entire grand sailfish in full jump over the ocean. To me, it’s really a beautiful piece and I don’t think enough people who visit Fort Lauderdale find it, unless they happen to be at a convention.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about all the cruise ships that pack Port Everglades all week long, especially on the weekends. And about all the great things for vacationers to do in this area before and after their cruise. This community is a vital link in the thriving cruise business and all of the travel agents, cruise line professionals and media members I talked with in the past few days seemed happy to converge here for the big conference. And why not? Where else can you hold a convention in a place with great views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Port Everglades and cruise ships … and a very remarkable bronze sailfish, caught permanently in mid-air?
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 2:36 PM
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