Host Meetings that make a Difference in Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Fla. (March 22, 2023) – Conference schedules can be busy, but making time to volunteer is a great way to make an impact in the local community and build camaraderie for a group.

The options for regenerative tourism, the concept of leaving a destination better than it was before you arrived, are plenty in Jacksonville. From team-building competitions with charitable components to a group beach clean-up and beautification projects, regenerative tourism is becoming more and more appealing to meeting and convention groups.

In Jacksonville, groups have the option of volunteering with local, nonprofit organizations including:

• Rethreaded: An organization providing job training to women who have been trafficked through the sex trade. The training helps these women overcome lives of addiction, violence and prostitution by acquiring new skills and integrating them into the community.
• Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary: The mission of the sanctuary is to provide a loving home to rescued and endangered big cats while educating the public about the cats' plight in the wild and in captivity. Catty Shack does not breed, trade, sell or buy any of the animals.
• Beaches Go Green: Providing awareness and education around waste production and how it affects the planet, particularly single-use items and plastic pollution in the oceans, Beaches Go Green regularly hosts volunteer clean-up efforts to collect trash from coastal areas.
• Clara White Mission: For 115 years, the Clara White Mission has reached Jacksonville’s underserved community through daily meals, housing and job training. Volunteers can assist with food prep, serving meals or maintenance of the mission’s garden.

Many other local organizations offer volunteer opportunities for groups of all sizes. Go to the Visit Jacksonville website to learn more about hosting a meeting or convention in Jacksonville.

What’s new? Additional Jacksonville news and openings:

• It’s projected that 12 new hotels will open in the next 12 months in Jacksonville. Review the hotel development report for more information about the upcoming Springhill Suites Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront, additional airport-area properties and more.
• Breeze Airways will be adding six new nonstop flights to-from Jacksonville, starting in May 2023: Los Angeles (LAX), Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, Raleigh-Durham and Islip/Long Island, New York.
• Construction is underway for Jacksonville International Airport’s Concourse B project, designed to enhance passenger flow through the airport. The first phase will be a security checkpoint expansion, with six more gates added to the airport during the project.
• The Four Seasons Hotel broke ground in late 2022 and construction continues on the landmark hotel that will anchor the Jacksonville Shipyards development.
• Featuring numerous spaces that can be reserved for small groups and special events, Oaxaca Club is now open in Jacksonville Beach. The restaurant and bar features delectable dinner options, inventive cocktails made with Oaxaca Club's very own mezcal and weekend brunch.
• Springhill Suites Baymeadows I-95 opened in February. The 120-room, all-suite hotel includes a 367-square-foot meeting room.
• Plans to remodel and expand That Bar at the Arena, which is next to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and west of 121 Financial Ballpark, were approved in January. Renderings show a new rooftop and restaurant space as part of the renovations.

About Visit Jacksonville  
Visit Jacksonville is a Destinations International accredited Destination Marketing Organization contracted by the Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Jacksonville. For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to http://www.VisitJacksonville.com or contact 800-733-2668. 

###