Hey you, stuck in a boring meeting? Don’t you wish you were brainstorming ideas in the middle of a beautiful botanical garden or a charming old train depot instead? And maybe you’d feel more engaged and energized if you were taking notes at an Italian Renaissance mansion or absorbing new ideas in the middle of a working marine laboratory.

All of those scenarios are possible in our area, thanks to the many major attractions that provide out-of-the-ordinary places for meetings and events.

While hotels still host the bulk of meetings business here, unusual spaces and locations can attract clients who are looking for something smaller and less expensive. “[Manatee County’s] different venues give us an advantage over other cities of our size due to the diversity of our facilities,” says Sharon Kingston, a sales representative at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, who lists an auditorium, a 21-room mansion, two convention centers and private banquet halls clients as some of the county’s offerings.

Tervis Tumbler and Michael Saunders & Company are among the local companies that have taken advantage of our unique meeting locales. Out-of-town firms that host larger meetings at a hotel often utilize less traditional venues for breakout sessions and luncheons or cocktail receptions. The Vision Sciences Society, for example, has held an annual meeting at the Hyatt Sarasota for several years that includes an evening event at nearby G.WIZ science center.

“We’re not a convention town; we don’t have massive hotels in one central area,” says Stephanie Grosskreutz, Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau managing director. “The groups we attract, like sales retreats and corporate board meetings, often want unique experiences. That’s why it’s good for attractions to host events.”

From museums to parks to historic sites, options for interesting meeting sites abound. Here are 10 spots to consider.

Powel Crosley Estate
Built during the 1920s as a winter estate by industrialist inventor Powel Crosley, this 21-room bayfront mansion near the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport offers sweeping waterfront views. Now owned and operated by Manatee County, it’s become a popular spot for weddings and parties. The Mediterranean Revival mansion is a picturesque setting for meetings, with space available on both floors and a convenient location off U.S. 41 between downtown Sarasota and downtown Bradenton. And after a long day of business, you can reward attendees for a job well done. “Have one of the area’s private yachts pick up your group at the Crosley Yacht Basin and take a dinner cruise toward the [Sunshine] Skyway Bridge,” suggests Kingston.

Gulfcoast Event and Conference Center
The Gulfcoast Event and Conference Center, located on the Girl Scouts’ regional campus in Sarasota, deserves a merit badge for its dramatic, modern angles and expanses of windows. Meetings of up to about 300 people can take place in the 3,000-square-foot auditorium, which includes a stage and state-of-the-art audio and visual systems. There is an upstairs mezzanine level, three troop rooms and an outdoor balcony overlooking the site’s six acres of natural wetlands. Valet parking is a must for large events since the facility was built primarily to accommodate groups of girls who aren’t of driving age. But that shouldn’t be a problem for this emerging event center that opened in 2005. “It’s taken on a life of its own,” says facilities manager William J. McCarthy. “People are starting to know about it, mostly with the help of caterers [who have worked here]. They love the place.”

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Companies like Wachovia, Merrill Lynch and Michael Saunders & Company have all gathered among the tropical splendor of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. “It’s a beautiful space,” says Tom Heatherman, corporate communications director of Michael Saunders & Company. “You can basically host a meeting of just about any size there. And weather permitting, the outdoor space is magnificent.” Larger groups can assemble in the Great Room by the Bay, where 60 feet of windows overlook Sarasota Bay. For smaller functions, the Southern Colonial–style Christy Payne Mansion and the Cooley Theater fit the bill. And of course there are the gardens themselves. “Every guest who comes through just falls in love with the gardens,” says Rolph Vassor, events assistant at Selby Gardens.

Mote Marine Laboratory
No one wants to sleep with the fishes. But what about meeting with them? Tropicana, AAA and Outback Steakhouse are among the companies that have held meetings and events at Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory. Two board room–style spaces with full audio/visual capabilities in the main laboratory building are available for smaller groups. Groups of around 200 can meet in the New Pass Room at the Keating Marine Education Center, where plenty of windows and a 1,300-square-foot balcony offer views of Sarasota Bay, New Pass and the Gulf of Mexico. “So if you’re trying to get any work done, you have to put the shades down,” facilities manager Wayne Yingling says with a laugh. In addition, a new room at the Ann & Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research & Rehabilitation Center can seat about 300 people auditorium-style. Special events can also be held in Mote Aquarium, where corporate sharks can get a look at the real thing.