• Carol Hill, president of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors and senior vice president of Prudential Network Realty, joined more than 8,000 Realtors in Washington, D.C., last week to help reshape the real estate industry at the National Association of Realtors 2010 Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. While in Washington, Hill met with U.S. Reps. Ander Crenshaw and John Mica and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson to urge action on NAR’s legislative and regulatory goals.
• Visit Jacksonville is hosting a group of 12 event planners from other markets for a “Buyers Education Trip” this weekend. They’ll tour hotels and meeting venues and attend Jacksonville Jazz Festival events. A similar group was hosted during The Players Championship, which led to three requests for proposals for a total of 1,000 room nights that could result in an economic impact of more than $500,000. Visit Jacksonville says 85 percent of planners who visit the city book groups here after their guided tour.
• The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa was named one of the “Best Beach Resorts for Families” by Parents.com, the website of Parents Magazine. The Sawgrass Marriott joined a list of 20 family friendly vacation spots, including resorts in Jamaica, Honolulu, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
• The theme for next week’s First Wednesday Art Walk is “Let’s Dance.” Viva Panama-USA will perform at Hemming Plaza, Madame Xena and House of the Naked Moon will perform at The Twisted Martini at the Landing, Visit Jacksonville will host a 1950s sock hop and Dance Trance will put on a demonstration at 122 Ocean: The Old Library. Art Walk, sponsored by Downtown Vision, is 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, rain or shine.
• WilsonMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Reynolds was selected to join the Florida Council of 100, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization formed in 1961 at the request of Gov. Farris Bryant to provide advice on key Florida issues from a business perspective.