Once an isolated outpost, the Dominican Republic now sits at a global crossroads, easily accessible from North and South America and from Europe. Due to its strategic geographical location in the heart of the Caribbean — occupying two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, with Haiti taking up the westernmost third — it serves as a vital hub for trade and commerce with the rest of the world.

The peak season in the Dominican Republic runs December to April, the drier months. Summer tends to be wet, with the ever present threat of hurricanes. With seven international airports serving its various tourist resorts, the country thrives as a fast-growing MICE destination.

In the capital city of Santo Domingo, with its well-preserved Colonial City, the flagship venue remains Sans Souci Conference Center, situated in the port, with a flexible two-level space capable of holding up to 7,000 people for corporate events, trade fairs and product launches.

© Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragua Hotel & Casino

For more formal conferences and meetings, Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragua Hotel & Casino offers 12 event rooms, including a main hall with capacity for 1,152 people. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Santo Domingo, another city hotel with excellent MICE facilities, features a main hall with seating for up to 546 people or standing room for 700.

Santiago de los Caballeros, the country’s second-largest city, located 100 miles northwest of Santo Domingo, boasts several universities. The UTESA Dominican Convention and Culture Center, part of Technological University of Santiago, offers a versatile venue that can host up to 1,200 people and can also offer hybrid events combining the physical location with a global online audience.

Puerto Plata, a major tourist destination on the north coast, holds a wealth of attractions. MICE events, such as V.I.P. group encounters with dolphins, can be arranged at Ocean World Adventure Park. The 16th-century Spanish-built Fortaleza de San Felipe guards the entrance to the town’s colonial-era port; meeting planners can book the atmospheric fort for events, as well as adjacent Anfiteatro La Puntilla, a 4,000-seat, open-air amphitheater facing the ocean.

Ten minutes from Puerto Plata’s historic center sits Blue JackTar Hotel, a golf and beach resort with dedicated conference facilities. The nearby Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada is a 5-star, all-inclusive resort ideally suited to incentive travel.

© Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragua Hotel & Casino

On the Dominican Republic’s eastern tip lies Punta Cana which, thanks to its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, stars as the most visited tourist destination in the Caribbean. Hard Rock Punta Cana — one of several resorts with dedicated MICE facilities — includes a hall with capacity for 3,960 guests. If you want to stage a rock show here, consult with the resident team of roadies.

Ten miles down the coast, Barceló Bávaro Palace Hotel boasts a 124,000-square-foot convention center able to host 5,000 people in a single space or subdividable into 24 rooms. The Taino people, the original island inhabitants, and the colonial occupiers who followed may not have envisioned a thriving MICE industry, but it’s the logical consequence of the links forged throughout history between this once-remote once-remote island and the rest of the world.

UNIQUE VENUES
On the Dominican Republic’s southern coast, roughly midway between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, lies Altos de Chavón, a village unlike any other in the Caribbean. It was created in 1976 by Charles Bluhdorn, chairman of Paramount Pictures, who brought in his set designers to build a 16th-century Mediterranean village, complete with cobbled alleyways and squares, a church and rustic Italian restaurants. A Greek-style open amphitheater with seating for 5,000 forms the centerpiece. The village is part of the extensive Casa de Campo Resort, in which guests can stay in a wide range of rooms or villas. Other attractions include an equestrian center; a shooting range; a marina; and the famous Teeth of the Dog Golf Course, rated the best in the Caribbean. Although just an hour’s drive from the country’s capital, the resort boasts its own international airport, La Romana (LRM), with scheduled flights from Miami (MIA) and Toronto (YYZ) and seasonal charters from Europe, as well as private jets.