I agree with PP that it will be tight fit in that room. You really do need to be able to get to the back or the front of the frame easily. That said, I am pretty sure my 10' frame is set up in a room not much bigger than yours. I would have to measure but I think my LA room is at least 12' long. I know I have about 2' on one side of the rack to travel to the back of the machine.
I also agree with PP about the throat. If you plan on quilting mostly with a saddle seat and have a bad back you may want to consider a smaller machine, like an 18" throat, but definitely nothing larger than a 20".
It is great that you are planning on attending shows to test drive because you really need to find the machine that fits
you. No matter what one person recommends it may not be the right machine for you. And based on my experience, we pretty much are biased towards the brand of machine we each have, unless the person you speak to had the misfortune of getting a lemon or thought they could LA like pro right out of the box and blamed the machine.
Personally I LOVE my Innova and I also love that you can add on or upgrade later on these machines (they are designed that way). The rack is solid as a rock and also very easy to modify to your needs. My machine is a workhorse and has never given me a bit of trouble with any thread I have thrown at it and has plowed through seam allowances with no problems. HQ was in my sites as well but once I tried the Innova I realized how much more bang I got for my buck as the two are pretty much in the same ball park in pricing. Or I should say they were back when I got mine.
There is an Innova dealer in Tampa which I know is a few hours away from Palm Bay, but it looks like a very nice dealership. And is also a training center.
http://www.floridaquiltingcenter.com/
One thing to keep in mind, a good, supportive dealer will go a long ways to making your longarming a much more enjoyable experience.