Featured Event
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Registration is Now Open
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Gain access to a global 360° view of the travel and tourism industry.
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Join the Conversation
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Visit Orlando Events
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June 30
Business Referral Group
Lafayette's
9101 International Drive, Suite 2220
407-930-1655 (directions only)
Cost: $20 inclusive
Click here to RSVP.
July 14
Member Orientation
Click here to register.
Member Presents
Members interested in targeting the meetings and convention market can present their products or services during monthly, 30-minute sessions with Destination Services. Click here to schedule a session.
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Congratulations Members
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Loews Hotels & Resorts has named Johnny So managing director of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. So brings over 20 years of experience in managing 5-star hotel properties for some of the largest and most widely renowned luxury brands in the world, including previous leadership stints at Loews Hotels.
To Gladi Colon, CMP, assistant director of events and catering at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Bonnet Creek, named on Connect meetings magazine 40 Under 40 List.
Sugarcane’s Rum Bar and Lounge
Genevieve Dixon has opened this Caribbean inspired spot on 8255 International Drive.
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Member-to-Member Offers |
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Every Sunday from 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Vincenzo Cucina Italiana is offering 50% off bottles of wine under $100. Offer ends August 31, 2016. Cannot to be combined with other offers.
Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers can power up at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores and Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa. For local residents and visitors driving electric vehicles, shopping and traveling is now easier with the installation of a NRG EVgo Freedom Station®. EV drivers will find shopping hassle-free at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, where consumers can find factory-direct premium quality merchandise at savings up to 75% off at select stores. For holiday shopping hours and more information, including a downloadable coupon to be exchanged on site for a coupon booklet valued up to $400 in savings, visit
LBVFS.com.
Receive $10 off a season subscription to the Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College. For $55, you'll receive one ticket to The Foreigner, Upton Abbey: An Improvised Comedy of English Manors, A Piece of My Heart, and Urinetown, The Musical. Visit rollins.edu/annie for tickets and use code: VISITORLANDO.
Celebrate Mondays with Prime Mondays, a new three-course menu for $49.95 that's only available at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort will host a new Night Lights event, starting June 18. The event will include extended hours, Lego Ninjago-themed fireworks, rare character meet-and-greets and chances to work alongside the park's master model builders. Night Lights is included in regular park admission and will run on Saturdays and Sundays through July 31.
Dollar Off Drinks is extending a 20% discount on their 6-month and 1-year memberships to Visit Orlando members. To redeem, use promo code: visitorlando.
Hard Rock Café Orlando is offering Visit Orlando members free delivery on all offsite corporate catering. This could include breakfast or lunch meetings, customer appreciation events, employee appreciation events, holiday parties, etc. Customizable menus and options are available to fit the event's budget and vision. To claim this offer, email Jaclyn Eiler and reference the Visit Orlando website. Expiration date: August 31, 2016.
Orlando City Soccer Club would like to extend discounted group tickets to Visit Orlando members through October 24, 2016. Click here to download information on group pricing discounts. Contact Christopher Benavides at cbenavides@orlandocitysc.com or call 407-480-4762 for more information.
Sammy Duvall Watersports, located behind Disney's Contemporary Resort, is proud to offer Visit Orlando members 10 percent off all water activities (parasailing, personal watercrafts, wake boarding, water skiing and more) now through December 31, 2016. To claim this offer, call 407-939-0754 or email reservations@sammyduvall.com, and mention the offer code "visitorlando10" when booking.
ALL4 ONE SPORTS would like Visit Orlando members to experience Bubble Soccer. Enjoy a one-hour party rental at Soccer XL Indoor Soccer Complex for 10 players. Bump the competition and blow off some steam. To redeem this $400 offer, call 386-624-4084 or email all41sports41@gmail.com, and mention the offer code BUMP when booking.
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Industry Events
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Orlando Attractions Unite to Launch #WhatILoveAboutOrlando Campaign and Contest. They want to hear from locals, tourists, business owners, hospitality workers – anyone and everyone with a special place in their heart for Orlando. Chime in on your own social networks using #WhatILoveAboutOrlando, and tagging (Facebook: Orlando Attractions United, Twitter: @OrlandoUnites, Instagram: @OrlandoAttractionsUnited). Submit a written response, photo, or video; whatever helps best express your passion for The City Beautiful. For more information about the Grand Prize and official contest rules, please visit sleuthsorlando.blogspot.com.
The Downtown Development Board, in cooperation with the Downtown Arts District, is holding the third annual Best of DTO Photo Contest. Photographers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to submit their photos to any of the five categories: Live, Work, Play, Panoramic and Lake Eola Park. Click here to submit your photo. Photos must be submitted by July 18, 2016.
The West Orange Chamber of Commerce invites Visit Orlando Members to attend their Lead & Feed Networking Lunch on Thursday, July 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Tommy Bahama on International Drive. Click here to RSVP.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort will host a new Night Lights event, starting June 18. The event will include extended hours, Lego Ninjago-themed fireworks, rare character meet-and-greets and chances to work alongside the park's master model builders. Night Lights is included in regular park admission and will run on Saturdays and Sundays through July 31.
Aquatica, SeaWorld's Waterpark Orlando will host a summer event series called Island Nights. Guests can enjoy extended park hours, live DJs and a special menu at the park's Waterstone Grill. Island Nights is included with park admission and runs every night, July 7 – Aug. 6.
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Community Events |
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Connect With Visit Orlando |
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Be sure to follow us at @VisitOrlando on Instagram and Twitter, fan us at facebook.com/VisitOrlando or watch us at YouTube.com/VisitOrlando for more insider information about the world's most famous destination!
To sign up for our e-newsletter, click here.
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President & CEO's Message |
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July 1, 2016
Transportation Developments Boost Arrivals
The State Department has confirmed that the Obama Administration will not formally enter consultations on Open Skies agreements with Qatar and the UAE nor will it freeze flights, despite protests from the "big three" US airlines. So, just what does this mean for Orlando? In short, it's good news for our destination and here's why. The Emirates Airline service for Orlando, which began last September, is expected to bring a nearly 200% bump over 2015. Not only does
this service to our region bring Middle Eastern visitors to the area, connecting flights also ensure a larger number of Asian and African travelers reach Orlando. Finally, by not violating the Open Skies agreement with the UAE or Qatar, the resulting competition from the Middle Eastern carriers will allow more opportunity for guests to pursue tourism and business exchanges in Orlando thanks to more attractive airfares.
In other transportation news, for the first time in its history the Orlando International Airport (MCO) has topped more than 40 million passengers in a 12-month period. This historic growth supports the need for capacity expansion currently under way. Additionally, AAA is projecting a record number of travelers for the Fourth of July thanks to the holiday falling on a three-day weekend and the lowest gas prices in over a decade. Orlando was recently ranked No. 1 on AAA's list of top domestic summer travel destinations.
The continued service from Middle Eastern airlines and record numbers of passengers to Orlando International Airport, coupled with a projected banner July 4th weekend, should start our summer season in a positive direction.
-George Aguel
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From the Research & Insights Desk of Visit Orlando |
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All-Time High at Orlando International Airport
Passenger traffic for the 12-month period ending April-2016 totaled 40.194 million passengers, the first time the airport has surpassed 40 million passengers in any 12-month period. For the month of April, passenger traffic was 8% higher than the same month last year, led by a 12% increase in international passenger traffic and a nearly 8% increase in domestic passengers. The growth in April marks 25 consecutive months of year-over-year growth in total passengers at OIA. Year-to-date through April passenger traffic is up 10.6% versus the same period last year.
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Visit Orlando Updates |
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Visit Orlando Attends Premier International Marketplace IPW
Visit Orlando created a highly visible presence at US Travel Association's IPW with a 4,200-square-foot booth including more than 32 member companies. At IPW, more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations from every region of the USA, and more than 1,300 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries conduct business negotiations that result in the generation of more than $4.7 billion in future Visit USA travel. Hundreds of appointments with travel sales clients were conducted by Visit Orlando and our members throughout the show. The overwhelming response - from sales clients, media, and our colleagues throughout the industry - was one of support and positivity.
IAEE a Chance to Meet Meeting Professionals
Visit Orlando's National Account Director, Barb Herod, far left, participated in IAEE Exhibitions Day in Washington DC on June 8th to educate congressional leaders on key issues affecting the convention industry. Discussions included legislation to stop online booking scams and importance of the $77B+ that the exhibitions industry contributes to the US GDP annually. Pictured left to right: Barb Herod, Visit Orlando, Austin Gold, IAAPA, Scott Crawford, GES, Carrie Ferenac, CNTV, Peter Berry, Experient, Shellie Spear, OCCC, Karla Kelly, Audie Expo Services, Marcelo Zolessi, CNTV, Annette Suriani, National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies, Barbara Myers, IMN Solutions.
Orlando Hosts Largest Youth Volleyball Event in History, AAU Athletes Show Support for the City
The world's largest youth volleyball event broke a new Guinness World Record in Orlando - and showed unwavering support for the destination - as it attracted more than 70,000 attendees from across the country to Orlando last week.
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Girls' Junior National Volleyball Championships was one of the first citywide events to take place in Orlando since the recent tragic events. The event wove in a strong show of support for the Orlando destination, with many of the young athletes signing banners and signs for the community, which the Visit Orlando PR team shared with our local media.
CVENT Hosts 1,900 Meeting Professionals
Anna Hudson, CMP, events manager with PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, meets Visit Orlando's Michael Townes at Cvent Connect in Las Vegas, June 26-30 where more than 1,900 meeting professionals from associations and corporations met for a week of inspired learning and networking.
Visit Orlando Hosts Student Youth Travel Association Conference
Visit Orlando, in conjunction with SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, and Walt Disney World Resort, is pleased to host the SYTA Annual Conference, August 18-23 at Rosen Shingle Creek. This year's conference is poised to welcome 1,000+ participants including student tour operators, group travel planners, destination marketing organizations, and suppliers.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the SYTA organization has played an instrumental role in advancing the student and youth travel industry globally. See more information here. The SYTA Youth Foundation Golf Classic will take place Thursday, August 18 at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. Learn more about participation and sponsorship opportunities here.
Orlando Represented at Association Forum Gala
Visit Orlando hosted a table at the Association Forum Gala in Chicago on June 23, 2016, engaging with nearly 500 association professionals and suppliers and honoring some of the finest talent in the association industry. This year the Association Forum celebrated their 100th anniversary. Pictured from left to right back row Barb Balaguras, Visit Orlando; Diane M. Enos, Vice President, Lifelong Learning and Professional Engagement, Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics; Tim Enos, Diane's husband; Karen Malone, Vice President Meetings & Sales HIMSS; Jackie Berlin, Meeting Planner, American Hospital Association; Fred Shea,Visit Orlando; (front row) Hayat Pronovost, Visit Orlando; Gary LaBranche, President & CEO, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG); Karen LaBranche, Gary's wife.
ServiceNow Team Members Visit Orlando
ServiceNow, which is coming to Orlando in May of 2017 and 2020 with an estimated 15,000 attendees, toured Orlando recently. Team members from ServiceNow and their exposition vendor, George P. Johnson (GPJ), were in town for a planning site and met with the Orange County Convention Center team, toured hotels and visited offsite venues for their closing night event. Upon touring Universal Studios Orlando, the group enjoyed a special greeting by Gru and the Minions. Pictured left to right Aline Whitman, Registration and Travel Manager; Sharon Head, Exhibit Hall Manager; Holly Page, Director of Event Marketing; Leslie Hasvold, CMP, Knowledge Event Producer.
New Business Opportunities at MPI
Visit Orlando held over 20 appointments with meeting professionals during the Meeting Planners International World Education Congress, and successfully returned with several new business opportunities and contacts for the sales team. In addition, Visit Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center hosted a dinner with clients and journalists to share news about what is new in the destination. Pictured from left: Rodney Gutierrez, Orange County Convention Center, Kindra Bess, International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), Joanne Romano, American Express for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gail Sullivan, Maritz for Valeant and Cathy Dos Santos, Marito.
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PR Team and George Aguel Meet with Media at IPW
Visit Orlando's PR team managed more than 50 media interviews and appointments during IPW, sharing news about upcoming attractions and experiences in the destination, as well as personally touching base to answer any questions on the recent incidents in Orlando. The level of support from the media was strong, with he majority of reporters interested in continuing to promote the destination's appeal as a top vacation destination for visitors from around the world. Also, travel expert Peter Greenberg interviewed George Aguel during the show.
80 Meeting Professionals in New York Meet With Visit Orlando
Visit Orlando sponsored a highly successful New York Sales Mission on June 8th that attracted 80 meeting professionals from the New York/New Jersey area. The team hosted a reception at the R Lounge in New York followed by the Broadway show Waitress!
Orlando Selected for "Kidney Week"
American Society of Nephrology has selected Orlando for the October 2022 Kidney Week. More than 13,000 attend the world's premier nephrology meeting. Kidney Week provides participants with opportunities to network and learn the latest scientific and medical advances from leading experts in the field. This group has not met in Orlando since 1994.
HelmsBriscoe Holds 24th Anniversary Celebration
More than 600 meeting planners and 1,200 suppliers descended on HelmsBriscoe's 24th Business Conference in Phoenix. On June 6-10, 2016 Visit Orlando, attended to engage and network with key meetings planners throughout the conference and trade fair. From left to right: Travis Binkley, Visit Orlando, Danielle Boyles, Vice President of HelmsBriscoe and Ken Barnett, Visit Orlando.
Oh Canada! Come to Orlando!
Eight top Canadian agents from Maritime got the royal treatment from Visit Orlando. The agents toured both Premium Outlets International and Vineland, explored Wonderworks and experienced the attractions at I-Drive 360 before enjoying a meal and entertainment at Mango's Tropical Café, pictured above.
Abreu Tours co-hosts the Ola, Argentina Fam
One of the fastest growing operators in the Argentine market, OLA, hosted the groups at Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista. Their visit included tours of Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort theme parks, I-Drive 360, shopping at Orlando Premium Outlets and hotel sites at the B Hotel and Wyndham Lake Buena Vista.
Visit Orlando Attends Boys & Girls Club Outing
Ron Keith with Visit Orlando was sponsor chair for the Inaugural Mentoring Matters Golf Tournament on June 7. Keith is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) Prince George's County. Shown, from left: Maurice Branch, American Logistics Association, Chief Operating Officer; Terry Speigner, President Boys & Girls Club Prince Georges County; Ron Keith, Visit Orlando and Board Member; Dennis Hayes, Retired NAACP, General Council.
"September a Bargain," According to Travel and Leisure
Our PR team helped Travel and Leisure magazine develop a story in their new issue that notes once school is in session, it's a great time to find values in Orlando. Read more here.
The Sun Devotes Stories to Universal and Disney
With a circulation of 5.5 million, The Sun, one of the UK's largest national papers, dedicated the weekend travel section to Orlando saying "Orlando deserves our support - check out our guide to learn how you can plan your ultimate trip." Following were articles about new attractions at Universal and Disney.
Florida - and Orlando - Get Top Billing
Orlando has made it on yet another cover page of a Brazilian magazine. Viagem e Turismo (circulation 140,000) dedicated its cover story to Florida this month, and published a six-page spread about Orlando. The article is a result of a Visit Orlando media fam, and focused on theme parks and highlighted some of the new and upcoming attractions, including Rivers of Light, Frozen Ever After, Reign of King Kong, Fast & Furious: Supercharged, Mako and Busch Garden's Cobra's Curse. Restaurants and hotels were also featured, like Cabana Bay Beach Resort, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, Morimoto Asia, Mango's Tropical Café and others.
Orlando Graces Viajar Pelo Mundo Cover
Orlando tourism took the spotlight on the cover of Viajar Pelo Mundo's June edition. The Brazilian magazine highlighted theme parks and attractions - everything from exciting novelties to classic favorites in a 33-page article, which included Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, I-Drive 360, Crayola Experience and more! The magazine is one of Brazil's largest consumer travel publications and the coverage was a result of media trip hosted by Visit Orlando.
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News About Orlando |
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Next Week at the Convention Center
Group |
Meeting |
Start |
End |
Estimated Attendees |
Estimated Economic Impact |
Team Global USA, Corp. |
Team Global Convention 2016 |
July 1 |
July 3 |
6,000 |
$11,820,000 |
Florida United Numismatists, Inc. |
Summer FUN |
July 7 |
July 9 |
5,000 |
$9,850,000 |
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Downtown Development Board Kicks off Photo Contest
The City of Orlando's Downtown Development Board (DDB), in partnership with the Downtown Arts District, has launched the third annual Best of DTO Photo Contest. Photographers are encouraged to submit high-resolution photos of Downtown Orlando. This year's categories include: Live, Work, Play, Panoramic and Lake Eola Park. Photos can be submitted via the website or directly on the Downtown Orlando Facebook Page by July 18, 2016.
More Details Emerge on New Universal Property
According to the Orlando Business Journal, Universal Orlando is planning a 600-room hotel that will sit on 5.87 acres of land just south of another of its hotel properties.
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Orlando Premium Outlets Offers Free Hotel Shuttle
As part of ongoing efforts to enhance the customer experience, Orlando Premium Outlets Vineland and Orlando Premium Outlets International announced a complimentary daily shopping shuttle between the properties and select area hotels. The Orlando Premium Outlets Hotel Shopper Shuttle will feature 50 passenger seats and free Wi-Fi.
Central Florida Tops the Charts!
In a recent report on U.S. metropolitan economies, Central Florida ranked No. 9 out of the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas for future employment growth. The report, prepared by IHS and Global Insight for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, reviewed economic conditions across all U.S. metropolitan economies.
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Industry News |
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July 4th to be a Stellar Travel Weekend
AAA projects nearly 43 million Americans will travel this Independence Day weekend. This represents the highest Fourth of July travel volume on record and five million more travelers compared to Memorial Day weekend. Eighty-four percent of holiday travelers - more than 36 million people - will drive to their Independence Day destinations, an increase of 1.2 percent over last year. Air travel is expected to increase 2.2 percent over last year, with 3.3 million Americans taking to the skies this Independence Day.
Travel by other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses, will increase two percent to 3.3 million travelers. Most of those travelers are expected to fill cruise cabins and AAA's holiday cruise bookings are 35 percent higher than last Independence Day.
Many Americans Don't Take Vacation Americans get significantly fewer vacation days than workers in other high-income countries. But the truly sad part is we fail to use the few vacation days that we do get, reports Huffington Post. In fact, more than half of Americans took seven or fewer vacation days last year, according to a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll. Even worse, 32 percent of survey respondents said they took zero vacation days in the last year.
What Your Summer Vacation Will Really Cost Air travel is expected to remain strong throughout the summer and smart budgeting can help make a vacation even better, reports USA Today. The article offers budgeting tips and notes planning considerations for the cost of bottled water, medication, documentation, alcohol, tipping, and currency exchange.
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Tourism Safety Resource
As part of Visit Orlando's ongoing efforts to support members with potential guest inquiries regarding our destination's commitment to safety, we have developed some resources you may wish to utilize. Although we have received only a small handful of consumer inquiries on this topic, Visit Orlando has adjusted some existing visitor information resources over the last few weeks to include information on the robust safety infrastructure within our tourism community.
Our region's tourism entities and local authorities have always worked closely together to create a safe environment for the millions of visitors that we host each year. These measures continuously evolve, including a greater focus on prevention, technological advances and information-sharing capabilities. Interested visitors may learn more on Visit Orlando's consumer website, and also can phone or email our visitor services team with questions. Feel free to share these tools with your teams, or on your own website as you see fit. • Website: VisitOrlando.com/safety
• Visitor information line: 1-800-4ORLANDO • Email address: info@VisitOrlando.com For more information, please call or email our team. We are happy to answer questions, provide information and/or connect you to the right resource.
CDC Zika Information
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), its most current data available (June 29, 2016) indicate that zero (0) locally acquired cases have been reported in the United States, while 934 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.
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