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Visit Orlando Events
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Oct. 11
Power Hour Lunch
Uncle Julio's
I-Drive 360
8409 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Check out I-Drive 360's newest restaurant while connecting with fellow members. You'll have the opportunity to share your 30-second elevator speech while enjoying a delicious meal from Uncle Julio's!
Cost: $25 for Visit Orlando members
Click here to register.
Oct. 19
Member Meet-Up Happy Hour
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games Orlando
9299 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819
Time: 5 to 6:30 p.m.
One of the most anticipated additions to the International Drive area is now open, and this is the perfect chance to check out Orlando's newest attraction: Andretti Indoor Karting & Games. Explore the new facility while connecting with fellow members.
Cost: $15 for Visit Orlando members
Click here to register.
Nov. 2
Member Orientation
Recommended for both new members and long-time Visit Orlando members to learn:
• How Visit Orlando markets the area as a convention, meetings and visitor destination.
• The benefits of membership.
• How to take advantage of the value-added services available exclusively to members.
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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| Member-to-Member Offers |
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Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort
is more than a stay - it's a place to play. Enjoy seven swimming pools, including a lazy river-style pool, waterslides, miniature golf courses, arcades, four golf courses, tennis and an 80-acre lake with plenty of watersports, a fun zone and more. Visit Orlando members save 20 to 25 percent off their stay. Call 866-892-5890 to reserve.
Citrus Club is offering Visit Orlando members 10 percent off food and beverage on all new events booked in 2017. Book two or more events together and receive 15 percent off the total. Call Citrus Club to redeem. Offer Code: 2017
Orlando Convention Photographers is offering Visit Orlando members 25 percent off photography services for business portraits, services, meetings and marketing materials. Offer code: 012317
Balmoral Resort Florida is offering stays starting at $99 for Visit Orlando members! Stay at the fabulous new Balmoral vacation home resort at Haines City, Central Florida, just minutes from Legoland. Contemporary homes with private pools and spacious townhomes, just steps from the clubhouse. $99 for townhome, $125 for a pool home. Use code VOM for redemption by calling 1-866-6-VILLAS / 1-866-5-45527 or email bookings@feltrimresorts.com. Subject to availability. Some restrictions may apply.
Roy's Restaurant $20 dining credit! May be redeemed for any dining purchase. Valid in Main Dining Room for dinner only. Cannot be used for tax, gratuity or gift card purchases. No cash value. Not valid with any promotional offers, including Aloha Hour. One redemption per table. Provide the Offer Code: VOMember2Member, on Open Table or to the host when making reservations.
Orlando Watersports Complex is offering half-price riding every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to close during summer hours, and from 2 p.m. to close during winter hours. Offer code: VOM2M
Do you have an offer you would like to see posted? Submit an offer to Visit Orlando Member Relations here.
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Industry Events
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Follow us for stories on Orlando!
Download the free Visit Orlando App for your personalized Orlando experience. The best way to navigate Orlando.
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| President & CEO's Message |
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October 6, 2017
Three Things to Know this October
That slight cooling of the night air can only mean one thing: Fall is here. As we wrap up the first week of October, here are three quick things to keep you in the know.
1. We're promoting Orlando as America's "Halloween Vacation Capital." No other destination offers so many spooky (and not so spooky) large-scale events and attractions, and we're launching marketing and publicity campaigns to spread the word. Be on the lookout for a scary surprise Friday the 13th at one of I-Drive's most iconic landmarks - something people will be talking about "on the web" for a long time.
2. Magical Dining Month has been extended to Oct. 12.
Visit Orlando's annual dining event was impacted by Hurricane Irma, so we added 11 days to keep the magic going. In addition to helping participating restaurants, the extra time will also mean more donations for our two charities, Freedom Ride and BASE Camp. Make your reservations today!
3. Time's running out to submit your "signature dish." Entries are due by Sunday in Orlando's Signature Dish culinary competition. Just create a dessert that incorporates honey as a key ingredient and let us know about it. Finalists will be announced in early November, with the winner being crowned Dec. 7.
-George Aguel
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| From the Research & Insights Desk of Visit Orlando |
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Industry Employment Grew 4.7 Percent in August
Orlando's leisure and hospitality employment declined 0.4 percent from July to August, reflecting the typical seasonal travel pattern, but industry employment in August was 4.7 percent higher than the same month last year. Growth in industry employment outpaced the 3.3 percent year-over-year increase for total MSA employment, adding 11,600 jobs from August 2016 to August 2017. This accounted for 29 percent of the area's total nonagricultural employment growth. |
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| Visit Orlando Updates |
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Top Canadian Morning
Show Highlights Orlando
Visit Orlando's publicity team secured coverage on CHCH Morning Live Sept. 26 by partnering with family expert Angie Campanelli. The segment focused on what's new in Orlando and encouraged viewers to consider traveling here this fall and winter, even looking ahead to March break.
Orlando Networks
With 185 Clients
Visit Orlando and six members recently attended Meetings & Incentives Campus Week in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. At the event, a supplier showcase and breakfast hosted by Visit Orlando created optimal networking opportunities, with participation from 185 travel buyers, meeting planners and their clients.
IDDBA 2019 Expects
10,000 Attendees
In June 2019, the International Dairy Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) will hold its convention at the Orange County Convention Center. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend. Allison McCarty, meeting planner at IDDBA, was in Orlando this week conducting site tours for three events that will take place during the show. IDDBA also held a convention in Orlando in 2013.
HelmsBriscoe
Lunch and Learn
Visit Orlando showcased all the new and exciting things happening in our destination during a special lunch-and-learn session for HelmsBriscoe staff in Rosemont, Illinois. The event also helped Visit Orlando team members understand HelmsBriscoe client's needs. HelmsBriscoe is a global leader in meetings with a network of 1,300 associates whose bookings resulted in 6 million room nights and $1.2 billion in room revenue last year.
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UK SuperFam
Showcases Orlando
As part of the Visit Orlando Super Fam, 50 best-selling UK travel agents learned about our destination's theme parks and newest attractions, as well as our world-class shopping and dining experiences.
Students Gain
Hands-on Experience
In celebration of World Tourism Day, Visit Orlando partnered with the Rosen College of Hospitality to hold an industry wide job shadow Sept. 29. The event included more than 85 students at 37 employer venues, providing hands-on experience and connections with industry leaders at area restaurants, hotels, event management, theme parks and other attractions. The annual job shadow offers a glimpse into the opportunities available right in our own backyard, while serving as a reminder of the impact of Orlando tourism.
Local Chefs Showcase
Magical Dining Offerings
Over the past two months, Visit Orlando's publicity team has partnered with local chefs to show off their Magical Dining Month offerings and promote the program, now extended through Oct. 12. These efforts secured nine broadcast segments airing on WESH and Fox 35, with more than 405,500 impressions.
Meeting & Convention
Article Features Orlando
The publicity team recently assisted a writer from Association Conventions and Facilities to cover Orlando's new event spaces and attractions. The bi-monthly magazine is one of the largest association publications for meetings and convention planners.
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| News About Orlando |
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At the Center
| Group |
Meeting |
Start |
End |
Estimated Attendees |
Estimated Economic Impact |
| American Society of Plastic Surgeons |
Plastic Surgery The Meeting |
Oct. 7 |
Oct. 10 |
5,600 |
$11,032,000 |
| Urban Exposition, LLC |
The Florida Restaurant Show 2017 |
Oct. 11 |
Oct. 13 |
8,400 |
$16,548,000 |
| American College of Gastroenterology |
World Congress of Gastroenterology 2017 |
Oct. 15 |
Oct. 18 |
8,000 |
$15,760,000 |
| American Society of Human Genetics |
American Society of Human Genetics 67th Annual Meeting 2017 |
Oct. 18 |
Oct. 20 |
8,000 |
$15,760,000 |
| National Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
NCTM Regional Conference 2017 |
Oct. 19 |
Oct. 20 |
3,000 |
$5,910,000 |
| Team Global USA, Corp. |
Team Global USA 2017 Convention |
Oct. 20 |
Oct. 22 |
3,600 |
$7,092,000 |
| American Trucking Associations, Inc. |
ATA Management Conference & Exhibition 2017 |
Oct. 22 |
Oct. 24 |
3,000 |
$5,910,000 |
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WalletHub Gives Orlando
High Marks for Fun
WalletHub ranked the 150 most-populated cities in America to determine who was having the most fun. Orlando came in second. The criteria included three categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and costs.
TDT Revenue up Nearly
5 Percent in August
Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond announced this week that tourist development tax collections were 4.7 percent higher in August 2017 when compared to the year prior.
Andretti Indoor Karting
Revs Up Its Engines
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, which held a soft opening Sept. 28, is now open to the public. The 150,000-square-foot, premier entertainment and event destination features attractions, fine cuisine and event space under one roof.
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Swan and Dolphin
Completes Renovation
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has completed the largest transformation in the resort's history: a $140 million, three-year project that included a redesign of all guest rooms, complete transformation of the Dolphin Resort lobby and renovation of all meeting space.
Ravenous Pig Celebrates
10 Years of Success
The Ravenous Pig will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Central Florida by holding an Oktoberfest Pig Roast Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. That will be followed by "Friends of the Pig," a five-course wine dinner on Sunday, Oct. 8, starting at 5 p.m.
Survey: onePULSE
Foundation Memorial
onePULSE Foundation is seeking input for the design of a permanent memorial and museum on the site of the former Pulse Nightclub. The online survey can be accessed through Oct. 31 at onePULSEFoundation.org.
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| Industry News |
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Study: Luxury Travelers
Value Memories Most
The recently released 2017-2018 Portrait of American Travelers Study shows 92 percent of luxury travelers value memories over purchases. And, during the past 12 months, these 6.7 million traveling households took 40 million vacations and spent $67.5 billion on leisure travel.
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Generational Differences
Define Travel Habits
A new report from Northstar Research Partners compares travel habits among Baby Boomers, Millennials and Generations X and Z. Among the notable findings: Millennials travel the most days per year (35), while Gen X travels the least (26). Gen Z, the youngest of the age groups, is defined by outdoor exploration and the #YOLO philosophy.
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