“Upticks across several key indicators demonstrate real strength and growth for Orlando’s meetings and conventions community. Orlando is attracting an increasing variety of meetings, more international attendees, particularly from Latin America, and renewed meeting planner interest driven by Orlando’s high value and affordability,” said Gary Sain, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “Orlando was a bullish destination during the economic downturn, adding new hotels at all price points and new amenities for the meetings industry and the meetings industry is responding to Orlando’s unique energy, excitement and diversification.”
Orlando continued to invest in its meetings and conventions offerings throughout the economic recession with more than $4 billion in new infrastructure projects including brand name hotels like the Waldorf Astoria, the Hilton Orlando adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center and the Peabody Orlando expansion; the new multi-million dollar Amway Center; the new “Medical City” complex featuring a medical college, research facilities and new hospitals; as well as new dining and entertainment options surrounding the convention center campus. The destination also initiated new meeting planner programs and services including adding a full-time destination marketing professional focused on attendance-building initiatives and two dedicated full-service site inspection professionals on staff to assist planners.
Positive indicators include:
•In-year and future-year definite bookings in 2010 generated nearly 2.2 million room nights, a 10 percent increase over 2009, and an estimated $1.7 billion in attendee spending.
•Recent groups reeling in more attendees while meeting in Orlando including: the American Society of Hematology’s December 2010 meeting with 21,000 attendees, a 2,000-person increase compared with the group’s 2009 meeting in New Orleans; and POWER-GEN’s record-breaking 2010 meeting in Orlando drawing 19,272 attendees, a 9 percent increase from their 2009 convention in Las Vegas.
•The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) hosted 95 conventions and tradeshows in 2010 compared with 84 in 2009. Attendance at these events also rose 17 percent.
•Orange County’s 2010 Tourist Development Tax collections, levied on short-term rentals including hotel rooms, were up 9 percent for the year. December 2010 Tourist Development Tax collections alone were 15 percent higher than December 2009, representing 11 consecutive month-to-month increases over the previous year.
Orlando welcomes the following groups in 2011:
•National Association of Home Builders, January 12-15, 47,000 attendees
•Professional Golfers Association, January 27-29, 40,000 attendees
•True Value, January 31-February 2, 15,000 attendees
•Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, February 20-24, 27,000 attendees
•American Pet Products Association, March 16-18, 10,000 attendees
•Electronics House Expo, March 17-19, 9,500 attendees
•MegaCon, March 25-27, 37,000 attendees
•American Society for Training and Development, May 22-25, 9,000 attendees
•Premiere Show Group, June 5-6, 48,600 attendees
•Meeting Professionals International, July 23-26, 2,700 attendees
•International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, November 14-18, 25,000 attendees
•Performance Racing Industry, December 1-3, 45,000 attendees
