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Featured Event
 
Business Insights Luncheon

Aug. 23
Business Insights Luncheon & Economic Forum
Hilton Orlando
6001 Destination Pkwy.
Orlando, FL 32819
Click here to register now!

 

 
Join the Conversation
 
SeaWorld

Visit Orlando's social media insiders offer a mouth-watering look at the participating venues for this year's Magical Dining Month program, running Aug. 25 to Oct. 1. Menus are online, and reservations are open now!

 

 
Visit Orlando Events
 

webinar

July 20
Member Meet-Up Happy Hour - STK Orlando

STK Orlando
1580 E. Buena Vista Drive
Orlando, FL 32830
Meet with fellow members at this Disney Springs hot spot! Enjoy refreshments, appetizers and raffle drawings while you make connections.
Featured Guests: Visit Orlando Travel Industry Sales Team
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.
Cost: Visit Orlando Members - $15
Click here to register.

Aug. 9
Power Hour Lunch - Cuba Libre
Cuba Libre

Make plans to attend the August Power Hour lunch at Cuba Libre. Take part in networking over a lunch filled with Cuban flavors.
Time: Noon-1 p.m.
Cost: Visit Orlando Members - $25
Click here to register.

Aug. 3
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.

 
 
Member-to-Member Offers
 

 Orange Lake Golf

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 20-25 percent off your stay. Call 866-892-5890 to reserve.

Citrus Club is offering Visit Orlando members 10 percent off the entire food and beverage total on all new events booked taking place in 2017. If you book two or more events together, you receive 15 percent off the total. Call Citrus Club directly 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

Premier Piano Shows is offering a vendor discount to Visit Orlando members. Offer provides $500 vendor discount off any Corporate Dueling Piano Entertainment package (retail prices range from $3,275-$5,000 for three-hour show). Click here to fill out contact form with information about your event. Promo Code VO500OFF. Offer not valid after Sept. 1.

Joust

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is offering all seats at $35 for Visit Orlando members. Click here to purchase tickets and enter offer code VISITORL. Offer expires Sept. 30.

Orlando City Soccer Club is offering Visit Orlando members discounted tickets to upcoming Orlando City and Orlando Pride games. Click here to find tickets and a promotional code.

VR Orlando Rentals is offering Visit Orlando members 20 percent off any virtual reality rental package. To redeem, call or email with the offer code VISITORLVR, and the discount will be applied once the booking is confirmed.

Ember is offering $5 off the regular price at Uncorked! Plan to visit Ember every Wednesday from 5 - 9 p.m. through Dec. 31 for unlimited fine wines, select drafts and hors d'oeuvres. Text "Visit" to 407-470-9924 and show the message you receive at the door.

Do you have an offer you would like to see posted? Submit an offer to Visit Orlando Member Relations here.

 
 
Industry Events
 

K1 Speed Orlando Monday Night Hospitality Special. $12 races and $3 mini-bowling. Industry employees must show valid ID or recent pay stub. Offer valid Mondays only.

 
 
Community Events
 

Through Aug. 20
Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2017
Orlando Museum of Art

Through Sept. 3
Summer of Love: Reflections on Pulse
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens

Through Sept. 3
The Beautiful Mysterious: The Extraordinary Gaze of William Eggleston
The Mennello Museum of American Art

May19_OSC_Identity

Through Sept. 4
Identity: An Exhibition of You
Orlando Science Center

Through Sept. 10
Sea and Sky: Watercolors and Drawings by Paul Signac From the Arkansas Arts Center Collection
Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College

Through Sept. 10
Exhibition Tour - Patrick Martinez: American Memorial
Cornell Fine Arts Museum

Through Oct. 15
Tin Can Tourism Exhibit
Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum

July 22-23
Hairspray - Presented by Encore!
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

July 24-28
Art of Calligraphy
Orlando Museum of Art

July 26
Art Night Out: Living Room Graffiti
Orlando Museum of Art

July 28-Aug. 20
Some Enchanted Evening
The Winter Park Playhouse

Aug. 19
CFAMily Day at the Cornell
Cornell Fine Arts Museum

Sept. 23
Haunted Historic 5K Race
Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek

 
 
Connect With Visit Orlando
 

Social Media

Be sure to follow @VisitOrlando on Instagram and Twitter, like us at facebook.com/VisitOrlando or watch YouTube.com/VisitOrlando for more insider information about the world's most famous destination!

Sign up for our e-newsletter here.

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President & CEO's Message
 

July 14, 2017

Our Next Can't-Miss Event: Aug. 23 Luncheon with Noted Tech Entrepreneur

George Aguel

Providing high-quality educational and networking opportunities is one key way we like to deliver valuable program opportunities to our members as well as the community. As you'll read in this issue, we continue to experience tremendous turnout at our events and have even more great ones in the pipeline.

For our next major event, I'm excited to announce that Josh Linkner, a leading tech entrepreneur and investor in dozens of successful startups, will be the keynote speaker at our much-anticipated annual Business Insights Luncheon & Economic Forum on Aug. 23.

A New York Times bestselling author who has raised more than $150 million in venture capital, Josh has an unconventional (yet very effective) approach to driving growth and innovation. As the founder and CEO of ePrize, he built the largest digital promotions agency in the world and his framework for creative problem solving can help your company harness its imagination to address all sorts of challenges.

Also joining us for a return engagement will be Sage Policy Group Chairman and CEO, Anirban Basu, whose highly entertaining economic analysis and insights has been a favorite of ours and audiences across the country. And joining him earlier that morning will be our own Visit Orlando senior director of Market Research & Insights, Daryl Cronk. These two respected economists will explore the global, national and regional dynamics that shape visitation to Orlando both now as well as in the future.

All this adds up to a must-attend event you won't want to miss. Space always fills up fast, so register today. I look forward to seeing you there!

-George Aguel

 
 
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From the Research & Insights Desk of Visit Orlando
 
Industry Employment Reaches All-Time High in May

Leisure and hospitality employment in the Orlando MSA grew 5.9 percent in May compared to the same month last year, outpacing the 4 percent increase in total nonagricultural employment. The increase in leisure and hospitality employment accounted for nearly 31 percent of the area's gain in total nonagricultural employment. Industry employment totaled 265,200, which was 21 percent of the MSA's total nonagricultural employment and represented an all-time high.

 
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Visit Orlando Updates
 

magical dining

Get Ready for Magical Dining!

OrlandoMagicalDining.com, the website for Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month sponsored by American Express, is now live, featuring the menu options of more than 100 participating restaurants. Sample the three-course menus from some of the area's finest and most talked-about restaurants for just $35, from Aug. 25 to Oct. 1. With so many great options and the increasing popularity of the program, make your reservations now. One dollar from each meal benefits a local charity. This year, due to the immense growth of the program, Magical Dining Month will benefit two Orlando nonprofit organizations: Freedom Ride Inc. and BASE Camp Children's Foundation. Last year, Magical Dining raised a record $195,125 for the Russell Home for Atypical Children.

Power Hour

Sold-Out Power Hour Lunch I-Drive Update a Hit

Guest speaker Luann Brooks, executive director of the I-Drive Business Improvement District, provided an in-depth presentation to a sold-out Visit Orlando Power Hour lunch at Tapa Toro, with nearly 60 members in attendance. She discussed the economic impact of the I-Drive area, highlighted development updates and was available to answer questions. This update was one of a series. Previous regional updates have included Thomas Chatmon, executive director of the Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency, and Darcy Clark, marketing manager at Disney Springs.

AF

Visit Orlando Presents 2017 Inspiring Leader Award

Visit Orlando attended Association Forum's 101st Honors Gala, along with with nearly 800 association professionals and suppliers, to celebrate and honor the achievements of industry colleagues and partners at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. Visit Orlando presented the non-profit association executive and supplier-partner organization's 2017 Inspiring Leader award to Greg Fine, CAE. Fine was honored for establishing a culture leading to employee satisfaction, motivation, engagement and achievement. 


Pictured left to right: Chirag Patel, Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics; Barbara Balaguras, Visit Orlando; Christine Melendes, Association for Corporate Growth; Cate Hunter, SmithBucklin; Robert Naylor, Hilton LVB/BVP; Hayat Pronovost, Visit Orlando; Cassie Palacios, SmithBucklin/ASUG; Nancy Henkel, Water Quality Association; and Fred Shea, Visit Orlando.

Telegraph

UK's Telegraph Story Results in 35.5M Impressions

Visit Orlando's Public Relations Team assisted with a story in The Telegraph online that named Orlando the top holiday destination for October half-term. The story also got picked up by Yahoo Style UK, for a combined 35.5 million impressions.

 

Brazil

Brazil Campaign Generates 200M Impressions

Visit Orlando's spring media campaign in Brazil successfully wrapped up at the end of June, generating more than 200 million impressions, unprecedented awareness and intent to travel, as well as forward airline bookings. The campaign reached the target audience through paid TV, print, online videos, digital display, social media advertising and search engine marketing. Additionally, in-language, culturally curated content on the destination provided in-depth planning tips and information.

Reforma

Mexico's Reforma Features Orlando

Visit Orlando's public relations team worked with widely-read Mexican newspaper Reforma, on a feature about Orlando for its weekly travel supplement, De Viaje. The two-page article (including the cover) highlighted some of Orlando's newest attractions, including Universal Orlando Resort's Volcano Bay and Walt Disney World Resort's Pandora - The World of AVATAR at Disney's Animal Kingdom, as well as LEGOLAND's NinjaGo World and iFLY Orlando's new facility. The article was generated in print and web formats, and promoted on Reforma's social media.

swan boats

America's Best City for Recreation

For the second year in a row, Orlando ranks as WalletHub's "Best City for Recreation." Across 100 major U.S. cities, the personal finance website examined 44 key metrics that include basic living costs, weather, quality of parks, and accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities.

Tim Landis

Influencer's Orlando Father's Day Reaches 3M+

Visit Orlando's public relations team worked with influencer and photographer Tim Landis as part of a "Father's Day - 30 Days of Dad" promotion, that included social media posts reaching more than 3.2 million. Along with posting to his numerous social media channels, Tim took over Visit Orlando's Instagram to showcase photos of his family's experience in Orlando.

 
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News About Orlando
 

OCCC

At the Center

Group Meeting Start End Estimated Attendees Estimated Economic Impact
International Reading Association Inc. ILA 2017 Conference & Exhibits July 15 July 17 6,500 $12,805,000
National Archery In The Schools Program Inc. World Archery Tournament 2017 July 20 July 22 7,000 $13,790,000
Miss America's Outstanding Teen Inc. Miss America's Outstanding Teen Competition 2017 July 25 July 29 2,600 $5,122,000
SHI International Corporation SHI Global Sales Conference 2017 July 27 July 27 1,500 $2,955,000
Zumba Fitness LLC Zumba Fitness Instructor Convention 2017 July 27 July 29 6,000 $11,820,000
 

SeaWorld tour

SeaWorld Adds New Killer Whale Tour

SeaWorld Orlando announced on Tuesday its new "Killer Whale Up-Close Tour." The 45-minute tour gives guests the opportunity to meet the park's killer whales in ways never before offered at the park, including learning from the park's killer whale trainers, meeting the whales and even taking part in a whale interaction.

Read More

Dec1_vacation-kid

Orlando Top 'Half-Term' Family Vacation Spot

UK's The Telegraph named Orlando its No. 1 "Best Last-Minute Family Holiday for October Half-Term."

Read More

Edelweiss to Offer Service Between Zurich & MCO

Swiss International Air Lines has announced that its sister airline, Edelweiss, is expanding its route network to North America in January, with year-round flights between Zurich and Orlando.

Read More

 

ICC

Discounted ICC Tickets Available

Don't miss your chance to see two of the world's biggest soccer clubs when Paris Saint-Germain faces English super club Tottenham Hotspur during the July 22 International Champions Cup at Camping World Stadium. The ICC is offering a 30 percent ticket discount here (use offer code VISITORLANDO).

Read More

Terralina

New Disney Springs Restaurant to Open in Fall

Terralina Crafted Italian is scheduled to open this fall at Disney Springs in the space of the former Portobello Country Italian Trattoria. James Beard Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano is returning to curate the new menu, and Chef Justin Plank will run the kitchen.

Read More

 
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Industry News
 

airliner

DHS Reviewing Laptop Ban

The United States Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it will be reviewing the laptop ban still in place for three Middle Eastern airlines. The DHS lifted the travel ban on six of the airlines originally on the list including Emirates Airlines.

Read More

Theme Parks Accommodating Autistic Guests

With the prevalence of autism on the rise (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 68 children have the condition), parks are making special accommodations available. The article mentions LEGOLAND Florida and Disney World among them.

Read More

 

biometrics

Airlines Try Biometric ID for Boarding, Bags

Two United States air carriers, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue, recently began passenger trials in biometric identification, a technology that verifies a person's identity through fingerprints, facial features or other physical characteristics.

Read More

Biz Travelers Favor Tech for Managing Travel

According to Egencia's just-released annual Business Travel and Technology Survey, there is increasing desire by business travelers for technology access and cross-device integration while on the road.

Read More

 
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Tourism Ambassadors
 
Academy Sports ARDA Bags BB&T British Airways
Clear Channel Outdoor Darden Florida Distributing Company Florida Hospital The Florida Mall
IOA The Mall at Millenia Orlando Economic Development Commission Orlando Health Orlando International Airport
Orlando Magic Orlando Premium Outlets OUC Orlando Sanford Airport Smart City
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