It's been another busy week for us at Visit Orlando as we remain focused on launching new programs, and strengthening existing ones, to support our industry and community at large.
We are promoting area restaurants, rolling out a webinar series, and helping to keep conventions on the books, as all parts of our organization shift to support the reality of this time.
I invite you to let us know what you like, what you want more of, and also what new types of support you need by emailing us. We are here for you.
VISIT ORLANDO IN ACTION
Supporting Local Restaurants: Congratulations to all who joined us as we teamed up this week with Orange County to promote #407Day, a social campaign with a nod to Tuesday's calendar date (4/07) and the county's longtime area code. Together, we created a "virtual dinner table" across our community as we encouraged residents to order takeout or delivery from one of the 400+ open restaurants so far at www.VisitOrlando.com/ToGo, then post a selfie or food shot using the hashtags #407Day and #OrlandoToGo.
The campaign was a big hit, as in just the first few days: » 14,000+ people visited the website to look for restaurants. » Local media published 100+ stories. » More than 2,500 social media posts were shared, generating over 300,000 impressions.
The restaurant industry is a critical part of the fabric of Orlando and employs nearly 120,000 of our friends and neighbors, or 10% of the total private employment in the Orlando region. Our community stood united, and we so appreciate everyone who banded together to participate in #407Day and order "Orlando to Go" to support this industry.
The restaurants are incredibly grateful as well, and have told us that the program is working, as they saw an increase in their sales. I am so proud to be a resident of Orlando and, together with the county we are extending this program now all month long to become "407Days."
Webinars: On Wednesday, our membership team hosted its first in a series of webinars to assist local business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Daryl Cronk, our economist and head of research, reviewed key travel industry indicators and forward-looking data on Orlando's travel industry. He also examined how travel patterns from a past crisis could offer a glimpse into our future. The webinar sold out, so if you weren't one of the lucky 500 participants who registered, we have made the link available here. And join us for the next "Wednesday Webinar" April 15, when we will hear from TripAdvisor on what current travel insights and trends they are seeing.
Rescheduling Conventions: Our convention sales team is working alongside the Orange County Convention Center and member hotels to reschedule impacted groups. As of Tuesday, 15 conventions with an estimated economic impact of $374 million have rescheduled for later this year and four large citywide groups are expected to sign by the end of April. In addition, our hotel direct sales team has assisted in securing 17 new conventions with an economic impact of $18 million for our Orlando hotels.
Community Resources: To help serve local businesses and industry employees, we continue to assemble information on community and financial relief efforts. This list is regularly updated on our member website.
COMMUNITY & HEALTH
Stay-at-Home Order: The statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect until May 1. For information on how it impacts personal mobility and business operations, please refer to this updated and extended FAQ. For the most critical local health and government updates, visit Orange County's coronavirus webpage.
Testing Info: There are now three coronavirus testing sites in Orange County: the Orange County Convention Center, UCF's main campus and 12050 E. Colonial Drive. More information, including testing criteria, can be found at ocfl.net/coronavirus.
