Visit OrlandoTestimonials

The following testimonials describe the great business relationships that are built by involvement with Visit Orlando:

 "Our Director of Operations, Tony Sarcomo and myself attended the CVB Hot Topics session on the Brazil market.  At Hard Rock Orlando we have experienced the buying power of this dynamic market and saw the need for understanding how to connect with them.   

After we attended the Hot Topics session we realized that in order for us to really connect with the Brazilians we needed to have someone on staff that was fluent in Portuguese. At the session we learned that this market really embraced your business if you made the effort to speak their language and understand their culture.  We also learned that we needed to translate our menus for them and help them in our retail Rock Shop to make their purchases.  Tony Sarcomo had recently been on a panel for an HSMAI event and afterwards met with several student chapter members that attend the Rosen School of Hospitality. Tony spoke with one of the student chapter members, Geraldine Golbert who was born in Brazil and just graduated from UCF.  After we walked out of the session he said we needed to recruit Geraldine.  Geraldine speaks fluent Portuguese and is now part of our sales team, meeting with the groups from Brazil, translating menus for them, helping them wi th memorabilia tours and escorting them into our retail Rock Shop. 

Our South American market is very valuable to us at Hard Rock and we learned how important the "relationship" is with the client from the Hot Topics session."

Bonnie Ell
Director of Sales
Hard Rock Orlando
407-370-6013


"This is my first year as a member of the CVB and the benefits have been great.  I have increased my sales through one of the best leads groups I have ever participated in as well as many other networking events put on by the CVB.  My CVB membership and advertising sales manager has put together a great group that meets every Thursday at a different restaurant to help give members an opportunity to network with one another.  I have already been doing business with many members of that group.  Mimi of Ace Expeditors referred me to someone in her organization which resulted in a wonderful and profitable business relationship.  I have also done business with other members of the Thursday leads group, Nara of the Ramada Convention Center, Mike of Sir Speedy, Bob of Bobs Balloons and David of Practically Perfect.  What a great group of people to network with.  I can't thank my sales manager enough for all her hard work and dedication to the CVB Thursday leads group and its members."

Darlene Knight
Jasmine Designs, LLC
386-304-9153
jasminedesigns.com

"We just want to say what an honor it was to take Kyle, Stacey (67 Days of Smiles) and parents out on the Orlando fishing adventure.  Everyone caught fish and had a great time.  We loved the entire experience and the youtube they produced really exemplified exactly our feelings as well.

It was a great experience for both BASS online and Bass Pro Shops and we look forward to working with you in the future. We also want to say how terrific it has been working with everyone at the Orlando CVB; the entire staff is so profesional, pleasant and very helpful.  They understand tourism, marketing and have gone over and beyond our expectations.

Awesome job done by all of you at the Orlando CVB!"

Lori Lupton
Sales Director
Bass Online, Inc.
(888) 629-BASS
www.bassonline.com


"Attending the many Orlando CVB events and activities serve so many purposes.  They are educational, motivational, and entertaining, and they also always provide great networking opportunities.  As a member of the Orlando CVB and the tourism industry, I look forward to attending each event on behalf of Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) as a platform to tell our special story and to meet potential new partners.

A few months ago, the Orlando CVB hosted an exciting membership event at SeaWorld Orlando's Ports of Call.  I was so excited to attend, along with our Vice President of Operations.  We were both eager to experience the new roller coaster, and honored to be the featured nonprofit at the event.  That afternoon the Orlando CVB held a donation drive for disposable/one-time-use cameras for GKTW.  Disposable cameras are the perfect gifts for our visiting Wish children and families.  As members arrived at the event, they dropped off the cameras in singles, doubles, and even bundles!

We spent the afternoon thanking everyone who donated the cameras for GKTW and ran into Henry Manson and Greg Finenco, from Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at Festival Bay Mall at International Drive.  While Bass Pro has worked with GKTW in the past to help secure items for various events, including our annual Black & White Gala, we felt the chance meeting also allowed us to start to discuss opportunities to create and build a stronger partnership.  Introductions were made and cards were exchanged.

Did the event give us a new lead?  Yes, but truly it is all about the follow-up.  Soon after the event, Henry and Greg both came out for a tour of our magical village.  During the visit, ideas started flowing and energy brewing.  As a result, Bass Pro Shops has adopted the GKTW weekly family fishing program.  Bass Pro has agreed to help provide equipment, fish stock, storage, repairs, and even volunteer recruitment to help teach our families to fish.  We could not be happier to see this special program, loved by everyone who participates, get the attention it deserves from these professionals in our community.

Give Kids The World thanks the Orlando CVB for the ongoing networking events and to everyone who attends.  For organizations like ours, these occasions lead to great partnerships that help us bring smiles to children who need it most."

Caroline Schumacher
Development Department
Give Kids The World Village
407-396-1114 x4220
www.gktw.org

"I wanted to share with you the success Vaco had with the CVB and E-LEADS.  This is our second year being a member.  We bid on every E-LEAD that comes to us for staffing special events for clients traveling into Orlando. The ASCD E-LEAD that was shared with me needed to be taken care of within hours.

I called a Destination Meeting Services Manager - Creative Destination Specialist at the CVB and she was most helpful in answering all of my questions.  Upon becoming a member two years ago, my Membership and Advertising Sales Manager has remained in contact with me on a regular basis.  It was a team effort that allowed Vaco to earn the business.

I appreciate the chance to work with the CVB clients coming into Orlando.  We enjoy being a member but most of all "GETTING THE BUSINESS!"  My Team successfully filled 12 temp orders for the ASCD conference with all different people, locations set up between the hotels and the CVB.  In addition, we gained a new client in the ASCD & Film Clips Company out of California.  Film Clips called us upon arriving at the Convention Center.  They needed a temp to help in their booth and met some of our great staff.  So we ended up filling 13 jobs for this event.

I thank you and your Team for always going the extra mile.  The response time is always there when we need it to be."

Maria Hoerner
Partner
Vaco Staffing
407-712-7878
vaco.com 

 "My first year as a CVB Member has been a very rewarding one.  I joined in January of 2008 and immediately secured a booking through E-leads.  By the end of the year, the E-leads had resulted in 5 separate bookings for my steel drum band, The Caribbean Crew.  In addition, I already have two confirmed bookings for 2009.  I also had great success at the July Tabletop Mixer.  I secured two separate bookings from fellow members who visited our table.  One of these members went on to book The Caribbean Crew a total of 10 times in three months.  I also find the convention calendar very helpful and I go through it on a weekly basis.  The steady stream of leads and the networking opportunities are truly a blessing and I am very thankful to everyone at the Orlando CVB".

Creig Camacho
President
The Caribbean Crew
407-788-BEAN
cocobeanproductions.com


"We take advantage of the Member-to-Member listing as one of our CVB membership benefits. We have had great success with our discount offer, as numerous members contact us to receive their McDonald's preferred customer 15% discount card."

Erin Kendrick
Vice President of Marketing
Oerther Foods
407-859-7123 ext.111
mcfun.com


"Our CVB membership has paid for itself many times over.  Not only do we get exposure through the Web site which translates into customers coming through the door, our ads in the Meeting Planners Guide have provided entry into the corporate and events market that has become a major part of our business.  We couldn't ask for better support in media, promotions and business referrals."

Jillian Elliott
Vice President
SkyVenture Orlando
800-759-3861
skyventureorlando.com


"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Orlando CVB!  As a direct result of your efforts, Art of the Party, LLC has been very successful with the leads generated from your office.  We are proud to say that most recently we gained a Fortune 500 client (my personal highest decor budget).  We have also met with an incentive company who will turn out to be a top volume client.  This lead also came from your office.  We had a third excellent lead but unfortunately did not win the business.  However, if not for the CVB we never would have had the opportunity to bid in the first place.  We will just have to win it next year!  And by the way, this has all happened in the past two months!"

Tina Wolpow
Director, Event Development
Art of the Party, LLC
321-281-2804
www.artoftheparty.com


"I so appreciate and love the CVB Leads groups and this is why...I have always been a wiz at handling administrative responsibilities and organizing and supervising people. I am very comfortable in that area of my business. What I struggle with is the marketing or sales part of it. I really struggle with being able to walk up to strangers and introduce myself and my company And as you can all imagine, that is a very important part of my business, as it is for all of us who are trying to promote and expand their companies! The CVB Leads groups have really helped me to overcome this! The luncheons and get together's have provided a more informal arena for me to practice this important skill. It has really been a wonderful experience for me and the networking is great! So if you are not a member of the CVB or are and have not utilized this wonderful resource, you are missing out on an easy and fun opportunity to network and meet new people! And after just a short time of being a member I have already received leads for jobs including a large booking that will employ more than half of my sitters! Yeah CVB!"

Nadine Monico
Owner
Super Sitters, Inc.
407-382-2558
www.super-sitters.com


As a result of the Orlando CVB's Journalist VIP Passport program, Bob's Balloon Charters, LLC is being featured on an NBC In-Flight Orlando promo video during the month of June on United Airlines. With his participation in the Journalist VIP Passport program, Bob has taken up journalists from around the world including Norway and Denmark who were in town for PowWow, and has received write-ups in travel publications resulting in numerous bookings. "There is no way I could ever have afforded this type of advertising. I can't speak highly enough of the Orlando CVB and the Journalist VIP Passport program and the exposure it gives me. Thank You Orlando CVB!"

Bob Wilamoski
Bob's Balloon Charters LLC
407-466-6380
www.bobsballoons.com