Orlando’s meetings and conventions sector is off to a great start for 2023 with 13 events scheduled at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in January, and hotel bookings for the group segment are pacing 47% ahead of Q1 2022.
Recent groups are also reporting strong attendance. For example, North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) recently hosted nearly 29,000 attendees at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo, shattering NAVC’s personal attendance record.
View this video to see a recap of successful events held at OCCC this month.
According to research trends, lead volume is up, and clients are looking short term for their meetings which in return helps us shape business for 2023.
Part of what makes Orlando “Unbelievably Real” are the unique possibilities for meetings, conventions, trade shows and events, and your Visit Orlando team looks forward to driving more business to Orlando in 2023.
Visit Orlando Participates in NYC Media Marketplace
Visit Orlando participated in TravMedia's International Media Marketplace (IMM) in New York. As a leading media networking event, IMM connects the travel industry with journalists, editors and more. Visit Orlando public relations senior managers, Amy Rodenbrock and Dipika Hernandez, met with more than 50 media to discuss the latest Orlando developments and pitched new story ideas.
Hotel Metrics
For the week ending January 21, 2023, Metro Orlando occupancy was 70.6%, up slightly from last week and up 19.4% from last year. The average daily rate was $189, up 9.9% from last year.
Around the Destination
Inaugural Flight: Today, we welcomed a new direct flight service to Orlando from Canada. Lynx Air launched their inaugural U.S. flight from Toronto, Ontario to Orlando International Airport. Now, more Canadian travelers will have direct access to Orlando at the perfect time, ahead of popular booking periods including March Break. Learn more here.
Visit Orlando Engaged!
AMCI Annual Meeting: This week, AMC Institute (AMCI) hosted their annual meeting that connects members, partners and industry leaders to learn about association management companies and each other. We kicked off the week hosting the Board and Leadership Dinner. Then, I had the opportunity of participating in their state of the industry panel session with leaders from Marriott, ALHI, Encore and ASAE, providing insight on the tourism industry to owners and professionals of association management companies within the U.S. and Canada.
The common theme included the business industry reporting as strong, along with the costs of meetings increasing in certain labors and food and beverage. The need for groups to be flexible with dates, work with partners in creative ways to cut costs and collaborate with other meetings groups were also discussed. Looking forward, optimism was shared among the group as the industry moves to full recovery and growth between now and 2027.
And, last night, Visit Orlando partnered with Disney Meetings & Events on hosting AMCI at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with food, fun and networking. The event hosted more than 125 customers with future opportunities for the Central Florida community.
Week of Action Panel: Visit Orlando’s chief marketing officer, Danielle Hollander, participated in Heart of Florida United Way and PACE Center for Girls’ Week of Action panel. The discussion involved an in-person conversation with students about new year resolutions, how goals can be accomplished and more.
In the News
Travel + Leisure: 18 cheapest places to travel around the world in 2023
WFTV: Report says Orlando International Airport had almost 50 million passengers last year
Southern Living: The best free things to do in Orlando
Northstar Meetings Group: Hotels opening in 2023
