Orlando, Fla., seems to always have new properties, renovations and expansions to debut, giving it clout as the No. 1 meetings destination in the U.S., according to Cvent’s latest list.
The latest announcement comes from Visit Orlando, as the city’s Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) highlights a $605 million campus improvement plan that will not only bring expansions but also new meeting and exhibit space to its North and South concourses.
The OCCC already takes up 7 million sf, but the new project will include the Convention Way Grand Concourse, connecting the North and South Concourses with a grand entrance to the North-South building, additional meeting space and an 80,000-sf ballroom. The 200,000-sf facility will be able to accommodate up to 20,000 attendees.
While this expansion certainly adds to Orlando’s meetings appeal, it is just part of the very large puzzle. Over the past five years, the convention center has improved access to surrounding hotels, now offering five pedestrian sky bridges that connect directly to 5,200 hotel rooms.
Other enhancements across the destination include the recent opening of Universal Orlando Resort’s sixth hotel on property (Aventura Hotel) in August, an expansion of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, a $40 million expansion of the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate and the $140 million redesign of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, which is also breaking ground on a new hotel tower this fall.
