Welcome to Orlando
Centuries ago, in terms of economic impact, Orlando was known for a lot less that attributed to the city's present-day prosperity. After a series of Seminole Wars, resulting in the Seminole Tribe moving to Oklahoma and few opting to remain in Central Florida area, early pioneers established settlement. Orlando's first wave of economic impact was contributed by the pioneers' cattle ranching. Between 1875 and 1895, "Orlando's Golden Era" transitioned the economy to the agriculture of citrus fruits, which marked Orlando as the hub of Florida's citrus industry. Orlando reached it's recognition of consistent population and economic growth by two critical events: the 1971 opening of Walt Disney World and the 1983 Phase I completion of the Orange County Convention Convention Center.
Present day Orlando, "The City Beautiful", is Florida's third largest metropolitan area economically impacted by the tourist industry and the convention industry. On an annual basis, an estimated 52 million tourists head to Central Florida to experience the many local attractions Orlando has to offer. Recognized for having the second-largest number of hotel rooms in the country and being one of the busiest American cities for conventions and conferences, Orlando houses the second largest convention center in the United States. The Orange County Convention Center, providing more than 7 million square feet in exhibition and meeting space, annually hosts an estimated one million delegates providing $1.9 billion in total economic impact to Central Florida's economy. Orlando is not only the premiere destination for your next meeting, it is THE location for catering to all facets of a program's needs and expectations.
The city of Orlando provides a wide array of theme park attractions, day excursions, retail shopping, sport activities, arts and entertainment, and popular dining establishments. Theme park attractions, including Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, and Kennedy Space Center, are all tourist must-sees, offering entertainment for all ages. Orlando's experience is not complete without a round of golf at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Golf Club, a retail splurge at The Mall of Millenia, an airboat excursion of Lake Jesup in search for alligators, an educational exhibit at the Orlando Museum of Arts, a relaxing day of beauty treatments at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Spa, a courtside game of the Orlando Magics at Amway Arena or an evening of fine dining in Downtown Orlando — all ideal to the enhancement of any program. So go ahead and live by the city's very own motto and "Say Yes to Orlando"!