Meeting News - October 20, 2008 - (Page 24)

Destination Insider: Florida Coast to Coast Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com A Day in the Sun Orlando’s convention center starts installation of rooftop solar panels The Orange County Convention Center will break ground next month on a $7.3 million project to install 200,000 sf of rooftop solar panels. The panels will be a new source of energy for the center when the project is done in May 2009. Last December, Orange County officials approved the plan as a way to offset the environmental impact of the roughly 1.4 million conventioneers that use the building annually. “Over the last three years, our operations personnel have successfully implemented several energy conservation measures,” said Jerry Daigle, a deputy general manager of the OCCC. “This solar project will take us to the next level in energy management, and it will be a major step in making our facilities green.” The one-megawatt solar-powered system will generate 1,300 to 1,500 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the power used by 80 to 100 typical homes. The OCCC’s installation will be the largest solar project in the Southeast. Other green projects at the center—which is Green Day: Orlando center’s solar panels will generate enough power annually for 100 homes. already ISO 14001-certified (an international specification for environmental management)— include purchasing recycled products, using reclaimed water for landscaping irrigation, using Green Seal-certified cleaning products, and installing waterless urinals and low-flow faucets. “Most of the meetings that are coming in now are focusing on whatever it is in their industry that they can do to improve the environment,” said Kathleen Canning, the OCCC’s other deputy general manager. This is not the center’s first green effort. Back in May, the building hosted Green Earth Expo 2008, the world’s largest dedicated sustainable commerce and lifestyle trade show, with over 50,000 attendees. And, in early February, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) hosted a green day at the center during its International Builders’ Show. NAHB’s 92,000 attendees celebrated a new professional designation program that highlights green home-building. —Phillip Hennessey Orlando Hoteliers, Including Disney, Offer Condo Rooms to Groups Despite cooling economic conditions that have slowed outside investment and forced condohotel projects in downtown Orlando and DisA new tower rises at a Disney World resort. ney’s Celebration to close, several other projects in the city were just completed or will be soon. The Disney Contemporary Resort completed the structure of the new 15-story Bay Lake tower this summer, with interior work scheduled to be finished by fall 2009. The tower will house 295 two-bedroom villas, which will complement the resort’s existing 656 rooms and suites. The resort has 115,000 sf of meeting space. “For meetings and conventions, the transformation of the Contemporary has essentially created a hotel within a hotel,” said George Aguel, senior vice president for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.“Guests will still find all the amenities of a first-class resort—but set away from the hustle and bustle. They’ll discover sophisticated meeting facilities, restaurants, and lounges, all of which are ideal for business and networking.” Meanwhile, the 325-suite Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa last month opened a new 2,600-sf meeting center, capable of accommodating up to 250 people for receptions. It is the latest addition to the two-year-old, 60-acre resort, which boasts nearly 500 fully furnished condo suites and over 5,000 sf of meeting space. While these properties expand, one new condo-hotel opened this year near the Orange County Convention Center: the Point Orlando Resort, which opened in January with 144 suites. Located on International Drive, the property can accommodate groups of up to 150 people in its 2,200 sf of meeting space. —PH www.meetingnews.com 24 MeetingNews October 20, 2008 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - October 20, 2008

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