Meeting News - October 20, 2008 - (Page 26)

Destination Insider: Florida Coast to Coast MeetingNews Q&A: Making the Best of Things Orlando CVB chief is hopeful about the destination’s future To get an update on how the Orlando market is coping with the economic slowdown, MeetingNews caught up with Gary Sain, president of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Though he predicts overall meetings attendance in the destination will be slightly lower this year than last, Sain remains optimistic. Orlando’s diverse offerings, growth in international travelers, and continued investment from hotel companies like Hilton will keep the Orlando market strong and poised for continued growth, he said. their T&E budgets through at least the first six months of next year—if not the entire year. We hopefully will hold our own. QWhat A Q challenges does Orlando face? Q How has Orlando been affected by the current economic conditions? to do at the convention center, but we’re seeing fewer people. By year end, we’ll see a drop-off in overall attendance for 2008 compared to 2007. Now, more than ever, the price of a meeting is probably going to be paramount, as well as picking a destination with the greatest value. That’s why Orlando will weather the storm. The wonderful thing about Orlando is that we can offer a lot of choices. What can meeting planners expect going forward in Orlando? A I break 2008 up into a tale of “two years.” The first part was very good; we were up in all categories. The last six months have been a lot slower. The economic challenges that Main Street America faces certainly have affected us. We’re still doing the number of events we need QIs A Orlando ready to weather this storm? A There’s still going to be a lot of pressure on attendees and exhibitors on how they spend Our customers have told us over the years that we need more first-class hotel rooms around the convention center, within walking distance. We have good inventory now. Luxury accommodations with 276 guestrooms and suites, 76,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space including two state of the art amphitheatres, professional experienced conference management team, tur n ke y in house c r e ativ e d e s i gn , 1 8 hol e championship Donald Ross Golf Course, 12,000 sq foot world class spa and fitness center, tennis courts, highly acclaimed and award winning dinning. Bilt mor e aw aits to plan you r e v e n t or m e e ti n g Call us today (800) 456-1926, (305) 913-3100 sales @b iltmorehotel.com G O L F / S PA / T E N N I S / F I T N E S S / F I N E D I N I N G 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida 33134 1.800.727.1926 BiltmoreHotel.com 26 MeetingNews October 20, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - October 20, 2008

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