Commisioner's Corner: A convention economy

As we welcome 2014, tens of thousands of people from all around the world are preparing to descend upon Orange County to visit one of our nation’s most preeminent conference facilities, the Orange County Convention Center. Orange County owns and operates the facility and funds its maintenance and operations with Tourist Development Tax dollars. The TDT is a tax on hotel beds and as such is paid for mostly by tourists and business travelers. In the 2012-13 fiscal year, the tax will raise an estimated $1.8 million in revenue for local governments.

According to Business Review USA, the center is the largest convention space in the country. It is also the second most popular convention destination for large trade shows. The center hosted 174 total events from September 2011-2012. Of those events, 85 were conventions or trade shows, 64 were meetings and conferences, and 25 were ticketed events and banquets open to the general public. The economic impact from these shows is enormous. In the last fiscal year, they brought $2 billion in economic impact to our community. Conventions and trade shows impacted more than 1,000 businesses and more than 25,000 employees across Central Florida.

The attendees themselves also greatly affect our economy. In fiscal year 2011-2012, more than 1.3 million visitors attended events at the convention center. The average convention attendee spends between $860 and $1,320 per trip and stays for three nights. Ninety-three percent of visitors stay in a hotel, generating TDT revenue. Many of these visitors also patronize local businesses. Twenty-nine percent take advantage of local dining opportunities, 25 percent visit other entertainment venues, 24 percent go shopping, and 22 percent visit amusement parks. Last year the total spending by convention delegates reached $1.3 billion.

The Orange County Convention Center first opened its doors in 1987. Orange County is in the midst of a $187 million capital improvement plan to renovate the facility and keep it competitive with convention centers nationwide. The West Building will get a major renovation that will include both aesthetics as well as safety improvements. Examples of some of the enhancements include curtain walls, lighting and utility upgrades, restroom renovations, and fire alarm systems. An existing exhibit hall will be retrofitted to become flexible ballroom space. New furniture groupings will also be added to all concourses to make for a more relaxed and less industrial atmosphere. To ensure more reliable coverage the convention center has also upgraded the wireless system in both buildings to handle more attendees on cell phones, tablets, and portable devices at one time.

I am proud of the Orange County Convention Center’s positive economic impact on Central Florida’s economy. If you have any questions or concerns about the convention center or any other county issue, please feel free to contact me or my staff, Edgar Robinson and Lynette Rummel. We can be reached at 407-836-7350 or by email at [email protected]