Orlando tourism officials search for smiles and find cause for optimism about the local travel market.

When the “Orlando Makes Me Smile” international advertising campaign was unveiled in 2009 by the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, its relative shelf life was unknown. While the campaign used traditional tactics — print and broadcast advertising, direct marketing and promotions — it also made a huge push into social media, which proved to be quite an innovation. And a great way to extend the Orlando brand to the nexus between real life and the digital world.

That effort materialized as 67 Days of Smiles, a one-of-a-kind promotion that lasted from August through November of last year. Kyle Post and Stacey Doornbos, two longtime friends from New York City, beat hundreds of applicants to win the prize — spending 67 days, the length of time estimated to experience all the attractions in the destination, exploring Orlando’s entertainment options. They experienced a marathon of theme park, cultural and attraction visits and then shared their daily adventures with a global audience via a blog, Facebook, Flickr, TripAdvisor, Twitter and YouTube, as well as traditional media interviews. The program generated worldwide publicity with an advertising equivalency of $3 million, approximately 30 times its overall budget.

In 2010, "smile ambassadors" Post and Doornbos are back for more. Much more. The pair recently took off on a nearly six-month global journey as the hosts of Orlando’s World Smile Search. The adventure seeks to locate 67 smiling people who will win a vacation to the destination. Winners will gather in Orlando for World Smile Day on Oct. 1 to attempt to set a record for the most people smiling at the same time for the Guinness World Records.

Melissa Rycroft of The Bachelor and Joey Fatone of *NSYNC and Dancing with the Stars joined Post and Doornbos in April at New York City’s Madison Square Park to launch Orlando’s World Smile Search. Hundreds of fans stopped by the event to enter the contest, and four people won on the spot. Some future winners will be selected from stories or videos of people telling how Orlando makes them smile, submitted at www.VisitOrlando.com/smile. Others will be chosen by Post and Doornbos themselves, as they visit cities throughout North America and Europe through Sept. 6 — including Chicago, London, Toronto and Miami — to encourage smile-story submissions.

“I love watching people smile when they talk about Orlando, whether they have ever been here or not,” says Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/Orange County CVB. “Orlando smiles are created by unique and distinctive experiences that cannot be duplicated anywhere else on the planet. We thought it would be fun for people to share what it is about the destination that personally brings that smile to their face and then bring people from around the world together to share an authentic Orlando-smile experience.”

Part of that sharing includes raising $16,750, the amount needed to provide 67 corrective surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates through The Smile Train. The global nonprofit organization is the leading charity funding cleft surgery for children from poor families. In its 10-year history, The Smile Train has helped more than 580,000 kids.

“We are thrilled to be part of such a fun and worthwhile campaign,” comments DeLois Greenwood, vice president of The Smile Train. “We are so grateful to the Orlando/Orange County CVB for supporting us. So many people take for granted the simple act of smiling — something the children that we help are unable to do. For only $250 and in less than 45 minutes, Smile Train truly gives children a second chance at life.”

For those who want to follow Post and Doornbos as they award vacations and spread the Orlando smile message, check for updates on Twitter.com/SmileSearch and Facebook.com/VisitOrlando. You can also get your friends and family involved with Orlando’s World Smile Search by going to www.VisitOrlando.com/smile, where they can submit their smile story or video, and even make a donation to The Smile Train. Orlando-area residents are invited to attend World Smile Day on Oct. 1 for the record-breaking attempt.

Editor's note: To learn more about how Orlando markets the destination to global leisure and business travelers, go to www.VisitOrlando.com/cvb.

Local restaurants such as The Capital Grille have caught the attention of visitors.

Orlando restaurants play a starring role in attracting visitors to the region.

One of the many cascading effects of Central Florida’s robust travel and tourism industry has been an abundance of dining options available for both regional residents and global visitors. Though it took Orlando three decades to develop the culinary depth the destination now displays, it is timely and duly noted.

On any given evening, guests can dine at exclusive national restaurant brands such as Morton’s The Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and The Capital Grille. Unique establishments that can only be found in Orlando — like The Ravenous Pig and The Vines Grille & Wine Bar — entertain crowds of hungry foodies. There’s even a neighborhood just north of downtown Orlando, “Mills 50,” with more than a dozen Vietnamese restaurants and numerous Asian specialty grocery stores selling everything from tea to live fish.

The connection between tourism and dining has long been a mutually beneficial relationship in Orlando. Along with the opening of theme parks, attractions and resort hotels, a skilled workforce of chefs and kitchen support staff was employed to run the numerous on- and off-site restaurants that were built to cater to leisure and business travelers.

Over time, visitation increased dramatically to the destination and a diverse influx of additional residents — from across the United States as well as throughout the world — began to call Central Florida home. More restaurants, from corporate chains to local culinary establishments, opened to meet this demand. International eateries also soared during this period, serving cuisine from just about anywhere on the planet. The resulting Orlando dining infrastructure is impressive by any standard.

“Orlando has evolved into a true culinary hot spot, with award-winning restaurants and celebrity chefs that serve guests from across the globe,” says Gary C. Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Yet, sometimes the perception, especially among business travelers, is that the destination only offers family-style buffets and fast food. We want to make sure visitors also know that Orlando provides plenty of fine-dining options as well.”

When Orlando recently landed NPE2012 and NPE2015, the next two industry tradeshows produced by SPI: The Plastics Trade Association, it was a major win for the destination. However, one concern initially expressed by the tradeshow’s executive committee during the negotiations was the perception that Orlando lacked a variety of high-end restaurants to satisfy the projected 60,000 attendees and exhibitors during each event. Faced with this challenge, an innovative approach was used to immediately dispel this misperception. Former Orlando Sentinel food critic and now blogger Scott Joseph was dispatched with Orlando/Orange County CVB staff to Chicago and spoke directly with committee members. Joseph quickly convinced the committee that Orlando was, indeed, a true culinary destination, with the eateries, awards and master sommeliers to prove it.

In fact, with restaurant-centric areas like Pointe Orlando on International Drive and Restaurant Row on Sand Lake Road — both within close proximity to the Orange County Convention Center — the destination has greatly increased its appeal to meeting attendees, because dining is the top entertainment activity among this group. Getting this message across to corporate executives, who generally make the final decision in many organizations regarding where an event is held, has become a priority for the Orlando/Orange County CVB in its efforts to secure more tradeshows and conventions.

“A strong overall dining component and, in particular, fine dining, is crucial for Orlando in being able to book a disproportionate share of these large shows like NPE2012,” Sain contends. “We have a truly great culinary story to tell, and that’s why we’re currently leveraging some of our convention advertising resources to make sure it connects and resonates with the executive audience.”

With Orlando-based Darden Restaurants’ portfolio now including two fine-dining concepts, as well as Ruth’s Hospitality Group also calling the region home, the culinary evidence is stacking up. Add to the menu the literally thousands of unique local bistros, resort restaurants and the international cuisine that is available across the destination, and Orlando is a great location to share a meeting and a meal.

September's Savor and Save

One of the best ways for visitors and locals to sample the depth and diversity of the destination’s culinary offerings is during Orlando Magical Dining Month in September. In its fifth year, the dining promotion features Central Florida restaurants that present a special prix-fixe three-course menu throughout the month. The 75 restaurants that participated in the 2009 promotion donated $1 to the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation for each Magical Dining meal purchased, raising nearly $16,000. Visit www.OrlandoMagicalDining.com for highlights of this past year’s program.

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Editor's note: To learn more about how Orlando markets the destination to global leisure and business travelers, go to www.VisitOrlando.com/cvb.

As host next month of Pow Wow 2010, one of the industry's most influential international travel shows, Orlando has a prime opportunity to win wide applause.

The International Pow Wow 2010, taking place in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center on May 15-19, is anything but a run-of-the-mill tradeshow. Read more

“We’re No. 1.” At least, that’s what local officials are saying following the results of two travel surveys.

Spring finds Orlando in seasonal transition — not quite tropical but with plenty of warm temperatures and sunny skies, especially as compared to the rest of the country.

Beautiful weather aside, a pair of recent industry professional studies suggests business and leisure travel to the destination is beginning to recover. Both the meeting planner and travel trade groups that were polled in separate surveys ranked Orlando as the top location to book travel to this year. Read more

Orlando lands a high-profile mega tradeshow by blowing out the Windy City.

“Plastics.”

Ever since Mr. McGuire uttered that single word in the 1967 film “The Graduate,” the world has never been quite the same. Think about it. The plastics industry is everywhere, literally. Cups. Computers. Cars. And now Orlando.

NPE2012 and NPE2015, the next two installments of a mega plastics tradeshow, will take place at the Orange County Convention Center. The show is a tri-annual event produced by SPI: The Plastics Trade Association. More than 64,000 industry representatives registered for NPE2006 and 44,000 visitors were estimated to have attended NPE2009.

Overnight, NPE has become the destination’s second-largest tradeshow, outsized only by the International Homebuilders’ Show, which drew 92,000 attendees during the 2008 event in Orlando. Yet, what makes this an even bigger deal is that the international exposition has been held at McCormick Place in Chicago since 1971. Nearly 40 years later, Orlando has the opportunity to become NPE’s new home for many decades to come.

Bringing the tradeshow to Orlando was a true team effort between the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors and the convention center, with additional support from the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and the Central Florida Hospitality & Lodging Association, as well as community leaders including Orange County Major Richard Crotty and county commissioner Tiffany Moore Russell. The combined regional economic impact for the 2012 and 2015 tradeshows is projected to be approximately $200 million, based on projected attendance and spending figures.

“Landing NPE is an outstanding opportunity for the destination, and it is a strong validation of the value and service we provide to meetings and conventions,” comments Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/Orange County CVB. “While other cities in our competitive set, like Atlanta, Chicago and Las Vegas, each have their own unique strengths, Orlando’s cost-saving opportunities, innovative offerings and continued commitment to high levels of service won out.”

The reduction in expenses for both attendees and exhibitors — a subsequent study revealed the move could save the plastics industry nearly $20 million — was one of the prime motivators for the switch. From on-site hauling and labor expenses to travel and lodging, Orlando proved to be a great value for the tradeshow’s attendees and exhibitors.

Other factors were in play, too. The convention center, the second-largest convention facility in the country, was a key element in being able to provide the functional assets that were required for the NPE’s enormous exhibit space and electrical needs; NPE is the largest tradeshow based on weight density and power drawn by equipment operating on the floor. The destination’s selection of hotels that are available at a wide range of price points, with nearly 11,000 rooms within walking distance of the convention center, was another asset that worked in Orlando’s favor.

“Orlando also was the clear winner with customer service,” says William Carteaux, president and CEO of SPI. “At the end of the day, Team Orlando won the bid because of its team and community effort, professionalism, dedication to service, partnership mindset — we’re not just a customer — and innovative spirit. Orlando truly made the discernible difference.”

With the win of the plastics show, Orlando is seemingly on a roll. The thinking, apparently, now is that if a large, well-established tradeshow is motivated enough to leave a destination after almost four decades, why can’t others? In early December, for instance, Lucasfilm Ltd. announced it was holding the 2010 Star Wars Celebration V event at the convention center, another first for Orlando. Attendance for the Star Wars Celebration has fluctuated between 12,000 and 29,000 visitors since its inception in 1999.

Those are just two recent examples of the conventions and tradeshows that have been secured by the Orlando/Orange County CVB convention Sales team, in partnership with the convention center. During 2009, more than 1.4 million future attendees, with a $1.5 billion in economic impact to the regional community, were booked into the destination by the Orlando/Orange County CVB. With these ongoing victories, maybe the force really is in Orlando.

Editor’s note: To learn more about how Orlando markets the destination to global meeting, convention and tradeshow groups, visit www.orlandoinfo.com/cvb.

Orlando rolls out a new sales approach to attract citywide conventions.

Agile has become the popular description for organizations that successfully navigate and respond to both positive and negative market forces. The reference is especially applicable for groups within the business travel industry that have adapted their sales and marketing strategies to deal with the declining attendee visitation Orlando is currently experiencing.

With attendance at the Orange County Convention Center down 15 percent through September, compared to the same period last year, the opportunity to improve this performance has never been more critical.

In response, the Orlando/Orange County Conventions & Visitors Bureau recently announced a multifaceted vision for a new meetings and conventions sales approach that is designed to expand its sales reach and deliver enhanced value and partnership to customers and the industry at large. “Roadmap 2010” involves a series of changes beginning in late 2009 to impact future sales efforts.

Those changes include:

* Promoting Tammi Runzler from vice president, convention sales and services, to senior vice president, convention sales and services, to oversee the organization’s worldwide meeting, convention and trade show sales.

* Creating a senior vice president of strategic sales and industry relations position, located in Washington, D.C., or Chicago, responsible for long-term citywide sales and industry relations with key strategic partners.

* Hiring longtime Marriott sales director Ken Barnett as director, corporate accounts development. The position is focused on new citywide corporate business development and enhanced visibility within this overall market.

* Partnering with the Orange County Convention Center on an integrated citywide sales force pilot program to streamline client interfacing with the destination and to support increased convention business development for the convention center and the destination.

* Developing an industry white paper on the future direction of the meetings industry, as a result of recent economic and political pressures, with insights into the changing attitudes of meetings’ professionals.

* Producing an annual educational series of seminars designed for meetings professionals.

“We’re reinventing how we sell and service the convention district as it expands with new hotel and entertainment offerings, and as the global meetings and conventions industry continues to rapidly evolve,” comments Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando CVB. “Our ‘Roadmap’ allows us to more fully capitalize on all sales opportunities while delivering our clients the best value and service available anywhere in the country.”

Runzler will colead the integrated sales teams with Yulita Osuba, senior director, sales and marketing, for the Orange County Convention Center. The combined sales force includes 10 account managers from the Orlando CVB and seven from the convention center, making it one of the largest destination sales forces in the country focused on citywide conventions. The integrated sales force has its offices at the convention center.

The move streamlines the proposal process, enhances communications and reduces duplicative efforts, as well as provides a central location for planning and servicing meetings, conventions and trade shows. This shared vision and mutual cooperation with community and industry partners is a good example of the destination working together in real time to rebuild and expand Orlando’s citywide convention business.

“The new structure allows us to work faster, smarter and more efficiently,” says Tom Ackert, executive director of the Orange County Convention Center. “This combined ‘dream team’ is something planners have asked for, and we’re thrilled to now have the capability to more effectively cross-sell our products and services.”

While the convention sales force aggressively pursues future bookings, the marketing strategy to engage relevant audiences has shifted to keep pace. Reaching meeting planners in a variety of industries — such as medical, insurance, sports, technology and retail — is still the focus. Yet, another segment has joined the mix — C-level executives, those who make the definitive “go” or “no-go” decision on the location of a meeting. A campaign targeting C-level executives on the value and affordability of business travel to Orlando is currently under way.

Rather than continuing with the same plan and expecting different results, the Orlando CVB, along with its partnership with the Orange County Convention Center, is adjusting to the realities of the current economy. With the newly integrated sales force and additional marketing push, Orlando is well positioned to win a disproportionate share of domestic meetings and conventions.

Editor’s note: To learn more about the way Orlando markets the destination to global meeting, convention and trade show groups, visit www.orlandoinfo.com/cvb.

A new study underscores the way business travel generates “profit” for companies that make the investment.

The past year has been understandably hard on the tourism and travel industry, both locally in Central Florida and domestically across the country. Within the leisure travel space, economic uncertainty — combined with consumers’ limited access to credit lines and their high unemployment rates — has forced many American families to cancel or curtail vacation plans. Read more

An increase in visitors in 2008 over 2007 didn’t happen by accident. The Orlando CVB’s story behind the numbers reveals campaign success.

Think the sale of Orlando as a travel destination merely happens without a plan?

Think again.

Consider the work of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc., which globally brands and markets Orlando as the premier leisure and business travel destination. Read more

The Orlando/Orange County CVB keeps up the pressure to book more medical meetings. The outlook is healthy.

On Sept. 18, 2008, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc. hosted more than 100 community and business leaders at the inaugural Orlando Medical Meetings & Tourism Summit. It was the first such local forum on ways to market Central Florida as the leading medical meetings destination.

During the summit, a consensus was reached to focus on building a brand platform as well as developing an overall plan to pull in an even greater share of medical meetings.

Good timing.

Read more