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.