Need to super-charge your next business meeting? Then look no further than Orlando, one of the most dynamic cities in America.
Organizations like InfoComm International are discovering the benefits of Orlando’s unique bleisure offering mixing business with pleasure. InfoComm International, a global organization that stretches across 75 countries around the world, recently held its largest tradeshow in the western hemisphere for the professional audio industry in Orlando. The destination helped drive an all-time record attendance of 44,077 people that included attendees, exhibitors, dealers and distributors that came from all over the world to do big business.
Orlando is a favored destination for InfoComm according to Jason McGraw, Sr. Vice President of Exposition, because of Visit Orlando’s support in helping to run, organize and promote his show. “We continue to have record attendance in Orlando from business visitors coming from all over the world to do business. So it’s the best of both worlds. For us business gets done but there’s also quality dining and entertainment after the show.”
As a hub for technological innovation, a vibrant medical community, and a thriving entrepreneurial scene, it has also earned bragging rights as a world-class business destination, racking up some impressive commendations along the way. Worth magazine recently recognized Orlando as one of the “Most Dynamic Cities in America,” giving it a nod for its thriving entrepreneurial culture and booming technology scene.
So, why is everyone buzzing about business in Orlando? Consider this:
Orlando Features a Thriving Life Sciences & Healthcare Community
The city plays host to 40 percent of the top 50 largest medical meetings in the country. One big attractor is Lake Nona Medical City, a 650-acre complex in southeast Orlando that is a collaborative hub for technology and life sciences.
Advanced Manufacturing Is Taking Off
Orlando's spirit of innovation is showcased with BRIDG (formerly known as the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research), which is set to lead the market in the development of smart devices to connect the Internet of Things. From multinational corporations like Siemens Energy to mid-size firms and incubators, the advanced manufacturing industry is flourishing.
Orlando Is the Simulation Capital of the World
The city is host to the world's largest Modeling, Simulation & Training Cluster — more than 100 companies, including Lockheed Martin, that provide simulation, training, modeling and virtual and augmented reality research for military and commercial purposes.
Entrepreneurs Are Thriving in Orlando
One of the reasons Worth magazine rated Orlando so highly is the fact that investors and entrepreneurs are turning up in the city in record numbers. Orlando is ranked 13th for startup density for all metros in the United States, according to The Kauffman Index of Startup Activity and also named the 2nd fastest-growing city in the United States by Forbes. A nonprofit complex called Canvs has set up shop in town, housing more than 100 tech-related startups in one shared space.
Business Is Buzzing in Orlando
Meeting professionals have long been attracted to Orlando's business climate, which is why companies like InfoCOmm, SAP, Microsoft, the Association of Financial Professionals and the American Academy of Family Physicians keep coming back to the city. With an award-winning convention center and more than 150 meeting hotels across the destination, your options are limitless. So look not further than Orlando as a place to super-charge your meeting with idea-sharing and an energized business landscape.
Read the full article on PCMA here.
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