Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando. Courtesy of Visit Orlando

What’s the secret sauce that makes Orlando the number one meeting destination in the nation?

“We make it easy for planners to create memorable, well attended and productive events of any size,” says Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “We are committed to service, ensuring that our team works closely with planners to make the critical connections within our destination. And we have all of the facilities and amenities planners are looking for, from meeting space to special venues to a wide range of hotel rooms, Michelin recognized dining and some of the best entertainment in the world.”

The Central Florida destination is so much more than its most famous resident, the cartoon mouse that spawned a theme park empire. And that’s why Orlando has continually topped Cvent’s list of the top meeting destinations in the U.S. In 2025, planners will find new or expanded accommodations, venues and experiences in a destination brimming with fresh possibilities for creative meetings and events that drive attendance.

On the surface, amusement parks might not seem like the most natural backdrop for serious association business. But here’s Orlando’s secret weapon: Whether it’s for a day or an hour, what conference attendee doesn’t want to sneak off and see the new Ministry of Magic at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or careen along the tracks of Disney’s latest coaster, TRON Lightcycle Run? However, the theme parks aren’t all fantasy and rides. Attendees can head to SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove to swim with bottlenose dolphins by day and finish off the evening with a beach luau, while at Walt Disney World, four 18-hole championship golf courses await any links lovers in the group.

Capacity to Host a Citywide

Recently, DECA, Inc., brought high school students, teacher-advisers, business professionals and alumni together for its annual International Career Development Conference (ICDC), held at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). DECA executive director Frank Peterson, CAE, says the city is naturally a huge draw for its high-school student members — although its appeal goes beyond the theme parks.

“Orlando is a living classroom for marketing, hospitality, finance, management and entrepreneurship,” Peterson explains. “After competing against the best and the brightest, our members can partake in all Orlando has to offer.” In addition to amazing amusement parks and attractions, shopping and restaurants, other factors contributing to DECA’s selection of Orlando are convention center space, the hotel package and community support.

“With 25,000 members and advisers in attendance, we use almost the entire West Building of the convention center and, at almost 9,500 room nights on peak, we are in more than two dozen hotel properties in the city,” Peterson says. “Between the size of the convention center and the hotel inventory, Orlando has the capacity to host our citywide event. The team at OCCC is collaborative and invested in our members and advisors having a quality experience. Whether it’s security, transportation, catering, signage or rooms sets, the entire team is great to work with.”

Visit Orlando also assists with a unique aspect of the ICDC event. “Our student members work all year to earn the right to participate in DECA’s Competitive Events Program,” Peterson says. “We need over 1,000 industry professionals to help judge these competitions, and Visit Orlando is a great partner in assisting us in recruiting these volunteers. They are extremely active in the surrounding communities to help support our recruitment efforts. It is so nice to work with a city where we feel the support from the entire staff. The leadership team at Visit Orlando has been a tremendous help.”

Visit Orlando’s Matej suggests that a key strength of Orlando is its commitment to continued growth and innovation, “especially within the hospitality and meetings industries,” she says. “A huge new development for us is the Orange County Convention Center Grand Concourse Expansion, a transformational project that will bring an additional 44,000 sf of meeting space and a 100,000-sf ballroom to the North-South Building.” Construction on the $560 million project will begin in 2026 and is expected to finish in 2029. The OCCC also received approval to design the second phase of the expansion, which would bring an additional 200,000 sf of contiguous multipurpose/exhibit space to the building.

An “EPIC” Introduction

Theme parks remain Orlando’s biggest lure, and this year marks the grand opening of the city’s first new one in 25 years: Universal Orlando Resort’s Universal EPIC Universe. The 750-acre expansion represents a huge second campus for Universal, four miles from the original Universal theme park gate. It features over 50 attractions, including: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and Dark Universe.

The expansion also includes three new Loews Hotels all opened earlier this year: The Universal Stella Nova Resort, the Universal Terra Luna Resort and the 500-room Mediterranean retreat, the Universal Helios Grand Hotel. The Loews Orlando portfolio now features a total of 11 hotels and 11,000 guestrooms.

“These new hotel additions add to the nearly 500 hotels and more than the 130,000 rooms already available in our destination,” Matej says.

Not a group to be caught resting on its laurels, this year the team at Disney Meetings & Events launched new offerings designed to elevate association gatherings. This includes a reimagined Disney Creative Studio, which provides a setting for meeting professionals to collaborate with the team’s event experts to help deliver on the experience objective. Planners can work with Disney Event Architects to create a general session opener, which could include a competitive team-building event based on the stories and adventures of “Star Wars,” or a networking event inspired by “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Disney Meetings & Events assembles everything under one roof — from entertainment and content to décor, floral, AV and catering. Plus, single-source billing allows planners to charge almost all event costs to one master account, including production, services, food and beverage, transportation and more.

Adults Like Disney, Too!

One of the largest convention properties on the East Coast is The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, which are side-by-side properties located within walking distance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot theme parks. Following the 2021 addition of the 349-room Swan Reserve, a standalone boutique hotel, the property recently announced its largest-ever renovation and expansion, a $275 million investment underscored by the addition of 120,000 sf of event space to its current meeting and convention floorplan. The project will also include modernized upgrades to existing meeting spaces and Swan guestrooms, along with technology enhancements throughout the property. The expansion will bring the facility’s total meeting space to 469,000 sf.

Nearby, the Signia by Hilton, Orlando Bonnet Creek elevates the meeting experience with its new Waterside expansion. The two-story addition features 84,000 sf of meeting space and is located adjacent to the existing resort, overlooking the Bonnet Creek waterways. The expansion also includes the 35,098-sf Waterside Ballroom, a state-of-the-art venue suspended above the lake, accessible via a covered walkway and divisible into 12 sections to accommodate a variety of events. In addition, there’s a screened lanai offering views of the Walt Disney World Resort fireworks, an outdoor patio, event lawn and seven additional meeting rooms. To complement the hotel’s meetings facilities, amenities include a three-acre lazy river, zero-entry pool, private cabanas and six dining options, plus access to the adjacent Waldorf Astoria Spa.

The Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Elsewhere, the Caribe Royale Orlando Resort announced it will be adding a brand-new ballroom and breakout rooms. Set to open later this year, the Coral Ballroom will feature 24-foot ceilings, and groups will be able to break up the 12,500-sf space into three sections. The Martinique Breakout Rooms will offer five flexible 900-sf spaces designed for smaller sessions and executive gatherings. Combined, the breakouts will be able to accommodate up to 300 attendees for banquets, or 480 seated theatre-style. With the additions, the Caribe Royale will boast about 240,000 sf of total indoor/outdoor meeting and event space.

While the city’s constant venue enhancements are enticing, for Katie Benson, CMP, account executive, conferences and conventions, with The Harrington Company, Orlando’s success with meeting planners is down to the array of flight options, warm spring weather, easy-to-find activities and an abundance of hotel options at various price points for different budgets. Beyond that, “adults like Disney, too!” she adds.

Her client, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, held its annual meeting for 262 attendees last year at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista. The hotel is located just across the street from Disney Springs, a vast outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex with more than 150 venues, easily accessible by pedestrian bridge direct from the hotel. “It was an advantage to be so close to Disney Springs, which we considered built-in entertainment for our attendees,” Benson says.

The 814-room Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista offers six onsite dining options, a 24-hour arcade, two swimming pools and regular shuttles to the Disney parks. Guests also enjoy 30-minute-early access to the parks each morning. The property features 79,000 sf of indoor/outdoor meeting space, including the 18,101-sf Grand Ballroom, along with two additional ballrooms, for a total of 50 different meeting venues.

“The property offered an adjacent meeting space that distanced us just far enough to be separate from the hotel but close enough to not be a burden to walk a great distance,” Benson says. “We took full advantage of hosting events outside as often as possible, as the property is very conducive to this.” Catering staff was ready to go before specified hours and was available to assist with questions during Benson’s events.

Benson especially lauds her hotel contact and the sales manager who contracted the event.  “They were amazing,” she says. “You can tell when your contact has been at the property for a long time and can walk you through various details and think a step ahead of you, of what will and won’t work. The hotel contact who worked on the floorplans and BEOs with me was a rock star. He provided excellent response times, and I never felt like a burden when asking questions — he was always more than happy to help.”

Benson advises planners to not be hesitant to walk through each section of a draft contract with a sales manager. “I’ve done contracts with two clients at this property, and each time they were willing to talk through details with me so we were in a place that made my both clients and the hotel happy,” Benson explains. “It goes without saying, but be strategic with your room block numbers, as this is a popular destination. Keep in mind your conference dates and popular times when tourists will be in the area.”

Even More Options on the Outskirts

Don’t overlook the various options available in the outlying area around Orlando. Located 47 miles northwest of the Orlando International Airport, Howey-in-the-Hills is a small town, and home to Florida’s first citrus juicing plant, dating to 1921. The town proved ideal for this year’s statewide meeting of the Adult and Community Educators of Florida (ACE), as the group hosted 150 attendees at the 176-room Mission Resort + Club. With roots dating to 1916, the property is one of the Historic Hotels of America, a national trust for historic preservation.

“There’s no interstate or turnpike here,” says Julie Roberts, executive director of Adult and Community Educators (ACE) of Florida. “Get ready to travel on two-lane roads while enjoying the rolling hills and scenic views on your way to the Mission Resort. Howey-in-the-Hills is a small, quaint town that offers a less hurried atmosphere for meetings. It’s nice to get away from the usual go-to cities and hotels and experience unique sites off the beaten path. There’s no hustle and bustle or traffic, but there is a top-notch property for meetings.”

Originally called the Mission Inn, in 1969 the property was turned into a 500-acre resort, inspired by Spanish colonial architecture. Over the years, the venue added a second golf course, freshwater fishing, a full-service spa, three restaurants and 30,000 sf of event space, including the 5,000-sf El Nuevo Ballroom. Recently, El Campeón golf course was upgraded, and all guestrooms were renovated with new furnishings.

“We held this same event for the first time two years ago at the Mission Resort,” Roberts recalls. “The meeting space was just what we were looking for, and Howey-in-the-Hills was a location that was so different from our usual hotels and cities. The meeting space accommodated our attendees perfectly, providing a setting that was intimate yet spacious. All buildings and meeting space are within walking distance, and the resort boasts an incredible courtyard flanked by a beautiful fountain overlooking the golf course and lake. This makes for a stunning backdrop for a reception or outdoor gathering.”

Says Roberts: “All the hotel staff who assisted during our event were incredibly helpful, friendly and attentive. Any requests we had were taken care of immediately. Our conference manager was most helpful in the planning of menus as well as options for room sets. Many of the sleeping rooms overlook the golf course, and some offer screened patios or screened balconies. Food is a very important part of any meeting, and the largest part of our budget — she offered a variety of delicious menu suggestions that would provide the biggest bang for our buck. The food was a hit.”

Roberts notes that Discover Lake County offers scholarships to organizations that schedule meetings. “Working with Discover Lake County was very easy, and the rebates offered are very helpful for small nonprofits like ACE,” she says. “Mission Resort + Club is a true hidden gem. It offers such a different vibe from the larger hotels and cities, and our attendees loved it.”  | AC&F |