Commemorates Impact Meetings Have on Orange County Small Businesses As Orange County Convention Center Embarks on Transformational Expansion
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 3, 2025) – Orlando, continually ranked as the top meetings destination in the country by Cvent, will join the annual worldwide recognition of Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), April 3, to champion the benefits and impact of professional meetings and events held in the destination.
Fueled by the U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC), GMID spotlights the proven value that business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions bring to businesses, workers and the economy.
The value of meetings to the Orlando community can already be seen in 2025 as the destination is hosting 51 citywide events through April 2025 with an estimated economic impact of $1.87 billion. This includes record-breaking shows from the 2025 PGA Show, which held its largest show in 15 years with more than 33,000 attendees and 1,100 exhibitors, and VMX 2025, which welcomed nearly 30,000 attendees and 735 exhibitors.
This year for GMID, Visit Orlando is celebrating the impact the meetings industry has on the Central Florida small business community, showcased in this video. Forty percent of Visit Orlando’s 1,600 members are small businesses ranging from transportation companies, photographers, caterers and small boutique shops owned by local artisans.
“In addition to bringing meetings to our destination, part of Visit Orlando’s role is connecting meeting planners with local companies and vendors for their events, which allows small business owners to thrive and grow their enterprises,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO, Visit Orlando. “Global Meetings Industry Day is an important opportunity to celebrate the connection between planners and local businesses and its boon to the Central Florida economy.”
Orlando's status as a top destination for conventions and events ensures a steady stream of clients for local companies like RTW Photography. “We’ve gone from doing one conference a year, to doing two or three a month, which has helped our bottom line tremendously,” said RTW Photography co-owner LaVell D. Monger. “Conventions have helped us expand operations, open new studio spaces and offer internship programs that will nurture the next generation of creative talent.”
Also to commemorate GMID, Visit Orlando, the Orange County Convention Center and destination partners are participating in a joint messaging campaign celebrating the importance of meetings and events, and Visit Orlando is lending its event planning expertise during a panel discussion with the Greater Orlando Chapter of Meeting Planners International.
Orange County Convention Center Embarks on Grand Concourse Expansion
The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) has much to celebrate this GMID as it embarks on a $560-million expansion project that will bring an additional 44,000 square feet of meeting space and a 100,000-square-foot ballroom to the North-South Building. Construction for the Grand Concourse Expansion will begin in 2026 and is expected to finish in 2029.
“We are excited to begin work on our Grand Concourse Expansion,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “This project will significantly improve the convention center as we continue to meet the growing needs of our clients, and the meetings and events industry.”
The Grand Concourse Expansion will provide the North-South Building with enhanced connectivity, a flexible grand ballroom, versatile meeting room space and multipurpose areas for additional capacity.
Furthermore, the OCCC also received approval to design the second phase of the expansion project. Phase 5B would bring an additional 200,000 square feet of contiguous multipurpose/exhibit space to the building, while also incorporating connectivity between the North and South Concourses. When completed, both phases will provide a grand total of 1.15 million square feet of exhibit space in the North-South Building.
Additionally, the Center generates approximately $3.9 billion annually in economic impact for the Central Florida economy — including direct, indirect and induced impacts — according to a new study by PFM Group Consulting. The OCCC has averaged nearly 200 events in recent years, attracting an estimated 1.5 million attendees to the market on an annual basis.
This fiscal year, from October 2024 to September 2025, the OCCC will welcome 1.8 million attendees across 173 events, generating $4.2 billion in economic impact.
For more information on meetings and events in Orlando, go to OrlandoMeeting.com and Orange County Convention Center’s official website.
About Visit Orlando
Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States, Theme Park Capital of the World® and No. 1 meeting destination in the country. A not-for-profit trade association that brands, markets and sells the Orlando destination globally, the organization represents more than 1,600 member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s tourism community.
Visit Orlando connects consumers and business groups with all facets of Orlando’s travel community, whether for a vacation or meeting. Home to 15 of the world’s top theme parks and water parks — as well as nature and outdoor adventures, vibrant neighborhoods, a dynamic dining scene with Michelin-recognized restaurants, and a robust calendar of entertainment and sports events — Orlando is a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community for all travelers. Find more information at VisitOrlando.com, VisitOrlando.org or OrlandoMeeting.com.
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