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Feb 12, 2013
The Sands Expo & Convention Center is one of the busiest convention and meetings properties in the United States, with many thousands of attendees often at just one of the venue’s several annual events all wanting to be connected and stay connected at the same time.
The challenge was, if let’s say 5,000 attendees were at a keynote and the speaker wanted everyone to answer a question through an audience response system, how could the Sands make sure they delivered as a venue in this moment?
Justin Herrman, executive director of IT at the Sands, said a lot of the high-… more
Feb 11, 2013
At the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo, held Feb. 8-11 in Orlando, attendees had the opportunity to try out something new - a2z, Inc.'s ChirpE Photo Booth.
At the booth during the show, not only did people have fun dressing up and sharing photos through social media, it also created a lot of buzz during and after the show.
The ChirpE Photo Booth is an easy-to-use iPad-based Photo Booth with robust social media capabilities.
The ChirpE Photo Booth enables event attendees to take their own picture, add a quote or testimonial and post it to their Facebook… more
Feb 09, 2013
These days, you can do almost anything with your smartphone. That now includes paying to get into a trade show, finding deals on the showfloor and purchasing vendors’ products right there in their booths.
PXT Payments, a mobile payment app and digital wallet provider, is one company that is making this possible with its geolocation-based app looped in™. PXT Payments describes looped in™ as an ATM on your iPhone or Android.
Transactions occur when the buyer texts their payment to a vendor. There is no transaction fee for the buyer, but the seller pays a 2.5 percent merchant… more
Feb 09, 2013
According to a recent consumer research study published by the Sociable Labs, social sharing is a mainstream shopping activity for discovering what products to buy. 62% of the 1088 online shoppers surveyed under the study had read product-related comments from their friends on Facebook. Results from this and similar studies reinforce the fact that social sharing now has a huge impact on the visibility and growth of a brand online. Social sharing tools enable website visitors to share web content that they like with their friends on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other popular social media… more
Feb 09, 2013
According to a recent consumer research study published by the Sociable Labs, social sharing is a mainstream shopping activity for discovering what products to buy. 62% of the 1088 online shoppers surveyed under the study had read product-related comments from their friends on Facebook. Results from this and similar studies reinforce the fact that social sharing now has a huge impact on the visibility and growth of a brand online. Social sharing tools enable website visitors to share web content that they like with their friends on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other popular social media… more
Feb 09, 2013
These days, you can do almost anything with your smartphone. That now includes paying to get into a trade show, finding deals on the showfloor and purchasing vendors’ products right there in their booths.
PXT Payments, a mobile payment app and digital wallet provider, is one company that is making this possible with its geolocation-based app looped in™. PXT Payments describes looped in™ as an ATM on your iPhone or Android.
Transactions occur when the buyer texts their payment to a vendor. There is no transaction fee for the buyer, but the seller pays a 2.5 percent merchant… more
Feb 02, 2013
Social media is all the buzz right now, and if you want to reach the masses relatively inexpensively then you should be using social media. However, it is easy to become overwhelmed with questions like “what do I say”, “what should we post today?”, “what if someone says something negative?”, ”how many people liked us, retweeted or shared our content?”.
If this seems familiar to you, take a step back and remind yourself of the opportunity in front of you to talk one-on-one with your fans, customers and prospects.
Social Media offers you a… more
Feb 02, 2013
Digital events no longer are something that event planners are worried will replace their live events. Instead, digital events are becoming an important part of an organization’s strategy to extend the life of their three-day physical event to something that can be available 365 days a year.
With the increased demand in holding digital events, there’s also a need for qualified professionals to produce them.
To that end, the Virtual Edge Institute is the only entity that currently offers a certification program for lDigital Event Strategists and at the recent Professional… more
Feb 02, 2013
Digital events no longer are something that event planners are worried will replace their live events. Instead, digital events are becoming an important part of an organization’s strategy to extend the life of their three-day physical event to something that can be available 365 days a year.
With the increased demand in holding digital events, there’s also a need for qualified professionals to produce them.
To that end, the Virtual Edge Institute is the only entity that currently offers a certification program for lDigital Event Strategists and at the recent Professional… more
Feb 02, 2013
Social media is all the buzz right now, and if you want to reach the masses relatively inexpensively then you should be using social media. However, it is easy to become overwhelmed with questions like “what do I say”, “what should we post today?”, “what if someone says something negative?”, ”how many people liked us, retweeted or shared our content?”.
If this seems familiar to you, take a step back and remind yourself of the opportunity in front of you to talk one-on-one with your fans, customers and prospects.
Social Media offers you a… more
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact