Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
YouTube, Blogs and other social media about their experiences in Orlando. The value to Orlando is simple. The authentic and unfiltered commentary of two individuals who get to experi- ence all that is Central Florida. Many visitors to the greater Orlando area think of it as noth- ing more than theme parks. Those who have visited the area know Central Florida has more to offer, and what better way to get that message to the consumer than having two travelers bring that experience home through social media. Thousands have already begun following the couple. It's mainly a publicity driven event with no advertising dollars being spent. It's inexpensive marketing at its finest and a great use of technology to drive tourism. While it's too early to gage the success of the program, it's certainly worth the investment to find out. If the program proves successful, it could quickly revolutionize how Orlando markets their destination to the leisure traveler, and at the very least it gives Central Florida a whole new legion of potential customers to target. The folks in Orlando will study the results of this campaign to not only evaluate its success, but to see if there are any les- sons learned that could be applied to the meetings and con- vention business. As Sain said earlier, this is a time of great experimentation using technology and they will continue to try new things and integrate these advances where they work. Sain believes meeting planners plan based on accessibility, affordability and infrastructure and Orlando has all three in abundance. Orlando has the second largest convention center in the United States and over 115,000 hotel rooms. They have a new 1,500-room Hilton opening soon near the convention center, the Peabody is doubling in size and the Waldorf Astoria is set to open and will be connected to a 1,000 room Hilton. The diversity of accommodations in Central Florida truly adds to the meaning all things for all people. New technology has not stopped Orlando from building for the future. They are actually putting business on the books for 2030. The city is the number one destination for medical con- ventions in the country booking an event once every five days. At the forefront of the medical convention business is con- struction of a new "medical city" research and health science center near the airport. Does this sound like a destination intimidated by a recession or emerging virtual technologies? Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 33 Continued from page 31