LEGENDARY EVENTS CITY GUIDE
Planning an Event in Orlando?
World-class venues. Massive hotel inventory. Easy access to entertainment. And more ways to keep attendees busy than almost anywhere in the country. Here’s what event planners should know before choosing Orlando.
130,000
Hotel Rooms
MAJOR
Convention Infrastructure
MCO ACCESS
Easy Travel For Most
ELITE
Recognizable Entertainment
YEAR-ROUND
Event Destination
LEGENDARY EVENTS CITY
Orlando
Why Event Planners Keep Choosing Orlando
Orlando has something few event destinations can match: enormous event infrastructure combined with entertainment people are genuinely excited to experience before and after the program.
From major conventions and corporate meetings to association events, incentive trips and large private gatherings, Orlando offers an unusually deep selection of venues, hotels, restaurants and group activities. More importantly, much of that infrastructure is concentrated around the International Drive convention district.
The result is a city that can handle enormous groups without requiring attendees to spend every minute inside the event itself.
How Orlando Compares to Other Choices
These are the things you might be considering when choosing a location.
GETTING THERE 5/5
Orlando International Airport is a major gateway with direct flights to most major national destinations. It is easily accessible from the areas of town you will be spending your time in. There are usually many choices of arrival and departure times.
HOTEL SELECTION 5/5
More than 480 hotels and resorts and over 130,000 rooms means groups can choose everything from limited-service properties to giant convention resorts. This quantity means there is something for everyone from the budget conscience to the more extravagant.
EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE 5/5
Few cities can compete with Orlando's purpose-built convention infrastructure. The Orange County Convention Center alone has roughly 2 million square feet of exhibit space, hundreds of breakout spaces and millions of total square feet.
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT 5/5
Restaurants, attractions, nightlife and entertainment are concentrated heavily around the main visitor districts, giving planners abundant off-site options. A lot can be accomplished in a vibrant area of a sprawling city.
GETTING AROUND 3.5/5
The convention district itself can be surprisingly convenient, with pedestrian bridges, nearby hotels, LYNX service and the I-RIDE Trolley. Orlando as a whole, however, is sprawling, so transportation planning matters.
OVERALL COST 3.5/5
Orlando should be described as “Flexible, but not automatically inexpensive.” The massive hotel and venue supply provides options, but theme-park districts, parking, resort fees, transportation and premium experiences can push a budget upward.
LEGENDARY VENUE PICK
Orange County Convention Center
Orange County Convention Center is the obvious Orlando selection if this site is intended to cover major events. The scale is extraordinary: the center reports approximately 7 million total square feet, roughly 2 million square feet of exhibit space, dozens of meeting rooms and hundreds of breakout rooms.
Best For
Conventions, trade shows, associations & very large events
Location
International Drive Tourism District with Walkibility
Standout Feature
Extraordinary scale and flexibility for each unique group
Planner Advantage
Hotels, restaurants and entertainment nearby
Why we like it: For events that need serious infrastructure, Orlando's signature venue is difficult to beat. The OCCC gives planners the ability to build everything from large general sessions and exhibitions to extensive breakout programs while keeping attendees in the heart of Orlando's primary convention district.
Legendary Events selections are editorial recommendations, not guarantees or claims that one location is objectively right for every event.
LEGENDARY ACCOMADATION PICK
Hyatt Regency Orlando
As an event planner, choose Hyatt Regency Orlando over Disney because it demonstrates exactly why Orlando is so appealing to event planners. The Hyatt has 1,641 rooms and approximately 315,000 square feet of flexible event space. It is also directly connected to the convention-center complex.
1,641
Guest Rooms on Property
315,000
Square Feet of Event Space
Direct
Connection to the Convention District
Resort Amenities
Without Leaving the Event Area
LEGENDARY GROUP DINING PICK
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
The Orlando location is specifically designed for social and corporate events. Its private-event materials advertise configurations ranging from small groups to very large events, with the overall facility capable of handling exceptionally large gatherings depending upon configuration. It is also only a half a mile from the Convention Center.
Best For
Conventions, trade shows, associations & very large events
Location
International Drive Tourism District with Walkibility
Standout Feature
Extraordinary scale and flexibility for each unique group
Planner Advantage
Hotels, restaurants and entertainment nearby
Why we like it: For events that need serious infrastructure, Orlando's signature venue is difficult to beat. The OCCC gives planners the ability to build everything from large general sessions and exhibitions to extensive breakout programs while keeping attendees in the heart of Orlando's primary convention district.
Legendary Events selections are editorial recommendations, not guarantees or claims that one location is objectively right for every event.
SEE WHAT WE MEAN
See Oz Pearlman in Action
Mentalism is one of those things that's difficult to explain—and incredibly easy to understand once you see it happen.
What to watch for: Watch the reactions as much as the performer. That's the reason this kind of entertainment works.
Best For
Oz is particularly well suited for events in which audience members can be part of the performance.
Awards & Gala Dinners
Client Appreciation Events
Leadership & Executive Events
Cocktails & Networking Events
Celebration Events
What Makes Him Different
Oz Pearlman's biggest advantage may be that the audience isn't simply watching the entertainment—they are the entertainment.
Names, memories, decisions and seemingly random thoughts become part of the performance. That involvement creates genuine reactions that are difficult to manufacture with a conventional stage act.
Because Pearlman offers both full stage performances and strolling entertainment, planners can use the same style of entertainment in very different ways—from entertaining thousands in a ballroom to interacting with small groups during a reception.
How Legendary Events Makes Its Selections
We don't believe a long résumé automatically makes someone the right choice for an event. Our selections focus on the things that matter when the room is full and the event is actually happening.
Experience
Have they successfully and consistently done this at a professional level?
Reputation
Is there meaningful evidence that planners and audiences trust them?
Event Fit
Do they understand professional events rather than just their individual craft?
Adabtability
Can they adjust when timing, audiences or circumstances change?
The X Factor
Is there something that separates them from dozens of other qualified choices?
Legendary Events selections are editorial recommendations, not guarantees or claims that one professional is objectively right for every event.
Keep Planning
Explore more Legendary Events recommendations for planning a better event.