How the Orange County Convention Center is Making Meetings Safer and Smarter

With the COVID-19 pandemic placing extraordinary pressure on the business events industry, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is ushering in a new era of innovation so that groups can meet safely today for a stronger tomorrow. The facility continues to enhance its state-of-the-art spaces and technology solutions to suit the changing needs of its conferences, trade shows, and conventions.

Three scalable solutions — the Lecture Hall, Linda W. Chapin Theatre, and the Destination Lounge — have been designed in partnership with audiovisual tech company LMG to offer groups a more seamless virtual or hybrid experience.

• Lecture Hall: Based in the OCCC’s West Building, this flexible, 4,000-square-foot venue includes the Executive Studio, which represents the latest component of the OCCC’s “Meeting Safely” campaign. It delivers custom digital solutions for hybrid programs and features classroom-style seating to accommodate a physically distanced audience, while providing a customizable canvas for lighting, AV, and digital solutions.
• Linda W. Chapin Theatre: The 35,000-square-foot theater features an exclusive 97,000-watt audio system, intuitive lighting, and a full proscenium stage with fly system — perfect for large-scale productions.
• Destination Lounge: With more than 7,000 square-feet of multifunctional networking space, this cutting-edge venue offers organizers a contemporary space with robust technological solutions.

‘Meeting Safely’ in Practice

In October, the OCCC welcomed the American Academy of Optometry (AAO)’s Academy 2020 At Home virtual conference. Headquartered in Orlando, the AAO selected the OCCC to host its virtual conference following a record-breaking in-person meeting held at the OCCC in 2019.

“We chose the convention center because of our longstanding partnership [with the OCCC], its standing in the community and the industry, and for what it could provide for our team to be safe and socially distanced yet provide a great experience for more than 6,400 attendees from across 55 countries,” said the organization’s CEO, Peter Scott, MBA, CAE, APR.

The OCCC is taking every precaution to ensure a safe meeting experience in the current climate. This includes implementing cleaning protocol in line with the OCCC’s Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation, as well as working with groups to identify appropriate health and safety guidelines in line with current restrictions. Across the destination, organizers will find a consistent adherence to the latest guidance at area hotels, like Hilton’s Cleanstay initiative and Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ Total Commitment initiative. In addition, the Orlando International Airport (MCO), the connected Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, and the OCCC-connected Hyatt Regency Orlando have all earned (GBAC) STAR accreditation.

To submit a RFP or get in touch with the OCCC’s sales team, e-mail [email protected]. Engage with the OCCC on social media at #MeetingSafely. For more information, click the logo link below.