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Outback Bowl Gridiron Gala Goes With Glow-In-the-Dark Theme
Neon lighting, glow-in-the-dark necklaces, and scantily clad dancers decorated with neon body paint filled Tampa’s A La Carte Event Pavilion Friday night for the Outback Bowl’s Gridiron Gala. More than 1,700 people attended the invitation-only cocktail party, including representatives from the bowl teams’ schools—Michigan State University and the University of Georgia—along with sponsors, members of the media, and local bowl supporters.
“It’s a challenge every year to come up with something different and new for a theme,” said Ashley McChesney, senior event planner at A La Carte Event Pavilion. "This is a fun party, so we try to think of something that’s not too serious. We’ve hosted a lot of events recently that have used the glow theme, so we decided to go with that.”
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AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Draws Record Entries to Orlando Convention Center
The American Kennel Club/Eukanuba National Championship brought nearly 5,000 dogs from 60 countries to the Orange County Convention Center Saturday and Sunday to compete for $225,000 in cash and prizes, making it the largest show in the event’s history. The show used nearly 700,000 square feet of the convention center for various competitions, demonstrations, a vendor mall, and a “meet the breeds” area with more than 150 different dog breeds on display to the public.
“This is triple the amount of space we’ve ever used before,” said Michael Canalizo, director of event management for the American Kennel Club. "This facility can provide that kind of space, and that’s what made Orlando so attractive to us." The show is scheduled to return to Orlando through 2015. In addition to the national championship, the program also included the American Kennel Club's Agility Invitational and National Obedience Invitational.
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'Twilight' Convention Sells Autographed Stage Banners as Keepsakes
T-shirts and posters weren’t the only memorabilia for sale at the Official Twilight Convention Friday through Sunday at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista. Creation Entertainment, which produces about two-dozen Twilight conventions around the country every year, auctioned four large autographed stage banners to attendees on the final day of the fan festival.
The 2½- by 11-foot banners are filled with photos of the stars of the Twilight movie series. During the convention, they served as the backdrop for the main stage, where six supporting actors from the series—including Nikki Reed and Charlie Bewley—took turns answering questions from the audience. Each of those actors also signed the banners prior to the auction.
About 600 people attended the Orlando convention, paying anywhere from $20 for a single-day ticket to $269 for a three-day pass and priority seating at all events. In addition to presentations from Twilight cast members, the program included trivia games, a costume contest, and a party Saturday night where attendees could decorate with their own Twilight-inspired centerpieces. Creation Entertainment also produces conventions for fans of Star Trek, Supernatural, Xena: Warrior Princess, Vampire Diaries, and other television series and movies.
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Toyota Uses Family-Friendly Activities to Launch Prius on Nationwide Tour
Toyota’s Prius V Creation Station tour visited the Bass Pro Shops in Orlando Saturday and Sunday, offering hands-on activities to entice families to learn about the newest model in the Prius line. This was the seventh stop in an eight-city national marketing campaign managed by Filter Creative Group and timed to coincide with the arrival of the vehicle in dealerships in October.
“The vehicle-related activities were created to uniquely highlight specific features of the Prius V,” said Steve Appelbaum, Toyota’s national manager of engagement marketing. “Since the Prius V was created for people who are active and on the go, we chose tour locations that fit with their adventurous lifestyle, such as Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, Austin’s Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival, and Denver’s Boo at the Zoo event.”
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Ronald McDonald House Creates New Fund-Raiser Inspired by 'Wedding Crashers'
It had all the trappings of a wedding reception, with one notable exception: no bride and groom. The Ronald McDonald House of Central Florida tried a new fund-raiser Friday night, hosting a mock wedding reception at the Mezz. More than 100 people donned outdated bridesmaid dresses and pastel tuxedos for the “Wedding Crashers Reception” created by the nonprofit’s Key Initiative Committee, a group of more than two dozen young professionals who raise funds and awareness for the organization.
“We wanted to do an event no one has really done before,” said committee co-chair Mimi Flatley. “We’ve all joked about that bridesmaid dress that you can never wear again, and, of course, the movie Wedding Crashers was a big hit. It just developed from that.”
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Señor Frog's: First Florida Location Opens Near Orange County Convention Center
Señor Frog’s opened its first Florida location Saturday night on International Drive, just north of the Orange County Convention Center. The chain, which bills itself as a place “where anything can happen,” operates multiple locations in Mexico and the Caribbean, each one known for its bright decor, live entertainment, and extensive cocktail menu. The new 14,000-square-foot restaurant and bar has two semiprivate areas ideal for convention groups looking for a casual, party atmosphere for a night out.
Dried palm fronds on the roof and colorful decor inside and out establish the tropical ambiance. The venue is one large room with seating for 385 at low- and high-top wooden tables painted white and mint green. In the rear, a house band performs on a raised stage each night. There is also a DJ booth in the center and a roving M.C. to lead guests in line dances, sing-alongs, and contests.
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2012 Preview: 10 Most Anticipated Event and Meeting Venues in Orlando
As we look ahead to the coming year, these are some of the most important new event and meeting venues slated to open, bringing options for everything from cocktail parties and conferences, to business dinners and teambuilding activities. Here's a preview of the attractions, activity venues, hotels, restaurants, bars, and other spaces the event industry will be talking about in 2012.
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2 New Winter Park Restaurants for Casual Breakfast and Lunch Meetings
Two new restaurants have opened in Winter Park in recent weeks.
1. Truffles Grill took over the former Owen Allen furniture store space in Winter Park Village November 2. This is the first Florida location for the South Carolina-based chain. The menu has a southern flavor to it, with specialties such as chicken potpie and honey-barbeque glazed meatloaf.
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Best of 2011: Orlando's 10 Most Notable New Event Venues
This year saw the openings of many significant event and meeting venues in Orlando, including restaurants from big-name chefs, private rooms, hotels, bars, lounges, event spaces, entertainment venues, galleries, and more—even a 1,200-passenger ship. Here's a look at the most notable venues to open in Orlando in 2011.
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Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek: 25,000 Square Feet of Meeting Space Next to Disney
Open since early October, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek is the newest hotel near Walt Disney World. The property includes 400 guest rooms and suites, more than 25,000 square feet of function space, a spa, and multiple dining facilities.
The main meeting area is located on the ground floor below the lobby. The 8,000-square-foot Ponce de Leon Ballroom can seat 580 or hold 800 for receptions. The smaller Journey Ballroom is suited for groups of around 200. The hotel has 200 ergonomic chairs that can be used in any of the meeting rooms.
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