MCA Transportation Blog

THE TOP 10 MUST SEE, DON’T MISS FEATURES AT ORLANDO SOUTHERN WOMEN’S SHOW

From celebrities to cooking demos to health info, show’s top features satisfy cravings

The Southern Women’s Show has created the perfect “girl’s day out” for Orlando gals.. with features from celebrity appearances to cooking class to makeover to fashion shows. The Southern Women’s Show returns to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center October 8-11, 2009, with celebrity guests including Real Housewife of NYC’s Bethenny Frankel and much more.

This year, the show will move across the street to North Hall B, with more than 400 exhibitors ranging from boutiques and jewelers to travel agents and health care professionals — making it the perfect one-stop shop for on-the-go women.

The top 10, must-see features of the 2009 edition include:

1. Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel. Get up close and personal with one of reality TV’s most popular stars. Bethenny Frankel is the inventor of the Skinnygirl Margarita, star of Bravo’s hit series Real Housewives of New York, and author of the New York Times best-seller Naturally Thin. Look for her next book, The Skinnygirl Dish, January 2010 anywhere books are sold. The Skinnygirl Margarita in stores nationwide and at http://skinnygirlcocktails.com/

2. All Hail the Coupon Queeny. Another celebrity guest at the Southern Women’s Show is Tanya Senseney, otherwise known as the “Coupon Queeny”, one of the top coupon-ing experts in the country. Between current unemployment rates and the economic climate, consumers are searching for ways to save like never before. Senseney was one of those consumers, and has become so coupon-savvy that she recently walked away with $457 worth of groceries – but only paid $45. Coupon Queeny’s appearance is sponsored by the Florida Dairy Farmers – at their booth, guests can find more information about the 3-A-Day of Dairy initiative, which reminds families to get three servings of dairy each day. Plus, sample milk, cheese and yogurt products.

3. Picture Yourself Banishing Hot Flashes. The hot flashes and night sweats that often accompany menopause could be a thing of the past with Estroven® – the all natural choice for relief of menopause symptoms. Estroven® products are herbal supplements made with natural ingredients and doctor approved. Black Cohosh plus Soy Isoflavones are combined with essential nutrients like calcium, folic acid, and B vitamins to work naturally in the body to reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms. Plus, grab your girlfriends and stop by for a FREE picture in Estroven’s® onsite ‘retro’ photo booth, receive free samples and enter to win a Girfriends Trip for Four to Vegas.

4. Viva La Votre Vu! French skin care line is bringing a full-size airstream (the one used by Gene Simmons on Celebrity Apprentice) inside the Convention Center, and guests can take a seat at the luxe VuBAR for skin samples and pampering. The inside of the airstream is blinged out like the inside of I Dream of Jeannie’s bottle – take a load off and make a wish.

5. Become a Cooking Goddess. Local and regional celebrity chefs give daily cooking schools to help guests become cooking goddesses in their own kitchens. My City Eats is bringing the hottest local restaurant stars to the stage, and fan favorite Chef Robert Tulko, Executive Chef for Winn Dixie, will also be featured.

6. A Project Runway Experience. Orlando women with a passion for fashion will want to get a front row seat for Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz, a theatrical fashion presentation from Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores on Saturday, October 10. The Fashion and Entertainment Stage is the setting for other fashion shows and presentations throughout the week. One of the show’s hottest events is always the Firefighter Fashion Show. Orange County Fire and Rescue’s bravest return to strut their stuff on the catwalk – all to raise awareness and funds for the Children’s Burn Foundation.

7. Ask a Health Expert. Confused about swine flu versus seasonal flu? The doctors at Centra Care will be on-ste to answer health questions, and health professionals at Centra Care will also provide tips to stay healthy with free health screenings and more.

8. Get Your Motor Runnin’. Trisha Hessinger, automotive TV host, celebrity race car driver and official pace car driver for the Bridgestone Presents Champ Car World Series powered by Ford for more than 20 years, will be on hand to teach show guests the basics of maintaining their vehicles to save money and extend the life of the vehicle.

9. Make Me a Match. When Michelle Valentine moved to Florida, she quickly realized there was a massive singles population in need of some help. She became known as a public figure for the “love lorn”, establishing an inter-national dating service and advice columnist. Her advice columns have been published in Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Weekly, St. Petersburg Weekly, Orlando Me Magazine, and the East West Times.

10. Every Day is Special… but Friday is Z 88.3 “Z Day” at the show, and Saturday is Macy’s Day. Professional make up artists from Macy’s will be on hand to help guest discover the best fall palettes and products …not to mention great deals and the three words every woman loves to hear: Gift With Purchase.

While attendees are welcome to window shop, the hands-on, interactive nature of the Southern Women’s Show makes it the perfect opportunity to actually try out new products and services, consult with experts and register for prizes and giveaways.

Show hours are Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door $5 for children 6–12 years old and free for children under 6 years of age (with paying adult). Online advance tickets are available for $8 at www.southernwomenshows.com. Readmission tickets are $5. Parking at Orange County Convention Center is $8.

Discount tickets for $7.50 each may be purchased in advance at Centra Care Florida Hospital’s Urgent Care. Through an exclusive program for groups, advance tickets may be purchased in packs of four for $32. For group discount tickets and more information, call (800) 849-0248 or visit http://www.southernshows.com/wor/.

World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo Brings Latest Workplace

Trends and Innovations to Orlando

Workplace professionals from around the world will meet in Orlando, Fla., to analyze the trends and new products impacting today’s built environment during the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo, Oct. 7-9 at the Orange County Convention Center.

Recognized as the world’s premier educational and networking conference for facility managers and those in related fields, World Workplace brings industry leaders from the world’s top business and government organizations together with educators and exhibitors to focus on the future of the work environment. Now in its 30th year, the conference will feature more than 75 educational sessions and new product demonstrations by manufacturers from around the globe.

“World Workplace is regarded as the single most informative facility-related event in our industry for good reason — it’s the ‘one-stop shop’ for the solutions facility professionals need today in preparation to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, incoming chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “It’s more than just a conference and expo providing education, new products and services, and peer networking. It’s a professionally and personally rewarding experience, and holding it in the ‘land of entertainment’ this year will enhance what will already be a memorable event.”

In a year when many people are focusing on less, World Workplace is offering attendees more. This year’s conference will feature an opening keynote presentation from Andrew Winston — esteemed author, speaker and globally recognized expert on green business — as well as presentations from four concurrent power speakers, who will replace the conference’s traditional closing keynote session.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, Winston will deliver the presentation “Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart and Emerge from the Downturn on Top,” based on his upcoming book. He will make the case that going green — especially during an economic slowdown — saves money to help you survive, drives innovation to create value for the long run and represents a fundamentally new and better way of doing business.

The conference will also offer attendees a glimpse into the future of the workplace, as they get the first look at the new products and services debuting in 2010. The World Workplace expo floor will feature more than 200 exhibiting companies — including 3M, ARAMARK, IBM, Lowe’s and UGL Unicco — and will be freely open to the public this year. Additionally, expo hours have been extended, giving exhibitors and attendees 11 dedicated hours of interaction on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7-8.

Another highlight of the World Workplace 2009 expo will be the Green Zone, an exclusive section of the expo floor reserved for those companies offering environmentally friendly products and services. More than 75 exhibitors will be featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and the U.S. Department of State, as well as companies including AT&T, CORT, Kimball Office and Kohler.

Complementing the expo will be World Workplace 2009 educational sessions. Organized into eight different tracks, these sessions offer facility professionals the continuing education courses they need to meet the challenges posed by today’s workplace. Session topics include strategies for greening the office, the impact of new legislation on sustainable building design, and how to deal with workplace violence and natural disasters. Representatives from AOL, Duke University, and the U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration, among others, will present. World Workplace educational sessions will be held on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 8-9.

Conference attendees can add to their Orlando experience by attending any of six different facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring will be the Walt Disney World® Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants corporate headquarters and JetBlue University. Facility tours will be held before the conference begins, on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 5-6.

Following in the tradition of previous conferences, this year’s event has again received Cleaner & Greener® certification from Leonardo Academy, a non-profit environmental consulting group. Organizations seeking Cleaner & Greener certification make a commitment to gather emission reductions, offsetting the emissions caused by events.

To learn more about the conference or to register, visit http://www.worldworkplace.org/. Members of the media may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

The Orange County Convention Center, in partnership with OUC—The Reliable One, was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the state of Florida to be used, along with other funding sources, to install a one-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The largest rooftop PV system of its kind in the southeastern United States, the solar panel project will be complete and celebrated on May 20, 2009, during the general session of the Green Cities Florida 2009 conference at the Center.

In addition to the grant, OUC is contributing $1.5 million to the project and will receive 10 years’ worth of Renewable Energy Credits in that amount. The PV system utilizes high-efficiency, flat-plate collectors that occupy approximately 200,000 square feet of roof space on the North/South Building. The one-megawatt solar PV system will generate 1,300-megawatt hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the power used by 100 typical homes, and it will do so without producing any greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits of generating electricity with solar energy include reducing energy costs, while helping to reduce global warming and dependence on foreign fuels.

This $8.8 million multi-purpose project also features a Climate-Change Education Center (CCEC) inside the Convention Center to promote the many environmental and economic benefits of solar and other renewable-energy technologies. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the CCEC will be held during an evening reception on the first day of the Green Cities Florida 2009 conference on May 19, 2009.

The Orange County Convention Center has become an industry leader in environmental best practices, beginning in early 2007 when it became the first convention center in the U.S. to become ISO 14001 Certified for its recycling program. Other green projects at the Center include purchasing recycled products, using reclaimed water for landscaping irrigation, installing Xeriscape plantings, using Green-Seal certified cleaning products and installing waterless urinals and low-flow faucets, to name a few. In addition to its facility-related green initiatives, the Convention Center works closely with event organizers to support their efforts for green events, shows and meetings.

About the Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention facility in the country. Each year, the OCCC brings more than 200 events to the Central Florida area. As a result, roughly 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $1.4 billion to the area’s economic impact annually. For more information about the Orange County Convention Center, visit our Web site at www.occc.net.

About Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC—The Reliable One)
Established in 1923 by a special act of the Florida Legislature, OUC—The Reliable One is the second largest municipal utility in Florida. OUC provides electric and water services to more than 254,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola Counties.