ORLANDO, FL – Universal Orlando Resort launches new Partner Hotel program to give guests a wider selection of hotel options as they plan their Universal vacations.  Guests staying at Universal partner hotels  also get several additional benefits as part of their stay.

Universal Orlando’s three on-site Loews hotels – the Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort – already provide a range of accommodations in the deluxe category with room rates starting at $199 per night.  The Partner Hotel program offers guests a wider range of pricing options and features value and moderate categories.

“We want to give our guests as many value-driven options as possible when it comes to planning a Universal vacation,” said Gretchen Hofmann, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Universal Orlando Resort.  “Our partner hotel program combines attractive pricing with special benefits to give our guests even more choices when planning a Universal vacation.”

Chosen based on quality, reputation and proximity to Universal Orlando, the nine Partner Hotels are within three miles of Universal Orlando Resort.  Guests of the partner hotels receive a variety of benefits at Universal Orlando plus complimentary transportation to Universal Orlando Resort throughout the day and to Universal CityWalk at night.  To take advantage of the additional program benefits, guests will receive a key card sleeve upon check-in at one of the partner hotels that will explain the benefits of the program;

• 15% off merchandise on purchases over $50 at select venues
• 15% off food and non-alcoholic beverages at select locations in both theme parks
• 10% off food and non-alcoholic beverages at select CityWalk venues
• Golf reservations including complimentary transportation to select area courses offered through the Golf Universal Orlando Program.  

“We are excited to be a part of the program and for the opportunity to have a higher level of partnership with a destination such as Universal Orlando,” said Jim Haughney, vice president, operations, and general manager, at the Doubletree Hotel At The Entrance to Universal Orlando.  “Our guests have always raved about Universal’s theme parks – and now we can offer them an even better experience.”

Hotels participating in the program are:

Comfort Inn Universal Studios Area
6101 Sand Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32819

Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando
5780 Major Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819

Embassy Suites International Drive/ Jamaican Court
8250 Jamaican Court
Orlando, FL 32819

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Orlando International Cove
7495 Canada Avenue
Orlando, FL 32819

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott near Universal Orlando
5614 Vineland Road
Orlando, FL 32819

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites at the Entrance to Universal Orlando
5905 Kirkman Road
Orlando, FL 32819

LaQuinta Inn & Suites Orlando Convention Center
8504 Universal Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819

Sheraton Studio City Orlando
5905 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819

Residence Inn by Marriott Orlando Convention Center
8800 Universal Boulevard
Orlando, FL  32819

For more information on the new Universal Partner Hotel program, please visit www.universalorlando.com.

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Disney this morning announced a new marketing campaign, “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day,” through which it will give one-day, one-park tickets to people who volunteer at select charities.

With the program, which replaces the company’s “Free on Your Birthday” campaign this year, Disney is continuing its strategy of using discounts and promotions to lure vacationers amid a still-challenging economic environment. But it also marries the approach with a socially conscious message.

Disney says its goal is to get 1 million people to volunteer a day of community service in 2010. It also says the supply of free tickets will be limited: The promotion will run until the last ticket is distributed or Dec. 15 of next year, whichever is earlier.

For more details, click here.

Despite making their first Finals appearance since 1995, the Magic boldly remade their roster this summer, bringing in five new players. The biggest change was letting go of Hedo Turkoglu and trading for Vince Carter.

General Manager Otis Smith considers the moves — the Magic could wind up with two new starters — to be part of a process of building a perennial contender.

In a question-and-answer session with the Sentinel’s Brian Schmitz, Smith also explains why the timing is now right to acquire Carter and why trading Marcin Gortat doesn’t make sense — yet.

Q: Otis, you’ve employed an unusual strategy: Reach the Finals and then tear up your team. What’s up with that?

A: You can punt around and say our goal is to get back to the Finals, but we want to win championships. And we want to win a championship today. The pieces we added were the pieces we thought we needed to add to win.

I thought it would be virtually impossible to bring back 10 guys and get back to the Finals. It will be equally as difficult to even bring back different guys and win a championship. So the task is equally as great.

Q: You put last season in the rearview mirror rather quickly.

A: The team had some success, but it was not our ultimate goal. So it’s hard for me to say, ‘I’m ecstatic.’ That’s not who I am.

I thought last year we were a team that showed great resolve and were a team of destiny that kind of fell apart in the Finals.

Q: You’ve been a 3-point shooting club that was hurt by the Lakers’ size and length in the Finals. Have the changes made you a sounder playoff team?

A: We’re more versatile in that we can play different ways. We couldn’t really play big and strong, but I think Brandon [Bass] gives us a different look. Ryan [Anderson] gives us a different look. What we’ll look like is a totally different team at different times.

It’s not the same team , but we’re always going to play similar because Dwight [Howard] is still our big guy in the middle. He still draws double teams and we’ll still encourage guys to take the 3.

Q: Obviously, the big move was Vince in, Turk out. Was it more of a financial matter not to re-sign Turk?

A: It all came down to getting better. I don’t think it came down to financial for us. Ownership said do whatever it takes to put a winner on the floor. I think we did that.

Q: Other than an all-star resume, what does Carter give you that Turk did not?

A: I thought my core guys needed to be able to walk into a gym and see Vince Carter shooting at the other end and say, ‘Now we got help. Now we got a guy who can do it.’ I thought that was as big for their psyches as anything else.

Q: Two summers ago, Vince was a free agent as was Rashard Lewis. Why not sign Vince then?

A: Rashard and Vince were on the board at the same time. I do think the timing is right now for Vince. Timing is everything with every player. Vince is a different person at 32 than he was at 30. Just as Dwight is a different person now than he was at 21. Vince is at a place in his career. He’s been through all the superstar stuff and he just wants to win.

Q: You have your core group with Dwight, Rashard and a now healthy Jameer Nelson. You also, surprisingly, decided that Gortat would be part of that group, even though he hardly plays behind Dwight. Don’t you at some point trade Gortat for another piece to get out from under his contract?

A: I know maybe on paper, and in theory, it makes sense. That’s the history of the league, but we’re trying to build a championship team and March is part of that. You’d only trade him because you’re looking to get better or you have a need; you don’t trade him because you are looking to get out from under the money.

We think with Marcin it’s like, ‘Break glass in case of emergency.’ We didn’t know if we needed a Rafer Alston last year, but we had a need [after Nelson's injury] and we were able to fill a need [with a trade].

Q: Lewis will miss the first 10 games because of his suspension. How will that affect a team trying to put together new pieces?

A: I think it’s a blessing. Sometimes there’s a silver lining. You get to see guys play extended minutes who normally would not.

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Forgot to say..we have all stayed at the bealtiful Hilton Pensacola for a great rate for an excellent hotel!

Elaborate sets where guests can dance with princesses and a wand shop where the souvenir wands choose their buyers mark the latest efforts by Disney and Universal to make their parks more interactive with visitors. They are also among the earliest attempts to extend that interactivity beyond traditional rides and shows and into every corner of the sprawling resorts.

“Interactivity” has become a big buzz word in the amusement industry in recent years. Disney, Universal and other parks are trying to create more experiences that can be personalized by individual guests — something that is vital if they are to remain relevant to a generation of children accustomed to being part of a story, rather than simply watching it unfold.

“Kids whose concept of entertainment is defined by video games are looking for something very different in a theme park than previous generations whose concept of entertainment was defined by television or movies or radio,” said Robert Niles, publisher of the Web site themeparkinsider.com.

Participation

Disney World, in particular, has emphasized interactivity in its attractions. Most of its new additions in the past few years — from Toy Story Mania!, a ride in which the images and effects vary based on where guests aim pull-string shooters, to Turtle Talk With Crush, where the animated turtle from Finding Nemo holds real-time conversations with children — incorporate interactivity.

The resort’s biggest additions this year have been American Idol Experience, in which guests participate either by performing themselves or voting for their favorites, and the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, in which they must solve a series of clues scattered around one of Epcot’s national pavilions.

“Today, more than ever, we believe that guests bring with them a greater expectation to be an active participant in our stories,” said Jon Georges, a senior show producer with Walt Disney Imagineering.

Disney is not alone. Universal, for example, just opened Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, a $45 million roller coaster where the most compelling attribute isn’t the 90-degree lifthill or the 65-mph top speed — it is the ability for guests to select their own soundtrack and then buy “rock videos” of their ride that can be uploaded to sites such as YouTube and Facebook.

SeaWorld Orlando has long sought to focus on guest interaction, though primarily in wildlife interactions. Experiences range from a simple splash from Shamu to swimming with Beluga whales or handling penguins.

In the cards

Now, Disney and Universal are trying to extend interactivity into two theme-park staples: character meet-and-greets and retail stores.

In its expanded Fantasyland, Disney says, it plans to “reinvent” the traditional character greeting. The plans call for walk-through sets allowing guests to meet Cinderella in her chateau, Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora in her cottage and Beauty and the Beast’s Belle at the Beast’s castle. Disney says the three princesses will do much more than sign autographs and pose for photos. At Cinderella’s chateau, for example, children will help prepare Cinderella for the ball, dancing rehearsal waltzes with her or taking up shields and swords to serve as her honor guard.

Disney says the princess attractions, which are scheduled to open in 2012, are still in “very early” stages of development. But other experiences will include helping the good fairies throw a 16th-birthday party for Aurora — children will get to design their own birthday cards and then present them to the princess — and joining Belle in a story performance in a castle library. More characters from the films, including villains, may also be incorporated.

“These will provide extended interaction time with each of the three princesses — Cinderella, Belle and Aurora — and will allow us to deepen our storytelling within highly themed environments in the Fantasyland expansion,” Georges said.

At Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, fewer details have been released so far about “Ollivanders,” a magical-wand shop.

But Universal has said it will be a faithful re-creation of the shop made famous by the first Harry Potter book — and the movie that followed — in which Harry Potter tries out several wands and one suddenly comes alive in his hand. Universal says guests who buy wands will get the same experience themselves

The country has its first black president. So where do African-Americans go from here?

That was the question explored Saturday in one of several panel discussions at the Tom Joyner Family Reunion.

The sixth-annual event brought nearly 6,000 people to Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center in northwest Osceola County.

Seminars and concerts with national-name singers were a draw. So was a barbecue at SeaWorld Orlando and a basketball camp at Universal CityWalk.

The flap over whether schoolchildren should be allowed to watch President Barack Obama’s speech on Tuesday moved panel moderator Roland Martin to ask how many in the audience called their children’s schools to say they want the president to be heard.

“Our silence allows the other side to continue to ramp an issue up,” said Martin, an analyst for CNN and radio’s nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show.

To combat a lack of involved fathers and other role models, panelists emphasized the importance of education and mentoring.

“Everyone who is not crazy should have their hands on the shoulder of a vulnerable young black person,” said journalist Michaela angela Davis.

Making school as appealing as sports and entertainment careers is a step toward success, said Dr. George Jenkins, an assistant professor of clinical dentistry at Columbia University. So is parents reading to their children.

“We have to help our kids understand there’s nothing more cool than getting all A’s,” said Jenkins, one of a group of motivational speakers and authors known as The Three Doctors. All served as panelists.

Olivia Anderson, 17, of Cincinnati attended the conference with her family and said she was inspired that the men, including emergency-medicine Dr. Sampson Davis and internist Dr. Rameck Hunt, overcame difficult childhoods to excel.

“I just love seeing three successful black men up there,” Olivia said.

Jay Robinson, 32, of Altamonte Springs, who attended with his wife and their 11-month-old daughter, said the event was a rare opportunity for black families to come together — and a welcome boost for the local economy.

The reunion is one of a triumvirate of weekend activities geared toward the black community. The others are the Black Enterprise Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge at the JW Marriott Orlando-Grande Lakes and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference/Southwestern Athletic Conference Challenge football game at the Citrus Bowl today, where Grambling State University will take on South Carolina State.

The events are expected to generate millions of dollars for the local economy, said Gary Sain, president of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. In addition, the exposure on Joyner’s show is great publicity, he said.

“These are great events for the community and the destination,” Sain said.

Exhibitors at the Gaylord Palms included a bookstore, a bank and sellers of jewelry, purses, CDs, Obama-focused photography and Michael Jackson tribute T-shirts. A Georgia nonprofit offered tips on cooking and eating well and gave blood-pressure checks.

For the younger set, 13-year-old actor Bobb’e J. Thompson signed photos of himself. A’leeyah Ponder, 10, of Atlanta, posed for a picture with him.

“I’m having fun,” said A’leeyah, who attended the expo with her mother, stepfather and cousin.

Performers over the weekend included singers Vanessa Williams, Maxwell, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Ruben Studdard, Ginuwine, Chico DeBarge and Trey Songz.

These two excellent Walt Disney World programs are a great way to focus an educational field trip experience to Orlando Florida. Any well-rounded student tour will also include visits to Universal Studios, Epcot Center, or other popular destinations at Walt Disney World. Culturally diverse dining and entertainment opportunities are also available at Walt Disney World.

Disney Magic Music Days

For the young musician, the thrill of performing in front of a live audience is critical to development and growth. While researching a school field trip for the band, choir, orchestra, dance ensemble, drill team or other types of performance groups, consider a visit to Walt Disney World to perform in front of a live international audience. Disney proudly proclaims on the website: ‘Become a star on the world’s greatest stage.’

Make the high school band trip a tour for all to remember. First, work with a qualified educational travel consultant to pull together a fantastic field trip and performance tour that includes Disney Magic Music Days. The educational tour company will work closely with your high school band or orchestra, or other type of performance group to schedule an appropriate Florida field trip that includes an audition for the Disney Show. Disney divides the auditions into three categories: instrumental, choral, and dance. If your student tour group is chosen, they will perform in front of a worldwide audience as part of Disney Magic Music Days.

The National Association for Music Education endorses Disney Magic Music Days performances by student tour groups. This program is an activity that contributes to greater musical learning and development. Overnight field trips to Orlando Florida to perform at Disney Magic Music Days are complemented by fun in some of Disney’s greatest theme parks including: Epcot Center, Universal and MGM Studios, Space Mountain, the Twilight Zone Mountain of Terror, and more. Rely on a qualified educational tour professional to schedule the Disney Magic Music Days performance and tour for your student travel group.

Disney Performing Arts Workshops

Student tour groups that visit Orlando Florida can become deeply engaged in the Disney experience through participation in a Performing Arts Workshop. These workshops inspire the student performance tour participants through direct interaction, coaching, and practice. Student tour groups are trained and coached by professional Disney performance artists.

Artistic techniques are taught under a wide range of programs, with participants from auxiliary units, pom squads, color guards, drill teams, orchestras, concert bands, jazz and marching bands, vocalists and dancers.

Walt Disney World Performing Arts Workshops are educational in nature and teach the student tour participants to improve their techniques, presentation and staging. Student travel groups are excited about learning from the professionals in the Disney Performing Arts Workshops. The enthusiasm builds if the student travel group is scheduled for a public performance as part of Disney Magic Music Days.

A student tour of Orlando Florida is greatly enhanced when an educational travel professional is engaged to take care of the details. Visit www.EducationalTravelConsultants.com for a complete overview of educational student tours.

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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/.

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.

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.