Hotels’ weekend events look beyond tourists to locals
Orlando hotels are throwing a party. And they mean business.
Central Florida’s hospitality industry increasingly is developing special events on its own properties. The goals: Entertain their guests, introduce themselves to locals and maybe lure away some customers.
Gaylord Palms, a 1,400-room hotel in Kissimmee, handles a lot of convention business, said Chris Brumbaugh, director of public relations and marketing. Most of those meetings are held during the workweek, he said.
“So we have the weekend, which is when the locals want to get out and do something,” Brumbaugh said. “That’s when the Tampa staycation people want to come over and do the theme parks and whatever else, so if we can entice them with some special programming that we develop, even better. Get them in here.”
The newest Gaylord Palms production is Easter Eggstravaganza, which features scavenger hunts, high tea, a sing-along show and seasonal décor with 8-foot-tall eggs. The hotel has found a sweet spot with holidays, creating Christmastime activities (including the popular ICE exhibit) and adding Goblins & Giggles for Halloween in 2016. Entertainment at major Central Florida attractions has also influenced the Gaylord programming.
“We have to stay competitive here to give that theme-parkstyle experience to guests whether they’re here overnight or here just for the day,” Brumbaugh said.
The sheer size of many Orlando hotels allows the event trend to spread more locally than in the U.S. in general, said Scott Brush, an independent hotel consultant based in South Florida.