Technological advances are often crucial for event planners to have a marketing edge. Here are new and recently renovated Orlando/Central Florida venues that have stayed on top of upgrades and improved offerings for tech-savvy guests. The hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will open a new, immersive attraction November 11 that is available for private events. Heroes & Legends will have a multi-sensory theater that will give guests the illusion of flying in space alongside NASA astronauts. There will also be interactive exhibits that use holograms and augmented reality to allow visitors to interact with astronaut memorabilia and space program artifacts. Heroes & Legends will also house the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, where guests can activate life-size holograms of Hall of Fame astronauts and information about them. Kennedy Space Center offers a variety of pre-packaged menu options as well as in-house, full-service catering for meetings and receptions.
Planet Hollywood’s flagship location at Disney Springs will reopen by the end of the year as the new Planet Hollywood Observatory. The four-story venue has been closed for a comprehensive renovation, both to the physical structure and to the menu. Updated technology has been added to the space, including a 4,500-square-foot video wall that can be used to welcome guests and customize messages for people attending private events. The restaurant will be available for buyout and can accommodate 1,100 people. There will be multiple options for smaller groups, including Stargazers Bar, which will hold 150 people for a reception, and the second, third, and fourth floors of the building, which will hold between 200 and 525 people each for a reception.
The 400-room Wyndham Grand Orlando Bonnet Creek completed a $5 million renovation project in August that added two new ballrooms. The new 3,500-square-foot Bonnet Creek Ballroom is located on the main lobby level and can seat 250 people or hold 330 for a reception. It opens to a 923-square-foot terrace that overlooks the pool and lake. The ground-floor Expedition Ballroom is 2,155 square feet and can seat 160 people or hold 210 for a reception. The new rooms also have remote-controlled curtains and updated lighting that can be customized to any color. The resort now has a total of 32,000 square feet of meeting and function space.
Hilton Orlando now offers planners the option of using R.F.I.D. technology to communicate with their guests. The sticker-based technology adheres to a badge and can trigger a message on screens located near the hotel’s meeting and event spaces, so hosts can customize messages for specific attendees. Hilton Orlando has a total of 236,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space. Hilton HHonors members can use the Hilton HHonors app to check in using their mobile device. By the end of 2016, the app will add real-time chats with hotel staff, as well as a “pin my room” feature so guests can save their favorite rooms for future visits. In early 2017, the app will be updated so it can be used on multiple devices by guests who share a room.
Armature Works will offer a variety of areas for indoor and outdoor events when it opens in spring 2017. While the 70,000-square-foot structure dates back to 1910, an extensive renovation project is adding modern technology such as LED video walls and ambient lighting. The venue will have three multipurpose event spaces. At more than 10,000 square feet, A.W. Gathering will be the largest venue. With hardwood floors and exposed brick walls, this room will seat 800 or hold 1,200 for receptions. Adjacent to this space will be the A.W. Courtyard, a 4,150-square-foot open-air location that will seat 300 or hold 400 for a reception. Smaller groups can use the 2,623-square-foot A.W. Theater, which will have views of the Hillsborough River and downtown Tampa, and seat 200 or hold 225 for receptions.
Teambuilding goes high-tech at Digital Escape Velocity, a new escape-room venue on the far east side of Orlando. The facility uses augmented and virtual reality, multi-touch devices, location sensors, robotics, and projections to create an immersive experience for guests. The 2,400-square-foot venue opened in July and can accommodate 40 people for a buyout. Groups can use the venue’s audiovisual equipment for presentations before or after their gaming experience. Catering options are also available.
The Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Resort opens in January, and will have digital interactive signage throughout the resort and LED chandeliers with color-changing capabilities in the 10,600-square-foot ballroom, which will seat 880 or hold 1,060 for a reception. For smaller events, the resort will have six additional indoor venues, ranging from 400 to 1,500 square feet. The resort will have 343 rooms and suites, a spa, and a waterfront restaurant.
The Mediterranean-styled Kimpton Hotel Zamora opened in September on St. Pete Beach. The hotel has 72 rooms and suites, many with balconies overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico. The hotel also has 11,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including 6,000 square feet of outdoor space. The three indoor rooms, which seat from 20 to 80 people each, have wireless Internet access and flat-screen "smart" TVs. Castile, the hotel’s restaurant, specializes in Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine and has an adjacent rooftop lounge.
The beachfront Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Clearwater Beach opened in September. The 14-story hotel has 91 rooms and 1,800 square feet of meeting space. There’s also a restaurant on the sixth-floor open terrace that has views of the Gulf of Mexico. Hilton HHonors members can use the Hilton HHonors app to check in using their mobile device. By the end of 2016, the app will add feature such as real-time chat with hotel staff, and a “pin my room” feature so guests can save their favorite rooms for future visits. In early 2017, the app will be updated so it can be used on multiple devices by guests who share a room.
Legoland Florida Resort will open the new Lego Ninjago theme park in January. This new section will look like a magical martial arts kingdom, where guests experience the adventures of a ninja. Lego Ninjago the Ride will blend 3D computer animation, 4D effects, and other technology. There will also be hands-on, outdoor activities. The resort is also continuing construction on Legoland Beach Retreat, which is taking reservations for stays beginning in June 2017.
