Here are new ideas for group outings, catering, client entertaining, gifts, and entertaining summer associates and interns in Orlando.
1. The Orlando Science Center opens “Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World” on June 11. The 5,000-square-foot touring exhibition from the National Guitar Museum explores the history and evolution of the guitar, from lutes and lyres to modern instruments. The exhibit is on display until September 11. Tickets are $15 per person for groups of at least 15 people, and include admission to the entire science center facility.
2. Disney Institute recently updated its Business Behind the Magic tour that can be used to complement any meeting, event, or conference agenda. Guests are escorted around the company’s 200,000-square-foot textile facility, one of the largest in the world, to learn how team engagement is critical to success. There are several other stops on the tour and concepts from at least one Disney Institute core topic are featured at each location, along with quantitative examples of how each area successfully implemented those concepts. The tour lasts approximately three hours and costs $200 per person with a minimum of 25 guests.
3. Orlando City Soccer is a new professional soccer team playing in the United Soccer League Professional Division. Games are played at the Citrus Bowl through August. Group ticket prices range from $9 to $23 per person, depending on the location of seats and the number of tickets purchased.
4. Big Wheel Provisions is one of the companies fueling the food truck craze around Orlando. The company, lead by classically-trained chef Tony Adams, focuses on food made with seasonal and local ingredients. Summertime specialties include Florida watermelon skewers with 8-year balsamic vinegar and Thai basil for $1.65 each and pork belly sliders for $3.25 each. The company also offers a picnic buffet, allowing guests to build their own picnic box, starting at $45 per person. Adams also does general catering, offers cooking classes, and can lead field trips to learn about local food.
5. The Pointe Performing Arts Center is presenting Xanadu, an entertaining musical fit for all ages. The show is currently scheduled through May 15 but producers say it will likely be extended. The remainder of the center’s summer schedule includes Proof in June, the History Boys in July, and Steel Magnolias in August. Groups of 10 or more receive 10 percent off full ticket price. The center has also partnered with Taverna Opa and B.B. Kings, both also located in the Pointe Orlando complex, to offer a package that includes dinner, a show ticket, and parking for $35. The theater can seat 100 people.
6. If you are looking for a new way to stay cool in the Florida sun, SeaWorld Orlando will open its Grand Reef in June. The 875,000-gallon saltwater reef is the first expansion at Discovery Cove since the park opened in 2000. The Grand Reef will be filled with approximately 125 species of sea life, from fish and rays to sharks and urchins, among which guests will be able to walk, swim, and snorkel. The main attraction will be an underwater walking tour dubbed SeaVenture in which guests will don dive helmets and follow a themed trail through schools of fish. The experience is limited to groups of no more than six people at a time and will cost an extra $59 per person, on top of regular park admission.
7. Dave and Buster’s opens on International Drive July 18. The new building will have a 46,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment facility with nearly 200 arcade games, a full bar, and several flat screen TVs. The entire venue will accommodate 1,700 people and will have private space for meetings and parties.
8. Add some old-fashioned fun to an event with the Yum Yum Cupcake Truck. The owners Joey Conicella and Alex Marin don bow ties and soda jerk hats as they serve their made-from-scratch cupcakes from inside the vintage vehicle. The menu changes monthly based on voting by the company’s fans on Facebook and Twitter. Cupcakes are $2.50 each or $27 a dozen for regular size, or $1 each for minis. Large cupcakes can be ordered for $4 each. Truck rental, with the owners as servers, starts at $100 per hour.
9. Groups planning a meeting or event this summer can take advantage of an added-value teambuilding activity at the Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores. The AAA Four Diamond resort is offering "Pick Three for Free": groups booking an event with 10 or more room nights in July or August can add any three of the following enhancements to their event, free of charge: beach bocce ball competition; s'mores teambuilding around ocean front fire pits; beach scavenger hunt; beach game recreation pack (filled with several popular beach/sand games); sandcastle building competition; or tennis and/or pickle ball tournament.
10. Universal Orlando brings backs its Summer Concert Series on select nights in June and July. The park will announce the lineup around mid-May. In past years, performers have included Train, Pitbull, and Rob Thomas. The concerts are held on the plaza at Universal Studios and are included with park admission.
