The country’s leading meetings and convention destination, Orlando,  announced a collaboration between the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), Visit Orlando and premier healthcare system Orlando Health, to launch a new program that will provide added reassurance for health and safety of convention groups. The new program provides personalized medical services and resources to meetings and convention groups holding events at the OCCC through 2020.

Orlando is recognized by CVENT as the No. 1 overall meetings and conventions destination in the U.S. It has the second largest convention center in North America and the OCCC is the largest convention venue to announce accreditation for its cleaning and infection disease protocol from the recognized Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™. Orlando Health is recognized for pioneering research, including one of the few hospitals in the U.S. to research the treatment of COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma.

This new collaboration to support conventions coming to Orlando is part of new and enhanced health, safety and hygiene procedures being implemented across the destination from theme parks, attractions, hotels, restaurants and the airport. With more than 150 meeting hotels representing some of the most recognized brands in the industry, new safety and cleanliness programs are underway throughout Orlando including Hilton Worldwide’s Hilton CleanStay With Lysol Protection, Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, Loews Hotels & Co.’s Safety & Well-Being Protocols, Marriott International’s  Commitment to Clean and Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ Rosen Total Commitment, a screening and testing plan of action.

The new medical concierge program is among the first of its kind in the country, and will provide every group with personalized medical collaboration, planning and support. Available services include:

• Customized Medical Plan Guidance – collaborate directly with medical professionals to review, provide guidance and answer questions regarding their specific event plans.

• Direct access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for attendees – ensure access to suppliers for the most popular safety items meeting planners may want to order for attendees, such as masks and hand sanitizers.

• Medically-certified Communication Materials – create personalized videos, photos, and written materials from certified healthcare experts to inform and create confidence with attendees.

• 24/7 Medical Concierge through Orlando Health’s Virtual Visit – each attendee will be able to connect with a physician from their phone, tablet or computer for any individual question or concern during their event, so they can stay safe and healthy.

• On-site Medical Expert– access to an on-site medical expert during the event, and availability of testing for coronavirus.

• Medical advisory services to the event’s host hotels, transportation vendors and other significant partners through Orlando Health’s Business Ready initiative which provides businesses with clear guidance, videos and PDFs on best safety practices.

“As a leading healthcare system in the region and a champion of community collaborations, Orlando Health is dedicated to helping provide a safer environment for our valuable travel and tourism industry and the tens of millions of visitors to our area,” said Don Plumley, MD, Chief Quality Officer at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “The expertise and assistance we provide will go a long way in allowing our world-class destinations to confidently resume operations and visitors to feel safe.”

From the moment visitors arrive on campus, guests will experience a heightened level of cleanliness and access to an array of healthcare services during their visit to the OCCC.

“Offering this pioneering medical concierge gives our conventions and tradeshows a vast network of healthcare services and expertise that prioritizes the safety of our guests,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “This groundbreaking industry collaboration, coupled with our Recovery and Resiliency Guidelines and GBAC STAR accreditation, elevates our rigorous protocols and is a testament of our commitment to keeping attendees healthy at the second largest convention center in North America.”

The OCCC’s strategy provides an industry-defining standard on how conventions will operate in the future.

“As the nation’s top meetings destination, it was imperative for us to use the challenges facing the entire meetings industry to create a brand-new industry model,” said George Aguel, President and CEO of Visit Orlando. “This new personalized concierge program gives planners the tools, access and comfort that our destination, convention center and expert medical professionals are with them every step of the process to keep attendees safe.”  

The Orange County Convention Center is the second-largest convention facility in North America and provides approximately $3 billion in economic impact to Central Florida annually. In recent years, the Convention Center has averaged nearly 200 meetings, conferences, banquets, conventions and tradeshows that attract more than 1.4 million attendees to the region each year. For more information about the Orange County Convention Center, visit www.occc.net.