Showguide: Orlando

With this year’s ISSA/Interclean® North America convention and trade show just weeks away, building service contractors in every state, as well as Canada and Mexico, are gearing up for a productive and successful trade show. Held in Orlando, Fla., at the Orange County Convention Center Tuesday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Oct. 26, the event will draw thousands of cleaning industry professionals.

Expect the same high quality of seminars, networking opportunities and educational sessions that the show is known for. Hot trends, such as the environmental and health focus taking over the industry, are addressed not only in seminars but also on the show floor (for more information, see Seminar Schedule PDF). And a number of new features will add some spice to the trade show routine, ensuring a satisfying experience for attendees.

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, hopes to empower those in the cleaning industry to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by the Information Age and global marketplace in the keynote address on a new day during the show week, Thursday, Oct. 25 at 8:15 a.m.

Also, BSCs can take advantage of the unique mix of attendees and network with distributors, manufacturers and in-house service providers during the many events, including the All Industry Marketing Lunch and Peer Exchange Receptions, both on Tuesday, as well as Thursday’s Show Floor Happy Hour, featuring a performance by Stomp Extreme.

After the convention and trade show come to a close for the day, however, there’s no reason BSCs should wind down, with plenty of restaurants, clubs and other entertainment to keep them occupied well into the evening hours. From the theme park experience Orlando is so well known for to the exploration of lesser-known activities and destinations, the Florida city offers a variety of entertainment options.

Palate-pleasers
A world of dining experiences awaits visitors to Orlando, from fine dining to the exotic to the casual.

Celebrity Chef Melissa Kelly has garnered critical acclaim for her restaurant Primo, located at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (4040 Central Florida Pkwy.). Primo features the use of farm-fresh, organic produce to serve up contemporary Southern Italian cuisine.

For seafood, check out Todd English’s bluezoo, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin (1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista), a newer dining hotspot that serves a mean clam chowder. Another option, Bonefish Grill (7830 Sand Lake Road), provides a slightly more casual atmosphere, offering fresh fish flown in daily.

Among other fine steak restaurants, Ruth’s Chris Steak House (7501 W. Sand Lake Road) serves some of the best richly marbled, custom-aged and hand-cut U.S. prime beef. But the place doesn’t cater exclusively to meat-eaters; the grilled portabello mushrooms are a specialty. For an Asian surf and turf experience, try Amura Japanese Steak House & High Definition Sushi (7786 W. Sand Lake Road), where the sushi is continually rated the best in town.

Those looking for a burger to keep them company while they watch the World Series will find plenty of sports-themed restaurants and bars in the city. ESPN Club, located at Disney’s Boardwalk, features televised sports visible from every seat in the house.

And for a more unique twist on dining in Orlando, try The Kitchen at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort (5800 Universal Blvd.), which is modeled after the kitchen in a rock star’s mansion. Here hungry patrons can find food like Mom used to make it: mac and cheese, chicken pot pie, meatloaf and fried chicken.

Fun after sundown
When the sun goes down over Orlando, there’s plenty of nightlife to keep anyone entertained.

Blue Man Group, part rock concert and part performance art, is now at Universal Studios Florida, providing a unique and unforgettable experience.

For those who like to spend free time laughing, the city offers comedy clubs that guarantee to leave patrons in stitches. SAK Comedy Lab (45 E. Church St.), a 200-seat theater located downtown, has had some great improvisational comedians come through the doors, including talk show host Wayne Brady. The club runs clean comedy shows Tuesday through Saturday, as well as comedy duels and other fun improv shows. Orlando Improv (129 W. Church St.) is another noteworthy downtown club, and books only A-list acts such as Dave Chappelle and Dave Attell.

Dottie’s Orlando Comedy Theater (7052 International Drive) breaks away from the comedy act norm to present “The All-Star Comedy & Variety Show,” presenting a rotating cast of headliner acts including comedians, magicians, impressionists, singers and jugglers.

For a dazzling show, check out the Cirque du Soleil® show, La Nouba™, at Walt Disney World® Resort. The performance features a mix of physical daring, breathtaking acrobatics, live music and talented choreography.

Stay awhile
Those BSCs who want to turn the business trip into a vacation, either before or after the trade show, have good reason to do so. Orlando is, after all, the continent’s theme park mecca. Whether you’re interested in staying a few extra days or longer, there’s lots to do.

Yes, Mickey Mouse is the character usually associated with Orlando, but he’s not the only one vying for attention from tourists. In addition to Walt Disney World, which contains four theme parks including Magic Kingdom, other popular theme parks include SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios Florida.

For something a little different, try Discovery Cove at SeaWorld, where attendees can interact with exotic birds and playful dolphins. The Trainer for a Day package allows for a more enhanced personal dolphin swim as well as behind the scenes feedings at the coral reef, help with animal food preparation, participation in small mammal playtime and involvement in animal behavioral training classes. Advanced reservations are required.

In addition to theme parks, Orlando is host to a number of interesting museums. The Orange County Regional History Center (65 E. Central Blvd.), a Smithsonian affiliate since 2006, presents “The Art of the Stamp,” which focuses on postal history and the stories behind the stamps. The exhibition displays the evolution of 100 works of art from pencil sketch to final masterpiece, and includes designs for the Elvis Presley stamp as well as two Norman Rockwell works.

American art fans will be interested in the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (445 N. Park Ave.), which houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. The collection includes jewelry, pottery, paintings, leaded glass windows, lamps and the chapel interior Tiffany designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The Orlando Science Center (777 E. Princeton St.) will exhibit “OUR BODY: The Universe Within,” which features more than 200 human specimens including full bodies, torsos and other anatomical displays. The specimens are preserved through a polymer impregnation process that replaces fluids with polymers that prevent decay and decomposition.

The Kennedy Space Center (State Road 405) is located 45 minutes from Orlando, and offers a live NASA launch experience to visitors. The center is the nation’s busiest launch facility, sending space shuttles, rovers, explorers and satellites into the atmosphere. Check the center’s Web site for information on launch dates. Also, the visitor’s center offers The Shuttle Launch Experience, which treats visitors to an authentic simulation of the actual launch. The experience takes people through the launch sequence, the lift-of and gives a breath-taking view of the earth.

To register for ISSA, visit www.issa.com to create an account and register online. To register by mail or fax, download the registration form from the Web site, fill it out, then fax the form to 847-982-1012 or 847-982-0819, or mail to ISSA, 7373 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60712-1799.