 In an innovative effort to better target the healthcare and medical segment of the meetings industry, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted the first Orlando Medical Meetings & Tourism Summit, attracting more than 100 community and business leaders from Orlando's major employers including the medical, healthcare, hospitality, and economic development industries, as well as elected officials and other stakeholders at the first. The focus of the summit was to develop consensus and create synergies amongst the healthcare and hospitality industries to increase medical meetings and tourism opportunities for the destination.
"The medical tourism summit was a great opportunity for the region's healthcare and hospitality leaders to enhance our position and have an open discussion about Orlando's future as a medical destination," explains Gary Sain, President/CEO at the Orlando CVB. "The early history of success with this market proves the community is off to a great start and the summit served to further define our strategy and will produce a blueprint for medical tourism."
According to the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association, Orlando was the top-ranked location for the medical meetings market during the past decade. Additionally, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research reports that medical meetings represent 23 percent of all U.S. conventions and attendance in this segment increased by 1.6 percent during 2007. During 2008, more than 215 medical meetings—representing 170,000 attendees and providing $164 million in economic impact— were scheduled to be held in the destination. The segment is expected to expand, both nationally and locally during the next several years.
The focus of Summit was an intensive and insightful discussion of the communities assets, history, future developments and differentiating ideas of how to accomplish a common goal – increasing medical meetings and tourism travel to the destination. Panelists shared with their views on industry trends, branding, marketing and economic development opportunities. Participants were asked whether the community could support the initiative and how their organizations would support the efforts. In breakout sessions, a consensus was reached that the community would support the efforts through the creation of a task force focused on developing the platform that would best serve the efforts. Efforts focused on creating a cohesive brand for the initiative and follow up on the next steps to continue the effort.
"A successful partnership with the healthcare community is the driving force behind the initiative. The ability for these groups to reach out to their peers in other cities and act as ambassadors on behalf of the destination could have a tremendously positive impact when planners are deciding whether to hold a meeting in Orlando," says Sain.
|
