“On behalf of the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, I’d like to thank the Greater Orlando Sports Commission for their unwavering partnership with the Hospitality Industry. By continuing to work together to aggressively recruit and support additional sporting events within our region, our community will continue to benefit from the positive economic impacts.”

- Robert Agrusa, President

Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association

Recipient of the 2023 Sports Tourism Alliance Award

Around The Horn.

• The Greater Orlando Sports Commission has announced Robert Agrusa, President of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, as the recipient of the Sports Tourism Alliance Award as part of the 2023 SPORTYS: Greater Orlando’s Night of Champions presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, which airs on WKMG-TV News 6 this Saturday, June 17 at 7 p.m
• The 2023 U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships will be held July 11-15 at Osceola Heritage Park. Nationals will be held in Silver Spurs Arena, where the 2018 World Championship was held.
• Ahead of the team’s 35th season, the Orlando Magic unveiled their new logo for the 2023-24 season. This design pays homage to the team’s past by incorporating pieces of the team’s original, fan-favorite logo from 1989 (the ball and stars) to go with a modern numerical font while continuing to use the team’s traditional colors of blue, black and silver.
• Terry Mohajir skillfully hired Orlando native and Bishop Moore High School product Rich Wallace, who not only played at UCF but started his coaching journey at UCF. Wallace loves college baseball so much that he and his wife Alex got married 13 years ago at home plate in Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium, which had been the longtime annual site of the College World Series.
• Lake Nona’s girls tennis team, with just one senior in its starting lineup, ruled supreme as the best in the Orlando area this spring. The Lions went 18-0 with district and 18-0 with district and before losing to Spanish River of Boca Raton at the FHSAA Class 4A state tournament. Two Nona ninth-graders, Aspen Wooten and Shrika Moturi, are on the All-Area team.
• The 2023 NBA draft is 1½ weeks away, meaning the Orlando Magic will soon be on the clock to make their selections. With the Magic having the No. 6 and No. 11 picks, in addition to a second-round pick at No. 36, Orlando is the only team with multiple lottery selections.
• Orlando City’s unbeaten streak grew to six straight as the Lions dispatched the Colorado Rapids 2-0 at Exploria Stadium on Saturday night after a 50-minute rain delay. Orlando (7-4-5, 26 points) started the MLS game with plenty of energy, but Colorado (2-9-7, 13 points) was able to find a foothold defensively and started to push back.

In The News.

• Walt Disney World is adding another holiday party to its theme park lineup: Disney Jollywood Nights debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Nov. 11. The resort also has set the dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom and announced other festivities, new and returning. The new Hollywood Studios after-hours, extra-ticket event will be held 10 select evenings, winding up Dec. 20.
• The Last of Us video game will be brought to life as a haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights this year, Universal Orlando announced Thursday. The house will include scenes from the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone, the Hotel Grand and a series of “dark and dank tunnels.”
• The Orlando Repertory Theatre has just announced a significant change: a new name it feels better represents its mission and vision, “Orlando Family Stage.” The esteemed theater company has shed its former title and embraced a fresh identity that reaffirms the theater’s commitment to engaging and diverse storytelling for families.
• A recently installed exhibit at Orlando Science Center addresses several burning questions, including “Are you faster than a chihuahua?” and “Is this slobbery ball yours?” Dogs! A Science Tail explores what makes canines tick and their relationships with humans on scientific terms.
• Orlando Business Journal's 2023 Fast 50 — Central Florida’s fastest-growing privately held companies based on three-year revenue growth — overcame plenty of obstacles to make this year's list. The annual list recognizes 50 of the fastest-growing privately held companies headquartered in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties. The firms are ranked based on their percentage of consistent three-year revenue growth, between 2020-2022.
• Orlando Fringe just celebrated its 32nd year of presenting fringe theatrical productions in the City Beautiful, and this year’s fest featured over 1,600 artists from around the world. The 14-day Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival featured over 120 shows running from burlesque and spoken word, to musicals, comedy, magic, and more. This year it succeeded in attracting over 67,241 attendees.  
• Howard Middle School has completed the designs for a long-awaited renovation of its campus in downtown Orlando. Orange County Public Schools announced the pending renovations in May 2022, with a list of improvements ranging from new roofing, updated lighting, tile work, flooring, air conditioning, and updated bathrooms.

Stay Engaged.

• On June 17, Red Bull BC One will host its Regional Cypher at Full Sail Live in Winter Park. The event will give breakers from throughout the Southeast a chance to show off their skills, celebrate the breaking and hip-hop community, and be one step closer to a spot at the National Final in Philadelphia.
• United Arts of Central Florida is seeking proposals for five temporary public art projects in celebration of 25 Years of Orlando Arts Magazine. According to the call for artists page, the project will “… showcase unique installations to illustrate the artistic talent in Central Florida and highlight the magazine’s 150 issues. The proposed project must use aspects from Orlando Arts Magazine‘s prior 149 covers.”
• The National Barrel Horse Association will hold its Florida State Show on June 14-18, 2023 at Osceola Heritage Park! This event is free to attend, begins at 8 am each morning, and goes all day! You can come to watch your favorite contestant ride and shop at all the vendors.
• Saturday, June 17, 2023 at Luminary Green Park is the perfect day to celebrate Juneteenth by buying black, circulating the black dollar + having a great time doing it! Enjoy Vendors, DJs, Guest Hosts, Kids Zone, Food Trucks, at BLK YRD Block Party Downtown Orlando.
• Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. is back with its innovative Camp Ivanhoe series of events and challenges from June 26-July 2, during which, participants can relive the joys of summer camp while also enjoying craft beers and a little friendly competition.
• Mecum, The World's Largest Collector Car Auction®, returns to Osceola Heritage Park for its Kissimmee Summer Special on July 6-9 and will feature an estimated 1,500 American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, trucks, exotics, Hot Rods, customs and more. 
• Florida Residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended OEP's Behind the Board Room Event hosted by UCF Athletics, pictured here with Athletic Director Terry Mohajir and Senior Executive Associate AD Jimmy Skiles.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Senior VP Brent Nelson attended the NACDA convention being hosted at Orlando's World Center Marriott this week.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the All Star Dad's Breakfast, pictured here with GO Sports Executive Committee Member Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride) and City of Orlando Commissioner Robert Stuart.

GO Sports partnered with UCF Athletics and the Florida Sports Foundation to host a reception during the 2023 NACDA Convention at Orlando's World Center Marriott. GO Sports board members Jordan Clark (UCF) and Faron Kelley (Disney Sports) are pictured with GO Sports' Jason Siegel and Brent Nelson.

GO Sports partnered with UCF Athletics and the Florida Sports Foundation to host a reception during the 2023 NACDA Convention at Orlando's World Center Marriott. GO Sports Senior VP Brent Nelson is pictured with Ben Greenberg (CSU Pueblo).

GO Sports partnered with UCF Athletics and the Florida Sports Foundation to host a reception during the 2023 NACDA Convention at Orlando's World Center Marriott. The GO Sports team is pictured.

GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik attended OEP's Behind the Board Room Event hosted by UCF Athletics with Bridget Keefe (UCF) & Lisa Curran (OUC).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Senior VP Brent Nelson attended the NACDA convention being hosted at Orlando's World Center Marriott this week.

New Corporate Partner.

For more information, visit

www.mearstransportation.com

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.



• Celebrate Juneteenth with these food traditions and recipes
• Fun things to do in Orlando for 2024 & 2025
• Orlando Magic Wall Papers