"We will experience an unforgettable Copa America, enjoying the best football in the world in 14 magnificent stadiums. The passion of football will run through this great country from east to west and from north to south, bringing excitement and fun to hundreds of thousands of fans at the venues and millions of spectators around the world."

- Alejandro Dominguez

President of CONMEBOL and FIFA Vice President

Around The Horn.

• Orlando's Exploria Stadium was selected as one of the host venues for the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™, which will be held in 14 cities in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024, with 2 to 3 matches per venue. The tournament will feature 32 matches to be played over the 25 days of competition and 16 participating teams, 10 from CONMEBOL and six from Concacaf.
• Brazilian soccer giants Flamengo will play a friendly match against Orlando City SC on January 27, 2024 at Camping World Stadium. Tickets go on sale next week, visit FCSeries.com to sign up for presale access!
• It's college football bowl season around the country, and Orlando is host to three bowl games over the course of the next few weeks:
• Camping World Stadium will host two major bowl games - the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2024, featuring the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl, featuring NC State and Kansas State on December 28, 2023.
• The Cure Bowl will be played at FBC Mortgage Stadium on December 16, 2023 with Appalachian State taking on Miami (OH).
• UCF will return to a familiar postseason destination as the Knights make the short trip to Tampa to take on Georgia Tech in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 22 (6:30, ESPN). It's the sixth time UCF has played in the bowl game.
• The FAMU Rattlers are headed to the Cricket Celebration Bowl for the first time to take on the Howard Bison! The bowl's mission is to provide the schools, alumni, fans, and sponsors with a first-class bowl experience while continuing to celebrate the heritage, legacy, pageantry and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
• Orlando Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October/November. It marks the first time in Mosley’s career that he’s won the league’s top monthly honor.
• The Orlando Pride signed goalkeeper Sofia Manner through the 2025 season and with an option for 2026. Manner won the league’s Player of the Month award and Goalkeeper of the Month twice. She also was nominated for the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Best Player Award, appearing in 23 games.
• Darius Johnson scored 19 points and Jaylin Sellers added 16 as UCF rode a 16-point halftime lead to a 72-57 victory over Lipscomb. Johnson and Sellers scored 10 points each in the first half and UCF led 39-23 at the break.
• UCF receiver Javon Baker and defensive end Tre’Mon Morris-Brash were named All-Big 12 first-team selections, leading a group of 16 Knights honored. The league’s 14 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their players, made the selections.
• Join the Orlando Solar Bears for the return of the annual Solar Bears Food Festival on Saturday, December 9. The festival will showcase a number of vendors and restaurants from around Central Florida between the hours of 4-6:30 p.m. on Church Street in front of the Amway Center. 

Be a part of the magic of the 2024 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend! As a volunteer, you’d be supporting the runDisney® athletes and the presence of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® at Walt Disney World Resort on the racecourse and at the finish area. Click here to register now! 

In The News.

• The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts recently shared that it would be opening a new live music-focused venue in early 2024. Judson’s Live is being billed as an intimate live music space, inspired by listening rooms from iconic music cities like the Blue Note and Dizzy’s Club, with an “elevated atmosphere that brings audiences and international, national, and regional artists together in a table-style seating environment.” 
• The City of Orlando will once again be hosting a special Holiday Drone Show this year, following the success of last year’s event at Lake Eola Park. The show will feature a display of 500 synchronized drones flying in formation over the park, in the shapes of beautiful holiday-themed designs like snowflakes and snowmen. 
• The Florida Department of Transportation has plans to expand SunRail to the Orlando International Airport and International Drive in the near future. FDOT hopes to create a new east-west SunRail connector between the Sand Lake and Meadow Woods stops that would stop at the airport and International Drive near the Orange County Convention Center.
• Disney was honored to welcome more than 700 families of fallen military heroes to Walt Disney World for the annual Gary Sinise Foundation “Snowball Express” event where more than 1,800 children and surviving spouses had the opportunity to bond with the only people who can truly understand their loss: one another.
• A year after the unveiling of her record-breaking 2023 Summer Carnival Tour, the global music sensation P!NK announces her return to stadiums across North America starting next summer. She will be making her way to Orlando at Camping World Stadium on November 18, 2024.
• With hopes of bringing new life to the area around Oviedo Mall, city Council members approved preliminary plans for the development of up to 360 apartments at the spot where the old Macy’s department store once was bustling with shoppers. The gated development also would include a small park, a swimming pool, and a pedestrian walkway, according to plans. The main entrance will be from Oviedo Mall Boulevard.
• Walt Disney Co. officials unveiled Epcot’s new statue of Walt Disney during a dedication ceremony Monday. The figure, titled “Walt the Dreamer,” will became available this week. The figure is seated with its back to Spaceship Earth and facing a new, tiered vista toward the World Showcase. Epcot visitors will have easy access to the statue, providing ample photo opportunities.
• The prestigious Waldorf Astoria Orlando is proud to announce the completion of an extensive property-wide transformation, marking a significant milestone in the hotel’s legacy. This sweeping renovation encompasses every facet of the establishment, from guestrooms and suites to culinary experiences, spa offerings, golf amenities, and event spaces.
• The City of Winter Park has installed a series of life-sized greeting card backdrops in a number of city parks and if you take a really good photo in one of them, you could win a special City of Winter Park gift basket. Submit your favorite photo featuring one of those stations to the City of Winter Park on Facebook or Instagram via direct message, where they will be shared on the City’s official Facebook page in the Hometown Holidays 2023 photo album.

Stay Engaged.

• Join the Downtown Development Board on Dec. 9 as they present The Polar Express at Lake Eola Park. Bring your blankets, gather the family, and immerse yourself in the magic of the season with our enchanting lineup of family-friendly holiday movies. From heartwarming classics to joyful animated tales, there's something for everyone!
• Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra musicians will play their way through holiday classics on December 9, from Frosty the Snowman to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's the perfect way to celebrate the season with family!
• The Morse Museum is hosting Holiday Friday Nights in December. Guests can enjoy free museum admission from 4pm-8pm, and live music from 5pm-8pm.
• Orlando Ballet is thrilled to present the World Premiere of a ground-breaking production of The Nutcracker, December 8-24. This from-scratch, Broadway-caliber production will be the largest ever created by an Orlando-based performing arts organization, featuring enchanting new choreography, stunning costumes, fantastical sets, and magical stage elements.
• Gatorland is offering discounted tickets on its Screamin’ Gator Zipline for the next few weeks. The attraction’s zipline experience — which includes five segments and a 150-foot swinging bridge — is now on sale for $49.99 per person through Dec. 17. You'll travel up to 30 mph above dozens of alligators and crocodiles and Gatorland’s famed breeding marsh. It tops out at 65 feet high.
• SeaWorld Orlando is again offering an extended Fun Card deal. Buyers now get unlimited visits to the theme park for the rest of 2023 and all of 2024. The price is $131.99. A version also includes admission to the Aquatica water park through the end of 2024, and it sells for $189.99.
• 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 joined Board Member Jay Galbraith and Stephanie Howell from Valencia College at a recent event on campus.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel caught up with Congressman Maxwell Frost prior to the Winter Park Holiday Parade.

Photo credit: Axel "AJ" Someillan

GO Sports Senior Directors Kyle Sturley and Lindsey McBride and Coordinator Elizabeth Caldarelli attended WISE Greater Orlando's Holiday Party at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

GO Sports Senior VP Michael Kalinich and Coordinator Nolan McDonald attended the International Drive Chamber of Commerce Annual Luncheon at the Orange County Convention Center this week.

GO Sports CFO Gary Cohen and his wife Jill attended USA Track & Field's Night of Legends, hosted in Orlando.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and his son Ryder attended a game at Montverde Academy, pictured with Board Member Jeff Osterman from Montverde.

GO Sports Senior VP Brent Nelson and Coordinator Elizabeth Caldarelli attended CFHLA's Seminole County General Manager's luncheon last week.

Congratulations to USMNT legend Tim Howard, who was elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame last week. Howard will be inducted on May 4, 2024.

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

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Fun & Games.



• Disney Eats: Cookie Recipes
• Space Coast Launch Schedule