Amy Saunders, daughter of Arnold and Winnie Palmer, provided welcome remarks at a reception co-hosted by Sports Business Journal and GO Sports last night, to celebrate Orlando being named the No. 1 Best Sports Business City for Attracting and Hosting Events. Amy has dedicated herself to continuing the legacy her parents built in Orlando, Latrobe, and across the world. She oversees the operations of several Arnold Palmer Group businesses, including the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Latrobe Country Club, Bay Hill Club & Lodge and more. 

Around The Horn.

• The Osceola Magic, NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, will host the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday, April 5, at Osceola Heritage Park at 7pm. Osceola finished their season at (22-12) to clinch the one-seed in their conference and score a first-round bye in the playoffs. Visit their website for more information and to purchase your tickets to the game.
• MexTour W, the annual U.S. tour featuring the Mexican Women's National Team, will take place at Inter&Co Stadium this Saturday, April 6. The match between Mexico and Colombia will kickoff at 6pm, with Mexico currently 35th in the world and Colombia ranked 23rd.
• Orlando City SC rescued a 1-1 draw Saturday night against a challenging New York Red Bulls squad as they fought back in the dying minutes of the match to level the score. Orlando City (1-3-2) is currently enjoying a week off from the pitch before they take a trip to play DC United for an April 13 match.
• Join the Orlando Solar Bears tomorrow, April 5 as they celebrate the Florida Gators Men's Hockey Team for winning the Ice Hockey Championship this year. Every Solar Bears ticket purchased through this link will donate $5 to the team so they can fundraise and purchase national championship rings. The puck drop is scheduled for 7pm against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and Florida players will be recognized on the ice as well as signing autographs following the second period of the game.
• The Orlando Pride continued their undefeated start to the NWSL season by posting a 1-1 draw Friday night against the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride (0-0-3) got out to an early lead before Chicago equalized the score in the second half. The Pride will now look ahead to capture their first win of the season as they travel to play the Utah Royals on April 12.
• The UCF Knights offered a contract extension for men's basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins earlier this week that will keep him there for the foreseeable future. In his tenure as head coach, Dawkins has lead UCF to three NIT Tournament appearances and one trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Knights finished (17-16) in their first season of the Big 12 Conference, and will look to build on that momentum with Coach Dawkins firmly in the driver seat.
• The Orlando Magic defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on the road last night, April 3, by a score of 117-108 to move into the fourth seed of the Eastern Conference. The Magic (45-31) have just six games remaining in the regular season, and are currently just two games outside of the second seed. They will look to capitalize against a dwindled Charlotte Hornets team tomorrow, April 5 to close out their current road trip.
• The Orlando Valkyries have one game remaining in their long road trip this Saturday, April 6 against the Grand Rapids Rise in Van Andel Arena. The match is scheduled for 7pm, and can be viewed live on CBS Sports. The Valkyries will return home after and play their next match on April 11 at Addition Financial Arena.
• March Madness continues as the first matchups of the Final Four begin this weekend, April 6 at 6:09pm, as we await to see who will advance. The following championship game will be played on Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Stay tuned this weekend to see which team will hoist the trophy.

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Click to watch WKMG’s coverage of the reception GO Sports co-hosted last night with Sports Business Journal, to celebrate Orlando being named the No. 1 Best Sports Business City for Attracting and Hosting Events. 

In The News.

• New information has been released about the Orlando Magic's next steps for their $500 million downtown entertainment district. If approved at the Orlando City Council meeting later this month, construction could begin as soon as the end of this year. Among the many features of the new district would be a 261-room "lifestyle" hotel with outdoor lounge and pool deck, over 270 apartments, a 3,500-capacity music venue, and much more. Leadership on the project is hoping the project will conclude and open to the public in 2026.
• Stetson University has announced a wave of new construction projects set to start soon, the first of which being a 305-bed dormitory near the Templeton Fountain on campus. Stetson will begin work this summer on the four-story, 88,000-square-foot residence hall that will feature double and single-occupancy rooms, student lounges, community kitchens, and other common areas.
• AdventHealth has announced their plans to build a new freestanding emergency room on a south Orlando they bought for $4.7 million in March of this year. The nonprofit health system filed a development review with Orange County for a 13,500-square-foot, 12-bed emergency room that sits on nearly six acres of land just walking distance from the Meadow Woods SunRail station.
• Lake-Sumter State College will soon begin construction on a new workforce training complex in Eustis. They plan to build a Commercial Driver's License and Power Line Workers Training Course which would include an asphalt pad, a 5,567-square-foot classroom building and a 2,535-square-foot area for storage, as well as an outdoor area to have line truck inspections and a patio. The plan would allow the college to double its current number of students in those two programs, which is currently only offered in Sumter County.
• Orlando-based recreational mortgage lender FBC Mortgage was quietly acquired by financial technology company Acrisure over a year ago. FBC Mortgage was founded in Orlando in 2005, and grew to become one of the largest conventional mortgage companies in Central Florida. FBC Mortgage is well known for its UCF Football stadium sponsorship, which is still in line to receive an $88 million expansion.
• Niche, which provides rankings and reviews on schools, colleges, and neighborhoods, released its 10th Annual Best Places to Live in America rankings on March 26. In the list, Niche ranked Orlando's Audubon Park neighborhood as #22 for best places to live, highlighting its public schools, housing, nightlife, diversity, and for being good to families.
• Kissimmee Gateway Airport, the municipal airport for the City of Kissimmee, scored $1 million in funding from the federal government to modernize the airport. The airport received the funds for the design phase of a taller tower, going from 43 feet to 85 feet. The project would replace the original 1996 tower with a more modern version that suits new ADA requirements.

Stay Engaged.

• Universal Orlando has announced dates for the 2024 edition of its Halloween Horror Nights and has started selling one-night tickets for their special after-hours event. For the first time in history, Halloween Horror Nights will kick off in August, with opening night set for August 30th. Cost of admission can vary anywhere from $82.99 to $122.99 depending on which night you attend, and express lane passes also vary depending on date. Universal has yet to announce the themes for their 10 houses and five scare zones.
• The Central Florida Musician's Association is celebrating their 100-year anniversary this year with two different events to commemorate their organization's history. On April 13, the Orange County Regional History Center will host a night of jazz music, and on April 18, they will host another celebration at their headquarters on Robinson Street. Both festivities begin at 7pm on their respective dates and admission is free.
• Head down to Lake Eola Park this weekend, April 6-7, for the City of Orlando's Spring Fiesta in the Park presented by Cox Media Group. The fiesta runs from 10am - 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday, and will feature over 200 artists, craft stations, and food stations. There will be live entertainment at the amphitheater, a beer garden, kid's area, and more. The event is both free and pet-friendly.
• Walt Disney World has released more information about their new Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction, and which animatronic characters will appear in the ride. Many of the main characters will be featured, but there are also new characters not seen in the popular 2009 movie that will be scattered throughout the attraction. Tiana's Bayou Adventure is set to open in summer of this year, replacing the popular Splash Mountain.
• The St. Cloud Rotary Club is hosting their annual Spring Fling this weekend, April 6, at the St. Cloud Lakeshore. There will be many different craft vendors, food trucks, car and truck show participants, face painting, live music, beer and wine, and even a bass fishing tournament. The event will run from 10am - 6pm, and admission is free.
• Walt Disney World is replacing and upgrading all 365 cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, a project that should be completed by March of next year. The existing cabins have been in place since 1999 and are manufactured homes on wheels. They will be replaced with permanent structures that are the same size, 504 feet, and the first trailers will be rolled out this week. The replacement cabins will be Disney Vacation Club Properties, and the average price has been around $500 per night.
• 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.

Abe Madkour, Publisher and Executive Editor of the Sports Business Journal, was a guest speaker at GO Sports’ Q2 board meeting, pictured with President and CEO Jason Siegel, Chairman Sharon Line Clary (AdventHealth), Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City, Orlando Pride), and Past Chair Faron Kelley (Walt Disney World).

GO Sports Board of Directors Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City, Orlando Pride) greets board member Paul Johns (Orlando Health) at the GO Sports board meeting on Wednesday. 

GO Sports President and CEO Jason Siegel pictured with Robert Agrusa (CFHLA) and former MLB All-Star AJ Pierzynski at the Sports Business Journal reception earlier this week.

GO Sports President and CEO Jason Siegel pictured with GO Sports board member Mike Waterman (Visit Orlando) and Roger Dow (FutureWRX, board meeting sponsor) at the GO Sports board meeting on April 3rd.

GO Sports Past Chair Faron Kelley (Walt Disney World) speaking with GO Sports board member Tammy Gustafson (Universal Destinations & Experiences) at the GO Sports board meeting earlier this week.

GO Sports President and CEO Jason Siegel pictured with Jarrod Dillon (Orlando City, Orlando Pride), GO Sports board member Bart Kendall (UFL) and popular mascot Ched-Z (Florida Citrus Sports) at the Sports Business Journal reception earlier this week.

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

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Fun & Games.

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