As Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 4 storm, heads toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, the impact on the state’s professional events industry is already being felt. With winds reaching up to 150 miles per hour, Milton is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area, potentially disrupting large conferences, conventions and trade shows across Florida.
Several key events in destinations like Tampa, Orlando and Miami have already been canceled or postponed, dealing a blow to an industry that plays a crucial role in the state’s economy. As Florida prepares for what could be its strongest storm to hit the Gulf since 2005, businesses and event organizers are mobilizing to mitigate damage and keep attendees safe.
TSNN was able to obtain several updates from the following cities:
Tampa Bay
The Southern Gas Association (SGA) Gas Machinery Conference (GMC), scheduled for October 7-9, is the only major meeting canceled at the Tampa Bay Convention Center, according to Curtis Kellogg, director of public relations for Visit Tampa Bay. . so far due to the impending storm.
“The Visit Tampa Bay team is in contact with SGA to discuss next steps and options for the future,” he said.
On October 7, GMC President Suzanne Ogle said in a letter posted on the GMC website: “While we were unable to hold the conference as planned, we remain committed to ensuring that the Essential research, innovation and learning continues for our members. . We are exploring alternative options for delivering conference content, whether through virtual sessions, a rescheduled event in the first quarter of 2025, or cancellation and consolidation in Louisville in 2025.”
Orlando
According to an official statement from Visit Orlando: “As the #1 travel destination in the United States, safety is our top priority. Destination Orlando is privileged to have an extraordinary infrastructure of public and private entities working together to protect residents and visitors. Although it is too early to determine the impact of the storm, we are monitoring it closely, communicating with visitors and attendees, and coordinating with the Orange County Office of Emergency Management on destination preparation.
So far, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) has received cancellations from the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), the combined annual convention and expo , Delivering Solutions 24, which was scheduled for October. 6-9, as well as the annual SMRP (Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals) conference, scheduled for October 7-10.
“Unfortunately, the impending Hurricane Milton forced us to cancel Delivering Solutions 24, our annual conference, in Orlando,” AHCA/NCAL officials said in a statement posted on their website. “We are beyond disappointed. But your safety is our primary concern and we have no choice.
They continued: “Our intention was for this conference to be an acknowledgment of our past and a celebration of the future. We’re sorry we can’t do this this week in Orlando. But none of this diminishes what we have all done together and will continue to do together in the future. It’s unfortunate, but we’ve all certainly faced much worse. We will still have many opportunities to celebrate together.
Meanwhile, North America’s largest metal forming, fabrication, welding and finishing event, FABTECH, scheduled for October 15-17, is currently setting up shop at OCCC and will continue normal operations as planned , according to convention center officials.
Additionally, the OCCC serves as an emergency vehicle staging area to provide hurricane assistance, housing Orange County Sheriff’s Office vehicles; Orange County Fire Rescue; Lake County Sheriff’s Office; Florida National Guard; Ohio Task Force Unit 1; Virginia Beach Task Force (Virginia Beach Fire Department); and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Miami beach
South Florida’s premier venue has not received any hurricane-related event cancellations or postponements this week, according to Ariane Hiltebrand, director of sales and marketing at the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC). However, the Jewelers International Show (JIS), originally scheduled for October 6-9 and produced by RX, has made the decision to close the event a day early, on October 8, to provide attendees with greater travel flexibility and transportation. . Adobe MAX, Adobe’s annual creativity conference, is scheduled to begin October 14-16 at MBCC as scheduled.
St. Petersburg and Fort Meyers
Officials with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater in St. Petersburg and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau in Fort Meyers did not respond to interview requests at the time of publication.
This is a developing story – stay tuned for further updates.
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