The first-ever FusionFest is coming Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 24 and 25, to the grounds of the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando. “Come share a smile and your heritage and “you may discover just how different other people really aren’t!” Two full days – noon to sundown - of international food, music, dance, film, fashion and storytelling. Go to FusionFest.org for the entire schedule – it’s mostly free, except for the sample-size food & drink offerings. An exciting element of FusionFest is the Heritage Runway Showcase and Fusion Fashion Contest, where colorful and varied fashions from around the world set the stage, highlighted by innovative FusionFest Contest designs that bring together elements from different cultures to show off how wonderfully varied and interwoven we really are in Central Florida. Stop by the City Hall Stage  - Fashion Shows at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm on both Saturday, November 24th and Sunday, November 25th. Meet the Fusion Fashion Contest Judges Panel Brigitte Jensen HA’ANI Hogan Hozumi Greiner  Nadege Ngongo-Wilson Starr Dalton Snejanna Dunn Bonnie Lewis #FusionFestOrlando #diversitastic #ICanBeMeHere

Sales Functions, Lead Generation Rallies and Networking Events are an exciting and hands-on way to connect with the people, places and things that can fuel the growth of your Orlando area business. Events are a surprisingly cost-effective way to get qualified leads and industry influencers to engage with your company's message.  Get the right people in the right space - at the ideal time.  Select an interesting venue with built-in style so you don't have to spend money on decor.  Use a digital webpage and RSVP system that allows for easy lead generation and picture sharing.  Give your guests something to talk about. Don't forget to add at least one WOW factor, something like a celebrity guest, free product sampling or unique entertainment experience.  Activate your brand in a variety of ways including: printed items, video, brand ambassadors and social media contests.  Central Florida is Growing! At Posh Able Events we have events for every stage of your business growth from Ground Breaking to 50th Anniversary. We offer full service event planning, comprehensive media promotion with integrated social media marketing.Anything is Posh Able! Sharing Innovative Ideas and Helpful Hints on Event Planning, Image Building and Philanthropy at POSH University. Follow Posh Able Paula at Orlando News Room a BLOG about interesting people and exciting places in Central Florida.

Central Florida has been focused on expanding transit options across the region to ensure that Orlando is front and center when it comes to development and deployment of cutting-edge transit technology - according to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in his State of the City Address. I love the Orlando International Airport! I think it’s the greatest airport on the planet.  MCO has a lot of excitement in the works keeping up with the more than 46 million passengers each year. If you’ve been lately, you’ll see how Orlando International Airport delights travelers through an airport-wide design concept known as The Orlando Experience®.   MCO is the busiest airport in Florida and 11th busiest in the U.S. MCO has 21,000 employees and generates $31 billion in revenue for the regional economy. For the second year in a row, Orlando International Airport (MCO) ranks highest in its class in the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.  Here is a cheat-sheet on the what’s new and coming soon at MCO: Opening Spring of 2021 - Site work is underway on the South Terminal, Phase 1, which will add 19 gates capable of accommodating at least 24 aircraft depending on the combination of narrow body, jumbo and super-jumbo aircraft. The three-floor facility will be adjacent to the South Airport APM Complex and Intermodal Terminal Facility.  Check out Virtual Design Plans and project status. The South Airport Automated People Mover (APM) complex, a 200,000 square feet facility, includes the station for the APM system which connects passengers to the Main Terminal. Take a ride. Parking Garage “C” is located on the South Entrance Road adjacent to the South APM Station and features 1,690 parking spaces and remote check-in facilities for Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United. The Intermodal Terminal Facility (ITF) consists of approximately 1.3 million square feet of terminal space and will be the link to three regional rail systems (SunRail, Brightline, and possibly a third system serving the International Drive/Convention Center area).  As part of Orlando International Airport’s $3.5 billion Capital Improvement Program, the North Terminal Renovation program will revitalize the existing Main Terminal and consists of three components: ticket lobby modification, Airside 4 Improvements and improvements to the baggage handling system.

It's a strategic investment to be part of your industry's upcoming convention in Orlando. If you are planning an event surrounding your upcoming conference or trade show - don't waste a moment of this rare engagement marketing opportunity. Create a space that invites and encourages your brand's biggest fans (and your newest fans) to participate in what's awesome about your organization - through a creative and interactive VIP event experience.  Here are the key points you will want to consider:  Who - Developing a clear understanding of your target guest list and designing an event experience around what motivates and inspires them - will be central to the success of your VIP event. ​What - What are your goals?  What message do you need guests to leave with?  When - Look at the full convention schedule for the week to see what other events your event may be competing with.  Where - If are looking to create a "can't get anywhere else" event experience get your guests out of the ballroom and into one of Orlando's many world class non-hotel venues. ​ Why - Is your event about building new business, branding a place in your industry (ok/this means showing off a bit) or celebrating your existing relationships?  Own your messaging.     How -  Hire a local event planning firm to unlock the secrets to the city. Posh Able Events has been creating world-class Orlando area VIP event experiences for over ten years and can lead you through the best in class for your budget - we'll save you tons of time.  

Orange County Mayor-elect Jerry Demings at FusionFest Preview Event New festival brings two days of cultural and international entertainment, food and film to Central Florida  Central Florida is alive with hospitality for our nearly 68 million visitors each year and Orlando consistently ranks high for friendliest US cities to visit. This synergist combination of hospitality and friendliness is because of, or at least enhanced by, the city’s rich cultural tapestry. So diverse in fact, that Orange County has been coined by Orange County’s Chief Arts Instigator, Terry Olson as “DIVERSITASTIC”.   Photos shown here were provided by Orange County and show a diversitastic group gathering on October 19th for the FusionFest Preview event and Diversitastic Opening Reception.  The first-ever FusionFest is coming Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 24 and 25, to the grounds of the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando.  Two full days – noon to sundown - of international food, music, dance, film, fashion and storytelling.  Go to FusionFest.org for the entire schedule – it’s mostly free, except for the sample-size food & drink offerings.   Hundreds of voices join the Diversitastic! Choir at sundown both nights, closing the festival with the I Can Be Me Here theme song.  On Saturday night, the Global Dance Street Party continues until 10 p.m. on Orange Avenue.  “Come share a smile and your heritage and “you may discover just how different other people really aren’t!”  Two full days – noon to sundown - of international food, music, dance, film, fashion and storytelling.  Press Release  Orange County, FL – A brand-new festival celebrating Central Florida’s growing diversity is coming to Orange County on Thanksgiving weekend this year. FusionFest , a free, two-day celebration of cultural inclusion, will be held on Nov. 24 and 25 in front of the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown and will last from noon to sundown on both days. Festivities will include multiple stages, a food court, marketplace and other interactive activities along Orange Avenue at Orlando City Hall Commons. Performances will focus on original cultures as well as reflecting fusions from different world regions. The MYgration short film program will offer personal stories of how Central Floridians came to live here from other parts of the world. Go to FusionFest.org for the entire schedule. It’s mostly free, except for food, drink and merchandise purchases. “The goal of FusionFest to bring together, welcome and celebrate the growing number of people who come from around the world to call Central Florida home,” said Terry Olson, FusionFest coordinator. Olson has been guiding and growing the celebration of diversity for several years in his role as director of Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs. “I’ve always loved bringing people together, and this project is particularly fun because of the wide variety of creative people from all over the world,” said Olson, who was the founder of SAK Comedy Lab and the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival, but acknowledges this is the biggest project he has ever taken on. What started as an idea became a grassroots movement powered by the multinational volunteer steering committee, as well as first-class creative and production team, and a growing family of sponsors and community partners. Presented by the Dr. Phillips Center, FusionFest is a project of the Downtown Arts District with support from Orange County Government , the City of Orlando and a growing grassroots movement.  Read Full Press Release

Credit: SunRail It was May 1, 2014 when Central Florida’s new commuter rail line, SunRail carried the first passengers via a route that connected twelve SunRail stations through three different counties. The construction costs were reported in excess of $165 million dollars and were financed in partnership by the federal government, the state and other local partners (including: Volusia County, Seminole County, Orange County, the City of Orlando and Osceola County) Fifty percent of the funding came from a federal transit "New Starts" grant, local partners contributed 25 percent of the cost and another 25 percent was paid by the State of Florida.Why don't SunRail trains run on Saturday? Well, it costs about $20,000 to run trains on a Saturday. SunRail has tested a few Saturday train operations, but needs ridership to make it cost effective. We've seen that city wide events at Amway, Camping World Stadium and Orlando City Soccer Stadium can fill trains (if they are running). In fact the record for highest ridership was set at almost 13,000 in March 2017 (a Saturday featuring a soccer game and the Winter Park Arts Festival). This compares to a daily weekly record of about 9,000. We will likely see more Saturday runs as local event planners and business leaders are seeing value in contributing to the cost of "the Saturday run" in exchange for unique promotional opportunities including: on-train advertising, logo placement on stations and billboards, and social media promotions. Credit: SunRail Southern Expansion It was a bright and sunny morning on July 30, 2018 when we saw the launch of the Southern Expansion, connecting Sand Lake Road in Orange County to Poinciana in Osceola County. This is a 17.2-mile segment features four additional stations to the existing rail system. Meadow Woods - Orange County Tupperware Station - Osceola County Kissimmee/Amtrak - Osceola County Poinciana Station - Osceola County Northern Expansion Stay tuned for details on the Northern Expansion that will link DeBary to DeLand in Volusia County. This is a 12-mile segment that will add one station to the existing rail system.   Credit: SunRail  Check out the digital collection of Rider Stories on the SunRail website.

November is National Diabetes Month and November 14th is World Diabetes Day (Orlando, Florida)  November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans.  For those who have been diagnosed, diabetes impacts nearly every decision they make daily—from what they'll eat, wear, do and how they'll take care of themselves. Yet the 24/7 burden of diabetes management is often misunderstood.  The goal of National Diabetes Awareness Month is to demonstrate the everyday reality that so many are living with, to offer support to those who have been diagnosed and to the projected 1.5 million additional who will likely be diagnosed next year. World Diabetes Day takes place each year on November 14th which is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. It was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. In Orlando, the Bob Carr Theater will come alive on November 10th for the 18th annual Dancing for Diabetes - a showcase of hundreds of Central Florida dancers - taking stage - using their talents -  and through the art of dance raising funds to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes while inspiring those with diabetes to live healthy and active lives.   The event will be held on November 10th 7pm to 10pm at the Bob Carr Theater located at 401 West Livingston Street – Orlando, FL 32801. Tickets are available at:  https://www.drphillipscenter.org/events/tickets/2018/18th-annual-dancing-for-diabetes/ There are three primary types of Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational).  The Orlando nonprofit Dancing for Diabetes focuses on Type 1 (once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin). Statistics on Diabetes:   Read Full Report New Cases: 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Prevalence: In 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes. Deaths: Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2015, with 79,535 death certificates listing it as the underlying cause of death Meet the Founder - Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 10 years old, Elizabeth Forrest was determined to not let diabetes negatively impact her life. She was inspired to create “Dancing for Diabetes” a central Florida 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to spread awareness through the art of dance to better educate the community, raise funds to find a cure, and inspire those with diabetes to live healthy and active lives. The organization is celebrating 18 years in 2018!

Credit: I4Ultimate.com According to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer during his recent State of the City address, I4 Ultimate is more than a signature project of the Florida Department of Transportation it will change the landscape of Central Florida.  Well underway, the 21-mile makeover — from west of Kirkman Road in Orange County to east of State Road 434 in Seminole County — is transforming the region to better connect our communities, boost our economy and improve everyone’s quality of life. A History of I4 (Credit: I4Ultimate.com) - Interstate construction finished in 1965 and the interstate was dubbed “the Orlando Expressway.” I-4 in Central Florida began as an 8.2-mile project from Rio Grande Avenue, just west of the Orange Blossom Trail, to Lee Road. Already a vacation hot spot to more than 4.5 million visitors annually, the Sunshine State’s popularity began skyrocketing in the 1950s with the advent of air-conditioning and the burgeoning space industry in Cape Canaveral.  Stay current with all the latest transportation updates at I-4 Beyond the Ultimate.

With the Orange County Convention Center being the second largest in the United States and with Central Florida being a top international tourist destination, we think your company has made a great selection for host-city of your upcoming convention. Planning an event from another state can be challenging, here are some expert tips on how to make your VIP Event a huge success at your convention. "Orlando Convention go-ers typically have multiple invites for the same time slot, they usually end up going to the event that is either most convenient or most exciting. Your event needs to be compelling - own your message, rock your aesthetics and provide an event experience that - they can't get anywhere else." "If you are working with the Orange County Convention Center or one of Orlando's many A+ hotel and convention centers you will love the full service experience as they lead you through the event planning process including lodging, meetings and onsite events. But if you are also looking to create a "can't get anywhere else" event experience by getting your guests out of the ballroom and into one of Orlando's many world class non-hotel venues - save yourself a ton of time by calling a local event planner to help you navigate - there are so many options!" "Hire a professional Orlando area event planner who knows all the local event venues, has access to thousands of local and national entertainers and is expert at the WOW factor. Make sure your planner is door to door with your guests, they should organize transportation and be well staffed with energetic hostesses to lead your guests through a very VIP experience. Also try to find a planner that will also handle registration, guest communication and social engagement onsite - go for the full service option. Leave the planning to the planner so you can focus on your event and your guests."  "Before you book your offsite VIP event experience, be sure to take a look at the full convention schedule to see what other items are on the itinerary, that your event may be competing with - it's competitive for people's time so be sure to make your event unique or exciting." "Businesses will always want to save money on travel, one way they do this is by cutting a day off the beginning or end of a convention event (in terms of how many nights they will pay for their employees to attend the conference. This reduces the pool of "free time" in which you would have access to your target guest list. Talk to some complimentary product or service providers in your industry and consider partnering on an event - you can split the costs and create a bigger collective splash" 

Join us at The Abbey (100 South Eola) on Thursday, January 24th (6pm - 10pm) for an Empowering Night of Laughter - an "unprofessional" stand up comedy experience - empowering women from all walks of life by inviting them to take center stage, be fearless and get out of their comfort zones.   An Empowering Night of Laughter will be in three parts, each led by one of our three Empresses of Empowerment who will guide three of our nine Fearlessly Funny Women – and each partnered with one of our three Spotlight Sponsors and Charity Partner organizations.    Nine Fearlessly Funny Women - take center stage to perform a five-minute comedic routine which they have written themselves.  Do you want to be Fearlessly Funny? Three Empresses of Empowerment - these remarkable Central Florida women, who embody empowerment, will inspire us with their answer to the question:  "How has having a sense of humor helped you to succeed in life?”  Three Orlando Nonprofit Organizations - will host mission-engagement areas during the Empowerment mixer and show us how they are on the front lines empowering women in our community.  Spotlight Sponsors - let us shine a spotlight on what’s awesome about your brand or business.  We have made a unique space in our show for three local companies with a sense of humor.  Sponsorship Information.