Orlando's Strength of Service Ecosystems

After a robust 4th of July holiday, International Drive in Orlando was still abuzz the rest of the week with travelers, convention visitors, and sports competitors. I got the opportunity to sit down with a group of educators and administrators here at the National Educators Association convention to get their thoughts on the holiday and their impression of Orlando to get their perspective on us during the holidays here.

Orlando is special in its very common for fireworks shows to fill the sky so after a night of vast choices of our holiday displays it was surprising to them in that as the week continues, several theme parks offer fireworks regularly throughout the summer and beyond. Our culture has a reputation for being separate from the Florida that is often portrayed in the media. South Florida has its International and Celebrity culture that separates it, the coasts are the conservative walls that line the state, and the panhandle and Everglades often sprout the colorful “Florida Man” caricature of a swamp idiot, but not Orlando. What we learned when we shared was that Orlando absorbs the EPCOT position in the conventioneers' eyes and is a welcome sunshine getaway when elsewhere is cold. Several had vacationed here but the focus was on the business travel.

We tell the world arriving as visitors that get here we are the international melting pot of countries and states of the US where they can all find something for them. From food to entertainment but only to a point. Orlando lacks variety late night in its tourism choices but is growing into its own in that more sophisticated nighttime choices pop up year to year that area and I shared it wasn't just with theme park areas. Our downtown gives the impression of growth with all the construction cranes and high-rise buildings being built although we are very small of a metro area. Several developments have added better and wider choices all throughout the area.

What surprised me was their interest in our service-based ecosystem. The administrators and educators shared their fascination with how Disney is a closed ecosystem with its island keeping guests in, and Universal a hybrid with its openness to the outside although a contained property in itself. The guests at Disney are expected to stay on that property and Universal's guests are wider and more accessible to other choices. Both provide a service ecosystem of hospitality and tourism. The University of Central Florida has its systematic with its integration into local businesses and the learning environment, but within the campus ecosystem has the Greek Community, Research Park with technology and aerospace, NSA and Air Force labs neighbors with defense contractors, as well as the athletics community and the competitive teams and their facilities on campus forming its own congregation. Its services are in education, research, development, security, and defense development not just here but all over the world. However, unless you are a student or working there, it's a closed ecosystem to the rest of the area including our tourism corridors having little reason to visit unless their industry matches their learning.

Orlando has such a wealth to offer the world, but often goes by overlooked as having the invisible asset that is its best and strongest. That asset is the minds, talent, and services we have to make this world better, but it's not something that comes packaged in a box or display case. We have the infrastructure for technology and learning, but education is invisible. We have the wealth of services that we give our guests, and the hospitality of having been hosts, but the million invisible smiles and gestures are what truly define us. Both Universal and Disney are masters at customer service, but so are the million people who work in the industry surrounding them. Our servers and waitresses are of the most professional caliber you would expect to find in downtown Manhattan, although Albert's & Victoria's Michelin scored higher than anywhere else in the country. They see it. The educators saw it. We need to see it. Our people and the service we provide are our true strength and future. The smiling host welcomes the world to our beautiful and fun paradise of a backyard we call home willing to ask them about themselves and the experience they are having here with us and maybe lifelong friendships develop along the way.

#centralflorida, #orlando, #ecosystems, #hospitality, #tourism, #conventions