Orange County Convention Center – Overview

Located on the famed International Drive in Orlando, Florida, is one of the country’s foremost convention centers. Since opening in 1983 as the Orange County Convention and Civic Center, the Orange County Convention Center has hosted innumerable events. With more than 45 acres of exhibition space, the Orange County Convention Center can accommodate everything from boat shows and anime conventions to graduation ceremonies and sporting events.

The Orange County Convention Center is comprised of two buildings connected by a covered pedestrian bridge. The West Building opened in four phases from 1983 to 1996. It is located on the south side of International Drive. The North/South Building, located on International Drive’s north side, opened in 2003. In addition to its nearly 50 acres of exhibit space, the Orange County Convention Center features 74 meeting rooms, 232 breakout rooms, a 2,643-seat theater, a 160-seat lecture hall, and a 62,182-square-foot ballroom, making it a truly multifaceted facility.

 

Overview

  • Seven million total square feet: Tipping the proverbial scale at a staggering seven million square feet, the Orange County Convention Center is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the entire U.S. The West Building makes up four million of the Orange County Convention Center’s total square footage, while the North/South Building encompasses three million square feet of space.
  • 2,053,820 square feet of exhibit space: The Orange County Convention Center features a total of 2,053,820 square feet of exhibit space. The exhibit halls in the West Building are located on the second floor and offer 1,103,538 square feet of space. The North/South Building offers slightly less exhibit space at only 950,282 square feet. The exhibit halls in the North/South Building are located on the first floor.
  • 74 meeting rooms and 232 breakout rooms: For small gatherings, the Orange County Convention Center features 74 meeting rooms and 232 breakout rooms. 49 meeting rooms and 138 breakout rooms are located in the West Building, with another 25 meeting rooms and 94 breakout rooms in the North/South Building. The West Building’s meeting and breakout rooms are located on the first floor, while the North/South Building’s rooms are located on the second and third floors.
  • 2,643-seat Linda W. Chapin Theater: The Linda W. Chapin Theater, more commonly referred to as the Chapin Theater, is a state-of-the-art venue with seating for over 2,600. It is located in the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center. The theater is equipped with digitally controlled audio and lighting systems, including a 56-channel audio control console and a Road Hog 4 lighting control console.
  • 160-seat Lecture Hall: Also located in the West Building is the Orange County Convention Center’s Lecture Hall. The Lecture Hall has 160 seats with desks, arranged in a permanent classroom setup. At the front of the Lecture Hall is a curtained stage.
  • 62,182-square-foot Valencia Ballroom: The Valencia Ballroom is a carpeted, multi-purpose ballroom located on the fourth level of the West Building. It has over 62,000 square feet of space and can hold events for up to 6,000 people. Two air walls allow for the ballroom to be divided into three sections. Amenities include two dressing rooms, a front of house balcony, and pre-function space for receptions, buffets, and more. Fun fact: the Valencia Ballroom has more square footage than the White House!
  • Three full service restaurants and seven food courts: With a total of three full service restaurants and seven food courts, there are on-site dining options aplenty at the Orange County Convention Center. The West Concourse features three food courts and the full service Gary Sain Cafe. Four more food courts can be found in the concourses of the North/South Building, along with the full service Northside and Southside restaurants. These eateries offer a variety of choices, ranging from familiar favorites like barbecue, burgers, and pizzas to Greek, Chinese, and Italian cuisine. You definitely won’t go hungry at the Orange County Convention Center, that’s for sure.
  • Two FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers: These two FedEx Offices are located in the West and North/South concourses of the Orange County Convention Center. The services they provide include faxing, packing, shipping and receiving, photocopying, and more. Both FedEx Offices are also pick-up and drop-off points for wheelchair and electric scooter rental.
  • 6,227 on-site parking spaces: The Orange County Convention Center offers ample parking with space for up to 6,227 vehicles. The West Building parking lot features 1,450 spaces. The North/South Building parking lot is larger with 4,777 spaces, 1,380 of which are unpaved. Additional parking is available two blocks west on International Drive at the Destination Parkway Garage. Overnight parking is not permitted at the Orange County Convention Center.

 

Tips

  • Wear comfortable walking shoes and warm clothing. Don’t get caught without a comfortable pair of walking shoes at the Orange County Convention Center. Why? Well, to put it in perspective, the exhibit hall in the North/South Building is as big as 200 basketball courts and the main span of the Brooklyn Bridge could fit inside the West Building’s exhibit hall. That’s why. Wearing warm clothing is a smart move too, as the Orange County Convention Center can get chilly when there’s not a ton of people around.
  • Bring your own chewing gum. Like Disney World and Orlando International Airport, no gum is sold on the premises of the Orange County Convention Center. This is done to keep messy attendees from sticking their chewed-up gum wherever they please. So, either bring your own gum or an avoid eating any smelly foods for lunch.
  • Know where your event is taking place before you park or get dropped off. As you already know, the Orange County Convention Center is a massive facility. That’s why it’s important to know where you’ve got to go before you arrive. If not, you could end up having to do quite a bit of walking. At the very least, know whether your event is taking place in either the West or North/South Building.
  • Parking rates vary based on vehicle size and entry time. However, the average rates are $17 for passenger vehicles and $25 for oversized vehicles. You can also park at one of the short-term metered parking spaces in front of the West and North/South Buildings for up to three hours at a rate of $5 per hour.
  • The Orange County Convention Center features three ATMs. Need some cash? Simply stop by one of the ATMs located in the lobby of the North, South, and West concourses. Money change machines are available as well.
  • Take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. Whether you want to catch up on your emails or post an update to social media, the Orange County Convention Center’s Wi-Fi network has got you covered. Visitors can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi access by connecting to the network named OCCC Free Wi-Fi. By the way, this Wi-Fi network is only available in public areas of the Orange County Convention Center, such as lobbies and restaurants.
  • Unwind with a shoe shine or massage. In addition to its many other amenities, the Orange County Convention Center also features shoe shine stations and chair massage services depending on the event taking place. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, right?
  • Left something behind? Call the lost and found. Oh no. You just realized you left something important back at the convention center after returning to your hotel. Luckily there’s a good chance it’s not lost forever in the facility’s seven million-square-foot expanse. That’s because Orange County Convention Center has a lost and found! The service is managed by the convention center’s security division, who patrol the convention center 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

Trivia

  • The Orange County Convention Center plays a major role in the Central Florida economy. Each year, the Orange County Convention Center brings more than 230 events to the region. That adds up to approximately 1.4 million attendees and, more importantly, $2.4 billion in annual revenue. Also, more than 25,500 people are employed either directly or indirectly as a result of the activity generated by the Orange County Convention Center. More than 1,000 local businesses are impacted by the convention center too.
  • The Orange County Convention Center is the second-largest convention center in the United States. Coming in first is the massive McCormick Place complex in Chicago, Illinois; although with more than double the buildings, it’s not really a fair contest. The Orange County Convention Center does however hold the distinction of being the world’s largest LEED Gold-certified convention center in the world. For those who are unfamiliar, LEED is a certification developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. In order to be awarded LEED certification, a building’s environmental footprint is evaluated based on resource consumption, waste management practices, and overall operational efficiency.
  • The West Building of the Orange County Convention Center once featured an 11,300-seat arena. When the Orange County Convention Center first opened in 1983, it consisted of just the West Building, which at the time was known as the West Concourse. From 1983 to 1992, the arena inside the West Concourse hosted concerts by many popular artists. Among some of the biggest names to have performed at the Orange County Convention Center are Madonna, Aerosmith, Tina Turner, Hall & Oates, Mötley Crüe, and Styx.