See how exciting new restaurants and entertainment options in the convention district are making Orlando meetings better than ever, including Blake Shelton’s Ole Red at ICON Park®.
Orlando’s legendary International Drive (aka I-Drive) is more than the home of the award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). It’s also the heart of our world-famous convention and tourism district, which features mouthwatering restaurants and one-of-a-kind entertainment options that are perfect for meetings, events and after-work fun — including more than 75 acclaimed eateries and over 100 unique experiences within a 2-mile radius of the convention center.
Best of all, we keep adding more reasons to meet here with each passing year. Featuring fresh restaurants, unforgettable attractions and unique experiences, here is your insider’s guide to the newest dining and entertainment in Orlando’s convention district!
Learn more: New Reasons to Meet in Orlando
Please note: Depending on the timing of your visit, some experiences may be temporarily modified. Learn more about healthy business travel in Orlando, and check with your preferred businesses for their current status.
New Dining for Meeting Groups in Orlando’s Convention District
Between celebrity chef-driven restaurants, local James Beard honorees, sports-focused pubs, gourmet food trucks, national favorites and more, your group will never run out of amazing things to eat and drink in Orlando.
Learn more: Orlando Dining
On International Drive, hotspots include the open-air ICON Park® and Pointe Orlando dining and entertainment complexes — both close to the convention center — as well as meeting hotels up and down the strip. Just a short drive away, more great options await at the open-air Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort and Disney Springs® at Walt Disney World® Resort, plus our famous Restaurant Row, where some of Orlando’s finest fare is served up at more than two dozen restaurants, including upscale and casual dining.
Now, meeting in Orlando has gotten even tastier with these fresh additions, all of which have dedicated event space, the expertise to make any off-site or post-work get-together run smoothly, and are close to the Orange County Convention Center. Bon appétit!
Just 1 mile from the Orange County Convention Center on I-Drive, ICON Park features some of Orlando’s most popular attractions and dining options — not to mention one of country music’s biggest modern stars with the recent arrival of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red. Offering an irresistible blend of live music, down-home cooking and true southern hospitality, the venue is an ideal place for everything from small team dinners to full venue buyouts for up to 850 guests. Throw in a chef-driven catering menu, customizable floor configuration, state-of-the-art sound and media system, branding opportunities, and event packages that include ICON Park attractions, and there’s no doubt that Blake Shelton has another hit on his hands.
Knife & Spoon
A famed Top Chef contestant and James Beard Award semifinalist, Chef John Tesar has finally arrived in Orlando courtesy of Knife & Spoon, his brand-new, upscale eatery at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. In addition to one of Orlando’s most stately dining rooms, the restaurant has an adjacent bar and lounge, which makes the venue highly configurable for group outings.
The Hampton Social
A famous Chicago venue known for lively dining experiences that seamlessly transition from day-to-night, The Hampton Social has opened its first-ever Florida outpost at Pointe Orlando within easy walking distance of the OCCC. They specialize in exceptional, coastal-inspired food paired with cocktails and live music in a beautifully designed, 10,000-square-foot restaurant space, including an indoor dining room, an expansive outdoor patio, and a full private dining room.
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill
A longtime presence at Disney Springs and its predecessor, Downtown Disney, Chef Wolfgang Puck needs no introduction to serious gourmets. His all-new Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grillhighlights the best of the famous chef’s signature dishes with Mediterranean influences, innovative takes on comfort classics, and handcrafted cocktails, beer and wine. The venue also captures the essence of laid-back Californian dining in a dynamic setting inspired by traditional farmhouses with a touch of elegance. Everything up to full venue buyouts are available, providing capacity for as many as 475 guests.
City Works Eatery & Pour House
New at Walt Disney World Resort’s open-air Disney Springs, City Works Eatery & Pour Housepairs 100 draft handles and eight wines on tap with brilliant twists on classic American pub food, all served up in an energetic atmosphere. With outdoor and indoor seating options, the venue can accommodate a wide range of events, which can take advantage of 17 flat-screen TVs and state-of-the-art audio, including an enormous video wall.
Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips
With the debut of Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips at ICON Park in August 2021, Orlando has gained another celebrity chef — one of many throughout the area. No reservations are required for this fast-casual concept, which specializes in Ramsay’s take on the classic English favorite. A must-visit for meeting attendees who want to cross all our celebrity chefs off their bucket lists!
New Entertainment for Meeting Groups in Orlando’s Convention District
It’s no secret that Orlando offers endless entertainment options, encompassing not just our theme parks and attractions but also posh lounges, high-energy nightclubs, live music, theater, professional sports and just about anything else that your attendees like to do for fun. You’ll find the lion’s share of it within a 2-mile radius of the Orange County Convention Center, and new ways to play get added with each passing year — including these fresh experiences.
New at Orlando’s Theme Parks
Your attendees can experience new worlds of wonder at Orlando’s famous, open-air theme parks, starting with Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, part of Universal Orlando Resort. And at Universal Studios Florida, your group can thrill to The Bourne Stuntacular, a cutting-edge, live action show. These new additions are based on their respective blockbuster film franchises.
At Discovery Cove®, Flamingo Mingle is an exclusive animal experience where attendees can feed and learn about flamingos in an outdoor setting. Meanwhile, SeaWorld® Orlando is set to debut Ice Breaker in February 2022, marking the park’s first launch coaster.
And if your group is meeting in Orlando on or after Oct. 1, 2021, through 2022, you are cordially invited to Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary gala, “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.” Expect special surprises at all of Disney’s Orlando theme parks. Speaking of which, EPCOT® is set to debut its newest attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, on Oct. 1, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will still be new to most if not all of your attendees at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®.
Dezerland Park
There’s a brand-new place for groups to meet and play on International Drive: the 800,000-square-foot Dezerland Park. Inside, attendees can choose from a wide range of affordably priced attractions with more on the way, including Axecelsior Axe Throwing, Karting Orlando, The Pinball Palace, Bowling Orlando, Jump Start Trampoline Park and Arcade Orlando. Meeting professionals will be particularly interested in the 250,000-square-foot Orlando Auto Museum, which is ideal for large events, and the Bond Lounge & Exhibit, which is a sit-down restaurant with a massive collection of James Bond memorabilia.
Museum of Illusions
New at ICON Park, Museum of Illusions makes for an amazingly unexpected event space, and they also offer discounted admission for groups of 15 or more. Inside, your attendees can marvel at 50 immersive, interactive exhibits based on science, psychology and math, all designed to trick the eyes and mind.
Original Beer Spa
This new venue on International Drive is exactly what it sounds like. The Original Beer Spa offers beer treatment spa rooms for one to four adults at a time, in which your attendees will literally soak in beer. The experience includes one or two soaking tubs depending on the selected package, 60 minutes of the in-room infrared sauna, a full bathroom, a hay-covered lounge area, and complimentary self-serve beer. Don’t worry, you won’t be serving yourself from the tub!
