As Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 4 storm, barrels toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, the impact on the state’s business events industry is already being felt. With winds reaching up to 150 miles per hour, Milton is projected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region, potentially disrupting major conferences, conventions, and trade shows across Florida.

Several key events in destinations like Tampa, Orlando, and Miami have already been canceled or rescheduled, dealing a blow to an industry that plays a crucial role in the state’s economy. As Florida braces for what could be its strongest storm to hit the Gulf since 2005, businesses and event organizers are mobilizing to mitigate the damage and ensure the safety of attendees. 

TSNN was able to get several updates from the following cities: 

Tampa Bay 

According to Curtis Kellogg, PR director for Visit Tampa Bay, the Southern Gas Association (SGA)’s Gas Machinery Conference (GMC), which was scheduled for Oct. 7-9, is the only major meeting canceled at the Tampa Bay Convention Center so far due to the pending storm.  

“The Visit Tampa Bay team is in contact with SGA as they discuss next steps and options for the future,” he said. 

On Oct. 7., GMC President Suzanne Ogle stated the following in a letter on the GMC website: “While we could not proceed with the conference as planned, we remain committed to ensuring that critical research, innovation, and learning continue for our members. We are exploring alternative options for delivering the conference content, whether through virtual sessions, a rescheduled event in the first quarter of 2025, or cancellation and regrouping in Louisville in 2025.” 

Orlando 

According to an official statement from Visit Orlando, “As the No. 1 travel destination in the U.S., safety is our top priority. The Orlando destination is privileged to have an extraordinary infrastructure of public and private entities working together to protect residents and visitors. While it is too early to determine the storm’s impact, we are closely monitoring it, communicating with visitors and attendees, and coordinating with the Orange County Office of Emergency Management on destination preparedness.” 

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)’s combined annual convention and expo, Delivering Solutions 24, which was scheduled for Oct. 6-9, as well as the SMRP (Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals) Annual Conference, set for Oct. 7-10. 

“Unfortunately, the impending projected hurricane Milton has forced us to cancel Delivering Solutions 24, our Annual Convention, in Orlando,” said AHCA/NCAL officials in a statement on their website. “We are beyond disappointed. But your safety is our paramount consideration, and we have no choice.” 

They continued, “Our intent was that this conference would be an acknowledgement of our past and a celebration of the future. We are sorry that we can’t do that this week in Orlando. But none of this diminishes what we have all done together and will continue to do together in the future. This is unfortunate, but we have all certainly faced much worse. There will be many more times for us to celebrate together.” 

Meanwhile, North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event, FABTECH, scheduled for Oct. 15-17, is currently moving into the OCCC and will continue under normal operations as scheduled, according to convention center officials. 

Additionally, the OCCC is serving as an emergency vehicle staging area to provide hurricane relief support, housing vehicles from Orange County Sheriff's Office; 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 Florida Division of Emergency Management. 

Miami Beach 

According to Ariane Hiltebrand, director of sales and marketing at the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), the South Florida city’s leading venue has received no hurricane-related event cancellations or postponements this week. However, the Jewelers International Show (JIS), which was originally set for Oct. 6-9 and is produced by RX, made the decision to close the event one day early on Oct. 8 to provide show participants with more travel and transport flexibility. Adobe MAX, Adobe’s annual creativity conference, is scheduled to kick off Oct.14-16 at the MBCC as planned. 

St. Petersburg and Fort Meyers 

Officials from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater in St. Petersburg and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau in Fort Meyers did not respond to interview requests by press time. 

This is a developing story – stay tuned for further updates. 

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