Orange County Convention Center, Convention center in International Drive District, Orlando, United States.

The Orange County Convention Center is a large venue in Orlando designed to host exhibitions, conferences, and events of all sizes. The facility features multiple interconnected buildings with exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and multipurpose spaces for different types of gatherings.

A 1977 Florida law let counties levy a Tourist Development Tax on hotel stays; Orange County voters approved a 2% rate in April 1978. Phase I opened on 25 February 1983 at a cost of $54 million, with the Boston Pops Orchestra playing the next day and 14,000 people at the open house. The name lost "Civic" in December 1992, and Phase V opened in September 2003.

The center hosts events that draw about 1.5 million people a year and inject $2.5 billion into the Central Florida economy, according to the OCCC. Among the hundreds of annual events are the IAAPA Expo and MegaCon. The French Wikipedia notes it is the convention center that most regularly hosts Star Wars Celebration.

The complex sits at the south end of International Drive, split into a West Building and a North/South Building on opposite sides of the road, linked by the Oversight Pedestrian Bridge. The North/South Building divides into six halls (North A1, A2, B; South A1, A2, B) that can be joined into one space. Check which building your event uses before arriving.

The west side of the complex once housed an arena where performers like Madonna and Whitney Houston took the stage. In 1996 this venue was converted into exhibition space to better serve the facility's growing needs for trade shows and exhibitions.