ORLANDO, Fla. — Touted as one of the largest events in the U.S. since the pandemic, the Orange County Convention Center will host thousands of teen athletes through the week.


What You Need To Know

  • The Amateur Athletic Union is hosting nearly 135,000 people as part of its junior volleyball championship tournament

  • Teams from as far away as Hawaii will be participating in the tournament

  • Local officials expect the event to be a major boon for the Central Florida economy

The Lake Buena Vista-based Amateur Athletic Union is hosting nearly 135,000 people over the next eight days as part of its junior volleyball championship tournament.

Teams are in town from as far as Hawaii.

“What it says is that people want to get out, people are eager to compete,” said AAU CEO and President Rusty Buchanan. “We were so ready for our lives to get back to normal.”

Buchanan said the event has a record 3,500 women and men teams participating, with athletes ranging in ages 10 to 18.

For teams, the tournament is about winning a championship — for Central Florida, it is about winning back so much more.

“People flow throughout those 8 days and not only stay in our hotels, but go to Universal, go to Disney, utilize our airport, go for team meals, and just infuse a tremendous amount of economic impact in our community,” said Orange County Convention Center Executive Director Mark Tester.

Orlando has the nation’s third largest convention center, in terms of space. Wth the state remaining fairly open, it has allowed OCCC to build what Tester said is a “rock solid” event schedule through this year and already in to following years.

While some early pandemic forecasts showed it could take years to reach pre-pandemic business levels, there is optimism in Central Florida.


Related:

Series: Part I: "Killer Year" Turns Into Nightmare for Workers Reliant on Orange County Convention Center

Series Part II: Orange County Convention Center Looks to Vaccine for a Shot at Fall Rebound

Series Part III: Orange County Move Kept 200 Convention Center Workers Employed


”We made it, we’re still here, we’re still alive,” said Vassilis Coumbaros, owner of Taverna Opa at Pointe Orlando and Tapa Toro at Icon Park.

At points during the pandemic, Coumbaros said it was himself and his wife running their restaurants on days they saw just a single table sat.

“It’s not as easy as people think,” Coumbaros said.

While many people are feeling an urge to travel, Central Florida businesses are prepping for a busy summer and remainder of 2021.

“International Drive depends on locals, tourists, and a big part of it is the convention," Coumbaros said. "So the conventioneers are going to the convention center, they need somewhere to sleep and eat and we are here for them."

However, the return to normal business won’t be without its challenges.

Coumbaros is among restaurant owners who say they have yet to build staff back fully, but not without effort.

“It’s been stressful,” Coumbaros said.

He said that when full staffed, he should be at 50 employees, at least. He now spends his days trying to interview new workers, including servers, chefs, and positions front to back.

There are expectations that as locals and tourists return to spending, and opportunities to make money comes, so will workers.

The post-pandemic rebound has proved difficult for job seekers and hiring managers alike.

But, as events and tourists return, many are growing more optimistic.