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Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month: September

http://www.visitorlando.com

SAVOR & SAVE ....

Satisfy your craving for haute cuisine at an even hotter price during Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month, a culinary celebration sure to please your palate and your wallet.  Throughout September, Orlando’s finest restaurants will feature three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for just $30. Indulge your inner gourmet with an appetizer, entrée and dessert at a different restaurant every week. Or even every day! One dollar from each meal will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. 

View restaurants and menus at OrlandoMagicalDining.com.

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The Orlando Magic Announce 2011-2012 Regular Season Schedule
Communications Contacts: Joel Glass (jglass@orlandomagic.com, 407- 916-2631) or George Galante (ggalante@orlandomagic.com, 407- 916-2633)
http://www.nba.com/magic/index_main.html

*** Posted July 19, 2011 ***

ORLANDO MAGIC’S 2011-12 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED

Magic to play two games in London, England on March  7-8, 2012

Orlando hosts 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend February 24-26, 2012

14 games to be televised on national television

 8,000 season tickets priced at $40 or less

Limited number of season tickets remain – call (407) 89-MAGIC

Orlando, FL -- The National Basketball Association today released its 2011-12 schedule and announced the Orlando Magic will open its 23^rd season on Wednesday, November 2 at Amway Center against Charlotte.  Tip-off is 7 p.m.

Orlando Magic season tickets, partial plans, group and single-game Amway Center suite rental opportunities are on sale now.  Ticket highlights include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. Single-game tickets will go on sale in October.  A limited number of season tickets are available through the Orlando Magic Box Office by calling 407-89-MAGIC or visiting orlandomagic.com.  Fans will receive refunds, with interest, in the event games are missed because of the NBA work stoppage.

Orlando opens training camp on October 4 at Amway Center. The Magic’s complete regular season schedule is available through their official website: orlandomagic.com.  The entire NBA schedule can be found on the league’s official website: NBA.com. 

The 61^st NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, February 26 at Amway Center, which will also host the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, February 24 and NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm on Saturday, February 25. NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will be held at the Orange County Convention Center.

On March 7-8, Orlando will travel to London, England for a pair of regular season games against the New Jersey Nets.  Both games will be played at London’s O2 Arena.  It marks the second time in franchise history that the Magic will have regular season games scheduled outside of the United States.  In 1996-97, Orlando also played New Jersey in a pair of contests in Tokyo, Japan.

Orlando has 14 national television games scheduled.  The Magic will appear once on ABC (February 19 @ Miami), five times on ESPN and eight times on TNT.

The Magic’s local broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

Each NBA team will play an 82-game regular season: 41 home and 41 away. The Magic will play 52 games vs. the Eastern Conference (18 games vs. the Atlantic Division, 18 games vs. the Central Division and 16 games vs. the Southeast Division) and 30 games against the Western Conference (10 games each vs. the Northwest Division, the Southwest Division and the Pacific Division).

Orlando will play a total of 20 home games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this season.  The 2011-12 Magic schedule also features 17 back-to-back contests (34 games played on consecutive nights). 

Orlando will play 15 games in November (9 home, 6 away), 14 games in December (6 home, 8 away), 16 games in January (7 home, 9 away), 13 games in February (6 home, 7 away), 14 games in March (9 home, 5 away) and 10 games in April (4 home, 6 away).

The Magic’s longest homestand is four games, which will occur twice - from November 6-13 (four games in eight days) and December 21-29 (four games in nine days).  Orlando’s longest road trip is five games, taking place December 5-14 (five games in 10 days).

Orlando closes the season on Wednesday, April 18 at Boston.  The 2011-12 schedule breaks down below:

ABOUT THE ORLANDO MAGIC

Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. On the court, Orlando has won five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010), had seven 50-plus win seasons, and won the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 75,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 6,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, over the last 21 years more than $16 million has been distributed to local non-profit community organizations via the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth. Ticket highlights for the 2011-12 season in the Amway Center include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to www.orlandomagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.

Through the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares program, the league, players and teams have donated more than $145 million to charity, provided more than 1.4 million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 525 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play. The NBA is broadcast in 215 countries and territories in 41 languages.

The Orlando Magic is also the developer of the Amway Center which will compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows. Opening in the fall of 2010, the facility will be owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida Community.

ABOUT THE AMWAY CENTER

The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows.  Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community.

The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the old Amway Arena (367,000 square feet). The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition videoboard in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building.

Every level of ticket buyer has access to: the Budweiser Baseline Bar and food court, Gentleman Jack Terrace, Jernigan's, Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience, Orlando on Demand, STUFF's Magic Castle presented by CLUB WYNDHAM® and multiple indoor-outdoor spaces which celebrate Florida’s climate. 

2011-12 ORLANDO MAGIC SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

 GAMES BY MONTH

Nov.     Dec.     Jan.      Feb.     Mar.     Apr.

Overall           15        14        16        13        14        10

Home             9          6          7          6          9          4

Away             6          8          9          7          5          6

 

GAMES BY DAY

Mon.    Tue.     Wed.    Thu.     Fri.       Sat.      Sun.

Overall           9          10        19        8          16        9          11

Home             6          2          8          5          11        4          5

Away             3          8          11        3          5          5          6

BACK-TO-BACKS

Total:                           17 (34 games played on consecutive days)

Away-to-Away:       6

Away-to-Home:       5

Home-to-Away:       6

LONGEST HOMESTAND: Four games (twice) – eight days (Nov. 6-13), nine days (Dec. 21-29)

LONGEST ROAD TRIP:    Five games – 10 days (Dec. 5-14) 

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Orlando Utilities Commission Announces Video Contest

http://www.ouc.com/en/homepage.aspx

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SunTrust Banks First in J.D. Power Ranking

http://www.suntrust.com

Read more: SunTrust 1st in J.D. Power ranking | Orlando Business Journal 

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Amway Center Achieves LEED Gold Certification
Communications Contacts: Joel Glass, Orlando Magic, 407.916.2635/ jglass@orlandomagic.com
http://www.nba.com/magic/index_main.html

April 7, 2011

AMWAY CENTER ACHIEVES LEED GOLD CERTIFICATION
--Amway Center is the first LEED Gold certified newly constructed NBA arena--

--The Orlando Magic, City of Orlando, OUC and Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida on hand to commemorate the announcement with a monument dedication and garden planting in the Amway Center plaza-- 

Orlando, Fla. – Earlier today at a special announcement with the Orlando Magic, City of Orlando and OUC–The Reliable One, the Amway Center got its golden ticket when the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded the arena LEED Gold certification for its sustainable design and construction methods. The announcement was commemorated with a monument dedication and garden planting in the Amway Center plaza.  

“Amway Center is to be commended for their achievement of LEED Gold certification,” said U.S. Green Building Council President, CEO & Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi.  “It’s a team that started with the City of Orlando as owners, the Orlando Magic as the developers, and the community of fans and Orlando residents who will look to Amway Center as a source of civic pride and great entertainment.” 

The arena’s designer, Populous; along with program manager, Turner Construction Company; construction manager, Hunt Construction Group; developer, the Orlando Magic; and owner/operator, the City of Orlando worked together to implement 39 points toward the arena’s certification.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nationally-accepted benchmark for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of green buildings. LEED ratings are based on a point system that measures the impact on the environment and those who use the building.
 
“Amway Center is living up to its expectations,” said Orlando Magic President Alex Martins. “We promised to create an arena that was civic-oriented, pedestrian friendly and added to downtown development.  We promised a sustainable arena, and are proud to say that with today’s announcement and with great teamwork, we have surpassed our goal for LEED certification.”  

 

“Through our Green Works Orlando program we have encouraged our community to develop environmentally friendly business practices and lifestyles,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.  “The Amway Center is one of our most visible examples of how the City and our partners are embracing sustainable practices and will allow us to further engage the community in the effort to “go green.”’

Amway Center’s site – a vibrant addition to downtown Orlando– was paramount to the arena’s sustainable success. The arena has created new life for a sleepy corner of downtown Orlando. Hosting not only the Orlando Magic, but also the Arena Football League Orlando Predators and countless concerts and family events, Amway Center has injected an incredible amount of foot traffic and interest in the arena and surrounding neighborhood. In fact, 12 new businesses have opened just on Church Street in the months since the arena opened in October 2010.

 Amway Center’s sustainable design and construction efforts include:

·         Water savings of more than 1.3 million gallons through the use of low-flow fixtures and faucets.

·         Utilizing OUC chilled water to provide efficient air conditioning. OUC worked with the USGBC to qualify district chilled water systems for additional LEED points.

·         Diverting more than 8,000 tons of construction waste from the landfill.

·         Collecting rainwater from the roof and condensate water from the chiller equipment into a 5,000-gallon cistern to be used for site irrigation.

·         Using more than 20 percent recycled materials and 30 percent regionally sourced materials in the building’s construction, thereby saving transportation and production costs.

·         Building on an ideal sustainable site.  The downtown location helped combat urban sprawl by redeveloping an existing area rather than having to clear new land and build new roads and other infrastructure. 

“OUC is committed to helping our customers save energy and water, and we were proud to partner with the Magic and the City of Orlando to help the Amway Center achieve Gold LEED certification,” OUC Commissioner Dan Kirby said. “Like our Gold LEED Reliable Plaza, the Amway Center is helping to lead the way for sustainable building here in Central Florida.”

“Amway Center’s sustainable reach is well beyond the LEED Certification,” said Brad Clark, Populous designer. “Not only did we achieve something that few other sports buildings have, but we’ve created a building that is a sustainable community gathering space, and that was the driving force behind the design.”

About the Amway Center

The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows.  Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the old Amway Arena (367,000 square feet). The LEED Gold certified facility features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition videoboard in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. 

Every level of ticket buyer has access to: the Budweiser Baseline Bar and food court, Gentleman Jack Terrace, Jernigan's, Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience, Orlando on Demand, STUFF's Magic Castle presented by CLUB WYNDHAM® and multiple indoor-outdoor spaces which celebrate Florida’s climate.

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The Orlando Magic Supports Green Week 2011
Trish Wingerson 407.916.2635 twingerson@orlandomagic.com
http://

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2011

THE ORLANDO MAGIC SUPPORTS GREEN WEEK 2011

Orlando, Fla. — The Orlando Magic announces their participation in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Green Week 2011, which tipped-off April 3 and will run through April 10.  The Orlando Magic Green Week 2011 is presented by OUC—The Reliable One, Waste Management and O,R&L. 

To kick off Green Week 2011, the Orlando Magic will be hosting a “Green Night” on Tuesday, April 5 during the Magic vs. Milwaukee matchup.  The Magic’s other Green Week activities to include:

+ “Green Tips ” promoting energy and water efficiency, recycling, reusing and more.  Along with other related features displayed on the videoboard throughout the April 5 and 10 games.  

+ Honorary ball captains, in-arena emcees and Magic Dancers to wear NBA Green Week T-shirts during April 5 and 10 games.

+ To raise awareness, Magic players to wear adidas 100 percent organic cotton shooting shirts featuring the NBA Green logo for all Green Week games (April 3-10).

+ On “Green Night” at the April 5 Magic vs. Milwaukee game, Waste Management’s (WM) 2011 Think Green Art Contest Winner, Natalia Cubero from South Creek Middle School will be recognized on-court with Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson, Bo Outlaw, STUFF and a WM representative.  Cubero’s winning artwork will also be unveiled during the game.

+ On April 7, the Magic will partner with the City of Orlando and OUC for a special Amway Center announcement presented by OUC.  To commemorate this announcement the Magic, city officials and Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida will plant an herb garden in the plaza area of Amway Center.  The garden will be maintained by the members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida (Parramore branch) and utilized by them for special projects throughout the year.

+ On April 8, the entire Orlando Magic staff will partner with KaBoom! and the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC) to build a playground in one day for local youth in the Maitland Oaks Apartments.  The playground will have several green components and side projects including flower gardens, landscaping, birdhouses and Waste Management will place recyclable containers/dumpsters around the area.  Leftover food from the build will also be picked up and delivered to shelters and food banks through the Magic’s partnership with the “Rock and Wrap it Up” program. 

+ On April 10, when the Magic host the Bulls, Fan Fest will feature an OUC booth where fans can learn how to be green and save green. OUC also will announce a special promotion that will encourage and reward green behaviors. 

Other on-going Orlando Magic green activities include:  a partnership with Waste Management and PepsiCo to bring new PepsiCo Dream Machines to Amway Center.  The Dream Machine recycling initiative advances on-the-go recycling efforts in the country.  For every bottle or can inserted into the Dream Machine at the Amway Center, patrons will receive a coupon for free PepsiCo products at any Central Florida Walgreens location or discounts at the Orlando Magic Team Shop presented by adidas. The Magic also have partnered with OUC to promote the energy and water efficient features in the Amway Center, including high efficiency air conditioning, low flow plumbing fixtures, a cistern for irrigation and more. In addition to the Amway Center being an environmentally-friendly building in a variety of categories, the facility is maintained by O,R&L Facility Services using environmentally friendly, Green Seal certified, non-toxic cleaning chemicals as well the use of recycled paper products.  O,R&L Facility Services is recognized nationally and internationally for  its commitment to sustainable facility maintenance practices. The Magic also continue its front office recycling program; re-usable/washable dishware and flatware available at both Magic office locations with live plants throughout the offices for a healthier environment and a continued partnership with "Rock and Wrap it Up" to take leftover food after Magic games and deliver to shelters and food banks.

 

“The environmental work championed by the NBA has influenced all sports leagues in the United States in a meaningful and public way,” said Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Senior Scientist Allen Hershkowitz. “We all recognize the cultural significance of the NBA, and I applaud the league’s use of its influence to promote clean air, clean water and a healthy climate.”

 This season, the NBA is continuing to take steps to become a more environmentally responsible organization.   To learn more about what the NBA and its teams are doing to “go green,” please visit www.nba.com/green.

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Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando

http://www.universalorlando.com

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Visit Orlando (formerly Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau) Announces New Name & Logo

http://www.visitorlando.com

March 9, 2011

A New Brand Logo for Visit Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – First a new name, and now a new logo. In December of 2010, Orlando's official sales and marketing organization rebranded itself Visit Orlando. And after extensive consumer and meeting professional research in the destination's key markets (United States, United Kingdomand Brazil as well as corporate and association meeting professionals), a new logo is now ready to be unveiled to the public. Consumers and meeting professionals say that the new logo is vibrant, inviting, modern, dynamic, fun, classy and memorable.

"The charge for our team was to create a logo that would convey the Orlando experience for all of our leisure visitors, meeting professionals, partners and other stakeholders. It needed to embody the core brand attributes on both the leisure and meetings side and it needed to be timeless," said Gary Sain, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. "The new Visit Orlando logo does all of these things and expresses the Orlando experience as well."

Visit Orlando's logo now becomes the official brand for the organization worldwide. It will be used across all marketing and advertising platforms from leisure travel and travel trade advertising to corporate communications and meeting professional marketing.

Visit Orlando is the official sales and marketing organization for the Orlando/Orange County area responsible for generating brand awareness, increasing travel to the area and booking conventions and meetings. For more information, visit VisitOrlando.com/cvb.

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