ORLANDO – There’s a lot being planned for the annual Trade Show sponsored by the association that represents vacation home managers — including a few things unique to this year’s event.
When the Central Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association hosts its Trade Show at SeaWorld in November, the agenda will include some prominent guest speakers, breakfast and a buffet lunch, breakout sessions for association members, and something else – a flashback into the history of the CFVRMA itself.
“The big surprise of the day is we will be looking back at the history of the CFVRMA,” said the association’s president, An Flamand. “We’re now researching everything from the beginning, and looking at everything in our past, right up to where we ended up today.”
That promises to be one of the highlights of the Trade Show, Flamand said, but not the only one, at an event that will also include an appearance by body language expert Susan Constantine and a VIP reception at the conclusion of the program.
“There are going to be so many interesting speakers and so many people within the industry there that this is the place to go to,” Flamand said. “It’s going to be a pretty neat day.”
The CFVRMA’s annual Trade Show will be held on Nov. 15 at SeaWorld’s Ports of Call convention center. The Trade Show is an opportunity for people working within the vacation home industry to get together, set up a booth providing information on the services they offer, and to get the latest updates on what’s new in this specialized field of hospitality and tourism.
Vacation homes are a fast-growing segment of Central Florida’s tourism industry, particularly in Osceola and Polk counties. The field offers the region’s visitors an opportunity to spend their local vacation in a fully furnished house, complete with multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, private pool and game room – all the conveniences of home during a trip to the theme parks and other local attractions.
Flamand, who operates USA Vacation Homes in Davenport, noted that there are now more than 600 property management firms in Central Florida, making this one of the region’s strongest employers.
“What is unique to Central Florida is the fact that Orlando is one of the top tourism destinations in the world,” Flamand said. “It’s so concentrated, and our association will likely grow much bigger than it is today because it all of this is so localized.”
Registration for the Trade Show begins at 7:30 a.m., when the doors to Ports of Call open to the public. Breakfast will be served from 8-9 a.m., and the attendees will be officially welcomed at 8:30.
At 9 a.m., guest speaker David Catalano will discuss the concept of YOLO – which stands for “You only live once, make it count.”
At 11 a.m. there will be a breakout session on social media and direct marketing, followed by a buffet lunch at noon on the patio at Ports of Call that will include seafood pasta salad, roasted sirloin, oven baked chicken, Yukon gold potatoes, wild rice pilaf and more.
At 1 p.m., the association will have a presentation on the CFVRMA’s history, followed by a second breakout session at 2:30 p.m. for property managers and associate members.
Constantine — who has appeared on national television and who got a lot of recognition in July 2011 when she examined the reactions of family members during the Casey Anthony murder trial in Orlando — will speak at 3:30 p.m.
There will be a special VIP reception from 5:30-7 p.m., capping a day filled with activities for the Trade Show’s guests, Flamand said.
“We typically cater this for 300 people, but I’m going to push it even further so we can get to 400, which would make this the biggest Trade Show we ever had,” Flamand said. “We have some pretty interesting speakers. Susan Constantine is a body language expect, and she will show you how you can use that in business. We will also have two breakout sessions. I like to get people involved.”
The Trade Show will also benefit, Flamand said, from a terrific host site.
“SeaWorld has done a tremendous job and opened three venues for us,” she said. “We will have a full breakfast and coffee and tea in-between, and we’ll have a full lunch sponsored by SeaWorld. Then the Trade Show will have so many vendors with booths showing their products, and one of the new things we’re doing is having a VIP section. We will close up with a silent auction and raffle, and there will be a cash bar. It looks like it’s going to be a very big event, and I expect people will enjoy their full day at SeaWorld.”
To learn more about the CFVRMA Trade Show, call Judy Braland, the association’s manager, at 407-201-0120.

Contact us at FreelineOrlando@Gmail.com.