By Mark Baratelli
Owner
Monday October 24, 2011, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer gave his State of Downtown talk in the Amway Center and I got to be among a few folks to walk him in and be a part of his entrance. This is a brief recounting of that experience.
Owner
Monday October 24, 2011, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer gave his State of Downtown talk in the Amway Center and I got to be among a few folks to walk him in and be a part of his entrance. This is a brief recounting of that experience.
A group of about 30 people met inside the Fairwinds meeting room at the Amway Center at 11am and were given boxed lunches to much on while we waited for "go" time. Those involved included the folks who got invited to the "Why I Love Orlando" brainstorm session a few weeks ago, some representatives from the Orlando City Soccer Team, and other local organizations.
Once we ate, we were shown a map of how the floor was laid out and where we were to enter, walk, and wait. Three groups were divided up to walk in with the Mayor, clap, cheer and hand out buttons. Our entrance coincided with a video that was being shown to the attendees having lunch inside the basketball arean-turned-meeting-hall. It showed the Mayor leaving City Hall for the meeting, but running into locals who told the Mayor why they loved Orlando. As each one gave their reasons, he would invite them along to the meeting until he had a pretty sizable group. Then when the video showed the Mayor entering the Amway Center (all filmed weeks prior) the Mayor and us box lunch-fed folk walked in behind him.
The tiny I (heart) Orlando buttons we handed out to the attendees
Getting lined up in the Fairwinds meeting room
Waiting "backstage" to enter with the Mayor
The view from just in front of the Mayor's stage
Another view from the same point
We were led up to some seating for the duration of the talk
One of the signs we were given to hold and wave
When the author of "For the Love of Cities" spoke about his book and ideas, he showed
photos from the brainstorm. I was surprised to see a photo of me in there talking
on the mic during one of the presentations that brainstorm day. I'm in the red shirt.
After it was all over, cameras came off tripods and interviews began
A model of downtown was created by children at Nap Ford Community School
