Did you know you can host a Disney World trade show? When planning a convention or trade show, chances are you dream of setting it in a beautiful location.
This is important to make your event memorable and enjoyable. After all, people will associate the show with you, so you want to make a good impression right off the bat and give attendees an experience they’ll cherish forever.
If you choose a beautiful location for the show, it will be easier to create appeal for it, such as on social media. It is important to spread the news about the show and get people interested in it, bearing in mind that up to 75 percent of trade show attendees know what booths they’ll visit before they arrive.
Disney’s Meetings & Events team works hard to ensure that your trade show is a success, so read on to learn everything about it.
Can You Host A Disney World Trade Show?
You’re not limited to hosting conferences at Disney – you can certainly host trade shows, too! Disney will not only entertain your clients but drive traffic to your business and allow you to make your trade shows more memorable.
It offers a service known as Disney’s Exhibitor Concierge Service. This is available for expos and trade shows at the Disney World Resort in Florida and the Disneyland Resort in Southern California.
The service provides top-of-the-line support in the form of experts who can help you to plan your event and provide resources to help you build traffic to the trade show.
Disney World Resort, Florida
At this location, you can choose a variety of services to make your Disney World trade show a success, such as by specifying the food and beverages, equipment, internet and telephone access, flower and gift options, and signage you’d like for your event.
Disneyland Resort, Southern California
Exhibitor resources that you can make use of at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California include:
- Electrical request form. This is a form you’ll fill out to request various electrical services, such as extension cords, audio equipment, and electrical outlets.
- PSAV request form. This is a form you fill out if you want to request services such as screens, data displays, and video displays. You can also request further audio services, such as mics.
- Shipping instructions. There’s information that helps you with receiving packages at the Disney location (via Disney Meeting & Events), which serves to make planning your event much easier.
Bonus Location: Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
This resort and spa is located in Hawaii. If you want to host your Disney World trade show here, you can choose from a variety of services to make your event breathtaking, such as flowers and gifts for attendees, theme décor and set design, and entertainment in the form of face painters, storytellers, and more.
There’s also branding and a variety of business solutions available. This is the location to choose if you want an immersive event.
What Are The Benefits Of Hosting An Event At Disney?
There are plenty of good reasons why you should consider hosting a Disney World trade show event. Here are some top reasons to think about:
- Disney offers lots of entertainment for attendees, such as theme parks, golf courses, water parks, and day spas. And you can include admission to certain parks and courses in your Disney World convention tickets.
- There are year-round and seasonal events to enjoy, which are ideal to have when planning your conference. These include the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. (check the Disney World event calendar 2022 for details on annual events.)
- There are post- and pre-event stays. On-site accommodation is ideal for people attending the show, and you can make use of group room rates.
- You can make use of Disney’s marketing assistance. This involves social media content, promotional tools, and consulting support so you can increase your event attendance and spread word of it before it’s scheduled to happen.
- The Disney Meetings & Events team will help you to ensure the Disney World trade show event runs smoothly. This is an important factor because it’s not always easy to plan events on your own, especially if you’re doing this for the first time.
- You’ll have a ton of creative resources at your fingertips. This includes creative ways in which to deliver your message, such as with the help of Disney’s set designers, writers, producers, entertainers, and producers. Having a team to support you will take the pressure off planning the event.
How To Apply For A Disney Event
If you’re interested in applying to host your event at Disney, you will have to submit a request. It’s really to do so as you’ll do it online. Here’s how.
- Go to the Disney Meetings & Events website.
- At the bottom of the page, you’ll see “submit a request.” Click on it.
- On the page that loads, choose the option that applies to you – “Corporate,” “Association,” or “Social event.” If you want to host a trade show, you will click on the “Association” option.
- You will see information come up pertaining to the location you wish to have for the trade show: Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Aulani – A Disney Resort & Spa. Pick one.
- Then, you will have to select a submission option. Choose “standard form,” which will enable you to fill out important information, such as the start and end dates of your event, how many attendees you can expect, the meeting/conference name, the largest venue capacity, and the estimated number of accommodations you’ll require on peak night.
- Note: Instead of choosing the standard form, you can instead choose to submit your own RFP (Request For Proposal). This might appeal to you if you have experience with such documents.
- You will have to briefly describe the purpose, goals, and objectives you wish to achieve by hosting this event. You only have 250 characters at your disposal when writing this, so make every word count!
- Finally, you’ll fill out your contact information in the boxes supplied: your name, title, organization, email, country/region, phone number, mailing address, city, and zip/postal code.
- When you’ve filled out everything and checked that all the information is correct, click “submit.” A representative will review your submission and then get in touch with you within one or two business days.
How Much Does It Cost?
Disney Meetings & Events no longer requires a 10-person minimum for events, but there are some minimum costs that you’ll have to be prepared to pay when planning an event.
While the venue fee will be the same as if you were planning a different event, such as a wedding, you’ll have to meet a per-person food and beverage minimum cost, which is $75.
Disney meetings and events prices usually have an overall minimum cost of $5,000 (before the 6.5 percent tax and 25 percent service charge are applied) or the venue’s food and beverage minimum – whichever one works out to be the highest amount. If you’re planning your Disney World trade show on a holiday, this minimum amount might be costlier.
It’s worth noting that it’s best to ask the representative who calls you after you’ve submitted your request about fees and minimum costs.
This is especially because the cost of your event can vary quite a bit depending on what services you’d like to require and which ones you won’t. There’s also not much advice online about the costs you can expect.
Related Questions
What social events can you host at Disney World?
Social events include picnics, holidays, celebrations, galas, and dinners.
What corporate events can be hosted at Disney World?
Corporate events include trade shows, conferences, meetings, training sessions, and incentive trips.
Where are conferences hosted at Disney World?
Disney Resorts is a great location for attendees who are coming to your conference. This setting is enhanced by qualified experts, such as storytellers, who will be able to help you design the experience.
Conclusion
When you think of Disney World, chances are that you assume it’s only a place for entertainment and fun with the family when you have time off work. But you’re mistaken! It’s also a great location to consider if you’re hosting a work conference or trade show.
In this article, we’ve given you the information you need to know about hosting a Disney World trade show as well as why it’s a great idea.
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