Florida Creatives – Creating a Community of Innovation

Location

(O)rlando Elec(tron)ic (I)nteractive Entertainment (Con)vention

The inaugural Otronicon V.1 event in January 2006 attracted more than 16,000 to experience how the cultural phenomenon of video games is changing everything from art to education to business to military training. Otronicon is uniquely Orlando and spotlights Central Florida's growing digital media industry.

Come join more than 15,000 people, and have fun on more than 100 gaming stations, including Wii, Playstation 3, Game Cube and Xbox, and play some of the newest (and oldest) video games. Experience real life, cutting edge, military training simulators such as those used by the Marines, Lockheed Martin and more. Play alongside your friends or battle it out with tons of video game competitions. Jam with your band mates in the Rock Band Concert Hall, or duke it out with your friends in Central Florida's biggest Super Smash Brothers Festival. Don't miss all the action at this year's Otronicon V.4!

Family
Who said video games are just for kids? Live out your childhood dreams behind the wheel of a racing car or in the cockpit of a fighter jet in one of our state of the art simulators. Or crank up your favorite classic rock hits on a customized Rock Band stage. Oh, and don’t worry, there’s stuff for the kids too!

Gamers
Are you good? Really good? Good enough to face off on some of your favorite games in person? At Otronicon, you can test your skills on more than 100 gaming stations in a variety of competition formats. This year’s highlight – Central Florida’s biggest Super Smash Brothers competition. When you need a break from playing, check out this year’s brand new Machinima Film Festival.

Educators
Otronicon offers interactive classes uniquely designed for middle and high school students to explore the world of gaming technology. Students can work with industry-based tools for 3D modeling, animation and game design. Teachers, we’ve got you covered, too, with special “Teachers Only” workshops to increase your knowledge of technology.

Location

The Employ Florida Banner Center for Digital Media and its Partners are hosting Florida's First Annual Digital Media Workforce Summit at the Seminole Community College Center for Economic Development. This statewide summit is designed to involve industry, education, workforce and economic development leaders in a day-long multidisciplinary exploration of the future of Florida's digital media industry, its workforce and the education and training approaches needed to stay at the cutting edge.

• Meet your counterparts in related fields
• Learn about best practices and the latest technologies
• Collaborate with experts to find uncommon solutions to common issues

Download Show 20
flcreatives_20_edcwakefield.mp3
Length: 38:32

Jennifer Wakefield is the Director of Public Relations for the Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC). In this inteview with Ryan Price, she shares a number of exciting industries taking root all over Central Florida, including Film and Digital Media, Helath and Biomedical, Military Simulation and Training, and of course the Entertainment industry.

Shameless Links:

• Orlando EDC
• Metro Orlando Film and Entertainment Commission, headed by Suzy Spang Allen
• Film in Florida, the Governor's office of Film and Entertainment
• Employ Florida Digital Media Banner Center
• Florida Interactive Entertainemnt Academy Downtown
• Enzian FilmSLAM
• Orlando Film Festival
• Florida Film Festival
• Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitor's Bureau
• Nemours Children's Health Care
• Burnham at Lake Nona
• City of Orlando Community Venues
• UCF College of Medicine
• Orlando Health and Adventist Health System
• Winnie Palmer Hospital
• Disney Children's Hospital
• Institute for Simulation and Training
• IITSEC Conference
• National Center for Simulation
• Engineering & Computer Simulations
• Texture Magazine
• Global Robotics Institute
• Florida Creatives on iTunes