Exhibitor guide · Orlando, Florida
Orlando World Center Marriott: the exhibitor's guide
The largest Marriott in the world: 2,008 rooms, more than 500,000 sq ft of meeting space and a 105,000 sq ft pillar-free ballroom, two miles from Disney. A convention center that happens to be a hotel.
Why this page exists
The World Center is the Orlando venue for a conference that wants the scale of a convention center with everyone sleeping in the same building. Its 105,000 sq ft Cypress Ballroom was built for exactly that, and the 2025 Grand Ballroom renovation sharpened the rest.
It runs on Marriott rules: Encore in-house AV, carpeted ballrooms, one hotel dock. This guide covers the spaces, the rules, and what changes when your booth comes in from a hall.
The building
The ballrooms and exhibit space
| Space | What it is | Typical use | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Ballroom | 105,000 sq ft pillar-free, added in 2007 and connected to the convention center. | Expos, general sessions for up to 10,000 | Carpeted; rigging on Encore's grid; hand-moved freight. |
| Grand Ballroom | More than 36,000 sq ft, redesigned with 14 configurable spaces. | General sessions, galas | Carpet rules. |
| Palms and Crystal Ballrooms and 104 breakouts | Mid-size ballrooms and meeting rooms across several levels. | Sponsor rows, sessions | Tabletop and 10×10 booths; power per room. |
| Exhibit space | 286,000 sq ft counted across the ballrooms and prefunction areas (Marriott's figure); verify any concrete-floor area. | Expos | Design for carpet unless the show confirms otherwise. |
Free tool
Ballroom booth converter
Tick what your usual booth has. The converter lists what changes on carpet at the World Center and what Purple does about each.
History
The biggest Marriott there is
Marriott's Orlando World Center opens on March 24 as the largest hotel in Florida, with a nine-story atrium lobby and 1,500 rooms, on land that gave World Center Drive its name.
A 500-room tower makes it the largest Marriott in the world, a title it still holds.
The 104,000 sq ft Cypress Ballroom opens, connected to the convention center and among the largest pillar-free ballrooms anywhere.
Florida Green Lodging certification.
The Grand Ballroom is renovated, part of a property-wide refresh.
Rules of the floor
Labor, exclusives and hotel rules
Non-union
Full-time staff may set up with hand tools; outside labor via the contractor or Purple as EAC.
Encore AV and rigging
Encore is in-house; power and internet are hotel-exclusive. Early-bird orders close about three weeks out.
Carpet throughout
Carpet protection under structures, no forklifts inside, pallet jacks from the dock.
Hotel dock shared with banquets
Ship advance warehouse; direct trucks wait.
Orange County Fire Rescue
Covered and multilevel review as at the OCCC; confirm the current threshold when the fire plan is submitted.
No empties in guest space
Empties to the contractor; samples via the business center.
Empties and the MHA
EMPTY stickers on unpack; MHA before leaving.
Certificates
Naming the organizer and Marriott; Purple's is on file.
Free tool
World Center drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026. All-venue rates on the drayage rates page.
The calendar
Events at the World Center
| Event type | When | Typical size | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate conferences and incentive meetings | Year round, peak Jan–Apr | 1,000–8,000 | Booth rentals |
| Association annual meetings with expo | Spring and fall | 2,000–10,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| Franchise and direct-sales conventions | Summer | 3,000–10,000 | Custom exhibits |
Logistics
Getting there
- Airport: Orlando International is about 20 minutes.
- Disney: 2 miles; the resort runs shuttles.
- OCCC: 15 minutes north on International Drive.
- Stay: in the hotel; the block usually carries the meeting rate.
- Freight: hotel dock off World Center Drive, shared with banquets.
- Purple: ships from Las Vegas or Fishkill. Orlando booth rentals.
Orlando
The city beyond the resort
Questions
World Center FAQ
Is there a real exhibit hall?
The exhibit space is ballroom and prefunction space, carpeted. Design for carpet; confirm any concrete area with the show.
Can I bring my own AV or rigger?
No. Encore is in-house; power and internet are hotel-exclusive.
Is it union?
No. Full-time staff may set up with hand tools.
How big a show fits?
The Cypress Ballroom seats about 10,000 for a general session or holds an expo of several hundred booths; the whole center handles 10,000-person conventions.
How far is Disney?
Two miles, with resort shuttles.
What does Purple do that the contractor does not?
Designs, builds, ships, installs, supervises and stores the booth, and files the EAC and MHA paperwork.
Exhibiting at the World Center?
Send us the event and ballroom. You get a carpet-ready design brief, a drayage estimate and a build timeline within two business days.
Venue guides
Every venue we have a guide for
Same standard, every hall: the building, the rules, the tools and the calendar.