Major regional developments include the opening of Travel + Leisure Co.’s headquarters and Biller Genie’s expansion, both signaling strong economic growth for Orlando.

Welcome to the Regional Perspective, where I share stories that bring the Orlando 2045 Vision to life and highlight the progress shaping our region’s future.

Top Stories

1) A defining moment for Downtown Orlando’s future – The grand opening celebration for Travel + Leisure Co.’s new Downtown Orlando global headquarters brought together regional leaders, business partners, and associates to mark a milestone in Orlando’s economic story. The event highlighted the company’s significant $36 million investment and the relocation of more than 900 jobs to the urban core, reinforcing the city’s emergence as a destination for global corporate leadership and innovation. Read the full story here or watch the video on YouTube. 

2) Biller Genie expands in Orlando – This week saw Biller Genie celebrate two major milestones in the company’s rapid growth and expanding international footprint. The B2B SaaS platform that relocated to Orlando in 2023 announced the close of a $22 Million Series B financing round as well as the grand opening of its new 14,000-square-foot global headquarters located at 4700 Millenia Blvd. in Orlando. Biller Genie’s momentum is a powerful signal of what’s happening across Orlando’s innovation economy as we work with partners to build the world’s next global creative capital. Learn more here.

3) Orlando businesses end 2025 on a strong note – Results from our Q4 2025 survey suggest Orlando businesses ended the year on a positive note, with a rebound in performance allowing them to overlook ongoing national volatility. Results from our special topic on the region’s economic outlook indicate half of businesses expect the local economy to strengthen in 2026, but housing and transportation remain barriers to the region reaching its full potential. Read the full report here. 

4) Investing in higher education to secure Orlando’s talent-driven future – The findings of the Closing the Gap: 2025 Orlando Talent Report make one point clear: sustaining Orlando’s economic momentum depends on how well we prepare talent for the jobs of today and tomorrow. With nearly one million job openings projected across our region in the coming years, continued underinvestment in higher education is not an option. That’s why the Orlando Economic Partnership will be in Tallahassee next week, advocating for increased higher education funding that aligns academic capacity with industry demand. Thank you to presenting sponsor Greenberg Traurig and supporting sponsor TECO for supporting our Tallahassee trip. Check out this message from two of our state college presidents for more perspective on higher ed funding.

5) Showcasing Orlando 2045 through strong partnerships and shared leadership – I extend my sincere gratitude to our investors and partners whose engagement with Florida Trend for the Orlando Region special section in this month’s issue. This feature celebrates the pillars of the Orlando 2045 vision: narrowing the talent gap, enhancing connectivity, and embracing modern urbanism by illustrating how collaboration between business, education, and civic leadership is driving job growth, innovation, and opportunity across the region. This issue is available for subscribers. 

6) We’re hiring – The OEP is seeking a dynamic Associate Director of Content Creation to join its Marketing and Communications team. This role is ideal for a creative, strategic storyteller who is passionate about producing high impact content that engages diverse audiences and advances organizational goals. See the full job description and application here.

Programs & Events

2026 Tallahassee Advocacy Trip presented by Greenberg Traurig // Jan. 26-27, 2026 // AT CAPACITY

LEADForward Roundtables – Spring 2026 Cohort // Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 30 // APPLY TODAY

Leadership Orlando Class 110 // Feb. 20 Enrollment Deadline // LEARN MORE & ENROLL TODAY

Barbecue in the Park presented by VyStar Credit Union // Feb. 25 // REGISTER AT EARLY BIRD PRICES TODAY

Regional Leadership Conference presented by Universal Orlando Resort // Mar. 27 // SAVE THE DATE 

ICYMI

MUST READ: Why cities are reverting 1-way streets back to their original 2-way design – Associated Press 

Orlando chefs among James Beard Award semifinalists – Orlando Business Journal 

Orange County launches free one-stop resource center for small businesses – Orlando Business Journal 

Florida Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit – Use promo code DukeEnergy26 

Duke Energy Florida to cut bills as storm recovery charge ends early – WFLA 

UCF Announces 2026 Football Schedule – Orlando Sentinel 

FIFA World Cup soccer exhibitions to play at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium – Orlando Business Journal 

Flex Industrial Park under construction in Lake Mary – GrowthSpotter 

Wendover to start construction soon on more affordable housing in Sanford – GrowthSpotter 

Onward,

Tim-ONLY-sig_100px.png
Tim Giuliani
ORLANDO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP

About the Author

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By Tim Giuliani President & CEO

Tim Giuliani is a national leader in growing cities that deliver economic growth. His approach is centered on the powerful concept that making investments to build a place where people want to live and visit will attract the companies where people want to work.  As President and CEO of the Orlando Economic Partnership, his leadership has helped attract over 30,000 new jobs, $3.6 billion in capital investment, and $3.3 billion in annual payroll. Tim’s collaborative work with elected, higher education, and private sector leaders led to the investment of $500 million in investment into the Florida semiconductor cluster. Giuliani's work to advance broad-based prosperity is focused on cultivating civic leadership and bringing those leaders together to align around the long-term opportunities and challenges that face metro communities.

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