ORLANDO, Fla. – AnitaB.org, an organization of women and non-binary tech workers, is moving its annual convention out of Orlando and taking its business elsewhere, citing Florida’s political climate and actions taken by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature.
And another nurses group is canceling a 2027 event because of similar concerns, according to the Orange County Convention Center.
The cancellations are the latest economic blow to the region, following Walt Disney Co.’s decision. of abandoning plans for a nearly $1 billion corporate campus in Orlando with 2,000 high-paying jobs.
AnitaB.org told members it will no longer hold conferences in Florida after this year’s event at the Orange County Convention Center, despite the “warm welcome” it has received over the years in Orlando.
The California-based group cited laws that banned most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, cracked down on illegal immigration and lifted permit requirements to carry a concealed weapon in public, along with measures that organizers said they aimed to “erase people’s identities and dignities”. people from historically marginalized and excluded groups, including Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous people.”
“We will not return until this legislation is overturned and the state is more welcoming to all,” the group wrote.
AnitaB.orgThe annual Grace Hopper celebration attracts about 16,000 visitors and is considered the world’s largest gathering of women in computing, according to organizers. It was held in Orlando in 2007, 2017, 2019 and 2022, in addition to this year’s meeting in September.
“At AnitaB.org we are very proud of our diversity because that diversity is our strength,” AnitaB.org CEO Brenda Darden Wilkerson said in a prepared statement. “We owe it to our community, to these women and non-binary technologists, to be vigilant.”
Florida lawmakers and DeSantis have also restricted the use of pronouns in schools, banned medication and surgical treatments for transgender youth, and limited classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, among others bills related to LGBTQ+. They have passed legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education and regulating the teaching of race-related issues in schools.
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The location of AnitaB.org’s 2024 event will be announced later this year, spokeswoman Zakeya Baker said.
Another group, the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses, also cited political concerns when it canceled its 2027 surgical conference and expo, said Katarina Dos Santos, a spokeswoman for the convention center.
Linda Kanamine, a spokeswoman for the nursing group, would not confirm whether that was the reason for the move from Orlando, saying those contract change discussions are considered “confidential.”
The meeting attracts about 7,000 nurses and exhibitors and will be held in Philadelphia in 2027, he said in an email.
“The decision to move to Philadelphia was the right one for AORN for 2027,” Kanamine said.
Dos Santos said he did not have an estimate of the economic losses to Orange County from the cancellations.
The NAACP and Equality Florida recently issued travel advisories in response to DeSantis’ political agenda. The NAACP notice cited “attempts to erase black history and to restrict diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Florida schools.”
“Florida is openly hostile to African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people,” the notice said.
Equality Florida, which advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, warned of the “risks it poses to the health, safety and liberty” of visitors.
It’s too early to predict whether these advisories will have an effect on tourism, said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando.
Visit Orlando has received calls from groups and travelers with safety concerns, he said.
“Orlando has always been and will continue to be a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community,” said Matej. “As the nation’s top travel destination and a longtime leader in the travel industry, our community has a history of welcoming everyone to our destination.”
DeSantis blasted the NAACP’s warning as a political “trick” and a “total farce.” Boycott efforts have been ineffective as Florida attracts new residents and sees strong tourism numbers, he said.
More than 74 million visitors came to the Orlando area by 2022, up 25 percent from the previous year and down from pre-pandemic levels, tourism officials said in May.
Looking statewide, the first quarter of this year saw the strongest tourism numbers in Florida history, according to Visit Florida estimates.
As he campaigns for president, DeSantis is fending off attacks that his culture war battles have created an anti-business climate. He took over The Walt Disney Co. for his stance on critics of the so-called “don’t say gay” legislation, which limited classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida schools.
Citing “changing business conditions” without mentioning DeSantis, Disney scrapped plans in May to build the corporate campus in Orlando’s Lake Nona neighborhood.
The entertainment giant expects to invest $17 billion and add about 13,000 jobs in Florida over the next decade, Disney Parks President Josh D’Amaro wrote in a memo to employees.
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