ORLANDO (BP) – With approximately 20,000 total attendees expected for the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting June 7-10, guests and messengers are urged to nail down their housing needs.
“When SBC hotel availability opened in October, the response was immediate,” said Lynn Richmond, SBC convention manager. “We sold out of room blocks multiple times and added hotels to keep up with demand. While a few rooms are still available, housing closes May 13, so if you haven’t made your reservation, you need to do so now.”
Annual Meeting events begin June 1 with numerous outreach opportunities available through the Crossover, Southern Baptists’ citywide evangelistic outreach that precedes the gathering.
“Messenger pre-registration is following similar trends from recent years, and we still expect 20,000 total attendees this year in Orlando – including more than 13,000 messengers,” said Jonathan Howe, vice president for convention administration. “This will be our largest annual meeting since Nashville in 2021, and we can’t wait to see SBC families from across the country come together in Orlando.”
Registration for the annual meeting, as well as all other events, can be made at SBCAnnualMeeting.net. Comprehensive information and interviews with those involved at the annual meeting are available in the Road to Orlando video series that is hosted by Howe.
The 2020 in-person gathering scheduled for Orlando was cancelled due to COVID-19, with business taking place online. The next year, 15,726 messengers descended on Nashville.
“With more than two dozen partner hotels in the area – many of which are not walkable from the Orange County Convention Center – we are pleased to offer complimentary shuttle service again this year to help facilitate getting messengers and guests to the convention center in an orderly fashion,” Howe said.
All convention hotels are serviced by shuttles except the ones within walking distance. Those are the Rosen Centre, Rosen Plaza, Hyatt Regency Orlando and the Days Inn.
Shuttles drop off and pick up on the lower level of the Convention Center near Hall A. They run approximately every 20 minutes and begin on June 7 in the afternoon, continuing through Wednesday evening. Specific times are:
- Sunday – 1:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
- Monday – 6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
- Tuesday – 6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
- Wednesday – 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Shuttle updates and route information can be found through the SBC Annual Meeting app.
“Parking is really limited at the convention center, so shuttles will be the best option for those staying in our partner hotels,” Howe said.
The 2010 annual meeting in Orlando brought 11,075 registered messengers. A presidential year (Bryant Wright elected) and the vote on the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report factored in the largest number of Southern Baptists attending since 2006 (Greensboro).
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