Two buildings, one long concourse and a $560 million expansion: the OCCC from behind the camera
An Orange County Convention Center photographer sees Orlando’s biggest venue differently than a planner does. The planner sees more than two million square feet of exhibit space across two buildings on International Drive. The photographer sees skylit concourses that light a portrait better than most ballrooms, exhibit halls where the light changes from aisle to aisle, and a walk between buildings that can quietly eat into a run of show.
We have photographed exhibitor booths, general sessions and receptions at the OCCC for years. Here is the field guide we wish every planner assigned Orlando had before the site visit.
Two buildings, one very long walk
First, the layout. The OCCC is split into the West Building and the North South Building, linked across International Drive by a covered pedestrian bridge. On a map they look like neighbors. On show day, with badges, booth crowds and coffee lines, moving from a West hall to a North South ballroom takes real time.
That matters most when your program splits across both buildings. A keynote in one building and an awards luncheon in the other, scheduled back to back, is one of the most common gaps we see in Orlando shot lists. Either build a real buffer between them or plan a second photographer so each building has its own coverage.
Check the official floor plans on the Orange County Convention Center site before you lock the schedule, and send your photographer the hall and room numbers along with the times.
The concourse light is the best in the building
The concourses are where the OCCC photographs best. Tall glass and skylights fill the main corridors with soft daylight, which makes registration, networking and hallway conversations look bright and natural.
That light shifts through the day. Mid morning gives even, flattering light for candids and quick portraits. Later in the day, harder sun can cut across parts of the floor, so we move portraits to the shaded side or back inside.
If your sponsors want lobby signage or registration photos for their sponsor recap deck, schedule those for the morning, when the concourse is busy and the light is at its kindest.
Exhibit halls: mixed light and huge distances
Inside the exhibit halls, the light comes from overhead fixtures, booth lighting and LED walls, often all in the same frame. Large exhibits like this one bring their own lighting, while inline booths a few aisles away can sit in flatter, cooler light.
Scale matters too. A single hall can hold hundreds of booths, so an OCCC photographer covering exhibitors needs booth numbers, booth contacts and a time window for each one. Without that list, you get a lot of walking and not many booth photos.
Our tradeshow photography services are built around that list, and our post on booth traffic that converts covers what exhibitors want from those photos.
The Grand Concourse expansion and your 2027 to 2029 programs
The North South Building is in the middle of a major project. According to Skift Meetings, the OCCC broke ground on a $560 million Grand Concourse expansion that adds a 100,000 square foot ballroom and 44,000 square feet of meeting space, with completion expected in 2029. A second phase has been approved to add 200,000 square feet of exhibit space.
The center stays open throughout construction, which is good news for your dates. For photography it means two things. Walking routes and entrances in the North South Building may change between your site visit and your show. Convention Way along that building closed in February 2026 and stays closed for the length of the project, so confirm entrances and drop off points close to the event. And temporary walls or work zones can show up behind a speaker or in a wide shot, so a photographer who knows to look for them will frame around them.
Once the new ballroom opens, Orlando gets a brand new space for general sessions and awards dinners. We will update this guide once we have photographed in it.
The hotels around the OCCC
Beyond the convention center, most Orlando programs spill into hotels for receptions, board dinners and breakouts. Several hotels along International Drive connect to the convention center by walkway, and many associations hold evening events at nearby resorts like the Hilton Bonnet Creek, the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and the JW Marriott Grande Lakes.
Evening receptions are where many of the best relationship photos happen, so put them on the shot list rather than treating them as an afterthought. Tell your photographer the room name, the start time and who your VIPs are, and those photos tend to take care of themselves.
What to send your photographer before an OCCC show
- Building, hall and room numbers for every session on the shot list
- Booth numbers and contacts for exhibitors or sponsors you want covered
- Your VIP list with headshots, so we can find people in a crowd of thousands
- Registration and badge pickup times, for the concourse photos
- Any receptions or dinners at nearby hotels, with addresses and start times
With that list in hand, an experienced Orange County Convention Center photographer can plan the day around the building instead of fighting it. You can see more of our work on our Orlando convention photography page, and if you also have a Houston program, our George R. Brown field guide covers that building the same way.
FAQ: Photographing at the Orange County Convention Center
How big is the Orange County Convention Center?
It offers more than two million square feet of exhibit space across the West Building and the North South Building, which makes it one of the largest convention centers in the country.
How long does it take to walk between the OCCC buildings?
It depends on where you start and how busy the concourses are. The buildings connect by a pedestrian bridge over International Drive, and on a busy show day we plan a real buffer between sessions in different buildings.
Is the Orange County Convention Center open during the expansion?
Yes. The center keeps hosting events throughout the Grand Concourse expansion of the North South Building, which is expected to be completed in 2029.
Do I need two photographers for an OCCC convention?
If your general session, expo and breakouts run in different buildings at the same time, a second photographer is usually the simplest way to cover everything without gaps.
Where is the best light for photos at the OCCC?
The skylit concourses give soft, natural light most of the day, especially in the morning, which makes them ideal for registration, networking and quick portraits.
Work with an Orlando convention photographer who knows the OCCC
Whether you need an Orlando corporate event photographer for a single reception or a full team for a citywide at the OCCC, we plan it building by building. Since 1987, Professional Images Photography has photographed conventions, conferences and corporate events nationwide, including San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas, Tampa and New York.