The Business Backdrop

This week's Business Backdrop takes a look at a new partnership by Disney and Adobe, as well as the latest chapter for high-speed rail operator Brightline. Technology advances continue to give companies the edge on business, and the region's largest employer, Walt Disney World, entered a partnership to utilize artificial intelligence more. Computer software giant Adobe announced June 16 it would b...

Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray joins the Business Backdrop to discuss the state of Central Florida's sea hub. New projects are underway that may be the catalyst for the next big cruise ships sailing the seas. Also, the burgeoning commercial space sector primes more areas of opportunity for the port, as well as other tertiary improvements. Find out what's the latest for Port Canaveral. Read t...

This week’s Business Backdrop explores a week of ups and downs for one of the region's big commercial space operators: Blue Origin. In just a few weeks, Blue Origin went from announcing a $600 million capital investment and securing a $188 million NASA contract to making headlines after its New Glenn rocket exploded May 28. The company remains optimistic it can launch another rocket into orbit by...

Tourism Reporter Patricia Tolley joins the Business Backdrop to talk about the fancier side of travel in Orlando. How has the region's hotel scene changed when it comes to luxury travel? Also, Rob DelliBovi, owner & CEO of RDB Hospitality Group shares insight on the changes in the luxury hospitality market, and the indicators that show a boom in the works. Curious about the stories behind The...

The Business Backdrop dives into one of the hottest topics on Central Florida's west side — Winter Garden's downtown change. The historic downtown has seen a rapid change in real estate ownership that has business owners and residents curious of what comes next. Commercial Real Estate Reporter JC Carnahan joins the show to share more on his findings about Winter Garden's transformation. Read the s...

We are sticking in downtown Orlando for this episode of the Business backdrop. Orlando Business Journal Managing Editor Steven Ryzewski has an engaging conversation with First Capital Property Group's Jeré Matheny on activity in the central business district. What are some of the changes? Who's moving in and out of the downtown? Also, what does this spell for the overall region?

n this episode of the Business Backdrop, we hit the sports and space sectors of Central Florida. The region is set to welcome another sports franchise in 2027 with the Jacksonville Jaguars coming to town. Also, the Artemis mission from the Space Coast opens a new frontier of opportunities for the region. Staff Writers Riley Benson and J.C. Carnahan join to share their insight. Want to read the sto...

The Boring Co., a tunneling firm by Billionaire Elon Musk, is the name in Orlando that could bring a new transportation concept to Orlando. The firm is working closely with a Universal-created infrastructure district to see how a new system could connect the tourism corridor. Orlando Business Journal Staff Writer Patricia Tolley joins Editor-in-Chief Richard Bilbao to discuss the topic. Also, Toll...

In this episode of The Business Backdrop, Orlando Business Journal Senior Staff Writer Ryan Lynch joins Editor-in-Chief Richard Bilbao to discuss two major road projects bookending Central Florida. See how Central Florida Expressway Authority projects in Osceola and Seminole counties will provide economic development for those regions. Also, find out how these projects signal future growth and how...

In this episode of Business Backdrop, Icon Park CEO and President, Chris Jaskiewicz details the park's vision as a 20-acre entertainment and hospitality destination for locals and visitors, its development origins after the financial crisis, and how the team rebranded in 2019 and navigated Covid-19 by implementing protocols and reopening early as an open-air, gate-free venue. Jaskiewicz discusses...

In this episode, Staff Writer J.C. Carnahan dives into the details of how two major grocery chains — Publix and Trader Joe’s — are carving out their own paths in the grocery wars of Central Florida. See how each have expanded their reach and what we hear may be driving both their expansion plans. Curious about the stories behind the episode? Click here to catch up. - https://www.bizjournals.com/or...

A new podcast from the Orlando Business Journal. The Business Backdrop pulls back the curtain on Central Florida’s business scene — and the newsroom that covers it. Every two weeks, Editor-in-Chief of the Orlando Business Journal Richard Bilbao takes you behind the headlines to dive into the story behind the story shaping central Florida’s economy through candid conversations with the reporters wh...