Acomb, Ostendorf & Associates (AO&A) has been honoured at the first annual Orlando Business Journal ‘Technology IQ Awards, ’ further enhancing their reputation as creators of immersive entertainment experiences.
The award recognises the region’s top innovators for their use of technology to create a competitive advantage.
AO&A won the award for ‘Outstanding Innovation for a Small Company’ at a luncheon event held on Friday, March 4th at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. The award cites the high-tech parking and traffic planning solution recently opened for Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Located at a major entertainment, dining and retail zone on Buena Vista Drive, the new parking facilities incorporate an advanced Parking Guidance System (PGS) that directs visitors to available parking spaces, cutting search time and fuel emissions by 50-70%.
The system has also been designed to capture time-sensitive parking data which can be utilised for operations planning in the future.
AO&A provided design and project management for the innovative facility, which is expected to improve guest satisfaction and thereby increase revenue for the retail and entertainment complex it serves.
“If people save time parking, they’ll spend more time and money in the venues at the complex, ” explained Mike Ostendorf of AO&A. “And a positive parking experience will provide a stronger intent to return. The increased efficiency also reduces labour costs for parking staff and employees.”
Clearly delighted to receive the award, Ostendorf added, “Culturally, our team has been able to watch the full lifecycle of how technology enters a project with this system. We were involved in the earliest conversations, we worked together to evaluate all options, and now our team can see the systems in operation.
"We will be able to reference this effort for all our future projects, and when our clients present us new challenges, we will have a proven plan to deploy.”
Efficient parking and traffic flow is seen as key to the continued growth of the region. The technology on these latest parking structures was a first in Central Florida and is still at the forefront of parking solutions across the United States.
AO&A, founded in 2009 by ex-Disney Imagineers Tom Acomb and Mike Ostendorf, continues to increase its presence across the leisure and attractions industry with a growing client portfolio. Widely recognised for creating flagship projects for Disney, Universal, Legoland and many others across the globe, the company recently delivered Morimoto Asia restaurant at Disney Springs.
AO&A is relocating its headquarters this summer to a newly renovated 9, 800 sq. ft. building in the heart of Winter Park, FL.
