SHELTER

September 2003

40 Years of Millwork

Distributors to Visit Orlando 
for the NSDJA Annual Convention

by Samantha Carpenter

National Sash and Door Jobber (NSDJA) members will want to attend the 40th annual NSDJA Convention at the Orange County Convention Center October 12-16 in Orlando, Fla.
 
This year’s theme is “40 Years of Millwork Magic,” playing on the fact that the organization is 40 years old this year and that Disney World is located in Orlando. 

Hotel Reservations
The Orlando World Center Marriott Hotel has been selected as the convention’s official hotel, serving as the NSDJA headquarters. All room reservations must be made through the NSDJA office via registration. You can attain a form by calling the NSDJA office at 800/786-7274, or you can register online at www.nsdja.com. 

Reservations are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. After registrants’ initial hotel reservations have been made, all room changes must be made directly with NSDJA headquarters until September 11, 2003.

Once rooms at the Marriott are filled, attendees will be advised of this situation on their NSDJA registration confirmation form and will then be responsible for making their own hotel reservations.

Transportation
The Orlando World Center Marriott Hotel is approximately 20 minutes from the Orlando International Airport. The most economical way to travel to the hotel is by taking Mears shuttle transportation, located in the airport’s baggage claim area. The shuttle departs every 30 minutes, providing non-stop shuttle service. The fare is $16 one-way or $28 round trip per person. One day prior to your departure from your hotel you must contact Mears at 407/423-5566 to schedule pick-up service. The average taxi fare varies from $30-$50 for a one-way trip. 

Exhibit Hall
If you plan on attending, be sure to bring your walking shoes, as the convention will take up more than 187,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Orange County Convention Center is approximately a 15-minute bus ride from the hotel. 

There will be cash drawings in the exhibit hall during most sessions, and attendees must be present to win. Attendees will receive one ticket for each exhibit hall session, and are asked to deposit tickets at the NSDJA booth. 

Exhibitors will include many millwork companies (see the full exhibitors list in sidebar below).

Dress & Climate
The attire for the convention will be business casual with the exception of the exhibit hall grand opening, which is business attire. The average daily temperature in Orlando for the month of October is a high of 82° Fahrenheit and a low of 66° Fahrenheit.

Attractions
There is much to do in the Orlando area during non-exhibit hours, and the NSDJA has set up a number of optional tours.

If you are a cooking entrepreneur, then you should take the Ming Court gourmet Chinese cooking class. The class is $55 per person and is being held Sunday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Looking to make that perfect gift for someone special? The bead stringing and crimping class is Sunday, October 12, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. At $48 per person, attendees can jump-start their creativity, learn how to wire wrap their favorite beads and go home with a bracelet and matching earrings. This class will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott Hotel.

If you are tired of all the hustle and bustle and need some peace, visit the Harry P. Leu Gardens and have high tea. This tour is $55 per person and is being held Monday, October 13, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Harry P. Leu offers nearly 50 acres of peaceful grounds of “Old Florida” for your enjoyment. Take a guided tour of the Leu House Museum, a restored late 19th-century home that began as a Florida farmhouse. The gardens encompass miles of paced scenic walkways that take you through garden settings.

You can give your feet a rest during the Historic Winter Park tour with lunch at the Park Avenue Café. On Wednesday, October 15, from 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., enjoy a one-hour scenic boat tour sailing through 12 miles of beautiful lakes and canals. Sights include Southern mansions, historical Rollins College, Kraft Azalea Gardens, Isle of Sicily, tropical birds, plants and flowers. Guests will tour the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, housing the world’s most comprehensive collection of Tiffany Leaded Favrile Glass. Then have lunch at the quaint Park Avenue Café. 

Are you a shop-a-holic? Then take the “Shopping in Style” tour for $18 per person on Wednesday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You’ll begin your shopping experience at the Premium Outlet Mall, which is home to Coach, Banana Republic, Guess, Dooney & Burke, Versace and Donna Karan, to name a few. Then it is on to Point Orlando, located on International Drive, where you can take a leisurely stroll through the complex, enjoy lunch on your own and peruse through FAO Schwartz, the Armani Exchange, Chico’s and Victoria’s Secret.

Eating Out
There are plenty of scrumptious places to eat in the Orlando area. Here are some suggestions on where to dine during non-convention hours.

Cap’N Jack’s Restaurant is a nautical restaurant adjacent to the lagoon near Downtown Disney Marketplace that serves fresh seafood dishes. New England clam chowder is one of the restaurant’s best dishes, as well as its grouper and tuna dishes. Non-seafood eaters can enjoy the beef fillet, baked into a pastry crust and served with a morel sauce, or the savory, barbecued pork ribs with red-skinned mashed potatoes. You can make a reservation at Cap’N Jack’s by calling 407/939-3463.

If Northern Italian food fits your fancy, then dine at Christini’s, located at 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd. in Orlando, probably the best Italian restaurant in the area. Restaurant favorites include pasta with lobster, shrimp and clams or the veal chops, seasoned with fresh sage. The multi-course dinner often takes a couple of hours or more, but if you like Italian minstrels at your table, this place should please you. To contact Christini’s, call 407/345-3770.

Enjoy a piano player and vocalist as well as knife-wielding sushi chefs who prepare world-class sushi and sashimi at Kimonos, located at the Epcot Resort area. The restaurant is also known for its steamed dumplings stuffed with pork, as well as its Japanese-spin on a soft-shell crab. For reservations, call 407/934-3000.

Located at 729 Lee Rd., Del Frisco, a quiet steak house, is one the locals enjoy. The menu is simple: T-bones, porterhouses, filet mignons and seafood, such as Maine lobster, Alaskan crab and lobster bisque. Bread is baked daily at the restaurant, and the restaurant boasts of its bread pudding.

If you are a lover of Latin food, the Latin Quarter, located at Universal Orlando at 6000 Universal Blvd., is the restaurant for you. Cuisines from 21 Latin nations are on the menu, as is a wide selection of South American beers. Good entrée choices include churrasco (skirt steak), puerco asado (roasted pork), pollo rostistado (slow-roasted chicken) and an outstanding fried snapper with tomato salsa. Most main dishes come with black beans and rice. Best bets for dessert are the crepes and the mango and guava cheesecakes. To contact the restaurant, call 407/363-5922.

When you think of Florida, you may think of Jimmy Buffet, so what better place to dine than Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville (also located at Universal Orlando)? You’ve got your cheeseburger, of course, your Ultimate Margarita. The rest of the menu is an eclectic mix of quesadillas, chowder and crab cakes, a tasty fried-fish platter and stone-crab claws. Worthy dessert choices include the Last Mango in Paradise cheesecake, the key lime pie and a tasty chocolate bread pudding. 

To make a reservation, call 407/224-9255.

Please look to the October issue of SHELTER for further information on the convention, including convention speakers, selected events, an exhibitor product showcase and an interview with incoming NSDJA president Brian McIlwee. 

Samantha Carpenter is the editor of SHELTER magazine.

 

SHELTER