Successful innovation is a driving force behind expanding and diversifying our economy. That's why every year, the Metro Orlando EDC honors innovative companies.

And now, we're currently taking nominations for the 2010 William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Awards.

Do you know of a company that is doing something innovative? Please pass this along and ask them to apply!

Remember . . . Innovation doesn't have to be a technology. It could be anything from an innovative way to increase revenues to an innovative way to motivate staff.

Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 30.

Winners will be announced at an awards luncheon on Wednesday, September 8.

Click here to nominate your company.

This week, Winter Park-based Full Sail University opened its much anticipated Full Sail Studios Gateway Project, a 2.2 acre landmark project.

The project includes:

• Full Sail Live Venue - a 22,000 square foot multi-purpose facility

• new complex with state-of-the-art game production studio and recording studio

• outdoor plaza courtyard

• expansion to the on-campus professional film studio backlot

The Live venue will offer students the chance to work behind-the-scenes on a variety of on-campus events to be held, including live productions, panels, guest lectures and more.

The film studio backlot is the final phase to the existing backlot that will now offer 19 different outdoor scenic environments.

Internationally renowned Full Sail University has 28 entertainment degree programs with more than 8,800 students.

Last week, the EDC was hard at work promoting Metro Orlando as a life science and medical destination at two conferences - the BIO International Convention in Chicago, Illinois and the Medical Technology, Training and Treatment (MT3) Conference here in Orlando.

In Chicago, EDC bioOrlando representatives, Eric Ushkowitz and Suzy Spang, worked the exhibit hall, sharing space in the Florida Pavillion with the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Sanford-Burnham Institute and Lake Nona 'Medical City'. Meetings with biotech and life science companies from around the world provided an opportunity to promote our region as a location for future expansion or relocation.

Here in Orlando, the EDC also represented our region at the MT3 Conference, which focuses on the convergence of medical training and simulation. Companies from Metro Orlando were well represented as exhibitors and speakers, including CAE, Engineering and Computer Simulations (ECS), Florida Hospital - Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI), Global Robotics Institute at Florida Hospital, Lockheed Martin, NeoMetrix Technologies, Inc., SAIC, and the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine.

CEO's of small but growing Central Florida companies could have been singing the memorable Fiddler on the Roof tune this week during the Grow FL Second-Stage CEO Summit. This first-ever event, designed specifically to address the needs of companies with 10 to 50 employees and looking to grow, was held at the Embassy Suites in downtown Orlando on Wednesday. Over 240 attendees made this fast-paced and interactive event standing-room-only.

Making the right connections can be a critical success factor in the evolution of smaller companies. This event -- presented by the University of Central Florida's Florida Economic Gardening Institute in partnership with the EDC and other community partners including CEO Nexus, Disney Entrepreneur Center, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Manufacturers Association of Central Florida, Orlando Inc. and Rollins College Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship - was designed to encourage just that. Volunteers from established local companies, many of them EDC investors and board members, served as "concierges" or "ambassadors" who worked to ensure the second-stage company CEOs met with representatives of companies they were looking to connect with through one-on-one matchmaking sessions. Second-stagers were also given one-minute of time behind the microphone to share their company's story in a series of "rapid fire" pitches.

If you are a company in the second-stage of development - 10 to 50 employees; generating at least $1 million but not more than $25 million in annual revenue; and looking to grow - the EDC can help connect you to GrowFL. For more information, contact Kerry Symolon.

The 19th Annual Florida Film Festival - a 10 day celebration of the best in independent films - wraps up this weekend in Orlando. In its history, this "home grown" festival has become a marquee international event. On average, more than 23,000 people attend each year, where they experience premieres of the best in cutting-edge cinema; a star-packed attendee list; and a mix of industry parties and special events. The eyes of the world's film industry are upon us, and the EDC's Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission has learned to take full advantage of the spotlight.

Again this year, our Film Commission participated in and sponsored two events: a panel discussion on "The Art of the Producer" with veteran film producers and a VIP party for filmmakers whose work is showcased during the festival. Past participation has paid dividends leading to additional filming in the region.

The Florida Film Festival is a program of the Enzian, a Maitland-based nonprofit organization which exists to entertain, educate, inspire and connect the community through film.

LUNAFEST kicks off tonight at the Enzian Theater in Maitland. The fundraising film festival features films by, for and about women each year on International Women's Day.

The festival is hosted by Women in Film & Television Florida and sponsored in part by Florida Hospital and will highlight women as leaders in society, illustrated through nine films by women filmmakers. Screening begins at 6:30 and showtime is 90 minutes. For more, visit www.enzian.org.

The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) will host the 2010 EDC Award Dinner from 6:00 - 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10th at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort. At the annual award dinner, the Honorable Toni Jennings will receive the James B. Greene Economic Development Award and Walt Johnson will be honored with the EDC Chairman's Award.

The James B. Greene Economic Development Award, first presented in 1990, is the highest honor bestowed by the EDC. The award recognizes an individual whose work has contributed substantially to the economic prosperity of the region. The EDC Chairman's Award, first presented in 2007, recognizes a long-term contributor to the work of the Metro Orlando EDC.

Toni Jennings is the former Lieutenant Governor of Florida and the chairman of Jack Jennings & Sons, her family construction business. She is widely known for her legacy of community service. This one time public school teacher served in the Florida Legislature for 24 years, served as Senate President for four years (the only person to have held that position for two consecutive terms), and served as Florida's first (and so far only) female Lieutenant Governor. Her contributions to workforce development and Florida's education system are especially notable among the many underpinnings she helped put in place to support economic development in our region and state.

Walt Johnson is the chairman and CEO of Johnson Bros. Construction. Walt has served in a variety of volunteer leadership positions since becoming an investor with the EDC in 2004, including serving on the board of directors and executive committee, as the current chair of the 2010 Leadership Mission, as a member of the leadership cabinet of the EDC's hdED fundraising campaign, the EDC's CEO Roundtable, trade missions...and the list goes on and on.

The price for an individual EDC investor is $175, non-investors is $215 or $1,750 for a corporate table of 10. Click here for more information. For questions or to RSVP, send an e-mail to Events@OrlandoEDC.com or call 407.422.7159 ext. 230.

Today kicks off the fifth annual OTRONICON - (O)rlando Elec(tron)ic (I)nteractive Entertainment (Con)vention - event at the Orlando Science Center.

A four day event, Otronicon is a celebration of interactive technology using video games to demonstrate the future of how we live, learn, work and play.

Otronicon spotlights Metro Orlando's growing digital media and simulation industries and helps introduce those industries to students throughout the region through several game design workshops taught by Full Sail University.

Eight companies in Metro Orlando were honored by the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) with the 2009 William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Award on September 17, 2009.

The annual award program recognizes innovative companies who have had a significant impact on the region and in their respective fields for innovative practices, products and/or ideas.

The program is named in honor of the late William C. Schwartz, an avid community leader, business pioneer and innovator within the field of optics and photonics.

"Cultivating innovative thinking helps drive the economy and is critical to the long term economic growth of the region," said Ray Gilley, president and CEO of the EDC. "We are proud to remember [William C. Schwartz] and his great spirit though this awards program."

Recipients come from each of the four counties served by the EDC - Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties - and from the City of Orlando. In addition, awards were also presented to judges award winners and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council's Award for Innovation.

One of the top passenger airports in the world noticed a security issue when bags that had been on the claim device began making their way back into the "secure" area of the airport. Lake County based G & T Conveyor surveyed the situation and created a solution called the "secure claim device". It utilizes a merging system designed to eliminate the security issue, plus adds energy conservation and quicker customer turnaround.

A prime example of the type of company included in City of Orlando's vision of a Creative Village is 360Ed, an educational software development company that has leveraged Orlando's unique position in digital media, training, simulation and virtual education through developing a high school level full-credit videogame course in American History.

Orange County based Smart City Telecom partnered with Florida Hospital to provide hospital specific content on televisions in patient rooms, the first of its kind. This customization of television is believed to be a competitive advantage to better educate patients and help improve patient satisfaction.

In Seminole County, the City of Oviedo implemented a water conservation effort known as the H2Oviedo Water Conservation Incentive. The program is the first of its kind in Central Florida and it offers incentives in the form of rebates to residents for retrofitting existing landscaping, wasteful water-use devices and high water-use irrigation systems with more efficient ones. It is a win-win environmental initiative for the community where residents learn new ways to save water and money while becoming stewards for their community.

Over ten years ago, INViSiON Industries created the world's first overhead video system with a built-in monitor for vehicle entertainment and set the standard for all others who are now involved with rear seat entertainment. As the demand for these entertainment systems increases, it should come as no surprise that INViSiON recently announced they plan to expand their corporate headquarters by adding 100 employees in Osceola County.

Judges' awards

Children's Home Society of Florida received an award for their annual Florida Innovation Symposium. This one day conference made possible through the donation of Siemens' Spaceship Earth Conference Center at Walt Disney World's EPCOT. Several partnerships between organizations have been the result of the annual gathering, including collaborations between Children's Home Society, Orange County Domestic Violence Program and Harbor House that lead to a more coordinated focus on child and family advocacy programs.

AT & T was recognized for their generous donation to the Parramore Kidz Zone project. With their donation, the Parramore Kidz Zone was able to enhance computer accessibility for schoolchildren at "homework rooms" throughout the community. In addition, the program was able to expand the access of children to attend the University of Central Florida "CREATE U" program, giving students access to learn how to create digital videos about their lives.

Florida High Tech Corridor Council Award for Innovation

Lockheed Martin was recognized for serving as an innovation leader with a history of stimulating technology growth in our region. Lockheed Martin is one of the largest partners in the Council's Matching Grants Research Program. Over the program's 13-year history, Lockheed Martin has funded more than $5 million in matched research dollars, on 73 projects with 37 faculty members at two of our three Corridor universities, UCF and UF.

Medical Markers

This year, as part of the EDC's award ceremony, bioOrlando - an EDC led initiative aimed at stimulating the life science and biotechnology industry in Metro Orlando - announced the inaugural class of 'medical marker' recipients. This program is designed to build awareness of the growing presence of biotech and life science companies in Metro Orlando with a physical marker designation.

The inaugural recipients include:

Florida Hospital, Orlando Health, The Tavistock Group, Florida Blood Centers, VaxDesign, Curascript, Triad Isotopes, Virtual Reality Medical Center, Emergency Medicine & Learning Resource Center, Cord:Use, National Training Center, Health Central, .decimal and South Lake Hospital.