Things To Do In SW Florida

Attendance at IAAPA Expo remains on the uptick. The annual event, which concluded last week at Orange County Convention Center, had 43,840 registered participants for 2025, a new record.

The five days of educational sessions, ride-vehicle reveals and other show floor activities are presented by the Orlando-based International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. In June, the group announced plans to expand into the convention center’s West Concourse for the first time in 2026. Previously, it has been staged only within the North and South concourses.

This year, the 550,000-square-foot expo floor was sold out, featuring more than 1,100 exhibitors. Next year’s space will increase by almost 50%.

IAAPA CEO Jakob Wahl talked with the Orlando Sentinel about the event and its future, including next year’s event, which starts Nov. 16, 2026.

Wahl on the trends for 2025

“When you look around, we see the industry evolve further. We see technology being a stronger, vital part of everything that is done here. Technology in back of house, we see that going stronger, also technology enhancing attractions. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market rallied on Monday, at the start of a week with shortened trading because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

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The S&P 500 climbed 1.5% for one of its best days since the summer and added to its jump from Friday, finding some strength following a shaky few weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 202 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.7%.

Stocks got a lift from rising hopes that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in December, a move that could boost the economy and investment prices. read more

Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of the century-old Florida chain Winn-Dixie, is gearing up for a major rebrand that involves closing dozens of locations and remodeling several others.

Come January, Southeastern Grocers will become The Winn-Dixie Company.

The firm will sell most of its out-of-state stores to other grocers. This includes 32 Winn-Dixie stores and eight Harveys Supermarkets in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Chairman and CEO Anthony Hucker told the Tampa Bay Times that the company plans to double down on Florida, opening new locations and improving old ones.

“Our brand is built on deep local routes and authentic connections, and really can’t be replicated by national chains,” said Hucker.

This is his first big test as the company’s leader. Earlier this year, he organized a consortium of investors to buy Southeastern Grocers back from Aldi.

Winn-Dixie has weathered several storms in the past decade. In 2018, Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers filed for bankruptcy, shuttering several Winn-Dixie stores in the process. read more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press Business Writer

CHELSEA, Mich. (AP) — Old Brick Farm, where Larry Doll raises chickens, turkeys and ducks, was fortunate this Thanksgiving season.

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Doll’s small farm west of Detroit had no cases of bird flu, despite an ongoing outbreak that killed more than 2 million U.S. turkeys in the last three months alone. He also avoided another disease, avian metapneumovirus, which causes turkeys to lay fewer eggs.

“I try to keep the operation as clean as possible, and not bringing other animals in from other farms helps mitigate that risk as well,” said Doll, whose farm has been in his family for five generations. read more

By ADRIANA MORGA

NEW YORK (AP) — Maybe your car broke down, your computer was stolen, or you had a surprise visit to urgent care. Emergencies are inevitable, but you can prepare to deal with them by building an emergency fund.

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“There are so many things that happen in our lives that we don’t expect and most of them require financial means to overcome,” said Miklos Ringbauer, a certified public accountant.

The industry standard is to save three to six months of expenses in an emergency fund. However, this can feel daunting if you live paycheck to paycheck or if you have debt. But if you’re in either of these situations, it’s even more crucial to build a financial safety net that can help you in times of crisis. read more