More than the mouse.(extra credit)

Sure, Orlando is known as the home of one of history's most famous cartoon mice, as well as his associated theme park and media empire, but credit professionals who venture to the city for this year's Credit Congress will find that the city has a great deal more to offer to its visitors. As the focal point of Central Florida's thriving tourism industry, which boasts a whopping 50 million visitors and an economic impact of $29.6 billion annually, Orlando is a city that has grown around a wealth of well-known treasures but sustained its success by offering a number of lesser-known gems, as well as a track record of innovation and investment in its own well-being.

Founded in 1843, when it was originally named "Jernigan" after original Georgian settler, Aaron Jernigan, Orlando grew steadily around the old abandoned Fort Gatlin, becoming the county seat of Orange County, Florida in 1856, officially changing its name in 1857 and becoming officially incorporated as a city in 1885. Like many successful companies in today's economy, where the U.S. dollar is weak and international demand is high, Orlando's early growth prior to 1863 was spurred on through widespread cattle rustling, driven primarily by Cuba's demand for beef cattle. As the city's residents latched on to the cattle business, more and more settlers arrived and began work in the fields, eventually turning the city into one large cotton plantation then, around 1870, an orange grove, as Orlando farmers caught what was referred to as "orange fever" and began planting oranges in land that had yielded cotton not even 20 years prior.

Orlando first dipped its toes into the vacation and recreation business in 1936 with the foundation of Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, which is still in existence today, now known only as Cypress Gardens and located southeast of modern Orlando. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom [TM] followed suit in 1971, SeaWorld Orlando [TM] arrived in 1973 and Universal Studios Orlando [TM] opened in 1990, allowing Orlando to be known as it is today, as Florida's premier theme park destination. In between these notable vacation destinations, however, Orlando has filled in the gaps with largely unknown, although no less worthwhile, cultural exhibits, world-class dining, entertainment venues and an abundance of posh shopping opportunities, all without detracting from the city's immeasurable natural beauty, typified by the grounds of this year's Credit Congress headquarters, the luxurious Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.

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Natural Inside and Out

Located on a 230-acre plot that features a diverse collection of natural environmental features, the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort offers visitors both the opulent comforts of a renowned hotel, as well as an opportunity to bask in the region's backdrop of dense oaks and pines that line historic Shingle Creek, which serves as both the source of the hotel's name as well as the headwaters for the Florida Everglades. The hotel's connection to the landscape doesn't stop there, however, as each individual room acts as its own tiny gallery for original photography by Rosen Hotels & Resorts' Vice President Garritt Toohey, whose work offers guests a window into the world of meadows, streams, flora, fauna and other natural treasures of frontier Florida.

Outdoor leisure activities perfect for nature-lovers and sportsmen alike include nature and jogging trails, some seasonal fishing spots and an 18-hole par 72 championship golf course that was ranked one of the "Top 40 Best New Courses in the U.S." by Golfweek Magazine. Designed by David Harman, the Shingle Creek Golf Club integrates the resort's natural backdrop with gently undulating fairways and interconnecting water features that make the course as breathtaking as it is challenging. Hotel guests looking to relax a bit, whether it's after a day on the links or after a day of Credit Congress educational sessions, have the option to visit the Spa at Shingle Creek, a ...