Area gains convention business because of floods

    The devastating floods in Nashville, Tenn., have led to a little extra convention business in Central Florida, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, a key convention destination in Nashville, said the flooding has forced dozens of conventions to relocate. The resort, damaged by the floods, said it would refund deposits for conventions scheduled at least through early August and would try to relocate guests to other Nashville hotels "whenever possible."
    The Gaylord Palms resort in Kissimmee has absorbed about eight business groups from its sister property in Tennessee, with the transfers totaling about 12,000 room nights combined, spokesman Jeff Abbaticchio said.
    The Orange County Convention Center is host this weekend for 4,500 people from the American Society of Millitary Comptrollers. The group's convention was initially scheduled for Nashville but was moved at the last minute after record rainfall caused Nashville's Cumberland River to overflow earlier this month.