Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs welcomed a capacity crowd of more than 600 citizens to the 2017 Economic Summit at the Orange County Convention Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Now in its fifth year, the Economic Summit is hosted annually by Mayor Jacobs and provides a barometer on growing business sectors and regional economic successes. The highly anticipated annual local and state economic forecast, issued by nationally renowned economist Sean Snaith, Ph.D., director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness, is the central highlight of the event. Snaith said there is “much to smile about” regarding Orange County’s economy.