Osceola Heritage Park General Manager Robb Larson has been selected as one of the region’s top local business leaders.
Larson, who recently celebrated both his 20th anniversary at OHP and the facility’s anniversary, is among 23 local business leaders honored for leadership and performance within their fields in the Orlando Business Journal’s 2023 C-Suite Awards.
Since Larson came to OHP in 2003, around the same time the Silver Spurs Arena was built to anchor the 200-acre complex, the complex has become home to a pair of professional sports organizations and a number of landmark events that draw tens of thousands to the area.
Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC and the Osceola Magic, the Orlando Magic’s G-League development team, now call OHP their home bases.
Country Thunder, which welcomes tens of thousands to the festival, is set to return Oct. 20-22, and OHP is the annual home to Mecum Kissimmee, known as the “The World’s Largest Collector Car Auction,” which did an impressive $234 million in sales this January.
“It is a great honor to be recognized among Central Florida’s top leaders,” Larson, a western Pennsylvania native but a Floridian by business who raised his children here. He was quick to share the award with those who he’s worked with — also for a long time.
“When you pause and look back at the great things that have happened here, I have to say I’ve been really lucky to have a leadership team who have been here 10 or 15 years. They have the passion, and I’m lucky to be around them every day. They’ve helped attract these events, and when we get them we want to keep them here. I’m truly grateful for the support of my colleagues and the community, and the award is a testament to the collective effort of everyone at OHP who strives to make our venue a valuable and impactful part of the region.
“OHP is around a community growing so fast, and the support we get from the county is fabulous. We do all we can to ride that wave and keep OHP successful. We’ve celebrated a flurry of milestones of late, I’ve been honored to be here.”
“We’re thrilled Robb is being honored with a C-Suite Award,” said Shawn LaDouceur, OHP’s director of marketing and public relations. “He is an excellent leader who not only encourages individuals at OHP to aspire to great heights but also stands by us as we work to turn our ideas into reality.”
Larson said managing the complex is a lot of work that doesn’t feel like, well, a lot of work.
“When people come here they’re spending their hard-earned money, so we want the experience to be the best it possibly can be,” he said. “We work hard while people play around us. For some, it’s their special day, like a graduation or state high school championship. There’s stress and challenges, but I look around and I see a place I’m lucky to be, a sort of play land for creativity.”
The award ceremony will take place tonight at the Hilton Orlando.
“These 20 years here have been a special time,” Larson said. “I’m very blessed to have been here, and lucky to be representing everybody on the team, and the county.”
