About 1,700 travel agents from Mexico, Central and South Americawill hold their annual US gathering at the Anaheim Hilton &Towers Sept. 5 to 7. Bringing the conference to this county was acoup for the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau:It's the first time the meeting has ever been held outside Miami orOrlando.

Though the visitors are expected to swamp local malls,restaurants and theme parks while they're here, the financialbenefits of landing the convention will go far beyond September.About $1.2 billion in travel packages are created at the annualexpo, a spokesperson for the convention bureau says, and OrangeCounty enterprises—from hoteliers to theme parks—could get as muchas $168 million of it over the next three years.

The importance of wooing travel agents from south of the borderhasn't been lost on OC businesses. Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland,several hoteliers and even some mall operators are hosting specialevents for the visitors, hoping the agents will spread the word totheir clients after they go back home.