Summer of Discovery in full swing
The Summer of Discovery 2-for-1 program (June 1-Sept 30) is in full swing with media coverage in print, radio, TV and travel blogs. Click to watch Nicki Grossman on WFLA in Tampa. In conjunction with the Summer of Discovery, the GFLCVB is also promoting its sunny.org web contest for a three-night stay at the new St. Regis Resort, Fort Lauderdale.

Hurray for Hollywood
Congratulations to the City of Hollywood for being named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League. The Hollywood Office of Tourism launched its Seaside Summer Getaway Sale online marketing campaign to increase hotel bookings and sales to Hollywood. Running through September 30, the campaign can be viewed at www.visithollywood.org and features special vacation packages and lodging offers from Hollywood hotels.

Tourism Sales Update
Join us on Tuesday, July 10 at 3:30pm at the St. Regis Resort, Fort Lauderdale, as the Tourism Sales team and Spirit Airlines bring you up-to-date on current initiatives and what is ahead for 2008. Learn about Spirit's Top Picks program and how Spirit can assist in selling your distressed inventory. Reception and prizes to follow, sponsored by Spirit. Please rsvp to: rflores@broward.org.

Upcoming Media Visits
The July issue of Travel & Leisure Magazine named Fort Lauderdale as one of the 20 best American beaches. This summer, the pr department welcomes three group media trips as well as individual journalists from Segel Journal, Dove (Italian daily newspaper supplement and leading consumer travel magazine); Sensations Floride! (French Canadian TV crew); and Travel Inside and Wellness Magazine Santé.

Celebrity Sightings
The Sopranos cast watched their series finale at a VIP party at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. Click to watch the cast walk down the red carpet. Pamela Anderson celebrated her 40th birthday with a vegan cake at Sublime in Fort Lauderdale. Rudy Giuliani held a fundraising dinner at The Riverside, and Nancy Pelosi hosted a fundraiser gala at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa. USA Network's new series, Burn Notice, was heavily filmed in Hollywood, with scenes at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, California Dream Inn, Hollywood Broadwalk and Dania Beach Pier. Burn Notice airs Thursdays at 10pm on USA.

2008 Vacation Planner
Advertising sales will soon come to a close for the 2008 edition of our award-winning official Vacation Planner. This primary consumer response piece is sent to inquiries generated by the CVB’s $5 million annual advertising campaign. A virtual guide on sunny.org will accompany the printed piece. Contact: Marcia Bayer, Miles Media, (800) 683-0010.

Multiculturally Speaking
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes 18 family reunions to our sunny shores in July. Albert Tucker, vice president of multicultural business development, and the CVB team welcomed Travel Professionals of Color to the Renaissance Plantation in April. More than 400 minority travel professionals representing travel agency owners, managers, sales staff, and minority tour operators and suppliers were in attendance. According to travel statistics, the minority travel market spends approximately $90 billion annually on travel and TPOC offers partnering opportunities to travel suppliers interested in reaching this flourishing travel market.

Stacy Copeland recognized by SFMPI
Congratulations to Stacy Copeland, CVB's convention sales manager, who was named 2007 Supplier of the Year by South Florida MPI at a banquet at the St. Regis Resort, Fort Lauderdale.

July Convention Sales Update
Groups meeting in July generate more than $20 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
July 1-9: ACBL Bridge Tournament (500 attendees)
July 4-9: Florida Federation of Young Republicans (400 attendees)
July 14-27: International Longshoremen's Association (1,000 attendees)
July 16-22: Sister Cities International (800 attendees)
July 24-28: Florida Association of Post Secondary Schools & Colleges (1,500 attendees)
July 25-Aug 2: National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (2,000 attendees)
July 25-Aug 3: Association of College & University Telecommunications Administrators (750 attendees)

Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in July, with 35,000 competitors plus family and friends:
July 2-8: AAU Taekwondo Nationals
July 5-8 AABC Regional Baseball
July 27: US Open Junior Judo Championships
July 11-15: USA Speedo Championship Series
July 15-18: AAU State Beach Volleyball
July 15-22: USTA Boys and Girls National Clay Court Championships
July 15-27: USA Volleyball High Performance Championships
July 16-21: USSSA Summer Baseball Classic
July 16-23: Rising Stars Softball Summer Showcase
July 19-24: USA Little League Baseball Qualifier
July 20-22: USA Archery Age Group
July 20-22: Senior Natl Diving Qualifier Championship
July 20-28: Southern Region Age Group Baseball Championship
July 20-23: Sunshine State Games Water Pool Championships
July 23-28: South Florida Girls Basketball Shoutout
July 27-Aug 3: USA Jr. Judo Championships
July 28-Aug 3: US National Public Park Tennis Championships

John Webb receives HSMAI Award of Excellence
Nicki Grossman and Walter Banks, both former HSMAI award recipients, presented the 2007 Sales & Marketing Excellence award to the CVB’s own John Webb, senior vice president, for his contribution to the hospitality industry. More than 180 industry partners attended HSMAI's annual gala and auction at Gulfstream Park.

Hotel News
The Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach is scheduled to open September 2007, and will feature 261 water-view rooms including 88 king parlor suites, plus 1,400 sq. ft. of meeting space. The Econolodge Inn & Suites in Hollywood, a Superior Small Lodging, has been renamed Quality Inn & Suites. And in Deerfield Beach, The Embassy Suites is undergoing a major facelift to be completed in November and will update the hotel's look and feel to an anticipated four-star, four-diamond level.

Dine Out Lauderdale
Get ready for the first annual DINE OUT LAUDERDALE presented by American Express from October 1-November 15 with special $35 dinner menus at top Broward restaurants. Dine Out Lauderdale will feature specially created fixed-price, three-course dinner menus for $35. A sampling of top-rated restaurants include: Aizia at the Westin Diplomat, Café Vico, Cero at the St. Regis, CoCo Asian Bistro, Council Oak at the Hard Rock, 15th Street Fisheries, Frankie's Pier 5, Galanga Thai Kitchen & Sushi, Himmarshee Bar & Grille, Le Bistro, Mai Kai, Mark's Las Olas, Michael's Kitchen, Primavera Restaurant, Shula’s, Sugar Reef, Tatiana, 3030 Ocean, Trina at the Atlantic.

Good Eats
Gold Pin Award: In partnership with the GFLCVB and TravelHost, American Express recognizes one restaurant per month for the value and quality of food and overall experience, outstanding customer service and their tenure, growth and commitment. Congratulations to Café Europa on receiving this month's Gold Pin recognition. Aizia, with Asian cuisine and sake inspired martinis, is now open at the Westin Diplomat Resort. SideLines Sports Bar celebrates its one-year anniversary as Fort Lauderdale's only sports bar that caters to gay and lesbian visitors and residents. A sad goodbye to Bavarian Village, who closes its doors after 41 years on Federal Highway in Hollywood. Restaurateur George Zinkler served on the Tourist Development Council for many years.

Party like a Czar
Tatiana, the new venue in Hallandale Beach, touts a dramatic space for 700pp for a sit down dinner with gold leaf ceilings, original paintings and chandeliers. An unusual setting for groups, weddings, bar mitzvahs, the weekend live cabaret show features Cirque du Soleil type dancers, intricate costumes, moving stages and talented musicians and singers. There is a branch in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn and now the Russian culture comes to Hallandale Beach. The vodka flows and the Eastern European cuisine is interesting. Tatiana will be part of our DINE OUT LAUDERDALE restaurant promotion, $35 for a three course meal in October.

The Plane Facts: FLL News
Preliminary data for May 2007 indicates total passenger traffic was up approximately 4.6% over May 2006 as an estimated 1,854,000 passengers traveled through the airport. Domestic traffic was up 2.8% and international traffic increased 21%. The increase in traffic was due primarily to gains by the low fare carriers. Spirit Airlines was the largest carrier at FLL for the month and carried 282,234 passengers, an increase of 69.1% over May of last year. JetBlue carried 219,348 passengers, up 11.4%, and Airtran carried 121,826 passengers, an increase of 41.4% over May last year. Southwest was flat for the month but carried 252,337 passengers. Spirit continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, adding new service to Aguadilla, PR; St. Maarten, NA; San Jose, Costa Rica, and Guatemala City, Guatemala. They will start service to Lima, Peru this month, San Pedro Sula, Honduras in July, and will add Managua, Nicaragua in August. It is anticipated that traffic should continue to improve for the remainder of year, particularly on the international side.

Passengers using Terminal 1 can now use the new state-of-the-art Pay on Foot system for easy exiting from the airport's parking garage. Here's how it works: Take your ticket with you as you leave your car to enter Terminal 1. Before returning to your vehicle, pay for your parking at one of the convenient pay stations located in the elevator vestibules in the Cypress Garage and on level two of the Hibiscus Garage. Then, use your validated ticket at one of the Quick Pay lanes. FLL's newest airline, Skybus, now offers daily, non-stop service from Columbus, OH. Delta began new non-stop service from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in June. On the horizon, JetBlue announces new non-stop service from Syracuse and Buffalo to FLL.

USA3000 Airlines Special July Offer
USA3000, with direct service from FLL to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Newark, offers a special introductory offer for first-time advertisers in their in-flight magazine, Roam. Buy any size ad and receive a free upgrade to the next size. Added value includes Hot Picks box on USA3000 homepage, click-through banners on USA3000 e-ticket confirmations, and in-flight tv and radio spots. Contact Rozeta Mahboubi for more infomation, (954) 921-9033.

Getting Around
Introducing the new Fort Lauderdale Trolley Tour, a two-hour narrated tour of Port Everglades, Las Olas Blvd., historic sites, art galleries, Las Olas Riverfront and more. 9:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm. Guests receive a complimentary hat, bottled water and re-boarding pass to hop on and off between tours. Adults $25, children $15. (954) 522-1770. In celebration of the Summer of Discovery, USA Transportation has announced a 2-for-1 Offer: Buy one transfer (at retail price inclusive of all fees and gratuity) from FLL airport to any Greater Fort Lauderdale hotel, destination or residence and receive the return transfer for $25. (954) 602-8990, www.usatrans.com. The round trip must be prepaid via MC, VISA, DISC or AMEX and is not refundable. All transfer information must be available at time of booking. Airport fees, airport parking, port fees, tolls, driver gratuity, fuel surcharges and service tranportation charges are included in the price.

Sister Cities Invitation
The Greater Fort Lauderdale hospitality industry is invited to attend three social events during the celebration of the 51st Annual Sister Cities International Conference. July 18 - Welcome Reception at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, July 19 - World Mayors Reception at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, July 21 - Grande Gala Veneziana at the Broward County Convention Center. This is an extraordinary opportunity to meet and mingle with celebrities, delegates, diplomats, business leaders, government and corporate officials from 22 countries. You may attend all three events and receive a 2007 membership to Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International for a minimum donation of only $250. RSVP by July 11 to (954) 462-7727 or rsvp@gflsci.org.

Happenings Around Town
Florida Marlins Home Games: July 1, 13-21, 31
July 2-7: AAU Taekwondo Nationals, Broward Convention Center
July 4: Hollywood's Hometown Fourth fireworks and concert, Hollywood Beach Theater
July 6: American Idols Live, BankAtlantic Center
July 13: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach Theater
July 13: 12th Annual Bank of America Wine and Culinary Celebration, Museum of Discovery & Science
July 13-14: 2007 NPC Southern States Fitness & Figure Championships, War Memorial Auditorium
July 14-15: Publix Family Fitness Weekend, Fort Lauderdale beach
July 15-22: USTA Boys' 14 National Clay Court Championship, Jimmy Evert Tennis Center
July 17: Solid Gold Dance Party, Hard Rock Live
July 19: Mary J. Blige, Hard Rock Live
July 21: Organic cooking class, Pizza Fusion, Fort Lauderdale
July 21: Flamenco in the Sun opening night gala, Parker Playhouse
July 21-22: Christmas in July Arts & Crafts Show, War Memorial Auditorium
July 22: Beyonce, BankAtlantic Center
July 22: Cafe Cantante Flamenco celebration, Parker Playhouse
July 24: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, BankAtlantic Center
July 27: US Open Junior Judo Championships, Broward Convention Center
July 27: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach Theater
July 28-29: Alfonsina, Flamenco ballet, Parker Playhouse
July 28-Aug 3: 81st Annual National Parks Tennis Championships, Jimmy Evert Tennis Center
Through July 31: Turtle Walks, Museum of Discovery & Science
Through Aug 12: Got No Strings, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
Through Aug 18: Art of Asia, Coral Springs Center for the Arts

With all best wishes,

Nicki E. Grossman
President