Super Bowl 2010
Greater Fort Lauderdale is proud to announce that the Broward County Convention Center will be the home to the Super Bowl XLIV Media Center, and the NFL headquarters will be located at the new Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach (formerly Sheraton Yankee Trader). This time, Greater Fort Lauderdale Welcomes Super Bowl to South Florida.

April Numbers
Average daily rate rose 2.9% to $140.77 in April, with hotel occupancy at 74.2%, an increase of 1.6%.

Pack your bags, we're staying home
This summer, Greater Fort Lauderdale puts you in a sunny state of mind with value offers especially for Florida residents. Visit www.sunny.org/PackYourBags for a list of participating hotels. Also, 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 here 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 four-night stay at il Lugano and two round-trip tickets on JetBlue Airways.

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's both!
Send a free skywriter video message to your colleagues and friends and watch it appear amongst the puffy white clouds and clear blue skies. Click here to create your custom message: www.sunny.org/skywriter

It's official...Greater Fort Lauderdale has gone green
Congratulations to the following Broward hotels that have received their green lodging certification: Dania Beach: Sleep Inn & Suites Dania; Deerfield Beach: Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa; Fort Lauderdale: Comfort Inn & Suites, Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port, Embassy Suites Hotel, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort; Tamarac: Comfort Suites, Mainstay Suites; Weston: Hyatt Regency Bonaventure

Greater Fort Lauderdale Wins a Pinnacle Award
The Pinnacle Award, given by Successful Meetings magazine, recognizes conference centers, hotels, convention centers and visitors bureaus chosen and reviewed by meeting planners for commitment to hospitality excellence. The Pinnacle Award's significance lies in the firsthand feedback of the meeting planner. Innovation, customer collaboration and top-notch amenities are the hallmarks of the winners as they strive to meet and exceed both planners' and attendees' expectations.

Convention Sales Team Update
Greater Fort Lauderdale will be welcoming PromiseKeepers for their upcoming September 25-28 weekend conference at the BankAtlantic Center, with more than 10,000 men in attendance. National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association has selected GFL for their July 2010 conference. The convention sales team was recently in Cancun, Mexico for Meetings Industry Ladies Open (MILO); Tallahassee, FL for Meeting Spots; Atlanta, GA for VISIT FLORIDA Sales Mission and DC for Sales Mission. GFL site visits with NCSEA Winter Institute, American Cancer Society, Florida State Primitive Baptist Convention, Solution Tree and Association Management Center.  Catch the sales team soon at these upcoming events and tradeshows:
June 8-11          PCMA Leadership Conference, Los Angeles
June 9-12          HSMAI's Affordable Meetings, Long Beach
June 17-20        Florida Space Coast Hospitality
June 20-25        Healthcare Exhibitors, Salt Lake City
June 24-25        Destinations Showcase, Chicago

The GFLCVB Convention & Group Sales team also welcomes Suzanne Kaufman as Convention Sales Assistant. She will be responsible for providing support to sales managers Michele Bemis and Angella Lopez.

June Conventions
Groups meeting in June will generate more than $50 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
June 13-18: Government Finance Officers Association (7,000 attendees)
June 18-23: 2008 Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention (500 attendees)
June 9-15: 2008 Hukilau Polynesian Annual Conference (900 attendees)
June 23-30: Unitarian Universalist Association (5,000 attendees)
June 30-July 10: Hooters (550 attendees)

Tourism Sales Update
The tourism sales team will be attending TIA's Pow Wow, the premier tour and travel trade show in the U.S., in Las Vegas, May 31-June 4.  Spirit Airlines inaugurated its direct service from Fort Lauderdale to Islip, Long Island, NY with two flights per day. The 2008 Chicago Sales Mission was comprised of three major events:  The HX Media Gay Life Travel Expo, a CVB reception at Circuit Nightclub, and our travel agent appreciation brunch in Skokie, IL.

Upcoming Media Visits
This month, the PR department welcomes Zoom Media Fam June 5-8; Tina Ediss, UK Sunday Mirror June 1-12; and Adrian Cillan, Bent Magazine in the UK June 16-19.

Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in June, with more than 10,400 competitors plus family and friends:
May 27-June 6: Canadian/US Youth Soccer Training (400 attendees)
June 3-12: Canadian National Team Training (350 attendees)
June 14-16: Beach Volleyball (300 attendees)
June 18-22: FABA Sectionals (1000 attendees)
June 19-22: International Age Group Invitational (1000 attendees)
June 19-22: Dannon Adult Soccer Classic (2500 attendees)
June 19-22: French National Team Training Soccer (250 attendees)
June 20-22: International Invitational Swim Meet (1500 attendees)
June 25-29; FABA Baseball (950 attendees)
June 26-July 1: South American Teams Soccer Qualifier (100 attendees)
June 27-29: Masters Swimming Meet (1400 attendees)
June 27-30: South FL Table Tennis Championships (650 attendees)

Sports Hospitality Update Meeting
Plan to attend an update on sports development and opportunities on June 18 at IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.  You'll hear from local and regional sports event planners, who will share their upcoming schedules, events and ways to participate. For more information and to RSVP, contact Saskia Fisher sfisher@broward.org.

Celebrate Gay Pride in Greater Fort Lauderdale
Join locals and gay travelers at the 9th Annual Fort Lauderdale Stonewall Street Festival, a week-long Gay Pride celebration from June 16 to June 22 featuring lively events, grand performances and a vibrant new parade, with our own Nicki Grossman as Grand Marshal! Highlights of the Pride festival include the first annual night parade and street party in Wilton Manors, as well as the annual street festival and exhibition. Last year, gay visitors contributed some $1.2 billion to Greater Fort Lauderdale's economy.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Jaxson's!
Congratulations to Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor in Dania Beach for being showcased as one of the top four finalists on Good Morning America's Best Scoops in America.  

Good Eats and Drinks
Grandma's World Famous Ice Cream Parlor & French Cafe on Galt Ocean celebrates their 35th anniversary with summer events and specials. www.grandmasfrenchcafe.com. Calling all bartenders: Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine's beverage issue (June/July) will feature multiple bartenders. To be considered, submit a hi-res photo, bio and an original or signature cocktail recipe to Camron Becker cbecker@frla.org no later than June 10. Ladies Night at the Mai Kai: Live music from 6pm in the Molokai Bar with happy hour specials every Friday night. China Grill, in the new Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel on the Intracoastal at 17th St., introduces “Sunset Happy Hour” with complimentary chef’s selection of Dim Sum & Sushi Rolls, along with $9 specialty cocktails from 6-7pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.

Ground Blessing for Gospel Complex for Education Preservation
Greater Fort Lauderdale and the gospel music industry made history last month during the official groundblessing of The Gospel Complex for Education & Preservation. The ceremony took place on May 25 with approximately 30 prominent church leaders, including the popular gospel ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones. The Gospel Complex is scheduled to be completed in late 2010. The 90,000-square-foot facility will be located in Lauderhill and will house gospel music memorabilia and include studio capabilities for TV and radio productions and conference space.

Small Business Person of the Year Award
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce has named Travelhost Magazine publisher, Ina Lee, Small Business Person of the Year. Ina's award is in addition to Travelhost Magazine being named as a recipient of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Award. The Chamber's awards recognize the commitment made by Ina during the past 28 years with business and community achievements.

Amazing LEGO exhibition comes to Hollywood, June 7-Aug 10
The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood welcomes The Art of the Brick exhibition by Nathan Sawaya, who was recently featured on Good Morning America and CNN. It is the first major museum exhibition in the U.S. to focus exclusively on the use of the popular LEGO building block as an art medium. Sawaya is a 33 year old New York artist with more than 30 works created solely from standard LEGOs, with nearly one million pieces transformed into whimsical and awe-inspiring images.

Cruise News
Beginning this fall, Port Everglades will be homeporting five of the cruise industry's eight new-build cruise ships that will be launched during 2008. Newly built cruise ships joining the Port Everglades fleet include: Holland America Line's Eurodam, Celebrity Cruises' Solstice, Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess, Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Splendor, and Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas.  In addition, Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Freedom, Princess Cruises' Tahitian Princess and MSC Cruises' Orchestra will sail from Port Everglades for the first time.

20th Annual Ocean Watch Foundation Reef Sweep & Beach Clean Up
Help make a difference by cleaning our beaches and reefs. Saturday, June 14 from 9am-12pm at various beaches, piers and charter dive boats throughout Broward County. Volunteer appreciation party after the event.  For more information, visit www.oceanwatch.org

HSMAI Gala & Auction honoring Hal Herman
The CVB invites the hospitality industry to the 25th Annual HSMAI Gala & Auction, Thursday, June 12, 6pm at Tatiana Restaurant in Hallandale Beach. Hal Herman, Chairman of Worth International, is the special guest of honor, as he receives the 2008 Hospitality Sales & Marketing Excellence Award. Bid on travel, experiences and unique items in the silent and Chinese auctions, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Women in Distress. Visit www.hsmaisouthflorida.org to register online.

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Golf Tournament
A golf tournament benefiting FRLA Broward Chapter's Educational and L.I.F.E. Funds will be held on July 14 at Coral Ridge Country Club. $185 for individual player, $700 for foursome. Sponsorships are available. Please contact: Lynne Hernandez, FRLA, 305-443-5355 or LHernandez@frla.org.

First-Ever 60's Retro Beach Fest
Join the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Thursday, June 5, with For Those That Think Young, starring James Darren, Pamela Tiffin and Fort Lauderdale's own Woody Woodbury. Wil Shriner will introduce Woody prior to the film, show clips on his crazy career and then he will get The Key To The City. Thursday's pre-film party begins at 6pm and the introductions and movie follow at 7pm. Additional Retro Beach Fest films throughout the weekend include Key West Lemonade, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Good Times with Sonny & Cher, Girl Happy (Elvis' film shot in Ft Lauderdale with special guest Chris Noel), Where the Boys Are, Ride the Wild Surf, Wild Wild Winter, and Head with special guest Davy Jones. Regular tickets are $5 per film. Groups with 10 or more will get a 50% rebate. People who wear a bikini or jams get in half price.

Online Solutions For Hotels
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Happenings Around Town
Through June 7: National Week of the Ocean Sea-Son
Through June 9: Starting Here Starting Now, Stage Door's 26th Street Theatre
Through June 23: Dorothy Draper, America's Most Fabulous Decorator, Museum of Art / Fort Lauderdale
Through June 23: The Great Age of American Automobiles, Museum of Art / Fort Lauderdale
June 6-8: Fort Lauderdale Home Design & Remodeling Show, Broward County Convention Center
June 6-Aug 16: The Horton Collection, Coral Springs Museum of Art
June 7: Watch and wager on the $1 million Belmont Stakes, Gulfstream Park.
June 7: Stevie Nicks, Hard Rock Live
June 7-Aug 10: Child's Play, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
June 7-Aug 10: Nathan Saway: The Art of the Brick, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
June 8: Steely Dan, Hard Rock Live
June 12-29: Wrecks, Mosaic Theatre
June 13: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach
June 13-19: Jesus Christ Superstar, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
June 13-15: Mango Festival, Deerfield Beach
June 13: The Cure, BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise
June 14: An Ode to My Favorite Writer, African American Research Library & Cultural Center
June 14: Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce 2nd Annual Golf Classic, Inverrary Country Club
June 14: Suncoast Gun Show, War Memorial Auditorium
June 15: Jazz Impression, Rose & Alfred Miniaci Center for the Performing Arts
June 16-22: Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale's, Stonewall Street Festival
June 19: True Colors, BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise
June 20-21: Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook, Broward County Convention Center
June 21-22: Rockin' With The Rhythm, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
June 26-28: Short 4 Kids, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
June 27: Abraham vs. Miranda II: Championship Boxing, Hard Rock Live
June 27: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach
June 28: Summerfest: Akon, Lil Wayne & Keyshia Cole
June 28: Andrew Dice Clay, Parker Playhouse

With all best wishes,

Nicki E. Grossman
President