March Numbers
March bed tax collections increased 2.78% to $5,494,123. Average daily rate rose 1.6% to $159.18 and hotel occupancy was 81.8%.

Celebrate Tourism with the CVB
Reserve your seat for National Tourism Appreciation Day luncheon on Thursday, May 22 at the Broward Convention Center, as we celebrate the importance of tourism, and the importance of laughter with comedian Nick DiPaolo. $25 pp. Please rsvp to Kim Canter, kcanter@broward.org

Pack your bags, we're staying home
As Greater Fort Lauderdale enters into its “second season,” the CVB is compiling deals and special resident rates and/or packages to promote with our “Pack your bags, we’re staying home” in-state advertising campaign on radio, TV and in newspapers throughout Florida.  This is a FREE opportunity for publicity. If your property is offering a special Florida rate or package deal between May and October, please send the details including:
• Florida Resident rates or package rate
• Name of package
• Dates the rate/package is valid
• Description of items included in the package (i.e. deluxe accommodations, continental breakfast, etc.)
• Instructions on how to reserve the rate/package (i.e. special booking code to reference, unique web address and telephone number).
Please send all hotel details to Jessica Taylor, jtaylor@broward.org or via fax at (954) 765-4117, by May 9.

Summer of Discovery
Check out www.sunny.org/summer for details on the great values available from attractions June 1-Sept 30. The public relations and advertising campaigns have begun with two-for-one offers on attractions from scuba diving, golf, spa, nature, arts and entertainment. Free copies of the Summer of Discovery brochure are available by emailing fpadin@broward.org. We are producing 100,000 booklets to supply the I-95 and I-75 Welcome Centers and in-state and southern Georgia AAA offices. In addition, the colorful brochures will be distributed with our Vacation Planner and featured in all online marketing and tourism advertising strategies. The GFLCVB’s $1 million-plus Summer of Discovery advertising campaign includes billboards in NYC. To generate Florida bookings, full page ads will run in Food & Wine, Oprah, AAA World, Travel & Leisure, and gatefold cover in Budget Travel. In-state newspaper advertising insert to run in 20 Florida cities, out of state newspaper insert in 12 targeted cities, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, radio and TV in key markets and lots more.

Convention Sales Team Update
The convention sales team, led by Christine Tascione, welcomed the following site visits in April: Meeting Plus, National Academy of Opticianry; Onyx, Blackout Meeting; Destination Meeting & Incentives; National Funeral Directors and Morticians Assn; and PCMA 2009 Leadership Conference. GFL hosted the American Express Corporate Meeting Solutions (CMS) Annual Business Meeting from Apr 21-24 at the Fort Lauderdale Grande and the Broward Convention Center, with 225 meeting planners, meeting directors and team leaders from the CMS division of American Express Business Travel. Guests enjoyed the fabulous accommodations of the Fort Lauderdale Grande, and were treated to a welcome reception at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, a cruise on the Grand Floridian owned by Charter One, a dine-around at various Hilton-branded or affiliated hotels in the area, and a tradeshow attended by 75 supplier organizations hosted at the Broward Convention Center. International Society of Incentive Travel Executives (ISITE) has selected Fort Lauderdale for their Annual Golf Classic event, Sept 11-14, with golf outings at Heron Bay and the Diplomat Country Club, and evening events at Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort, St. Regis Resort Fort Lauderdale and Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Look for more information on how to participate in this event with ISITE and the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB coming soon.

On the Road with Convention Sales
The convention sales team recently attended the ASAE & Center Springtime, Washington D.C.; New England Meeting Industry Conference, Boston; MPI-PEC European Meetings & Event Confererence, London; IMEX, Frankfurt; GaMPI, Atlanta; Conference Direct Annual Partner Meeting, New Orleans. Catch us soon at these upcoming events and tradeshows:

Celebrity Watch
Matt Damon and his guests enjoyed a day of simulcast racing at Gulfstream Park last week. Photo: Matt Damon at the Sport of Kings with Gulfstream Park's poker room manager Scott Poole. Preakness Stakes Day, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, takes place on May 17 with prizes, giveaways and celebrity appearances.

Domestic Tourism Sales Update
Broward hotels are invited to a breakfast presentation by IATA-IATAN (International Airline Travel Agent Network) to show you how to reach out to more than 230,000 travel professionals through their AgentExperience.com site: May 13, 8am, Broward Convention Center, Room 124. Please rsvp to care@agentexperience.com

New Website with Free Advertising Offer
Travel Holdings, Inc. is launching a new travel and entertainment website (www.travelholdings.com) where consumers will be able to print, email or text coupons featuring entertainment discounts and value-adds. Create and edit your coupon at no cost and with no fine print. To find out more, email mwhipple@travelholdings.com or visit www.travelholdings.com/entertainment/presentcoupon.pps

Greater Fort Lauderdale goes green.
Congratulations to the Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port and Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale for becoming a designated member of the Florida Green Lodging Program. They join a growing list of Greater Fort Lauderdale hotels to be green certified, including the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort and Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa.

International Tourism Sales
The CVB's German satellite office has put together a window poster promotion with Meier's Weltreisen in May, and will attend a Florida travel agent event on May 16-18 in conjunction with Canusa Touristik. News from the EU: Hotelbeds Accommodation & Destination Services has responded to increased demand (80% increase!) by moving Martin Rogers, product manager, to South Florida. Hotelbeds merged with travel giant TUI in Sept 2007 with customers in Germany, Scandinavia, France and the Netherlands. Martin will focus on new airlines product, from Terra America (Portugal), to Zoom Airlines (London) and Fritidsresor (Stockholm and Oslo, coming in Oct).

Upcoming Media Visits
This month, the PR department welcomes Ottawa Life Magazine, May 4-6; G-Scene (GLBT publication from UK), May 5-12; and Paul Rubio, OutTraveler Guides, May 19-24.

May Convention Sales Update
Groups meeting in May will generate more than $22 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
May 9-15: Microsoft Channel Partner Summit (450 attendees)
May 9-18: National Association of Securities Dealers (500 attendees)
May 11-16: Governor's Hurricane Conference (2,000 attendees)
May 17-23: Medical Records Institute Annual TEPR Conference (3,000 attendees)
May 23-26: National Haitian Convention (2,000 attendees)
May 23-June 1: American Geophysical Union Annual Convention (1,500 attendees)
May 27-30: International Gospel Industry Retreat (700 attendees)

Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in May, with more than 20,000 competitors plus family and friends:
May 1-10: Youth World Cup Processing Camp (350 attendees)
May 2-4: FLA Gold Coast AAU Districts Championship (1,000 attendees)
May 3-4: Spring Fling Tennis Tournament (200 attendees)
May 7-11: Diving Grand Prix (500 attendees)
May 8-11: AAU State Championships (1,500 attendees)
May 11-17: Men's Masters Basketball Championships (1,500 attendees)
May 14-18: YMCA Masters National Swim Meet (4,500 attendees)
May 15-18: Sunshine State Games Figure Skating (2,000 attendees)
May 15-18: Synchronized Swimming Regional Championships (500 attendees)
May 16-18: Pre-qualifier for World Cup South Africa 2010 (1,000 attendees)
May 16-18: Family Fitness Weekend (600 attendees)
May 16-19: AAU Beach Volleyball (650 attendees)
May 16-22: USTA National Clay Court Championships (500 attendees)
May 22-25: FL Gold Coast Senior Circuit (550 attendees)
May 23-25: International Cricket Tournament (3,000 attendees)
May 23-25: FL Gold Coast AAU Super Regional Basketball (750 attendees)
May 23-31: US/Canadian Goal Keepers Competition (300 attendees)
May 27-June 6: Canadian/US Youth Soccer Training (850 attendees)

Sports Hospitality Update Meeting
Mark your calendars for an update on sports development and opportunities: June 4. Location and time to be announced shortly. You'll hear from local and regional sports event planners, who will share their upcoming schedules and events and ways for the Broward hospitality industry to participate.

Hotel News
After a successful 44-year presence on Fort Lauderdale beach, the Sheraton Yankee Trader Hotel will close officially on June 1 to begin a multi-million dollar renovation and will re-open as The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. Opening in Feb 2009, The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort will feature a Heavenly Spa by Westin™ and 32,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art meeting facilities, with a refreshed Shula's on the Beach steakhouse. Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach & Spa, a Florida Green Lodging Resort, introduces its brand new Spa 950. Gallery One welcomes Mike Weber as its new Director of Sales & Marketing. Rainbow Beach Resort is a newly opened 18-room hotel in Fort Lauderdale that caters to gay families.

VISIT FLORIDA surveys local industry
You may be called to participate in VISIT FLORIDA's telephone survey of industry partners and non-partners on their satisfaction with VF programs. A sample of about 600 industry members will be called by professional interviewers with MARS Research of Fort Lauderdale on behalf of the Florida Commission on Tourism. If you are selected to be surveyed, you should receive the call from May 5-9. Your opinions are very important to VISIT FLORIDA, so please set aside a short amount of time needed to complete the anonymous survey.

Good Eats
Le Bistro, in Lighthouse Point, offers a special six-course tasting menu for $35 in May. Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six presents its new Sunday Brunch at Pier Top, with lavish buffet, champagne bar and live music. Harrison Cafe & Deli opened in Downtown Hollywood in the Harrison Court Building. Sublime Restaurant will offer a special Mother's Day brunch on May 11 with a completely cholesterol-free vegetarian menu, including dessert. Get ready for Dine Out Lauderdale, starting Oct 1, with 35 restaurants offering three-course dinners for $35. Visit www.sunny.org/dineout for this year's participants.

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 benefitting Women in Distress. If you would like to donate an item for the auction, please click here.

Olympic Divers
Tickets are on sale now for an exclusive preview of Summer Olympics Diving at the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Aquatic Complex, May 8-11, with top Olympic divers of the world competing. The 38th Annual Diving Extravaganza, featuring the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix, also includes comedy diving exhibitions and a "Dreaming of Beijing" Asian Cultural Festival, with cooking demonstrations, martial arts, dancing and singing, and a special appearance by the Beijing 2008 Olympic mascots.

Wannado City Open House
The hospitality industry is invited to attend Wannado City's open house on May 8 at 4pm to experience this venue for groups. Call Tatiana Hecavarria at 954-514-6047

The Plane Facts: FLL News
Southwest Airlines will add new nonstop service from Austin, TX and Manchester, NH on May 10, bringing the number of daily nonstop Southwest departures to 46, and connecting service to an additional 48 cities. Jet Blue began nonstop service from Austin on May 1. The next few months will also see new service by Spirit Airlines to San Antonio, Boston, Columbia (SC), Islip, and Cartagena, Spain, as well as additional service to existing markets, and Zoom Airlines begins service from Gatwick London to FLL in May.

Happenings Around Town
Through May 11: Exploding the Lotus, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
Through May 26: Bodies The Exhibition, Las Olas Riverfront
Through June 7: National Week of the Ocean Sea-Son
Through June 23: The Great Age of American Automobiles, Museum of Art
Through June 23: The High Style of Dorothy Draper, Museum of Art
May 5: Eric Clapton, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood
May 5: Cinco de Mayo celebration benefitting Children's Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach
May 7: Kid Rock, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood
May 8: Comedian Nick Swardson, Parker Playhouse
May 8: Wannado City Open House, 4pm
May 8: Arts and Civic Engagement - Inspiring Community Transformation, ArtServe, 5:30pm
May 8-June 1: A Body of Water, Mosaic Theatre
May 8-10: La Boheme, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
May 8-11: Olympic Diving, International Swimming Hall of Fame
May 9-11: Fort Lauderdale RV Show, Broward County Convention Center
May 9-12: Tybee 500 Catamaran race, Hollywood Beach
May 9: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach
May 10: Bike Night Ride & Car Show, Pompano City Centre, Pompano Beach
May 10: Children's Festival of the Arts, Robbins Park
May 11: Lenine, Parker Playhouse
May 14: The Latin Side of Jazz, Gold Coast Jazz Society
May 14-17: Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo, Hillsboro Inlet, Pompano Beach
May 15-17: Julius Caesar, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
May 16: Riverwalk Happy Hour, Fort Lauderdale
May 16-17: HospiceCare Regatta 2008 and Clambake, Fort Lauderdale
May 16-18: Red, White & Bluegrass, Hollywood Beach
May 16-22: USTA National Open Clay Court Championship, Jimmy Evert Tennis Court, Fort Lauderdale
May 17: 2008 NPC Southern States Body Building Championships, War Memorial Auditorium
May 17: Ava Cowan' Fame Tropical Muscle Fitness Figure Models, War Memorial Auditorium
May 17: Gilda's Club of South Florida, Parker Playhouse
May 21: Paul Anka, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood
May 22-Sept 7: Frogs: A Chorus of Colors, Museum of Discovery & Science and AutoNation® IMAX® Theater
May 22-Dec 31: Wild Ocean 3D, Museum of Discovery & Science and AutoNation® IMAX® Theater
May 23: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach
May 23-25: Florida SuperCon – South Florida's Largest Multi-Genre Convention, Hyatt Regency Bonaventure
May 23-25: International Cricket Tournament, Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill
May 24: Hallandale Beach Chamber Health & Wellness Fair, Hallandale Beach
May 30: Joel Osteen, BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise

With all best wishes,

Nicki E. Grossman
President