SAVE THE DATE: Greater Fort Lauderdale Marketing Plan Presentation
Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 2 at noon for the 2009 Greater Fort Lauderdale Marketing Plan presentation and luncheon at the Broward County Convention Center. See what's on the horizon for tourism sales, convention sales, sports, multicultural business, gay marketing, public relations and advertising as we gear up for a beach chic year ahead. Special presentation by Ron Shapiro, author of THE POWER OF NICE: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins - Especially You! BULLIES, TYRANTS & IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE: How to Beat Them Without Joining Them, And DARE TO PREPARE: How to Win Before You Begin! RSVP to Kim Canter kcanter@broward.org.

Award-Winning GFLCVB
At the Governor's Conference on Tourism, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau was awarded three prestigious Henry M. Flagler Awards from VISIT FLORIDA, receiving top honors in the Creative Public Relations for Coast (954)/Pop Up Store in NYC, Partnering for Dine Out Lauderdale and Multicultural Marketing categories for the Rainbow Vacation Planner.

Lauderdale Spa Chic
Feeling storm weary and politically drained? Get a massage. The first annual Lauderdale Spa Chic presented by American Express, kicked off September 1 and runs through September 30, featuring spa treatments for $99 (up to 50% savings) at The Atlantic Resort & Spa, Diplomat Golf Resort & Spa, Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort, Grand Resort & Spa (gay), Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Hollywood Beach Marriott, Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, and The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa. For details visit www.sunny.org/spachic

Dine Out Lauderdale
The second annual Dine Out Lauderdale presented by American Express from October 1-November 14 kicks off September 15 with special $35 three-course dinner menus at more than 35 top Broward restaurants: Aizia at the Westin Diplomat Resort; Armadillo Beach; Beach Watch; Blue Moon Fish Co.; By Word of Mouth; Cafe Maxx; Café Vico; Cero at the Ritz-Carlton; Chima Brazilian Steakhouse; China Grill at the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club, Coco Asian Bistro & Bar; Elements Bistro at Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach; Farradday's Steakhouse at the Isle Casino and Racing; 15th Street Fisheries; Fish - A Restaurant; Four Rivers Contemporary Thai Kitchen; Fulvio's 1900; Galanga Thai Kitchen & Sushi Bar; Grill Room on Las Olas at The Riverside Hotel; Grille 66 & Bar Restaurant at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six; Hi-Life Café; Himmarshee Bar & Grille; ilios at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort; Ireland's Steakhouse at Hyatt Regency Bonaventure; Jackson's Steakhouse; Le Bistro; Links Restaurant at the Diplomat Country Club; Lola's on Harrison; Riley McDermott's; Rivals Waterfront Sports Grille; Runyon's Restaurant; Shula's on the Beach; Sunfish Grill; 3030 Ocean at the Harbor Beach Marriott; Tatiana Cabaret Show Dinner Restaurant; Teal's Las Olas; and Trina at The Atlantic Resort & Spa. Visit www.sunny.org/dineout for details and menus.

Plan.It.Green
The GFLCVB recently established Plan.It.Green, an innovative program created to help offset the carbon footprint from meetings and conventions. Meeting planners have the opportunity to be "meeting planters" by stopping by the GFLCVB booth at tradeshows, where a donation will be made on their behalf to help plant a tree in Markham Park in Sunrise. Planners will receive handmade, biodegradable paper embedded with wildflower seeds that they can take home and grow. By simply visiting the GFLCVB's booth, they will help preserve the planet.

Regroup. Recharge. Replant. As part of the bid process for large meetings, the GFLCVB will provide a donation on behalf of the organization's meeting to Broward Parks for the Plan.It.Green program. The GFLCVB will also extend the same incentive for meeting planners that submit an RFP to the bureau. The GFLCVB can arrange a volunteer planting day at Markham Park for organizations holding meetings in Greater Fort Lauderdale or groups can make donations directly to Broward Parks for Plan.It.Green.

Green Lodgings
If you are getting certified, contact the CVB to see how you can be part of Plan.It.Green program. Currently almost 25 hotels in Greater Fort Lauderdale are awaiting certification inspection, while 11 have already received accreditation. These include: Comfort Inn & Suites, Fort Lauderdale; Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port, Fort Lauderdale; Comfort Suites, Tamarac; Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa; Embassy Suites Hotel Fort Lauderdale; Hampton Inn, Hallandale Beach - Aventura; Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort; Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa, Weston; Mainstay Suites, Tamarac; Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek, Fort Lauderdale; Sleep Inn & Suites, Dania Beach.

Convention Sales Team Update
The convention sales team has showcased GFL to Hyland Group/Mid-Atlantic Office, National Minority AIDS Council/US AIDS Conference, International Brotherhood of Teamsters/Women's Conference and Centennial Communications. The sales team was recently in Las Vegas for Meeting Professionals International (MPI) World Education Conference, Tallahassee for the Chuck Cook Tallahassee Society of Association Executives, San Diego for American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) & The Center's Annual Meeting and Tradeshow, Toronto for IncentiveWorks, Ponte Vedra for Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Southeast Education Conference, Palm Beach for Successful Meetings Marketplace and Vancouver for Experient E4. Catch the sales team soon at these upcoming events and tradeshows:
Sept 10-11 Mid-Atlantic Affordable Meetings Show, Washington, DC
Sept 11-14 ISITE Classic, Fort Lauderdale
Sept 15-17 HIGO Golf Event - PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens
Sept 15-19 GFLCVB Atlanta Sales Mission
Sept 23-25 The Motivation Show, Chicago
Sept 28-Oct 1 PCMA Partnership Summit and Chapter Leadership Event, Williamsburg, VA

September Conventions
Groups meeting in September will generate more than $20 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
Sept 7-16 Idealease Annual Meeting (1,000 attendees)
Sept 12-17 2008 Franmac Annual Meeting (1,100 attendees)
Sept 12-24 US AIDS Conference (2,000 attendees)
Sept 14-19 Site Seach, Inc. Show (425 attendees)
Sept 18-21 Miami Annual Conference 2008 (700 attendees)
Sept 19-22 Florida Pharmacy Association (300 attendees)
Sept 21-16 Ace of Florida, Inc. Annual Meeting & Trade Show (350 attendees)
Sept 22-27 National Association of Neonatal Nurses (700 attendees)

The LandWarNet city-wide conference, that convened here Aug 19-21, has rebooked for next summer for the sixty consecutive year. This year the conference exceeded 2007 by 632 rooms for a total of 9,587 total room nights in 13 hotels.

2009 Meeting Planners Guide
Advertising sales will soon come to a close for the 2009 edition of the official Meeting Planners Guide. This award-winning guide specifically for the meeting planner, is distributed through direct mail, sales missions and industry shows. A virtual planner on sunny.org will accompany the printed piece. Contact: Marcia Bayer, Miles Media marcia.bayer@milesmedia.com.

Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in September, with more than 6,000 competitors plus family and friends:
Aug 29 -Sept 1: Youth Softball Fort Lauderdale Lightning (800 attendees)
Aug 29- Sept 2: ISA Labor Day Softball Invite (2,000 attendees)
Sept 4-8: AAU Taekwondo Team Trials (750 attendees)
Sept 5-9: Last Chance Pandemonium (2,500 attendees)

Tourism Sales Update
Working in conjunction with VISIT FLORIDA, the Tourism Sales team attended the Visit USA Shows in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama taking advantage of the direct service to FLL airport from each of these markets. Travel agents and wholesalers attended the table top trade show, with special destination presentations by the CVB team. Over 150 agents per city attended the events. Funjet Vacations, operated by Mark Travel, held its annual Product Launch in Chicago and St. Louis this month, and the CVB promoted the destination to more than 400 agents who buy Funjet Vacations' packages. The Tourism Sales team also attended the Conquest Vacations product launch in Toronto and Visit Florida sales blitz. GFLCVB was the only Florida product featured during this event.

Virtuoso Mart in Las Vegas
Greater Fort Lauderdale has been designated a Preferred Destination by Virtuoso, the association of Luxury Travel Agents. Greater Fort Lauderdale is the ONLY destination in Florida to receive this prestigious designation. 1,500 Virtuoso travel advisors met at the Virtuoso Travel Mart in Las Vegas and were introduced to the newest destination in their portfolio.

High Heel Hike
The Fort Lauderdale High Heel Hike™, the official Glam event of Winterfest 2008, will turn up the glam on Las Olas on October 11. Hikers of all ages will 'strut their stuff' while raising funds to benefit young women affected by breast cancer. For details and registration information, visit www.highheelhike.com.

Multiculturally Speaking
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the Urban League Equal Opportunity Day (EOD) Dinner at the Broward County Convention Center on September 27. The National Urban League has agreed to bring their Mid-Winter Conference to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach for January 2009-2011. The National Organization for Black State Legislators will bring their 2009 annual conference to GFL in December 2009 to the Marriott Harbor Beach.

Hotel News
Congratulation to The Ocean Inn for being chosen as the 2008 Hollywood Gazette Readers' Choice "The Best Superior Small Lodging in Hollywood." The Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach welcomes Judith Garcia as the new Director of Sales & Marketing and Tina Stiles as the new Business Travel Sales Manager. Luckey's Management also welcomes new sales & marketing team members: Trish Wasylowsky and the new Corporate Director - Revenue Management and Lissette Montanez as a new Sales Manager.

News from the Parimutuels
Isle Casino Pompano Park offers football frenzy, free slot tournaments, fine cars, $25,000 giveaway. New members receive $20 in IslePlay® and a free buffet through Sept 30. Visit www.theislepompanopark.com for more details. Beginning Sept 1, Gulfstream Park's casino calendar features incredible giveaways and hot seat promotions giving away piles of cash and beautiful designer bags to put it in. Every Friday throughout the month of September, Gulfstream Park will hold a Free-for-All slot tournament with total prizes of $5,000 in cash and free play. On Sept. 28 a $50,000 Cash is King slot tournament will be held. On Sept. 14, 21 and 27, Gulfstream Park will award up to $25,000 as part of its Case or Cash 3 casino promotion. On Sept. 6 and Sept. 26, Good Luck Player's Club members will be randomly selected for a chance to win a genuine Louis Vuitton handbag. On Sept. 9 and 20, designer Coach handbags will be the coveted prize. www.gulfstreampark.com

Meeting Planner Event
Join the GFLCVB, HSMAI and MPI for a joint event as we hear from a panel of meetings planners about "Emerging Issues in the Meetings Market," on Weds, Sept 17, 4:30pm at the Broward Convention Center. $25 per person. Advance reservations necessary: www.hsmaisouthflorida.org.

Good Eats
Sage will be opening a second location on Harrison Street in downtown Hollywood. Enjoy happy hour at the Pelican Grand Beach Resort's Postcards Oceanview Bar & Grill 7 days a week. Every Thursday is Captain Jack's Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour from 5-8pm with 2-4-1 drinks, raw bar specials and live music.

Job.travel, the new, online job site for those in "The Biz"
Job.travel is the premium on-line job site for the travel and hospitality industry. Created with the focus of matching job seekers and employers, job.travel is the solution for those in "The Biz." Job.travel is designed to be easy to use and simple for even the non-tech savvy individual. As an added convenience, job.travel offers mobile text and e-mail alerts when candidates and jobs match. These alerts provide access to "snapshots" to get a quick view of both candidates and job opportunities. Job.travel is a complimentary site for job seekers and offers a free 6 month gold membership valued at $1,000 for all travel and hospitality employers. This gold membership includes: unlimited job postings during subscription period, unlimited jobs on the site at any one time, unlimited search of candidates in database, and the ability to contact an unlimited number of job seekers. For more information please contact Carmella at cyoudovich@job.travel.

Happenings Around Town
Sept 1-30: Lauderdale Spa Chic
Sept 3: Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra Ensemble, ArtsPark at Young Circle, Hollywood
Sept 4: Kathy Griffin, Hard Rock Live
Sept 7: SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch, Riverwalk, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Sept 7: Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra Ensemble, ArtsPark at Young Circle
Sept 7: Chris Isaak with Lisa Loeb, Pompano Beach Amphitheater
Sept 10-14: Fixin' to Rain, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Sept 12: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach
Sept 13: Warriors Collide 6, War Memorial Auditorium
Sept 13: Butterfly Gardening Workshop, Butterfly World
Sept 17: Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra Ensemble, ArtsPark at Young Circle, Hollywood
Sept 18: The Fine Art of Wine, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
Sept 19: 2008 HRABC Annual Conference & Exhibition, Broward County Convention Center
Sept 20: A Romantic Evening with Tchaikovsky, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Sept 21: Hollywood Philharmonic Orchestra Ensemble, ArtsPark at Young Circle
Sept 21: Family Day: Red Herring Puppets, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
Sept 21: Hollywood Beach Latin Festival, Hollywood Beach
Sept 23: Lisa Williams, Coral Springs Center for the Arts
Sept 25-27: Three Blonde Moms, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Sept 26: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach
Sept 26: Fergie, Hard Rock Live
Sept 27-28: Antique Show, War Memorial Auditorium

With all best wishes,

Nicki E. Grossman
President