GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – October 2, 2008 – With a mission of making Greater Fort Lauderdale Florida's number one visitor destination, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is taking a new approach to its marketing initiatives in 2009 – virtually bringing Greater Fort Lauderdale to the visitor. A first for a travel destination, the Greater Fort Lauderdale "IMMERSA-DOME" will practically turn daydreams of sun, sand, and surf into virtual reality.  This life-size machine offers a full sensory experience bringing to life the sights, sounds, and even scents of Greater Fort Lauderdale, providing participants a two-minute snapshot of a vacation. The IMMSERSA-DOME will make 14 stops throughout the U.S. and  internationally at consumer shows, travel trade shows and meeting planner conferences in 2009, with a stop in New York City's new Broadway Park,  a stretch of the great white way, giving stressed out New Yorkers a sample of Fort Lauderdale's sense of ease and beach chic vibe.

The IMMERSA-DOME is just one of a roster of bold marketing initiatives planned for 2009. Beginning in December, a refreshed official tourism website redesign is scheduled for www.sunny.org to help consumers and meeting planners easily navigate and plan every aspect of their trip with a sense of whimsy.  For our northern neighbors, a Canadian invasion  includes the famous Greater Fort Lauderdale beach mobile, a 3D Sidewalk Art initiative taking compelling images of Greater Fort Lauderdale to the streets in high-traffic areas during cold weather days and department store promotions will entice visitors to book a getaway to the destination's sun-kissed shores.

"During this unsettling economic environment, we are kicking off our marketing initiatives earlier than ever,  to ensure our primary customers know that Greater Fort Lauderdale remains an affordable, quality, year-round destination, for everything from a stay-cation to an international long-haul trip and everything in between," said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Beginning next week, Greater Fort Lauderdale will run radio and television spots in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Immediately following election day, on November 5, the GFLCVB will run a 1/2 page post-election meltdown ad in the main news of New York Times inviting 2.5 million readers to take a deep "post election" breath in sunny Greater Fort Lauderdale.  

The 2009 advertising campaign images will don a fresh, chic look to attract more sophisticated, upscale visitors, as well as showcase the destination's most beautiful attributes. A winter billboard in New York City's Times Square will pop with a gigantic image of Greater Fort Lauderdale's Blue Wave beaches and the current temperature. In addition, a full selection of co-operative advertising for Broward's hospitality industry partners is available for meetings ads, scuba ads, golf ads, rainbow ads and special savings spring inserts running in 10 top Florida and northeast  newspapers. 

New for 2009, the GFLCVB is going "Green." Plan.It.Green is program that will reduce the carbon footprint of meetings as the CVB plant trees in Broward County Parks on their behalf. Also, the CVB is arranging a volunteer planting day at Markham Park for organizations that wish to contribute to the greening of the destination.  The CVB is also encouraging companies to adopt a corporate social responsibility practice by supporting group volunteer programs in all of the Broward parks and other local charities.  The local hotel industry is joining in the reforestation of Markham Park with select hotels making a $500 donation in celebration of their Florida Green Lodging Certification.

The GFLCVB meetings initiatives are getting a fresh, update in 2009 as well.  Gatefold cover spreads in top meeting trade publications are scheduled for 2009.  And the Greater Fort Lauderdale meeting planners guide, a new lure piece, will be published by Miles Media on recycled paper and also available online in an e-Guide as well as on a usb stick to continue with the "green" theme.

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10/2008