SAVE THE DATE: Greater Fort Lauderdale Marketing Plan Presentation
Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 8 at 11am for the 2010 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, multicultural business, gay marketing, public relations and advertising as we gear up to meet the challenges for the year ahead. FRLA is organizing a trade show before the luncheon at 11am. And 30 cultural groups will be exhibiting as well. Contact Lynne Hernandez lhernandez@FRLA.org for exhibition information.
Real Housewives in Fort Lauderdale
A giant THANK YOU to Jessica Taylor, CVB Media Relations Manager (and sixth Real Housewife), as well as all our local partners who helped us pull together the logistics to host the Real Housewives of Orange County and to showcase some of the best experiences our destination has to offer. We are truly grateful for the participation of our many local partners: W Fort Lauderdale, USA Transportation, Charter One, Billie Swamp Safari, Heron Bay Golf Club, Steak 954, Johnny V, Herringbone and Hound, Las Olas Boulevard Association, The Pillars, Water Taxi, City of Fort Lauderdale Dockmaster, Whiskey Blue and Bliss Spa. The Fort Lauderdale segment will air on Bravo TV early this winter.
World’s Largest Block Party
Saturday Nite Alive kicks off August 1--- where 30 restaurants, 24 bars, 20 live acts turn Fort Lauderdale Beach into a big open house each Saturday evening in August from 7-11pm. Rediscover Fort Lauderdale beach during the mile-long oceanside block party featuring live music and drink specials from Bahia Cabana to The Parrot. For more info including special promotions and free parking and free trolley stops, visit www.TheNewFortLauderdaleBeach.com
VISIT FLORIDA Governor’s Conference on Tourism
The 42nd Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism is August 23-24 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Selling the Sunshine is the theme of the newly revamped conference. Don’t miss Governor Crist, Dave Barry, Richard Florida, and Flagler Award presentations. Early bird rate extended through Aug 4. Click here to register.
Lauderdale Spa Chic
September 1-30 is the second annual LAUDERDALE SPA CHIC, with spa treatments for $99 (up to 50% savings). Spa Chic Stays, including spa treatments and overnight accommodations, start at $218. Relax and renew at one of 12 participating spas: The Atlantic Resort & Spa, Diplomat Golf Resort & Spa, Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort, Grand Resort & Spa (gay), Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Hollywood Beach Marriott, Ocean Sands Resort & Spa, Planet Massage on Las Olas Blvd., The Ritz Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, the W Fort Lauderdale and The Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale. For details visit www.sunny.org/spachic
Dine Out Lauderdale
Enjoy three-course dinner menus for $35 October 1-November 12 at top Broward restaurants: 3030 Ocean at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Beach Watch, Blue Moon Fish Co., Bova Prime, By Word of Mouth, Cafe Maxx, Café Vico, The Capital Grille, Cero Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, Charley's Crab, Chima Brazilian Steakhouse, China Grill at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, Coco Asian Bistro & Bar, da Campo Osteria at the il Lugano, East City Grill, E-Spot Restaurant & Bar at Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale, Galanga Thai Kitchen & Sushi Bar, Grill Room on Las Olas at The Riverside Hotel, Grille 66 & Bar Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Hi-Life Café, Himmarshee Bar & Grille, ilios at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, Ireland's Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, Johnny V, Le Bistro, Lola's on Harrison, Mai-Kai Restaurant and Show, Morton's The Steakhouse, Shula's on the Beach, Sublime, Sunfish Grill, Trina at The Atlantic Hotel, Trulucks Seafood Steak and Crabhouse. Visit www.sunny.org/dineout for details and menus.
Tweet Elite
Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB has been named “Tweet Elite,” one of the nation’s top travel marketers using Twitter. DCI of NYC reviewed and compared 37 CVBs that were using Twitter on a regular basis. They examined 3,000 tweets from May 1-31. Congrats to the other “Tweet Elites:” Baltimore, New Orleans, San Francisco and Tampa Bay.
We Love Cruisers
Designed to provide extra incentives for agents booking pre- or post-cruise stays, We Love Cruisers debuts October 2009, during Cruise Line International Association's annual National Cruise Vacation Month. Domestic travel professionals who book a Celebrity or Royal Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades and a two or more night pre- or post-cruise stay in a Greater Fort Lauderdale hotel; and international travel professionals who book for three or more nights will receive a $25 American Express gift card from the GFLCVB, on top of their earned hotel commission. Agents need only submit the hotel confirmation number and their clients will receive a Beach Starter Kit in their hotel room containing a welcome beach towel and flip flops, along with two Cruise and Play VIP cards good for complimentary admission to one of Greater Fort Lauderdale's many leisure amenities, including water sports, shopping and sightseeing. Agents can visit www.sunny.org/WeLoveCruisers.
Tourism Sales
Alfredo Gonzalez completed a sales mission to Scandinavia and the United Kingdom promoting summer and fall business. In conjunction with the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District and Visit Florida, Fernando Harb showcased Greater Fort Lauderdale to international journalists from Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil on a cultural press fam to experience Flamenco In the Sun, an annual exhibition with workshops and demonstrations. Fernando also attended the Cruise Planners trade show at Embassy Suites 17th St. Josh Winston was in Provincetown, for a joint promotion with IGLTA to support GLBT Superior Small Lodgings and to build attendance for “Lauderdale Unleashed” IGLTA’s 2011 Annual Convention. Our I-95 & I-75 Visit Florida Welcome Center Days will be held Aug 17-21, and will include a reception for the area’s top industry professionals in Jacksonville to promote ‘Spa Chic’ and ‘We Love Cruisers.’
Multiculturally Speaking
Albert Tucker will be traveling to Chicago and Louisville in August to attract the Progressive National Baptist Conference and the Urban League to Greater Fort Lauderdale.
Hotel News
The Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale is pleased to announce the completion of the second phase in its multi-million dollar extensive rebirth. Welcoming guests since the soft-opening in March 2009, the resort now adds an alluring Heavenly Spa by Westin™, 24-hour WestinWORKOUT®, oceanfront Starbucks Coffee and 433 guestrooms and suites, each with Heavenly® Bed and Heavenly Bath®, to its array of upscale offerings. Further adding to its distinction, the resort has already been honored with the AAA Four Diamond Award and has also been named a 2010 Super Bowl headquarters hotel for the National Football League.
The Plane Facts
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) announces a projected increase in September outbound traffic with 3.6 percent growth year over year, ranking it third amongst the United States’ top 30 airports in terms of available seats, behind Salt Lake City and Honolulu. The FLL airport’s load factor is remaining steady at approximately 80 percent. Factors contributing to FLL’s positive outlook include itinerary expansion by Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, which moved to FLL’s Terminal 3 to provide easier connections to the carrier’s international passengers, and AirTran Airways launching a new service to Allentown, PA and Harrisburg, PA and Akron, OH in November.
Attraction News
Laffing Matterz returns to downtown Fort Lauderdale, opening at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on October 15. The Fort Lauderdale History Center/Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, Inc. (FLHC) will debut its new exhibit, urban landscapes of Broward County at a reception on Aug 7 from 6:30-8:30pm at the New River Inn. The photographic exhibition, created by photographer Susan S. Buzzi, features Broward County’s architectural skylines, landscapes and historic landmarks. Urban landscapes captures the essence of the county in black and white stills and video. The project reinforces the importance and value of discovering, preserving and honoring the county’s past.
On Sat, Aug 8 The Grace Café & Gallery in Dania Beach will host a party of epic proportions as part of its partnership with WeMerge Magazine, a local independent magazine dedicated to merging together different artists, musicians, readers, businesses, cultures, and subcultures.
Meeting and Events Management Certificate Program
Learn the language of meeting planning, discover the major responsibilities of a planner and learn how to get a solid return on investment and handle logistics and negotiations. Starting Saturday Aug 29 through Nov 21, every other week. Click here for more information.
Port News
This cruise season, Port Everglades will host naming ceremonies for the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship, Royal Caribbean International’s 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, and one of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Spirit. Oasis of the Seas will be named at the Port in November 2009 and Silver Spirit in Jan 2010. In addition, three new cruise ships will make Port Everglades their U.S. debuts at Port Everglades this winter cruise season. MSC Cruises will introduce the 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia to the U.S. market on Nov 10. The 450-passenger luxury cruise ship Seabourn Odyssey will also arrive at Port Everglades on Nov 10, for the ship’s first call in the United States. And on Nov 15, Port Everglades will welcome Celebrity Cruises’ 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox, sister ship to the Celebrity Solstice which was named at Port Everglades last year.
Port Everglades will also welcome another of Seabourn Cruise Line’s luxury ships, Seabourn Spirit, for the first time on Nov 27. And, Royal Caribbean International’s 73,817 Grandeur of the Seas will replace Enchantment of the Seas for year-round sailings from the Port beginning on April 19, 2010.
August Group Sales Update
Groups meeting in August will generate more than $10 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
Aug 3-6: General Dynamics Information Technology (150 attendees)
Aug 9-15: Florida Health Care Association 2009 Annual Conference (950 attendees)
Aug 14-22: LandWarNet 2009 Conference (1,900 attendees)
Aug 24-29: Association of Water Technologies 2009 Annual Convention (450 attendees)
Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in August, with more than 7,050 competitors plus family and friends:
July 29-Aug 3: AABC Age Group Nationals (800 attendees)
July 30-Aug 3: Jr. Judo Open Championships (600 attendees)
Aug 4-10: USLA National Lifeguard Championships (750 attendees)
Aug 5-10: AABC 16s Softball Tournament (1200 attendees)
Aug 8-9: Florida Beach Volleyball - Hollywood Beach (300 attendees)
Aug 10-21: National Volleyball Regionals (2500 attendees)
Aug 20-23: Pre Season Hockey Classic (800 attendees)
Aug 22-23: Florida Beach Volleyball – Fort Lauderdale Beach (150 attendees)
Aug 27-31: NOVA SE Volleyball Classic (250 attendees)
The Great Escape 2009 Tourism & Travel Expo
The Travel Expo will take place Oct 27 at the Miramar Cultural Center / ArtsPark from 5:30-9pm. Network with over 450 South Florida business people. Click here for more information.
Happenings Around Town
Through Aug 2: Grease, Broadway, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Through Aug 15: The Light Fantastic, Coral Springs Museum of Art
Through Aug 15: Women Collared for Work, Coral Springs Museum of Art
Through Aug 16: It’s a Dog’s Life, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
Through Aug 16: Tillamook Cheddar Mid-Career Retrospective 1999-2009, Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
Aug 1-2: Dolphin Promotions Antique Show, War Memorial Auditorium
Aug 1-2: Florida Marlins vs. Chicago Cubs, Land Shark Stadium
Aug 2: SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch, Riverwalk, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Aug 2: Dream Car Classic, Hollywood Boulevard
Aug 6-8: Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Aug 6: Full Moon Jazz, Hollywood Beach Theatre
Aug 7, 14, 21, 28: Funtastic Fridays for Kids, Anniversary Park, Hollywood
Aug 7, 14, 21, 28: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood Beach Theatre
Aug 7-9: Dora The Explorer LIVE, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Aug 8: Hollywood West “Summer Fun,” Hollywood
Aug 8, 15, 22, 29: Beach Theatre “Bandstand” Hollywood Beach Theatre
Aug 10-13: Florida Marlins vs. Houston Astros, Land Shark Stadium
Aug 12: Kathy Griffin, Hard Rock Live
Aug 13: HSMAI South Florida/SFIMA online travel marketing event, Gulfstream Park
Aug 14-15: U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam Summer Heat, BankAtlantic Center
Aug 14-16: Florida Marlins vs. Colorado Rockies, Land Shark Stadium
Aug 15: ArtWalk, Downtown Hollywood & ArtsPark
Aug 17: Judas Priest featuring White Snake, Hard Rock Live
Aug 19: The Jonas Brothers World Tour, BankAtlantic Center
Aug 20: Crosby, Stills and Nash, Hard Rock Live
Aug 25-27: Florida Marlins vs. New York Mets, Land Shark Stadium
Aug 28-30: Florida Marlins vs. San Diego Padres, Land Shark Stadium
Aug 29: Jamie Foxx, BankAtlantic Center
Aug 29: O.A.R., Pompano Beach Amphitheater
Aug 31: Florida Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves, Land Shark Stadium
