DEFROST YOUR SWIMSUIT IN TORONTO
The “Defrost Your Swimsuit” campaign launched with a bang (or a brrrr) in Toronto on November 20. Check out the photo album http://on.fb.me/sG7G2a from Yonge-Dundas Square before, during and after the Santa Claus Parade. We head to NYC and London in January with "Defrost Your Swimsuit" with print, outdoor media, social media integration, sweepstakes and giveaways. Watch a video recap here

OCTOBER STATS SHOW UPTICK
Growth in hotel occupancy continues (for the past 23 months), with the highest October hotel occupancy since 2004, outpacing Florida and the U.S. Second highest occupancy in the state at 66.8%.Year-to-date hotel occupancy is up 5.4% over 2010. Average Daily Rate has grown in past 8 months, with October ADR at $102.93, the highest October rate since 2008. Year-to-date, ADR is up 1.3% over 2010.

COURTESY AWARDS CLASS OF 2011
For more than 20 years, the GFLCVB has been recognizing outstanding service in the tourism industry with the Courtesy Awards program which encourages hospitality and courtesy among those who directly serve Broward visitors. Today, on December 1, the Class of 2011, with 124 nominees, were recognized for their SUNsational Service at a special luncheon held at the Broward County Convention Center. Congratulations to the 12 finalists: Sara Bitzer, The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale; Jason Angelo Calleri, Everglades Day Safari; Jennipher Montgomerie-Caso, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina; Adam Catania, Sheraton Suites Plantation; Stevenson Monfiston, Broward County Transit; Hartlean Pryor, Riverside Hotel; James Poole, Broward Sheriff's Office, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport; Evens Toussaint, Hilton Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton; Dannielle Norius, Days Inn Hollywood; Margie Grimes, Broward County Parks & Recreation; Author Thomspon, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort; and Bianca Evariste, The Paradies Shops, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.

WINTERFEST BOAT PARADE'S 40th ANNIVERSARY
This year's Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade sets sail on Sat, Dec 10 from the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The parade starts at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, passing Esplanade Park stretching to Las Olas Riverfront, then traveling east to connect along the Intracoastal Waterway and continuing north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. On board the Grand Marshal Showboat, the Floridian Princess, 400 passengers party with this year's Grand Marshal, Barry Gibb. Receive $2 off adult grandstand admission with Visit Lauderdale promo code: WINTERNUT11 www.winterfestparade.com

BE MERRY, B-CYCLE
Get your bike shorts on! Bike sharing comes to Broward on Dec 14 with the launch of B-Cycle. Three locations kick it off with festivities in Hollywood 10am (326 Johnson Street), Fort Lauderdale 1:30pm (Esplanade Park), and Pompano Beach 4pm (Pompano Beach Aquatic Center). 954-467-6822. Click here for details.

TOURISM SALES
In November, Alfredo Gonzalez began the month at FIT in Argentina and at World Travel Market in London. Alfredo was also in Toronto on a Canadian Sales Mission. Fernando Harb was at DEMA in Orlando and represented the Tourism Sales Department at Spirit Airlines’ inaugural flight to Toluca, Mexico. Fernando also attended the Gramado Tourism Fair in Brazil. Josh Winston attended US Airways Vacations Product Launch in Phoenix, AZ and hosted Nordic Insight’s travel agent destination preview. 

FLL FLYING HIGH
The Fort Lauderdale-International Airport welcomed more than 23 million visitors in FY2011, up 6.8% over FY2010. Domestic traffic was up 6% and international traffic saw double digit growth, up 11% over FY2010. The combination of larger aircraft and higher load factors were the drivers behind passenger growth for the year. New air service: Vision began service from Freeport in Nov; American began new service to LAX in Nov and adds Chicago and Dallas in Feb; Allegiant has new service from Bangor, Lexington and Grand Rapids (seasonal) in Nov; Southwest from Milwaukee and Manchester in Feb; Cuba service will increase to two weekly flights; both Spirit and JetBlue have been given rights to additional flights to Bogota which should begin in 2012. Free E-Books! Upon arrival at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, travelers can now access free downloadable e-books. The free program, a service of Broward County Libraries, offers more than 15,000 book titles easily accessible by simply scanning a Quick Response (QR) code displayed on screens at baggage claim.

PORT EVERGLADES NEWS
Port Everglades logged a record 3.66 million multi-day cruise passengers in FY 2011. During 2012, Port Everglades is expecting another estimated 3.6 million multi-day passengers, including nine days with eight cruise ships. The Port broke its world record on Nov 26 for the highest number of cruise guests embarking and debarking in a single day. Royal Caribbean International's 3,634-guest Liberty of the Seas arrived on Nov 12, Seabourn's new 450-guest luxury Seabourn Quest arrived on Nov 21, and P&O Cruises' 710-guest Adonia will make a first call on March 26, 2012.

IM"PORT"ANT DAY FOR PORT EVERGLADES' PHIL ALLEN
More than 350 people honored Phillip C. Allen, Director of Port Everglades, at the 16th Annual South Florida Business Leader of the Year Award event hosted by Holland America Line to benefit the Seafarers’ House on Nov 4. Honorees are selected for their acknowledged leadership in their field, entrepreneurial spirit and long-term contributions to the success of the South Florida business community. The Broward County Board of County Commissioners also designated November 4, 2011, as “PHIL ALLEN APPRECIATION DAY” in Broward County, FL in recognition of Allen’s outstanding contributions to the maritime industry and Broward County.

CONVENTION SALES TEAM UPDATE
The convention sales team recently participated in the following: Tallahassee Tailgate Event; GFLCVB Destination Preview; Rejuvenate Marketplace, San Jose; ASAE Partner Summit, Carlsbad, CA; PCMA Convene Forum, Cancun; Florida Encounter, Daytona Beach; Meeting Masters, Hilton Head Island, SC
.
Catch the sales team at these upcoming events and tradeshows:

Mark your calendars for these upcoming 2012 Destination Previews (dates subject to change):
Florida Derby Destination Preview: March 29–April 1, 2012
Sunsational Summer Splash: June 7–10, 2012
Super September Destination Preview: September 27–30, 2012
Fabulous Fort Lauderdale Fall Destination Preview: November 1–4, 2012

DECEMBER GROUP SALES UPDATE
Groups meeting in December will generate more than $4 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:      
Dec 1-14:          Consumer Speciality Products Association Annual Meeting (600 attendees)
Dec 3-6:            Airport Minority Advisory Council Economic Forum (150 attendees)
Dec 4-11:          NACVA Consultants Traning Institute (80 attendees)
Dec 5-10:          Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (400 attendees)
Dec 8-11:          Society of Acuaries Group & Health (103 attendees)
Dec 16-19:        American Atheists Regional Meeting (200 attendees)
Dec 25-Jan 1:    Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity (400 attendees)
Dec 31-Jan 8:    American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians Annual Scientific Session (180 attendees)

MULTICULTURAL MEETINGS
Albert Tucker, VP of Multicultural Development, and his team, will host a destination preview for religious meeting planners on Dec 1-3. Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) Conference at Hilton Marina Hotel on Dec 4-6.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Greater Fort Lauderdale recently worked with Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa to host a group of journalists from AOL Canada, Pathfinders Travel Magazine, Travelweek, and Oceanfront Magazine who toured Greater Fort Lauderdale including a trip to the Everglades, Water Taxi tour and dinner and nightlife on Las Olas Boulevard. Links to resulting articles thus far: http://www.travelweek.ca/blogs/press-trips-and-events/2615 ; http://tripatlas.com/guides/Florida/2207/Coming_eye_to_eye_with_a_Florida_alligator The communications department attended World Travel Market 2011 in London, England last month and met with dozens of UK-based journalists promoting Greater Fort Lauderdale’s sunny pleasures and hidden treasures including a bloggers event hosted by Visit Florida and a luncheon hosted by the CVB prior to the trade show.

WEDDING PROMOTION
Greater Fort Lauderdale’s LauderLove hosted a wedding promotion to celebrate 11-11-11. Working with HR1 Radio in Frankfurt Germany and Condor Airlines, one lucky couple won an unforgettable wedding aboard a Condor transatlantic flight to Fort Lauderdale followed by a reception and honeymoon activities in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The couple, joined by 11 friends and family and German media, arrived at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport where our Ambassador of Bliss met the couple and the wedding party with limo and van service from USA Transportation. They were whisked to The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale where they enjoyed a wedding reception complete with champagne toast and beautiful beach-themed wedding cake at Shula’s on the Beach. The weekend continued with a trip to Sawgrass Recreation Park and a shopping excursion at Sawgrass Mills Mall. Before returning home the group boarded a Water Taxi for a tour of the “Venice of America.”

FILM & ENTERTAINMENT
Noelle Stevenson attended the Black Pearl Fashion & Film Gala, hosted by the American InterContinental University, where students from fashion and film departments showcased a series of short films. Film & Entertainment partnered with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers annual event (AICP) held in South Florida. Noelle attended the International Emmy’s Awards festival week promoting Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward as a key location for film and TV. She has met with key music entities in Broward exploring an Indie music festival in the destination. The Film & Entertainment Office will soon launch Underground Lauderdale promoting music, film, fashion and art in Broward. Noelle met with Spotlight Fashion & Music group in Fort Lauderdale, F.A.T Village, Music Driven, Entertainment and Revolution.

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
TV Series: HGTV’s Bang For Your Buck; MSNBC Verdict: You Decide; HGTV’s Color Splash with David Bromstad; HGTV’s Live Here, Buy This; The L Lounge; Who The Bleep Did I Marry?; HGTV’s House Hunters; Spring Training (family reality show); Immigrants; Gator Boys; Swamp Wars; Comcast Community Vision; nuvoTV’s Operation Osmin; The Balancing Act. Feature Films: Can You Hear Me Now? Telenovelas: Mi Corazon Insiste; Una Maid en Manhattan; Grachi (Season 2). TV Commercials: French Renault; Disney / Nintendo 3DS; Sabritas (Mexican snack company); Urban Legends: Fox Sports Florida; Dog Training Leash; Schmidt Insurance; Potential Church; Sea-Bond; Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital; Lenovo Computers; Spec Spot; Humana; Fort Lauderdale Fire and Safety Museum.Still Photography: BJ’s Spring Catalog; Justice Spring Preview; Next; Roderick Reeves; Kohl’s; Walmart. Documentaries: All Wars End; Bond Arms.

SPORT LAUDERDALE
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes sporting events in November with more than 33,250 attendees, including the Orange Bowl Junior Tennis Classic, Dec 9-18 (Plantation) and Orange Classic Girls Soccer, Dec 27-31.

FLORIDA PANTHERS: WE SEE RED
Catch one of the many home games at the BankAtlantic Center: Dec 5: Washington Capitals; Dec 13: New Jersey Devils; Dec 16: Calgary Flames; Dec 18: Carolina Hurricanes; Dec 20: Phoenix Coyotes; Dec 27: Toronto Maple Leafs; Dec 30: New York Rangers; Dec 31: Montreal Canadiens. Go to: http://panthers.nhl.com to get your tickets.

ESCAPE TO ITALY, WITHOUT LEAVING HOME
South Floridians are the first in the nation to view an extraordinary exhibition Offering of the Angels: Old Master Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery, on exhibit now through April at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale Nova Southeastern University. The Uffizi houses one of the world's greatest collections of paintings and tapestries, many of which were originally commissioned by members of the Medici family. See the works of the greatest artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including Sandro Botticelli, Parmigianino, Alessandro Allori, Luca Giordano, and Lorenzo Monaco.

HOTEL NEWS
Here comes the bride: Deerfield Beach Resort by Wyndham offers new wedding packages, starting at $89 per person, giving couples the choice of a natural beach ceremony or a ceremony on property, followed by an elegant indoor reception and dinner in the Royal Palm Ballroom. Kolter Commercial has purchased the Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale Airport North located near Port Everglades Cruise Terminal, the Broward County Convention Center and Hollywood International Airport. The hotel has been renamed the Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale 17th Street Convention Center. Congrats to The Pillars Hotel, a Superior Small Lodging, for being voted one of the 50 best small hotels (#14 to be exact) in the US for 2011 by readers of the Conde’ Nast Traveler magazine: http://bit.ly/uuKGDC. The Pillars Hotel is also ranked as number one on Trip Advisor among all 4 and 5 star Fort Lauderdale hotels.

ATTRACTION AND RESTAURANT NEWS
The sunny.org flip flop adorns the top of the Water Taxi Tropic Cat. Get your taste buds ready: The Restaurant People, owners of YOLO, VIBE and other successful Broward restaurants, announce their latest venture, S3 (Sun, Surf & Sand), which will open on the ground floor of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort as a midpriced dining experience by the middle of next year.

HSMAI SOUTH FLORIDA AWARDS GALA
Congratulations to the following award-winners, who were recognized at the annual HSMAI South Florida Awards Gala in Oct: General Manager of the Year - Heiko Dobrikow, The Riverside Hotel; Sales & Marketing Professional of the Year - Mari Garcia, Hilton Worldwide; Revenue Manager of the Year - Denease Butt, The Riverside Hotel; and Hospitality Legend - Mike Hampton, FIU

SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HOLIDAY PARTY
December 14 marks the annual hospitality industry party, hosted by Revolution Live/America's Backyard. This industry-wide charity event will feature food and drink, entertainment, raffle prizes and more from 6-9pm. Proceeds benefit Feeding South Florida. Participating associations include FAME, HSMAI, ISES, SFMPI, NACE, NAWP and SITE. http://www.southfloridaindustryholidayparty.com.

PICTURE PERFECT
A gorgeous photo of Hillsboro Lighthouse taken by Gregory Anderson was Florida Travel + Life’s 2011 Photo Contest Winner http://bit.ly/vI8rCQ

SCUBA WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT
Allen "Grouper" Sherrod returns to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea for a second attempt at a new Guinness World Record of 72 hours, the longest underwater stay in salt water. Entering the ocean in front of the Windjammer at 10am on Thursday, Dec 1 and, if successful, comes out on Sunday morning at 10am. Gold Coast Scuba is looking for divers to spend time underwater with the "Grouper" during those 72 hours, especially the overnight hours. Call 954-616-5909 if you can volunteer some dive time. Grouper has a self-contained underwater loudspeaker system (SCULS), that enables him to play his favorite Jimmy Buffet tunes and also talk to anyone who pays him a visit. Grouper chose Lauderdale-By-The-Sea because of its designation as the "Shore Dive Capital of South Florida" and because of the recent launch of the Biorock Reef Project, a scientifically engineered method of timely rebuilding damaged and destroyed coral reefs off US beaches. Allen "Grouper" Sherrod is dedicating his world record attempt to raise awareness to the plight of coral reefs around the world.

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN
Through Jan 14: Light Up Lauderdale, downtown Fort Lauderdale
Through Apr 8: Offering of the Angels: Old Master Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery, Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
Dec 1: Margaret Cho, Parker Playhouse
Dec 1: Smokey Robinson, Hard Rock Live
Dec 1-4: Scuba World Record Attempt, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
Dec 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Broadwalk Friday Fest, Hollywood
Dec 3: 56th Annual Hollywood Beach Candy Cane Parade
Dec 3: Holiday Indie Craft & Gift Show, War Memorial Auditorium
Dec 4: Holiday Classic & Foreign Car Mega Show, Festival Flea Market Mall
Dec 4: SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch, Riverwalk, downtown Fort Lauderdale
Dec 5: Daryl Hall & John Oates, Hard Rock Live
Dec 5: Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 7: Christmas By The Sea, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
Dec 9-11: A Christmas Carol, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 10: Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade
Dec 10: Y-100 Jingle Ball, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 10-11: Yo Gabba Gabba Live, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 11: 49th Annual Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade
Dec 12: Fort Lauderdale History Center Speaker Series featuring author Harvey Oyer
Dec 12: Sounds of the Season symphony, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 13: Florida Panthers vs New Jersey Devils, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 14: South Florida Hospitality Holiday Party, America's Backyard/Revolution Live
Dec 15: Alice Cooper, Hard Rock Live
Dec 16: Florida Panthers vs Calgary Flames, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 16: The Nutcracker, Parker Playhouse
Dec 17: MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 17: Miracle on 34th Street, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 18: Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 20: Florida Panthers vs Phoenix Coyotes, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 21-24: Miami City Ballet's The Nutcracker, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 26: Hanukkah Festival, Gulfstream Park
Dec 27-Jan 1: Cirque Dreams - Holidaze, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 27: Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 27-28: Holiday Antique Show, War Memorial Auditorium
Dec 30: Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 31: Florida Panthers vs Montreal Canadiens, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 31: Paul Anka New Year's Eve, Hard Rock Live

Sunny wishes,

Nicki E. Grossman
President