SUNsational Service Courtesy Awards
We hope to see you on Thursday, December 3 for the annual holiday-themed Courtesy Awards luncheon at the Broward Convention Center, as frontline hospitality employees are recognized for going above and beyond and providing superior guest service. Please RSVP to Kim Canter at kcanter@broward.org.
Virgin America: From the Golden State to the Gold Coast
Sir Richard Branson launched Virgin America 2 daily nonstop from San Francisco International and Los Angeles International airports with a tarmac party at FLL followed by a gala at the W Fort Lauderdale.
Spreading Sunshine in the Big Apple
Greater Fort Lauderdale will have a strong presence in NYC this January with Times Square billboard above Toys R Us, the Beach on Wheels visits to the NY Boat Show and Madison Square Garden, 275 Taxi flip flops tops, and 10 wrapped SUVs. Plus TV spots on WNBC, WABC, WNYW, WCBS and our meeting planner reception with Nicki Grossman.
Superior Small Lodging Holiday Reception
Kicking off the holiday season, Superior Small Lodging members are invited to a special SSL holiday reception at the DeSoto Oceanview Inn in Hollywood today, Dec 1 from 5-7pm. There will also be a presentation of the 33 White Glove Awards.
Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade
This year's boat parade on Saturday, Dec 12 sets sail from the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The staging area starts the parade route west of Broward Center for the Performing Arts, past Esplanade Park stretching to Las Olas Riverfront, then traveling east from Sailboat Bend to connect along the Intracoastal Waterway and continue north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. On board the Grand Marshal Showboat, the Grand Floridian 125 ft, five deck mega yacht, 400 passengers along with this year's Grand Marshals, Alonzo Mourning and Kim Kardashian. www.winterfestparade.com
Hotel News
Two new hotels opened in Dania Beach. Fairfield Inn & Suites Hotel with 157 rooms and Homewood Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport/Cruise Port. In Fort Lauderdale, The Sun Tower Hotel & Suites completed renovations, representing a boutique style hotel with softgoods and upgraded amenities. New tropical landscaping along with its new oceanfront terrace allows all guests to enjoy a picturesque view of Atlantic. www.iwantbeach.com. The Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach welcomes their new director of sales, Tom Miller.
Port Everglades Welcomes 5 New Ships
Port Everglades welcomed Royal Caribbean International's 5,400-guest Oasis of the Seas. Also new at Port Everglades are MSC Poesia and Seabourn Odyssey. The 2,550-passenger Italian cruise ship, MSC Poesia, is the third and newest ship in MSC Cruises' Musica-class of ships. Seabourn Cruise Line's Seabourn Odyssey, the smallest cruise vessel launched this year worldwide. Celebrity Cruise Line's Celebrity Equinox made its U.S. debut at Port Everglades on Nov 19. Silversea Cruises will name its new 540-guest luxury cruise ship Silver Spirit at Port Everglades.
Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2009
The 2009 Broward County Sports Hall of Fame, honoring Broward's sports legends, took place Tuesday, November 17 at the Broward County Convention Center. Congratulations to the Class of 2009: Jeff Conine - Baseball, Ricardo Liborio – Mixed Martial Arts, Coach Michael Lohberg - Swimming, John Offerdahl - Football, Coach Herman Pittman - Basketball, Dara Torres - Swimming.
Dine Out Lauderdale extended
With a dozen restaurants offering three-course dinner menus for $35, Dine Out Lauderdale has been extended through December 11. Visit www.sunny.org/dineout for the participating restaurants and special menus.
Convention Sales Team Update
The convention sales team recently participated in Rejuvenate Conference, Society of Incentive Travel Executives – Annual Meeting, GFLCVB Sales Mission in DC, MPI Florida Chapters Board of Directors Retreat, VISIT Florida’s Florida Encounter, SGMP Southern Regional Conference, MPI New England Fall Educational Institute, ASAE & The Center Partnership Summit, PCMA New England Board of Directors Retreat, and Meeting Masters.
Catch the sales team soon at these upcoming events and tradeshows:
Dec 1–4: EIBTM, Barcelona, Spain
Dec 2–5: National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Daytona Beach
Dec 8–10: Int’l Association of Exhibitions and Events Expo!Expo!, Atlanta
Dec 15: Association Forum’s Holiday Showcase, Chicago
Dec 15: CVB Reps Annual Holiday Event, DC
Upcoming Convention Sales Missions:
Tallahassee (Michele Bemis): Jan 19–21
New York Sales Mission (Christine Tascione): Jan 26–28
Carolina Sales Mission (Michele Bemis): Mar 8-12
Chicago Sales Mission (Nora Gorman): Mar 22–25
Mid-Atlantic Region (Christine Tascione/ Dion James): May 11–13
Houston, TX (Angella Lopez): May 18–20
Philadelphia, PA (Christine Tascione/ Dion James): June 8–10
Michigan (Stacy Copeland): June 22-24
Want to join us? Contact the group sales team leader listed.
December Group Sales Update
Groups meeting in December will generate more than $5 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
Dec 3-16: CSPA 96th Annual Meet (600 attendees)
Dec 4-13: ACNP Annual Conference 2009 (900 attendees)
Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in December, with more than 32,500 competitors plus family and friends:
Dec 2-6: Nat’l Association of Student Activities (1000 attendees)
Dec 3-6: International Soccer Officials Summit (2300 attendees)
Dec 4-6: US Cricket Open (800 attendees)
Dec 4-6: FGC 8 and under Swim Meet (600 attendees)
Dec 4-6: USAG Level 4 State Championships (100 attendees)
Dec 4-6: FLA Archery Association Club Shoot NAFAC (250 attendees)
Dec 4-6: FL Jr. Panther Squirt Showdown (500 attendees)
Dec 5-7: Masters Swim Meet (1750 attendees)
Dec 6-11: National Football League Production Meetings (300 attendees)
Dec 7-9: Dixie Amateur - Seniors (500 attendees)
Dec 11-13: USA Wrestling - USA Grappling World Championships (800 attendees)
Dec 12-19: National Soccer Fest (2000 attendees)
Dec 15-Jan 15: 2009/2010 Winter Training (1500 attendees)
Dec 17-21: Nations Super 8 State Tournament (750 attendees)
Dec 17-24: Cruizin Classic (150 attendees)
Dec 17-22: Kreul Classic (3000 attendees)
Dec 17-20: Metro PCS OrangeBowl Basketball Classic (8000 attendees)
Dec 19-23: Dixie Amateur - Men's (600 attendees)
Dec 26-29: Orange Classic International Girls Soccer (5000 attendees)
Dec 26-30: Christmas Soccer Invitational (2000 attendees)
Dec 31-Jan 3: Dixie Amateur - Women's (500 attendees)
Tourism Sales
Alfredo Gonzalez and Nicki Grossman attended the World Travel Market in London and the Italy Showcase in Rome. Fernando Harb and Josh Winston brought the Immersadome to the DEMA Trade Show in Orlando and the NACTA Trade Show at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel. In conjunction with Elena Bogatyrew from the GFLCVB’s Argentina Sales Office, Fernando also attended the FIT Trade Show in Buenos Aires. Josh Winston participated in the Cruise Planners Trade Show at the Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale and NestFest at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina. Josh also hosted a Lufthansa FAM for Norwegian travel agents visiting Greater Fort Lauderdale. Justin Flippen showcased the destination to members of two FAM groups- Visit Florida China United Airlines and Visit USA Committee Ireland.
The Plane Facts: FLL News
Total passenger traffic for September was 1,312,189, up 8% over Sept 2008 and international traffic was 163,284, up 8.6% over last year. FLL is in the top 5 airports in terms of positive increases over last year. Contributing to the projected growth is the arrival of Virgin America, AirTran to Flint, Akron, and Harrisburg, Spirit to Armenia, Colombia, and JetBlue to SFO. The Colombian airline, Aires, launched its first flight to the United States from Bogota and in December, Frontier will add a second flight to Denver and Midwest Airlines returns to FLL. Frontier will be handling Midwest as they are both now part of Republic. Condor starts twice weekly service from Frankfurt to FLL on May 14. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the Broward County Aviation Department are hosting the 21st Annual Winter Festival of Music now through Dec 4.
FLL Volunteer Program is SUNsational
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Volunteer Ambassadors are trained in customer service to assist passengers with many questions they have about the airport facilities or services. Volunteer Ambassadors are located in each of the terminals and can be recognized by their red jackets. They are diplomats of goodwill making a positive impression on the more than 22 million passengers traveling through the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport each year. Anyone interested in becoming a Volunteer Ambassador can contact the Volunteer Coordinator (954) 359-2589.
Light Up Lauderdale
Enjoy the holiday themed promenade of lights along the Riverwalk Park and through Fort Lauderdale’s business, cultural, entertainment and historical districts now through Jan 10. www.lightuplauderdale.com
Air Lauderdale
The 2010 Air Lauderdale Beach Fest, in combination with next year’s Fleet Week, will kick off 10 days of fun activities in honor of the U.S. military. This two-day celebration, April 24-25, will feature top military and civilian performances along four miles of Fort Lauderdale beach. www.airlauderdale.com
Good Eats
Satoro Restaurant & Lounge celebrated its grand opening in downtown Hollywood, where restaurant owners presented 65 cases of food to the City of Hollywood Community Harvest which benefits those in need. As part of its commitment to give back to the community, Satoro will donate $5 for every order of a 22 oz. rib steak to Community Harvest through December. www.satororestaurant.com. LIPS, the ultimate in drag dining, continues to be the best party place for this holiday season and any other special occasion with a leading cast of female impersonators, top-notch cuisine and wonderful spirits. www.lipsusa.com. To see LIPS on The Travel Channel CLICK HERE. Enjoy great discounts this holiday season at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Receive a complimentary $10 Gump Card for every $50 in Gift Cards purchased and a $25 Gump Card for every $75 in Gift Cards purchased. Contact Ligia Collins at (954) 463-0777 or lcollins@bubbagump.com.
Attraction News
This holiday season, shoppers to Festival Flea Market have even more gift choices with the grand opening of Hillsboro Antique Mall www.hillsboroantiquemall.com that recently moved into the popular off-retail destination. South Florida’s largest antique mall brings more than 200 dealers specializing in antiques and collectible treasures from the past to its new 30,000-square-foot home at Festival Flea Market Mall. www.festival.com. Guy Harvey is coming to the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum for a special meet & greet and signing on Dec 11 from 12-2pm. Bring your own Guy Harvey memorabilia or purchase merchandise at the IGFA gift shop. Laura Wyatt, author of Those Outrageous Owls, will sign her book in the Gift Shop at Flamingo Gardens from 10am to 1pm on Dec 20. Inside the Gardens on that day, Santa visits the historic Wray Home from 1-4pm with a special holiday concert by Violins in Motion starting at 1pm. www.flamingogardens.org
Gaming News
The holiday season is full of great ways to win at the Isle Casino Pompano Park. Every Sunday, through Jan 3, play the $1,000,000 Football Frenzy, win a share of $15,000 in prizes including two tickets to the big game at Dolphin Stadium. Go to www.theislepompanopark.com for promotions.
South Florida Hospitality Holiday Party
Thursday, Dec 10, 7pm at FIU’s Kovens Center for the annual industry-wide holiday party that benefits the FIU School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, and K.I.S.S. The party will feature foods and drink, entertainment, raffle prizes and more. Register before 12/7 to get discounted admission. www.southfloridaindustryholidayparty.com
Tourism Crisis Management Leadership Workshop
Hear what leaders have to say about being prepared and what happens when you are not! Learn the four phases of tourism crisis management planning: Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery. Get a template to build your Tourism Crisis Management Plan. Jan 24–26, 2010 at the UF Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Gainesville, FL. Register at www.tourismcrisis.com
Happenings Around Town
Through Jan 10: Light Up Lauderdale, downtown Fort Lauderdale
Dec 1-6: A Christmas Carol, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 1: Christmas on Las Olas
Dec 2: Dinner and a Séance, Fifth Avenue Grill, Lighthouse Point
Dec 2: Florida Panthers vs. Colorado Avalanche, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 4-5: Rita Moreno, Miniaci Performing Arts Center
Dec 4: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 5: Florida Panthers vs. Atlanta Thrashers, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 5: Hollywood Beach Candy Cane Parade, Hollywood Beach Broadwalk
Dec 5: The Chocolate Nutcracker, Broward County Main Library
Dec 6: SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch, Riverwalk, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Dec 6: Master Chorale of South Florida performs Handel’s “Messiah” Broward Center
Dec 7-9: Dixie Amateur Seniors, Heron Bay Golf Club
Dec 7: Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 8: Holiday Concert Featuring Florida’s Singing Sons Boychoir, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 8-Jan 16: Winter Wonderland, Plantation Historical Museum
Dec 9: Christmas by the Sea, Lauderdale by the Sea
Dec 9: Tribute to Eddie Higgins, Gold Coast Jazz, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 10: Brazilian Voices, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 11: Guy Harvey Signing, IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum
Dec 11: Sean Paul & Shaggy, Hard Rock Live
Dec 11-13: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Miami City Ballet, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 12: Y100 Jingle Ball, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 12: Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, downtown Fort Lauderdale
Dec 12: Synergy, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
Dec 12: Santa’s Holiday Revue, Miramar Cultural Center / ArtsPark
Dec 12-13: The Nutcracker, Coral Springs Center for the Arts
Dec 13: Lionel Richie, Hard Rock Live
Dec 13: Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade, Intracoastal, Pompano Beach
Dec 13: Rainbow Fish, Miniaci Performing Arts Center
Dec 15: Viva Espana, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 17-19: World Salsa Championships, Hard Rock Live
Dec 16: A Night Before Christmas, Parker Playhouse
Dec 16: Florida Panthers vs. Atlanta Thrashers, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 17-20: World of Jewtopia, Coral Springs Center of the Arts
Dec 17-22: Kreul Classic, Coral Springs Gymnasium
Dec 18: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 18-20: My Mother is Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m Home for the Holidays, Broward Center
Dec 18: Winter Wonderland, Sabel Pines Park, Coconut Creek
Dec 18: Winterfest Fort Lauderdale Bus Loop, Fort Lauderdale
Dec 19: MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 23-Jan 17: Phantom of the Opera, Broadway, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 26-31: Defending the Caveman, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 26-Jan 1: Orange Classic International Girls Soccer, Plantation
Dec 27: Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 29-30: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 31: Florida Panthers vs. Montreal Canadiens, BankAtlantic Center
Dec 31: Salute to Vienna, Coral Springs Center for the Arts
With all best wishes,
Nicki E. Grossman
President
