HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY
6 more weeks of winter? Not for this groundhog. Our annual Groundhog Day email campaign was broadcast to 200,000 consumers. Watch as the groundhog escapes the winter gray and discovers a warm and inviting getaway amid the Blue Wave beaches and relaxing waterways. Consumers can then enter to receive one of 12 Greater Fort Lauderdale Beach Kits: http://sunny.org/groundhog .

YEAR-END STATS
Growth in hotel occupancy continues (for the past 25 months), with the highest December hotel occupancy since 2005, outpacing Florida and the U.S. and with the highest occupancy in the state at 72.6%. December’s Average Daily Rate is at $109.42, the highest December rate since 2008. November’s Revenue Collections are $2,996,037.24, up 15.69% over November 2010.

Year-to-date hotel occupancy is up 5.3% over 2010 and ADR is up 2.0% over 2010.

GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE WARMS UP NYC & LONDON
Greater Fort Lauderdale’s "Defrost Your Swimsuit" tour created a buzz last week attracting winter-weary New Yorkers to stop and take a look at our spectacular Greater Fort Lauderdale billboard that wraps around Toys R Us at 44th and Broadway. Here, we transformed a section of Times Square into a beach oasis featuring large ice blocks encasing colorful bikinis and swim trunks plus bikini-clad models frolicking in a Beach Mobile. Street teams handed out sunny.org ice scrapers and lip balms along with a chance to win a JetBlue Getaways vacation at www.sunny.org/defrost .In London, we set up camp at Canary Wharf, a busy financial center for morning commuters, with ice blocks and beach-wrapped taxis and a chance to win a Virgin Holidays getaway at www.sunny.org/uk . Click here to check out the video of our team. You can also see all the photos on our Facebook page: http://facebook.com/VisitLauderdale or click here to view the Defrost Your Swimsuit playlist on YouTube.

WE MADE THE NEWS
In NYC, we started the day bright and early with Good Morning America's Sam Champion broadcasting the weather from inside the Greater Fort Lauderdale Beach Mobile. ("It is 75 degrees and sunny today, in Fort Lauderdale"). Nicki Grossman did live TV interviews with FOX NY, World Journal, CBS TV, NBC TV , Family Forum Blog, La Presse and more. AP covered the campaign as well as Sun-Sentinel , NY Daily News , WPLG Ch. 10 , Orlando Sentinel, USAE News , and several travel blogs.

SEE HOW GOOD THE BEACH LOOKS ON YOU
A new Defrost Your Swimsuit app is now available FREE for the iPhone or iPad2. Click here to see how good the beach looks on you. Insert your face into pre-chosen female or male frozen swimwear options, then click the Defrost button and the image switches from an ice block shot to a sunny, swimsuit-fit image. Spread the word!

VALENTINE’S DAY
Visit http://sunny.org/valentine to see special Valentine’s Day offers for attractions, concerts, dining, and accommodations. It’s not too late to add yours. If you have a special romantic package or special spa treatments for two, wine pairings or other creative ideas, send to Kim Canter kcanter@broward.org.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US
We know you are a fan of ours at www.facebook/VisitLauderdale and are following us on www.Twitter/Visitlauderdale, but have you subscribed to our www.YouTube.com/VisitLauderdale channel? Here you will find all our latest videos. Also, have you checked out our www.FourSquare.com/VisitLauderdale page? We are posting tips daily. If you have some good tips, send them to Justin jflippen@broward.org and we’ll add them too.

FLL FLYING HIGH
Total traffic for November 2011 was 1,912,876, up .6% over last November. November marked the 27th consecutive month of positive growth in enplaned passengers, up .3% over last year.  November 2011 was busiest November on record. American Airlines added service to Chicago and Dallas this month. Southwest will begin service to Milwaukee and Manchester this month, and new service to San Juan in May. JetBlue will increase capacity to San Juan and Nassau and begin new service to Kingston in April. Spirit and JetBlue have been given rights for additional flights to Bogota which should begin within the next few months. Spirit will begin to return capacity to FLL on several international markets. 

PORT NEWS
Port Everglades hosted eight major cruise ships consecutively over three days in January, plus a new daily cruise ferry to the Bahamas. If lined up bow to stern, the line of vessels would be more than 4 miles long and stretch from the Port to Las Olas Boulevard.  Cruise travel celebrated a banner year at Broward County’s Port Everglades in 2011. Multi-day cruise passengers, those sailing on cruise ships for more than one night, reached a record 3,664,103 in FY 2011, a 10.6% increase from 3,314,208 in FY 2010. The total number of passengers, including single-day and multi-day, was 3,952,843 in FY 2011, up 7.6% from 3,674,226 passengers in FY 2010. Cruise traffic generated a record $56.7 million in revenue for FY 2011, which is 24.1% higher than in FY 2010. Thirteen cruise lines offered services at the Port in FY2011 via a 55-ship cruise fleet.

CONVENTION SALES TEAM UPDATE
The convention sales team recently participated in the following: PCMA Annual Meeting in San Diego, GFLCVB Tallahassee Sales Mission, Visit Florida Board of Directors Meeting in Tallahassee, New York Client Event and CVB Sunshine in the City, Religious Conference Management Association in Kansas City, and Northern California Chapter MPI Annual Meeting. Catch the sales team at these upcoming events and tradeshows:
Feb 8–10: AMC Institute
Feb 15–17: MPI Northern California Chapter Annual Meeting – San Francisco
Feb 22–24: Georgia MPI Meeting Expectations Conference – Atlanta
Feb 28: DMAI Destination Showcase – Washington, DC
Mark your calendars for these upcoming 2012 Destination Previews (dates subject to change):
Florida Derby Destination Preview: Mar 29–Apr 1
Fort Lauderdale Flies: Air Show Preview: Apr 26–29
Sunsational Summer Splash: June 7–10
Super September Destination Preview: Sept 27–30
Fabulous Fort Lauderdale Fall Destination Preview: Nov 8-11

FEBRUARY GROUP SALES UPDATE
Groups meeting in February will generate more than $18 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:   
Feb 1-5: Florida Huddle (320 attendees)
Feb 6-13: PRI-MED South (4000 attendees)
Feb 17-27: Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium (4500 attendees)
Feb 19-Mar 3: The BMO Capital Markets 2012 Annual Conference (1000 attendees)
Feb 21-24: MorningStar Chicago (200 attendees) 
Feb 22-25: SuperValu Pre-Cruise Group (500 attendees)

SPORT LAUDERDALE
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes sporting events in February with more than 14,000 attendees, including the A1A Marathon and Weston Soccer Cup.

2012 SPORTS APPRECIATION RECEPTION
Join the Greater Fort Lauderdale Sports Department in celebrating the success and business that sports bring to Broward at a special reception at 6:30pm followed by the Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings game at 7:30pm on Feb 9. RSVP by Feb 3 to Saskia Fisher sfisher@broward.org .

FILM & ENTERTAINMENT CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
TV Commercials: Home Depot; Omega: Swiss Luxury Watches; ALL (laundry detergent); Harley Davidson (3D product background masters); Armani Cologne; American Beverage Association; AutoNation; SmartMune; Buick  Still Photography: American Vogue; British Vogue; French Elle; Met Life; Plow & Hearth (home & garden); Leclerc; Style des Reves (custom dressmaking); F&F (European food products magazine); GQ; Cricket Council USA; South Coast Plaza catalog; Ellos (Swedish clothing catalog); Bon Prix (UK fashion catalog); Walmart; JC Penney catalog; Belk’s Better Men’s, Easter, and after-Easter catalogs  TV Series: Four Weddings; HBO’s 24/7 Flyers-Rangers; RelativityREAL’s Family Show; DIY Desperate Landscapes; Swamp Wars; Florida Travel + Life’s Affordable Luxury; Comcast Cable’s Around Town  Telenovelas: Corazon Valiente; Una Maid en Manhattan; Quiero Mi Boda (cross-cultural weddings)  Documentaries: World’s Top 5: Allure of the Seas (UK); I Am A Lonely Soul; Discovery Channel  Specials: Off Limits; Shark Advocates  Web: WPBT 2: Kid Vision VPK  Feature Films: Juicy  Video: Zumba Zin39 Live

TRAVELHOST ELITE MAGAZINE
Greater Fort Lauderdale Travelhost Elite Magazine will be recognizing local businesses that have gone above and beyond in establishing and carrying out “eco best practices” in the publication’s April/May annual eco-issue. Travelhost Publisher, Ina Lee, is looking for outstanding eco best practices by the hospitality industry for inclusion in this issue. Please send info on your top initiatives by Thurs, Feb 3, including awards received and certifications attained, in eco-conservation-sustainability to ina@travelhostftl.com. 

HOTEL NEWS
Happy Anniversary to The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, celebrating 10 years. Congrats to the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center and Spa and Ireland’s Steakhouse for receiving the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award for the fifth consecutive year. The hotel and Ireland’s Steakhouse are the only property and restaurant in Weston to hold this prestigious title and the Hyatt-Ireland’s combination is one of only three hotel-restaurant 2012 AAA Four Diamond pairings in Broward County. Congrats to Ed Lugo Resort (#5) and Alhambra Beach Resort (#19) for receiving TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Hotels for Service in the U.S. in the Traveler’s Choice 2012 awards. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino recently completed a renovation of its 481 iconic guestrooms to the tune of $7.8 million dollars.

WELCOME ABOARD
Hilton Worldwide recently appointed Jean-Claude Mathot as Manager Director for the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina and Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach. Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa welcomes Kimberly Wilson as the new General Manager. Sawgrass Mills appointed Victoria Ramani as the new Director of Tourism.

SEMINOLE CASINO COCONUT CREEK
On Thurs, Feb 2, the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek celebrates the opening of their $150 million expansion with Ty Pennington, host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”  The completely revitalized casinos offers new restaurants including the upscale NYY Steak, Sorrisi Italian and New York-style 1st Street Deli plus new slots, more table games, double the parking and their LEED certified green garage are all open. www.seminolecasinococonutcreek.com.

CONGRATS TO FLAMINGO GARDENS
Flamingo Gardens celebrates 85 years with the opening of "This Beauty Spot" and a tree planting ceremony Feb 22. Floyd L. Wray incorporated Flamingo Groves on Jan 2, 1927, beginning what was to become one of the first botanical gardens and tourist attractions in South Florida. The anniversary celebration starts at noon with a commemorative tree planting marking the first citrus tree planted on February 22, 1927.  

DID YOU KNOW?
According to Chemistry.com, Pompano Beach is the number one city to find a sensitive man: http://bit.ly/wbb9Ec. Who knew? And the Thunderbird Drive-In at the Swap Shop in Sunrise has been named one of the great “lover’s lanes” in VroomGirls story, “Parking in Cars with Boys: A List of Lover’s Lanes.” Click here for the complete story.

PACE YOURSELF: GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE WELCOMES A1A MARATHON
The Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon & Half Marathon invites you to participate in the 7th annual running of the event on Feb 19. Anyone interested can register at www.A1AMarathon.com.  

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN
Through Apr 8: Offering of the Angels: Old Master Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery, Museum of Art
Feb 1: Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 1: The Four Tops & The Temptations, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 3: Florida Panthers vs. Winnipeg Jets, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 3: USA Basketball and MetroPCS Dream Tour, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 3-4: Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show, Parker Playhouse
Feb 3-5: Miami City Ballet, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 5: Manatees, Oh My! Secret Woods Nature Center, Dania Beach
Feb 5: SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch, Riverwalk, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Feb 6: Tool, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 7: Willie Nelson, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 7: Night Hike, Secret Woods Nature Center, Dania Beach
Feb 8: Regis Philbin, Hard Rock Live
Feb 8: Sophie Milman, Gold Coast Jazz, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 9: Florida Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 9: GLBT Travel Expo, Pride Center of South Florida
Feb 9: Jeff Foxworthy, Hard Rock Live
Feb 10: Flower Show Design, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Feb 10-11: Shen Yun, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 11-12: American Glass, Pottery Dinnerware Show, Emma Lou Olson Civic Center
Feb 11: Bird Walk, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium
Feb 11: EcoAction Day, Secret Woods Nature Center, Dania Beach
Feb 11-Mar 11: Florida Renaissance Festival, Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach
Feb 11: Jeff Dunham, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 11: Make a  Flower Arrangement, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Feb 11-Mar 9: Abracadabra: Fifth Annual Exhibition, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood
Feb 14: Andrea Bocelli, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 14: Gladys Knight, Hard Rock Live
Feb 14: Love in the Park, Huizenga Plaza, downtown Fort Lauderdale
Feb 14: Patrizio Buanne, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 15: Florida Panthers vs. Ottawa Senators, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 16: Kelly Clarkson, Hard Rock Live
Feb 16-18: Rigoletto, Florida Grand Opera, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 17: Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 17: Live MMA Professional Fights, War Memorial Auditorium
Feb 17: Yonder Mountain String Band, Revolution Live
Feb 18: Get The Led Out, Parker Playhouse
Feb 18: Gold Coast Derby GRRLs, War Memorial Auditorium
Feb 18: Bret Michaels, Hard Rock Live
Feb 18: EcoAction Day, Anne Kolb Nature Center & Deerfield Island Park
Feb 18: Sunny Side Craft Show, Coral Ridge Mall
Feb 18-19: Buick Discovery Tour, Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale
Feb 19: A1A Marathon, Fort Lauderdale
Feb 19: Florida Panthers vs. Anaheim Ducks, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 21: Barry Gibb, Hard Rock Live
Feb 22: Taste of the Beach 2012, Lauderdale by the Sea
Feb 23: Diana Ross, Hard Rock Live
Feb 23: Florida Panthers vs. Minnesota Wild, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 24: Arlo Guthrie in "Boys Night Out" Parker Playhouse
Feb 24-26: Miami City Ballet, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 24-26: Big Cypress Shootout, Billie Swamp Safari
Feb 24: The Doobie Brothers, Hard Rock Live
Feb 25: Sistrunk Parade & Street Festival
Feb 26: Florida Panthers vs. Montreal Canadiens, BankAtlantic Center
Feb 27: Dick Fox’s Golden Boys: Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Hard Rock Live
Feb 28: From Austria with Love, Symphony of the Americas, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 29-Mar 4: Kathleen Turner in High, Parker Playhouse
Feb 29-Mar 11: Billy Elliot The Musical, Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Sunny wishes,


Nicki E. Grossman
President