Lights, Camera, Action
See you next Thursday, October 7: Greater Fort Lauderdale 2011 Marketing Plan Presentation
Join the crew at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau to preview the coming attractions for group and tourism sales, public relations and advertising, and film production at the Broward County Convention Center. Don’t miss the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Tradeshow before the luncheon at 10am. Discover what’s new with Broward’s top cultural groups, co-op advertising and hospitality service providers. RSVP to kcanter@broward.org.
Dine Out Lauderdale kicks off October 1
We invite you to dine out. Often. Experience the culinary greatness in Greater "Fork" Lauderdale during the 4th annual Dine Out Lauderdale, presented by American Express and sponsored by Grey Goose and E&J Gallo Winery, through November 11 with special $35 three-course dinner menus at more than 35 top Broward restaurants: Aizia at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Blue Moon Fish Co., By Word of Mouth, Cafe Maxx, Cafe Vico, Cantina Laredo Gourmet Mexican Food, The Capital Grille, China Grill at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, Coco Asian Bistro & Bar, da Campo Osteria by Todd English at il Lugano, East City Grill, 15th Street Fisheries, Galanga Thai Kitchen & Sushi Bar, 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, Links Restaurant & Lounge at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Lola's on Harrison, Mai-Kai Restaurant and Show, The Melting Pot, Morton's The Steakhouse, North Ocean Grille at the Pelican Grand, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Sea Level Restaurant & Ocean Bar at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Shula's on the Beach at the Westin Beach Resort,Fort Lauderdale, (Congrats to Shula’s on the Beach for winning the People’s Choice Award at the first annual NBC Miami Crush & Cuisine food and wine event.) SoLita Las Olas, Sunfish Grill, III Forks Steak & Seafood, 3030 Ocean at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Tokyo Blue at Ocean Manor Resort, Trina at The Atlantic Hotel, Truluck's Seafood Steak and Crab House, Via Luna at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. Visit www.sunny.org/dineout for details and menus.
Award-Winning GFLCVB
At the Governor's Conference on Tourism, Nicki Grossman was presented with three Flagler Awards from VISIT FLORIDA, receiving “Henry’s” for the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB iVisitLauderdale IPhone app; Meeting Professionals program, and Rainbow Calendar.
Lauderdale Spa Chic extended through Oct 31 and beyond
Lauderdale Spa Chic $99 spa treatments have been extended through Oct 31 and beyond at 11 spas. Book your spa treatments today at: The Atlantic Resort & Spa; Harbor Beach Marriott Resort; Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six; Lago Mar Resort and Club; Residence Inn by Marriott Oceanfront; The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale; The W Fort Lauderdale; The Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale; Contour Day Spa; Diva’s Day Spa; and Planet Massage. For details visit www.sunny.org/spachic.
Get OUT the Vote for Fort Lauderdale!
Fort Lauderdale has been nominated for the Best Gay US Destination award by Tripout Gay Travel, the travel website for Logo, MTV’s LGBT Network. http://www.tripoutgaytravel.com. Voting runs through Oct 18. Pass it on!
Greater Fort Lauderdale Film Commission
We’re happy to report A&E’s number one series, The Glades, will be returning for Season 2. The show is shot almost entirely in Broward County, bringing an estimated economic impact of $17 million over a six month period. The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival starts Oct 22-Nov 11 and the 2nd Annual Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival begins Oct 7-10 at The Manor in Wilton Manors. Current productions in the works: TV Series: The Glades, TVM Productions; Pretty Ricky, VH1/New Pop Culture Productions; Reality TV Series: MADE - Emma Pagano, New Remote Productions, Inc. /MTV Networks; Telenovela: Alquien Te Mira, Telemundo; TV Commercials: Honda: Let’s Celebrate the Weekend, Aca Films, Inc.; American Signature/Home Court Furniture featuring LeBron James, Limey (Los Angeles); Find Your Sunny Couple, LP Media; Boom-A-Ring and I-Renew Bracelet, Hutton Miller, LLC; Documentaries: A Family Member Home Care, Sheetz Multimedia; Feature Films: Magic City, Battle Pictures; Why Can’t We Have Nice Things? Ask Media Productions; Still Photography: Paneta Feroz, VMETV Spanish PBS; Crocs, Integrity Productions, Inc.
Here comes the sun
Congratulations to our Facebook friend, FtLauderdaleSun, whose photo was named Best in Show for cell phone photography by Wired Magazine. Click here to view.
Cruise News
Port Everglades is destined to make international news again when it welcomes the second of the world's largest cruise ships. Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International's second Oasis-class cruise ship, will be named at her homeport, Port Everglades, and begin sailing every Sunday year-round on Dec 5, 2010. In addition, four other newly built cruise ships will debut at Port Everglades this season: Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam, Nov 7; Seabourn Cruise Line will celebrate the United States' debut of the Seabourn Sojourn, Nov 15; and Cunard Line's new Queen Elizabeth, Jan 16, 2011. And, P&O Cruises will have three cruise ships calling at Port Everglades for the first time, including the line's new Azura, Dec 20, 2010; Aurora, Oct 26; and Ventura, Jan 4, 2011.
Fort Lauderdale Centennial Committee Seeks Historic Photographs
The Centennial Celebration Committee invites residents and organizations to submit photographs from the past century to commemorate the City’s colorful past and recount its evolution. Black and white or color photography of families, landmarks, scenic beach or cityscapes are of particular interest. Photographs are to be scanned at the highest resolution available to the sender (at a max10MB file size) and submitted digitally via email to centennial@fortlauderdale.gov. Please caption any persons pictured with first and last name, note location and approximate year the photo was taken. To learn more about the Centennial Celebration, visit www.fortlauderdale.gov. (Photo courtesy of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. Gene Hyde Collection. H21975.5)
Media Center
Greater Fort Lauderdale will host a press group from the UK and Scotland, Oct 13-17, with journalists from the Metro, The Daily Mirror, Chat Magazine, and The Scotsman. Media relations efforts are underway in the UK to promote the arrival of Allure of the Seas, the new 5,400-passenger Genesis class ship. A media fam of 20 journalists from the UK, Ireland and Scotland arrives in GFL in November. Any hotels or attractions interested in offering the group experiences in the destination, please contact Jessica Taylor at jtaylor@broward.org. In January, Southwest Airlines will celebrate 15 years of service to the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. In celebration of this partnership, Greater Fort Lauderdale will be featured in the January 2011 issue of Southwest Airlines' inflight publication Spirit Magazine. For more information about the Fort Lauderdale feature and advertising rates contact Erin O’Brien at erin.obrien@paceco.com or (336) 383-5825.
Multiculturally Speaking
Greater Fort Lauderdale hosts The Onyx Group Annual Conference Blackout XV Oct 7-11 and Wisdom Women Worldwide 6th Annual Conference at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Oct 9-12.
Flying High at FLL
Total passenger traffic for the month of August was 1,862,060, up 4.3% over August 2009. International traffic was 325,629, up 9.9% over August year. August marked the achievement of one year of positive growth in total passenger traffic and was the highest month on record for in international traffic. The outlook for the remainder of the year looks very positive. Southwest will begin service to Phoenix and Hartford in November and will also add a second Denver flight. Spirit will increase its daily available seats by 14.6% with additional service to Boston, Tampa, Las Vegas and most of their international destinations. JetBlue will begin new service to DCA and Hartford in November, and Allegiant has announced new service to Savannah and Elmira (NY) also in November. And AA will be back in the NY market with a daily flight to JFK in November.
Convention Sales Team Update
The convention sales team recently participated in the following: HSMAI Affordable Meeting National in Washington, DC; PCMA New England Board Meeting and Boston Sales Calls in Boston; Cirque du Soleil OVO Client Event in Washington, DC; HelmsBriscoe Regional Event in Hollywood, FL; MPI Business Forum in Dallas; VISIT FLORIDA Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Orlando; and St. Louis Sales Mission and Cardinals Client Event.
Catch the sales team at these upcoming events and tradeshows:
Oct 4–6: PCMA Partner Forum, Charlotte, NC
Oct 11–15: GFLCVB New York City Sales Mission and Client Event, NYC
Oct 11–15: GFLCVB Atlanta Sales Mission and Client Event
Oct 19–21 TSAE Education Day, Tallahassee
Oct 24–27: Meeting Industry Ladies Invitational, Orlando, FL
October Group Sales Update
Groups meeting in October will generate more than $175 million to Broward County. Sample groups include:
Oct 5-10: Real Estate Owned Managers Association of California (600 attendees)
Oct 6-15: 2010 Air Medical Transport Conference (1,000 attendees)
Oct 10-13: VCI Group 2010 Annual Conference (400 attendees)
Oct 15-19: Sysco Food Services of South Florida (1,075 attendees)
Oct 19-23: 2010 Women’s Conference (600 attendees)
Oct 21-Nov 3: 51st Annual International Boat Show (105,000 attendees)
Oct 26-30: Meetings Unlimited, Inc 2010 Annual Conference (550 attendees)
Oct 27-31: Sirona (431 attendees)
Oct 28-31: Women of Faith Over the Top 2010 (15,000 attendees)
Celebrate The 51st Annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
The world's largest boat show, set over five locations in Fort Lauderdale, will take place Thurs, Oct 28 through Mon, Nov 1. The show features more than 3 billion dollars worth of boats, yachts, superyachts, electronics, engines and thousands of accessories from every major marine manufacturer and builder worldwide on 3 million square feet of space, both on land and in water, all connected by the Show’s Transportation Network of water taxis, riverboats and bus shuttles. Don’t forget to visit the Superior Small Lodging booth, located at the convention center. www.showmanagement.com.
Sport Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomes the following sports groups in October, with more than 18,500 competitors plus family and friends:
Sep 30-Oct 2: ESPN High School Football Classic (4100 attendees)
Oct 1-5: Brazil vs Costa Rica Soccer Tournament (260 attendees)
Oct 1-5: International Powerlifting Competition (450 attendees)
Oct 7-10: DPJCC Handball Tournament (100 attendees)
Oct 10-15: FGC Swim Championships (300 attendees)
Oct 21-24: USA Soccer Fall Classic (1200 attendees)
Oct 22-24: Fright Invite – Gymnastics (1000 attendees)
Oct 22-24: Rising Stars Fall Showcase (7500 attendees)
Oct 22-24: CSSC Invitational Swim Meet (2000 attendees)
Oct 22-25: 14th Annual West Pines Kick Off Classic (880 attendees)
Oct 22-30: National Masters Nationals (1200 attendees)
Sports Hall of Fame Auction Donation
Save the date for the 2010 Broward County Sports Hall of Fame honoring Broward's sports legends, Tuesday, November 9 at the Broward County Convention Center. The festivities kick off with a cocktail reception and silent auction. Help us make the auction a success by donating a certificate or prize package. Contact Saskia Fisher sfisher@broward.org to donate an item.
Taste of the NFL Kick Hunger Challenge
Help Taste of the NFL score big for hunger this season by participating in the Kick Hunger Challenge. It’s the perfect way for football fans and foodies to rally behind their favorite NFL team and simultaneously raise money for their local food bank. Choose the NFL team you want to support (Miami Dolphins) with your donation. Draft your friends and family to join your team or choose a team of their own (Miami Dolphins). Let the competition begin so we can help the 37+ million people who struggle with hunger every day. Every dollar we raise together buys four meals – making a big impact on our fight to kick hunger. Join the team at http://support.tasteofthenfl.com.
Tourism Sales
In September, Alfredo Gonzalez and Fernando Harb attended La Cumbre in San Diego. Alfredo represented the CVB at the Governor’s Conference in Orlando, the 16th World Routes Development Forum in Vancouver, and conducted a sales mission in Munich and Frankfurt, Germany. Josh Winston was joined by five hotel partners at ASTA's The TRADE Show in Orlando and five hotel partners for our annual New York and New Jersey Sales Mission.
Attraction News
Discovery Cruise Line now offers two all-you-can-eat buffet meals (with beverages) on the roundtrip cruise to Grand Bahama Island. In addition, they have upgraded the interiors of the cabins, bathrooms, Grand Bahama Grill dining room and Tropical Lounge, and offering a new game room with slot machines for the non-smoking guests. Funky Fish Kids Day, Inc has gone viral, click here to check out their new video. Sun Trolley begins a new partnership with TriRail today, offering service along Broward Blvd from TriRail to Broward Transit's Central Terminal and throughout the NW quadrant of Fort Lauderdale. Click here for map. Additionally, Sun Trolley's A1A route is expanding to connect beach hotels to the Galleria Mall.
HSMAI South Florida honors Jerry Faber
On October 20, Jungle Queen Riverboat's long-time president and tourism pioneer, Jerry Faber, will be named Hospitality Legend of the Year during HSMAI South Florida's annual Hospitality Industry Awards Gala and Silent Auction. Other awards include General Manager of the Year, Sales & Marketing and Revenue Management. Proceeds benefit PACE Center for Girls, which is close to Jerry's heart as he serves on their Board of Directors. Festivities begin at 6pm at the PierTop at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six. For more info, visit www.hsmaisouthflorida.org
Museum of Discovery & Science offers free admission to Scouts through Oct
Ford has partnered with the Museum of Discovery and Science to celebrate a salute to Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. As a participant and award recipient of the Ford Motor Company Fund Lincoln Mercury Operation Goodwill grant, the Museum of Discovery and Science is able to provide free admission to scouts during Ford Salute to Scouts through October 2010.
Upcoming Events
Fish, Chips & Lobster Golf/Fishing Tournament takes place Oct 9 at Woodmont Country Club, beginning at 7am. Proceeds to benefit the Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Program. Contact Mike Freglette at 954-722-0303 for more info. The 23rd Annual Las Olas Art Fair will take place Oct 23-24 from 10am-5pm. Each participating artist is hand-selected from hundreds of applicants to ensure a first-class festival with only the highest quality, original artwork. In celebration of the City of Fort Lauderdale's Centennial, The Clydey Foundation's Showboat will lead the parade with a full Cirque Show on top in the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade on Dec 11. It Takes a Village…for an industry holiday party: Save the date: Dec 14 marks the annual hospitality industry party, hosted by The Village at Gulfstream Park. This industry-wide event benefits local charity, and will feature food and drink, entertainment, raffle prizes and more.
Happenings Around Town
Oct 1-Nov 11: Dine Out Lauderdale, http://sunny.org/dineout
Oct 2-Jan 9: Clyde Butcher Photography Exhibit: American the Beautiful, Museum of Discovery & Science
Oct 3: SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch, Riverwalk
Oct 6-17: Young Frankenstein, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 7-10: Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, The Manor
Oct 8-9, 14-16, 21-23, 27-31: The Village of Horrors, War Memorial Auditorium
Oct 12: Stone Temple Pilots, Hard Rock Live
Oct 15: Rocktoberfest, Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Riverwalk
Oct 16: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, BankAtlantic Center
Oct 16: Glam-A-Thon Glam Doll Strut, Riverwalk, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Oct 16-Nov 12: The Myth of Power, 1310 Gallery, Fort Lauderdale
Oct 20: Painted Canvas Candle Mat Class-Make & Take, Miramar Cultural Center
Oct 21: Florida Panthers vs. Dallas Stars, BankAtlantic Center
Oct 22-Nov 11: Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Cinema Paradiso
Oct 23: Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, BankAtlantic Center
Oct 23-24: Las Olas Art Fair
Oct 28-Nov 1, Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
Oct 30-31: Lauderdale by the Sea Craft Festival
With all best wishes,
Nicki E. Grossman
President
