August 2015 Tourism Marketing Today

Two Northeast Florida DMOs Receive
Destination Marketing Accreditation
Congratulations are in order for Amelia
Island CVB and Visit Jacksonville, the
newest Florida recipients of Destination
Marketing Association International’s
Destination Marketing Accreditation
Program (DMAP) seal. The DMAP was
given in recognition of these DMOs’
commitment to industry excellence and
meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of DMOs
around the world.
The program requires a DMO to comply with a multitude of mandatory and
voluntary standards that span a variety of
performance areas to gain this momentous achievement. The standards cover
nearly all aspects related to the management and marketing of a DMO, including
governance, finance, human resources,
sales, communications, destination development and research.
“DMAP accreditation requires DMOs
truly evaluate and define not only their
policies and procedures, but also determine their guiding principles and solidify
their importance to their communities
in all they do,” says Jack Wert, DMAP
board chairman. “These committed
organizations must demonstrate compliance across 16 disciplines, composed of
53 mandatory standards and is globally
recognized by the destination marketing
industry as the highest achievement in
destination excellence.”
Three Florida DMOs renewed their
accreditation, Bradenton Area CVB,
Visit Sarasota County and Visit St. Pete/
Clearwater. Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB and Visit South Walton were
reaccredited during the most recent
DMAP cycle.
“This recognition is a product
of the hard work
and diligence of
the entire Amelia
Island CVB staff
and board,” says
Gil Langley,
Gil Langley
president and
CEO of the Amelia Island CVB.
“DMAP accreditation is a direct
result of the Amelia Island CVB
Board of Directors’ adoption of policies that exceed industry standards,
as well as our staff’s dedication to
excellence and superior service.”
“It truly is an
honor within the
tourism industry
to be part of such
a select group, an
honor made possible by the hard
work of the staff
Paul Astleford
and board of
Visit Jacksonville,” says Paul Astleford, president and CEO of Visit
Jacksonville. “This accreditation is
validation that we have one of the
best qualified organizations in the
world to accomplish our mission,
which is to promote, sell and market Jacksonville as a premier destination to visit for leisure travel,
business meetings and conventions,
all of which create a huge economic
contribution to our community.”
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S
REPORT
Best Family
Vacation at
Florida Beach
by Robert Skrob, CPA
Fourth of July is an important holiday for me. Certainly it’s important to
celebrate our nation’s birth and the day
our country’s forefathers risked their
fortunes and their lives for the freedom
and self-determination of our nation.
It also marks the halfway point of
the year. Another half completed, and
the second half always slips by faster
than the first.
With the 2016 Legislative Session
beginning in January, the committee weeks begin in September. This
month I’m meeting with Tallahassee’s
tourism leaders to coordinate our
efforts and our plan to advocate for
the industry that is our state’s largest
employer.
During the holiday I did take time
to spend with my family. For my wife,
Kory, and me, it’s always a treat when
our daughter, Samantha, and our son,
Robert William, take time from their
busy schedules to hang out with us.
E.D.’s REPORT continues on pg. 3
2
Six Florida Tourism Professionals Earn CDME
Florida is known for its great destinations and its dedicated tourism promotion
professionals. Six of these professionals
recently graduated from Destination
Marketing Association International’s
(DMAI) executive program in destination
management.
The Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) program was
established in 1993 and is recognized as
the tourism industry’s highest educational
achievement. The focus of the program is
on vision, leadership, productivity and the
implementation of business strategies.
“These individuals who have achieved
the CDME designation have set an example of excellence for the entire destination marketing profession,” says Michael
Gehrisch, president and CEO of DMAI.
Congratulations to Florida’s newest CDMEs!
Meredith DaSilva
Director of
Executive
Operations
VISIT FLORIDA
Tamara Pigott
Executive Director
The Beaches of
Fort Myers &
Sanibel
Lee County VCB
Nicole Rissler
Director of Sports
Visit Sarasota
County
Rosemarie Payne
Director of Leisure
Travel
Visit St. Pete/
Clearwater
John Pricher
Executive Director
Visit Gainesville
Tracy Ward
Vice President of
Sales
Experience
Kissimmee
E.D.’s REPORT continued from page 1...
Robert William created a fun one-minute
video of aerial photography of the St.
George Island area with his quadcopter
drone. You’ll enjoy watching the video:
bitly.com/SKYSGI. Thanks to the Franklin
County TDC, Robert’s video already has
more than 750 views.
As members of your local legislative delegation have meetings, let me know if any
issues crop up within your community. It’s
important for all of us to be vigilant, looking for opportunities to tell the story of the
tourism industry’s contribution to Florida’s
economic success.
The Skrob family enjoys Fourth of July at St.
George Island, Florida.
3
LIVE from...
East Central
Florida!
•
•
•
•
•
Daytona Beach Area CVB
Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism
Greater New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau
St. Lucie County TDC
Visit Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Sebastian
Daytona Beach Area CVB
The Halifax Area Advertising Authority (Daytona Beach Area
CVB) received the coveted Hospitality Sales and Marketing
Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Award for its Original American Beach brand video during a Feb. 23 gala in New
York City. The event was designed “to recognize inspiring best
practices in sales and marketing for the hospitality industry.”
Visitors to DaytonaBeach.com have been finding the destination’s newly redesigned website informative and easy to
navigate. And now, professionals in the web design field have
awarded the site the Interactive Media Award honoring outstanding achievement in website design and development.
“It’s an honor to have our work recognized by the Interactive Media Awards,” says Daytona Beach Area CVB Executive
Director Tom Caradonio. “We feel strongly that our projects
are world-class examples of how the internet can be used to
enhance a destination’s message and branding.”
Daytona Beach’s TDT collections set all-time records in
April, with a 20 percent jump. Much of the increase was attributed to the CVB-supported National Cheerleaders Association
Collegiate
Cheer &
Dance
Championships
and the
increasingly
popular
Jeep Beach
event. The
area also saw
increased
occupancy
and average
daily rates.
Daytona
Beach made
#10 on
Trivago’s
list of Top
10 beaches
and #1 for
Top Deal,
coming in at
$122/night.
The Daytona Beach Area video plays in Times Square during the
Adrian Awards.
Daytona Beach Area CVB Executive Director Tom Caradonio with the CVB’s Adrian Award
4
LIVE from...
St. Lucie County TDC
“Record-breaking” and “flourishing” are two words to describe
2014 and 2015 for St. Lucie County. From record-breaking TDT
collections and ADR to flourishing activities of eco-tourism,
equestrian-related tourism and sports tourism, St. Lucie County
is becoming perfectly positioned for a tourism explosion.
In 2014, TDT collections reached a record-breaking high
at over $3 million, representing a 48.7 percent increase since
2010. ADR also reached a record-breaking increase of 13.7
percent compared
to 2011.
In June 2015,
the destination
hosted its firstever “Fishing
in Fort Pierce”
media FAM tour.
Ten media guests
were matched up
St. Lucie County’s TDT revenues from 2010 to 2014
with the area’s
most talented
fishing guides to experience the incredibly rich and diverse
inshore and offshore fishery of Fort Pierce.
Sports tourism, handled by the Treasure Coast Sports Commission, experienced a hefty 17 percent increase in the number
of room nights generated compared to the prior year.
In 2014, equestrian events increased to 18 compared to eight
during the prior year. This generated an estimated $1.9 million
impact on the local economy, a 24 percent increase from the
previous year.
“We have so much to celebrate in St. Lucie County for
tourism this year. The county’s tourism activity is better than
ever, and 2015 is continuing upward,” says Charlotte Bireley,
manager of tourism for St. Lucie County.
Glen Pla, host of Average Angler Adventures that airs on BrightHouse
in central and west Florida, shows off a nice redfish caught in the
Indian River Lagoon in Fort Pierce.
Visit Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Sebastian
“Indian River County has experienced tremendous growth
in Tourist Development Tax revenues this year,” says Allison
McNeal, director of tourism. “We’ve had double-digit increases
every month, with January being the highest at 28.5 percent,
and we are up 20.3 percent for the year.”
Indian River and St. Lucie counties partnered to host an
International Media FAM Tour provided by VISIT FLORIDA
after IPW. For three days members of the media learned why
our coastline is called Florida’s Treasure Coast. They were
treated to tours of the Mel Fischer Museum, McLarty Treasure
Museum and a presentation from Brent Brisben, owner of the
local treasure excavation company The Queens Jewels. The
Queens Jewels is responsible for the $1 million treasure found
in Ft. Pierce last month.
The 300th anniversary of the 1715 Fleet was commemorated
in Indian River County with a week of events July 27-31. The
anniversary brought treasure enthusiasts from all over the
world, making it the county’s largest event this summer.
“Destination weddings have become a huge market for us
in the last several years,” McNeal says. “We have a dedicated
website and produce our own Come Discover Love Wedding
Guide. Production on the fourth edition is now in progress.
Last year’s guide won Platinum awards from both Marcom and
Hermes International.”
International media representatives visit the stretch of ocean in Ft.
Pierce where a cabin wreck from the 1715 Fleet was discovered.
Come Discover Love Wedding Guide 2016
5
LIVE from...
Space Coast Office of Tourism
Even though Eric Garvey, executive director of the Space
Coast Office of Tourism, is approaching his first-year anniversary on the job, each day he discovers something new about
the Space Coast.
“Driving to our offices or meeting with clients, I’m
seeing so many things for the first time. Sometimes it’s a
beautiful part of our lagoons, a family learning how to surf
or even watching rocket launches from different views,”
Garvey says. “It’s the mix of nature, adventure and rockets
that plays a major role in the Space Coast’s personality. I’m
proud to be part of such a unique destination where you
can be sunning on the beach or kayaking at night on glowing waters, and then look up to see a rocket thundering
into the sky.”
Stunning night rocket launch from Port Canaveral’s Exploration Tower
Students attend Ron Jon surf school’s Surfing 101 (Photo: Florida’s Space
(Photo: Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism)
Coast Office of Tourism)
Greater New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau
In October 2014, the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors
Bureau teamed up with Paradise Advertising to develop a new
strategic plan for media, branding and content. As a result, the
two 30-second spots now airing, themed “Experience Florida
Like a Local” and “Go Where Floridians Go,” are the first in
line to celebrate the enchanting destination.
“As we continue to implement the branding campaign,
expect additional videos highlighting the area’s variety of
abundant dining, culture and accommodations,” says Myriah
Chandler, marketing manager for the bureau. “Those 90-
second spots will be integrated throughout ongoing public relations and editorial outreach.”
Among recent accolades, New Smyrna Beach has been voted
Best Beach by Orlando Sentinel readers for the eighth consecutive year and has been included in National Geographic’s
prestigious list of the World’s 20 Best Surf Towns. Reservation
Counter also ranked New Smyrna Beach with the “Highest Hotel Satisfaction Index of any beachfront destination in the U.S.”
Beyond the shoreline, quaint New Smyrna Beach has been
named one of America’s Top Small Cities for the Arts, hosting frequent arts shows, an artists-in-residence community
and educational facility The Harris House, the Little Theatre,
monthly Gallery Walks, Arts on Douglas and the HUB on Canal Street offering art workshops and classes at all levels.
As part of a new branding campaign, two new 30-second TV spots from the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau and Paradise Advertising
showcase the enchanting destination and invite visitors to “Experience Florida Like a Local” and “Go Where Floridians Go.”
6
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Board of Directors
Meeting
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration Desk
Open
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception
Sponsored by
Thursday, September 10, 2015
7:30 a.m. Registration Desk
Open
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Legislative Report by
Mat Forrest
9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. A Sneak Peak into
VISIT FORIDA’s New
Strategic Plan and
What it Means to Your
DMO
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.DMAI’s Destination
Next with Michael
Gehrisch
11:15 p.m – 12:00 Noon Vacation Rental
Managers Association
Update with Paul
Hayes
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. Networking Luncheon
2015 ANNUAL MEETING
Insider DMO Operations
Secrets from the World’s
Foremost Experts
The Westin Key West Resort & Marina
Key West, Florida
September 9-11, 2015
1:00 p.m – 2:00 p.m Which is best for your
community, a public or
a private DMO?
2:15 p.m – 3:15 p.m Fresh Lessons on
Successful Leadership
at Florida DMOs
3:30 p.m – 4:30 p.m Successfully
Navigating
Controversial
Community Issues
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Miles Evening Event
Friday, September 11, 2015
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Annual Business
Meeting/State of the
State Report
8
9
Quick Trips!
Greater Fort Lauderdale Hosts
2015 EduCon
More than 650 meeting industry leaders from across the globe
participated in the 2015 EduCon in Greater Fort Lauderdale, making
it the most highly attended education conference held by the Professional Convention Management Association. President Nicki E.
Grossman of the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB addressed the conference, which is expected to contribute an estimated economic impact
of nearly $1 million to the Broward County community. Conference
delegates left Greater Fort Lauderdale with specially commissioned
hand-blown glass turtles made by Hollywood Hot Glass owner and
artist Brenna Baker, as a thank-you gift from the CVB. Sunny.org
Polk County All Sports
Awards Ceremony Sets New
Attendance Record
Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing hosted its 15th annual
Polk County All Sports Awards (PCASA) and Hall of Fame Ceremony on June 23. The ceremony honored more than 50 high school
and collegiate athletes and coaches, and concluded with the induction of the 2015 Class of the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame. The
new members inducted were Bobby Downs, John Dunlap, George
W. Harris Jr., Tracy McGrady Jr. and Collins Smith. More than 550
people, a record crowd, gathered to honor the winners and Hall of
Fame inductees. The evening’s festivities were taped for broadcast
on the Bright House Sports Network. VisitCentralFlorida.org
Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB gifted handcrafted glass sculptures of hatching turtles
to international delegates of the PCMA conference.
VSPC Takes America’s Largest
Travel Show by Storm
With a record 6,500 attendees at the United States’ largest travel
show, U.S. Travel Association’s IPW in Orlando, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater (VSPC) made its biggest splash ever. More than 1,000 appointments
were held in the destination’s booth; VSPC became the first tourism
board in the world to showcase its destination through Dome 3D; and
a mega FAM brought more than 100 of the top journalists and tour
operators from Latin America to St. Pete/Clearwater once the show
ended. Because of VSPC’s success at IPW, Executive Director David
Downing was invited to present the following week at the DigMe
Digital Media Travel Summit in New York City. VisitSPC.com
The 2015 Polk County Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Visit Central Florida Recruits
2016 MOPH Convention
Visit Central Florida (VCF) will
host the Florida Military Order of the
Purple Heart (MOPH) State Convention in Polk County in June 2016.
VCF partnered with Polk County
Veteran Services, the Lakeland Chamber’s CVB and the MOPH Lakeland
Chapter 535 in recruiting the event.
MOPH has more than 2,700 members
in the state of Florida. The Purple
Heart Medal is awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces who
suffered wounds in combat, and traces its beginnings to George
Washington and the American Revolution. VisitCentralFlorida.org
Happy Birthday to
IPW conference goers experience St. Pete/Clearwater through Dome 3D technology.
10
Lorah Steiner
August 8
Loretta Shaffer
August 20
Quick Trips!
Citrus County VCB Opens
Welcome Center
Citrus County VCB has opened a new 9,000 sq. ft. Welcome Center.
The state-of-the-art facility is dedicated to raising destination awareness,
increasing visitor spending and promoting business and economic development. The new Welcome Center is also home to the Citrus County
Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council of
Citrus County. A short 80-minute drive from Orlando—only 60 from
Tampa—Citrus County is known for its very distinct and dazzling towns:
Crystal River, Homosassa, Inverness and Floral City. VisitCitrus.com
Job
Board
Director
The Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority (SVAA)
is seeking an experienced director. The director will be
responsible for the overall management, development,
execution and evaluation of comprehensive advertising/
marketing strategies to increase leisure and business travel
to Volusia County. The director will act as the primary
spokesperson for the authority, report to the SVAA board
and work on policymaking and strategies for the organization and will direct and lead the organization toward its
mission. Apply online at Volusia.org/personnel.
Chief Executive Officer
Artist’s rendering of the new Citrus County Welcome Center
Lee County VCB Promotes Fort
Myers, Sanibel Worldwide
From Collaborate Marketplace in Orlando, to Smart Meetings in
Connecticut, to hosting two FAM tours for travel media and tour
operators from France, to producing a video message in Spanish
for Brazilian travelers, the staff at The Beaches of Fort Myers &
Sanibel has been busy this summer promoting this beautiful destination. The Orlando meeting generated 10 leads with the potential
for more than 3,000 room nights while the DMO’s Smart Meeting’s
connections yielded 16 leads and four RFPs shared “on the spot”
by planners who see the destination as a smart place to hold their
meetings. FortMyers-Sanibel.com
Panama City seeks a chief executive officer for the newly
formed Community Development Corporation Inc. (CDC).
Responsibilities: development and implementation of the
overall marketing and public relations and activities of the
CDC; offering guidance, input and assistance to the CDC
board of directors. Minimum requirements: bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism,
communications, business or public administration, hospitality management or related field; three years’ professional
marketing or tourist development work experience including or supplemented by one year of supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of related training and
experience. Email schurchwell@pcgov.org for complete job
description, or mail resume to jbrown@pcgov.org.
Calendar
August 31-September 2
Florida Governor’s
Conference on Tourism
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa
Registration is open at
FloridaTourismConference.com
September 9
FADMO Board of Directors Meeting
Westin Key West Resort & Marina
Key West
September 9-11
FADMO Annual Meeting
Westin Key West Resort & Marina
Key West
Travel media and tour operators from France on a FAM tour in Lee County
11
Florida Association of Destination
Marketing Organizations
The Florida Association
of Destination Marketing
Organizations represents the
54 official county DMOs that
promote their communities
throughout the world. These
tourism promotion activities help
to attract 91.4 million visitors to
Florida, generating $71.8 billion
in spending and 1,058,000 jobs.
These activities are made possible
by Tourist Development Taxes
provided by Florida Statutes
Section 125.0104.
The FADMO serves as the
single unifying voice for all
of Florida’s DMOs, providing
continuing insight and direction
as we face an increasingly
competitive tourism marketplace.
Organized in 1996, the FADMO
strives to increase the overall
effectiveness of Florida DMOs’
destination marketing efforts
through industry education,
legislative outreach, enhancing
professionalism and facilitating
communication.
Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations
Executive Director, Robert Skrob, CAE • Lobbyists, Brian Ballard and Mat Forrest, 850/577-0444
1390 Timberlane Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312, USA • Phone: 850/222-6000 • Fax: 850/222-6002 • Web: www.FADMO.org
“Bringing more customers to Florida”
1390 Timberlane Road
Tallahassee, FL 32312
Enclosed is your copy of Tourism Marketing Today.
A monthly publication of the