Osceola County Approves Privatization of Experience Kissimmee

Osceola County Approves Privatization of
Experience Kissimmee
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S
REPORT
D.T. Minich’s first day at his new job was
momentous. On Aug. 18, Osceola County
commissioners adopted a contract to privatize tourism promotion. Earlier that same
day, Minich began his tenure as president/
CEO of Visit Kissimmee, after serving as
executive director of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater for seven years.
Hailed by many tourism leaders, the
county’s action cemented a decision commissioners made in March to establish a
public/private partnership responsible for
promoting its number one industry. The
formalized contract also ushers in a new era
for Experience Kissimmee, the destination
marketing organization formed in 1978 as
the Kissimmee-St. Cloud CVB.
Experience Kissimmee will cease operating as a department of Osceola County
government when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. A board of directors chaired
by Mark McHugh, current president/
CEO of Gatorland, will be responsible to
the county commissioners for charting the
future of Experience Kissimmee and the
area’s tourism growth and development.
FRLA Opposes
TDT Diversion
Minich Confirmed as Organization’s First President/CEO
“We are extremely excited to welcome
D.T. to his new position with our organization,” McHugh says. “He brings the
background, experience and visionary leadership we know will propel our destination
by Robert Skrob, CPA
One of D.T. Minich’s passions is travel. He visited the Great Wall of China last spring.
KISSIMMEE continues on pg. 2
Governor Scott: Florida Tourism on Pace
for Another Record Year
Gov. Rick Scott recently announced
that according to VISIT FLORIDA’s
preliminary estimates, 24 million visitors
came to Florida in the second quarter of
2014, an increase of 3 percent over the
same period in 2013. This represents
the largest second quarter for visitation
Florida has ever experienced, exceeding
the previous high of 23.3 million in Q2
2013. Visitor spending is up 7.4 percent
in January through May 2014, at $35.7
billion, which is more than the same time
period in 2013.
Will Seccombe, president and CEO of VISIT
FLORIDA (at lectern), presents second quarter
visitor numbers to the Florida Cabinet.
RECORD YEAR continues on pg. 2
In spite of the fact that the Florida
Legislature rejected the bill that
would have expanded the legal uses of
the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) to
include public safety expenditures, the
Okaloosa County sheriff continues to
press for funds. One Okaloosa County
commissioner, Nathan Boyles, went so
far as to say, “This is, for me, less about
the law and more about finding practical solutions for our citizens,” when
interviewed by the Northwest Florida
Daily News.
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging
Association has strenuously opposed
this proposal, and its communication
with members of the Okaloosa County
Commission includes a detailed sixpage letter outlining the TDT law.
This letter clearly spells out the legal
problems with using TDT funds for
public safety expense, which falls
under the general duties of county
government and does not have the
promotion and advertisement of tourism as its primary purpose. Please
be sure to thank Carol Dover, FRLA
DIRECTOR’S REPORT continues on pg. 2
KISSIMMEE continued from page 1...
marketing efforts and the Experience Kissimmee staff to higher
levels of success.”
Minich has spent his entire career in the tourism promotion industry, beginning as an intern in the PR department in Lee County.
He worked his way up, becoming sales manager, director of sales,
deputy director and finally executive director in 2000. From there,
Minich moved to Pinellas County to lead Visit St. Pete/Clearwater
in 2007.
“That is what is so great about this industry,” Minich says. “You
can work your way up. There are so many different opportunities at
so many different levels in the bureau.”
About his time in Pinellas County, Minich says he is most proud
of two things.
“We brought the destination through the recession to the point
where the county is way ahead of the numbers from pre-recession
levels,” Minich says. “Tax collections are up 35 percent, and we accomplished this all while battling the BP oil spill perception crisis.”
That brings Minich to the DMO’s second accomplishment.
“We secured BP funding to handle marketing to offset the per-
DIRECTOR’S REPORT continued from page 1...
president and CEO, when you see her at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
This letter can be a great tool for you in your efforts within your
county. If you’d like a copy, here’s a link: https://db.tt/gPStOyG1.
And if you have a similar discussion going on within your county,
please let me know.
ception that our beaches
were affected by the oil
spill,” he says. “There was
no oil here, but there was a
perception that it was.”
As he moves into leadership at Visit Kissimmee,
Minich says he sees tremendous opportunities and
exciting challenges ahead.
“Of course there is the
bureau’s conversion from
a government agency to a
D.T. enjoys lobstering during a visit to
public/private partnership,”
Maine last month.
Minich says. “This will be
a fantastic challenge for me. I am looking forward to implementing those changes with the tourist development team and with the
county.”
Another challenge for Minich will be marketing a different type
of destination.
“From a career standpoint, I have sold and marketed beach destinations my entire career,” he explains. “Kissimmee is a completely
different type of destination to market, so I am going to enjoy that
challenge as well.”
RECORD YEAR continued from page 1...
Governor Scott says, “A thriving tourism industry is vital to growing jobs, and today’s report that Florida has experienced another
record quarter for visitation is great news for Florida families. This
year we invested $74 million into VISIT FLORIDA and set a goal
to have 100 million visitors visit the Sunshine State, which we are
well on our way to reaching. Together we are creating an opportunity economy and are continuing to grow more jobs for Floridians,
with more than 1.1 million individuals employed in the growing
tourism industry.”
The average number of direct travel-related jobs in Q2 2014 was
also a record high, with 1,151,400 Floridians employed in the tourism industry—an increase of 3.9 percent or 43,600 jobs from the
same period in 2013.
Tourism and recreation taxable sales for Florida grew year-overyear for January-May 2014, representing a 7.4 percent increase
over the same period in 2013. Tourist Development Tax also
increased year-over-year for January-April 2014), representing a
10.1 percent jump over the same period last year. Other indicators
were up for Q2 2014 as well, with the average daily room rate rising
7 percent, the occupancy rate for Florida hotels increasing 4.8 percent and the demand in rooms sold growing 5.5 percent compared
to Q2 2013.
“Florida tourism is maintaining strong momentum, with all
indicators up across the board for the quarter,” says Will Seccombe,
president and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “With occupancy, rooms
sold, average daily room rate and tourism and recreation taxable
sales all continuing to climb, we are well on our way to making
Florida the No. 1 travel destination in the world.”
To view additional Florida visitor data, go to www.VisitFloridaMediaBlog.com.
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Regional Roundup
Focus on
Northeast
Florida
• Clay County Division of Tourism & Film Development
• Visit Jacksonville
• Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches
• Amelia Island CVB
• St. Augustine|Ponte Vedra VCB
Clay County Division of Tourism & Film Development
Jaclyn Slaybaugh recently celebrated her fifth anniversary
as the director of tourism and film development, a division of
Clay County government.
“As a one-person office, most of my time is spent answering
inquiries, meeting with tourism industry partners, working
with TDC grant recipients and promoting the assets of Clay
County through marketing, advertising and public relations
strategies,” Slaybaugh says.
She reports that Tourist Development Tax revenues continue
to assist with operations and programming at the ThrasherHorne Center for the Arts (THCA) on the campus of St. Johns
State College in Orange Park. The art galleries at THCA have
been selected as the only site in Northeast Florida to host “The
American Soldier, A Photographic Tribute” from Nov. 2014
through Feb. 2015. The exhibit covers nine wars and features
116 hand-selected photographs ranging from the civil war to
the war in Iraq that tell the story of American soldiers’ camaraderie, courage, humor and sacrifice.
When asked about her proudest personal accomplishment,
Slaybaugh says, “My husband and I were married when we
were juniors at Ohio State University, and we will be celebrating our 42nd wedding anniversary this month.”
When she isn’t working, Slaybaugh enjoys spending time
with her sons and grandchildren, reading mystery novels, tending to her orchids and bromeliads and snuggling with her two
mini-schnauzers.
Pig races, midway rides, concerts and fantastic food drew more than
110,000 attendees to the 2014 blue-ribbon Clay County Agricultural
Fair. Almost half (49%) of those enjoying the festivities were from
outside the county.
Jaclyn Slaybaugh and her grandsons enjoy a visit to the Castillo de San
Marco in St. Augustine.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP continues on pg. 4
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Regional Roundup
Visit Jacksonville
Paul Astleford, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, reports, “We are rocking and rolling up here in Jacksonville. We
are wrapping up the highest visitation for a summer that we
have ever had, and we see this success carrying through into
next year.”
Recent accomplishments include launching a new website in
June and wrapping up an #onlyinjax Instagram photo contest
in August, as well as hosting great visitor events including Florida Country SuperFest, Welcome to Rockville, the Jacksonville
Jazz Festival, One Spark, Spring the Blues and the USA Men’s
Soccer final send-off game before the World Cup. Astleford
says that all of these events were great for bringing new visitors
into the destination.
“I am most proud in the last year of the growing support from
our TDC and the growing awareness of the visitor industry
in Jacksonville,” Astleford says. “We have grown our board of
directors to include many influential community members that
help us spread the word about the visitor industry.”
And what is that word?
One Spark in Jacksonville connects creators and entrepreneurs with
the resources they need to make their ideas a reality.
“Our economic impact study showed that the visitor industry
has a $2.2 billion impact on Jacksonville’s economy,” Astleford
says. “If employed by a single business, tourism’s employees
would rank third in employment for Jacksonville, just behind
the Navy and the public school system.”
Astleford and his wife, Susan, enjoy exploring the amazing
culinary scene in Jacksonville. “Anyone who knows me even a
little knows of my passion for food,” he says.
Florida Country Superfest in Jacksonville draws 75,000 fans.
Amelia Island CVB
Gil Langley, CAE, president and CEO of Amelia Island
CVB, says that his organization’s proudest accomplishment is
“creating a marketing environment in which our stakeholders
can succeed. We’ve been
able to create double-digit
growth in demand for the
past two years, and taxable
revenue is up 20 percent
over the same period.”
The Amelia Island CVB
Amelia Island has been voted into
is a small organization,
the Top 10 North American Islands
with only five full-time
for seven consecutive years as well
as in the Top 25 Island Destinations
employees.
“My time is split between in the World by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards.
managing the marketing
program, meeting with stakeholders and regularly communicating with members of the TDC and the Board of County Commissioners on our programs and results,” Langley says.
The Amelia Island CVB received the coveted Henry Award for its
Buy One, Get One (BOGO) television campaign at the 2013 Flagler
Awards presented at the Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on
Tourism. Pictured here are Tammy Gustafson, chair of the VISIT
FLORIDA board of directors; Gil Langley, president and CEO of
the Amelia Island CVB; and Will Seccombe, president and CEO of
VISIT FLORIDA.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP continues on pg. 5
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Regional Roundup
St. Augustine|Ponte Vedra VCB
Coastal Living magazine recently named
St. Augustine one of America’s Happiest
Seaside Towns. Record increases across
all lodging metrics are certainly making
Florida’s Historic Coast’s tourism industry
very happy these days.
Richard Goldman, executive director of
the St. Augustine|Ponte Vedra VCB, says
visitation to the Northeast Florida destinaRichard Goldman
tion is up. A record 5.96 million visitors
enjoyed Florida’s Historic Coast last year. Goldman believes
the momentum will continue as the area prepares to celebrate
a significant milestone—the city’s 450th anniversary in 2015.
“You only turn 450 years old once, and St. Augustine will be
celebrating in a big way,” says Goldman.
Visitors will enjoy a year-long schedule of special events
along Florida’s Historic Coast, including art exhibits, cultural
and religious activities, historical re-enactments and music festivals. “Our history truly sets us apart from other destinations
as the nation’s oldest continuously occupied European settlement,” says Goldman.
As the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing
of the Civil Rights Act this year, St. Augustine attracted atten-
St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the
United States, will celebrate its 450th anniversary in 2015.
tion and more heritage-inspired tourism as the location of the
first free African settlement—Fort Mose—and for its civil rights
legacy. “Telling the story of St. Augustine as the birthplace of
freedom for African-Americans in this country has been a great
accomplishment,” notes Goldman.
When he’s not busy promoting Florida’s Historic Coast, you’ll
find Goldman spending time with his family, fishing or riding his
vintage BMW motorcycle.
Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches
After seven months on the job, the CVB/Sports Commission’s
new director, Matthew Dunn, says he has been concentrating on the organization’s long-term goals, including increasing
the organization’s annual budget with county officials, justifying the move from state collection to self-collection, changing
the percentages of the county’s three tourism funds (capital
projects, promotions and beach restoration) and lobbying for
an increase to maximize the county’s Tourist Development Tax
from 4 percent to 5 percent, among other initiatives.
Flagler County has received several accolades as of late. TDT
collections are running at a 14 percent increase year to date, The
Golden Lion Café was voted a Top 10 Beach Bar in Florida by
FloridaBeachBar.com, the Hammock Beach Resort was named
Marineland needs YOUR help to give her a name. Vote in our Name the
Baby Dolphin Sweepstakes presented by AT&T, and possibly win a trip
for two to Marineland to swim with our dolphins! @MarinelandFL
the top Florida resort in the Continental U.S. on Travel + Leisure’s 2014 World’s Best Awards list, the City of Palm Coast was
voted #7 on the Best Small Places for Business and Careers list
by Forbes Magazine and Marineland is home to a new baby calf
that’s creating quite a buzz.
Dunn recently purchased a beach house in the Hammock
area. “I spend a lot of my time on the weekends working on my
new home, surfing, kayak fishing and playing golf,” he says.
Regional Roundup
Who’s Next? It Could Be You!
Each month Tourism Marketing Today will feature a region
of Florida in its Regional Roundup. Be ready to send us all the
great news about your region when you get the call!
Hammock Beach Resort, a AAA 4-Diamond beachfront property,
ranks number 33 nationwide and is the highest ranking Florida resort.
#HammockBeack #SalamanderHotels
5
Great DMO Training Online
Now you can get some of the best training and foremost thinking from the world
of destination marketing right at your desk. We video recorded select sessions from
the recent Destination Marketing Summit and posted them at www.FADMO.org/
SummitOnline. You can revisit the sessions you enjoyed and share them with other
members of your team. Here is a quick peek at what’s available:
Make the Florida Tourism Statutes Work for You
Jack Wert, Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB
Content Development and Marketing: Staying Ahead of a
Changing Landscape
Howard Tietjen, Madden Media
Research to Know, Research to Show: How Florida DMOs
Created Research-Based Marketing Programs (And You Can Too!)
Brian London, Travel Industry Indicators
Letting PR Drive the Bus
Erin Duggan, Visit Sarasota County
Visualization & Technology - Successful Destination Management
Sam Martin, Wakulla County
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2014 DMO Compensation & Benefits Study
Now Ava il a b le a t FA D M O. o rg
The 2014 DMO Compensation & Benefits Study is the
most comprehensive and up-to-date compensation and
benefits data produced for DMOs. It provides valuable
information when planning budgets, negotiating salary
and compensation, hiring new employees, determining
raises, evaluating DMO benefits programs and negotiating
contracts. It is a must-have resource when justifying staff
investments to stakeholders.
The Florida study is available for download on FADMO’s website, www.FADMO.org.
People in the News
Visit SPC Names Downing
Interim Director
David Downing has
been appointed interim director of Visit St.
Pete/Clearwater. He
has been the deputy
director since 2009.
Downing holds a master’s degree from the
University of North
Carolina at Chapel
David Downing
Hill, completed his
Certified Destination Marketing Executive certification in 2011 and is a member
of Public Relations Society of America and
Destination Marketing Association International. He sits on the VISIT FLORIDA and
the U.S. Travel Association’s media advisory
boards. www.VisitSPC.com
Former Miami-Dade Mayor
Joins Ballard Partners
Ballard Partners, FADMO’s lobbying
firm, has announced the addition of a
new partner, Genaro “Chip” Iglesias. A
longtime public servant, Iglesias previously served as deputy mayor of MiamiDade County. William Talbert III, presi-
dent and CEO of the
Greater Miami CVB,
says, “Chip has unique
skills and a wealth of
experience. As a former
firefighter he understands public safety. As
a former city manager,
he understands managChip Iglesias
ing complex organizations. As deputy for Miami-Dade County
Mayor Carlos Gimenez, he was always
available to me and the bureau. Keep in
mind, Miami-Dade County is a $6 billion
corporation that manages Miami International Airport and Port Miami, among other
important tourism infrastructure. Chip gets
it and was always there for the industry. He
is missed.” http://ballard-partners.com
Visit Jacksonville Welcomes New
Board Members
Visit Jacksonville has appointed three
distinguished industry professionals to
its board of directors for 2014. The new
appointees are: Odette Struys, communications and public relations manager for the
Blood Alliance; Michelle Leak, community
engagement and longitudinal care at the
8
Mayo Clinic; and Shannon Dearin, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott at Butler Boulevard. Struys joins
the organization’s board with 20 years of
experience in the public relations and
broadcasting field, Dearin has 20 years
of professional experience in the hospitality industry and Leak has 17 years of
experience in the health care administration field. www.VisitJacksonville.com
VSC’s Lynn Hobeck Bates
Earns APR
Lynn Hobeck
Bates, public relations manager at Visit
Sarasota County,
recently earned
professional accreditation in public relations and received
the designation of
Accredited in Public Lynn Hobeck Bates
Relations (APR). Bates now joins more
than 5,000 professionals nationally that
represent an elite group of highly skilled
public relations professionals committed to practicing with exemplary ethical
standards. www.VisitSarasota.org
Quick Trips!
Leon County Enjoys Increased
Occupancy
Tampa Bay Scores Big
Convention Commitments
July marked the 17th consecutive month of increased hotel
occupancy in Leon County, and Tourist Development Tax
collections are outpacing those from the record 2012-2013 fiscal
year. TDT collected from October through July for Fiscal Year
2013-2014 are 5 percent ahead of those during the same time
period last year. www.VisitTallahassee.com
The Visit Tampa Bay convention sales team ended the third quarter
of the fiscal year having booked 80,502 definite room nights. Some
notable bookings include: Church of God in Christ, Auxiliaries in
Ministries (AIM) - 16,900+; 2018 NCAA Division I Track and Field
Regionals - 7,000+; Sunset Music Festival - 3,900+; MILCOM
2015 - 3,600+; and Annual Bay Area Track and Field Classic 2,200+ room nights. www.VisitTampaBay.com
AIM 2015 will bring more than 30,000 visitors to Tampa next summer.
Historic homes like the Knott House in Tallahassee draw more and more
visitors to Leon County.
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Quick Trips!
St. Pete/Clearwater
Promotes Dolphin
Tale 2
Charlotte Harbor
10 Years After
Hurricane Charley
Visit Central Florida
Promotes Annual
Fly-In
In conjunction with the nationwide
premiere of Dolphin Tale 2 on Sept. 12,
VSPC is launching a series of marketing
efforts encouraging potential visitors to
explore St. Pete/Clearwater, where the
movie was filmed. Tag lines like “Maybe
you’ve seen Dolphin Tale 2. But have you
seen the stars?” grace hang tags that will
be in rental cars at four regional airports in
Tampa and Orlando. www.VisitSPC.org
Ten years ago, the Category 4 storm named
Hurricane Charley slammed the shores of
Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands. In
spite of the destruction, the community
united to care for each other and the
environs that reflect the character of its
people. That spirit, along with a host of new
hotels, a new airport terminal, several “live,
work, play” projects and new attractions,
defines the renaissance of this Southwest
Florida community. www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com
Visit Central Florida participated in
a sales mission to AirVenture 2014
in Oshkosh, Wisc., July 28-Aug. 3, to
promote Polk County’s 2015 SUN ‘n
FUN Fly-In and Expo, which takes place
Apr. 21-26, 2015, in Lakeland. The FlyIn is the nation’s second largest aviation
event and the largest convention to take
place in Florida every year. VCF staff met
with exhibitors and vendors to recruit
participants and to drive attendance to
the Fly-In. www.VisitCentralFlorida.org
Branded trams at Tampa International Airport
will include an opportunity to snap a selfie with
the stars of Dolphin Tale 2, Winter and Hope.
“Spirit of Punta Gorda,” a 25-foot-tall memorial
statue representing Charlotte Harbor’s resilience
and spirit after Hurricane Charley, stands in
Laishley Park on the banks of the Peace River.
Happy Birthday to
Cindy Vees
September 2
Bill Talbert
September 21
10
Visit Central Florida produced a 2015 SUN ‘n
FUN Accommodations Guide to distribute at
AirVenture 2014 to promote Polk County accommodations.
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