GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE SWAPS ART WITH LONDON

Greater Fort Lauderdale teamed up with Graffiti Kings, London’s finest street artists, to swap art. #LauderdaleLondonArtSwap

The world-famous group and leading graffiti artists collaborated with local muralist Ruben Ubiera on a new wall that was unveiled last month in FATVillage during Art Walk. The artists began their journey with a full immersion into the destination’s landmarks and visited the coast to the Everglades, including a sea-level to blimp’s-eye-view for the creation of the mural pictured above. The mural is located at 545 N. Andrews Avenue in Flagler Village. The Graffiti Kings' journey continued back to London where they created a mural based on their inspiration in Greater Fort Lauderdale. 

Special thanks to our partners who made this possible: City of Pompano Beach/Goodyear Blimp, Element Fort Lauderdale, El Camino Restaurant, FATVillage, Florida Tours, Funky Buddha Brewery, Hollywood Mural Project, Rooftop @1WLO, Sawgrass Recreation Park, S3 Restaurant, The Yard, Wilton Manors, USA Transportation, Water Taxi and Hopper Construction.

AND THE EMMY GOES TO…

The 42nd Annual Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recognized the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau with an Emmy Award for the production of the #GreaterTogether video in the commercials category. The video was an expression of our spirit of inclusion and to be recognized for our efforts is truly an honor! 
 

SUMMER PROGRAMS

RESTAURANT AND SPA MONTH EXTENDED!

From savory, signature dishes created by top chefs to relaxing treatments at Greater Fort Lauderdale's most sublime resort spas, visitors can enjoy extraordinary culinary and pampered experiences at affordable prices during Restaurant & Spa Month. 

The GFLCVB is transforming the summer incentive programs. We have extended the dates of Spa & Restaurant Month to include August, and there is no sign up fee to be part of it. It’s not too late to participate. Click here to sign up for Spa Month and click here for Restaurant Month. 

Enjoy 2-for-1 deals during Summer Savings at more than 45 attractions now through September 30. Visit sunny.org/summer to view special summer deals. Exclusive Greater Fort Lauderdale Vacation Like A VIP packages are available through September 30 at participating Resort Collection properties. For details on the Vacation Like a VIP program and a list of participating properties, visit sunny.org/vip.

MAY STATS

WELCOME TO THE CVB TEAM

Marketing & Communications

The GFLCVB welcomes Kara Franker as the new Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications. Kara will lead the strategic planning and execution for all destination marketing and communications initiatives for the destination. She brings more than 12 years of leadership and creative communications experience. Prior to joining the GFLCVB, she founded and led her own communications and marketing firm to Florida-based destination marketing organizations, as well as hotels, restaurants and attractions throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Click here to read more.


Convention Sales 

Agnieszka (Agnes) Zaranski is the new Regional Sales Executive responsible for sales opportunities and business development in the New England region. Agnes has held various roles in sales management within organizations including Boca Raton Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort by Hilton, and Marriott International Global Sales. Click here to read more.

Heather Miller is the new Regional Sales Executive responsible for sales and business development from two key markets, the Midwest region and nationwide Incentive Market. Heather has held numerous group sales positions for global hospitality brands including Marriott International and Wyndham Vacation Resorts. Click here to read more.

NEW ON THE SCENE

DINING NEWS

Whiskey Neat, a cocktail lounge featuring a unique selection of rare whiskey & fine wine served alongside complimentary tapas, opened next to the recently relocated Quarterdeck on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. The bar features an illuminated wall of whiskey stretching 17 feet tall directly behind the bartender with a collection of more than 200 bottles on display. 

Wild Thyme Oceanside Eatery opened last month at the Atlantic Hotel & Spa, offering a grown-up interpretation of a chic boardwalk dining experience with a whimsical twist on fresh dining favorites from the land and sea. Guests will enjoy stunning, panoramic oceanfront views to accompany their fresh caught ocean and farm raised main land offerings.

Talento Restaurant recently opened on Las Olas Boulevard, a contemporary Southern Italian restaurant featuring fresh flavors and revamped versions of Italian classics.

Oceanic, opening this summer in Pompano Beach, will feature 24 wines by the glass from their custom wine tap, plus 14 craft beers, plus locally sourced seafood, steaks and seasonal dishes. The second floor is dedicated to private events up to 400 people with its own kitchen and bar.

HOTEL NEWS

The Residence Inn by Marriott Fort Lauderdale – Coconut Creek opens this month. The property will have more than 1,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space and full service catering, audio visual, and meeting amenities available for groups from 3 to 100. Click here for more info.

Hotel Maren Fort Lauderdale Beach, a Curio Collection by Hilton, a new 229,000 sq ft, 12-story hotel with 136 luxurious resort rooms with oversize balconies and breathtaking ocean views is underway. Amenities will include a VIP lounge, Ocean Club, 5th floor Pool and Pool Bar, meeting rooms, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Opening scheduled for January 2020.

An AC Hotel by Marriott broke ground at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise. The 8-story hotel will have 174 rooms, a rooftop restaurant, fitness center, full-service bar and 2,500 sq ft of meeting space. The hotel is scheduled to be completed by fall 2020.

PR CORNER

Ivonne MacMillan represented the CVB at IPW 2019 in Anaheim at the Media Marketplace and exhibitor booth. She met with international and domestic journalists and conducted media interviews. A sampling of outlets met with include AFAR, El Comercio (Peru), Travelweek (Canada), Reforma Newspaper (Mexico), Ladevi (Argentina), and Lifestyle Brazil (Brazil).

Snapshot from Germany, Austria, Switzerland:
The PR team participated at the VISIT FLORIDA Media Reception in Hamburg, introducing Greater Fort Lauderdale to key media representatives.

Snapshot from UK & EIRE:
The Hills Balfour PR team secured press coverage across publications in the UK market including TravelColorfully and Independent.ie. 

TRENDING THIS MONTH:

Forbes:

SOCIAL BUZZ

As a result of our recent social media Adventure FAM, travel website Matador Network has released this action-packed video recapping the most exciting moments experienced by @tiffpenguin, @jackharding, @karl_shakur and @christianschaffer.

VisitLauderdale celebrated #PrideMonth in June with a dedicated Pride Avatar (logo) across all social media channels, as well as increased content highlighting our LGBT+ offerings in the destination, Stonewall Pride and the upcoming Pride of the Americas 2020.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION RECAP

Richard Gray, along with our Brazil team, attended Fórum de Turismo LGBT in Sao Paulo last month, the largest LGBT event in Brazil. While in Brazil, Richard presented at the forum and was interviewed with FOLHA, the largest newspaper in Brazil.

Richard also presented at CMI's 12th Annual LGBTQ Marketing & Advertising Symposium at Google NYC last month (pictured here). And was also interviewed on NBC’s 6 In The Mix discussing how Greater Fort Lauderdale honors the LGBT+ community. Click here to view.  

TOURISM SALES UPDATE

What We've Been Doing:
Tracy Vaughn and Gabriel Martinez, along with our German and UK offices, attended IPW 2019 in Anaheim last month. The team held more than 88 business appointments and participated in a full day of 12 minute media interviews. Gabriel also hosted four incentive winners from UK operator American Sky to the destination while Gonzalo Rubio conducted a Baltimore Sales Mission meeting with more than 150+ travel advisors and performed trainings. Caitlan Etchevers held a AAA Florida Sales Blitz, partnering with nine hotel partners and visiting more than 40 AAA branches plus the Tampa Call Center.

Snapshot from Germany, Austria, Switzerland:
The sales & marketing team conducted a dedicated TUI training event in Stuttgart in co-operation with Visit Florida and Naples & Marco Island.

Snapshot from Brazil:
Greater Fort Lauderdale was one of the sponsors for The NICE Via Apia at the Othon Palace in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazil office, along with more than 400 travel agents, attended the traditional Nhoque da Fortuna event and launch of the NICE Via Apia Magazine News 7.

FLL NEWS

The much anticipated FLL Welcome Sign will be in place in the next few weeks, located on the east wall of the Rental Car Center.

May total traffic: 3,124,128, up 3.7%; domestic traffic: 2,392,707, up 2.9%; international traffic: 731,421, up 6.5%, YTD total traffic: 16,231,382, up 4.8%. FLL has had 5 consecutive years of double digit growth in international traffic. In 2018, international traffic was 24% of total traffic compared to 19% in 2014. Passenger traffic has increased by over 12M passengers since 2013, up 53% and lowest average domestic base fare for 2018 among large hub airports.

New 2019 service includes: Silver: Daytona Beach, Pensacola, The Bight (Bahamas) May; JetBlue: Phoenix, St. Maarten, Guayaquil; Spirit: Jacksonville, Austin, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte and Nashville (Oct); WestJet: St. Johns; Frontier: Denver and Air Transat: Vancouver.

Subscribe to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s monthly e-newsletter NewsFLLash for the latest airport info hot off the press.   

UNDERGROUND
Film ~ Music ~ Fashion ~ Create

Film Permits = 46 including projects from Devil’s Triangle; The Darlene Holland Story; The Truth About Murder; A Place in the Dark; Macmillan “Follow the Pro” Education; Collapsing into Zimbabwe; Las Mariposas; Tri-Rail; Digital Marketing Summer Hiking; Nova Southeastern University; Rabinovici; BBVA Bank; FP&L; Lou Bachrodt Summer; Tree of Life Beauty; House Hunters International; I Am Jazz-Season 6; Investigation Discovery-Man with a Van; Moochie; Mysteries Decoded; Roommate Hunters; The Real Housewives of Atlanta; Wheel of Fortune.

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

Sports hosted a successful Sports Update Meeting at the War Memorial Auditorium last month. More than 40 event organizers and 100 hospitality partners were in attendance sharing news on exciting events and projects now through the end of 2021. 

Sports welcomes more than 25,000 athletes, coaches, and families to Greater Fort Lauderdale in July, including various events at the Broward County Convention Center, such as AAU Taekwondo National Championships, AAU Karate Nationals, USA Volleyball High Performance Championships and Junior US Open Judo Championships. Plus, USTA National Boys/Girls 14 Clay Court Championships at Jimmy Evert and Frank Veltri Tennis Centers.

MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS

Albert Tucker met with the Cricket West Indies Delegation & local community leaders to discuss the India and the West Indies cricket match taking place at the Central Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill on August 3.

Pictured here: Albert Tucker, CVB; Lauderhill Mayor Ken Thurston; Dr. Kishore Shallow, Vice President of Cricket West Indies; Richard Skerritt, President of Cricket West Indies; Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Hazelle Rogers; Kris Persuad, Owner of the Jamaica Tallawahs, Board Member of USA Cricket and Dan West, Broward County’s Director of Parks and Recreation.

JULY GROUP SALES & SERVICES UPDATE

Groups meeting in July will generate more than $10 million to Broward County. Groups include:
July 8-14: American College of Surgeons Cochlear Implant 2019 Pediatric Symposium (1000 attendees)
July 8-14: Florida Pharmacy Association 2019 Annual Conference (400 attendees)
July 10-27: ILA 2019 ILA Convention & Atlantic Coast District Convention (500 attendees)
July 16-20: Nat'l Assn of Negro Business & Professional Women's Club National Convention (300 attendees)
July 18-26: American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) ARC Summer Meeting (500 attendees)
July 28-Aug 3: American Tennis Association 2019 Annual Tournament (1000 attendees)
July 30-Aug 3: Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies Convention (1500 attendees) 

GFLCVB NEWS

Congrats to Maria Mele who celebrated 20 years of service with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

The CVB family cheered on our very own Ed Simon who, as part of the upcoming ASAE annual meeting, was challenged to create an amateur video similar to the “ice bucket social media challenge.” Ed went toe to claw with South Florida’s favorite reptile, the alligator, at Sawgrass Recreation Park. Stay tuned for the video.

Click here to check out more of our CVB team in action at various events and functions around the world.

CVB TEAM ON THE MOVE

Stacy Ritter served as a featured panelist at the World Travel & Tourism Council's North America Leaders Forum in New York City last month.

Upcoming Events/Shows: 
July 13: CMP Training, New Brunswick, NJ (Jennifer Sena)
July 26-28: Global Travel Marketplace, Fort Lauderdale (Caitlan Etchevers)

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN

Midsommar Splash on Fort Lauderdale Beach: Absolut Vodka brings the spirit of Midsommar to Fort Lauderdale. Taking place throughout July and August, the eight-week fest, Midsommar Splash Fort Lauderdale Beach, offers a variety of unique events, experiences, and activities to gather with friends and make new ones through food, fashion, community and cocktails.

July 5-28: Soul Of Motor City, Lauderhill Performing Arts Center
July 9-17: Junie B. Jones The Musical, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
July 11-13: Disney Beauty and The Beast, Jr., Broward Center for the Performing Arts
July 12: JoJo Siwa Dream Tour, BB&T Center
July 14: New Kids on the Block, BB&T Center
July 20: Broward Kettle Krush 5K Run/Walk, Markham Park
July 20: Downtown Hollywood Artwalk, Market & Mural Tour
July 23-27: BugFest-By-The-Sea
July 24: Bring It! LIVE, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
July 24-Aug 4: Corteo, BB&T Center
July 26: John Cusack, Say Anything, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
July 27: Lionel Richie, Hard Rock Event Center
July 27: FATVillage Art Walk

For more events visit sunny.org/events. If you would like to submit an event for approval, go to sunny.org/submit.

Best wishes,

Stacy Ritter, President