“Table of Eight” – Our occasional column with comments about Chapter events.
What a nice turn out for the Chapter’s luncheon meeting at the Renaissance Resort in Fort Lauderdale for a presentation on Tourism by Alfredo Gonzalez, Vice President of Tourism and International Business, and Fernando Harb, Director of Sales, with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. This program has become an almost annual event for the Chapter. It’s always educational and enjoyable and looked forward to eagerly by the hospitality community. We were not disappointed.
More on the presentation later…
Do mark your calendars for these upcoming dates:
On January 27th, at 10 am, there will be a GFLCVB hosted industry preview of the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art. On February 8th, at 11:30 am, as part of International’s HSMAI Leadership Meetings, there will be a luncheon at the PGA Resort in Palm Beach. South Florida is the host chapter. Transportation will be provided from a central location (to be announced).The program is by Vail Brown with Smith Travel Research.
On February 16th, from 5-7 pm will be the Chapter’s first “Networker” (business after hours meeting) of the year at the Grateful Palate Restaurant on SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale. Cost is only $10. Check the Chapter’s website (hsmaisouthflorida.org) for registration information for all these events and more details.
In self-introductions, we learned that Ellen Serra is now serving as Director of Sales & Marketing, for the Holiday Inn Express-Convention Center (on SE 17th Street), in addition to the Comfort Suites-Airport & Cruiseport; Lori Jacoby, formerly with Florida Trend Magazine, and now with Ambit will soon be taking on a new job (details to come); Haydee Casanova is now working for Worldwide Limousine (lucky Julio!); The Riverside Hotel is celebrating its 75th year of operation – a legend in Fort Lauderdale. Robin Melvin announced that the Hard Rock Hotel is celebrating 40 years of Rock ‘n Roll and will be doing a number of related promotions. The Atlantic Resort (home of one of my faves, Trina) was voted one of the top 50 resorts in the U.S. Sorry if I missed your info, was jotting notes as fast as I could!
As always, there will be different things that people will remember from a presentation that may apply to their specific hotel/company. But here are a few key points from my notes. (BTW, the presentation will be posted on the Chapter’s website in the near future.)
Alfredo provided a recap on international tourism. He noted the effects of the recession in 2009 and the global recovery in 2010. Other parts of the world recovered stronger than the US (except for Ireland and Greece). We were shown U.S. arrivals in 2010 and forecasts through 2015 where arrivals will be double that of the great years of 2007/2008. Importantly, international tourists stay longer and spend more money than others. A number of the top international news stories were reviewed v.v. their impacts on international tourism.
Fernando provided a recap on domestic tourism. He noted the tough years of 2008/2009 with the biggest drop in these types of arrivals. Broward County was still relatively strong but average hotel rates were quite low. He reviewed the top domestic stories affecting travel. In 2010, however, there was a positive increase in domestic arrivals in every single month of the year. Overall, the average, statewide, was a 5% increase for 2010; and average room rates began to climb slowly. It was noted that drive traffic into Florida went up, even though overall visitor numbers to Florida declined. More families “hit the road”. The positive effects of the arrival of mega ships in Port Everglades, saw the cruise market sparking increased pre/post stays. In fact, 38% of the increases in hotel bookings were due to the (new) cruise lines.
Two new buzz words describing upcoming trends are: “engagementcations” – which is where engagement parties are taken on the road. Three of the top ten destinations for these trips are in South Florida (West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami); and “bleisure” travel – bringing one’s spouse along with you on a business trip. Again, South Florida is one of the top destinations.
Alfredo reviewed aviation developments. He noted that FLL airport is one of the fastest growing airports, both domestically and internationally. The busiest air corridor is the NY to FLL one, based on numbers of flights. Canadian travel here is up 30%. There are many new domestic flights as well as new international flights. He cited a number of the new connections and new carriers. Low fare carriers, combined, make up over 50% of the air traffic at FLL. The new Terminal 4 and South Runway project (currently under design) will mean a large increase in gates and service by around 2014.
Thank you, Alfredo and Fernando, for your time and expertise and for providing a wealth of useful information!
Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
PS Just a reminder to send in your industry news/updates for the “Around Town” column for the HSMAI-South Florida chapter’s blog, “Scoop”, to jwfranklin1@gmail.com.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Around Town – January 2011
(Editor’s Note: Here’s a collection of newsworthy items from our industry members and the South Florida community. HSMAInsider, Julie Wernick)
Southeast Florida:
Congratulations to Albert Tucker and Bruce Appel who were recognized on Dec 16 by Broward County for their 10 and 15 years, respectively, of service at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Congrats to Cindy Malin and Ben Antipuna. ME Productions has named Cindy Malin Head of Business Development and Benjamin-Michael Antipuna Director of Creative Services. Cindy will champion ME Productions as South Florida’s premier event production and destination management company that offers clients “everything under the sun”, even an in-house floral department. Ben will provide ME Production with an introduction to the “rarest talent event entertainment has to offer.”
Congrats to Christine Duffy who was named the new head of the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA). Christine is currently the CEO of Maritz Travel. Her new role at CLIA is effective February 1st. Christine replaces Terry Dale, who stepped down as CLIA’s top executive after seven years at the helm, and is the new president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association. (CLIA’s headquarters are on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.)
Congrats to Linda Hamburger of On Call PR who has joined with the team of PTT of Florida, providers of temporary labor for live event productions, to enhance and expand the company's marketing communications and outreach. Projects to date have included a new look for the web site, much stronger use of new media (including but not limited to LinkedIn; Facebook; Wordpress, etc.),new brochures, and more.
FAU is offering a number of Executive Continuing Education courses that may be of interest to our members. These include a Certificate in Marketing Management (24 hrs, 2.4 CEUs; 8 Wednesdays; Jan. 26 - March 23, 2011; Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm); a Certificate in Sales Management (30 Hours, 3.0 CEUs;10 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - April 9, 2011;9:00 am - 12:00 pm); a Meeting & Events Management course (35 Hours, 3.5 CEUs;7 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - March 19, 2011;Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). Each course is being offered on the Boca Raton Campus, has no prerequisites, and costs $799 which includes instruction materials and parking.
For info: http://www.fauexecutiveprograms.com/ApplicationFiles/web/WebFrame.cfm?web_id=133 For other questions, please contact Sarah Gaffney, Florida Atlantic University,
Executive Continuing Education at 561-297-2366 or email: sgaffne3@fau.edu
The Port of Miami cruise season opened with a record 346,513 cruise passengers transiting its facilities in October, up 29 percent from the year-ago month, the port reported.
Hollywood commissioners gave their blessing last month for Margaritaville, a 17-story resort hotel that promises to change the face of the beach. The Jimmy Buffett-themed resort won’t break ground for another year.
Southwest Florida:
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Southwest Florida is offering a new golf package. The deal starts at just $124 per night for single occupancy, or from $149 per night for double occupancy. In addition to accommodations in a newly renovated room, this package includes complimentary greens fees, golf cart fees, complimentary tennis, complimentary parking, and access to the resort's spa/fitness center.
Marco Island Lakeside is one of only 80 locations in Florida to be named by the Superior Small Lodging organization to receive its prestigious Donald A. Dermody White Glove Award for housekeeping excellence for 2010. "This is the third year in a row that we have been given this prestigious award after the thorough inspection," said General Manager Marcia Mandel.
The Hilton Naples is now active with its oft-updated “Naples Best blog” and with its Facebook page, which has featured numerous impromptu contests to win free nights at the hotel.
The Inn on Fifth has announced an array of enticing packages for the coming year, including the “Experience Naples” and “Romance on Fifth” packages.
The five star, five diamond Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort celebrated its 25th birthday on December 3, 2010.
AirTran Airways started new Saturday nonstop service between Fort Myers and Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 20, 2010. The flights between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) depart Fort Myers at 10:23 a.m. and arrive at 11:15 a.m.
Statewide:
VISIT FLORIDA has been asked by the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee to put together an exhibit on Florida attraction souvenirs entitled “Remembering Paradise: Souvenirs of Historic Florida Attractions.” The exhibit will run from April through September 2011. The temporary exhibit will focus on souvenirs from historic and important tourist attractions and how they help enhance the impact of tourism in Florida
VISIT FLORIDA is looking for your help! They need your old Florida souvenirs for the exhibit, in particular those that are fun, unique, odd, unusual, bizarre and even rare for our exhibition. Smaller items are preferred; however there is limited space for a few larger items such as T-Shirts, posters, etc.
Here is how you can help:
Step 1: Dig through that old trunk (or office storage file) and dust off your treasure from your favorite Florida attraction.
Step 2: Take a photo of the souvenir and send it to museum@VISITFLORIDA.org along with a brief description of your souvenir
Step 3: Souvenirs will be selected for the exhibit by the end of January 2011.
Step 4: VISIT FLORIDA will contact you with information on how to ship your Florida attraction souvenir to the exhibit.
Step 5: Tell everyone about the exhibit; encourage them to send in any of their old souvenirs.
Your souvenirs will be handled with the greatest of care and will be cataloged and returned at the end of the exhibit in September 2011. David Dodd, Vice President of Visitor Services, will be coordinating the exhibit and any questions you may have on the Florida attraction souvenir exhibit. He can be reached by phone at 850.205.3817.
--------------------------------------
To submit items for future editions, send to jwfranklin1@gmail.comBest, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Southeast Florida:
Congratulations to Albert Tucker and Bruce Appel who were recognized on Dec 16 by Broward County for their 10 and 15 years, respectively, of service at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Congrats to Cindy Malin and Ben Antipuna. ME Productions has named Cindy Malin Head of Business Development and Benjamin-Michael Antipuna Director of Creative Services. Cindy will champion ME Productions as South Florida’s premier event production and destination management company that offers clients “everything under the sun”, even an in-house floral department. Ben will provide ME Production with an introduction to the “rarest talent event entertainment has to offer.”
Congrats to Christine Duffy who was named the new head of the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA). Christine is currently the CEO of Maritz Travel. Her new role at CLIA is effective February 1st. Christine replaces Terry Dale, who stepped down as CLIA’s top executive after seven years at the helm, and is the new president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association. (CLIA’s headquarters are on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.)
Congrats to Linda Hamburger of On Call PR who has joined with the team of PTT of Florida, providers of temporary labor for live event productions, to enhance and expand the company's marketing communications and outreach. Projects to date have included a new look for the web site, much stronger use of new media (including but not limited to LinkedIn; Facebook; Wordpress, etc.),new brochures, and more.
FAU is offering a number of Executive Continuing Education courses that may be of interest to our members. These include a Certificate in Marketing Management (24 hrs, 2.4 CEUs; 8 Wednesdays; Jan. 26 - March 23, 2011; Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm); a Certificate in Sales Management (30 Hours, 3.0 CEUs;10 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - April 9, 2011;9:00 am - 12:00 pm); a Meeting & Events Management course (35 Hours, 3.5 CEUs;7 Saturdays; Jan. 22 - March 19, 2011;Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). Each course is being offered on the Boca Raton Campus, has no prerequisites, and costs $799 which includes instruction materials and parking.
For info: http://www.fauexecutiveprograms.com/ApplicationFiles/web/WebFrame.cfm?web_id=133 For other questions, please contact Sarah Gaffney, Florida Atlantic University,
Executive Continuing Education at 561-297-2366 or email: sgaffne3@fau.edu
The Port of Miami cruise season opened with a record 346,513 cruise passengers transiting its facilities in October, up 29 percent from the year-ago month, the port reported.
Hollywood commissioners gave their blessing last month for Margaritaville, a 17-story resort hotel that promises to change the face of the beach. The Jimmy Buffett-themed resort won’t break ground for another year.
Southwest Florida:
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Southwest Florida is offering a new golf package. The deal starts at just $124 per night for single occupancy, or from $149 per night for double occupancy. In addition to accommodations in a newly renovated room, this package includes complimentary greens fees, golf cart fees, complimentary tennis, complimentary parking, and access to the resort's spa/fitness center.
Marco Island Lakeside is one of only 80 locations in Florida to be named by the Superior Small Lodging organization to receive its prestigious Donald A. Dermody White Glove Award for housekeeping excellence for 2010. "This is the third year in a row that we have been given this prestigious award after the thorough inspection," said General Manager Marcia Mandel.
The Hilton Naples is now active with its oft-updated “Naples Best blog” and with its Facebook page, which has featured numerous impromptu contests to win free nights at the hotel.
The Inn on Fifth has announced an array of enticing packages for the coming year, including the “Experience Naples” and “Romance on Fifth” packages.
The five star, five diamond Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort celebrated its 25th birthday on December 3, 2010.
AirTran Airways started new Saturday nonstop service between Fort Myers and Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 20, 2010. The flights between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) depart Fort Myers at 10:23 a.m. and arrive at 11:15 a.m.
Statewide:
VISIT FLORIDA has been asked by the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee to put together an exhibit on Florida attraction souvenirs entitled “Remembering Paradise: Souvenirs of Historic Florida Attractions.” The exhibit will run from April through September 2011. The temporary exhibit will focus on souvenirs from historic and important tourist attractions and how they help enhance the impact of tourism in Florida
VISIT FLORIDA is looking for your help! They need your old Florida souvenirs for the exhibit, in particular those that are fun, unique, odd, unusual, bizarre and even rare for our exhibition. Smaller items are preferred; however there is limited space for a few larger items such as T-Shirts, posters, etc.
Here is how you can help:
Step 1: Dig through that old trunk (or office storage file) and dust off your treasure from your favorite Florida attraction.
Step 2: Take a photo of the souvenir and send it to museum@VISITFLORIDA.org along with a brief description of your souvenir
Step 3: Souvenirs will be selected for the exhibit by the end of January 2011.
Step 4: VISIT FLORIDA will contact you with information on how to ship your Florida attraction souvenir to the exhibit.
Step 5: Tell everyone about the exhibit; encourage them to send in any of their old souvenirs.
Your souvenirs will be handled with the greatest of care and will be cataloged and returned at the end of the exhibit in September 2011. David Dodd, Vice President of Visitor Services, will be coordinating the exhibit and any questions you may have on the Florida attraction souvenir exhibit. He can be reached by phone at 850.205.3817.
--------------------------------------
To submit items for future editions, send to jwfranklin1@gmail.comBest, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
