Here you can find the latest stories and announcements from the Florida Attractions Association.
FloridaAttractions.com - UPDATE
Only Six Featured Attractions - Reserve Your Ad
Since launching on January 1, 2023, nearly 20,000 potential Florida travelers from 142 countries have visited FloridaAttractions.com. The FAA continues to invest in marketing our member attractions on the site through an aggressive SEM campaign that is reaching consumers and showcasing the best family attractions Florida has to offer!
Based on the results of the campaign so far, beginning April 1, we will discontinue our geotargeted advertising and instead deliver very limited display ads for Featured Attractions to every visitor to the website. Only six Featured Attractions with links to the attraction’s website will be featured on the homepage of FloridaAttractions.com.
Featured Attraction display ads are now available for only $250/month (billed quarterly) and are available on a first come-first served basis for the 3 quarters remaining in 2023.
ACT NOW - Ads for Quarter 2 will be displayed starting April 1.
Revenue generated from these display ads helps offset the costs of search engine marketing of the site.
Click below for complete details including ad specs and suggestions to maximize ad performance.
If you have any questions about the new website and the ad sales process, please contact the Florida Attractions Association office – (850) 222-2885 or info@FloridaAttractions.org.
Florida Tourism Day 2023
Hi Florida Attractions,
The Florida Attractions Association is proud to host the 2023 Florida Tourism Day, in partnership with Destinations Florida, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, and the Florida Association of Museums.
Registration for Florida Tourism Day is now open! Join tourism industry professionals, colleagues, and friends in Tallahassee on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 for this fantastic event. Florida's tourism industry drives our state’s economy, and your presence here in Tallahassee demonstrates the power and influence of our industry. You will be hearing from legislative leaders and meeting with policymakers to educate them about the issues that impact your business.
Please follow the link HERE to register.
Schedule of Events:
Liberty Partners of Tallahassee Office
8:00 am – 8:30 am: Continental Breakfast
8:30 am – 10:00 am: Florida Attractions Industry Briefing
Florida State Augustus B. Turnbull Conference Center
10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Florida Tourism Day Rally and Briefing
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Networking Lunch
Florida State Capitol
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm: Legislative Appointments at the Capitol
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Headquarters
5:00 pm - 8:00pm: Florida Tourism Day Reception
Thank you,
Bill
Bill Lupfer
President/CEO
Florida Attractions Association
Now Accepting Applications for the 2023 Scholarship and Professional Development Grant
---For FAA Member Employees and Their Dependents---
Florida Attractions Scholarship Program
Scholarships awarded by the Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation are exclusively for FAA member business employees and their immediate family members. Eligible recipients must be enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution in Florida in Hospitality Management or other related field.
For full criteria and to apply for consideration, visit:
You can also print this 8.5 x 11 flyer to display for your employees at your business!
Thanks to the ongoing generosity of Florida Attractions Association members, this year, the Foundation and its Board of Directors will be awarding several $2,000 scholarships. Recipients will also be invited to attend a Florida Attractions Association Annual Conference.
---For FAA Member Businesses---
Professional Development and Employee Advancement Grant Program
This new program has been developed to provide FAA member businesses (Attractions & Associate Members) financial support to develop new and build capacity for existing professional development and leadership programs. Along with the FASF scholarship program, this grant program will promote the Foundation’s mission to develop the Florida attraction industry’s workforce and prepare for the future challenges.
This year, Grants are limited to $2500 maximum. Grant awards will be announced at the 2023 FAA Annual Conference.
Qualifying programs can include – individual or group programs for professional development, specific skills training, job-specific certifications, leadership development, and industry conferences. Qualifying Programs MUST provide an educational component that is relevant to the attractions industry and improve employee proficiencies and, ultimately, the guest experience.
Deadline for submissions to both the Scholarship and Grant Programs is February 28, 2023, 11:59pm EST.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
The popular Attraction Regional Forums return in-person February 2023 in St. Augustine, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers! Forum attendees include attraction industry leaders from each region, industry suppliers and DMOs.
NEW for 2023 – FAA Associate Members are welcome to join the conversation and participate in the Attraction Regional Forums!
St. Augustine
Tuesday, February 7
Ponce de Leon's
Fountain of Youth
Orlando
Wednesday, February 8
Brother Jimmy's BBQ
at ICON Park
Fort Lauderdale
Thursday, February 9
Flamingo Gardens
Fort Myers
Friday, February 10
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre
Attraction Regional Forums are the ideal meeting to kick-start the new year and prepare for the dynamic changes that lie ahead. Attraction industry leaders, Associate members (suppliers) and DMOs come together to share perspectives on timely topics related to the market, trends, technology, guest experience/expectations, attraction operations, and issues impacting their business.
The Forums are packed with actionable content that will help your business thrive. Led by FAA Chairman John Dent (Walt Disney World), John is joined by Chair-Elect Cindy Stavely (St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum), immediate Past Chair Jennifer Berthiaume, your FAA Staff, and other industry thought leaders. Most important, the collective wisdom and experiences of our FAA Members will provide fresh perspectives on your path to success.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Official Guide to Florida Attractions
Limited Geo-targeted Display Ads Now Available
Secure your display ad now on the Florida Attractions Association’s all-new, digital Official Guide to Florida Attractions! Our new website launches January 1, 2023.
Ads start at only $153/quarter.
2023 Annual Conference
With tremendous enthusiasm and acknowledged anticipation, I am delighted to announce that the Florida Attractions Association will return to the spectacular Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers for our 2023 Annual Conference, June 11-14. Following the devastating impact Hurricane Ian had on the southwest Florida region, we’re returning to show our unified support of the community, our tourism colleagues and our affected FAA members. The conference committee and I thought it opportune to reflect the connection and investment our members provide and help establish that this area is indeed Florida strong and eager to welcome back visitation. In addition to three days of actionable educational sessions and networking, we plan to include a community service component as a part of the conference schedule.
The Luminary Hotel is one of the top-rated host hotels in post-conference surveys. If you’ve never attended an FAA Annual Conference, now’s your opportunity to participate in Florida attractions premier event. FAA members consistently rate the Annual Conference as the most valuable conference they attend each year.
Please save the date – June 11-14, 2023 – and standby for more details as Florida’s Finest Family Attractions and Industry Suppliers meet to learn, share and grow together. I know you are as excited as I am to bring our energy and commitment to Fort Myers and celebrate our future once again. I can’t wait to see you there.
Sincerely,
John Dent
Chairman, Florida Attractions Association
Director, Walt Disney World
Florida Attractions Professional Development and Employee Advancement Grant
The Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation is excited to announce the creation of the Professional Development and Employee Advancement Grant Program. The program has been developed to provide FAA member businesses (Attractions & Associate Members) financial support to develop new - and build capacity for existing - professional development and leadership programs. Along with the FASF scholarship program, this grant program will promote the Foundation’s mission to develop the Florida attraction industry’s workforce and prepare for the future challenges.
Grant applications will be accepted beginning February 1, 2023. The application period closes on February 28, 2023. Grant awards will be announced at the 2023 FAA Annual Conference.
Official Guide to Florida Attractions Ad Sales
We shared with you earlier that the printed version of the Official Guide Map to Florida Attractions has been retired and will not be published. In its place, the FAA will roll out a digital version of the map – the Official Guide to Florida Attractions. The target date for the launch is January 1, 2023.
As a benefit of membership, your attraction will receive a complimentary listing on the new website that will include a customized landing page showcasing your attraction.
In addition to your complimentary listing, a very limited, geo-targeted advertising opportunity will also be available to our individual attraction members (no co-ops or shared ads) in good standing for the first quarter of 2023.Your digital display ad may be displayed in one or more of Florida’s eight vacation regions. Ad rates are generally based on the annual visitation to each region.
Since there will be a limit of three digital display ads per region, per quarter, we anticipate this opportunity will sellout very quickly. Attractions are welcome to choose any or all vacation regions for their display ad to appear in.
Ad sales will be made available beginning at 10am EST on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.
Ads will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The Official Guide to Florida Attractions ad sales website will show how many ads are available at the time you land on the site, but be mindful, it will not show how many transactions are in process ahead of you and ads will only be reserved after the requested information, including answering basic questions and payment is completed.
The new Official Guide to Florida Attractions will be accessible at FloridaAttractions.com. The FAA will invest in an aggressive SEM campaign.
First Quarter 2023 Pricing Plan
(Geo-targeted Ads offered in a 3-month block)
Click Map to Enlarge
Northwest - $69/month, $207/quarter
North Central - $51/month, $153/quarter
Northeast - $113/month, $339/quarter
Central West - $133/month, $399/quarter
Central - $262/month, $786/quarter
Central East - $107/month, $321/quarter
Southwest - $96/month, $288/quarter
Southeast - $288/month, $864/quarter
Announcing the 2023 Scholarship Program
Since its inception in 2012, the Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation has awarded over $60,000 to more than 70 students studying tourism-related careers.
The scholarship program is an exclusive benefit to FAA member businesses – their employees, employee family members, volunteers and interns.
Thanks to the generosity of our Florida Attractions Association members, your Foundation will award several $2,000 scholarships in 2023. Applications will be accepted during the month of February 2023.
Details on the application process will be announced in January.
Hurricane Ian Hospitality Workers Relief Fund
Hurricane Ian drastically impacted our hospitality industry in southwest Florida. Approximately half the overnight accommodations in Lee County are out of service leaving thousands without jobs. In addition to the loss of life, the situation is compounded as many also lost some - if not all - of their personal property during the storm.
Some of those affected are team members of FAA member attractions.
The Collaboratory (Community Foundation in SW Florida) in conjunction with the local United Way has established a fund to provide support specifically for Fort Myers hospitality workers, including those in the attractions industry.
Please join me in assisting our tourism colleagues in the Fort Myers area.
PS – If you know of anyone needing assistance, please refer them to the Relief Fund Assessment Form.
© 2023 All Rights Reserved | Florida Attractions Association
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