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Florida Attractions News

Here you can find the latest stories and announcements from the Florida Attractions Association.

  • January 04, 2024 2:16 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    FAA Members are invited to share their FAA story with their fellow members - how the association we share, colleagues we meet and experiences we live benefit one another.

    In the dynamic world of attraction ownership, where every twist and turn brings new challenges and opportunities, I found solace and inspiration in the embrace of a community that became my second family – an association of friends and like-minded leaders who shared my passion for excellence and innovation- the Florida Attractions Association.

    My journey with this extraordinary association began as a tentative step into uncharted territory. As one of the owners and CEO of Sawgrass Recreation Park, I often found myself immersed in the day-to-day demands of running a successful business. However, there was a longing for connection, a desire to share experiences and insights with those who understood the unique challenges of our industry.

    The first time I attended an Annual Conference almost 14 years ago, I was met with warmth and enthusiasm. It was not merely a gathering of professionals; it was a reunion of kindred spirits. As attraction owners and tourism industry support businesses, we shared a language that went beyond business jargon – a language of passion, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the magic we create within our attractions. I came back to my office and had notebooks full of ideas and so much work to do!

    The camaraderie that blossomed within this association went far beyond the confines of conference rooms and seminars. Late-night conversations over shared experiences and laughter forged bonds that transcended professional titles. We became friends, confidantes, and a support system for one another in a way that only those walking similar paths could understand. Here I found individuals who became my mentors, friends and even business partners in other endeavors.

    Professionally, the impact of this association on my journey as an attraction owner has been nothing short of transformative. The wealth of knowledge shared during roundtables, conferences and networking nights opened my eyes to innovative strategies and industry trends that I might have overlooked. Every conference became a chance to be with our "family" again. I loved how everyone was willing to open up and share successes and sometimes failures so that their knowledge would benefit others. I quickly found myself doing the same. I was so ready to take a call at my office and spend time helping others who were facing challenges or needed advice. It is so rare in my other professional avenues to be able to share a coffee with another airboat park owner who knows the responsibility of caring for alligators and reptiles, truly unique to my time spent with FAA.

    The positive ripple effect of this association reached our operational support and supply chains. We have found brochure distribution, print solutions, store merchandise, signage, marketing tools and more with the help of our associate members who are so closely tied to our industry. We now look to FAA associates first for our business solutions in whatever we need.

    am so proud of FAA for taking strides in Tallahassee with advocacy for our industry and for our attractions. Over the past decade we have become a collective voice, advocating for policies that support the growth and sustainability of attractions from every corner of our state. I have attended Tourism Day 10 times and have traveled separately to Tallahassee and DC on many occasions to meet with legislators. Thanks to FAA our park gained the confidence to host State Representatives and Senators to our park so they could meet our staff. I am so grateful to Jennifer Green and her team at Liberty Partners of Tallahassee for their guidance and advice as our attraction has had to navigate several legislative issues and hurdles. I am proud to say we were successful- and we have continued our commitment to advocacy to ensure we are always working hard to protect the interests of attractions and small business owners alike.

    As I reflect on the time spent with this association, I am filled with gratitude for the personal and professional growth it has facilitated. It is not just a means to professionally network; it is a family that celebrates our victories, supports us through challenges, and inspires us to reach new heights. The lessons learned, friendships forged, and the sense of community nurtured within this association have become an integral part of my journey as an attraction owner. I am serving on the board for a second term and my time spent with our leadership has been transformative. I see their passion and drive to work hard to help our association grow and evolve as our industry is ever changing. There are so many more fun changes on the way and I can't wait to see what we will achieve beyond our 75 years.

    In the tapestry of my life, the threads of this association are woven with vibrant hues of camaraderie, shared passion, and mutual growth. I am not just an attraction owner; I am a member of a community that continues to shape and enrich my narrative in ways I could have never imagined.

    Christina Soverns Schwartzman
    Chief Executive Officer
    Sawgrass Recreation Park

  • January 03, 2024 2:09 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The FAA isn’t the only one celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024. Gatorland opened its door in 1949 and has welcomed millions of visitors since then. Like many of our more seasoned FAA members, Gatorland’s humble beginnings blossomed over the years. It’s founder, Owen Godwin and his wife Pearl bought a parcel of land on the Orange Blossom Trail near Kissimmee and opened the Florida Wildlife Institute. The park was later named Gatorland and that brand has grown to international recognition over the decades.

    The privately-owned park is unique as four generations of the Godwin/McHugh family have poured their lives into making Gatorland stand up in the competitive central Florida tourism marketplace. Over the years, as Florida tourism boomed, the attraction has added to the numerous attractions and exhibits guest can enjoy including the historic Gatorland Railroad, Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, Stompin’ Gator Swamp buggy rides, swamp walks, Gator Jumparoo show and more.

    Guests experience a folksy, downhome vibe when visiting Gatorland, reminiscent of a bygone era of Florida culture. The attraction is led by President and CEO Mark McHugh who served as Chairman of the FAA from 2008 until 2010. Gatorland’s Senior Director of Sales, Jennifer Gallagher currently serves on the FAA Board.

    Gatorland is a testament to the timeless appeal of Florida’s original roadside attractions. Through the determination and vision of family, the spirit of Owen Godwin lives on in this venerable FAA member attraction.

    Congratulations to our friends and FAA member Gatorland – the Alligator Capitol of the World!


  • January 03, 2024 10:06 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Florida Tourism Day | January 31, 2024

    Tallahassee

    Hi Florida Attractions,


    The Florida Attractions Association is proud to host the 2024 Florida Tourism Day, in partnership with Destinations FloridaFlorida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, and the Florida Association of Museums

     

    Please make plans to join tourism industry professionals, colleagues, and friends in Tallahassee on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 for this important 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.


    The deadline to book your room under the FAA's special negotiated rate is next Monday, January 8. Registration for Florida Tourism Day may be extended based on availability in the FAA's registration allotment. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot and book your hotel room as soon as possible.

    Click for Details and Registration

    Schedule of Events


    January 30, 2024

    5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

    Florida Attractions Association Networking Dinner (Dutch treat - location TBA)


    January 31, 2024

    8:30 AM – 9:30 AM        

    Registration & Networking Breakfast | AC Hotel by Marriott Tallahassee 801 South Gadsden Street Tallahassee, FL 32301


    9:30 AM - 11:30 AM       

    Tourism Day Rally & Partner Briefing | AC Hotel by Marriott Tallahassee


    11:30 AM – 1:00 PM      

    Networking Luncheon | AC Hotel by Marriott Tallahassee


    1:00 PM – 5:00 PM         

    FAA Members & tourism colleagues from your county - Prearranged appointments with Legislators | The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399

    I look forward to seeing you in Tallahassee! Please reach out with questions.



    Thank you,


    Bill

    Bill Lupfer

    President/CEO

    Florida Attractions Association

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  • January 03, 2024 9:04 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    As the new year begins, we are finalizing plans for our 2024 scholarship and grant application period happening in February. Our scholarships are available exclusively to FAA member business employees and their dependents. In our first decade as a Foundation, we have awarded $80,000 to our industry’s future superstars.

    In 2023, the Foundation introduced a new grant program to aid our FAA member businesses with their internal human resources development programs. At annual conference, we awarded over $17,000 in scholarships and grants– a record for a single year. Last month the Foundation held its first online Holiday Silent Auction and raised over $6,600 in funds for our scholarship and grant programs.

    None of this would be possible without the generosity of our FAA members!

    Keep an eye on FloridaAttractions.org and your email inbox for details on our 2024 Scholarship and Grant application period which runs the month of February.

    Sincerely,

    Jennifer Berthiaume
    Chairman, Florida Attraction Scholarship Foundation
    Vice President, Lion Country Safari


  • January 02, 2024 10:56 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Happy New Year and welcome to 2024! It seems impossible we’re already almost a quarter of the way through the century! 2024 will be a momentous year. The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris, we’ll endure our Presidential election, and perhaps most significant, the 75th Anniversary of the Florida Attractions Association!

    This newsletter is the result of last August’s FAA Board Retreat and is one of many initiatives underway by our Board and our members. Your Board is divided into five workgroups, each tasked with refinement of an aspect of the FAA: Membership Development, Engagement & Retention; Government Relations; FAA Brand ID & Value Proposition; FAA Programming (Events); and Board Development, Utilization, and Engagement.

    We’re reevaluating every activity we’ve been involved in and making adjustments to best position your FAA for the future. For example, FAA member surveys indicated it was time for an event refresh so we retired fall’s Networking Nights and next month’s Attraction Regional Forums. We’re planning an all-new regional event that will combine the best aspects of Networking Nights and Attraction Regional Forums into one event.

    Our new Fall Webinar Series was a big hit and you’ll soon receive details on our Spring Webinar Series. The FAA brand refresh project is underway with Rumblebuzz Marketing leading that initiative. Our 2024 Annual Conference (June 9-12, World Equestrian Center, Ocala) will be a time of honoring our 75 years and launching into the future. I know you won’t want to miss this once-in-a lifetime conference.

    Enjoy the news and feel free to reach out to me or our FAA Team if there is anything we can do to serve you.

    Sincerely,

    Cindy

    Cindy Stavely
    Chairman, Florida Attractions Association
    Executive Director, St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

  • January 01, 2024 1:39 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the Florida Attractions Association, which was formally chartered as a corporation on October 14, 1949.  This year, we’ll pause to look back on our founding and the people and events which shaped our industry.  Folks like our founding members:

    • Peter Schaal, Silver Springs
    • Richard D. Pope Sr., Cypress Gardens
    • Jack Bauder, Nikko Gray Line Sightseeing Boats
    • Newton Perry, Weeki Wachee Springs
    • Francis S. Scherr, Parrot Jungle
    • Mrs. Alfred B. Maclay, Killearn Gardens
    • George Stacey, Musa Isle Indian Village
    • Joseph Dumond, Monkey Jungle


    Their vision for the FAA:

    To foster and cultivate the social, educational and business relations of its members; to broaden their interests in the pursuit of their operations and to improve their standards of efficiency; to promote cooperation in all matters of interest to their business of operating and maintaining tourist attractions in Florida; to create and maintain higher standards in business dealings; to correct trade abuses; to compile and distribute information to its members for their benefit; to aid and protect its members and do all things as are properly within the scope of such an association for the welfare of its members.

    Looking back can be instructional, but moving forward is the only path to achieving future success.  This year, we’ll do both.


  • December 19, 2023 12:45 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Thank You Donors & Bidders!

    Our first-ever Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation Silent Auction recently concluded and was a great success. The auction netted $6,610 for your Foundation and will fund three scholarships. Thank you to our 61 active bidders, and a special thank you to our generous silent auction donors:

    A3 Visual

    Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures

    Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

    Colonial Quarter

    Dolphin Research Center

    Double T Multimedia

    Guest Services

    IMAG History & Science Center

    Kenney Communications

    LEGOLAND Florida

    Lion Country Safari

    Marineland Dolphin Adventure

    Mississippi Aquarium

    Sawgrass Recreation Park

    SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando

    St. Augustine Lighthouse

    Universal Orlando Resort

    Walt Disney World

    ZooTampa at Lowry Park

    Stay tuned for details on our 2024 Scholarship and Grant application month – February 2024. Scholarships and Grants are an exclusive benefit of FAA memberships and are available to FAA member business’s employees and their dependents.

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  • December 06, 2023 12:28 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Florida Tourism Day 2024

    Hi Florida Attractions,


    The Florida Attractions Association is proud to host the 2024 Florida Tourism Day, in partnership with Destinations FloridaFlorida 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, January 31, 2024 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.


    The FAA has secured a special hotel room rate for all members who are making plans to join us in Tallahassee.


    Click for Details and Registration

    Schedule of Events


    January 30, 2024

    5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

    Florida Attractions Association Networking Dinner (Dutch treat - location TBA)


    January 31, 2024

    8:30 AM – 9:30 AM        

    Registration & Networking Breakfast | AC Hotel by Marriott Tallahassee 801 South Gadsden Street Tallahassee, FL 32301


    9:30 AM - 11:30 AM       

    Tourism Day Rally & Partner Briefing | AC Hotel by Marriott Tallahassee


    11:30 AM – 1:00 PM      

    Networking Luncheon | AC Hotel by Marriott Tallahassee


    1:00 PM – 5:00 PM         

    FAA Members & tourism colleagues from your county - Prearranged appointments with Legislators | The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399

    I look forward to seeing you in Tallahassee! Please reach out with questions.



    Thank you,


    Bill

    Bill Lupfer

    President/CEO

    Florida Attractions Association

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  • December 01, 2023 11:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Let the Bidding Begin!

    Help support your Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation in raising money this holiday season to help provide financial support to post-secondary students studying hospitality-related fields!


    Don't Miss these Great Items Including:


    Group Tickets to Walt Disney World • Dining Experiences •

    Hotel Stays • Florida Panthers Hockey Tickets • Airboat Rides • Attraction Tickets • and much more!



    Bidding will close next FRIDAY, DEC. 8 @ 5pm ET.

    Start Bidding

    If you still need to set up your account to participate and join in on the fun to support your Foundation, please follow these easy steps below.

    Directions on Setting Up Your Account to Bid:


    1. Go to https://www.silentauctionpro.com
    2. Click the Getting Started / Log In button in the upper right corner and then the Click Here to Get Started link.
    3. In the Create an Account form, choose a Username and Password and click the Create Login button.
    4. Complete your user information and click Create Account.
    5. From the Groups drop-down list, select group 1193 and click Submit.


    *If you have participated in our silent auction at the Annual Conference, you already have an account. All you have to do is log in and update the credit card on file.

    In addition to scholarships, FASF provides professional development programs for Florida attractions industry leaders and offers grants to attraction businesses to develop and present internal professional development programming. Our goal is to nurture, prepare and equip the current and future leaders of Florida’s attractions industry.


    Thanks to the generosity of Florida Attractions Association members, as of 2023, the Foundation has awarded a total of $79,950 in scholarships and grants to 83 recipients.


    Scholarships are awarded exclusively to employees of FAA members businesses and their dependents. 

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  • November 16, 2023 10:07 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Bidding Begins Dec. 1 @ 10:00am ET

    Your Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation is raising money this holiday season to help provide financial support to post-secondary students studying in broadly defined hospitality-related fields, and we'll be having our first annual Holiday Silent Auction!


    Auction Items Include:


    Group Tickets to Walt Disney World • Dining Experiences •

    Hotel Stays • Florida Panthers Hockey Tickets • Airboat Rides • Attraction Tickets • and much more!



    Bidding will begin: FRIDAY, DEC. 1 @ 10am ET

    Bidding will close: FRIDAY, DEC. 8 @ 5pm ET

    To get started, you can go ahead and create an account in Silent Auction Pro and then join our group*. Here are the steps:


    1. Go to https://www.silentauctionpro.com
    2. Click the Getting Started / Log In button in the upper right corner and then the Click Here to Get Started link.
    3. In the Create an Account form, choose a Username and Password and click the Create Login button.
    4. Complete your user information and click Create Account.
    5. From the Groups drop-down list, select group 1193 and click Submit.


    *If you have participated in our silent auction at the Annual Conference, you already have an account. All you have to do is log in and update the credit card on file.

    In addition to scholarship, FASF provides professional development programs for Florida attractions industry leaders and offers grants to attraction businesses to develop and present internal professional development programming. Our goal is to nurture, prepare and equip the current and future leaders of Florida’s attractions industry.


    Thanks to the generosity of Florida Attractions Association members, as of 2023, the Foundation has awarded a total of $79,950 in scholarships and grants to 83 recipients.


    Scholarships are awarded exclusively to employees of FAA members businesses and their dependents. 

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