Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on much of the southeastern US and Florida was not spared.  During the storm, the FAA maintained a database of our member attractions operating status, based on reports we received directly from our members or from their websites or social media posts.  This information was shared with the public on FloridaAttractions.com, with VISIT FLORIDA for their tourism status website and visitors to Florida’s Welcome Centers.

Today, four of our attraction members remain closed as the continue repairs and cleanup from Helene.

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium (Clearwater)
• Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) (Sanibel)
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium (Sarasota)
• Peace River Wildlife Center (Punta Gorda)

If you’re able to provide resources to assist your fellow FAA members, please contact them.  Below is a report on specific needs of Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Thank you,

Bill

Clearwater Marine Aquarium will remain closed until further notice. 

On behalf of the Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation (FASF), thank you, fellow FAA members for your generous financial support that allows us to invest in the development of the current and future leaders of Florida’s attractions industry. We’ve provided over $100,000 so far, and continue to grow our program every year, thanks to YOU!

Fall is (almost) in the air and the holiday season will soon be upon us. Your Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation is asking for your help in our preparation for our 2024 FASF Holiday Silent Auction. This year, the auction will open on Monday, November 18 and end at 5:00pm ET on Friday, December 6.

You can help your Foundation in 3 ways!

First - Donate a unique item, gift basket or other highly desirable item from your business. Suggestions and details on how to donate are available here. Deadline for donations is Friday, November 1.

Second - You can register to participate in the auction. If you’re already familiar with our silent auction platform, Silent Auction Pro from last year’s FASF Holiday Silent Auction or our Annual Conference Silent Auction– you’re already registered, and you simply need to update your payment information. If you’re not already registered, its quick and easy. Simply click here to create your account or update your Silent Auction Pro account.

Third – When the auction opens on November 18, check out the amazing items you and your fellow FAA members have donated to the auction and enjoy bidding on auction items from the comfort of your mobile device.

You can bid with confidence knowing that proceeds on the auction will provide post-secondary school scholarships exclusively for employees of FAA member businesses and their dependents and fund grant for the internal professional development programs of our FAA members.

Sincerely,

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

Congratulations to FAA Members receiving Flagler Awards for their outstanding tourism marketing, recognized by a group of distinguished judges and announced at the 2024 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Tampa.

Special Event
Bronze: Rapids Waterpark for "Adults Only Night"
Silver: The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens or “Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild"

Internet Advertising
Bronze: Experience Kissimmee for the Spring Campaign 2023

Direct Marketing
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the USAE & Northstar Third-Party Emails

Tourism Advocacy
Silver: Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods for "Savor the Shore"
Henry: Visit Tampa Bay for the Tourism Academy for Students

Social Media Marketing
Bronze: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Social Media Campaign: Blog Posts

Out-of-Home
Bronze: Experience Kissimmee for the Winter Holiday Campaign 2023

Radio Advertising
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia island and iHeart Radio Podcast

Mobile Marketing
Bronze: The Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Conventions Bureau for the Ocala Marion Travel Guide App
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Mobile Marketing

Websites
Bronze: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for Amelia Island dot com

Niche Marketing
Bronze: The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau for Greater Miami & Miami Beach "Find Your Voice Miami Beach" Digital Experiential Campaign

Resource/Promotional Material-Consumer
Henry: Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods for the Digital Visitor Guide

Resource/Promotional Material-Trade
Bronze: Visit Tampa Bay for Tampa Bay's Guide to Social Inclusion
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for their Meeting Planner Quarterly Emails

Sustainable Tourism Marketing
Silver: Discover the Palm Beaches for "Sea to Preserve"

Networking has always been one of the FAA’s greatest benefits. Now, you can participate in Networking, “21st century style” with the FAA’s Mystery Connect – a virtual, one-on-one networking opportunity available to leaders in the FAA’s attractions during our beta test period.

Each month, you will be paired with another leader of an FAA attraction, agree on a mutually convenient time and spend 30 minutes meeting and sharing with each other on a teleconference platform. You’ll be provided with a few ice-breaker questions and feel free to expand into topics of mutual interest. It’s a simple way to connect with your fellow FAA members conveniently from your office.

Simply click here to create your profile. It takes less than 5 minutes. Our first pairings will be in October. You may opt out of the program at any time.

Phase one of this new program is for FAA Attraction Members only.