Here you can find the latest stories and announcements from the Florida Attractions Association.
FAA Introduces New Benefit, Retires Printed Maps
For decades, the Official Guide Map to Florida Attractions and South Florida Attractions Map have served our attraction members, delivering Florida visitors one of the state’s most popular vacation guides. After decades of publication, numerous circumstances, including changing consumer dynamics and skyrocketing printing costs of large-format maps, the FAA has opted to move the Official Guide Map to Florida Attractions to an online, digital format – Official Guide to Florida Attractions.
This all-new website will include complimentary listings of every FAA Member Attraction, with search capabilities based on location and key word search. Our members will be able to provide links to images and videos and each listing will include a link to our member’s website. The current FloridaAttractions.com site will be repurposed for this new website. The new website will be mobile friendly, be bolstered by advanced SEO and the FAA will dedicate additional resources for SEM. Rack cards will be distributed and transparencies displayed in Florida’s Official Welcome Centers and other locations to direct visitors to this new online vacation planning resource.
An additional feature of the new Official Guide to Florida Attractions will be geofencing of our state providing you the ability to purchase a display ad in your choice of 8 Florida vacation regions. These are limited to 3 unique ads per region and will be contracted on a monthly basis. This very economical advertising opportunity is priced beginning less than $2/day and go up to less than $10/day depending on the region.
More details will be available soon, but we wanted to share with you a sneak peak at this exciting new FAA benefit coming exclusively to FAA members in 2023.
Thank you for your continued support.
Moving forward,
Bill
Bill Lupfer
President/CEO
Florida Attractions Association
As our state moves through the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, our 2022 Florida Attraction Scholarship Foundation Golf Tournament, scheduled for Friday, October 14 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Golf Club has been cancelled.
Dear Attraction Colleagues,
With the direct and indirect impacts of Hurricane Ian across Florida, the past week has tested the resolve and resiliency of our industry. Most of our members have been able to cleanup and reopen after Hurricane Ian. Others are still closed, in various stages of disrepair and waiting for water to recede and infrastructure to be restored before beginning their rebuilding process. Our thoughts are with all of you, especially those experiencing personal and professional loss.
The FAA has been closely monitoring our members and updating their status as information is verified. Our members in Southwest Florida have a very challenging time ahead and we’ll continue to monitor their progress and assist as appropriate.
Please refer to FloridaAttractions.org for resources available for you, your family, employees, and your business.
There are numerous relief organizations who are assisting relief and recovery efforts. The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities. For Hurricane Ian, all administrative and credit card fees have been waived so that 100% of every donation can be used to help Floridians recover.
If the FAA can be of service to you, please contact our staff in Tallahassee at 850-222-2885.
To our FAA members severely affected by Hurricane Ian, I encourage you to press forward, seek help, and trust that your FAA friends and family are standing with you as we rebuild and persevere though this adversity. I can see the Florida sun shining on our bright future.
Together, we are #FloridaStrong.
Sincerely,
John Dent
FAA Chairman of the Board
Director, Walt Disney World
Dear FAA Member,
Hurricane Ian has been devastating for many of Florida's Attractions. As a resource, the FAA has compiled a list of known closures and/or attraction operation changes.
The full list can be viewed here. If you have information to share with the FAA and your fellow members, please contact the FAA office at 850-222-2885 or info@floridaattractions.org.
We will do anything we can to be of assistance.
Stay safe,
Your FAA Staff
Register In a City Near You
Join attraction and tourism industry colleagues from your region for an informal evening of networking, sharing and fun! FAA’s Networking Nights are back and in full swing!
Attendees include attraction representatives of FAA Member Attractions as well as Supplier Associate members, Tourism Associate members, and representatives from your local DMO (Convention & Visitor Bureau).
Members of the Florida Attractions Association and non-members are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided.
2022 Locations and Dates:
Fort Lauderdale
Wednesday, October 19
Flamingo Gardens
5:30-7:30pm
Orlando
Wednesday, October 26
Discovery Cove
6:00-8:00pm
St. Augustine
Thursday, October 27
Colonial Quarter
St. Petersburg
Wednesday, November 2
Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center
Sarasota
Thursday, November 3
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
5:00-7:00pm
Miami
Coming Soon!
Dear Fellow FAA Member,
On November 8, Floridians will go to the polls to elect the Florida Cabinet, a US Senator, their Congressman, State Senator, and State Representative. While the Florida Attractions Association works diligently to advocate on behalf of our industry, the non-partisan Florida Attractions Political Action Committee (FAPAC) is focused on electing tourism and business-friendly candidates to the Florida Legislature.
Our success in the Florida Legislature is reliant on the election of men and women who understand the unique challenges of our industry and a willingness to respect the interests of our member businesses when deliberating Legislative proposals.
Your FAPAC is asking Florida attractions industry leaders to chip in $25 to support this initiative and industry businesses to contribute $100. It’s a relatively small ask that returns huge rewards by electing the right leaders into the Florida Legislature.
Thank you to these individuals and businesses who have already contributed to help us make a difference this November. Please join me and your FAPAC Committee to Back the PAC and elect conscientious leaders to support our interests.
Cindy Stavely
Executive Director, St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
Chair, Florida Attractions Political Action Committee
Become a Sponsor of an FAA Event!
The Florida Attractions Association depends on our Associate Members to to help us provide excellent programming to our members. Sponsorships elevate your company's profile before our members and demonstrate your support of our dynamic attractions industry.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
2022
Golf Tournament
Networking Nights
FAA Networking Dinner
2023
Attraction Regional Forums
Annual Conference
Strategic Partnerships
If your business is interested in sponsoring an FAA event, or has questions, please contact Mike Donaldson at 850-222-2885 or Donaldson@floridaattractions.org.
9/1/22 Deadline
Bureau of Fair Rides Releases Required Inspection and Documentation Guidelines
The Bureau of Fair Rides has established a September 1, 2022 deadline for compliance with recent changes in Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code. Please review the Industry Letter and the Documentation Requirements below for details.
Industry Letter
Documentation Requirements
2022 Outstanding Member Award Recipients
In case you missed, the FAA was proud to announce this year's Outstanding Member Award recipients at this year's Annual Conference in West Palm Beach June 12-15. Please join us in congratulating the Outstanding Attraction Member and Outstanding Association Member of 2022 for their unwavering dedication and service to Florida's attractions industry and the FAA...
Matt Johnson
IMAG History & Science Center
Our Outstanding Attraction Member of the year is someone who has exemplified the ideals we all aspire to. We have all benefited from this person’s leadership and most have been elevated by friendship.
Our honoree’s long-time service to the FAA reaches back 15 years. The FAA has benefited from this member’s wisdom, vision, and compassion. Leadership through a global pandemic wasn’t easy for any of us, but his leadership steered the FAA through the storm and into a brighter future.
Matt has done more than devote himself to the FAA – he has shared his life with us. FAA member Marineland helped Matt “pop the question” to his wife Shannon and the FAA toasted Matt & Shannon the day following their engagement. Matt has been not just a remarkable leader to the FAA, but a wonderful example of a person to follow – authentic in the truest sense of the word.
For his 15 years of volunteer service and leadership, we are pleased to honor our 2022 Outstanding Attraction Member of the Year - Matt Johnson!
Pam Wells
Dippin' Dots
Our Associate Member of the year has been an active supporter of the FAA for many years – This individual attends every conference, most Networking Nights, our IAAPA event, in fact, its hard to remember an FAA gathering when this person wasn’t there.
Her presence helps us all keep our “cool” when we feel like “dippin”, she’s always there with the frozen “dots”.
We are so grateful for her active participation in the FAA, for her company’s generous support, and for her work to ensure that those cool little tasty frozen delights are never too far way. It is a great honor and privilege to present the 2022 Associate Member of the Year to – Pam Wells!
2022 Annual Conference Recap
Nearly 300 attraction industry professionals convened for the Florida Attractions 2022 Annual Conference in West Palm Beach June 12-15 as we Let the Sunshine In!
To our attendees - thank you for sharing in our extraordinary three days of inspiration and innovation. For those who missed it - we hope you'll consider your industry's annual conference an essential part of your professional development in 2023.
Visit our recap site to view photos, download General Session and Breakout Session presentations,
and more!
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