Here you can find the latest stories and announcements from the Florida Attractions Association.
Moving “fore”-ward, our annual Golf Tournament is back on Friday, October 8 and the Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation is seeking your support with donations for our tournament Silent Auction. Proceeds help fund college scholarships for employees and dependents of FAA member businesses and our professional development programs.
Gift Baskets, Specialty Items, Golf Packages, Hotel Stays & Gift Certificates all make great auction/raffle prizes!
Click here to make your donations and make your investment in tomorrow’s attraction industry leaders.
It’s not too late to get in on a day of networking on the links – we still have a few openings for players. To register for the tournament, click here.
Thank you for taking time to regroup and reenergize with our FAA family at the 2021 Annual Conference in Fort Myers. There was great enthusiasm and positive energy and we appreciate the encouraging comments received for the FAA having the courage to host a conference in the waning days of the pandemic.
We owe a great deal of gratitude to our outgoing Chairman, Matt Johnson (IMAG History & Science Center) for his leadership over the past two years, successfully steering our association through a worldwide pandemic.
As our new Chair Jennifer Berthiaume (Lion County Safari) begins her role, we look forward to her leadership as we observe the rebirth of Florida tourism. While we await the inevitable return of visitors from around the world, lets never lose sight of why they come to Florida…for the very reason we live here – its simple a remarkable state.
Whether you were with us in Fort Myers or unable to join us, please take a few minutes to enjoy this recap of our 2021 Annual Conference.
Networking Nights is a fun and exciting regional networking event created by and for members of the Florida Attractions Association to bring local attraction representatives together with their industry suppliers in a casual, social environment.
Attendees include attraction representatives of FAA Member Attractions from your community as well as Supplier Associate members, Tourism Associate members, and representatives from your local DMO (Convention & Visitors Bureau).
Important Note: Attendees will be required to adhere to any COVID-19 safety guidelines outlined by the host attraction. This can include wearing masks, physically distancing and attendance limitations. Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk anywhere people are present. The FAA cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during our Networking Nights.
Click Here to Register for a Networking Night
Presented by
Help support rising hospitality superstars and join your industry colleagues and fellow golf enthusiasts for the Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation's annual golf tournament with proceeds benefiting scholarships for students pursuing degrees in hospitality-related fields.
Today a new website was launched to help organizations reduce their risk of ransomware. StopRansomware.gov is the new ransomware homepage for federal government agencies to pool resources that can give businesses and organizations of all sizes the opportunity to better protect their networks. The website will also highlight the latest ransomware-related alerts from these agencies.
Ransomware cases are on the rise. In 2020 there was a 300% increase in the amount of ransoms paid, compared to the previous year. Ransomware incidents have become more destructive and impactful in both nature and scope. Malicious cyber actors target critical data and can propagate ransomware across entire networks. These cyber criminals also increasingly use tactics, such as deleting system backups that make restoration and recovery more difficult or infeasible for impacted organizations. The economic and reputational impacts of ransomware incidents, throughout the initial disruption and, at times, extended recovery, have also proven challenging for organizations large and small.
The new website will enable organizations to enhance their network defense while helping organizations be more aware and prepared to deal with malicious cyber actors.
StopRansomware.gov includes information about the critical steps that should be taken to respond to and recover from a cyberattack. This includes a comprehensive Ransomware Guide and Cyber Hygiene services that are available at no cost to help organizations with vulnerability scanning, web application scanning, penetration testing, and phishing assessments. These services can help to assess, identify, and reduce exposure to cyber threats like ransomware.
We advise all organizations to visit StopRansomware.gov to help mitigate ransomware risks.
From The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
CISA is pleased to announce the launch of the CISA Securing Public Gatherings website, www.cisa.gov/securing-public-gatherings, which features security resources related to public gatherings and crowded places for all stakeholders.
The CISA Securing Public Gatherings website is a key resource for connecting organizations of all types and sizes to our products to mitigate risk and promote resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily operations and our collective sense of normalcy and challenged us to find innovative ways to share information with our stakeholders. This website is a step toward optimizing the agency’s information sharing capabilities and tools to accommodate the current virtual work environment in which we operate. This format offers a flexible, user-friendly experience and enables more frequent updates to the website, providing stakeholders with the most up-to-date content, products, and information CISA has to offer.
This website will provide the general public; businesses and critical infrastructure owners and operators; state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government officials and first responders; houses of worships; and schools with security resources that address a variety of threat vectors impacting public gatherings and crowded places. All CISA products posted on the website are categorized by audience and topic area with clickable icons to help users easily navigate to the most relevant information.
Congratulations to the Recipientsof the 2021 Scholarship!
The Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation and its Board of Directors are proud to announce 3 recipients for this year's scholarship! These recipients are hard-working, aspiring hospitality industry professionals and will receive a $2,000 scholarship to go toward their education.
Lacy Collins
Studying at: University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Major: Hospitality and Tourism Management w/ a Concentration in Theme Park Management
Anticipated Graduation: May 2021
Current Position: VIP/RIP Experience Tour Guide at Universal Orlando Resort
Career Objective: "I would like to continue my progress at Universal Orlando Resort. My plan is to be in management where I can continue to support my team and the business. I want to be in a position where the people who report to me feel represented, heard, and recognized, while still acknowledging the needs of the business."
Theresa Kieu
Studying at: University of Central Florida
Major: Hospitality Management
Anticipated Graduation: Summer 2021
Current Position: Guest Services Coordinator at Universal Orlando Resort
Career Objective: "I plan on pursuing a Master's Degree from the University of Central Florida. My current career objective is to continue to innovate and advance the hospitality industry through ideas and framework through the pandemic. Although there is no clear end in sight, my ultimate goal is to be able to organize and lead a team by example and continue in the pillars of professionalism, leadership and service. By pursuing my passion of hospitality and remaining true to my vision and goals, I look forward to the continuous challenges lying ahead and am honored to be able to experience and contribute to
the overall quality of life throughout the hospitality and tourism industry."
Taylor Zapf
Major: Hospitality / Theme Park and Attraction Management
Anticipated Graduation: 2021
Current Position: Attractions Attendant - Fast & Furious: Supercharged at Universal Orlando Resort
Career Objective: "My current career objective is to be in a position of leadership at a theme park where I can use my knowledge, skills, and passion to make people happy and create great experiences for them to remember for a lifetime. I would also be interested in one day moving into the creative team of a project like a new ride, show, parade, or park. Whether my career be in a show or guest facing aspect, or making the product come together in terms of safety, organization, and operation behind the scenes, I would be honored to be involved in any way. I have taken great interests in the areas of live entertainment, rides, and guest services throughout my career in the theme park industry, and I would be happy pursuing a career in any of those. I am open to any path life will take me, as long as it is part of making the incredible experience of a theme park come together. I currently am trying to learn everything I can to prepare myself to have as much knowledge of a park's operation as I can, so I am equipped to handle any situation as a
leader. Above all else, I believe that if I am in a career that will ultimately result in bringing
people happiness, I will be content."
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