Aug 8, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE INFORMATION         

CONTACTS: Nancy Hamilton, Lee Rose or Jessica Grace (239) 338-3500

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel and Sun Splash Family Waterpark receive Florida's tourism honors; the Edisons named to Florida Tourism Hall of Fame 

LEE COUNTY, FL – (Aug. 8, 2006)  The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) has earned a "Henry Award," the highest award for imaginative destination marketing at the 39th Annual Governor's Conference on Tourism Flagler Awards Competition presented Aug. 6-8 in Orlando. Sun Splash Family Waterpark earned a "Best of Show." At the same gathering, the late Thomas and Mina Edison, winter residents of Fort Myers, earned their place in the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. 

Sponsored by Visit Florida, the official marketing organization for Florida tourism, and the Florida Commission on Tourism, the Flagler Awards program is designed to acknowledge the outstanding marketing achievements of the state's tourism-related businesses, destinations, attractions, and other entities.  Four out-of-state tourism-marketing authorities judged the competition's nearly 160 entries in 15 categories.

• Radio: Summer in-state radio campaign – the VCB was honored with the "Henry Award" for its creative radio campaign in the important Miami/Fort Lauderdale market to give Floridians reasons to "travel in your own backyard."

• Out of home: Chicago tactical campaign – as one component to a larger mixed media campaign, unusual media outlets, such as coffee cup sleeves and elevator TV advertising,  proved effective approaches to increasing destination brand awareness in this core tourist feeder market. The VCB earned a finalist rating for this campaign.   

• Internet Advertising: Paradise.calm – the VCB's e-mail newsletter is published 10 times per year and delivers a variety of messages from The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel to an opt-in database of more than 175,000 subscribers. Paradise.calm was a finalist in this category.  

• Direct mail: Tradewinds – this official destination newspaper is one element in an aggressive customer relationship management program and allows the VCB ongoing dialogue with customers who have inquired about the area. Tradewinds earned a finalist rating.

• Creative partnering: Co-operative advertising program – every year the VCB sells and administers one of the largest and most innovative co-operative programs offered by a convention and visitor bureau in the nation. The program was a finalist.

• Resource/promotional material consumer: Destination overview brochure – one of eight destination marketing tools designed to engage the consumer at varying stages within the vacation planning cycle, the destination overview brochure was created to introduce potential first time visitors to Fort Myers/Sanibel Island. This brochure was a finalist in this category.
 Including this year, the VCB has earned 19 Henrys at the Flagler Awards since they started in 1999.

"Over the years, Visit Florida and the Florida Commission on Tourism have acknowledged our marketing efforts," said VCB Executive Director D.T. Minich,
CDME.  "We are grateful that the outstanding work of our staff; the VCB's advertising agency, BVK of Cape Coral; and Miles Media is recognized."
"Best of Show" for the budget under $100,000 was Sun Splash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral.

Chris Pendleton, CEO/president of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, and Lee County Commission Chair Tammy Hall, who also heads the Lee County Tourist Development Council, was on hand to accept the award naming the Edisons to the hall of fame as "pioneers of southwest Florida tourism." The Edisons were constantly promoting Florida by shipping oranges to their friends, making camping trips into the Everglades and nurturing the biggest collection of orchids in Florida. They initiated the Festival of Light parade and donated their estate to the City of Fort Myers to open to the public as a historic site.

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