Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA and the Florida tourism industry were shining as bright as the Florida sunshine at the recent Collaborate Marketplace 2015 held in Orlando.  More than 130 Florida tourism partners joined VISIT FLORIDA in hosting the popular meeting and incentive conference in the Sunshine State’s backyard.

Collinson Media and Events’ Collaborate Marketplace is an innovative appointment-only trade show designed especially for corporate meeting and event planners.  The format of the reverse trade show allows planners and suppliers to maximize their time discussing details and booking business.  VISIT FLORIDA and our Industry Partners were given the opportunity to interact with nearly 400 corporate planners from around the country and educate them on the diverse destinations available in Florida.

Additional enticements for planners to the Collinson events are the high-quality speakers and fun networking opportunities.  The 2015 Collaborate Marketplace delighted attendees with an array of featured speakers including:

• Former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords and her husband, retired Navy Combat veteran and NASA astronaut Mark Kelly
• Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation and daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of the State Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Bill Rosemann, creative director at Marvel and Marvel Games
• Anderson Cooper, Anchor of “Anderson Cooper 360°”on CNN/US

As an Alliance Partner, VISIT FLORIDA sponsored the General Session lunch and had the opportunity to address the more than 1,000 industry professionals in attendance about Florida’s inspiring destinations, just before Anderson Cooper took the stage.

In addition, VISIT FLORIDA sponsored the popular CSR Build-A-Buddy Station, where conference attendees stuffed toy animals wearing VISIT FLORIDA T-shirts to donate to a children’s charity. Attending planners also appreciated the mobile massage therapists from the VISIT FLORIDA sponsored Planner Relaxation program.

We look forward to participating in additional Collinson Media and Events trade shows, including the Connect Marketplace in August and the Rejuvenate Marketplace in November.  If you would like to learn more about how Florida tourism businesses can benefit from participation in VISIT FLORIDA’s corporate meetings programs, please contact me at kmoore@VISITFLORIDA.org.