Sunshine Matters

While Viva Florida 500 is a year-long commemoration of the discovery of the Sunshine State by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and his crew, April marks the celebration’s biggest push.  To kick things off, VISIT FLORIDA participated in a press conference hosted by Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner on April 2 to coincide with the actual anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s landing.  One of the big announcements was the impending arrival of El Galeón, a replica of Spanish ships from 500 years ago, that would be sailing from Spain to Puerto Rico and on to four ports of call in Florida. Continue reading »

Today, I am pleased to announce VISIT FLORIDA has unveiled our new brand campaign that captures all the feelings of a Florida vacation experience in just four words: Must Be the Sunshine.  There is nothing more powerful than a personal story being shared directly with others, and so at its core ‘Must Be the Sunshine’ is a storytelling campaign. Continue reading »

Earlier this month, VISIT FLORIDA announced a year-long Viva Florida 500 commemoration initiative, involving a promotional sweepstakes and other marketing opportunities leveraged by industry partners.  Leading up to and continuing through these marketing programs, the PR team’s proactive media pitching continues to garner earned media results, establishing a national and international narrative about Viva Florida 500 in the marketplace. Continue reading »

This week marks the start of VISIT FLORIDA’s year-long commemoration to honor the 500th anniversary of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon’s arrival on Florida’s sunny shores.  His discovery in 1513 paved the way for 500 years of exploring the Sunshine State by billions of visitors from all around the world. Continue reading »

The VISIT FLORIDA Public Relations team and participating industry Partners kicked off the 2012-13 media missions program in Birmingham and Atlanta the week of Nov. 12. Laura Cassels and Kati Schardl, VISIT FLORIDA Public Relations Representatives, were joined by CVB Partners from Seminole County, Visit Gainesville, Visit Jacksonville and Visit Pensacola on nine desk-side appointments between the two cities.  During the meetings with journalists, travel editors and bloggers, industry Partners pitched the latest news and stories from each of their destinations.  VISIT FLORIDA also shared current updates on Viva Florida 500. Continue reading »