Communications Update
Visit Jacksonville's Communications team is busy with a well-rounded group of travel writers and bloggers.  Last week, the team hosted Canadian "mommy blogger" Jen Maier from UrbanMoms.ca who stayed at One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa and while in town spent time seeing the city with Kayak Amelia and at Adventure Landing for her family travel column and Jennifer Stewart, a hotels writer who was hosted by Sawgrass Marriott before she left on Aug. 27. She will be back on Sept. 1 and will stay at Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport.

This weekend, Jacksonville will be visited by Reiko Yamamoto, a writer for Japan's Globetrotter Travel Guidebook staying at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront and experiencing a Jaguars preseason game vs. Atlanta and Downtown and Riverside attractions. And in mid-September, Hotel Indigo will host VISIT FLORIDA Shopping and Smart Travel Expert, Dalia Colon as she experiences the city's shopping, dining and value attractions.

Be on the lookout in October for an in-depth Jacksonville feature in Delta Sky.  The Communications Team supplied information on shopping, dining, nightlife, "must see" attractions, October and November event information and little known facts about Jacksonville for a print and online destination story.

The BAP's convention case study for MPI's One+ magazine was published.  Thank you to all that contributed to the article that showcases how Jacksonville comes together to host city-wide conventions.  It truly shows how our excellent hospitality industry can tackle any challenge thrown at them and make the event a success! It can be found at http://www.mpiweb.org/Portal/Content/20100818/A_State_of_Affairs. 

Sales Update
Robin Wright made sales calls in Orlando with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).  She met with six sales managers all handling individual sports markets. Robin did a presentation on what Visit Jacksonville has to offer traveling teams.  In addition, Robin had an appointment at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney with the Sports Development Manager. These appointments are both avenues for potential referrals and new business.

Marcia Noon recently hosted the a site inspection for an association's Board meeting. This group had narrowed down their resort selections prior to their visit to the destination and viewed three of our resort partners. The program will actualize in June of 2013 and represents 220 room nights. A decision is expected in the next 2 weeks.

Karen Townsend received the news that the second city-wide booking for this year has officially signed their contracts for their 2014 Annual International Conference.  This group booked a total of 4,650 room nights.  A big thank you to Mayor Peyton who met with the client during the site visit and our hospitality partners coming together to make this a big win for Jacksonville!

Partner Update
New and Improved Partner Resource Page
Sarah Gibson, Partner Development Services Manager, has re-organized the Partner Resource Page in the Partners Only section of http://www.visitjacksonville.com/.  Here is what you'll find:

• Calendar of Events
• Destination Research
• Opportunities for Participation
• Reference Guides & Talking Points
• Results & Resources

Sales Update

Marcia Noon along with the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, Sawgrass Marriott and Wyndham Jacksonville Riverfront attended the Meeting Professionals International Southeastern Conference in Bonita Springs. The conference had record attendance and there was more than 125 planners that took part in the three day event. Visit Jacksonville will be sending a follow up email to all planners that came by the exhibit booth and we are expecting to receive at least one RFP from this conference.

In conjunction with MPI SEC, while in the Tampa area Marcia Noon also conducted sales calls with two potential customers.

Karen Townsend was in Tallahassee last week on sales calls and also attended the Chuck Cook trade show.  She received two RFP's from the show and anticipates receiving another this week. 

Glenda Washington was in Atlanta last week where she hosted a client event and conducted sales calls.  We anticipate receiving four RFP's from the trip. 

Communications Update
Jennifer Bryant attended the annual Florida Outdoor Writers Association Conference in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 19.  Florida's chapter is the largest outdoor writers' association in the country.  There were more 100 people in attendance, with 50 percent of the audience made of travel journalists.  Visit Jacksonville was represented among 12 Florida DMOs, distributing Visitor Magazines, outdoor/boating collateral, U Don't Know Jax branded cozies, pens and reporter notebooks.  Many contacts made resulted in destination awareness and possible media FAM trips for the future. 

The news segment on vacation destinations in Florida not seeing a decrease in visitors from the oil spill ran last week on CNN.com and CNNMoney.com.  The segment showed how the oil spill is affecting the different coasts of Florida in different ways with a decrease in visitors on the Panhandle and an increase in Jacksonville's beach communities.  CNN interviewed a family of 12 from Kentucky who usually vacations on the Alabama panhandle and decided to come to Jacksonville Beach instead for their vacation.  Special thanks to Lancelot's Castles for finding the family.  The segment can be seen at http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2010/08/11/sbiz_bp_oil_spill_tourism.cnnmoney/.

Communications hosted a successful Facebook contest for the chance to win Jaguars vs. Dolphins preseason tickets.  The promotion, which called for fans tagging themselves in a gameday picture, had 45 people tag themselves in the photo with four "likes" and seven comments.  It also caused an increase in our fans by 30.  The contest was promoted on Visit Jacksonville's Twitter page (with 3,175 followers seeing the promotion) and on the Jacksonville Jaguars Insider's Facebook and Twitter pages.

The promotion drove people to the Jaguars page on VisitJacksonville.com as well and during the one day contest we had 60 additional page views for a total of 481 page views from 364 visitors since the page has been live.

Partner Update
Sales & Marketing Co-ops Now Available
Don't miss the great opportunities available to you!  You'll want to hurry, as deadlines are quickly approaching.  Go to the Partners Only - Partner Resource Page to find:

• 2010-11 Sales Co-ops
• 2010-11 Marketing Co-ops
• 2010-11 Committee application
• And much more!

Don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group

Visit Jacksonville Partners
http://www.linkedin.com/e/-ypt4yc-gcdo1n0r-53/vgh/3270641/eml-grp-sub/

Office Depot Discounts
Visit Jacksonville wants to help you with your bottom line.  When you shop at Office Depot (in store or online) and you use the Visit Jacksonville store purchasing card number, you'll receive significant discounts on several commonly used office supplies.  More details will be coming soon, but until then, please use the Visit Jacksonville Store Purchasing Card Number 8011 329 2334. 

Visit Jacksonville Contract Extension
Visit Jacksonville's Contract ordinance was approved by City Council on August 3^rd. 

All of us here at Visit Jacksonville are extremely grateful for your support!  The industry was instrumental in securing our contract. 

Thank you to the leadership on City Council too for recognizing the importance of tourism and the 42,900 jobs we represent.

The extension is for two years and gives Visit Jacksonville the opportunity to prove the return on investment for the $875,000 grant over a three-year period.  Visit Jacksonville received the grant funding in August 2009 meaning the terms of the investment run through August 2012. 

Sales Update
Alex Michaels attended Connect Marketplace in Louisville, KY last week.  Connect is run in a Reverse Tradeshow format for Special Markets with scheduled appointments. This year we had 38 appointments scheduled over two days. The show had over 350 planners and offered many networking opportunities.  At this point we have received over 15 RFP's with the potential for many more in the upcoming weeks. 

Robin Wright and Katie Kurycki hosted 13 Travel Agents from Vero Beach. They toured the city showcasing numerous venues and hotels.

Marcia Noon was in Charlotte, North Carolina last week conducting corporate sales calls and attending the local MPI Carolinas Chapter monthly meeting in conjunction with the Plan Your Meetings tradeshow event.

The Plan Your Meetings tradeshow brought in over 20 meeting planners from the North Carolina area and Visit Jacksonville will receive three RFP's from this event and one religious opportunity representing a minimum of 2,000 room nights.

Karen Townsend received confirmation that two of our hotels are in the final selection for a 2012 national association.  Site visits will be held in early September and the total room nights for this group is 1,490.

Partner Update
Sales & Marketing Co-ops Now Available

Don't miss the great opportunities available to you!  You'll want to hurry, as deadlines are quickly approaching.  Go to the Partners Only - Partner Resource Page to find:

• 2010-11 Sales Co-ops
• 2010-11 Marketing Co-ops
• 2010-11 Committee application
• And much more!

Don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group

Visit Jacksonville Partners
http://www.linkedin.com/e/-ypt4yc-gcdo1n0r-53/vgh/3270641/eml-grp-sub/

Special Events This Week

8/9-8/22 - Eat Up Downtown! -  http://www.eatupdowntown.com/index-2010.php

8/20 - Friday Night Live! Little River Band - Jacksonville Landing - http://www.jacksonvillelanding.com/events/friday-night-live-presents-little-river-band/  

8/20 - Teal Town Downtown - The Core  http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5715/  

8/20 - St. Johns Riverkeeper Sunset Cruise - http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5701/  

8/21-8/22 - Jazoo's Birthday and Back to School Summer Bash - Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens - http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/events/event_details/jazoos_birthday_and_back_to_school_summer_bash/

8/21 - Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins - http://www.jaguars.com/

8/21 - Riverside Arts Market & JaxParks Movies in the Park - http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5774/  

8/22 - Summer Movie Classics - Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid - http://www.floridatheatre.com/  

This does not include concerts, Suns games, smaller events, etc - there are several of these going on this week!

 

Sales Update
Alex Michaels had a site visit with a religious group that is looking at Jacksonville for their 2011 Annual Conference. The group will consist of over 1,000 attendees and over 800 room nights. We are competing against Daytona Beach and Orlando. The decision is scheduled for September.

Karen Townsend received news that Jacksonville with be the host location a 2013 conference bringing in several hundred room nights.  The client said "The hospitality on display, the attractiveness of Northeast Florida as a destination, and financial incentive per room night rebate were all key factors in this unanimous decision."  This is part of the Cash for Contracts program with the hotels offering the $5 rebate.

Visit Jacksonville Contract Extension
Visit Jacksonville's Contract ordinance was approved today at the Rules Committee and Community/Recreation Development Committees unanimously and at the Finance Committee meeting last week with only on dissenter.

The ordinance will be before the City Council on August 10^th.

The extension is for two years and would give Visit Jacksonville the opportunity to prove the return on investment for the $875,000 grant over a three-year period.  Visit Jacksonville received the grant funding in August 2009 meaning the terms of the investment run through August 2012. 

Visit Jacksonville and the tourism industry needs your support!  Please take a moment to reach out to your representative to show your support.  Council members have said they want to hear from industry representatives on this issue to ensure they are voting for an ordinance that is supported by the community.

For background information, talking points, committee and council meeting dates and a plan of action, visit http://www.jaxtourismmatters.org/. 

Partner Update
Sales & Marketing Co-ops Now Available
Don't miss the great opportunities available to you!  You'll want to hurry, as deadlines are quickly approaching.  Go to the Partners Only - Partner Resource Page to find:

• 2010-11 Sales Co-ops
• 2010-11 Marketing Co-ops
• 2010-11 Committee application
• And much more!

Don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group

Visit Jacksonville Partners
http://www.linkedin.com/e/-ypt4yc-gcdo1n0r-53/vgh/3270641/eml-grp-sub/

Office Depot Discounts
Visit Jacksonville wants to help you with your bottom line.  When you shop at Office Depot (in store or online) and you use the Visit Jacksonville store purchasing card number, you'll receive significant discounts on several commonly used office supplies.  More details will be coming soon, but until then, please use the Visit Jacksonville Store Purchasing Card Number 8011 329 2334. 

Congratulations to Christine Payne from the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront, who won the trip to Charleston, SC at last week's Visit Jacksonville's trade show event.

Special Events This Week

8/9-8/22 - Eat Up Downtown! -  http://www.eatupdowntown.com/index-2010.php

8/12 - Jacksonville Pub Crawl - The Core - http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5662/  

8/14 - St. Johns Riverkeeper River Cruise - http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5706/  

8/13-14 - Tour de Pain - http://www.1stplacesports.com/  

8/13-15 - Tax Free Shopping Weekend - http://www.flgov.com/release/11624

8/15 - Summer Movie Classics - Five Easy Pieces - http://www.floridatheatre.com/  

This does not include symphony concerts, Suns games, smaller events, etc - there are several of these going on this week!

Visit Jacksonville Contract Extension
Visit Jacksonville's Contract ordinance was approved today at the Rules Committee and Community/Recreation Development Committees unanimously and at the Finance Committee meeting last week with only on dissenter.

The ordinance will be before the City Council on August 10^th.

The extension is for two years and would give Visit Jacksonville the opportunity to prove the return on investment for the $875,000 grant over a three-year period.  Visit Jacksonville received the grant funding in August 2009 meaning the terms of the investment run through August 2012. 

Visit Jacksonville and the tourism industry needs your support!  Please take a moment to reach out to your representative to show your support.  Council members have said they want to hear from industry representatives on this issue to ensure they are voting for an ordinance that is supported by the community.

For background information, talking points, committee and council meeting dates and a plan of action, visit http://www.jaxtourismmatters.org/. 

Sales Update

Robin Wright hosted a site visit  and the group was able to confirm Jacksonville before they departed the city! The event is scheduled for February 2012 and will bring approximately 450 room nights to downtown Jacksonville.

Glenda Washington co-hosted a planning visit for the for a group who continues to confirm logistics for a Tour that will take place 1^st quarter 2011.

Alex Michaels hosted a site inspection for a religious group, who is considering Jacksonville for their summer 2014 Annual Conference. The event represents 3,000+ room nights and would utilize 4 of Jacksonville's downtown hotel properties. Upon departure Jacksonville was the top contender against Charlotte.

Karen Townsend conducted a site tour for an association that is considering Jacksonville for its 2013 Annual Conference. The four board members looked at four properties in our destination during a two day site tour. This group represents 670 room nights. The decision will be made in August. 

Marketing Update
The marketing plan for FY2010-2011 was approved by our Board of Directors.  The plan will be loaded into the For Partners Only section of our web site.  Please take a moment to review it and try to attend our trade show this Thursday to sign up for programs, ask questions and better understand the direction for the coming fiscal year.

The plan will go before the Tourist Development Council at the August 19^th meeting for their vote.

Partner Update
We've just started a LinkedIn Group called Visit Jacksonville Partners.  Please join us!

Visit Jacksonville Partners
http://www.linkedin.com/e/-ypt4yc-gcdo1n0r-53/vgh/3270641/eml-grp-sub/

2010 Visit Jacksonville Trade show
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hosted By: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
1000 Water Street

Attend Visit Jacksonville's first trade show with a sneak peek at the proposed FY2010-11 Marketing Plan.  A brief presentation on the marketing plan and the new Partner Scorecard will begin the event, followed by a trade show format to inform Partners of planned sales and marketing co-ops, targeted media markets and opportunities to become more active with Visit Jacksonville.

Each department at Visit Jacksonville will be represented during this "can't miss" event and will discuss what benefits your business receives as a part of your Partnership that you may not have been utilizing.

Schedule:
Session 1             8:30- 9:15am - registration and networking
9:15- 9:45 am - Presentation
9:45-11:00am - trade show with departments

Session 24:00- 4:45pm - registration and networking
4:45- 5:15 pm - Presentation
5:15-7:00 pm - trade show with departments

 Click here to Register

Special Events This Week

8/2-5 - Jaguars Training Camp Continues - http://www.jaguars.com/

8/4 - First Wednesday Art Walk - http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5493/

8/6 - Jaguars Scrimmage for Season Ticket Holders Only - http://www.jaguars.com/

8/6 - 1st Round Playoffs: Jacksonville Sharks vs. Orlando Predators - http://www.jaxsharks.com/

8/7 - Surf into Summer Grom Surf Series - http://www.surfintosummer.com/

8/7 - Movies in the Park at RAM - http://www.riversideartsmarket.com/  

8/8 - Jacksonville Beach Summer Jazz Series - http://www.jaxbeachjazz.com/

8/8 - Summer Movies Classics Wait Until Dark - The Florida Theatre - http://www.floridatheatre.com/  

This does not include symphony concerts, Suns games, smaller events, etc - there are several of these going on this week!

 

Visit Jacksonville Contract Extension
Visit Jacksonville's Contract ordinance was approved at the Finance Committee meeting last week.

The ordinance will be back before the Rules and Recreation/Community Development Committees August 2.  Please take a moment to ensure your City Council representative hears your voice regarding this important issue.

The extension is for two years and would give Visit Jacksonville the opportunity to prove the return on investment for the $875,000 grant over a three-year period.  Visit Jacksonville received the grant funding in August 2009 meaning the terms of the investment run through August 2012. 

Visit Jacksonville and the tourism industry needs your support!  Please take a moment to reach out to your representative, speak at the committee and council meetings and show your support.  Council members have said they want to hear from industry representatives on this issue to ensure they are voting for an ordinance that is supported by the community.

For background information, talking points, committee and council meeting dates and a plan of action, visit http://www.jaxtourismmatters.org/. 

Sales Update
Karen Townsend attended the Florida Society of Association Executives Convention in Naples last week. This annual conference was educational and also a great opportunity to build continued relationships with Executive Directors, meeting planners and third parties in the Florida Association Market.

Marcia Noon along with two accommodation partners hosted a medical site inspection representing 350 room nights for May 2011 and 2000 room nights for January 2012.

Partner Update
2010 Visit Jacksonville Trade show
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hosted By: Prime F. Osborn III Covention Center
1000 Water Street

Attend Visit Jacksonville's first trade show with a sneak peek at the proposed FY2010-11 Marketing Plan.  A brief presentation on the marketing plan and the new Partner Scorecard will begin the event, followed by a trade show format to inform Partners of planned sales and marketing co-ops, targeted media markets and opportunities to become more active with Visit Jacksonville.

Each department at Visit Jacksonville will be represented during this "can't miss" event and will discuss what benefits your business receives as a part of your Partnership that you may not have been utilizing.

Schedule:
Session 1             8:30- 9:15am - registration and networking
9:15- 9:45 am - Presentation
9:45-11:00am - trade show with departments

Session 24:00- 4:45pm - registration and networking
4:45- 5:15 pm - Presentation
5:15-7:00 pm - trade show with departments

 Click here to Register

Special Events This Week

7/29 - 8/1 - First Coast Beach Series Volleyball Tournament - http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/index.aspx?nid=209

7/30 - Jaguars Training Camp Begins - http://www.jaguars.com/

7/30 - Jacksonville Sharks vs. Spokane Shock - http://www.jaxsharks.com/

7/30 - Around the World Party - The Core - http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/calendar/detail/5667/

8/1 - Summer Movies Classics Airplane! - The Florida Theatre - http://www.floridatheatre.com/  

This does not include symphony concerts, Suns games, smaller events, etc - there are several of these going on this week!

 

 

Visit Jacksonville Contract Extension
Visit Jacksonville's Contract ordinance was deferred at the Rules Committee and at the Community and Recreation Development today.  We still go before Finance Committee tomorrow at 10am. 

The ordinance will be back before the Rules and Recreation/Community Development Committees August 2.  Please take a moment to ensure your City Council representative hears your voice regarding this important issue.

The extension is for two years and would give Visit Jacksonville the opportunity to prove the return on investment for the $875,000 grant over a three-year period.  Visit Jacksonville received the grant funding in August 2009 meaning the terms of the investment run through August 2012. 

Visit Jacksonville and the tourism industry needs your support!  Please take a moment to reach out to your representative, speak at the committee and council meetings and show your support.  Council members have said they want to hear from industry representatives on this issue to ensure they are voting for an ordinance that is supported by the community.

For background information, talking points, committee and council meeting dates and a plan of action, visit http://www.jaxtourismmatters.org/.  On the site, you will also find the contact information for all city council representatives and committee members.

Lodging Snapshot"
The June Smith Travel Data just came in and Duval County was up 10.4% in occupancy to 61% for the month, the largest gain of our competitive set.  Average Daily Rate continues to decline and was down 5.6% in June.  Jacksonville average daily rate is still significantly lower than our competitors. Ours was $69 in June versus our competitors' average of $84 for the same month.

Sales Update
Marcia Noon and a Visit Jacksonville accommodation partner hosted a site for a corporate client last week.  The client was very pleased with all he experienced during his short time in the destination and confirmed his event prior to departing.   The group is a total of 180 room nights for October 2010.

Karen Townsend received the confirmation a client who attended THE PLAYERS Buyers Education Trip this past May confirmed his meeting representing a total of 720 room nights for January 2011.

Glenda Washing had a site with the National Council for History Education (K-12 history educators) who represent 759 Room nights and will be making a decision the end of this month.  The client experienced a detailed history tour of downtown and St. Augustine.

Statewide representatives and Senator Tony Hill met to discuss creating a pilot "Connecting the Dots Cultural Tour" sharing our rich African American, Hispanic and Black Seminole Heritage, blended cultural experience and its connections to the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands.   The Tour area will consist of parts of West, North and Central Florida.  Counties covered will consist of Duval, Leon, Nassau, St. Johns and Putnam counties.  Group members will develop the history, proposed routes and sites. The tour will be one of the most organized heritage tours covering Tallahassee, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, Jacksonville Beach and potentially into the Bahamas.  The goal is to expand the tour throughout the state of Florida.

Marketing Update
The summer landing pages are generating a huge amount of traffic.  We had 73,417 unique visitors last month with 40% of them going into the booking engine.  Our top hotels for ARES production in June are Quality Suites Oceanfront, Wingate by Wyndham Southpoint, St. Johns Suites, Comfort Inn Oceanfront and Best Western Jacksonville Airport.  The top attractions in ARES production are Adventure Landing,

Partner Update
2010 Visit jacksonville Trade show
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hosted By: Prime F. Osborn III Covention Center
1000 Water Street

Attend Visit Jacksonville's first trade show with a sneak peek at the proposed FY2010-11 Marketing Plan.  A brief presentation on the marketing plan and the new Partner Scorecard will begin the event, followed by a trade show format to inform Partners of planned sales and marketing co-ops, targeted media markets and opportunities to become more active with Visit Jacksonville.

Each department at Visit Jacksonville will be represented during this "can't miss" event and will discuss what benefits your business receives as a part of your Partnership that you may not have been utilizing.

Schedule:
Session 1
8:30- 9:15am - registration and networking
9:15- 9:45 am - Presentation
9:45-11:00am - trade show with departments

Session 2
4:00- 4:45pm - registration and networking
4:45- 5:15 pm - Presentation
5:15-7:00 pm - trade show with departments
 Click here to Register

Special Events This Week

7/23 - Friday Night Live - Atlanta Rhythm Section - The Jacksonville Landing - http://www.jacksonvillelanding.com/events/friday-night-live-at-the-landing--1/  

7/25 - Summer Movie Classics - The Godfather II - Florida Theatre - http://www.floridatheatre.com/DesktopModules/EventsCalendar/Popup.aspx?ItemID=253&Mid=512&PortalID=0&TabID=62&selecteddate=20100718&culture=en-US

This does not include symphony concerts, Suns games, smaller events, etc - there are several of these going on this week!

Visit Jacksonville Contract Extension
Visit Jacksonville's Contract Extension Ordinance will be going through three city committees, beginning July 19, and then to a full City Council vote for final approval in early August.  This ordinance was brought forward by the Tourist Development Council's (TDC) former Chair, Richard Clark, and the TDC voted unanimously to approve the contract extension. 

The extension is for two years and would give Visit Jacksonville the opportunity to prove the return on investment for the $875,000 grant over a three-year period.  Visit Jacksonville received the grant funding in August 2009 meaning the terms of the investment run through August 2012. 

Visit Jacksonville and the tourism industry needs your support!  Please take a moment to reach out to your representative, speak at the committee and council meetings and show your support.  Council members have said they want to hear from industry representatives on this issue to ensure they are voting for an ordinance that is supported by the community.

For background information, talking points, committee and council meeting dates and a plan of action, visit http://www.jaxtourismmatters.org/.  On the site, you will also find the contact information for all city council representatives and committee members.