May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 1

May 19 – 21, 2016

Fort Lauderdale

Customer Advisory Board

Margaritaville Resort

Welcome and Introductions The Board was asked to speak honestly and

openly on behalf of the meetings and

convention industry as well as their

respective organizations. Fort Lauderdale will

listen and learn from the Board and

appropriate action will be taken on its

recommendations. Margaritaville Beach

Resort was thanked for their hospitality and

generosity in hosting the meeting.

New members Pam Hoffman, Desiree Knight,

Tom Pingel, Martin Rotblatt and Sandy

Stevens were welcomed.

Advisory Board Members, Fort Lauderdale

Hosts and Gallery Attendees made

introductions.

Nicki Grossman comments:

Positive changes in the destination since

1986 to today are unprecedented

Community partnerships have helped

transform the destination

Nicki is retiring and was thanked for her

remarkable service to the community. Stacy

Ritter has been named new President & CEO

and will start her role on June 6, 2016.

Meeting Minutes Topics:

Attendees 2

Destination Updates 3

Marketing and Advertising 4

Promo and Print Ads 5

Brand Elevations and

Convention Center 6-7

Reimaging Fort Lauderdale 8-9

Industry Trends 10

CAB Feedback 11

Recommendations and Action Items 11-14

Meeting moderated

and report written by:

David Kliman

The Kliman Group

415.339.0237 david@klimangroup.com

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 2

Customer Advisory Board

Linda Adams Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Association

Jackie Beaulieu BlueHive Strategic Environments

Bob Dees ConferenceDirect

Mike Friello AAU Taekwondo

Pam Hoffman American Association of Orthodontists

Desiree Knight AREMA

Judy Larson Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Dwayne Leslie General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists

Robin Lokerman MCI Group

Sue Lupori American Bar Association

Ross Mirmelstein National Sheriff; Association

Tom Pingel USA Volleyball

David Rosenberg Newport Events

Martin Rotblatt Association Resource

Sandy Stevens Kellen

Greater Fort Lauderdale Hosts, Gallery & Speakers

Nicki Grossman Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Stacy Ritter Broward County Commissioner

Carlos Molinet Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Christine Roberts Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Michelle Bemis Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Gerry Braud Greater Fort Lauderdale & Broward County

Convention Center

Kim Butler Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Manny Corral Margaritaville Beach Resort

Jim Curtis Diplomat Resort & Spa

Rosa Mendoza Friedheim Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Alan Cohen Office of the Broward County Administrator

Stacy Copeland Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Sakia Fisher Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mark Gatley Greater Fort Lauderdale & Broward County

Convention Center

Jane Grant Pierson Grant

Lisa Hoffman Starmark

Sherene Irani Starmark

Laurie Johnson Hyatt Regency

Terry Kuca Greater Fort Lauderdale & Broward County

Convention Center

Angella Lopez Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Peter Miller Strategic Database Research

Jessica Savage Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Virginia

Sheridan Finn Partners

Marielle Sologuren Pierson Grant

Carlos Puentes Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Kelly Tortoriello Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Albert Tucker Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Justin Vallejo Finn Partners

Eduardo Zuniga Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 3

Greater Fort Lauderdale Destination Updates Christine provided an update regarding key Fort Lauderdale

issues; her PowerPoint presentation is posted on the CAB

microsite. The following summarizes her comments:

563 hotels - 34,000+ rooms, 700 new rooms added

Occupancy increased by 1.2% (2014 4.3%) – 78.8%

ADR 6.3% higher (2014 6.3%) - $135.51

7.6% increase REVPAR

15.4 million visitors, $14.2 billion in spending

TDT collections - $58.7 million

54,700 cruise passengers in a single day (March 13, 2016)

26.9 Million passengers through FLL (96 daily flights by JetBlue alone!)

30 air carriers

2016 So Far – record Breaking

Hotel occupancy: 84.1%, down 3.6% from 2015

Average daily rate: $174.05, up 4.1% from 2015

RevPAR: $146.31, up 0.3% from 2015

Rooms Available up 3.4%

Rooms Sold down 0.3%

Group Business represents approximately 25% of total rooms sold

$1 Billion in new hotel investment and $900 million in existing hotel renovation

FLL Airport

2015 - FLL ranked as the 21st busiest airport in the U.S. with 26,954,511 total

passengers

FLL is 15th in International passengers and 13th in domestic Origin and Destination

traffic

March 2016 was the 24th consecutive month of growth in total passenger traffic

International traffic has tripled in the last 10 years.

Offers nonstop service to every major market in the U.S. (except Salt Lake City)

Domestic fares are the lowest among Large Hub airports, 22% less than MIA and

11% less than PBI

Value carriers provide widespread service

More US cities served from FLL vs. any other South Florida airport

FLL Airport monitors TSA wait times http://www.ifly.com/fort-lauderdale-hollywood-

international-airport/wait-times

FLL main website: www.broward.org/airport iOS and Android app

Florida and local political legislation

Strong focus on LGBT rights; the LGBT market is viewed and managed as a

mainstream entity, not a niche market

Love is Love campaign http://www.sunny.org/press-releases/post/love-is-love-in-

greater-fort-lauderdale-sunrise-beach-wedding-celebrates-marriage-equality-in-fl/

There are no current State legislative actions underway to limit rights but every year

a bill is attempted, but it’s always defeated before it advances and no new

initiatives are contemplated

It was noted that the annual attempt to limit rights could cause concern by

decision makers who would default to “safe” destinations

State lawmakers are acutely aware that tourism is the number one industry

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 4

Objectives:

Use comprehensive tracking combined with the best travel data to guide marketing

strategies and optimize media spend

Drive inquiries and ultimately visitations resulting in increased occupancy, room rates

and overall revenues

Increase traffic and reach to sunny.org, Digital Playbook Magazine and Apple TV Hello

Sunny Channel

Create strong coop opportunities to allow partners to participate in both brand and

inquiry driven programs

Include new attention-getting media and opportunities that push the limits and garner

results

Support the efforts of the federal, state and local destination marketing organizations

while maximizing our individual efforts and budget

Target Audience

Target Audience: Millennial, Hispanic, General Market, International and Domestic

Primary Demographics: Ages (AD) 25-54 with Household Income (HHI) $100K+, Families,

Couples - Professional Managerial

New markets: Affluent Luxury: AD25-54, HHI $250K with assets minimum $1MM, Couples

& Families

Millennials Young Adults 21-34

Domestic Markets:

Fall/Winter: New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, California and Dallas

Spring/Summer: New York, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Tampa,

Orlando, Ft. Myers, West Palm Beach, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale

International Markets: Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Scandinavia,

Brazil, Latin America

Marketing and Advertising Kim Butler and Lisa Hoffman discussed key issues;

the following summarizes their comments; the CAB

feedback is found at the end of this report:

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 5

Direct Mail Piece Promoting Hello Sunny on Apple TV

Will be sent to select group of qualified planners with an Apple TV device in three

tier promotion

Digital messages will be updated remotely

Compliance issues cited for Healthcare planners due to cost of the device

Promotion will include a “call to action”

Communicate how simple the device is to use

The CAB endorsed this direct mail promotion; they consider it innovative and

potentially very effective

When asked if planners even look at print ads, the following feedback was provided:

Mixed feedback regarding whether ads are typically viewed in print

Some want to see details about how a supplier will make my job easier as planner

i.e. concierge services

Peer-to-peer advertising testimonials do make an impact

Click throughs can have an impact

“Print ads can serve the purpose to remind”; but most expect there will be much

less print and much more digital. All understand that some print is a product of

package purchasing which combine banner ads, digital, print etc.

Many planners only “rip & read” articles and discard ads

When asked what’s sexy about Fort

Lauderdale. The members cited the

following:

Los Olas

The food

The beaches

The sun

The views

Need to combine these

attributes with the

destination’s infrastructure

and conveniences

When asked which

DMOs advertise their

destination effectively,

the CAB cited the

following examples:

Nashville

Detroit

Pure Michigan

(State of

Michigan)

Denver

Columbus

Louisville

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 6

Destination Brand Elevation - Virginia Sheridan, Finn Partners

Greater Fort Lauderdale transformation is creating a

powerhouse destination for meetings and conventions:

Billion Dollar Development Boom

Lauderdale LUXE

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-

releases/lauderdale-luxe-takes-manhattan-

300235448.html

SOBE Wine & Food Festival

Commitment to LGBTQ Community

Convention Center District Enhancement Project

What’s Next

CEO on tour

Seatrade Transition + Cruise Forum

FAM Tours – Hotels; Underground; ITBM

Tourism Means Business http://prn.to/1VQHpWF

Convention Center District Enhancement – Alan Cohen

http://www.broward.org/ccexpansion

Alan outlined key issues related to the expansion project; the following

summarizes his comments and the CABs feedback is found at the end of

this report:

Started with 6 developers; selected Matthew Southwest Holdings

that’s currently building the new W Hotel Philadelphia Element West

Development of new AAA/Four Diamond headquarter (not resort)

hotel was specified in RFP

New hotel will have minimum of 800 rooms

47,000+ square feet of new meeting space

75,000 square feet of new exhibit space

65,000 square feet new ballroom (column free)

Committable group room blocks will be approximately 80% of total

inventory

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 7

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Best and Worst Examples During Recent

Expansions/Renovations:

Best Examples:

San Antonio

Sydney

Louisville

Phoenix

JW Marriott Indy

Worst Examples:

Fort Lauderdale (in 2007)

Austin

Washington D.C.

Hotel Brand Discussion The CAB cited the following critical brand attributes for the new hotel:

Strong National Sales team

Robust Loyalty Program

Excellent Distribution System

Portfolio of similar properties in other markets

Strong positive reputation and excellent business relationships

The following brands were discussed:

Omni has no presence in South Florida and offers “bang for the buck”. Their loyalty

program is limited, but they “run great HQ hotels” and are not cookie cutter style

properties

Hyatt is very well regarded, offers excellent multi-year contract; Gold Passport is

considered among best in class

Marriott considered about the same as Hyatt but some find Sales Force One

counterproductive to effective planner/supplier relationships

Many fear Starwood’s merger with Marriott will diminish Starwood’s strong sales culture

Some customers are not happy with Hilton’s service and products; “Hilton Marina

service doesn’t follow through on sales promises”; “it would take a change in

management to change their service delivery” and some feel Hilton would

own/manage too much inventory in Fort Lauderdale if they managed the new hotel

Accor offers strong overseas reach and now has Fairmont, but they are not in the

consideration mix

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 8

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

Reimagining Fort Lauderdale in the year 2030 and Beyond

The CAB was asked to brainstorm key destination attributes for future of Fort Lauderdale as a

meeting and convention destination; the following summarizes their comments:

Threat of climate change and rising sea levels is real and unstoppable and ultimately

will impact South Florida

Expanding hotel inventory needs to include a robust ground transportation

infrastructure, more pedestrian friendly and climate controlled connections. Fast and

efficient ground transportation is critical

Need new light rail connections from FLL Airport with multiple stations into La Olas, the

beach and cruise port

Develop a master plan to manage the growth

Positive examples of other cities’ infrastructure developments include:

Houston’s intermodal transport

Denver transportation and new hotels at the Denver Airport

DC, Chicago and Atlanta offer good ground transportation (but, DC Metro was

cited for poor deferred maintenance)

Singapore was cited as best in class for customer friendly experiences

Amsterdam offers wide variety of transportation

Minneapolis and Indy skywalks make it easy to get around downtown

Enhance the water taxi experience

Ensure safety and security experience is well managed

Future of Hotels

Meetings and room blocks will be different and will include a strong emphasis on

technology

It will be harder to control attendees’ travel

Hoteliers need to better sell their experiences to compete effectively with AirBnB

etc.

Planners and attendees don't like resort fees

Managing disruptive innovation is not in the tourism industry’s DNA; and this

culture change needs to be taken more seriously

Convention Center expansion will launch Fort Lauderdale into a new

competitive set, but the destination still needs one or two more major hotel

properties to compete effectively

Potential for new sports facilities with indoor and outdoor options

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 9

International Meetings Strategy

Partner with ICCA to collect data on qualified FLL meetings http://www.iccaworld.com

Promote Fort Lauderdale’s deeply embedded multi lingual culture and abilities

Find new niche markets

Securing new international association groups “is a long shot” as they require local

ambassadors, but there are some educational institutions that could be capitalized

COCAL was cited as an effective association to help attract new Latin American

business http://cocal.org

Focus on Scandinavian and Canadian Markets

The destination is a natural fit for some global meetings

Sustainable Tourism

The future of sustainable tourism was discussed; the following outlines the CAB comments:

Fort Lauderdale has proven, embedded sustainable infrastructure that creates

credibility in the marketplace. It should promote this and lead the industry

Only 2 members include sustainability in their RFPs

Robin Lokerman shared MCI Group’s sustainability efforts:

http://www.mci-group.com/en/what_we_do/our_services/sustainability_service

Integral part of their brand and embeds sustainability in suppliers

agreement

Offers opportunity for real innovation

Scandinavia is leading the world in sustainability efforts

The following local sustainability efforts were shared:

http://www.broward.org/4star

www.gds-index.com

The Wave Streetcar http://wavestreetcar.com/ will offer

2.7 mile loop

through downtown

Plan-it Green is a local and voluntary carbon offset program

intended to offset carbon emissions generated by local

events and visitors.

http://www.broward.org/GoGreen/PlanItGreen/Pages/default.aspx

Provides the ability to offset carbon footprint through a

local carbon sequestration program. Contributions to

the program fund local tree planting projects for the

purpose of capturing and storing carbon from the

atmosphere, thereby reducing the local contribution to

global warming.

Benefits to donors:

Ability to market your event as

"carbon neutral"

Permission to use the program

logo and tagline on event

materials

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 10

Industry Trends The CAB commented on major industry trends; the following

summarizes their feedback:

Zika Virus perceptions and reality

ABA has cancelled one meeting in San Juan, but

another operated there

Very effective communication from the Meet Puerto

Rico

If Zika becomes problem in the USA, it will start in South

Florida and will have major impact on tourism and

meetings

Critical that DMO actively communicates transparently

Terrorism

All members have a central risk managed process

Effective risk management program is critical

International SOS https://www.internationalsos.com/ is

used by many groups

It was noted that some (domestic) groups focus their

risk management programs more on quality of life

streetscape and homeless population vs. terrorism

When asked what planners want from the DMO, the CAB

cited the following:

Transparent communication regarding all issues

related to the destination; “share the reality”

including statistical information and actions to

address issues

Don’t proactively sell visitor safety

Hurricanes Preparedness

Broward County has ongoing training for storm preparedness

Last major storm in FLL was Wilma in October 2005

New initiative from the County may provide a new insurance product

Cover Your Event Insurance from State of Florida for summer month events

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/meetings/cover-your-event.html

Convention Services takes part in Emergency management services headquartered in

County Operations Center which provides designated evacuation zones and

proactive communications to customers and guests

Peer-to-Peer Solutions

Seeking robust application or program for a Comprehensive Staging Guide vs. using

Excel or Word,

Some use https://www.smartsheet.com or www.Trello.com

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 11

Margaritaville Beach Resort CAB Feedback Need to make group contracting process more customer centric

Beautiful hotel, but guest room cleanliness is a problem

(previous guests’ hair found in shower and sink etc.)

Poor water pressure

No plastic bags and no laundry bags

Poor placement of HVAC and lighting controls in bedroom

No place to hang towels to dry after use

Elevators are slow

Clothing optional hotel located next door to the resort could be a concern for some

guests

Showing wear and tear in hallways

Front desk staff needs more education regarding lay out of the hotel, i.e.:

staff unaware that guest room hallways are carpeted

True leisure brand, but the meeting product is good; they could develop

co-brand such as Meetings By Margaritaville

Closing Comments The Advisory Board was thanked for their commitment of time and feedback.

Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board

Recommendations and Action Items – May 2016

General Recommendations

Provide name tags at future meetings

Share DMO and local host attendee contact information with CAB in advance and

at future meetings

Share Skift article link https://skift.com/2016/05/10/the-manifesto-for-a-new-

generation-of-meetings-and-conventions/

Attract millennial planners to join the CAB

Host part of meeting in the Convention Center or include visit to the Center during

next meeting

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 12

Advertising Image - One Hand Ad

Change the image, it’s outdated

Fort Lauderdale Brand Image

Incorporate the term FLL into the brand; “it’s considered cool”

Provide enhanced definition of the term “Greater” Fort Lauderdale in the brand; it

was noted that “Greater” and the “County” does not resonate with visitors and

meeting planners, “it’s all about Fort Lauderdale, not Broward County”

“Brighten” the concept that Fort Lauderdale is vibrant and there’s lots to do at night

Promote health and wellness options such as the Boardwalk

Market segmentation is required to address the fact that the medical meetings and

the deluxe meeting market require very different messages

Showcase iconic venues which blend the images of realistic meetings; podium on

the beach works for healthcare market

Wall Street Journal ad should highlight both leisure and meetings to C Suite

Segment high end luxury for incentive meetings

The destination is well positioned for international incentives

Curate unique experiences such as the Everglades

Review Hawaii’s “Side by Side” ads combining meeting and leisure as possible

best practice

Consider using the term “Experience Sunny” to attract incentive market

Keep the ads simple and clean

Include facts about the destination in “Did You Know” format

Clearly display images of boats used in the ad so it’s clear that advertising images

are actually shot on board a vessel

Include more references to excellent customer service

Review Visit Orlando’s You Tube 15 and 30 second videos as they were cited as

“effective”

Collateral Material

Include Uber/Lyft etc. information which highlights that they can provide service

to/from the Fort Lauderdale Airport

Meeting Sunny Brochure and App

Create digital version

Configure digital capacity charts so they are easily printable

Ensure it’s mobile and Dropbox enabled

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 13

Sales Video

Unanimous approval for the images and length

Voiceover sounds “stuffy” and needs to be redone

Use more energetic and faster paced music in new versions

Develop customized modules

Some groups need more focus on children while others want no families

Some need to communicate affordability

Ensure planners know there are separate messages for other markets including

delegates, brand and image appropriate

Shoot footage so it can be highly customized

Include and highlight the destination’s seasonality

Include and highlight FLL city pairs (flight map)

30-second video

Show vibrant food culture

Show the new and newly renovated hotels

Are You Ready to Meet Sunny Video

Shorten duration of the video, it’s too long

Delete leisure activities

Focus on easy access and low cost airlines

General Video Comments

Reposition the videos to include self contained meetings, not just citywide meetings

Communicate proximity to Convention Center including the total number of hotel

rooms near the Center

General E-mail Communications

Keep content simple

Offer “click here for more information” and “what’s new” links

Meet Sunny Google Goggles

Considered a gadget vs. the innovative nature of Apple TV

Could be used by some groups for attendance building

Include delegate marketing elements with links that are easily shared

Develop different levels for planners, stakeholders, attendees

Extend the experience and help the user understand how to use the device to

extend their meeting

Content is key

Develop content with thought leadership from the DMO designed to help clients

leverage their business to the destination

Ensure content is relevant to millennials

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

May 2016 Meeting Minutes - Fort Lauderdale Customer Advisory Board - Confidential Page 14

Convention Center Project

Capitalize on SMG’s connection and knowledge regarding San

Francisco Moscone expansion and use that knowledge to

communicate to clients

Offer reasonable parking prices

Provide access to fresh air in guest rooms

Review Anaheim Plaza for best practices

Ensure robust cell phone service in all areas

Include live plants

Develop methods to provide stadium seating and 35+ feet

ceilings for sport groups

Promote Convention Center’s usable (not total) space

Share Convention Center statement with CAB regarding key

timeline and data etc. to ensure consistent messages

Develop ongoing protocols to ensure clear and transparent

client communications

Personalized client communications sent from a trusted

established relationship are needed (e-mail and phone calls)

with information specific to the meeting and the impact the

expansion will have on them specifically

Develop app with 24/7/365 information including most current

updates

Include high quality visuals and webcam time lapse images

Use drones to capture aerial images

Include virtual reality images/access

Offer customers the ability to opt in/opt out of information

Keep commitments, follow up and follow through

CAB Meeting Enhancements

More interaction and less presentations during future meetings

Increased communication between meetings

Increase frequency of CAB meetings (once every 6 - 7 months is

preferred to maintain momentum)

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016