GREATER FORT LADUERDALE, Fla. (March 30, 2022) – Visit Lauderdale, the destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale (Broward County) Florida, won a Silver Adrian Award from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for travel marketing excellence in the category of Public Relations – Special Event for the May 5, 2021 launch of the new Visit Lauderdale “Everyone Under the Sun” brand.
Formerly known as the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit Lauderdale staged an exciting brand launch day during National Travel & Tourism Week that included the dedication of an Everyone Under the Sun mural and press conference, the debut of the Everyone Under the Sun beer, new Visit Lauderdale flags flying at hotels and attractions, a brand launch video, a social media influencer campaign and more.
“We have an incredibly diverse and inclusive community that is welcoming to literally everyone under the sun and our goal was to have our tourism marketing reflect who we are,” says Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale.
To beautifully illustrate the new brand, Visit Lauderdale commissioned internationally renowned airbrush artist Avi Ram, a Greater Fort Lauderdale resident, to paint a new Everyone Under the Sun mural at the entrance of the W Fort Lauderdale hotel. Ram brought the artwork to life by camouflaging human figures with body paint who then emerged from the painting. The painted models, all local residents, were chosen to represent the area’s diverse community. The mural, which stands alone without the camouflaged figures, shows the beauty of Greater Fort Lauderdale and the face of Mother Nature welcoming all to experience the area’s natural beauty.
The brand launch also included the debut of the official Visit Lauderdale Everyone Under the Sun beer crafted by Fort Lauderdale’s Gulf Stream Brewing Company at a reception for community leaders and members of the hospitality industry.
As a prelude to the rebrand launch, the Visit Lauderdale name went through extensive consumer testing and consistently emerged as the top choice, best representing the 31 unique and diverse municipalities of Greater Fort Lauderdale. “The launch event expertly showcased everything the destination offers, from its beautiful beaches to the Everglades. We truly have something for everyone under the sun,” added Ritter.
Visit Lauderdale is one of hundreds of hospitality organizations honored during the HSMAI Adrian Awards celebration on March 30, 2022, at The Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Florida. Annually attended by leading hospitality, travel, and tourism marketing executives, the celebration is a must-attend hospitality industry event.
“The HSMAI Adrian Awards recognize important work done by the industry to empower recovery in 2021,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “Hospitality and tourism professionals continued to face evolving challenges that required innovation and ingenuity. HSMAI is proud to recognize the extraordinary efforts of hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization leaders with Adrian Awards. By recognizing incredible work, we share the best practices that will continue to drive recovery.”
The Adrian Awards celebration honors award-winning work and the people behind it with Lifetime Achievement Awards, HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization Awards, and more. Winning entries will be viewable in the winners’ gallery on the Adrian Awards website following the March 30 Celebration. Visit www.AdrianAwards.com for more information on the event and competition.
About HSMAI
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as the Marketing Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, and HSMAI ROC. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at hsmai.org, HSMAI Facebook, HSMAI Instagram, HSMAI Twitter, and HSMAI YouTube.
About Greater Fort Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale boasts an average year-round temperature of 77˚F and has 3,000+ hours of annual sunshine and is known as the Venice of American and Yachting Capital of the World. Explore 4,000+ eateries, 300+ miles of navigable waterways, eight distinct beaches, a thriving arts and culture scene, craft breweries, rooftop bars, diving, fishing and other outdoor adventures, world class shopping and boats, yachts and superyachts moored at the area’s many marinas – all conveniently located in the center of South Florida. Made up of 31 municipalities, the destination boasts more than 37,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts and boutique properties, reflecting a cosmopolitan vibe. Upon arrival at FLL Airport (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport), it is just five minutes to the beach, Port Everglades, the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and downtown. Find trip planning inspiration at visitlauderdale.com and follow @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About Visit Lauderdale
Visit Lauderdale is the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale and serves as the tourism department for Broward County, Florida. Visit Lauderdale promotes the area’s 31 municipalities to a global audience of leisure and business travelers as the ideal place for Everyone Under the Sun in recognition of the area’s diverse and welcoming vibe, and books conventions into the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and Area hotels and resorts. Find more information at visitlauderdale.com and follow @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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View and download Visit Lauderdale’s Brand Launch video
Media Contact:
Ivonne MacMillan
Visit Lauderdale
Tel: 954-767-2408
Email: imacmillan@broward.org