Visit Lauderdale Takes Home Four Flagler Awards, Including Two Coveted Henry’s
GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (September 2, 2022) – Visit Lauderdale, the destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale (Broward County), made an impressive showing at the annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, which took place on August 31, 2022. Each year, VISIT FLORIDA hosts the Flagler Awards to honor organizations who show exemplary skills in marketing Florida as one of the world’s top travel destinations.
This year, Visit Lauderdale was recognized for its hard work, winning the highest honor with the “Henry” for its print advertising campaign and another Henry for the special event category. Other awards included a Silver Flagler for a niche marketing campaign to the LGBT+ audience and a Bronze Flagler for a mixed media campaign.
“We are proud to be recognized for our strategic marketing and advertising campaigns that showcase the beautiful tapestry of our diverse and inclusive community,” says Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “We will continue to push the envelope with our creative efforts in promoting our authentic, welcoming vibe.”
The Flagler awards honor the best marketing and advertising in the state of Florida, but the awards are not based on creativity alone. They are also based on results. Visit Lauderdale has seen tremendous results, finishing up 2021 with hotel revenue up 29% over 2019 (pre-pandemic), totaling $1.36 billion. Greater Fort Lauderdale also had the second highest leisure occupancy in Florida, which surpassed the destination’s major contenders within its competitive set, including Orlando, Miami and Palm Beach/West Palm Beach.
The Henry-winning “Welcome” campaign featured new photography that boldly invited travelers to consider visiting the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. The print campaign also showcased the recently launched logo and tagline, “Everyone Under the Sun.” This added to the destination’s refreshed image and positioning as Florida’s most welcoming destination.
Each ad in the campaign welcomed different travelers, from thrill-seekers and chill-seekers to cocktail connoisseurs and culinary explorers, reinforcing the positioning that the destination welcomes “Everyone Under the Sun.” The ads showed diverse visitors enjoying experiences signature to Greater Fort Lauderdale, from cruising the world’s yachting capital to revelry at a chic rooftop bar. The audience was strategically targeted and effectively reached through a variety of print publications, including boating-themed and high-end publications such as Travel + Leisure; Yachting; Power & Motoryacht; Robb Report; Modern Luxury; T, The New York Times Style Magazine; Conde Nast Traveler; Southern Living; Town & Country and AFAR.
The Henry-winning special event campaign lured attendees to the historic Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and to enjoy one-of-a-kind, high-end experiences within Greater Fort Lauderdale. The destination capitalized on its designation as the “Yachting Capital of the World” and its reputation as a haven for yachting and luxury lifestyle enthusiasts. The campaign garnered 10.2 million impressions from paid media and PR efforts resulted in over 1.7 trillion earned media views with a total ad value of $3.3 million.
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 America and the 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 38,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury 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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Media Contact:
Ivonne Macmillan, Visit Lauderdale
imacmillan@broward.org
954-767-2408