FY 2017 Business Marketing Plan and BudgetApproved by the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners; July 2016

FY 2017 Sarasota County Tourism Integrated Scope of Services

INDEX

I. INVESTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS PAGE 1II. OVERVIEW AND PLAN OUTCOMES PAGE 3III. GOAL 1: DESTINATION BRAND PAGE 4 IV. GOAL 2: DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT PAGE 7V. GOAL 3: ENHANCED VISITOR SERVICES PAGE 10VI. ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PAGE 11VII. BUDGET DETAIL PAGE 12

FLIP OVER TO SEE A CALENDAR OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT

I. INVESTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS:

SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:Alan Maio, ChairPaul Caragiulo, Vice-ChairCarolyn J. MasonChristine RobinsonCharles D. Hines

VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Drayton Saunders, ChairPete Norden, Vice-ChairSteven High, Secretary/TreasurerMichael Klauber, Past ChairDavid RovineChristine JohnsonAlan MaioKelly RomanoffAndrew DorrJennifer ShaferKelly DowdBruce McDonaldRussell Matthes

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEMBERS:Charles Hines, ChairSuzanne AtwellDaniel BebakCheryl CookSharon CunninghamBob DanielsTerry GansVern Johnson

Bharat PatelJohn RyanNorman SchimmelRhett WilsonJohn Zaccari

1Printing paid for by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenue

STAFF:Virginia J. Haley, CDME, PresidentErin M. Duggan, CDME, Vice PresidentKelly M. Defebo, CMP, Director of SalesRob Wells, Director of SportsAndrea Hunt, Director of Finance and AdministrationBernie Gottschalk, Partnership Sales ManagerMatt Murphy, Website ManagerShelby Connett, Meeting & Group Sales ManagerLynn Hobeck Bates, APR, Communications Manager

Seana Mincy, Advertising ManagerSarah Huffman, Sports Sales ManagerEddie Kirsch, Content Marketing ManagerKaren Gallagher, Visitor Center CoordinatorDeborah Ericson, Visitor Experience ManagerTammy Jones, Staff AccountantShantel Norman, Executive AssistantBea Ramsey, Office CoordinatorJohn Sims, Visitor Information Vehicle

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:Marketing Committee

Sandra Rios, Chair, Resort at Longboat Key Club and Ocean PropertiesAnnette Gueli, Pro-Motion NotionsJason Sampson, Aloft SarasotaJeannie Gomes, Venezia Hotel By RamadaJudy Garcia, Marker 4 RestaurantShirley Parrado, You Name It ToursLaurie Pike, Comfort Suites SarasotaJill Luke, Patriot StorageJennifer Taylor, Economic Development Council of Sarasota CountyPatricia Horwell, Historic Spanish PointBen Mayhew, Community Youth Development ProgramAnn Frescura, Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce

Sarasota County Sports Commission

Jay Riley, Chair, USF Sarasota-ManateeSteve Padgett, Vice-Chair, Fawley-BryantChris Brandon, Williams ParkerDavid Rovine, Baltimore OriolesKeith Quick, Sarasota YMCAKimberly Farrell, Fox Lea FarmsRob Alfieri, Sarasota SUPRob Ferguson, Holiday Inn Lakewood Ranch; Sarasota-Bradenton Hotel Sales CommitteeRobin Wild, Der Dutchman RestaurantTim Boyle, US Tent Rental/Sarasota Area Sports Authority RepresentativeAJ Benante, Community Youth Development Star StudentBrian Level, Tandem ConstructionCindy Turner, Sarasota County Parks and RecreationShawn Hanlon, Linzon Technology

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What one picture of Sarasota County is so special that it would motivate hundreds of thousands of tourists to choose a vacation here over anywhere else in the world? Well, we believe if you asked a handful of people that question, you’d get a handful of answers as everyone has their own unique perspective on what makes this Florida Gulf Coast destination so appealing. To some it may be searching for sharks teeth in the sand, to others it may be eating at a locally owned bistro, while to another it may mean watching a performance in the historic Sarasota Opera House. It is this diversity in desires that makes the role of a destination marketing organization so incredibly important to the economic vitality of a community. We inspire travel. We do this by working with the community to showcase all there is to see and do. We take pictures, we create articles, blogs, videos and even video blogs. We share, we engage, we educate, but most importantly – we aim to create a memorable experience so that tourists leave, longing to return again.

To stay up to date in an industry that is always shifting is tough, that is why staying on top of marketing trends is important. At Visit Sarasota County we are never content with the status quo so we read industry blogs and participate in dialogues with respected influencers daily to stay on top of emerging mediums. The one consistent but evolving trend is collaboration. Spreading marketing dollars via collaboration is essential to Visit Sarasota County’s success because it makes all of our Tourist Development Dollar spending more efficient.

One collaborator that has proven to be monumentally important for us is the one we have with the Baltimore Orioles. Being the home of their Spring Training Operation is important – but the year round relationship they bring to our tourism table means so much more. From a presence at Camden Yards to our television commercial spots running on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, we have seen a spike in visitation from the Baltimore/DC market. Now that is a marketing homerun!

“Do we SRQ? Yes we do!” We are proud to have a world class airport right here serving our tourists, just steps away from all of the amenities our community offers. We know the hard work that goes into attracting and maintaining airlines and air service, so we continue to work hand in hand with the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to create marketing packages that are appealing. We stand at the ready with more than $250,000 in marketing dollars, along with an additional robust marketing and sales package to assist in attracting service.

Another important collaborator that brings tremendous value is the 400 plus tourism partners that join us in our marketing efforts. They contribute to our bottom line by participating in our marketing programming that stretches our marketing abilities and dollars further and further each year.

With the addition of 1,000 hotel rooms in Sarasota County in a relatively short period of time, keeping both our average daily rate and occupancy levels high remains critical. We cannot underscore what a challenge this is going to be for our destination. The program that VSC team has crafted in this business plan will help us achieve brand awareness and the motivation to travel – which will keep hotel rooms, old and new alike, filled.

And finally, after many years of hard work and preparation from many in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties – the stage is set for The World Rowing 2017 Championships. We look forward to this monumental event gracing our community and will ensure the event is met with top notch service from execution to fulfillment and that the expectations of the attendees are met. We also want to meet the expectations of our residents and will educate the locals on the value of sports tourism and the positive impact these events, at both Nathan Benderson Park and beyond, have on the local economy.

Sarasota County is not just one island, one downtown, or one park, but it is one large community that when put all together offers an amazing diversity of things to do. The old adage of “rising tides raises all boats” rings true when looking at the tourist coming to our destination. When we all work together, we can create amazing memories for all who enter.

Overarching goals for FY 2017• Increase visitor spending by 4%.• Successful WRC 2017 measured by post event survey.

II. FY 2017 Sarasota County Tourism Scope of Services OverviewIntroduction and Highlights

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Showcase the variety. Inspire the stay. Create a memorable experience. Measure the applause.

After a year of strategic research, we have created a new brand campaign focused on what inspires travel to Sarasota County. We will created a toolkit for our industry to filter within their own brand experience so we all better communicate the Sarasota County story together.

The power of social media holds great currency to marketing professionals. Social media is one of the key gateways to reach digital audiences to inspire travel, as well as one of the fastest growing platforms in travel advertising. With this instantaneous medium, we aim to connect with even more consumers.

Garnering editorial coverage is a cost effective way to create an authentic positive impression of Sarasota County’s assets. Media outreach will continue to be the cornerstone of the communications efforts in the coming year. VSC will continue proactive outreach to targeted media, including working with traditional media and expanded work with social influencers, while balancing it with reactive media requests from qualified journalists and media outlets in.

Our website remains the #1 resource for visitors looking for things to see and do. We continue to listen to both our consumers and industry to continuously improve it so that it seals the deal in booking a vacation to Sarasota County.

Technology has made laser focused advertising easier and more effective than ever. We will now kick it up a notch by measuring the success of those who see our ads who then end up within Sarasota County.

Leading by example is what we do. We attend top marketing summits to learn from the best. We eagerly return home to share this information with our industry professionals with free tourism university sessions where we can share knowledge and continue to learn from best practices, and each other.

We will continue to collaborate with shoulder season happenings to collaborate and market together. This successful marketing grant program ensures we learn the inner demographics of our events consumers so that we can market these programs are marketed potently.

Our rich arts, our lush natural environment, our talented chefs, and sandy shores, all offer something different to our visitor. Some visitors are interested in some of it, others interested in all of it. At Visit Sarasota County we ensure all these niches are steeped into every aspect of our outreach and marketing plan to ensure we are capitalizing on the assets that stretch from north to south, east to west, and all points in between. We will collaborate with the Circus Arts Conservatory in the Summer of 2017 to maximize the exposure Sarasota County receives by taking part in the Smithsonian’s Folklife festival in Washington D.C.

The above tied together along with year round promotional programming that extends beyond traditional marketing outlets and our continued marketing research to ensure everything is working as intended allow us to deliver the below goals and outcomes to our community partners to measure our success and impact.

III. GOAL ONE: DESTINATION BRANDContinue to develop and communicate the destination’s brand essence.

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1. Community adoption of Visit Sarasota County brand. • VSC will create a brand tool kit that will be available to the tourism industry for incorporation into their business plans.

2. Inspire millions of social media users to vacation in Sarasota County and learn more about the destination.

• Record daily Facebook reach and tweet impressions. Record Instagram impressions if analytics tool becomes available. • Record Facebook engagement and twitter interactions. Record Instagram engagement if analytics tool becomes available.

3. Increase editorial coverage of Sarasota County as a must experience destination. • Media outlets continue to evolve and shift stories based on a variety of uncontrollable factors, to that end, VSC media’s team

will remain nimble in our capturing our results for FY2017. We will combine our overall media impression goals into one goal to include print, online and broadcast media impressions.

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4. Increase traffic to Sarasota County tourism industry websites. • VSC’s Partner Listings have long been a valued resource for visitors looking for places to stay, play, and dine in Sarasota

County. However, we will look to further enhance and simplify the discovery process for consumers in this regard. Increased web traffic will be the metric which we believe will indicate and influence more discovery and engagement with these partner listings.

Outcomes:• 1/3 of VSC Partners will download the VSC Brand ToolKit.• Reach 5 million social media users in FY 2017; Earn 100,000 social media engagements.• 800 million media impressions (includes print, online and broadcast).• Build one website tool per quarter which drives traffic to partner listings in new ways.• Achieve 0.175 Arrivals Per Thousand (APM).

5. Measure advertising effectiveness. • With our advertising efforts we will look for ways to gain greater insight into what messages and media outlets are actually

influencing people to come visit Sarasota County. We will seek out ground breaking technologies to help us see who actually shows up after exposure to a sequence of our digital advertising programs.

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Sales Success: Create leads and nurture relationships.

The boom of new hotel rooms has been felt strongly on the West Coast of Florida. Sarasota County is proud to have received its share. With the influx of new rooms to fill, the group market remains important to lean on during times when leisure travel slows. The group market remains imperative to pursue in order to keep the weekday inventory at full capacity. VSC has known this challenge was coming and is prepared to take it head on. New international and domestic markets are being explored with a focus on Atlanta and Charlotte and we have expanded opportunities to meet with qualified meeting planners in new trade shows, and with outreach to new group booking influencers.

Our strong partnership with the incredibly important sales teams that work in-house at area hotels is more essential than ever. Not only do we strive to send bookable and attractive leads to our area hotels, but we also work to generate opportunities for hotels and attractions to partner with the tradeshow and sales mission activities of Visit Sarasota County. A strong out-of-market showing from the destination sends a positive message to meeting planners and the travel trade industry about our professionalism and continued dedication to making Sarasota County the must-experience destination on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

We will add to our dynamic sales team to be able to stretch out our selling footprint further. This will allow us to continue to cultivate specialty leisure markets such as weddings, reunions and motor coach groups, which are lucrative niche markets that have enormous potential for growth within the destination. Once the sales team has been extended, we will be able to effectively send consistent messaging out to group decision makers across all markets in order to fill new and existing rooms in the area: Sports, Meetings, SMERF, International, Weddings and Motor Coach. Internationally, challenges can be found for the destination, largely due to current exchange rates. International visitation numbers have continued to slow across the state in 2016. In 2015, International visitation in Florida fell 0.9%, while Sarasota County was up 2.8%. To help keep these visitation numbers above the state’s average, Visit Sarasota County employs many tactics, including maintaining in-market representation (UK & Germany) and strong partnerships. VSC continually partners with Visit Florida in the UK and Germany for international tradeshows. These annual activities help in showcasing the destination to the travel trade and media, which creates a working knowledge of the area, and ultimately more visitors for Sarasota County.

The sports marketing momentum has been building and continues to do so. As assets get completed, the ability to sell becomes stronger. We bring to the table this year some new goals to book new events, in new venues.

The increase in the number of events hosted in the area allow us to broaden our sports marketing focus to directly target sport specific individuals and teams. By assisting our events with their national marketing presence we will increase visitation and create true partnerships that will show other events Sarasota County is the ideal location to host an event. In addition to targeted marketing through sport specific advertising, we will increase our presence at sports specific tradeshows such as US Lacrosse and American Baseball Coaches Association.

We believe Lacrosse and Field Hockey are emerging opportunities with our large presence in Baltimore and Washington D.C. which are the largest areas for both sports. Using our partnerships with the Sarasota Polo Grounds, Premier Sports Campus, and IMG Academy, we will attempt to grow all existing events and increase our market share for both lacrosse and field hockey.

2017 will begin our final push for the 2017 World Rowing Championships which we will use to further market our training and international sports potential. We will continue our partnership with Great British Rowing to further market the World Championships, Masters World Championships, locally run rowing regattas, training opportunities, and leisure travel to Sarasota County.

IV. GOAL TWO: DESTINATION DEVELOPMENTAdvocate for destination enhancing development.

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Meeting/Group Sales: 1. Increase VSC’s position as a valuable partner resource. • Offer more co-op and B2B participation for partners to increase group sales to the area. 2. Generate more meetings coming to the area. • Further roll-out of the Incentives available to meeting planners and group organizers. • Introduce the market to group planners as a leading domestic option for Incentive programs.

3. Continue to establish Sarasota County as the premier wedding & honeymoon location on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

• Increase marketing efforts to wedding professionals to expand the longevity of VSC’s wedding/honeymoon messaging and generate an awareness of the destination.

International Sales: 1. Continue to showcase Sarasota County to mature international markets while introducing emerging

markets to our destination. • Attend international tradeshows globally. • Activate in-country campaigns to achieve continued top-of-mind awareness of the destination. • Partner with International Tour Operators to create in-market campaigns promoting the destination.

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World Rowing 2017:In partnership with SANCA and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (BACVB), VSC will continue to capitalize on the exposure of the 2017 World Rowing Championships both nationally and internationally. • Utilize British marketing avenues including Great Britain Rowing

International Championships and the Henley Rowing Regatta • Enhance training opportunities for domestic and international clubs

World Rowing 2017 Outcomes:• 42,000 attendees• 40,000 room nights• Direct Spending of $12,970,000

Sports Marketing 1. Focus on the need months for our sports tourism industry. • Re-Design grant program to provide further incentive to events taking place May 1 - January 31. • Meet with existing event promoters to research whether they could move their events to the need time. • Give special attention to events occurring in July and August. 2. Assist with expanding existing events and training opportunities • Direct advertising in sports specific publications, websites, and social media avenues. • Update facility collateral and web listings. • Target new sports specific tradeshows such as: – National Soccer Coaches Association of America – US Lacrosse Convention – American Baseball Coaches Association – College Swimming Coaches Association of America – National Fastpitch Coaches Association – Be The Best Baseball/Softball Clinic 3. Expanded International Exposure • Use existing and upcoming International events to fully leverage our international capabilities. • Investigate international marketing opportunities. • Attend the International Sports Conference.

Outcomes:• Maintain current international visitation• Increase meeting leads to hotels by 12%• Book 200 room nights to the area for weddings• Increase VSC hosted sports events from July 1-August 31 by 25%.

• Host a minimum of three separate sports site visits• Submit bids for two new international sports events

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A hospitality industry educated on the many sides of Sarasota County breeds an educated consumer spending more, and inspired to brag about their memories and desiring to return again.

We will showcase the diverse offerings of Sarasota County’s tourism industry by engaging & educating. Sure we have a visitor center, but we also bring visitor services to where the visitors are. Be it at the University Town Center Mall, at a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium – a chamber of commerce lobby or anywhere you can think of thanks to our very own VIV (Visitor Information Vehicle!). Our partnerships with area Chambers are invaluable to extending our reach. We will evaluate the facilities we are in to determine if they are meeting the needs of our beloved visitor, and look to make adjustments where necessary to ensure we are engaging with the visitor in the locations that are most convenient for them.

V. GOAL THREE: ENHANCED VISITOR SERVICESElevate the visitor experience through enhanced visitor services.

1. Interactive opportunities within the visitor center experiences that showcase our destination’s diverse offerings.

• Allow unique VSC partners the opportunity to engage with consumers by interactive opportunities through the VSC visitor center outlets. VSC will work with partners to create memorable and hands on experiences; from a restaurant offering a taste to an educational attraction showcasing a mobile exhibit, this inspiration will be delivered with a hands on approach.

2. Provide the best and most current up to date visitor information by handling requests in-house. • By responding to all visitor questions in-house with VSC staff and volunteers we will be providing the most up to date and

relevant information.

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3. Create new seasonally relevant homes for the Visitor Information Vehicle (VIV). • The VIV is the VSC visitor center on wheels, and when a visitor cannot quite get to one of our stellar visitor centers – that is

when we aim to get the VIV to them. We will work with community partners to find even more placements for the VIV, be it a seasonal placement, or annual placement.

4. Continuing education for industry. • The Sarasota County hospitality industry is the best in the business at creating products for our visitors to stay, play – and

more. We at VSC strive to foster collaboration by educating all about each other, so we all collaboratively market one another. VSC will utilize a variety of platforms, videos, brochures, and more, so that the industry can stay educated and up to date on all there is to see and do within Sarasota County.

5. Deliver exceptional service to athletes and spectators alike at WRC 2017. • With Sarasota County on the International Stage, welcoming visitors from all around the world to Nathan Benderson Park,

VSC will provide exceptional visitor services, not only at our visitor centers, and via our collateral, but also at the park itself and host hotels.

Outcomes:• Create a minimum of 6 interactive experiences a quarter.• Bring 800/online chat in house.• Add 5 new locations for the Visitor Information Vehicle.• Enhance Ambassador Training Program.

VI. Office Administration, Fulfillment, Telecommunications, Postage & Professional Services

We continue to run our office administration with an effective and efficient crew. However, we are always looking internally to see where we can improve. This year we feel we can create more efficiency by moving our mail house closer to home, and managing the data management from our advertising through our internal advertising program. We will also save money by answering our own 800 numbers and online chat services.

We will assist visitors who request items to be mailed to them individually in-house. For mass mailings that come from advertising leads, we will use the services of a local mail house.

Professional ServicesYou cannot deliver a marketing and sales program without a team of professionals. We are very proud that the private sector covers some of our employee costs, and all of the office lease expense which allows us to keep the cost of professional services below 20% of our contract. This is in stark contrast with the industry average of 40% of tourism budgets going to administrative overhead.

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VII. BUDGET DETAILS

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UK PR VENDOR RETAINERGERMAN PR VENDOR RETAINER

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Events TBD

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Sports continued on pg. 17

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Sports continued

Professional Development

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Meetings continued on pg. 19

MEETINGS Detail 2017 Budget

Tradeshows 74,900.00 Florida Encounter 3,300.00 Cvent Connect Conference 8,000.00 IMEX America 12,000.00 Pharma Forum 5,000.00 Smart Meetings #1 3,500.00 Connect Marketplace 8,000.00 Connect Florida 5,000.00 Meeting Spots Tallahassee 1,200.00 Rendezvous South Tradeshow 5,000.00 Small Market Meetings 4,500.00 Xsite Tallahassee 1,800.00 MPI Conference 3,000.00 FSAE Conference 2,500.00 MEET National 5,000.00 Other Shows 7,100.00 Industry Sponsorships 7,500.00 Connect Sponsorship 2,500.00 FSAE Sponsorship 2,000.00 MPI Chapter Meetings 500.00 Other Sponsorships 2,500.00 FAMS 22,000.00 Flash FAMS 15,000.00 Hotel-Sponsored FAMS 5,000.00 Site Visits 2,000.00 Sales Calls & Receptions 13,000.00 Orioles/Nationals Suites 3,000.00 Visit FL VIP Events 5,000.00 Sales Calls and Out-of Destination Receptions 5,000.00 Motorcoach Sales Efforts 25,700.00 Tour Operator FAMs 10,500.00 ABA Marketplace 10,000.00 Direct Mail Campaign 1,000.00 Add'l Motorcoach Marketing or Show 2,000.00 Motorcoach Specific Promo Item 2,200.00 Wedding Sales Efforts 33,000.00 Weddings Shows 10,000.00 Weddings Specific Promo item 3,000.00 Direct Mail Campaign- Wedding Professionals 1,000.00 Social Media Campaign - Brides/Honeymooners/Wedding Professionals 15,000.00 Wedding Professional FAM 4,000.00 Meetings Lead Generation 37,645.00 CVENT Marketing Program 14,645.00 Helmsbriscoe Value Partnership 5,000.00 Madison Logic Ads 10,000.00 Additional Leads System 8,000.00

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Meetings continuedDestination Development Incentives and Promotions 55,000.00 Standard Incentive Program 30,000.00 Additional In-destination Meeting Sponsorships 20,000.00 RFP Submission Promotions 5,000.00 Sales Resources 15,500.00 DMAI Economic Impact Calculator 3,500.00 Wedding, Motrocoach & Meeting Collateral Printing 7,500.00 Promotional Items 3,500.00 Exhibit Booth Materials 1,000.00 Memberships/Listings 6,100.00 ABA Membership 629.00 MPI and HSMAI Memberships 680.00 FSAE Membership 240.00 RCMA Membership 195.00

425.00 235.00 395.00 195.00

2,000.00 100.00

1,006.00 3,700.00

2,200.00 1,500.00

Contingency 5,955.00 500.00

5,455.00

Total Meetings Budget 300,000.00 300,000.00

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FLIP OVER FOR A CALENDAR OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY.

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UA

RYN

ew Year, N

ew You, Spring

Training, Arts Season

Review W

ebsite Content, Rem

ove O

utdated Articles

Siesta, Venice, Manasota

Trip ideasThunder by the Bay, A

rts Festivals

FEBRU

ARY

Valentines Day, Spring Training

Continue N

ew W

eb Content, C

reate May

Theatre Month C

ollaterolValentines D

ay, Performing

& Visual A

rtsFestival of A

rts, Seafood Festival

MA

RCH

Spring Break, Spring TrainingC

reate Visitor Guide C

ontent, Summ

er G

uide Content, Brew

guide rerunSpring Training, N

ature, M

useum activities

Suncoast Dragon Boat Festival, Venice

Art C

lassic

APRIL

Festivals, Family Vacations

National Tourism

Week, Savor Sarasota,

Visitor Guide, Venice or Venice?

Affordable A

cvitivies, Sarasota H

istory, EventsFiesta on Siesta Key, Shark Tooth Festival, Suncoast BBQ

, WineFest

MAY

May Theatre M

onth, National

Tourism W

eekM

ay Theatre Month, Savor Sarasota,

National Tourism

Week, Visitor G

uide if needed, Venice or Venice

Savor Sarasota, Mote

ExhibitTourism

Week, Theatre M

onth, Harvey

Milk Festival, Venice Brew

Bash

JUN

ESavor Sarasota

Savor SarasotaSum

mer A

ctivities, July fourth trip ideas

Savor, Sarasota Music Fest, W

orld O

cean’s Day

JULY

July 4 July 4

July 4 events, Improv Fest

July 4 events, Improv Fest

AU

GU

STEnd of Sum

mer, Start of School

Last day to do summ

er funTBD

Englewood Restaurant W

eek

SEPTEM

BER

Fall activities, EventsFall activities, Events

Fall Family A

ctvities, Eco Tourism

Englewood Restaurant W

eek

OCTO

BER

Hallow

een Activites/Fall Festivals

FishingSouth Florida M

useum, Fall

EventsH

alloween

NO

VEM

BER

Cooking, A

gritourismC

ooking, Agritourism

, EventsC

halk Fest/MO

D/Sand

Scuplting/ New

Hotel

Chalk Fest, SarasotaM

OD

, Siesta Key Sand Sculpting, Lem

on Bay WaterFest

DEC

EMBER

Holidays, C

ookingW

orld Rowing

Holiday gift guide

Christm

as Events, New

Years Events

HA

SHTA

GS

#MySarasota (year-round) | #SavorSarasota (seasonal) | #LoveFL (year-round) | #C

urtainCall (seasonal) | #Sum

merBucketList (seasonal)

Regional: #SiestaKey | #VeniceFL | #NorthPort | #Englew

ood | #ManasotaKey | #LidoKey | #Sarasota

VISIT SA

RA

SOTA

CO

UN

TY O

RG

AN

IZA

TION

AL C

HA

RT

PRESID

ENT

Virginia Haley

VIC

E PRESID

ENT

Erin Duggan

EXEC

UTIV

E ASSISTA

NT

Shantel Norm

anFR

IEND

S O

F VSC

OFFIC

E AD

MIN

Bea Ramsey

GRO

UP

SALES M

AN

AG

ERShelby C

onnett

PARTN

ERSH

IP

SALES

Bernie Gottschalk

VIV

John Sims

SALES

MA

NA

GER

VIV

V

OLU

NTEER

S

VISITO

R SER

VIC

ESCO

ORD

INA

TOR

Karen Gallagher

PART TIM

EV

C STA

FF

VC

VO

LUN

TEERS

DIR

ECTO

R O

F SALES

(INTER

NA

TION

AL)

Kelly Defebo

DIR

ECTO

R

OF SP

ORTS

Rob Wells

DIR

ECTO

R O

F FINA

NCE

AN

D A

DM

INISTR

ATIO

NA

ndrea Hunt

CO

NTEN

T MA

RK

ETING

MA

NA

GER

Eddie Kirsch

VISITO

R EX

PER

IENCE

MA

NA

GER

Debbie Ericson

PRO

JECT

CO

ORD

INA

TOR

SPO

RTS

SALES M

AN

AG

ERSarah H

uffman

STAFF

ACCO

UN

TAN

TTam

my Jones

WEB

SITE MA

NA

GER

Matt M

urphy

CO

MM

UN

ICA

TION

M

AN

AG

ERLynn Bates

AD

VER

TISING

M

AN

AG

ERSeana M

incy

Dea

r Sara

sota

County

Tourism

Enth

usia

st,

If you flip this book over, you’ll see our Fiscal Year 2017 Business and Marketing plan that w

e look forward

to implem

enting on October 1, 2016. N

ot only do we share details on w

hat we are doing, w

ith a bit of background on w

hy we are doing it, but w

e also share with you the strategy w

e use to meet these goals w

ith the outcom

es listed. We also share budget details. I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us at Visit

Sarasota County in our efforts as the m

ore industry partners we have – the m

ore successful we all are.

Visit Sa

raso

ta C

ounty

Partn

ers not o

nly

help

mak

e Sara

sota

County

the M

UST ex

perien

ce destin

atio

n o

n Flo

rida’s G

ulf C

oast, b

ut th

ey a

lso en

joy th

e added

ben

efits o

f:

• Exposure to over 1.3 million w

ebsite visitors annually on ww

w.visitsarasota.org.

• Listing in the Official Sarasota Visitor G

uide.• Brochure in the O

fficial Sarasota Visitor Information C

enter.• Social m

edia links on ww

w.visitsarasota.org listing.

• Monthly VSC

Partner tourism/hospitality netw

orking events.• M

onthly Tourism U

niversity sessions.• A

ccess to extensive research about Sarasota County inquirers and visitors.

• VSC lead lists: Relocation, M

eeting Planners, Wedding Planners/Brides, M

otorcoach Operators,

International Media &

Tour Operators.

• Monthly VSC

partner Enewsletter.

• Opportunity to purchase advertising in Visit Sarasota C

ounty products: visitsarasota.org, Official Sarasota C

ounty Visitor Guide,

Official Sarasota Visitor Inform

ation Center and Enew

sletters: Consum

er, Weddings &

Meetings.

• National and Regional print/digital cooperative advertising opportunities at significantly reduced rates.

• VSC sales &

tradeshow participation opportunities.

• Opportunity to list events on the very popular VSC

calendar of events.• O

pportunity to host a monthly partner netw

orking event.• Exclusive VSC

partner logo to display on your website.

• Overall Support of VSC

’s $6.3 million dollar m

arketing effort worldw

ide.

In addition to being a partner with Visit Sarasota C

ounty, we also are alw

ays looking for Sarasota County loving individuals

to serve on one of our various comm

ittees. In FY 17 choose from our Sarasota C

ounty Sports Com

mission, M

arketing Council,

or brand new Visitor Services C

ouncil. We also are alw

ays looking for volunteers to assist us in our visitor center. For more

information on how

you can get involved, please visit ww

w.Sa

raso

taCounty

LovesTo

urists.co

m.

Excited

for th

e yea

r ahea

d,

Virginia Haley, C

DM

EPresidentVisit Sarasota C

ounty

A C

ALEN

DA

R O

F OP

PO

RTU

NITIES