Visit Lauderdale Takes Home Four Flagler Awards, Including Two Coveted
Henry’s
GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (September 2, 2022) – Visit Lauderdale
[1], the destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale
(Broward County), made an impressive showing at 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
a 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 [2] and chill-seekers to cocktail connoisseurs [3] 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 [4] to revelry at a chic rooftop bar. The
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 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 [5]and follow
@VisitLauderdale on Facebook [6], Instagram [7], Twitter [8], and YouTube
[9].
