Member News

Avectra Brings Social Giving to Annual Users and Developers Conference:  In partnership with its partner 20twenty Strategic Consulting, Avectra lent its support to 20twenty team member Sahil Kapadia at the Avectra Users and Developers Conference. To help raise additional funds for the campaign for “Friends of Sahil”, Avectra sponsored two book signings: one with conference keynote, David Nour, author of Return on Impact: Leadership Strategies for the Age of Connected Relationships, and one with Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant, authors of Humanize: How People-Centric Organizations Succeed in a Social World, with the proceeds from both donated to “Friends of Sahil.”

We Will Miss You Julie Kissel! Julie has joined the sales team at the fabulous Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba and would like to wish you all a fond farewell. For the last 12 years, she grew professionally and enjoyed so many friendships. She will miss FSAE dearly and especially the annual meeting which was the one meeting she looked forward to every year.  It truly resembles a family reunion!  If you need to plan a meeting in the Caribbean please call her 561-277-9131 or email at Julie.kissel@westin.com.

 

 

 

February 2012

John Ricco, CAE, will be joined Partners in Association Management in the role of Chief Staff Executive in early February. John has worked for nearly 18 years with the Florida Association of Counties. One of John’s primary roles with Partners, will be serving as Executive Director of the Florida Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. Congratulations John and Partners!

Surprise, its a GIRL!  Welcome to the World Baby Lexie! Alexa Eleanor Neebling (photo right) was born on December 8, 2011. Proud parents (and FSAE Members) Niccole Haschak Neebling and Ed Neebling are enjoying all of the quality time with their new baby girl.  

President Barack Obama announces steps to facilitate and increase international travel to the United States:  President Barack Obama announced that significant steps have been made to facilitate and increase international travel to the United States. Pegasus Transportation has been instrumental in helping Orlando become the third largest market for Brazilian travelers and expects those numbers to increase significantly in 2012. Pegasus was recently highlighted in the CNN Story “Cash-Flush Brazilians Flock to Florida”.  Great work Pegasus Transportation.  To find out more about Pegasus Transportation visit www.pegasusbus.com

Disney Cruise Line Unveils New Itineraries and Ports for 2013: In 2013 Disney Cruise Line will offer new itineraries, including an expanded portfolio of European cruises with new destinations such as Venice, Italy and the Greek Isles. In addition, Disney Cruise Line will utilize a second homeport in Florida, with Caribbean sailings departing from the Port of Miami for the first time. For more information, visit www.disneymeetings.com/disneycruise or call (321) 939-7221.

The Shores Resort & Spa Remains as the Only AAA Four-Diamond Oceanfront Property in Central Florida: The Shores Resort & Spa was, once again, presented the Four-DiamondStatus from AAA.  The recognition was presented to resort GeneralManager David Rijos by AAA Area Manager Treena Streeter.  The ShoresResort & Spa has held this status since the property reopened in 2005,after its hurricane reconstruction. (photo left)  

Message from Alexey Talai, Café Independence: Alexey needs yout help.  His buidling is almost complete.  Help if you can, even $25 or $50 goes a long way to help there.  You can contribute through his PayPal account on his website (www.alexeysdream.com) or you can write a check to Alexey's Dream Foundation, and send it to Bob Harris, CAE (1523 Grape St. Talla 32303), who will deposit it in Alexey's Belarus account. 

ASAE Announces 99 Professionals Earn Prominent CAE Credential:  Ninety-nine association executives recently earned their Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the CAE Commission of ASAE, joining 3,900 industry leaders worldwide.  The Winter 2012 class of CAEs successfully completed the CAE examination administered nationwide on December 2, 2011, and will be honored along with the Summer 2012 class of CAEs during 2012 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Dallas, August 11-14.  Congrats to new Florida CAE: Jayne Cevera Fifer, CAE, President and CEO, Volusia Manufacturers Association!

FRLA Selects Michelle Wilson as First Female President: Michelle Wilson, Director of Sales and Marketing Hampton Inn & Suites Tallahassee (photo right) I-10 Thomasville Road, has been elected president of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) Tallahassee Chapter, effective Jan. 1, 2012. The acclaim makes Wilson the first female president in the Northwest Florida Region of FRLA (www.frla.org). Congrats Michelle!  Way to Go!  

 

January 2012

 Avectra CEO and Team Hosted “Office Treadmill Desk” Walk-a-Thon: Avectra Participants Count Steps to Raise Money for Charities
Avectra, a leading web-based Social CRM provider in the association and not-for-profit market, hosted a fundraiser in December with its CEO’s office treadmill desk playing a central role. Avectra staffers each took a turn on Davis’ treadmill for 30 minutes to raise money for their selected charities. The participant with the highest number of counted steps received a bonus sum from Avectra for his or her charity of choice.
Selected charities include: SightLife, Foundation for Women’s Cancer, ASPCA, Reading Connection, March of Dimes, Delta Research & Educational Foundation, Millsaps College Fortenberry Endowment Scholarship, Safe Shores - The DC Children's Advocacy Center, Walk the Walk Foundation, Capital Area Foodbank, American Cancer Society, Heifer International, National Audubon Society, Foundation for Fighting Blindness, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Wounded Warriors, and Year Up Foundation.

PLANTATION ON CRYSTAL RIVER NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE STAFF.  The Plantation on Crystal River recently named Andrew Bartlett as general manager of the 196-room resort.  He will be overseeing the resort’s ongoing $3 million renovation project which is scheduled for completion on December 23, 2011.  Since his arrival in Crystal River, Bartlett has joined a newly developed city government affairs panel to work closely with Crystal River and the county to address the needs of businesses in the community.  They have also hired Michael Mancke, a 25-year veteran of the tourism industry, as the resort’s director of sales and marketing. Mancke is responsible for a team of six and oversees 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space at the property. 

Two FSAE Member Organizations Recognized in Meetings & Conventions Magazine as Gold Service Award Winning CVBs.  Congratulations to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and to the Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau!  Keep up the stellar work! 

Florida Disabled Outdoors Association is Bringing Art to the Sport of Soccer with "Hands Helping Hands" in Tallahassee.  In an effort to bring awareness to children's issues in Florida, the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association has combined efforts with Children's Week to create hand artwork by the Miracle Sports soccer athletes that will be hung in the Capitol Rotunda during Children's Week at the Capitol. The "Hanging of the Hands" commences the week long events of Children's Week. Tens of thousands of hands from children all throughout the state are displayed in the Capitol's Rotunda. The official Hanging of the Hands will take place at the State Capitol Rotunda on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

 

 

December 2011

 Renaissance World Golf Village Resort Opened a New Italian Restaurant Named Villagio! Villagio, a new casually elegant Italian grille, opened on November 11, 2011. Located inside of the AAA Four-Diamond resort’s picturesque atrium lobby, Villagio serves a range of traditional Italian pastas, flatbreads, paninis, fresh fish, great steaks, local farm fresh salads, and family-style traditional Italian cuisine.

 Congratulations DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Airport on your New Function Space! The newly renovated Bay Pointe Ballroom offers 9,100 square feet of unobstructed space, a permanent recessed stage and beautiful, contemporary colors. We are so excited about your new renovation. 

 Plantation Inn on Crystal River has $3 Million Renovation.  Guest rooms and public spaces at the Plantation on Crystal River are currently undergoing a $3 million facelift.  The majority of guest room renovation, which began in July, is scheduled for completion at the end of December 2011, while the restaurant and lobby will be completed by Jan.15, 2012.

Orlando will soon be home to another luxury hotel!  Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced it will construct a $360- million property at the Walt Disney World Resort. The 444-room Four Seasons Orlando Resort will offer numerous dining  experiences, a 14,000-square-foot spa with 18 treatment rooms, nearly 38,000 square feet of meeting space, and will encompass the existing Tom Fazio-designed Osprey Ridge 18-hole championship golf course.  

 

Disney Introduces New Private-Dining Room at Kouzzina by Cat Cora. Celebrity chef, Cat Cora, recently unveiled a new private group dining room at her exclusive restaurant, Kouzzina, located at Disney’s BoardWalk. The new Coranation Room is ideal for private functions and can accommodate up to 24 people for sit-down events.

 

ALHI’s New Associated Destinations Worldwide Names Dawn Eagleton Global Sales Manager  (Photo Right)  In her new position Eagleton is responsible for providing meeting planners, association executives, incentive/recognition specialists, and business executives in the eastern United States and Canada with dedicated ADW Global Sales Organization services. Congratulations Dawn and good luck! 

 Hard Rock licensing of new hotels. Having recently teamed on Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, Hard Rock International today announced an agreement with Palace Resorts LLC to transform Palace Resorts properties in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya into Hard Rock Hotels.  These will be “ultimate all-inclusive” properties that bring the acclaimed Hard Rock experience to these popular Mexican tourist destinations.

FORT LAUDERDALE RESORTS WELCOME COMPLEX EXECUTIVE CHEF KEVIN COOPER! The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale and Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel proudly announce the appointment of Kevin Cooper as complex executive chef. With a passion for seasonal ingredients, Cooper will leave restaurant guests in amazement, serving locally inspired dishes with worldwide flare that match the distinguished standards expected at the resorts.Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa Makes Renovations. With 27 years as the South's premier resort hotel, the Florida Green Lodging certified Hilton Sandestin Beach boasts more than 32,000 square feet of award-winning meeting space and more than 17,000 square feet of new expanded deck areas with unobstructed Gulf views. Remodeled meeting spaces also include ballrooms, a theater, a board room, and several meeting rooms tucked away for intimate gatherings.

Tax-exempt organizations with January and February filing due dates will have until March 30, 2012, to file their annual returns. The IRS is granting this extension of time to file because the part of the e-file system that processes electronically filed returns of tax-exempt organizations will be off-line during January and February.

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa Makes Renovations. With 27 years as the South's premier resort hotel, the Florida Green Lodging certified Hilton Sandestin Beach boasts more than 32,000 square feet of award-winning meeting space and more than 17,000 square feet of new expanded deck areas with unobstructed Gulf views. Remodeled meeting spaces also include ballrooms, a theater, a board room, and several meeting rooms tucked away for intimate gatherings.

Congratulations Former FSAE member Kim Davis on expecting a new baby! Kim is a few months along and we are all so excited for her and wishing her a very safe and happy pregnancy! We can't wait to see pictures!

Congratulations Peabody Orlando for receiving the “Chairman’s Award” from Associated Luxury Hotels!   The award is given annually to the ALHI member hotel or resort that best displays extraordinary leadership with their property, exemplifies “Commitment to Performance” in the marketplace, and epitomizes the “partner relationship” with ALHI.

Avectra Partners with Blue Sky Broadcast.  Avectra, a leading web-based Social CRM provider in the association and not-for-profit market and Blue Sky Broadcast, a leader in delivering live and on-demand rich-media learning solutions, unveiled their partnership to produce online and offline events.

Inn on Fifth Begins $15 Million Expansion in Naples.  The  Inn on Fifth has begun construction on a $15 million expansion project that will add new suites and meeting space for guests, and more retail locations for the popular shopping, dining and entertainment district of Fifth Avenue South.  The project is expected to be completed in November of 2012.
 

 

 

October / November 2011

Congratulations FSAE Staff member Hester Ndoja, CAE for getting a Tallahassee SAE $1,000 Professional Development Scholarship (photo right)! The Tallashasee Society of Association Executives annually recognize individuals and associations who have made contributions to TSAE, local communities, and the Association Management Field; and provides scholarships to assit members in continuing their professional development. We couldn't be more proud!

Congratulations to all of the FSAE Members that received awards and scholarships at TSAE's Education Day:
Association Professional of the Year: Johanna Byrd, ACSW, National Association of Social Workers-Florida Chapter
Associate Member of the Year: Kent Russell, Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
Association of the Year: Florida Association of Insurance Agents
Supporting Organization of the Year: The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel
President's Service Award: Adrienne Bryant, Association of Florida Colleges
Special Recognition Award: Dee Kring, CAE, CMP, Florida Engineering Society  
Professional Development Scholarship: Tondra Matthews, CMP; Latoya Washington, Florida Association of Counties
PAL Scholarship: Adrienne Bryant, Association of Florida Colleges
Emerging Leader Scholarship: Adrienne Bryant, Florida Association of Colleges; Carolyn Hinson, CGMP, Leon County Schools, Labor and Employee Relations

The Plan Ahead Tampa Bay Women’s Conference! After a wildly successful 2009 event, bringing together over 1000 women, the difficult decision to not hold the Florida Women’s Conference in 2010… or 2011 was made. The inaugural Tampa Bay Women’s Conference will be held on November 5th with a focus on highlighting – and learning from – local women’s achievement and advancement in the following areas: Financial, Health, Career, Family, Community. Plan Ahead Events

 

FSAE Member Carolyn Fazio photo used for China Public Relations Association commemorative stamp!(photo left). In June 2000, Carolyn was invited by the government of The People’s Republic of China to visit three cities and make presentations to their young professionals about the emergence of public relations.  Until that year, the Chinese concept of public relations was limited to “propaganda”.  The invitation was part of her official duties as President of the International Public Relations Association.  The government’s goal was to create a professional society of working public relations practitioners and also to help them understand how western cultures view and use PR. The China Public Relations Association applied for a commemorative stamp set to honor the profession.  It has taken them 11 years to get the approval. Recently Carolyn received a letter from a colleague in Beijing and I was amazed to find her photo on one of the commemorative stamps.

Avectra Appoints Larry Weber to Board of Directors. Avectra announced the appointment of Larry Weber, founder and chairman of W2 Group, to its board of directors. Weber is a globally known expert in public relations and marketing services. Weber is also the author of four books on business and marketing, with his latest, Everywhere: Comprehensive Digital Business Strategy for the Social Media Era, published this year, Weber is a frequent public speaker on the future of marketing, the social web and the evolution of online communities.

YourMembership.com this month we won their sixth-straight WebAward and announced they are having a record year! YourMembership.com recently won their sixth-straight WebAward and announced they are having a record year!  The Web Marketing Association awarded YourMembership.com the Standard of Excellence in the Application Service Provider category for YourMembership.com's SaaS-model (software as a service) membership software.

TRENDS 2012 Association Vendor of the Year - Bob Harris, CAE (photo right).Consultant, trainer, author and mentor, Bob Harris is the TRENDS 2012 Association Vendor of the Year. “Bob’s sterling reputation as a consultant on association planning and training precedes him wherever he goes, and his commitment to raising the bar in association governance makes him an outstanding choice for Vendor of the Year,” TRENDS publisher Joel Poznansky said.

 Jan Scheff, CMP, IOM, is the new Tallahassee Society of Association Executives’ Executive Director. Scheff not only has a long and rich history with TSAE, but her background, experience and proven record of creative accomplishment in all areas of association management make her an excellent fit as TSAE executive director. Jan’s association experience includes serving as Associate eEecutive Director of the Florida Funeral Directors Association for 11 years; assistant to the president at the FSU Foundation for 3 years; and as Associate Executive Director and Executive Director at the Independent Funeral Directors Association for almost 10 years. Jan began Monday, Oct. 17, 2011, and she was at TSAE Education Day & Trade Show.  Congrats Jan!

FSU Baseball and Softball Teams Partner with Miracle Sports for Charity Baseball Game for People with Disabilities. Miracle Sports is a program of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association. In an effort to raise awareness and funding, the athletes of Seminole baseball and softball played in a simulated game against the extraordinary athletes of the Miracle Sports program. The field was built in partnership with the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association, Kiwanis of the Big Bend, City of Tallahassee, Leon County and many others. The program also includes athletes without classic disabilities in an effort to provide an inclusive environment for all.

The “Avectra Social Console” Brings Social Media Monitoring to Avectra’s netFORUM Pro.  Avectra announced the seventh major release for netFORUM Team and netFORUM Pro in 2011. The latest release delivers more than 80 new features and product enhancements designed to help associations and not-for-profits streamline member management initiatives and positively impact bottom line results by listening, analyzing, and engaging members and prospects in real time.

FSAE Members Debra Nolan, CAE and Greg Brooks had such a great time at the September FSAE CEO Retreat they went back and presented Chef Jessica Simon of The Pelican Grand Beach Resort with a gift (photo posted).  Thank you Debra and Greg for showing a fellow member some love.

 

  

  

  

 

 

September 2011

Florida Green Lodging Welcomes The Castle Hotel, A Kessler Collection Orlando Property: The Castle Hotel, an enchanting and magical experience within the heart of Orlando – was recently welcomed into the Florida Green Lodging program by The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on July 28, 2011. The voluntary state initiative provides members of the industry with free technical assistance, while encouraging lodging providers to adopt “green practices” that reduce waste, lower cost and conserve natural resources.

Jennifer Rosenblatt got Hitched (photo left)!  Jennifer Rosenblatt, Senior Sales Manager for the Renaissance Orlando Airport Hotel, got married September, 17, 2011.  Congratulations to the beautiful bride and groom! 

Avectra Marketing Executive to Present at Digital East 2011: Avectra executive, Larissa Fair is a featured speaker at the second annual Digital East 2011. The event presents over 100 Internet thought leaders and industry insiders sharing the latest best practice strategies in areas such as social media, mobile marketing, ecommerce, online video, online advertising, cloud computing, real-time analytics, Internet entrepreneurship, social commerce and gaming, search marketing, usability and others.

 

 

The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center In Jacksonville/St. Augustine Receives Association Meetings Magazine's "Inner Circle Award"(photo right). The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center in Jacksonville/St. Augustine, Florida has received another prestigious award from the meetings industry, Association Meetings magazine's "Inner Circle Award" for 2011. The award will be presented to Jeffrey Oliasami, general manager of the 301-room, AAA Four Diamond resort. Together with the adjacent World Golf Hall of Fame, The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center is the largest combination hotel and convention center between Atlanta and Orlando, with 101,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

In August, YAPStar Event was a Huge Success at ASAE Annual in St. Louis (photo left). Over 200 of the YAP nation converged on Jive and Wail Dueling Piano Bar for network‐FEST, an incredible night of networking, fun and fundraising for the Joplin Red Cross. The night featured“Dress in Red” attire in honor of the Joplin Tornado victims.  YAP event coordinators, Tom Morrison from Metal Treating Institute and Lauren Wolfe of Higher Logic then took the stage to welcome sisters, Kiki Litalien of DelCor and Kylee Coffman of Retail Industry Leaders Associations, whose families were dramatically impacted by the Tornados and shared why supporting the Joplin Red Cross Fund is so important. YAP is an exciting group that seeks to connect association professionals, consultants and suppliers together for purposes of expanding networks, career building and certification support.

Fiona O’Connor, CMP, is new Director of Sales for Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort. Fiona O’Connor recently helped grow a brand new Westin in Lake Mary, Florida as DOSM. She’s now very proud and excited to be at the wonderful Hilton, located in the Walt Disney World Resort.

Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) Honors Avectra Executive with Gavel Award.  Avectra, developer of web-based association management software(AMS) and social community software, today announced that Sterling Raphael, president of AvectraLabs, the research arm of Avectra, will be honored by the Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) with its annual Gavel Award. The Gavel Award, determined by MSAE’s past chair of the board of directors, honors individuals who have done the most to advance the goals and aspirations of the organization’s strategic initiatives.

 

White House Targets Trade Associations in Amended Gift Rules (notice from ASAE): The Obama Administration has proposed new rules that would restrict government employees from attending “widely attended gatherings” held by trade associations.  You can read the ASAE analysis here, but in short the administration seeks to prohibit any government employee from attending a trade association event, accepting a de minimus gift, or attending a social gathering if that association employs a registered lobbyist.  The regulations carve out exceptions for some nonprofits that hold educational programs, but claim that trade associations “may sponsor educational activities for their members and even the public, but the primary concern of such associations generally is not the education and development of members of a profession or discipline”.

 

Rilous Carter Named Vice President, Catering/Convention Services and Park Event Operations for Walt Disney World Resort.  In this role, he will lead the teams responsible for driving catering sales, services and banquet operations, as well as theme park event operations across the 40-square-mile resort. A veteran Disney leader, Carter most recently served as vice president of Epcot and Walt Disney World Park Event Operations.

 

The TradeWinds Island Resorts recently named George Bentley as the new director of catering and convention services.  In this position, Bentley oversees the catering and convention service operations, including overseeing a staff of 8, for both TradeWinds Island Resorts consisting of 70,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities.  With more than 23 years of service in the food and beverage industry, Bentley was most recently the director of food and beverage at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. He has also worked as the director of event management for the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg and the director of conference services for the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens.

 

Welcome Joseph Thomas Hollern to the World (photo right -son of FSAE Member, Karen Hollern).  Thomas was born on June 3^rd, weighing 9 lbs, 6 oz.  Karen just went back to work (at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld) but she is also loving her new role as mother.  She even brought him by the September FSAE CFL Meet and Greet to meet his new FSAE friends.

 

2011 Ability Celebration to Raise Awareness and Funds to Help Put People with Disabilities Back to Work.  The Sept. 17 Event Celebrated the Able Trust’s 20th Anniversary and Honors Corporate Champion, Publix. Supporters from across the state gathered at Disney’s Contemporary Resort for the 2011 Ability Celebration, The Able Trust’s signature event created to raise awareness and funds to help provide people with disabilities successful employment opportunities.  This year’s event is lead by Honorary Chair and Master of Ceremonies, Jim Payne, WESH News Anchor.  “During these tough economic times, people throughout Florida are having difficulty finding and maintaining employment.  And unfortunately, people with disabilities often have even greater employment challenges,” said Sue Homant, President & CEO of The Able Trust.  “This is especially evident in the disability unemployment rate, which is more than double the rate for people without disabilities – a tragedy, because there are many talented people with disabilities who are willing and able to work.”

 

Message from Alexey Talai, Café Independence:  Alexey is looking to collect any used and new winter  children's clothing, children’s sport things, toys-gifts, school accessories, electronic things (music players, computers, laptops (for hi-tech development of older children)), vitamins, carriages for baby’s and power wheelchair’s for Children with disabilities are needed.  You can bring, send or ship to: 335 Beard St., Tallahassee, FL 32303, for Alexey's Dream Foundation. Learn more about Alexey and his Foundation www.alexeysdream.com.

 

Congratulations to Fran Gilbert, CAE on her new career path.  Fran has taken a new position as Executive Director of Florida School Nutrition Association.  Her first day was September 26^th.  Good luck Fran!

 

August 2011

FSAE staff and members represent in St. Louis at the ASAE Conference in August 2010 (photo right). Photo L to R: Teri Carden, FSAE Director of Marketing & Technology; Tommy Hart, Director of Sales, American Audio Visual; and Janegale Boyd,  President/CEO, FL Association of Homes & Services for the Aging.  

 

Avectra Launches A-Score™ for Smarter Automated Member Engagement: Avectra , developer of web based association management software (AMS) and social community software, today unveiled the A-Score™, the company’s new and proprietary member engagement scoring solution which complements Avectra’s successful Social CRM (customer relationship management) suite and proven analytic technologies. The A-Score, released this week at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting & Expo, distills all relevant information about each member into a numeric score that supports smarter, more effective member engagements in a reliable, automated way. 

 

Partners in Association Management, an accredited, association management company in Tallahassee, Florida was named to the 2011 list of the “Best Companies to Work for in Florida” by Florida Trend magazine. Congratulations!

 

HYATT HOTELS & RESorts BREAKS GROUND ON First new Property to the PALM BEACHES SINCE 2009: The Palm Beach County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau today joins Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Kolter Group, LLC as they break ground on their newest Hyatt Place hotel, conveniently located in the heart of downtown Delray Beach at 104 N.E. 2nd Avenue.  The new hotel will be the second Hyatt Place in The Palm Beaches— the first of which opened in February 2009 in downtown West Palm Beach— and the first new property developed in the County since the Seagate Resort & Spa in November 2009, also located in downtown Delray Beach. 

 

Georgette “GG” George, formerly the Director of National Sales at the Radisson WorldGate Resort has accepted a new position with the Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix as Senior Sales.  We wish GG Good Luck in her new adventures out west! 

 

FSAE members receive national recognition in BIZNOW Publication: The Florida Society of Association Executives honored three association professionals with its most prestigious leadership awards at its annual conference last week. Florida Association of Counties director of enterprise programs John Ricco (left) was named Executive Member of the Year, Greater Miami CVB convention sales manager Lisa Murphy was named Rising Star, and Site Search president Richard Miseykonow holds the title of Associate Member of the Year. In other news, the Stanley Cup got a look at their headware and is jealous.

 

InterContinental Tampa Appoints New Senior Sales Manager: The InterContinental Tampa recently named Dan Hepler as a new senior sales manager. In this position, Hepler will generate group business from the entertainment, education, religious and southeastern association markets.  He will represent the hotel through  direct sales efforts including customer retention, identifying new & emerging markets, trade shows and hospitality related events.

 

Great Results from Marriott and Renaissance teams on another successful “Meals of Hope” at the 2011 FSAE Annual Conference:  40,824 meals were packaged by 129 volunteers in 2 hours!!  Of the volunteers, 11 were students and able to include their participation as community service hours for school credit.  Awesome Teamwork, FSAE!!

 

Veteran Ritz-Carlton Sales Manager Peggy Brogan (photo left) has been promoted to Area Senior Sales Manager representing The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota and The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, specifically focusing on the Florida State Association market: Through Ms. Brogan’s new assignment, she will develop and drive revenue for Florida’s three west coast Ritz-Carlton resorts by working exclusively with the vital Florida State Association market. A large majority of her market and customers is in the State Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.

 Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Receives Inaugural "Ring of Giving Humanitarian Award" from BlackHistoryTours.com and the Florida Task Force on African American History: On Friday, July 15, Harris Rosen, President & COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, became the first ever recipient of the BlackHistoryTours.com, Inc. "Ring of Giving Humanitarian Award," presented in conjunction with the Florida Task Force on African American History (FTFAAH), the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Transatlantic Slave Trade (TST) and historically black colleges and universities.

Welcome to the World Cameron Elizabeth Kennedy (daughter of FSAE Member, Sarah Kennedy, Hyatt Regency Clearwater)!  Cameron was born August 2, 2011 at 11:18am weighing 7lbs 10oz and 20 inches ling. She is just perfect! Photo Right.

New Name for Property: (Formerly known as) The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, has officially changed their name to The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center.  The resort also is nearing completion of a dramatic renovation and expansion of its outdoor patio area, which will be able to accommodate groups of over 500 guests. When this project is complete at the end of August 2011 the resort will have added 15,000 square feet of new function space, bringing the resort’s offerings to 101,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The new outdoor function space will be named La Terrazza.

 

July 2011

FSAE’s former Director of Education and Events, Lisette Mariner (photo left), selected as Executive Director of FL Independent Auto Dealers Association. We’re so proud of you, Lisette, and pleased you will stay involved as an FSAE member!

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club Captures Successful Meetings’ Prestigious “Pinnacle Award”.  For the eighth consecutive year, the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club has received the prestigious “Pinnacle Award” for 2011 from Successful Meetings magazine.

KEITH OVERTON PROMOTED TO PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF TRADEWINDS ISLAND RESORTS.  Overton also recently named “Tourism Person of the Year.”  The TradeWinds Island Resorts recently promoted Keith Overton to the position of President and COO.

THE HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH RECEIVES HUMANITARIAN AWARD FROM ALABAMA GOVERNOR FOR ITS $10,000 DONATION TO SUPPORT STATE’S RELIEF EFFORTS.  As a token of appreciation and gratitude for its $10,000 donation to assist supply victims of last month’s devastating tornadoes in Alabama, the state’s Governor, Dr. Robert Bentley, presented the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa with a Humanitarian Award on behalf of the Alabama Dermatology Society, one of the resort hotel’s longstanding clients. The plaque was presented to Frank Flautt, Co-Founder of Sandcastle Resorts & Hotels, and Robert Kamm, Sandcastle’s President and CEO.  

South Florida Meet & Greet at PGA National Resort & Spa wildly successful! (photo right)  Many thanks to PGA’s Marta Weinsten, Suzanne Botelho, and their team for their generosity and hospitality. Beautiful resort; great fun; valuable connections for our Executive and our Associate Members.

Our Sympathy to Sharon Heierman. Ron Heierman, Sharon's husband of 21 years, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends on Sunday, June 26th, after a lengthy illness.   Many of you know, respect and care for former FSAE CEO Sharon Heierman; she's now CEO of NAIFA-Florida. You can send a note to Sharon (1836 Hermitage Blvd, Suite 200, Tallahassee, FL 32308). 

 

New address for Realtors Association of Palm Beach - One Harvard Circle, Suite 102, West Palm Beach, FL  33409.

Our Friend Alexey Learned to Drive.  Alexey says: “It has been my dream to be able to drive a car. A visit to Tampa, the University of South, Florida College of Engineering, allowed me to drive a specially outfitted Ford van! It was a wonderful experience.”  If you would like to donate or learn more about Alexey Talai and his foundation, visit www.alexeysdream.com.

Congratulations to a New Florida CAE!  Rich Robleto, CAE, Executive Director, Florida Healthy Kids Corp., took the exam in May and passed with flying colors. Congrats, Rich, for all your hard work -- this distinction is well deserved!

Elizabeth Baranik (photo right) is now the Marketing Manager of Group & Travel Markets for Hard Rock International. She continues to be highly involved with FSAE, including connecting the Florida Hard Rock Café’s within the membership.

Institute for School Innovation Names Larry Rosen as President & CEO and Long Time FSAE Member, Sally Butzin Retires. Dr. Larry S. Rosen is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for School Innovation, a private non-profit organization based in Tallahassee, Florida. ISI is best known for developing Project CHILD, an innovative instructional delivery system for elementary schools. Congrats Larry! Dr. Rosen will lead ISI upon retirement of Dr. Sally Butzin, the Institute's founding president and executive director.

 

June 2011

Janegale Boyd was named to step in as chair of ASAE Government Affairs Chair. Congrats!

Happy 40^th Anniversary to Hard Rock!  June 14^th Hard Rock celebrated 40 years since its founding with the Burger Badge Bash, honoring community heroes with a world-famous Hard Rock Legendary Burger for just a badge and “71” (71 cents, 71 pence, 71 kroner or 71 euro cents, etc.). In 1971, two music-loving Americans founded the first Hard Rock Cafe in an old Rolls Royce showroom in London, and an icon was born.

The Disney Destinations Sales Team Hosts Special Event at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco (photo right: Randy Garfield,  Joe Rohde, Diane Disney-Miller, Jennifer Miller-Goff, and Robert Donahue) - The Disney Destinations Sales team hosted Northern California-area meeting professionals for a special event at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco on May 24.  Joe Rohde, senior vice president and creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, provided an insider's look at Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, which will open August 29 on the island of Oahu. 

There are many exciting things happening at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort! Complimentary transportation to/from historic St. Augustine – individual leisure trips, UPS Store built in Convention Center (opening early July 2011),  Additional Board Room has been completed – approx 450 square feet, Complimentary transportation to/from the JAX airport on group’s peak arrival and departure dates – for new group contracts, and much more. Contact the resort to find out more!

The Broadsmoore Group, a family office providing investment advisory and merchant banking services is announced its plan to launch To Be Giving Foundation, a charitable arm of Broadsmoore committed to supporting humanitarian initiatives and non-profit organizations aligned with the firm’s core values. To Be Giving’s multi-tiered approach to donation focuses on capacity building through creating jobs, education and training, and investing in each of the communities where Broadsmoore has offices.

Alina Cooper, Certification Manager at the American Culinary Federation, has been selected as an Honoree for the Jacksonville Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) to participate in “The Single Greatest Night” honoring the city’s finest singles.  Honorees are chosen and honored for their professional success, community involvement, and their commitment to helping find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Orlando's Rosen Shingle Creek Announces First-Ever Three-Part "Summer Spirits" Dining Series: The Hotel Celebrates Summertime with Dinner Series Pairing

• Award-Winning Cuisine with Scotch and Cigars, Microbrews and Fine Italian Wines.  Saturday, June 11: "Scotch. Cigars. Seven Course Tasting." at A Land Remembered
• Saturday, July 9:  "Microbrews and Gourmet Burgers Night" at A Land Remembered
• Saturday, Aug. 13: "Andiamo Italia" at Cala Bella Italian bistro, featuring six courses of Italian cuisines and wines 

Common Mistakes Made by Grant Applicants - The best way to get a grant is to contact the grant maker directly, tailor your application to the grant you’re seeking, and not overpromise results or exaggerate your abilities. Those are some of the tips from the grant makers and consultants The Chronicle interviewed at this year’s annual meeting of the Council on Foundations in Philadelphia. Watch the video online at: http://linkd.in/j8d5KU 

275,000 Groups Lose Tax Exemptions After Failing to File Paperwork With IRS.  The Internal Revenue Service said on June 8th that 275,000 nonprofits have lost their tax-exempt status because they did not file legally required documents for three consecutive years. That move trims the number of tax-exempt groups by about 14 percent.  Many of the groups that lost their exemptions are charities, and donors to those organizations cannot claim a charitable deduction for gifts to the groups after the IRS makes the list official.

The 2011 Able Trust Ability Awards Recognize Individuals and Organizations for Outstanding Contributions.  The Able Trust (also known as the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation) will presented awards for its 2011 Ability Awards, which recognized both individuals and organizations for contributions toward the employment of Florida citizens with disabilities. Each of the categories highlighted those who have helped The Able Trust carry out its mission to create successful job outcomes for people with disabilities, by encouraging independence, productivity and self-sufficiency.  Winners included Darden Restaurants, Dept of Environmental Protection, Wal-Mart, Center for Independent Living North Florida, Goodwill Industries of SFL, and many more.

Twelve Association Professionals Selected for Two-Year DELP.  Among the selected is FSAE Member Marsha Kiner, with the Association of Florida Colleges.  ASAE has recently selected 12 scholars for the Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP), class of 2011-2013. DELP offers individuals from underrepresented segments of the association profession an opportunity to advance into the ranks of leadership in association management by providing networking opportunities, educational programs and career guidance.

Hyatt Regency Tamaya’s Pastry Chef Wins “The Food Network Challenge”.  Chef Darci Rochau, pastry chef at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, won first place on the nationally televised Food Network’s “The Food Network Challenge” where she competed against three other contenders.  Rochau won the challenge by creating a five-foot-tall chocolate train in less than eight hours. 

The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center (photo left) In St. Augustine Captures Successful Meetings’ Prestigious “Pinnacle Award”. They were awarded the prestigious “Pinnacle Award” for 2011 from Successful Meetings magazine. The award will be presented to Jeffrey Oliasami, general manager of the 301-room, AAA Four Diamond resort.

HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH IS HONORED WITH GOLF INDUSTRY DISTINCTIONS.  Northwest Florida’s largest full-service beachfront resort hotel is recognized by notable trade publications, including Condé Nast Traveler, for its golf offerings, hospitality, meeting facilities, and overall excellence.   For the 13^th consecutive year, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has been presented the Greens of Distinction Award from Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine. Distinguished for its meeting facilities, overall hospitality, and golf offerings, the Hilton Sandestin Beach was also judged on its staff’s coordination of tournament arrangements that successfully hosted on-property meeting and incentive travel programs.

 

May 2011

Catchafire: Pairing Nonprofits with Professionals - Catchafire is a social enterprise that pairs experienced professionals with nonprofits and social enterprises who need assistance. Listen to an audio interview with CEO and founder Rachael Chong where speaks with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari about Catchafire at: http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail4820.html

Bailey Shields resigned from her position as Sales Manager at the Hilton Clearwater Beach. Bailey said, “It has been such a pleasure to work with everyone on both committees and throughout the FSAE family.” We’ll miss you, Bailey!

One Thousand Ocean Lands a Starring Role On HGTV's "Selling New York." (photo left: on the left, Venus Williams and, on the right, Jamie Telchin) - A star is born in Boca: One Thousand Ocean is gaining an international audience this summer on an upcoming episode of HGTV's "Selling New York." Tennis legend Venus Williams stopped by the event at One Thousand Ocean, graciously mingling with guests. The buzz surrounding One Thousand Ocean goes beyond: the condominium is experiencing remarkable sales success. According to Jamie Telchin, President of Development for LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, between March 11 and April 25, five residences were sold and closed.

Ann Sternal is retiring from her position as the Executive Director of the Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau. Best wishes, Ann!

D-Day Veterans Share Recollections at Fantasy of Flight:  On May 13 & 14, the general public will have a rare and historic opportunity to hear firsthand from some of the few living World War II veterans who participated in the largest military invasion in world history -- The Invasion of Normandy, better known as D-Day, June 6, 1944. This is just one installment of Fantasy of Flight's six-part Legends & Legacies Symposium Series. Fantasy of Flight is Central Florida's premier aviation-themed attraction. Don’t miss out on this amazing event!

Congratulations to the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village! The Resort recently became the more than just a resort. It is now the AAA Four-Diamond Northeast Florida resort.

Wufoo Joins the SurveyMonkey Family!  Infinity Box Inc. signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by SurveyMonkey, the world's leading provider of web-based survey solutions. Wufoo's form builder will join their family of products and Infinity Box will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SurveyMonkey. For you, that means Wufoo isn't going anywhere!

CELEBRATE NURSES IN YOUR LIFE, MAY 6-12: (photo right: outstanding nurses at the 24^th Annual Ingeborg Mauksch Clinical Excellence Conference) - The work of America’s 3.1 million registered nurses to save lives and maintain the health of millions of individuals is the focus of this year’s National Nurses Week, to be celebrated May 6-12 throughout the U.S. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and its 54 constituent associations, including the Florida Nurses Association (FNA), will highlight the diverse ways in which registered nurses - the largest healthcare profession - are working to improve health care. 

The Shores Resort & Spa Joins Expedia’s Elite as #1 Resort in Florida. Expedia® has named The Shores Resort & Spa among the top-ranked hotels on this year’s Expedia Insiders’ Select™ list. The Insiders’ Select list formally recognizes individual hotels worldwide that consistently deliver excellent service, a great overall experience and a notable value.  The Shores Resort & Spa was ranked #31 worldwide and #1 of Florida hotels. “This acknowledgement is a testament to our commitment to excellence,” said David Rijos, General Manager, The Shores Resort & Spa.

Melissa Rudd has resigned from her position as Director of Sales Worldwide Accounts for Hilton Worldwide Sales. They are looking for a replacement, but she is going to be a stay at home mom for now. We wish her the best! 

THE HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH DONATES $10,000 TO SUPPORT ALABAMA TORNADO RELIEF EFFORTS. Following last month’s devastating tornadoes in neighboring Alabama, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is assisting the efforts of the Destin United Methodist Church to supply storm victims with much-needed hygienic, health, and household essentials. Through the donation of $10,000 in Walmart gift cards, the Hilton Sandestin Beach is giving back to a community made up of close friends, family members and loyal guests.

Marsha Kiner (photo left) from the Association of FL Colleges (FACC) was recently accepted to ASAE's DELP program. Congratulations from FSAE! 

Association Forum of Chicagoland offered three different methods of increasing meetings revenue for medical associations, at an educational session. Thought it was a fun idea! Check it out at: http://www.aem-patt.com/aem-blog/

Partners in Association Management announced three new association clients. They are: Mid America Dental Technology Symposium, National Continuing Care Residents Association, and Washington State Dental Laboratory Association. There are also new staff members of their staff: Eric Thorn, Esquire, as a Chief Staff Executive, and Whitney Port as a Member Services Representative. Congratulations on making your Association Family bigger!

Don Yaeger did it again! It was just three months ago that we were sharing our excitement of Don writing his 5th NY Times Bestseller, Michael Oher "I Beat the Odds," and now he's done it again! Don's newly released book, Rex Ryan "Play Like You Mean It" has made it to the NY Times Bestsellers list making it Don's 6th book to make it on the list.

Grand Opening of the Four Points by Sheraton, Tallahassee Downtown: It expected that the new hotel will be opening in the Summer of 2011. The hotel is currently on track to become the brands first LEED certified Hotel. How exciting!

Paul Daum (photo right) was named as the new Assistant General Manager/ Director of Beverage & Food at The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center in St. Augustine, Florida. In his new position he is responsible for overseeing the food & beverage operations, which includes overseeing operations for banquets, receptions, meetings, the 500 South Restaurant & Bar, and in-room dining.

CELEBRATE ALL LEVELS OF NURSES: They are different levels and nursing education and credentials available in Florida. This includes: Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN),  Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master’s Degree (MSN or MN), Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science (PhD or  DNS/DNSc), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). You can find more about these through the Florida Nurses Association (FNA) 

The Segundos says hello from Colorado. Keith is working with Colorado Society for Association Executives (CSAE). He and Adrienne are having fun; he said it’s like a vacation every weekend.

Network for Quality, Not Quantity: If you were to take the advice of some self-help books on networking, you would amass as many Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections as possible. But research shows that bigger networks are not necessarily better. In fact, large networks can hurt your performance by putting too many collaborative demands on you. The people who network successfully tend to have more ties to people who are not very connected themselves. People with connections to the less-connected are more likely to hear about ideas that haven't gotten exposure elsewhere, and are able to piece together unique opportunities. Don't treat networking like a popularity contest. Find ways to connect with more than the usual suspects by reaching out to those who aren't surrounded by others. This was a tip taken from Management Tip of the Day off of HBR.org.

April 2011

FNA CELEBRATES CLINICAL EXCELLENCE IN NURSING:  The Florida Nurses Association (FNA) is celebrating organizations that promote clinical excellence in nursing and is pleased to announce that Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville is the recipient of the 2011 Frances Smith Clinical Excellence award. Shands at University of Florida proves support of clinical excellence in nursing by providing programs such as a staff nurse leadership development fellowship, a staff nurse evidence-based practice/research development fellowship, nursing administrative practicum, clinical unit-based resource role development, conference and continuing education opportunities, and a professional practice recognition program.  Congratulations!

Jennifer Rosenblatt  is now Senior Sales Manager at Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort.

Hyatt Regency Tamaya Hires Two New Sales Managers:  The Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, located between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in New Mexico, has hired Toshi Goto and Tiffany Tang. Goto will be responsible for group bookings from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region of the country. Tang will be responsible for group bookings from Texas and New Mexico markets. 

Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau News:  As always, the VCB is hard at work marketing Marion County as an attractive destination for group and leisure travelers alike. One major recent component of our promotional efforts has been the development of our new outdoor board designs. Likewise, new Duratrans for Florida Welcome Centers are being produced to complement the new designs. The OcalaMarion.com consumer travel website received 402,292 total cumulative unique (first-time) visits and 2,872,265 pageviews through the end of February 2011—averaging well over 1,000 pageviews each day. The Ocala/Marion County tourism community goes into March with visitation on the rise, and the year-to-date tourist development tax collections are up .05% over last year. In late December, the VCB offices and Visitors Center relocated to 112 North Magnolia Avenue, two blocks from the Downtown Square.

Congratulations to Kari Glisson, CAE on her newest addition! (photo right) Koen Birt Glisson was born December 7, 2010 at 1:04am. He was 7lbs 11 oz and 21” at birth.  The name Koen is a Dutch name which they saw in an issue of Architectural Digest and means “brave & gallant” but they are pronouncing it like the name “Cohen”. Birt is Kari’s maiden name and they wanted to carry that name forward in their new family. Kari says, “He’s a fun kid who already enjoys association management – he doesn’t feel the need to hold back his own “comments” while I am on conference calls.”

Tamara Parrish leaving Disney!  Tamara resigned from her position as the Senior Sales Manager for Disney Destinations. At the end of March she will be moving home to Mississippi to be close to family and to start a new career as a corporate trainer. Tamara said, “The professional growth that FSAE has given me allowed me to reach and achieve great goals.  The team that you have in place is among the best and I know that FSAE will continue to be a leader in the association world.” We’ll miss you Tamara!

Support for environmental organizations - The Everglades Foundation just held its largest fundraiser of the year in Palm Beach, Fla., which was attended by the likes of Jimmy Buffett, corporate titan Ken Langone and music impresario Tommy Mottola. This year's country-western themed round up brought in just over $2.1 million for the organization's Everglades restoration research programs and featured entertainment from music superstar Kenny Chesney.

Springtime Reception at Chez Pierre with Alexey!  Alexey described his activities and work in American communities where he has been addressing schools, civic organizations and chambers of commerce. It was on Tuesday, March 29^th at 5:30 to 7:30. The wine purchases benefited orphans. This was a wonderful event J

Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village Names Brett Smith Executive Chef in St. Augustine, Florida: (photo left)  In his new position, he is responsible for overseeing the culinary team at the 301-room Northeast Florida resort, which includes overseeing cuisine for banquets, receptions and meetings at the resort. Together with the adjoining St. Johns County Convention Center and the adjacent World Golf Hall of Fame, The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village is the largest combination hotel and conference center between Atlanta and Orlando, with 86,000 square feet of meeting and event space.  

GOODWILL INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY BY GOING PAPERLESS USING PLUSTEK SCANNERS:  There is a new case study about how going paperless increased productivity for the Goodwill offices in New York. The receptionist scans the clients Goodwill issued ID cards when they arrive at the facility; the counselors scan any paperwork that the client has that proves they worked, attended training or applied for jobs over the previous week; and assistants scan forms that the clients fill out as part of their job coaching and counseling.  It is estimated that the scanning volume of the Goodwill New York metro offices is nearly 1,000 pages a day on some devices – keeping the organization efficient and streamlined.

Emerald Coast Convention Center:  Meet at the Emerald Coast Convention Center to quench your thirst and refresh your enthusiasm on our newly furnished patios. New Name ~ Same Great Place!

The Not For Profit Group officially launched their online development training platform for 501 c3 organizations.  You can tour the site at: www.notforprofitgroupvt.com

Rolando Aedo  was promoted from marketing and tourism Sr. VP to EVP, Greater Miami CVB.

Congratulations to the Bradenton (FL) Area CVB and the St Petersburg/Clearwater (FL) CVB!  These organizations earned the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program designation recently!

Congratulations to Meg Caldwell and her family!  (photo right) - Killoren Ann Caldwell was born January 9, 2011.

Survey conducted within the assn community regarding your outsourcing practices & satisfaction:  The survey was done by: Karen DeLong, Kevin Whorton, & Becky Connell. Although it elicited a truly strange reaction from some elements of the association business partner community, overall it seemed a positive experience, at least from the joint perspectives of 1) making a client happy and 2) the more Nietzsche-an ‘that which does not kill you makes you stronger’ view. Kevin suspects the hostile reaction is more of a reflection of those vendor’s services although that’s probably an unfriendly thing to think or say.

Associated Luxury Hotels Offering 'City Solutions Collection':  If you are seeking a hotel for your meeting in a metropolitan area you may be interested in the specialty segment that was recently launched by Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). The “ALHI City Solutions Collection,” part of ALHI’s worldwide portfolio, features ALHI’s 59 Four- and Five-Diamond quality city center hotels which are specifically designed to serve meetings and programs. “The ‘ALHI City Solutions Collection’ is comprised of hotels in a variety of interesting and highly accessible cities, making it very quick and easy for planners to access ALHI’s array of outstanding options that could best fit their specific program needs,” said David Gabri, president and CEO of ALHI.

Our Sympathy - ASAE Fellow and former FSAE member Jeri Semer, Executive Director of ACUTA -- the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education in Lexington, Kentucky lost her battle with cancer on April 8th.

Prime Minister of Kenya visits Tallahassee, Discusses Prominent African Issues:  The Tallahassee African Coalition (TAC), the Kenyan American Society of Tallahassee (KAST) and The East African Community & Friend (TEACF) were pleased to announce the visit of the Honorary Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya on Aril 14^th, 2011 to the Tallahassee community. Prime Minister Odinga delivered a keynote address to the African community in Tallahassee on wide ranging issues including health and education infrastructure development in Africa and the role of the African diaspora.  The discussion also highlighted opportunities available in Africa and Kenya in particular for Florida businesses.

Tax Exempt Nonprofits Still Need to Monitor Certain Taxes--More Closely Now Than Ever:  As 501(c) organizations, nonprofits are exempt from many taxes. However, in this economy reluctant to recover, nonprofits should be especially cognizant of taxes to which they are still subject in order to maintain their cash flow and tax exempt status. In addition, leaner budgets and rising unemployment tax rates require that they get the most from every dollar, reports the Unemployment Services Trust.

Be sure to read Fortune Magazine’s article about “The Return of Real Estate”.  Very encouraging!!!  Fortune Magazine released their April issue that declares that housing is back in their cover story, "The Return of Real Estate."  The article tells consumers, "Forget stocks. Don't bet on gold. After four years of plunging home prices, the most attractive asset class in America is housing." We wish this article to be true for everyone!

March 2011

Florida Tourism Day 2011 is coming - Tuesday, March 22!  The purpose of Tourism Day is to educate the legislature, media and Floridians about the importance of Florida’s tourism industry and the rationale for the public funding request to increase tourism marketing efforts. It’s the perfect day to let your lawmakers know just how vital tourism is to our state and how crucial it is for them to support Florida’s No. 1 industry.  To reserve your spot on this important day, please submit a registration form by March 7, 2011.  For additional information, please contact Dia Kuykendall at (850) 205-3863 or by email at dia@VISITFLORIDA.org.

Congratualtions to Charity Prentice on the birth of her grandchild (photo right) - Liam Terry Chase was born February 15th at 4:15am and he weighed in at 6 lbs, 1oz, and 19.5 inches.

WEC Adds Value in Orlando: Thousands of professional meeting and event planners, industry suppliers from around the world, and their collective $16.9 billion buying power, will arrive in Florida for Meeting Professinals International's (MPI) premiere North America educational event. This year, the annual World Education Congress (WEC) will be in Orlando, July 23-26. 

NADL Co Executive Director Ricki Braswell, CAE accepts position as CEO of The Pankey Institute: Braswell will assume her new position in the spring with her last day with the NADL/NBC/FDLT being March 13, 2011. “Dental laboratory technology has greatly benefited from the executive leadership of Ricki during the last ten years. Although, we are saddened to see her go, we recognize that her new position represents an exciting professional opportunity for her. Given her significant role with Pankey, we look forward to future collaboration that can benefit both dentistry and the dental laboratory community” says Jeff Stronk, NADL president.  The NADL/NBC/FDLT will continue with executive staff leadership through Mrs. Braswell’s counterpart, Bennett Napier, CAE and daily operations will remain headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.

Nominations Being Accepted for Central Florida’s Second Annual Healthy Workplace Awards: Applications for the 2011 Healthy Workplace Awards are now being accepted by Get Active Orlando (GAO). The second annual awards program seeks to honor and recognize those businesses that inspire employees to stay fit and healthy, based on a wide range of active living-related criteria.  Last year, 25 companies, organizations, and agencies were honored for their healthy workplace initiatives and three of them took home top honors: City of Orlando (Gold), City of Casselberry (Silver), and Orlando Regional Realtor Association (Bronze).  GAO Chair Leah Nash says the program is part of the group’s continued effort to promote physical activity in the daily lives of Central Floridians and encourage businesses and community leaders to guide the charge.  For applications, criteria, and submission guidelines to the 2011 Healthy Workplace Awards, please visit www.getactiveorlando.com, or e-mail info@getactiveorlando.com.

February 2011

MISEYKO JOINS SALES TEAM AT PLANTATION GOLF RESORT & SPA: Veteran hospitality and meeting professional, Richard Miseyko, CMP, CMM, has joined Plantation Golf Resort & Spa as regional sales manager.  According to Karen Candales, director of sales and marketing, “Richard will be focusing on the central Florida corporate and association markets.  We are very pleased to have someone of his reputation and profile representing our resort.”  

Congratulations to our good buddy Tommy Hart; he’s been promoted to Director of Sales of American Audio Visual.

Sarasota CVB Was One Of 50 Meeting Sites In The South To Receive ConventionSouth Magazine's Annual Readers' Choice Award!  More than 18,000 readers were asked to cast their votes for the Readers' Choice Awards, and only the top 50 vote getters out of the approximately 6,000 meeting sites and CVBs in the Southeast received this recognition. "This recognition comes from the United States' top meeting professionals who book events in the South.

Congratulations to The Longboat Key Club & Resort!  They were named in Meeting South Magazine's "Best of the South" 2010 Winners for Best Property! 

FLORIDA’S EMERALD COAST WELCOMES VISION AIRLINES TO NORTHWEST FLORIDA: Florida’s Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau proudly welcomes Vision Airlines to Northwest Florida with today’s announcement of the company’s mega-expansion -- now offering non-stop, low-fare air service from 19 markets to Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS), beginning Mar. 25, 2011 (http://www.emeraldcoastfl.com). 

The Hilton Sandestin Beach Earns “Best Social Media Engagement” Brand Award from Hilton Hotels & Resorts: The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is the 2010 recipient of Hilton’s “Best Social Media Engagement” brand award in the Americas region. The award, which was announced at Hilton’s Annual General Manager’s Conference, recognized the hotel’s strategic and creative use of social media to engage with existing and potential guests, industry peers and partners, media and other such stakeholders.  The hotel’s award-winning social media strategy became especially key in the summer, when the hotel used it as its main channel for communicating with guests and media inquiring about the state of Northwest Florida’s beaches, following the Deepwater Horizon incident.

Danielle Saba Courtenay Honored with Gene T. Hassett Award from HSMAI:  Danielle Saba Courtenay, Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Orlando, was recently honored by the Central Florida chapter of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) as the 25th recipient of the Gene T. Hassett Award. The award is given in recognition of service to the growth and prosperity of the Central Florida hospitality industry, and honors individuals who strive toward the highest levels of professional accomplishment, excel in their chosen field and have devoted time and energy to their community.

Certified Association Executive (CAE) Program Now Accepting an e-Certification Renewal Support Option Through RecertTrack: RecertTrack is announcing that its e-certification renewal support and tracking solution is now being accepted for CAE candidates.  RecertTrack offers a web-based tracking solution for recertification that eliminates paper waste, and creates a greener and more efficient system for anyone who has a credential or license that needs to be renewed.  RecertTrack is the first company to offer an e-certification renewal support solution to CAE certificants.  Access to its unique, online tool is available at http://www.recerttrack.com/.   

ConventionSouth Magazine has announced its December Readers' Choice Awards, which are awarded based on readers' experiences with meeting sites and convention and visitors bureaus. The winners from Florida are: Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Miami, Sandpearl Resort (Clearwater Beach), Sarasota CVB, Tampa Bay & Company and Visit Tallahassee.

Gary Brielmayer Appointed as General Manager of the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa: (photo right) The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is proud to announce that Gary Brielmayer has been promoted to General Manager from his role as Manager of Hotel Operations at Northwest Florida’s largest full-service beachfront resort hotel. 

INN ON FIFTH APPOINTS NEW GROUP SALES MANAGER: Located in Naples in southwest Florida, the landmark Inn on Fifth has hired Patricia Cotte as Group Sales Manager, adding to the Inn’s already impressive group sales team. Cotte will direct efforts to increase meeting and group business at the sophisticated, 87-room Inn on Fifth, which is a long-time popular choice for weddings, board meetings, fundraisers, and other celebrations and events. 

 

Partnership Formed between Institute for School Innovation and International Alliance Invitational Education: (Photo left: Sally Butzin, ISI Executive Director (center) with Betty Siegel and William Purkey, co-founders of the International Alliance for Invitational Education.)  The Institute for School Innovation (ISI) is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with the International Alliance for Invitational Education (IAIE). The IAIE Trustees have recognized ISI as an official affiliate based upon our mutual aspirations to bring forth human potential based upon the core values of trust, respect, optimism, care, and intentionality. To learn more about invitational education, go to http://www.invitationaleducation.net/.

 

 Marriott & Renaissance Hotels of Florida Bowled to Support America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend: (photo right) The Marriott & Renaissance State
Association Team (MARSAT) of Florida recently hosted a bowling/food drive in Tallahassee, Florida, which resulted in the collection of 386 pounds of food
(or 296 meals) for America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend. Association clients and hoteliers joined together to donate food to the organization, which serves those in need in Tallahassee and the surrounding counties. Pictured are the Marriott & Renaissance Hotels of Florida participants. Among those pictured are the event co-chairs Lisa Miller (bottom row, at left), National Sales Manager at The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida; and Tenille McLeod (bottom row, second from right), Director of Sales at Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina in Stuart, Florida.

New Name for Doubletree Resort Orlando – International Drive: On February 7, 2011, the Doubletree Resort Orlando – International Drive became the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld.  Our new name reflects an enhanced global identity for the Doubletree by Hilton brand along with the hotel’s distinction as an on-site partner hotel with SeaWorld.  For more information, visit www.doubletreeorlandoseaworld.com

83 Earn ASAE's Presitigious CAE Credential: Eighty-three association executives have recently earned their Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the CAE Commission of ASAE, joining nearly 3,900 industry leaders worldwide. The winter 2011 class of CAEs succeessfully completed the CAE examination administered nationwide on December 3, 2010, and will be honored along with the Summer 2011 class of CAEs during ASAE's 2011 Annual Meeting & Exposition in St. Louis, August 6-9. Among those to receive their CAE Credential was FSAE Member, Peter M. Dyga, IOM, CAE, Associated Builders and Contractors Association Florida East Coast Chapter. Congrats Peter!

Epilepsy Association of Central Florida, Inc. Launches EpilepsyU.com. EpilepsyU is a new, active online resource that not only offers information and epilepsy education, but is a "Community" for contacts, socialization, support, events, and much more.

January 2011

Falcione is new director of CVB: Elliott Falcione has been appointed director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau after serving as interim director since June.Falcione succeeded Larry White, who retired this summer. White served 19 years as executive director of the Bradenton tourism bureau. The Manatee Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved Falcione’s appointment as director, effective Dec. 18. “It will be our job to build partnerships within our community and with the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport,” Faclione said. “These partnerships will help us to gain market share both domestically and internationally that will hopefully result in increased tourism in our community.”

Orlando's Rosen Plaza Serves as Headquarters Hotel for College Football's Premier All-Star East-West Shrine Game in 2011:  Rosen Plaza in Orlando is proud to announce that it will serve as the headquarters hotel for the prestigious East-West Shrine Game (EWSG) from January 16-22, 2011.  The hotel will also be the location for the annual Players Award Banquet on Friday, January 21, 2011.  The banquet includes the induction of some of the best NFL players in history into the East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame.  As college football's premier all-star game, the East-West Shrine Game brings together North America's top players in a friendly East-meets-West battle to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system.

FSAE’s Sue Damon is a proud Momma! (photo left)  Her son, Gil has received the honor of Eagle Scout at 14!  Congrats to the Damon Family!

Orlando/Orange County CVB Rebrands Itself as Visit Orlando: On December 17, 2010, the Board of Directors of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Orlando/Orange County CVB) announced that it has unanimously approved changing the name of the organization from Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. to Visit Orlando globally. Visit Orlando reflects the organization’s mission and strategic focus of increasing overnight leisure and business visitation to the destination through its global sales and marketing initiatives. The change also reflects a shift within destination marketing organizations to adopt simpler, more relevant names for a global audience.

Julie Kissel Becomes the New Sales Manager at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle: Congratulations Julie on your new position. For your information, The Fairmont Turnberry Isle is sponsoring the February 14th executive Series Luncheon at the Governors Club in Tallahassee. 

P. Christine Poole, CMP has joined ConferenceDirect® as a Global Project Manager:  ConferenceDirect® is an internationally recognized Meeting Solutions and Hospitality resource company specializing in the areas of Site Selection & Contract Negotiation, Conference Management Services, and Housing & Registration Services. 

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse welcome the Disney Dream, Disney Cruise Line's newest ship (photo right), as she arrives Jan. 4, 2011 for the first time to her home port of Port Canaveral, Fla. after traveling approximately 6,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Bremerhaven, Germany.  The Disney Dream will welcome guests on her maiden voyage on Jan. 26, 2011, and is scheduled to sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island Castaway Cay, from Port Canaveral.  The 4,000-passenger Disney Dream will introduce more innovation and unique experiences for meetings and incentives, including “magical” portholes for inside staterooms, a sophisticated lounge where the sun sets over the skyline of a different city each night, and AquaDuck, a first-of-its kind water coaster.

December

J. Scott Johnson, AAI, CAE publishes a new book, Platforms of Success:  The book deals with selling skills and how to set goals and manage your time.  Hear what others are saying about the book: “Platforms of Success—a well organized compendium of techniques that will assist the reader to analyze and develop effective selling skills. Successful selling is great fun—as well as financially rewarding—the world runs on green." —Hyatt Brown, chairman & CEO, Brown & Brown, Inc.   For more information, visit: www.platformsofsuccess.com

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Hires Karen Cooksey as its Director of Sales and Marketing (photo left): Karen Cooksey has joined the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa as Director of Sales and Marketing. In this role, Cooksey will be responsible for overseeing the coordination, management and leadership of the hotel’s overall sales and marketing strategies and initiatives, leading Matthew Price, Director of Sales and Event Planning, Nancy Stanley, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Tony Steele, Director of Revenue Management. Cooksey joins the Hilton Sandestin Beach with more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, and possesses a plethora of knowledge and expertise in multi-unit sales and marketing, having worked for small boutique hotels to diverse multinational entities, in both domestic and international markets.  She may be reached at 850-267-9600 or at kcooksey@hiltonsandestinbeach.com.

FLORIDA'S HISTORIC COAST MARKETING EFFORTS RECEIVE INTERNATIONAL HONORS: Marketing efforts by the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Ypartnership advertising agency are being recognized with major awards in a global competition.  Presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the Adrian Awards honor creative brilliance and best practices in hospitality, travel and tourism-related marketing. The awards will be presented in New York, January 31, 2011, before worldwide industry leaders.  The Visitors and Convention Bureau, working with Ypartnership, will receive five prestigious Adrian Awards – one gold, two silver and two bronze.  The gold is presented for a series of 30-second video spots; silver recognizes a Web advertising spot featuring the Fountain of Youth and the marketing campaign’s print media ads; bronze Adrians are awarded for a 30-second spot featuring Marineland’s Dolphin Conservation Center and for the campaign’s consumer radio series.  The competition drew nearly 1,100 entries from around the world.  The St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau is responsible for successfully marketing St. Johns County (Florida’s Historic Coast) as a destination for vacation travelers.  The Bureau’s efforts are funded entirely by the tourist development taxes paid by travelers who book overnight accommodations in the county.  Last year, visitors spent a total of $620 million in St. Johns County, paid $4.5 million in tourist development taxes and supported 14,000 jobs.

Fantasy of Flight Celebrates 15 Years of Sky Smiles: The models are vintage, the runway long, but for airplane enthusiasts and history buffs alike, the 15-year anniversary celebration of Fantasy of Flight over Thanksgiving weekend was a feast for the eyes. Running November 25 through November 28, 15 rarely flown vintage planes from Fantasy of Flight founder Kermit Weeks' collection - the world's largest private collection of vintage and restored airplanes – took to the sky to the delight of spectators young and old. 

EMERALD COAST CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE: The Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau announces the launch of a completely re-designed website to serve as a primary resource for visitors of the laid-back beach towns – Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Okaloosa Island. Boasting current news and events, travel tools and social media features, as well as the latest Emerald Specials, Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast consumer tourism site also welcomes a new web address (www.emeraldcoastfl.com).  With the revamped, user-friendly design touting intuitive and clean navigation, visitors can efficiently explore through the many improved features offered on the website -- various links for trip planning, weddings, meetings and groups, and the Emerald Coast Convention Center. The online resource assists future guests in personalizing their trip with the addition of the My Moments section; visitors can view highlights from other visitor vacations and even upload their own footage. Site surfers will also be among the first to hear about exciting promotions, packages and specials offered exclusively online.  For more information, call the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau toll free at 800-332-3319 or visit the revamped site at www.emeraldcoastfl.com.

Newly Renovated Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando Added to Brand's Convention Hotel Collection (photo right): Meeting planners looking for quality accommodations at affordable rates near the Orange County Convention Center can look no further than Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Florida's largest independent hotel chain, for all their Orlando lodging needs. With the recent addition of the 1,020-room newly renovated and rebranded Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando to the brand's collection of convention hotels, Rosen Hotels & Resorts now offers four convention properties totaling the most guest rooms at 4,500 and most meeting/event space at 605,000 square feet in closest proximity to the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and attractions on International Drive of any Orlando convention hotels.  A recent recipient of the AAA Three Diamond rating after a $10 million renovation, the 1,020-room Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando is within walking distance of Rosen's International Drive convention properties: Rosen Plaza and Rosen Centre. This makes the Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando a convenient option for convention staff, overflow lodging and trade show exhibitors watching the bottom line.  (Pictured from l to r) Jan Addison, Business Manager, OCCC, Nancy Ryan, DOS, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Frank Santos, CFO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Gary Sain, President, OOCCVB, Leslie Menichini, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Rosen Convention Properties, Jessie Allen, General Manager, OCCC, Harris Rosen, President/COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Tom Ackert, Executive Director, OCCC, Derek Baum, General Manager, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando.

Emerald Coast Conference Center Announces New Name: Located on Okaloosa Island, Fla., the 35,000 square-foot Emerald Coast Conference Center proudly announces its official name change to the Emerald Coast Convention Center, further establishing the destination as one of the South’s most attractive meeting places for all types of events (www.emeraldcoastfl.com/conference).  “We are extremely pleased to announce the name change of this multifunctional Convention Center,” said Bill Leaman, general manager of the Emerald Coast Convention Center. “The change will open the Emerald Coast up to a whole new segment of traffic, allowing the facility to be utilized to it’s full potential.”  The Emerald Coast Convention Center is located at 1250 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Additional information is available at www.emeraldcaostfl.com/conference, by e-mailing sales@co.okaloosa.fl.us or calling the Emerald Coast Convention Center at 877-574-5123.

Daniel O’Byrne has been appointed  president and CEO at Visit Jacksonville: O’Byrne is the former CEO and chief marketing officer with the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. He succeeds John Reyes, who earlier this year was appointed president and CEO of the Monterey County (California) Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Official Walt Disney World Hotel Joins Wyndham Hotels and Resorts: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts today announced its expansion in the Orlando area with the addition of the family-friendly, full-service 626-room Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, an official Walt Disney World® hotel located inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.  Situated on 13 meticulously landscaped acres and only 17 miles from Orlando International Airport, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort serves as an ideal home base for travelers visiting the area and its most popular attractions. The resort is centrally located within minutes of Walt Disney World’s famous theme parks, across the street from some of Orlando’s top shopping and entertainment in the Downtown Disney® area and only 10 minutes from SeaWorld Orlando and the Universal Orlando Resort.  Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the property offers everything guests need, from flexible meeting space and on-site event planners to a kid-friendly aquatic playground and Disney character breakfast.  For more information, visit www.wyndhamlakebuenavista.com

November

Leigh Ann Bradley, CAE (with Partners in Association Management) welcomes baby girl Camryn (photo left):  Born October 18 at 2:14am weighing 8.5 pounds and 20.7 inches long. She has an older brother Cooper who is 2 1/2 yrs old. 

Congratulations to these Award Winners:  The Tallahassee Society of Association Executives (TSAE) recently announced their annual award recipients: 

TSAE Assn Prof of the Year: Tricia Arnold, CAE, Florida Assn of School Administrators
TSAE Associate Member of the Year: George Allen, CAE, Carr, Riggs and Ingram
TSAE Association of the Year: Florida Hospices and Palliative Care
TSAE Supporting Organization of the Year: Hilton Worldwide
TSAE President's Service Award: Stephanie Thomas, CMP, Florida Institute of CPAs
TSAE Emerging Leader Scholarship: Drew McLeod, FMP, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Assn

The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach’s Director of Sales Uses Unique Approach to Team Motivation (photo right): |This year, Convention South magazine released its annual Meeting Trends in the South Report for 2010, in collaboration with PKF Hospitality Research, exemplifying “light at the end of the tunnel” for the corporate group sales segment. According to Convention South’s report, the next 18 months will yield increased meeting business with demand for more events.

This and other top meeting trends are evident at The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach. Steve Bailey, Director of Sales for Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, a property of The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, understands these trends and uses every opportunity to utilize his unique approach for keeping his team motivated to book meetings. Although the corporate market has been the last to recover in the hospitality industry, positive signs show that things are looking good for corporate meetings...

Some of Bailey’s unique tactics to motivating his sales team include:

• Aggressive Incentive/Sales Bonus—change from quarterly to monthly payouts.
• Small prizes for conversion ratios—measure closure rates in addition to the revenue produced. Incentives include prizes such as spa treatments, rounds of golf and dinners for two.
• Sales and personal movie days once a month—this includes motivational movies such as The Blind Side, Remember the Titans, Jerry McGuire and others.

In 2009, Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort completed an extensive $250,000 renovation of its meeting facilities. As one of the largest conference center properties in Bay County, the resort has more than 32,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and currently hosts more than 2,000 meetings, conferences, weddings and sporting events each year.

Kim Davis gets Hitched (photo left)!  Kim Davis, longtime sales manager for the Four Seasons Palm Beach, got married in October.  Congratulations to the beautiful bride and groom!

MIAMI Association of REALTORS and Northwestern Association of REALTORS Merge Creates one REALTOR Organization for Miami-Dade County: The Northwestern Association of REALTORS (NDAR) and the MIAMI Association of REALTORS (MIAMI) are proud to announce their merger into one association, the only one in Miami-Dade County and the largest local REALTOR association in the nation.  This is the second merger in three months for the MIAMI Association of REALTORS, which will remain the name of the new organization.  The merger will combine NDAR’s nearly 500 members with MIAMI’s nearly 23,500, offering the best of both associations.

“We are thrilled to become one family and one association for all of Miami-Dade County,” said Maria E. Brackett, 2011 President of NDAR.  “As the largest association in the nation, our membership will enjoy the best our combined associations have to offer and will be better equipped to serve the buying and selling publics in our communities.”

Merged Association – Leadership, Benefits, Products & Services This merger will benefit the members of each organization, the local real estate industry and business community, the buying and selling public, and the entire marketplace now and into the future.

The Peabody Orlando Celebrates Twenty Four Years of Service Excellence:  Following the opening of its highly anticipated $450 million expansion, The Peabody Orlando and its employees continue to have reason for celebration. Today marks the 24th anniversary of The Peabody Orlando, which opened its doors for business on November 1, 1986.  “When Peabody Hotel Group broke ground on The Peabody Orlando in 1986, International Drive was unoccupied by the many hotels, restaurants, theme parks and entertainment venues that exist today,” stated Alan Villaverde, president of Peabody Hotels Division and managing director of The Peabody Orlando. “With the first phase of the Orange County Convention Center as a close neighbor, owner Marty Belz envisioned a bustling entertainment district and claimed the site for the second hotel in the Peabody Hotels portfolio. Now, The Peabody Orlando has become one of the largest Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond hotels in the eastern half of the United States and a landmark in Orlando.”

The excitement of The Peabody Orlando’s 24th anniversary is amplified by the recent expansion and hiring of more than 400 new employees. In addition to the hotel’s longstanding, award-winning Peabody Service Excellence® culture, the newly expanded hotel features a 32-story tower, 1,641 ultra-luxurious guestrooms, 300,000 total square feet of state-of-the-art, flexible function space, a 22,000-square-foot full-service spa and fitness center, three beautifully landscaped pools and ten delectable dining and entertainment options.

Florida Trucking Association Wins Mike Russell “Good Stuff” Trucking Image Award (photo left): During the October, 2010 American Trucking Associations Annual Management Conference & Exhibition  held in Phoenix, Arizona, The Florida Trucking Association (FTA) was awarded the 2010 "Good stuff" Trucking Image Award for a state association.  FTA President and CEO Mary Lou Rajchel accepted the award on behalf of the Florida Trucking Association.  It was very special for the FTA to be featured this way in front of a national audience of representatives of trucking companies and industry suppliers.

Debbie Meihls Named Executive Manager Of Bradenton (Fla.) CVB… Debbie Meihls has been hired by the Bradenton Area CVB as its executive manager. Meihls has more than 18 years of tourism sales and marketing experience.

50,000 People to Celebrate National Philanthropy Day®: More than 50,000 people will celebrate National Philanthropy Day® (NPD) on Nov. 15 and recognize the extraordinary accomplishments that philanthropy—and those involved in the philanthropic process—have made to the world.  In more than 100 National Philanthropy Day® celebrations across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Asia, communities will come together to honor outstanding donors, volunteers, foundations, businesses, youth and nonprofits leaders who are improving the quality of life for all people.  The events, coordinated internationally by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), will feature awards and honors, as well as speakers discussing the importance of philanthropy, especially in the current economic environment.  “National Philanthropy Day® has never been more important than it is today,” said Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE, president and CEO of AFP. “People are incredibly generous, and we’ve seen charitable giving and volunteering grow substantially over the last few decades. But with many people suffering under these challenging economic times, and the demand for charitable services greater than ever, NPD is a reminder that we need everyone to chip in and help their neighbor.”  National Philanthropy Day® was first recognized in 1986 and celebrated by a coalition of organizations. AFP has taken the lead in promoting NPD and runs the official NPD website (www.nationalphilanthropyday.net), which features a list of events, tips on wise giving, data on giving and volunteering and other information on philanthropy.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL NURSE PRACTITIONER WEEK:  National Nurse Practitioner Week was November 7 – 13, 2010. – National Nurse Practitioner Week was November 7 – 13, 2010.  Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses who provide high quality healthcare services to patients across the United States. They have graduate, advanced education and clinical experiential learning beyond their registered nurse preparation.  The theme for the 2010 National Nurse Practitioner Week is Everyday Heroes…Nurse  Practitioners.

October

ANNABEL GABBERT, CERTIFIED GOVERNMENT MEETING PROFESSIONAL:  Annabel Gabbert, Senior Sales Manager at Doubletree Hotel Tampa Westshore Airport, has received the designation of Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP). This is the highest designation available specifically for government meeting professionals. Annabel holds the distinction of being the only hotel sales professional with a CGMP in Tampa.

J. Scott Johnson, AAI, CAE publishes a new book, Platforms of Success:  The book deals with selling skills and how to set goals and manage your time.  Hear what others are saying about the book: “Platforms of Success—a well organized compendium of techniques that will assist the reader to analyze and develop effective selling skills. Successful selling is great fun—as well as financially rewarding—the world runs on green." —Hyatt Brown, chairman & CEO, Brown & Brown, Inc.   For more information, visit: http://www.platformsofsuccess.com/

ALHI’s David Gabri Receives ASAE’s Most Prestigious “Academy of Leaders Award” (photo right):  ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) & The Center for Association Leadership presented David Gabri (center), president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), with its  prestigious “Academy of Leaders Award” at ASAE & The Center’s 2010 Annual Meeting & Exposition in August. The award is ASAE & The Center’s highest individual honor given to an industry partner who has demonstrated exemplary support of ASAE & The Center and the entire association community. Gabri was the sole recipient of the award this year, and is just the 23^rd recipient to ever receive the honor. He is pictured here receiving the award from:  Velma R. Hart , CAE, chairman, ASAE Board for 2009/2010, and national finance director/chief financial officer, AMVETS National Headquarters; and John H. Graham IV, CAE, president and CEO of ASAE. 

Congratulations to Hawks Cay Resort and Marina:  Hawks Cay Resort and Marina has recently been named Family Resort of the Year by the NY Times, one of the Top Resorts in the US, # 2 in Florida, and #1 Spa in the US by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Daxko offers solutions to Associations and Non-profits in BizNow Publication (photo left): When DAXKO account exec Craig Fowler meets a potential client for the first time, it’s common for the association to approach management software with anxiety, indifference, and the attitude that it’s a necessary evil. Craig, seen here at the ASAE Annual Meeting with customer Hester Ndoja, CAE, tells us that the key to overcoming that is letting them see “that we’re as energized by their advancement as they are.” (Of course industry-leading association management software doesn’t hurt, either.) “There’s such a huge number of vendors, and many associations switch every few years; somewhere along the line, that market’s not being served right: That’s when I feel that DAXKO can really make a difference.” Ultimately, Craig says it comes down to caring. “I’m going to be curious how we can make you better as an organization; how we can help you make more non-dues revenue; and how we can get members more engaged.” More info on DAXKO here.

Visit Jacksonville Names Daniel O’Byrne President and CEO:   Visit Jacksonville has announced that O’Byrne has been named the new president & CEO of the organization. He fills the spot vacated by John Reyes, is the former CEO and chief marketing officer of the Little Rock CVB. His first day at Visit Jacksonville will be Nov. 8.

Orlando, FL – October 6, 2010 – NFi Studios, the leader of web technology connecting member & industry communities by delivering social technologies to member-based organizations, announced it has been acquired by Avectra, the leader of web-based association management software (AMS).  As part of the acquisition, NFi Studios will operate as an independent division of Avectra and will continue to support the MemberFuse product line as well as their existing customers and partnerships with other technology providers.  MemberFuse will be available for all member-based organizations, regardless of the organization’s existing association management software.  With Avectra and NFi Studios joining forces, this is a great move for both NFi's current and future customers,” stated Sterling Raphael, President of NFi Studios.  “The combination of Avectra and NFi Studios will provide customers a more powerful platform for creating, managing and delivering compelling content and experiences to their members. Plus, the ability to leverage multiple Avectra resources to help accelerate our growth will allow us to focus on the culture of innovation we worked so hard to foster and that continues to drive the development of MemberFuse."

Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel announces the addition of Dos Caminos - slated to open November 2010: Retaining its distinctive ship-shaped exterior and nautical inspired decor, the iconic beachfront property now features this haute Mexican cuisine, marking the sixth location for the Dos Caminos brand. Positioning the property as a premiere entertainment hub - the former Sheraton Yankee Clipper offers picturesque views of the Atlantic Ocean and lively Las Olas Boulevard.  Dos Caminos has a crafted menu featuring dishes inspired by local fare, as well as plates that boast vibrant flavors, utilize colorful ingredients and maintain Dos Caminos credo of "old Mexico meets modern cuisine." These signature dishes complement the restaurant’s extensive tequila and margarita menus as created by resident mixologist and author of The Cocktail Primer, Eben Klemm.  The playful atmosphere and delicious food will perfectly complement this whimsical retreat. A favorite for families and carefree getaways, the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel also highlights 486 inviting guestrooms and suites, two swimming pools, palate-pleasing dining, and entertainment enticements including the poolside Baja Beach Bar and Grill, Link internet café and famed Wreck Bar where guests of all ages come to catch a glimpse of mermaids swimming from porthole to porthole.

The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach Announces New Chief Operating Officer, Mike Stange: The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach announced last week the designation of Mike Stange as chief operating officer of the organization. The Resort Collection (www.resortspcbeach.com) is a property management company representing six beachfront resorts, one championship golf course, a shopping center and real estate organization.  Prior to joining The Resort Collection in 2009, Stange (pictured) represented Intrawest, a Vancouver-based resort management company, as Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s president and chief operating officer, and was part of the Intrawest executive management team.   “It’s an honor to accept this position of leadership and to lead the company’s new vision and mission,” Stange said. “This is an exciting time for the company. The repositioning of several top-level managers and the addition of a new property has energized the organization.”

Saddlebrook Receives 23rd Pinnacle Award: The 2010 Successful Meetings Pinnacle Awards were announced in August, and Florida properties and convention and visitors bureaus were well-represented. Saddlebrook-Tampa was recognized for their ongoing commitment to service to meeting and conventions groups for the 23rd time.  The Pinnacle Award is given to properties, convention and visitors bureaus and conference centers and is voted on by meeting professionals based on personal meeting experiences.

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Hosted MPI SEC 2010: The theme of the 19th Annual Meeting Professionals International Southeast Education Conference was "Anything But Ordinary," and the same applied to the conference setting and record-setting attendance. The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa hosted the regional event held from Aug. 19-21, which attracted the highest attendance in the history of the conference. More than five hundred meeting professionals, hoteliers, convention and visitors bureau representatives and industry suppliers convened in the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel area of Southwest Florida.

Hilton Daytona Beach & New Ocean Center:  The 744-room Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort is not only the anchor hotel for the recently transformed and expanded Ocean Center convention, entertainment and sports complex, but it's also a conference center. The largest Hilton on the east coast of Florida, it offers more than 60,000 square feet of indoor function space, the 18,000- square-foot Coquina Ballroom, an 8,500-square-foot junior ballroom, a variety of meeting and breakout rooms and spacious oceanfront pre-function areas.

Congratulations to Watercolor Inn & Resort:  They have recently been named by Travel + Leisure as a reader‘s choice favorite, “world’s best family hotel”, and “world’s best resort in the USA”.

MemberClicks designates October 'Small Staff Appreciation Month,' solicits industry participation: MemberClicks, a leading provider of association management software for small staff associations, is excited to announce the creation of the inaugural Small Staff Appreciation Month in October 2010.  The month is intended to celebrate small staff associations and the work they do.  As part of its celebration of Small Staff Association Month, MemberClicks will host daily giveaways including T-shirts, small staff care packages containing gift cards totaling $100 and one grand prize 15-inch MacBook Pro.  Additionally, MemberClicks will be profiling eight small staff associations on its Splash blog every Tuesday and Thursday in October.

Omni Hotels & Resorts has acquired the Amelia Island Plantation, rebranding the property as the Omni Amelia Island Plantation:  The luxury brand plans to expand the resort development with approximately 125 additional guest rooms and suites as well as a new 16,000 square foot ballroom to accommodate additional meetings and events.  The award-winning destination island resort recognized for offering a luxury resort experience in perfect harmony with nature is situated on 1,350 acres at the northern tip of Florida, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, green marshlands and the Intracoastal Waterway. 

Association Data Management Expert Inducted into Million Dollar Consultant® Hall of Fame (photo left):  Wes Trochlil, president of Effective Database Management, LLC, honored.  Effective Database Management, LLC, a firm that helps clients optimize data management, today announced that Wes Trochlil,  the company’s president, was inducted into Alan Weiss’s Million Dollar Consultant® Hall of Fame. Of the nearly 1,000 people who have participated in the program worldwide, only 25 individuals from diverse disciplines have met the criteria for membership:

            • Serving as an exemplar to others in the consulting profession

            • Manifesting the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and accountability

            • Achieving significant annual revenue and profit improvement

            • Contributing intellectual capital to the consulting profession

            • Engaging in continuing, challenging, personal and professional development

            • Taking prudent risk and demonstrating resilience.

The Roosevelt Hotel, NYC Challenges Aspiring Entrepreneurs to Compete for the Title of “Meeting planner star”: NEW YORK – Oct. 12, 2010 – In keeping up with the friendly competition of the ever popular reality shows, The Roosevelt Hotel, NYC challenges meeting planners and aspiring professionals alike to coordinate a hypothetical meeting, competing for a grand prize and the title of Meeting Planner Star. In addition to receiving the coveted title, the winner will be awarded a weekend stay in the Presidential Suite, a reception for 10 guests, a roundtrip limo ride to the hotel and a meeting room dedicated to them for an entire year.  Now through Nov. 17, contestants can go to www.meetingplannerstar.com to complete a personal profile and an easy 20-step process to create the ideal meeting experience with a hypothetical budget of 150 thousand dollars for 75 attendees and five executives including their spouses. With these guidelines and budgets, contestants coordinate the dining, transportation and entertainment for a two and half day meeting scheduled for Jan. 17-20. The 10 entries with the highest number of votes are entered into a final round in which a panel of judges will choose from to select the Meeting Planner Star*. In addition to earning the coveted title, the winner will be awarded a weekend stay in the Presidential Suite, a reception for 10 guests, a roundtrip limo ride to the hotel and a meeting room dedicated to them for an entire year.  For more information on The Roosevelt Hotel and Meeting Planner Star contest call 1-800-TEDDY-NY or visit www.theroosevelthotel.com.

Wanda and Chip, Happily Ever After (photo left): FSAE Members, Wanda Taylor, Deputy Executive Director/Member Services of the FL Assn of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges and Chip Minick, Area Sales Manager for South FL Collection, LXR Luxury Resorts, recently got married in Tallahassee.  Congratulations to the Minicks!

New Website Connects Contractors With Construction Job  Opportunities: reConstructFL.com Can Boost Economic Recovery.  A newly-launched web site is providing Florida’s 331,900 unemployed construction professionals with job opportunity information, and helping the struggling building industry in its attempt help jump-start the Florida economy.   reConstructFL.com is a virtual one-stop shopping website providing contractors with job information resulting from various federal, state, and local stimulus programs designed to reinvigorate the Florida construction industry... Funded by a grant from Workforce Florida, Inc. to the Florida Home Builders Association and Florida State University, builders believe the web site will be a potent tool to speed the state’s economic recovery.

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club Receives “Green To Gold Award” For Best Exemplifying Green Leadership (photo right): The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club has received another prestigious honor, as it was presented with “The Green to Gold Award” by the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Collier County, Florida, for “best exemplifying green leadership.” The award was presented to the Southwest Florida resort during the EDC’s “27^th Annual Excellence in Industry Awards.” Accepting the award for the resort was President Michael Watkins and General Manager Jason Parsons.   “The Green to Gold Award” is presented to an organization that exhibits leadership in advocating the sustainable management of resources and the stewardship of the natural environment. The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, a certified participant in Florida’s Green Lodging Program, incorporates an array of environmentally-friendly initiatives into its operation. Initiatives include a comprehensive resort-wide recycling program, which includes glass, paper, aluminum, plastic, ink jet printer cartridges, and items from renovation projects. The resort also utilizes “Green Sealed” cleaning products, has an energy-saving air conditioning system, utilizes highly energy-efficient lighting, has an advanced hydro-grid watering system for the Har-Tru courts at its Mary C. Watkins Tennis Center, purchases from local vendors whenever possible, uses Energy Star-rated equipment, and features an on-site Orchid House program.

Florida Health Care Association Wins National Advocacy Award: Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) was recently honored nationally with the 2010 Advocacy in Action Award from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), the nation’s largest association of long term and post-acute care providers. The honor was given in Calif. this week at the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention & Expo in front of hundreds of long term care providers and health care association executives from across the country.  Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association, presented the Advocacy in Action Award to Emmett Reed, Executive Director of FHCA, who accepted the Award on behalf of the Florida Association.  Because of their dedication and passion for promoting the long term care profession at the federal level of government, AHCA/NCAL recognized FHCA with the 2010 Award.

 "Savor the Flavor of Polk" Culinary Event: Central Florida’s Polk County has something new to offer visitors this month.  A culinary event to showcase the fine dining, unique restaurants and various cuisines that define Polk County.  So grab your appetite and discover these culinary delights during the inaugural “Savor the Flavor of Polk” dining month, October 15th through November 15th, 2010. Visit the "Savor the Flavor of Polk".  Twelve area restaurants will participate in this culinary celebration, offering unique menu’s for lunch or dinner or both .  These special, “Savor the Flavor of Polk” menus offer – a $10 two-course lunch menu and/or a $25 three-course dinner menu. Make sure to ask for the “Savor the Flavor of Polk” menu when you visit!

September 2010

South East Florida Apartment Association Rallies to Help Broward Housing Solutions: Approximately 30 volunteer members of the South East Florida Apartment Association (SEFAA) joined together with paintbrushes and shovels to paint and landscape two Broward Housing Solutions’ apartment buildings as part of its ongoing community service effort. The volunteers brought a fresh look to two apartment complexes in Fort Lauderdale that provide affordable permanent rental housing to mental health consumers. (photo left)

“We’re so grateful to Gregory Brooks and SEFAA for organizing and implementing this volunteer effort,” said Lisa Vecchi, President/CEO of Broward Housing Solutions. “In spite of our unseasonably hot weather, these volunteers showed up with a lot of energy and great attitudes and ready to work. One result is certainly fresh coat of paint and new greenery, but a more important outcome is the brighter home provided for the mental health consumers who live here, many of whom are formerly homeless.”

Tompkins Joins The Peabody Orlando as New Duck Master: After an extensive nationwide search, The Peabody Orlando, famous for its five marching mallard ducks, has named Donald Tompkins (photo right) as its new Duck Master. As one of only three Duck Masters in the world, Tompkins joins The Peabody Orlando just in time for the opening of the hotel’s $450 million expansion on September 23, 2010. As Duck Master, Tompkins bears responsibility for the care and training of the hotel’s resident North American Mallards, administering a training regimen virtually unchanged since its inception in 1939. In keeping with tradition, Tompkins will lead the twice daily Duck March, where he will guide the ducks down from their “Royal Duck Palace” on the hotel’s roof to the marble fountain in The Peabody Lobby at 11 a.m., followed by a reversed ceremony at 5 p.m., when the ducks march down the red carpet through crowds of admiring spectators to retire for the evening. In addition to his on-site duties, Tompkins will coordinate off-site presentations and conduct media interviews about wildlife, ducks and the environment and will work within the Guest Services and Front Office areas in accordance with business needs.

Michele Marsee Named Director of Sales & Marketing At The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club: In her new position, Marsee (photo right) oversees the sales and marketing efforts and the sales team for the newly renovated beachfront resort. In addition to offering 319 guest rooms and suites, the 125-acre resort features an on-site championship golf course, a world-class spa, an award-winning tennis center, multiple restaurants and bars including HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar, 34,000 square feet of indoor meeting and event space, and many beautiful outdoor Gulf-front venues.

Marsee joins The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club from the 2,345-room Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, where she served as Vice President of Hotel Sales. Prior to that, she served as Director of Sales for the 2,567-room Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for four years. Previous to that, she served as Director of Sales at the Sheraton Bal Harbour Resort in Bal Harbour, Florida, and as Director of Association Sales at the 963-room Boca Raton Resort & Club.

The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village In St. Augustine Receives “2010 Gold Key Award”: The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, has received Meetings & Conventions magazine’s prestigious “2010 Gold Key Award,” which recognizes the world’s finest meeting facilities. The resort, which completed a comprehensive $10 million property-wide renovation in 2008, has garnered numerous prestigious awards this past year, which includes Medical Meetings magazine’s “2010 M&D Award,” Meetings & Conventions magazine’s “Gold Tee Award,” and the resort was named one of the “Top 80 Golf Resorts” in the world in a readers’ poll in Condé Nast Traveler magazine. This marks the fourth consecutive year the resort has received the “Gold Key Award.” (photo left)  The “Gold Key Award” recognizes the top meeting hotels and resorts in the world. Winners were nominated and selected by the subscribers of the highly-read magazine, who are resp

onsible for planning meetings, incentive/recognition programs, and conventions. The winning hotels and resorts will be highlighted in the magazine’s special “Gold Awards” supplement in its November 2010 issue.

Matthew Price Named Director of Sales for the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa: The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has named Matthew Price as its new Director of Sales. In this role, Price will be responsible for the overall coordination, the functional management, and the leadership of all sales team activities, working with Marshall Thompson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With more than 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Price possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in operations, management, sales and team development.

Introduced just three years ago, Avectra’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform has been recognized by the software industry as being a “game changer” and, as a result, has seen rapid adoption. Earlier this year, the company signed the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) – making ACRM the company’s 1,000th organization to leverage netFORUM Team and Pro to successfully identify, serve and retain their members and improve their bottom-line.

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club Reopens Golf Course, As Enhancements Are Now Complete: The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s championship golf course has reopened, better than ever. The course was closed July 12-September 2, 2010 so that it could undergo enhancements, and it now boasts new grass on 12 of the greens, and on all 18 tee boxes. In addition, there are new bridges over some of the course’s water features, according to Head Golf Pro George Willard. The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is Southwest Florida’s only beachfront resort to feature an on-site championship golf course, world-class spa, and award-winning tennis center. In addition to the golf course enhancements, the resort completed the renovation of its 319 guest rooms and suites in January 2010, and opened its all-new $5 million beachfront pool complex in February 2010. The resort features 34,000 square feet of indoor meeting and event space, and many beautiful outdoor Gulf-front venues.  Built in 1927, the resort’s championship par 72 layout is Naples’ original golf course. Updated over the years – first by Mark Mahanna in 1948, then by famed golf course architect Ron Garl in 1980, 1993 and 1998 – the course was renovated to enhance the qualities that have always made it so popular, according to Willard. (photo left)

Ricki Braswell, CAE of Partners in Association Management has been honored as one of the “Top 25 Women in Dentistry” by Dental Products Report Magazine: At heart, Ricki Braswell (photo right) is an advocate. Lucky for the dental lab industry, she is advocating on its behalf.  “My father wanted me to be an attorney. Between my junior and senior years of college I changed my mind. Law wasn’t for me,” she remembers. “I had been in the same place for nine years, right out of college, and I was presented with a unique opportunity to be an advocate for dental laboratory technology and bring some resources back to that profession.”  As Co-Executive Director for the National Association of Dental Labs (NADL), she has her hands in training the board, financial management, staff liaison work, magazine publishing and more. These responsibilities are more than just a to-do list for Ricki; she is truly passionate about the dental technician’s role.

FNA Announces Bill Cotterell as Recipient of 2010 Media Award: Bill Cotterell will receive FNA’s 2010 Media Award at the first annual Membership Assembly. Mr. Cotterell has written numerous articles on behalf of state employees including such topics as the nursing shortage and pay cuts. The Media Award will be presented at the FNA Membership Assembly Awards Dinner, Friday, September 24th.

SENATOR MIKE BENNETT NAMED FNA LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR: The Florida Nurses Association (FNA) will be honoring Senator Mike Bennett at the 2010 Membership Assembly. Senator Bennett has sponsored the FNA bill for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs) controlled substance prescribing for the past two years. This bill permits ARNPs to prescribe controlled substance schedules II-V in compliance with a protocol arrangement. Senator Bennett will be present and answer questions from nurses at the FNA Awards Dinner.

Carolyn Fazio, ECAM, Senior Strategist & CEO, Fazio International Ltd., has been appointed to the ASAE International Section Council. In addition to helping focus ASAE’s efforts with international outreach, this advisory body provides the program content and speakers for the ASAE International Conference and

manages ASAE’s Associations Make A Better World annual competition. (photo left)

Partners in Association Management To Participate in State-funded Economic Gardening Program: Partners in Association Management, an association management company serving as headquarters for over a dozen state and national associations, has been selected to participate in the state-financed initiative, GrowFL, an economic gardening program helping Florida-based second-stage companies.

The GrowFL program supports the growth of Florida businesses by providing a free suite of economic gardening support services, as well as unique access to market research and technology. GrowFL services encompass proven strategies of economic gardening, including CEO peer roundtables, CEO forums and referral services to help second-stage companies statewide achieve their potential.

 

 

FSAE Represents at 2010 ASAE Annual Conference: FSAE’s own staff, Hester Ndoja, CAE, walks across the stage at ASAE’s Annual Conference in Los Angeles to be recognized for earning her the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. (photo right)

FSAE Chair, Becky Macaluso, CAE, and FSAE Staff Hester Ndoja, CAE and Teri Carden at ASAE’s Annual Conference’s Opening Night Reception in Los Angeles. (photo right)

Special news to report - the launch of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards program: If you have not heard, The Ritz-Carlton now has its very own loyalty program. Now you can earn points towards your Marriott Rewards Account as well or sign up for a Ritz-Carlton Rewards Account! To learn more visit our website at: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Rewards/AboutRewards/Default.htm

Janegale Boyd, FSAE Board Member and President/CEO of the Florida Association for the Homes and Services of the Aging, has recently been named the Vice-Chair for the ASAE Public Policy Committee: This past year the committee was instrumental in shaping the association community’s legislative agenda and preparing ASAE for a new Congress and administration. The committee helped ASAE influence the health care debate, update the ASAE Board Approved Position Statements, and prepare to address lingering health care issues like the health care exchanges and the new 1099 requirements.

August 2010

DAXKO recently unveiled a fresh, new website-- www.daxkoconnect.com: The new site allows visitors to easily navigate through content of value to professional and trade associations. From a visual tour to an entertaining whiteboard video detailing the benefits of the system, visitors now can learn more about DAXKO Connect in a fun, interactive way. With the launch of the new site came the unveiling of the DAXKO Connect blog. In this forum, the DAXKO Connect team will be sharing association insights, product news, event details and more. We encourage our association friends, especially members of FSAE, to share their thoughts with us. We want our blog to be an ongoing dialogue with the association community!

Avectra Introduces Fully Integrated Social Networking Solution for Associations: Avectra Social Community provides powerful social networking solution to engage and collaborate with members 24/7. Avectra, the leading provider of web based association management software (AMS), announced the release of Avectra Social Community, a social networking solution available with netFORUM Team and Pro. Avectra Social Community allows organizations to create their own social networking platform with the ability to control the look, messaging, advertising and community and group access.

Hotel Duval Joins Marriott's Autograph Collection: Hotel Duval announced today their official affiliation with Marriott International, Inc.'s (NYSE: MAR) new Autograph Collection, a portfolio of upper-upscale and luxury independent hotels and resorts, each with distinctive personalities. Hotel Duval will continue to operate autonomously keeping their name and identity while taking advantage of Marriott's global reservations, and sales and marketing channels. As only the 11th hotel worldwide invited to join the exclusive cluster of luxury boutique properties, Hotel Duval is poised to also benefit from full participation in the award-winning Marriott Rewards® guest loyalty program, which drives customers in the leisure, corporate and group markets. The 117-room hotel is owned and managed by Duval Partners, LLC and will operate under a franchise agreement with Marriott International, Inc.

HAMMOCK BEACH RESORT AND GOLFTRIPGENIUS.COM ANNOUNCE FULL-SERVICE GOLF PARTNERSHIP: Hammock Beach Resort and GolfTripGenius.com announce a partnership to provide golf groups with an innovative webbased service that will expand the fun and enhance the overall golf trip experience for golfers visiting the award-winning Palm Coast, Fla., golf resort. The new partnership features the setup of customized golf pairings, selection and scoring of trip tournaments and concierge golf trip support to all Hammock Beach Resort golf groups, all at no extra charge. “Hammock Beach has become an outstanding golf trip destination for golfers traveling to Florida,” said Brad Hauer, Director of Golf. “Now, we’ve added the capabilities of GolfTripGenius.com to enhance the golf trip experience for our guests, and we believe their services will greatly add to the enjoyment at our award-winning resort.”

Sheila Belknap Named Executive Vice President of the Not for Profit Group: I’d like to introduce our newest employee, Sheila Belknap. Shelia has a vast background in not for profit management to include positions as the President and CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation in Sarasota, FL She also served as national director for the Million Dollar Roundtable for the United Way of America. The Not for Profit Group is a company dedicated to helping not for profit organizations build best in class relationship management processes for revenue growth.

Disney Unveils First-of-its-Kind Outdoor Audio Description Technology for Guests with Disabilities: Guests with visual disabilities can now explore Walt Disney World theme parks in a whole new way through an enhanced Disney-designed device that provides detailed audio description of outdoor areas and fits in the palm of a guest's hand. The National Society of Professional Engineers named the handheld assistive technology device “New Product of the Year".

VISIT FLORIDA Offers Free Web Listings to Tourism Businesses: I am pleased to announce that today VISIT FLORIDA rolled out a new initiative that offers all Florida tourism businesses the opportunity to take advantage of a Free Web Listing on VISITFLORIDA.com. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA previously limited listings on the website to our more than 3,400 co-operative marketing Partners. This is a win-win for our visitors and the Florida tourism industry. By opening up our website to all tourism businesses across the state, consumers will benefit from having access to significantly more information to help them better plan their next Florida vacation. We know that the best way to support Florida tourism businesses is to put their information in front of travelers interested in the Sunshine State, and this free marketing opportunity does just that. For those businesses interested in finding out more about the Free Web Listing opportunity, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.org/free or call the VISIT FLORIDA industry hotline toll-free at (877) 435-2872.

Avectra Rolls-Out New Release of Game-Changing REALTOR® Association Management Software: Avectra, the industry’s leading web-based association management software (AMS) provider, announced today a software upgrade for netFORUM Pro for Real Estate Associations – the company’s, proven, game-changing software designed for the unique needs of REALTOR® associations and boards. Developed with feedback from the National Association of REALTORS®, Avectra’s REALTOR® association customers, and Avectra’s sixteen plus years of association technology leadership, this release includes several significant REALTOR® association specific updates including support for supplemental/secondary memberships and a real-time, two-way data transfer with the National REALTOR® Database System (NRDS).

Kathy Masterson (pictured left), with the Plaza Resort & Spa, is now handling the association market as well as the Government and Corporate markets. Kathy started her hospitality career in Ft. Lauderdale, at the Holiday Inn Plantation, while attending Florida International University, where she received her degree in Hospitality Management. After graduation, Kathy accepted a position with the Adam’s Mark Daytona Beach Resort (now the Hilton Daytona Beach), as a Manager In Training, then working her way up to full time Sales Manager in 2003, handling the SMERF and Corporate markets. In 2006, Kathy moved to the Plaza Resort & Spa as a Corporate Sales Manager and was promoted to Director of Sales in 2007. Please contact Kathy at 386-267-1606 or kmasterson@innercircledaytona.com.

Florida Sheriffs Elect New President: The Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA), one of the largest state law enforcement associations in the nation and the oldest law enforcement association in Florida, is pleased to announce Hamilton County Sheriff J. Harrell Reid has been elected as the incoming Florida Sheriffs Association President. FSA Executive Director Steve Casey said that as President of FSA, Reid will be responsible for presiding over the association, working with the staff and board of directors to guide the efforts and direction of the 117-year old non-profit organization. The FSA (www.flsheriffs.org) is comprised of Florida’s 67 Sheriffs, approximately 3,500 business leaders and 100,000 citizens throughout the state.

New Vistors Guide Features QR Code Technology and Photos Taken By Residents: The Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is now distributing the latest edition of its official visitors guide. Produced in-house, the 2010-11 edition of the guide features information on the Daytona Beach, DeLand/Deltona/West Volusia and New Smyrna Beach areas. The CVB expects to distribute 225,000 copies o