VISIT FLORIDA ANNOUNCES FLAGLER AWARD FINALISTS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (July 6, 2009) VISIT FLORIDA announced today the finalists for the 2009 Flagler Awards, Florida’s statewide hospitality awards program and the Gulf County Tourism Development Council is among them.

We are excited to share that the Gulf County Tourism Development Council was recognized as Flagler Award Finalist at the recent VisitFlorida Statewide Governor’s Conference on Tourism for their 2009 Gulf County Discovery Guide we designed. The annual Flagler Awards represent the state’s highest achievement in tourism marketing. “Not only is the competition as fierce as the industry itself but the fact the Gulf County Guide was a finalist with the brochures from the much larger markets of Ft. Lauderdale and Bradenton is incredible,” said designer Catherine Noel

Presented annually by VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, the program is designed to acknowledge the outstanding tourism marketing achievements of Florida’s numerous travel businesses, destinations and attractions. All finalists will be recognized during the 2009 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Aug. 23-24 at the Fontainbleau Miami Beach. The program’s top honor, the “Henry,” will be awarded in each of 15 categories encompassing a wide variety of marketing tools and activities. A “Best of Show” award will also be presented in three annual marketing budget categories: under $100,000; from $100,000 to $1 million; and more than $1 million.

The following companies and organizations (listed alphabetically) have qualified as finalists in one or more of the 15 award categories:

• Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
• Discover Vacation Homes
• Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Gulf County Tourist Development Council
• Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
• Monroe County Tourist Development Council
• Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
• The Salvador Dali Museum
• Seminole County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• Universal Orlando Resort
• Visit Jacksonville
• Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater

The annual Flagler Awards are open to all individuals, private businesses and not-for-profit organizations offering a product or service that promotes tourism to or within the state of Florida.

Source: VISIT FLORIDA