Nearly 300 attraction industry professionals convened for the Florida Attractions 2023 Annual Conference at the Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers June 11-14 as we celebrated the strength, resilience and determination of our industry #FloridaAttractionsStrong. The Annual Conference kicked off with a Networking For a Cause event where attendees caught up with old friends at the Oxbow Restaurant while collecting canned good donations for a local food bank.


Florida Attractions Association 2022-2023 Chairman John Dent of Walt Disney World got things started with an address during the official Conference Launch including a visit from Fort Myers Mayor Kevin B. Anderson. Attendees then enjoyed an evening of networking with a welcome reception in the Networking Center featuring dozens of Florida’s finest vendors who provide goods and services to Florida’s attractions industry before heading to a dinner poolside at the Luminary Hotel which preceded the jam-packed two days of education ahead. 

The first General Session of the Conference was dedicated to Lessons Learned from Hurricane Ian , where attendees heard from a panel of local attraction operators on their experiences before, during and after the storm. Immediately following the panel, the second General Session focused on three important issues facing the state of Florida and Florida's finest family Attractions: the economy, tort reform and human trafficking. Dr. Amir B. Ferreira Neto, Director of the Regional Economic Research Institute, Florida Gulf Coast University, shared a glimpse of the state of our economy and trends that are developing that will affect our businesses. Local Fort Myers attorney Jerry Olivo of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., gave a summary of the significant tort reforms passed by the Florida Legislature during the 2023 Legislative Session. Finally, Jodi Domangue, Executive Director of Anti-Trafficking at One More Child, gave an overview of the important work being done to end human trafficking in Florida and how attraction operators are on the front lines to identify and report suspected human trafficking at their businesses.


The Florida Attractions Scholarship Foundation recognized the 2023 scholarship recipients during Monday’s Power Lunch with Caleb Jess and Daniela Botero of Universal Orlando in attendance with their families, as well as recipients Sophie Duguid of Busch Gardens and Frank Verney of Lion Country Safari to receive their scholarships. The Power Lunch also featured the surprise – and always entertaining – arrival of the FAA gavel that was brought to FAA Chairman John Dent by Disney's FAA's Main Street Annual Conference Electrical Parade to kick off the FAA Annual Meeting. VISIT FLORIDA CEO Dana Young also provided a tourism marketing update.


Following a round of five breakout sessions covering everything from employee engagement to developing community partnerships, Liberty Partners of Tallahassee (lobbying firm for the FAA) CEO Jennifer Green provided a legislative update before being joined by Florida’s Director of the Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie and Florida House Representative David Smith.


The final day of the conference opened with the annual FAA Celebration Breakfast where 2022-2023 Chairman John Dent gave his Annual Report and then installed the new FAA Board of Directors for 2023-2034 while recognizing the service of long-time Board members who have termed out. John then presented the Chairman's Award to Janet and Dean Mixon of Mixon Fruit Farms before presenting the Outstanding Associate Member Award to Lou Rocco of Global Sourcing International, LLC, and the Outstanding Attraction Member Award to Keith Clark of Flamingo Gardens. John then adjourned the breakfast so attendees could move into a session of industry roundtables.


The Silent Auction Finale was quite the event during Tuesday’s lunch with attendees getting their last-minute bids in for unique vacation experiences and items that can only be found in our industry. Under the leadership of Silent Auction Chair Dan Donovan, the Silent Auction broke $30k for the fourth year in a row with a final total of $31,234 raised for scholarships and education opportunities to secure the future of Florida’s hospitality workforce.


Our conference closed with an inspiring message of the triumph of the human spirit from U.S. Army Veteran Deven Schei who, with his brother Erik, suffered battlefield injuries in Afghanistan. Deven’s story inspired us as we each experience the challenges of life, to look ahead and not allow the trials of the past to define our future.


The Conference Finale saw 2022-2023 Chairman John Dent joined by his wife Deborah as he passed the gavel to the new 2023-2024 Chair Cindy Stavely of St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum. We are so grateful for John's leadership over the past year. The work he has done on behalf of all FAA members and the industry has been remarkable. 


The conference closed out with an evening at the historic Burroughs Home and Gardens where attendees enjoyed a sumptuous buffet and a DJ from New Beginnings Events. As the sun set over the Caloosahatchee River, conference attendees were treated by Maureen & Will Prather and 22 incredibly talented performers from FAA Member Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre with highlights from their current production of Footloose.


Thank you to all of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, General Session speakers, Breakout Session presenters, Roundtable moderators and Conference Committees for helping us celebrate the strength, determination and resilience of Florida's #1 industry!

Presentations

General Session #2: Issues and Answers



General Session #3: Our Florida


  • Legislative Update w/ Liberty Partners of Tallahassee CEO Jennifer Green | Download Slides



General Session #4: Triumph of the Human Spirit




Power Lunch: Special Guest Speaker




Breakout Sessions - Monday, June 12


  • Unlocking the Secrets of Profitable Marketing Channels for Your Business | Download Slides
  • Service with Empathy: A Critical Component of Serving Guests and Employees | Download Slides
  • Labor Utilization: Maximizing Efficiency When Cost Matters Most | Download Slides



Breakout Sessions - Tuesday, June 13


  • Easy Hacks for Mastering Short-Form Video| Download Slides
  • Multi-Generational Leadership: Keys to Empowering Your Business and Elevating Company Culture| Download Slides
  • From Gut to Objective Decision-Making: Techniques to Optimize Operations | Download Slides



Additional Presentation



Photos

Sunday, June 11

2023 Annual Conference - Sunday, June 11
View Sunday Album

Monday, June 12

2023 Annual Conference - Monday, June 12
View Monday Album
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