VISIT FLORIDA Official Media Newsroom

Topic: Corporate Information

VISIT FLORIDA Announces Corporate Social Responsibility Program

NEWS RELEASE TOPIC:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2008

Email to Self

Tallahassee, Fla. (May 29, 2008) - VISIT FLORIDA®, the state's official tourism marketing agency, announces that through their Meeting Professionals Program, Florida has taken the lead in adopting the first statewide program in the country to promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities to meeting professionals. VISIT FLORIDA's commitment to providing a comprehensive tool to make it easier for meeting professionals to bring their meetings, conferences and incentives to Florida has evolved to encompass key focuses such as CSR.

CSR is gaining in popularity in the meetings industry as more corporate groups look for a way to 'give back' to the community in which they hold their meeting, convention or incentive program. The trend is for a group to set aside a time frame during their agenda for attendees to participate in a planned project that benefits a local non-profit organization. Some groups prefer to make a donation or ask attendees to make a financial donation or a donation of goods. Activities can run the gamut from environmental projects to helping needy children and families, to supporting local arts and cultural organizations and everything in between. Up until now, it has been somewhat difficult for meeting professionals to zero in on local CSR opportunities in a timely and convenient fashion.

"We know that corporate social responsibility is here to stay and often goes hand in hand with green meeting practices," said Nicki E. Grossman, VISIT FLORIDA's board chairman and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. "VISIT FLORIDA sees this as an opportunity to proactively serve so many hardworking community groups."

Under VISIT FLORIDA's new CSR program, all Florida Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) that participate in the CSR program will be able to provide meeting professionals with CSR opportunity listings, contacts and a brief description of the non-profit organization's mission within their specific communities. A dedicated DMO staff member will be available to assist with this program.

The VISIT FLORIDA Meeting Professionals Program consists of an award-winning web site, meetings.VISITFLORIDA.com, electronic and print newsletters and an annual meeting professionals guide. The CSR program will go live at on Thursday, May 29, 2008.

VISIT FLORIDA is the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,400 tourism industry Partners and four major strategic alliances with American Express Travel Related services, AirTran Airways, Dollar Rent A Car and The Hertz Corporation. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.org.