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About the Visitor & Convention Bureau
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
12800 University Drive, Suite 550
Fort Myers, FL 33907
239-338-3500
800-237-6444 (toll-free U.S./Canada)
Fax: 239-334-1106
Website: FortMyersSanibel.com
e-mail: VCB@leegov.com
Washington, DC Office
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
2025 M St., NW Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-223-4001
United Kingdom Office
JO PIANI
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
Gatehouse North
Lydhurst
The Street
Warninglid
West Sussex RH17 5TR
ENGLAND
Telephone/Fax: 44 (0) 1444 461642
Mobile: 44 (0) 7918 940918
Email: InfoUK@leegov.com
German Office
Germany Tel: /fax 49-6021-325-302
The mission of Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) is to increase tourism in the off season (After Easter to February 1) and to increase awareness about Lee County as a vacation destination using the following programs and services:
Advertising & Destination Information
Five million dollars are spent annually in collateral development, production and media placement in domestic and international markets. In a competitive marketplace the Bureau has responsibility for placing limited advertising dollars as effectively as possible. With our advertising agency we are able to leverage the three million dollar budget to more than 12 million in annual purchasing power, through alliances with traditional and non-traditional tourism partners.
Research
Contracted research provides monthly, quarterly and annual demographic and psychographic information detailing our primary markets and visitor profiles. All marketing programs are based on research.
Visitor Services
VCB staff and volunteers operate five information booths at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers These volunteers also staff the interstate welcome centers on I-95 and I-75, several days each month.
Sales and Promotions
Professional sales staff and contracted services promote Lee County as an off-season visitor destination to consumers, travel agents, tour operators and meeting planners. VCB sales staff implement a series of sales calls to key travel agencies, airlines, tour operators and specialty group travel planners in top market cities, to sell these travel professionals on the advantages of sending their customers to our area.
Communications
Through continual contact with editors and travel media the VCB works to ensure strong editorial coverage of the The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in the print and electronic media worldwide.
Newsletter
Newsletter services are provided to the entire Lee County Hospitality Industry, and a special bimonthly newsletter is mailed to all volunteers who operate the airport welcome center.
Media Familiarization
Selected travel journalists are invited to experience the area to develop stories or documentaries on the Lee Island Coast.
Travel, Trade, and Consumer Shows
VCB sales staff participate in a series of carefully selected shows in key markets to meet with travel agents, tour operators, sports group organizers or to sell our destination directly to consumers.
Community Special Event Marketing Funding
The Tourist Development Council provides funding for the advertising and promotion of events in Lee County that have potential for drawing overnight visitors to our area during the off-season. The Tourist Development Council is a nine-member council appointed as an advisory committee to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. They oversee the TDC tax fund, provide direction on programs and budget and review quarterly expenditures by the VCB.
Attractions Marketing Program
The TDC also has a county-wide cooperative marketing program to encourage local public and not-for-profit attractions to partner with the accommodations industry in marketing their attractions to overnight visitors.
Visitor Assistance Program
The VCB serves as a liaison with accommodations industry in providing emergency assistance should an unfortunate circumstance occur.
Travel Agent Familiarizations
Working with airline, local hotels and resorts, and ground transportation companies, the VCB invites selected tourism professionals to visit The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel to experience for themselves the uniqueness of our vacation destination.
Toll-Free Information Line
All VCB advertisements and articles ask consumers to call the 800 number listed to receive information about vacationing in our area.
Visitor Guide
This free publication to consumers lists all accommodations, major attractions and other visitor amenities and is mailed to customers and the travel trade upon request.
Video
Promotional video provided to consumers at cost. The video gives a general overview of our area using sights and sounds of Lee County.
Travel Agent Help Desk
Provides personal, customized assistance to travel agents throughout North America. The number is 800-237-6444.
International Marketing
The VCB contracts with marketing representatives in Germany and the United Kingdom. The German representative markets Lee County within Germany, Austria and Switzerland. International marketing efforts include: sales calls to travel agents, tour operators, and meeting planners; participation in tourism trade/consumer show promotions; organizing and implementing educational familiarization tours of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, and responding to telephone inquiries.
Internet
The VCB has developed a Web site with a fresh and fun approach to destination information. The Web site helps visitors plan every aspect of their trip with easy access to accommodations, attractions and area information. There are also links to area businesses, 360° IPIX photos, and Hot Deals. The url is www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com. A second site, LeeVCB.com, the Visitor & Convention Bureau's partnership site, is a resource for the industry, that provides information on VCB reports, statistics, newsletters, press releases, industry fax archives, tourism job listings, visitor services information and more.
Guests First
Conceived in 1998, this program, which is sponsored by the VCB and Edison Community College, offers customer service training workshops to front-line, support and management personnel within the hospitality and business industries.
Beach and Shoreline/Park Improvement
VCB staff work with other County departments, all cities, interested citizen groups and Chambers of Commerce to explore what the community can do to improve beach amenities provided to citizens and tourists. A full one-third of the five-cent tourist tax is used to fund beach and shoreline maintenance and improvements.
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau Staff
12800 University Drive, Suite 550
Fort Myers, FL 33907
239-338-3500
800-237-6444 (toll-free U.S./Canada)
Fax: 239-334-1106
Website: FortMyersSanibel.com
e-mail: VCB@leegov.com
Washington, DC Office
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
2025 M St., NW Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-223-4001
United Kingdom Office
JO PIANI
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
Gatehouse North
Lydhurst
The Street
Warninglid
West Sussex RH17 5TR
ENGLAND
Telephone/Fax: 44 (0) 1444 461642
Mobile: 44 (0) 7918 940918
Email: InfoUK@leegov.com
German Office
Germany Tel: /fax 49-6021-325-302
The mission of Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) is to increase tourism in the off season (After Easter to February 1) and to increase awareness about Lee County as a vacation destination using the following programs and services:
Advertising & Destination Information
Five million dollars are spent annually in collateral development, production and media placement in domestic and international markets. In a competitive marketplace the Bureau has responsibility for placing limited advertising dollars as effectively as possible. With our advertising agency we are able to leverage the three million dollar budget to more than 12 million in annual purchasing power, through alliances with traditional and non-traditional tourism partners.
Research
Contracted research provides monthly, quarterly and annual demographic and psychographic information detailing our primary markets and visitor profiles. All marketing programs are based on research.
Visitor Services
VCB staff and volunteers operate five information booths at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers These volunteers also staff the interstate welcome centers on I-95 and I-75, several days each month.
Sales and Promotions
Professional sales staff and contracted services promote Lee County as an off-season visitor destination to consumers, travel agents, tour operators and meeting planners. VCB sales staff implement a series of sales calls to key travel agencies, airlines, tour operators and specialty group travel planners in top market cities, to sell these travel professionals on the advantages of sending their customers to our area.
Communications
Through continual contact with editors and travel media the VCB works to ensure strong editorial coverage of the The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in the print and electronic media worldwide.
Newsletter
Newsletter services are provided to the entire Lee County Hospitality Industry, and a special bimonthly newsletter is mailed to all volunteers who operate the airport welcome center.
Media Familiarization
Selected travel journalists are invited to experience the area to develop stories or documentaries on the Lee Island Coast.
Travel, Trade, and Consumer Shows
VCB sales staff participate in a series of carefully selected shows in key markets to meet with travel agents, tour operators, sports group organizers or to sell our destination directly to consumers.
Community Special Event Marketing Funding
The Tourist Development Council provides funding for the advertising and promotion of events in Lee County that have potential for drawing overnight visitors to our area during the off-season. The Tourist Development Council is a nine-member council appointed as an advisory committee to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. They oversee the TDC tax fund, provide direction on programs and budget and review quarterly expenditures by the VCB.
Attractions Marketing Program
The TDC also has a county-wide cooperative marketing program to encourage local public and not-for-profit attractions to partner with the accommodations industry in marketing their attractions to overnight visitors.
Visitor Assistance Program
The VCB serves as a liaison with accommodations industry in providing emergency assistance should an unfortunate circumstance occur.
Travel Agent Familiarizations
Working with airline, local hotels and resorts, and ground transportation companies, the VCB invites selected tourism professionals to visit The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel to experience for themselves the uniqueness of our vacation destination.
Toll-Free Information Line
All VCB advertisements and articles ask consumers to call the 800 number listed to receive information about vacationing in our area.
Visitor Guide
This free publication to consumers lists all accommodations, major attractions and other visitor amenities and is mailed to customers and the travel trade upon request.
Video
Promotional video provided to consumers at cost. The video gives a general overview of our area using sights and sounds of Lee County.
Travel Agent Help Desk
Provides personal, customized assistance to travel agents throughout North America. The number is 800-237-6444.
International Marketing
The VCB contracts with marketing representatives in Germany and the United Kingdom. The German representative markets Lee County within Germany, Austria and Switzerland. International marketing efforts include: sales calls to travel agents, tour operators, and meeting planners; participation in tourism trade/consumer show promotions; organizing and implementing educational familiarization tours of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, and responding to telephone inquiries.
Internet
The VCB has developed a Web site with a fresh and fun approach to destination information. The Web site helps visitors plan every aspect of their trip with easy access to accommodations, attractions and area information. There are also links to area businesses, 360° IPIX photos, and Hot Deals. The url is www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com. A second site, LeeVCB.com, the Visitor & Convention Bureau's partnership site, is a resource for the industry, that provides information on VCB reports, statistics, newsletters, press releases, industry fax archives, tourism job listings, visitor services information and more.
Guests First
Conceived in 1998, this program, which is sponsored by the VCB and Edison Community College, offers customer service training workshops to front-line, support and management personnel within the hospitality and business industries.
Beach and Shoreline/Park Improvement
VCB staff work with other County departments, all cities, interested citizen groups and Chambers of Commerce to explore what the community can do to improve beach amenities provided to citizens and tourists. A full one-third of the five-cent tourist tax is used to fund beach and shoreline maintenance and improvements.
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau Staff
| Suya Davenport | Executive Director |
| Mike Fischer | Tourism Education Manager |
| Rosame Piret | Director of Administration & Programs |
| Berta Maldonado | Senior Account Clerk |
| Christy SanCartier | Administrative Assistant |
| Charm Evans | Senior Office Assistant |
| Kathy Tang | Senior Office Assistant |
| Pamela Johnson, CDME | Director of Sales |
| Tamara Pigott | Deputy Director |
| Kimball I. Mathews | Sales Manager |
| Harriet Myers | Sales Manager |
| Nancy "Jovina" Huber | Travel Agent Help Desk Manager |
| Pam Brown | Inside Sales Coordinator |
| Nancy Hamilton, APR | Director of Communications |
| Lee Rose | Communications Manager |
| Judi Durant, CDME | Director of Visitor/Community Relations |
| Siggy McIntyre | Visitor Services Coordinator |
| Simone Behr | Visitor Services Coordinator |
| Crystal Revak | Marketing Integrator |
| Katie Meckley | Communications Coordinator |
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