The Communications team works with journalists by attending conferences and trade shows, conducting media calls, hosting media receptions and events, and responding to industry leads. The staff assists journalists by conducting research, fact-checking articles, gathering and disseminating information and support materials, setting up/conducting interviews and writing articles for publications.

The Communications staff hosts individual and group media research trips to familiarize these journalists with southwest Florida as a visitor destination. This includes itinerary planning, arranging transportation, hotels, restaurants, attractions visits, setting up interviews, assembling welcome packets, developing a meaningful itinerary to meet the journalist’s and industry partners’ needs, meeting with and/or accompanying each journalist, scouting with television crews, negotiating in-kind goods and services and any arrangement of payment through the County Finance Department.

Film Office

The Communications staff develops collateral to assist the film/photography industries to shoot television commercials/segments/shows/documentaries and magazine/catalogs in the Fort Myers/Sanibel area. It issues film/video/photo permits for Lee County.

Support Materials

The Communications staff researches and writes news releases, which are distributed to the media. They organize photo shoots and update the Bureau’s photo, video and research material libraries. Staff develops and publishes, via the Bureau’s Web site, the calendar of events and continually updates the Media section of the site. Also, they develop television and print advertorial. And, the department tracks, records and forwards media clips to the travel industry to measure the successful fulfillment of the departmental goals and objectives.