May 1‘Preparing for the workplace challenges of tomorrow’ workshop aims to strengthen, grow Lee County economy

04/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: Nancy Hamilton, Lee Rose, Katie Meckley (239) 338-3500

LEE COUNTY, FL – Non-tourism and tourism businesses alike will benefit as the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) presents experts on the topics of reaching customers in today’s economy, e-mail marketing, and crisis management, at the Team Tourism Summit on May 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the new Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport @ Town Center, on the corner of I-75 and Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers.

To commemorate National Tourism Week, representatives from all types of businesses will gather with community leaders and tourism industry professionals to examine the vital role of tourism, how to profit from destination partnerships, and learn how changing workforce demographics will affect businesses now and into the next 10 years. Valuable, practical information on how to prosper from these consumers will be the focus of a presentation entitled “Workforce 2010: Preparing for the Workforce Challenges of Tomorrow,” from Bob Losyk, a foremost management training expert and best-selling author.

“Consumer Super Trends” will be presented by Doug Price with Destination Marketing Association International, the world’s principal group for official destination marketing organizations.

Attendees will also discover effective crisis management and communications techniques from Elaine McLaughlin, director of strategic operations, University of Florida Tourism Crisis Management Institute, and Jackie MacKay, senior public relations counsel with the marketing agency, bvk. “Best Practices in E-Mail Marketing” presented by the Miles Media Group will be another session for attendees to be proactive and ready for the future.

Lee County Commissioner, Horizon Council board liaison, and Tourist Development Council Chairwoman Tammy Hall will address how tourism can provide synergy and compliment diversity for building the county’s economic development, while VCB Executive Director Suya Davenport, will give the latest news about the value of tourism and its indirect benefits to the area.

To R.S.V.P. for the event, log onto www.LeeVCB.com . Early registration is $45 per person prior to April 24 and $55 per person afterward. Lunch is included in the registration fee.

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