‘Start Spreading the News’
City promoting new upscale image
By Bari Auerbach

"Build it and they will come”...Although this notion worked for Kevin Costner in the movie Field of Dreams, the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission is taking more proactive steps to ensure the whole world knows about “Florida’s Riviera” – the ultimate destination for luxury living, fabulous vacations and successful business or social functions.

At the Dec. 14 City Commission meeting, a resolution was adopted approving a partnership between the city and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB).

Mayor Norman S. Edelcup explained, “During a recent ceremony to dedicate a beach access park to [the late] Bill Lone, [former president of the Sunny Isles Beach Resort Association] I had the opportunity to meet the senior vice president of marketing and tourism for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mr. David Whitaker. We discussed the possibility of partnering with GMCVB to assist the city with its marketing.”

During the Dec. 14 Commission meeting, it was announced Ibis Romero will be the GMCVB employee assigned to help promote Sunny Isles Beach as a tourist destination. In return, the city will provide Romero with office space at Government Center and some office supplies including an office telephone and computer.

Discussing the benefits of partnering with the GMCVB, Mayor Edelcup noted, “The GMCVB is an internationally recognized entity with links to various marketing groups and sites that can amplify the city’s identity as a preferred tourist destination to potential tourists, business persons and international travelers.

“Sunny Isles Beach has become a haven for local tourists and international travelers - thus, this is a great opportunity for the city to maximize its exposure to local vacationers and the world, as well has having a branch office of the GMCVB at Government Center. To that end, I am in favor of this partnership.”

‘Great Expectations’
By partnering with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sunny Isles Beach will benefit even more directly from the mission of the private, not-for-profit sales and marketing organization to “attract, encourage and induce all persons and organizations to visit Greater Miami and its Beaches for conventions, business and pleasure.” Acting on behalf of its members, interlocal partners and citizens of Miami-Dade County, the GMCVB markets and promotes all segments of the community as a preferred destination.

The GMCVB also has a Tourism Sales Division focused on increasing leisure travel and its economic impact on Greater Miami and the Beaches by working with the travel trade to promote the destination worldwide through partnerships with airlines, travel agents, tour wholesalers and trade organizations. GMCVB staff assists travel planners in developing tour programs for individuals and groups, as well as incentive travel programs.

The GMCVB Marketing and Tourism Department is organized into three geographic market-based teams: Europe/Asia, USA/Canada/Caribbean and Latin America/Spain. These three interdisciplinary teams, led by the sales director for each territory, include public relations, advertising and publishing to assist in planning and implementing comprehensive strategies for each market.

The Division annually takes Greater Miami and the Beaches' message to thousands of travel industry representatives via partnership programs with GMCVB members. Key industry buyers experience the destination first-hand throughout the year in dozens of organized familiarization (FAM) tours. The Division also meets with hundreds of top producers at trade shows on a one-on-one basis to identify their product needs.

‘A Piece of the Action’
According to leading business journals, “Miami's tourism sector is booming!”- and now, the partnership Sunny Isles Beach is forging with the Greater Miami Conventions & Visitors Bureau will help catch the attention of the ever-growing number of visitors headed south.

Last year, Miami welcomed more than 11 million visitors; and according to “Visit Florida” – the state’s official source for travel planning, this marked the first time annual visits to Florida exceeded 80 million people. Statistics from the state also show domestic travel to Florida increased 7.7 percent to more than 79 million last year. Internationally, the state estimated 2.1 million Canadians visited last year, up 8.2 percent from the year before; and overseas travel to Florida increased by 6.3 percent to 4.7 million last year.
‘Brand Aid’

To help project and promote an upscale “branding” image for Sunny Isles Beach, the City Commission recently approved a prestigious new city slogan: “Florida’s Riviera” – replacing the former city catch phrase: “Life With a View.”

At the Dec. 14 City Commission meeting, the Altius Group presented schematic designs featuring artistic representations of the “Florida’s Riviera” slogan with the goal to create consistent brand identity on collateral, marketing and promotional materials for the city.

In addition to an updated ocean wave graphic element complementing the “Florida’s Riviera” slogan, the Commission considered including the 10th anniversary city seal; and emphasized the importance of ensuring the Sunny Isles Beach name is prominently displayed along with the slogan.

When the “Florida’s Riviera” slogan was being considered by the Commission, Mayor Edelcup pointed out, “New York Times and Wall Street Journal articles have already [referred to Sunny Isles Beach] as Florida’s Riviera…We think the [slogan] is a plus for Sunny Isles Beach in that it denotes a luxury environment that has a beach and meets the definition [of a Riviera] per research done by our City Historian Richard C. Schulman.”

Vice Mayor Lewis J. Thaler added, “I think we are a ‘Riviera’ - and we’ll expand what we have…This is the beginning of what Sunny Isles Beach is really all about.”

‘Bragging Rights’

As news spreads about the renaissance of Sunny Isles Beach, the influx of year-round residents and visitors to the city continues to rise along with the tax base and property values. Beyond the allure of the ocean, the city’s “bragging rights” include luxurious new condos and opulent resorts, the advent of new parks, a public school opening soon, sweeping capital improvements and beautification projects.

Famous name developers including Donald Trump and the Dezer family, the Trumps of Williams Island, Turnberry Associates, J. Milton & Associates, The Related Group and Fortune International have already enhanced the city’s prestigious image. And now Jerry’s Famous Deli, Inc. is joining the “Who’s Who” list of developers forging “Florida’s Riviera.”

At the Dec. 14 City Commission meeting a site plan was approved for a 15-story condominium tower planned for the “The Rascal House” property at 17150-17190 Collins Avenue. The development will contain 20,500 square feet of commercial retail on the first floor; 77,400 square feet of office use on floors two through four; and 243 condo units on floors five through fourteen. The Commission also approved transfer of development rights (TDR’s) in the amount of 101,640 square feet and 56 dwelling units.

‘Good News Travels Fast’

From a new partnership with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and launch of the city’s new “Florida’s Riviera” theme – to ongoing infrastructure enhancements and more multi-million dollar developments on the rise, all the good news emanating from Sunny Isles Beach is sure to travel fast!

To stay tuned to all the news and progressive initiatives spearheaded by the City Commission, visit the website www.sibfl.net or watch SIB TV, Channel 77.

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