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VISIT FLORIDA launches "Florida Fan Game"

VISIT FLORIDA Launches “Florida Fan Game”   State’s No. 1 Industry to Crown No. 1 Fans by Inviting Friends and Family   TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (September 1, 2011)– Tomorrow as we celebrate the start of college football season, VISIT FLORIDA - the state’s official tourism marketing corporation - will launch the “Florida Fan Game,” a contest to help Florida’s tourism-based economy and show which university has Florida’s best fans.  The Florida Fan Game is an initiative of VISIT FLORIDA’s Share A Little Sunshine program, engaging Floridians to support tourism by inviting friends and family to visit the Sunshine State.   VISIT FLORIDA has teamed up with six major Florida universities for the contest.   The competing schools are Florida A&M University, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Miami and University of South Florida.   There are more than 10 million fans of the six participating colleges and universities in Florida.  Every visiting friend and relative trip adds an average of $1,125 directly into the state’s economy.   “We know every 85 visitors means a job for another Floridian and, by rallying the state’s 10 million passionate college football fans, together we can all have a huge impact on Florida’s economy,” said Chris Thompson, President & CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. As part of the “Florida Fan Game” launch, public service announcements by each of the six university head football coaches will begin airing Friday through a partnership with the Florida Association of Broadcasters and the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association.  The TV spots feature head coaches Jimbo Fisher, Al Golden, Skip Holtz Will Muschamp, George O’Leary and Joe Taylor.   “The diversity of vacation opportunities makes Florida the No. 1 travel destination in the world, and the state’s rich college football legacy means we have the country’s best fans,” said Will Seccombe, Chief Marketing Officer for VISIT FLORIDA. “The Florida Fan Game taps into the passion and competition that defines Florida football and leverages it to increase travel to the state, scoring a win-win for the fans and the state’s economy.”   Florida Fan Game Details   Starting Friday, fans will enter the Florida Fan Game site at Facebook.com/ShareaLittleSunshine, where they will find Florida travel invitations representing each of the six universities. Fans can personalize their invitations and send them to their Facebook friends, adding a point each time on behalf of the selected school. Recipients will get an invitation to come to the Sunshine State, accompanied by a $25 coupon for Southwest Airlines flights into Florida and links to various deals.   Day to day throughout football season, the online scoreboard will track the number of invitations sent by each school. The school whose fan base sends the most invitations by Dec. 5 wins the title of “Florida’s No. 1 Fans.”  There is also a grand prize for one lucky fan – an 11-day Florida vacation for six, with visits to Gainesville, Miami , Orlando, Tallahassee and Tampa.  Fans can win other prizes, too, including game tickets and great deals on attractions, hotels and restaurants, while helping their university win the title and statewide bragging rights.   VISIT FLORIDA is hosting the Florida Fan Game, with support from its tourism partners, Southwest Airlines, IMG College and the six participating universities, led by their head football coaches.   For more information, go to www.Facebook.com/ShareaLittleSunshine.   # # #   As the state’s No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming 82.3 million visitors in 2010 that spent more than $62.7 billion, generating 22 percent of the state’s sales tax revenue and employing nearly 1 million Floridians. For every $1 spent on tourism marketing, VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – generates more than $177 in tourism spending and $11 in new sales tax collections, paid by visitors, not residents. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 10,000 tourism industry businesses, including nearly 3,000 invested Partners, more than 7,000 web affiliates and major strategic alliance partnerships with AirTran Airways, American Express Travel Related Services, Disney Destinations, Dollar Rent A Car, The Hertz Corporation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, please go towww.VISITFLORIDA.orgor follow our corporate blog atwww.SunshineMatters.org.

Source: VISIT FLORIDA
Website: http://www.facebook.com/ShareaLittleSunshine
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