Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Staff ReportsAugust 2, 2018

In what he called a “continued effort to bring clarity to cryptocurrency in Florida,” Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Thursday announced that Ken Lawson, CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, would be his “cryptocurrency advisor.” The role is an unpaid consulting position; Lawson will remain full-time at VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s public-private marketing tourism agency. “He will lead […]

Danny McAuliffeApril 23, 2018

State-backed tourism campaigns are producing a healthy return on investment. Numbers released Monday from VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s public-private marketing agency, indicate that more Canadians are choosing to retreat to the Sunshine State for vacation stays. The uptick follows increased marketing efforts in the United States’ neighbor to the north. Overall visitation saw an increase […]

Staff ReportsMarch 20, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott vowed to ensure tourism stayed vibrant even after Hurricane Irma wreaked its havoc, and the numbers released Tuesday in Naples show that he pulled it off. The 116.5 million visitors, per VISIT FLORIDA, mark a 3.6 percent increase over the 112.4 million visitors in 2016. This was despite a loss of 1.8 million visitors […]

Jim RosicaDecember 26, 2017

Spoiler alert: If you’re a regular of this site, and reading this story, you can guess what the #1 pick is. Otherwise, 2017 still offered a bounty of material to Tallahassee’s reporting ranks. We still chuckle at the uninitiated who ask, “What do you write about when the Legislature isn’t in session?” Without further ado, […]

Terry RoenNovember 1, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott announced the kick-off Wednesday of a new discount program to lure Canadian visitors back to Florida. The Canadian Power Play Program makes it more affordable for Canadian families to travel to the state through travel deals from Visit Florida partners offering 20 percent discounts at Florida hotels, attractions and car rentals. Canada […]

Terry RoenOctober 12, 2017

Visit Florida announced Thursday it is doubling down on its efforts to show visitors across the world that Florida is open for business. The state’s marketing agency will start the second phase of its post-Irma marketing campaign to ensure visitors see for themselves that the state’s destinations are ready to welcome back visitors. The second […]

Terry RoenSeptember 20, 2017

Visit Florida has launched an aggressive month-long marketing campaign to entice tourists back to the Sunshine State. Gov. Rick Scott announced that the multi-phased campaign will be paid for with existing Visit Florida funding and include digital, social, broadcast and traditional marketing methods in both domestic and international markets. The marketing push starts this week […]

Jim RosicaAugust 24, 2017

Speaker Richard Corcoran says “we are right” about the House of Representatives’ demand for a jury trial in a dispute between the owners of a Tallahassee office complex and several state agencies who bolted on the master lease. As detailed in Wednesday night’s “Last Call,” the House intervened in the pending lawsuit by Northwood Associates, owners of […]

Jim RosicaAugust 2, 2017

VISIT FLORIDA CEO Ken Lawson is telling tourism industry leaders he “want(s) to earn (their) trust” in a Wednesday post on the public-private tourism marketing agency’s blog. “As you know, I have been traveling the state, engaging with our partners, board members, legislators and other stakeholders to listen, learn, and offer VISIT FLORIDA’s support at […]

Scott PowersJune 27, 2017

With its full state funding finally secured, VISIT FLORIDA’s board of directors approved a $76 million marketing plan for 2017-’18 that pours far more of the state money into core marketing programs than before, all but eliminates sponsorships, and pares down administrative costs backed by the state money. In a conference call meeting Tuesday, the […]

Tag: Ken Lawson

CFO Jimmy Patronis taps Ken Lawson as ‘cryptocurrency advisor’

Big in Canada: VISIT FLORIDA efforts correlate with increased visitation

Despite Irma, Florida sets another tourism record

Jim Rosica’s review of top state government stories of 2017

Rick Scott launches travel deals for Canadians

Visit Florida steps up efforts to woo visitors back

Visit Florida unveils campaign to bring tourists back

Richard Corcoran: House is ‘right’ in office complex suit

Ken Lawson to tourism industry: ‘I want to earn your trust’

VISIT FLORIDA board approves $76 million marketing plan, but questions overall goal