Gosh PR is looking forward to welcoming bloggers and tweeters to the VISIT FLORIDA Coast to Coaster Tweet Up on Tuesday 8^th November 12-2.45pm on stand number NA300.

Come and enjoy a drink, meet the partners, get some goodies and fun giveaways, have your photo taken in the ‘head-in-the-hole’ boards and hear about what the Sunshine State can offer you.

We will also be offering a box of fun VISIT FLORIDA goodies and giveaways to the most interesting tweet from a blogger joining the conversation on @VFWTM #VFWTM who was unable to attend!!

During the Tweet Up we invite you to allow us to help plan your way round the VISIT FLORIDA stand;

Daytona Beach Area CVB

·         Film buffs will enjoy the 9^th Annual Daytona Beach Film Festival which takes place each November

·         On Daytona’s Main Street Central Florida’s largest New Years celebration covers eight blocks and features live music, food vendors and more

·         Home to the prestigious crown jewel of racing, Daytona NASCAR, the Sprint Cup Series 500 takes place in February

Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel

·         Come and join the Shellabration!! February 26^th is the 75^th anniversary of the Sanibel Shell Fair, an island wide extravaganza of prized shell collections.

·         The Calusa Nature Centre & Planetarium in Fort Myers has a new Exotic Room, housing exotic species from around the world

·         iNature has launched its first interactive nature trail smart phone app, the first in the 550-plus national wildlife refuge system

Naples, Marco Island and Everglades CVB

·         Newly renovated Naples Botanical Garden has emerged as the largest subtropical gardens in the South of Florida

·         Pick up a ‘Paradise Priced Perfectly’ ticket – an easy to access information about dining, attractions, tours and shopping deals as well as an event calendar

·         To tickle your taste buds - the Marco Island Seafood Festival takes place in March and the Stone Crab Festival takes place in October

Greater Miami CVB

·         Miami has star attraction- fresh from hosting Kelly Rowland in this years X Factorand‘Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie co-owns the Miami Dolphins!

·         Hotel Happenings include Hotel Breakwater reopening its doors following a multi-million-dollar renovation, and the Hampton Inn & Suites, downtown, will be the first newly built LEED certified hotels in Miami

·         Miami Seaquarium will unveil the Sea Trek Helmet Diving Experience, 15 feet under experience a near zero gravity diving system!

Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB

·         Hit the Play Button – those with a tablet device can get the lowdown on your next holiday to Fort Lauderdale through images, videos and up-to-date information, for extreme ease or lots of action

·         Greater Fort Lauderdale boast a total of 34,000 hotel rooms from Hollywood to Deerfield Beach

·         Ask about the ‘Cruise and Play’’ programme offering special offers for pre or post cruise holidays to make the most of your stay

Palm Beach CVB

·         The Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau official iPhone app is now available in the travel section of itunes

·         Enjoy one-of-a-kind experiences, such as the full-moon bike rides along some of Riverbend Park’s 15 miles of trails

·         Florida’s Golf capital has more than 160 public and private courses to test your handicap

Florida Space Coast Office of Tourism

·         Did you know you can meet veteran astronauts from NASA’s astronaut Corps?

·         Surfs UP in Cocoa Beach. Recognised as the East Coast surfing capital of the US

·         Space Coast is the largest intact eco-system in Florida

Florida Keys and Key West 

·         The Florida Keys Tourism Council has unveiled a new ‘live chat’ communication tool for those looking to create a bespoke break from scratch with insider assistance

·         Relax and unwind with Florida’s newest craze Paddleboard Yoga – take one sunset, one paddleboard and drifting time...

·         Those looking for a little more high velocity will enjoy the James Bond Jet Pack Experience available at Key West for an exhilarating levitation-like flight

VISIT FLORIDA

·         Florida welcomes 80 million visitors a year from 154 countries

·         Benjamin Green was a Florida pharmacist who invented the first sunscreen product in 1944 – fitting for the Sunshine State!!

·         Florida has 825 miles of stunning beaches and is home to three of America’s top ten beaches voted by Dr. Beach

Only invent social media, that’s what!

Confused?  Well check out this keynote speech from The Economist’s digital editor, Tom Standage (@tomstandage) for the full story http://bcove.me/ulp1qhsk, or read our take on his musings right here.

Tom asserts that “new media” is very much “old media”.  In fact, it’s only in the last couple of centuries that social communication has taken a back seat to what we commonly call mass or traditional media; broadcast and print.

Back in Roman times, a single ‘notice’ would be on display in the forum.  Along came the scribes with their laptops or early iPads, as this photo demonstrates, http://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/4007487843/, select the information they wanted, and off they went to spread the word further.  Letters were exchanged, comments were added, information was forwarded, and people were ‘liking’ particular texts.  All sounding a bit familiar, isn’t it?

The invention of shorthand by Cicero’s scribe was the equivalent of higher bandwidth and heralded the start of information overload; Cicero began to complain about being exposed to information he didn’t want, like the gladiator results.  

Romans shared information on their walls – literally!  Then again, Mark Zuckerberg excelled at classics so it’s likely that Facebook’s status updates and walls are founded in reality.

The next social media maverick was St Paul, who used open letters, to reach a wider audience with a common interest.  His Epistles, are still read today – a solid demonstration of permanence.

During the reformation, Martin Luther used pamphlets to air his views on the church’s policy of ‘indulgences’.  His views were popular, and reprinted over and over again.  His critics responded with comments, and he replied back.  The entire correspondence was public.  Twitter spat anyone?

Luther also composed hymns in German (rather than the traditional Latin), to promote his point of view among the wider public.  Hmm, a form of participation and entertainment … could we compare this to YouTube?

Over the following years printing fell out of the hands of the crown, and became more mainstream and accessible.   Scientists printed results of experiments so that they could collaborate – heralding the beginning of the OPEN SOURCE movement as early at 1660.

All a pretty solid case for early social media which worked effectively, allowed free speech, collaboration, freedom of information, debate and innovation.

So what changed?  

In 1833 the first mass newspaper, the New York Sun, was launched.  It undercut the cover price of all other papers at the time, changing the business model from subscriber-funded to advertiser-funded.

And with it came a change in the way information was traded.  Now, a very small number of people (the editors and reporters) controlled the message which became a one-way push out to the public.  Mass media was born, and continued to dominate for the next 200 years.

But the mass media model has been upended by the internet, as it steals attention, and advertisers, from the mass media.

Social media today is as powerful as it was pre-mass media, with the benefits of being instant, global, searchable and permanent.

As before, it promotes innovation and freedom of expression, challenges authority and promotes collaboration.

“New” social media – not a fad, but a form of communication based on a very long heritage and tradition … and it’s not going away.

Compiled by Gosh PR from Tom Standage’s keynote speech at Drupalcon London, August 2011

View his presentation here: http://bcove.me/ulp1qhsk 

Tom Standage is the digital editor of The Economist, twitter.com/@tomstandage

‘Dr. Beach’, otherwise known as Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, named Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, ‘America’s Best Beach’ as part of his annual list of America’s top 10 beaches. According to his website, ‘His annual list of America’s Top 10 Beaches is to the travel and tourism industry what the Oscar is to the movie industry.’  Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, is the ‘Number One’ beach in the 21st annual Top 10 Beach List for 2011. Dr. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, has selected the Top 10 Beaches annually since 1991. Fifty criteria are used to evaluate beaches, which include water and sand quality as well as safety and environmental management. Those who live and holiday in Sarasota have long recognised Siesta Key Beach as a natural treasure - made of 99% pure quartz and known for its powdery white sands that are cool to the touch.

Sarasota’s picture book qualities offer the perfect getaway for families playing on the sprawling beaches, hundreds of yards wide, ideal for volleyball players, beachcombers or couples just looking for a quiet romantic spot of their own. Its balmy sunsets and clear blue water create a laid-back ambiance with a wide array of bars, restaurants, shops and accommodation ranging from shoeless chic to luxurious beach clubs. The beach park is also complete with showers and bathrooms, grills, picnic tables, shade trees, and a large parking area. Siesta Key Beach is a smokeless beach, earning extra points for cleanliness and environmental management.

The ultimate combination of sun, surf and sand, Sarasota invite you to experience this year’s winning beach this summer. Siesta Key Beach is an eight-mile-long crescent-shaped barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico’s Gulf Islands, comprising of Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armand’s Key, Manasota Key, Casey Key, Englewood, Nokomis, North Port, Osprey and Venice. Sarasota and her string of eight islands are located along Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast between Tampa and Ft. Myers. In addition to sandy beaches, Sarasota and Her Islands also offer numerous cultural and ecological attractions.

To see the full list of Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches and to learn more about Siesta Key Beach, visit www.drbeach.org. For more information on planning your next visit to Sarasota call 0870 033 1501 and visit www.sarasotafl.org

Further Q&A......

Q: When people think of beaches in Florida, the first destination that springs to mind is Miami and the east coast. What will this announcement do for tourism to Siesta Key and the surrounding area?

By Dr. Beach selecting Siesta Beach as the #1 beach in the U.S., he has raised awareness of the West Coast of Florida. Siesta Key, a barrier island on the west coast of Florida that sits in Sarasota County is a fantastic beach destination. We know this will bring a positive impact to this area. We have already seen it start to materialise this past weekend.

Q: Other than the beach, what else brings people to the area? What are the must do or seas?

There is a great little spot on this island called the “Siesta Key Village”. This is a strip that has a multitude of restaurants, retail shops, bars, etc… You can go high end for dining, or grab a quick burger. You can also dance the night away in one of the dance clubs/bars. There are also adorable spots to grab breakfast or brunch, and outlets for high end jewelry to bikinis and everything inbetween. There is also camping at the south tip of the island, and a tremendous amount of eco-activities such as renting a bike, or kayak, or going birding. You can also parasail on either the side of the bay – or gulf!

Q: Where should people base themselves in terms of accommodation when visiting the west coast of Florida?

There is a wide variety of places for someone to base themselves. On Siesta Key, for example, one could stay on the northern tip close to the “village” or one could stay on the southern tip where it is more quiet. They could also stay on the Main land of Sarasota as there are no toll roads to get to our barrier islands, and there are no parking meters to park at the beach. Our beaches are easy to get to – and free to get to and park.