A Message from William D. Talbert III, CDME
President & CEO

December 1, 2008

GMCVB STAFF PREPARES TO WELCOME ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH – DECEMBER 4-7, 2008
GMCVB staff hosted last week’s pre-convention meeting at The Delano with the Southern Florida Concierge Association (SFCA) as the destination prepares to host this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach December 4-7, 2008. More than 40,000 arts patrons are expected to descend on Miami Beach for the exhibit, now in its eighth year. This international art show and American sister event of Art Basel in Switzerland is recognized as the most important annual art show of its kind in America. Two hundred leading art galleries will exhibit 20th- and 21st-century art works from more than 1,500 artists. George Neary, GMCVB’s Associate Vice President of Cultural Tourism, will be staffing a community booth at the entrance to the fair with materials showcasing Greater Miami’s museums, galleries and cultural assets. For more information, visit www.ArtBasel.com.

GMCVB SET TO HOST INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS (IAEE) DECEMBER 8-13, 2008 AT MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER
The GMCVB welcomes back the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) for the first time since 1999 – and much has changed in our destination that we can showcase to the over 1,400 trade show and expo producers, meeting planners and allied industry suppliers and professionals. The pre-convention meetings will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center starting Tuesday, December 4th and preparations will be underway until the official program kicks-off on Monday, December 8th Special thanks to our member partners in hosting IAEE: Miami Beach Convention Center & Global Spectrum; Centerplate and the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

MIAMI RANKED AMONG TOP TEN CITIES FOR LONG-HAUL TRAVELERS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM
Miami is among four U.S. cities that are in the top ten of long-haul destinations for British travelers for 2009, according to online travel agent ebookers. The Orbitz-owned website said its holiday bookings to the U.S. are ‘still looking strong’ despite the pound struggling against the dollar. Ebookers compiled a list of the ten most popular U.S. destinations, with Miami ranking fourth. Among the top ten long-haul destinations for British travelers, Miami ranks ninth. The U.K. ranked #4 for overnight international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $644 million.

GMCVB’S CONVENTION SALES PROMOTES THE DESTINATION TO NATIONAL COALITION OF BLACK MEETING PLANNERS AT 25TH ANNIVERSARY FALL CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. DECEMBER 3-7, 2008
GMCVB Convention Sales is slated to attend the 25th Anniversary Fall Conference of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP). Washington, D.C. is the host city for the December 3-7, 2008 conference which expects 600 attendees, of whom approximately 150 are meeting planners. The Bureau will have the opportunity to network with planners representing the Association of Junior Leagues, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, NAACP and the National Head Start Association. The Conference culminates with a trade show and scholarship awards banquet.

SAVE THE DATE: 5TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY EVENT AT NIKKI BEACH HOSTED BY GMCVB AND MIAMI BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD
Please join the GMCVB and the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce for our 5th Annual Holiday Party Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at Nikki Beach from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $10 and the donation of a new unwrapped toy for the Miami Beach Police Department Toy Drive. For more information, please call Danielle Hirschfeld at (305) 695 6834. Nikki Beach is located at One Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.

SAVE THE DATE: NEXT GMCVB MEMBER MIXER IS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH AT THE FALLS
Get into the holiday spirit and do a little shopping while you network. The 10th Annual Holiday Celebration hosted by The Falls takes place Thursday, December 11, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This special evening, which is presented by the Chamber South, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the GMCVB, will feature delicious treats from The Falls restaurants, live entertainment and great door prizes provided by American Airlines, Bloomingdales, Macy’s and more. Admission to the event is one unwrapped toy to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. The Falls is located at US Highway 1 at SW 136th Street in Kendall. Note: Invitation is for GMCVB members only and is non-transferable. We look forward to seeing you there!

GMCVB’S TOURISM SALES PROMOTES MIAMI IN BARCELONA AT EIBTM [Exhibitions, Incentives, Business Travel Mart] – THE LEADING EXPO FOR CONFERENCE, INCENTIVES, EVENTS, BUSINESS TRAVEL & MEETINGS
GMCVB Tourism Sales will participate with Visit Florida at EIBTM [Exhibitions, Incentives, Business Travel Mart] on December 2-4, 2008 held in Barcelona, Spain. EIBTM is the leading exhibition for the conference, incentives, events, business travel and meetings industry. EIBTM provides the perfect platform from which to influence the global meetings and incentives industry. EIBTM exhibitors can access a list of up to 1,000 Hosted Buyers to target before the show. Bringing together senior buyers with quality suppliers from around the world, attendance at EIBTM promises the ultimate business solution providing an appointment system with the buyers. Spain ranked #23 for overnight international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $46 million. For more information on EIBTM, visit www.EIBTM.com.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS ASSISTS NEW YORK-BASED TRAVEL WRITER IN MIAMI NOVEMBER 28-30, 2008
GMCVB Media Relations assisted a writer working on three separate travel stories: for Spa magazine (circulation: 102,000), a new feature on the perfect weekend in Miami Beach; for the New York Daily News (circulation: 674,104), a general destination feature; and for Asia Spa, a Miami spa feature. Asia Spa is a consumer magazine published every two months targeting wealthy urban women 28-45 years old.

GMCVB’S CONVENTION SALES RETURNS FROM PROMOTING THE DESTINATION AT MEETING MASTERS 2008
GMCVB Convention Sales returned from promoting the destination at the 2008 Meeting Masters Championship held at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. The GMCVB had the opportunity to network and promote the destination during the four-day event to 160 participants including 78 customers representing the Association, Corporate, Incentive and Government Markets. A few of the organizations in attendance were the Biotechnology Industry Organization, Telecommunications Industry Association, Blistex Corporation, Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association and Destinations Meetings & Incentives Inc.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS STAFF HOSTING JOURNALIST FOR FRENCH PUBLICATIONS L’OFFICIEL DE VOYAGES AND L'OFFICIEL MADAME
GMCVB Media Relations staff will be hosting Olivier Reneau of L'Officiel de Voyages and L'Officiel Madame December 2-7, 2008. L'Officiel de Voyages is an upscale travel magazine distributed monthly (circulation: 50,000). The journalist will be in Miami to cover Art Basel Miami Beach for a four-to-six page article on the art fair which will be published in L'Officiel de Voyages in March 2009 and to do research on the cultural options available in Miami for a four-page destination feature which will be published in L'Officiel de Voyages in mid-2009 featuring new up-market hotel openings. He will also prepare another four-to-six page destination feature which will be published in the magazine’s sister publication L'Officiel Madame (circulation: 150,000) in 2009. France ranked #9 for overnight international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $364 million.

GMCVB’S CONVENTION SALES ATTENDS D.C. MEETINGS QUEST
Greater Miami and the Beaches was represented at the regional JT Dunn Meetings Quest Trade Show in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 25th. With an expected attendance of 200, actual booth traffic was closer to 100 attendees. Of that traffic, 26 new contacts who have interest in the Miami area were made. One Request For Proposal (RFP) from a corporation was received, for the GMCVB’s Meetings Express team, with a couple of others to follow up on.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS HOSTING MEXICAN MEDIA FOR ART BASEL
GMCVB Media Relations will be hosting Mexican writers from Vuelo in-flight magazine as they will be in town covering Art Basel Miami Beach December 3-8, 2008. The arts and culture article is due to be published in February/March 2009. Aside from Art Basel events and exhibits they will experience Miami shopping and dining. Vuelo is part of the Expansion Media Group and is carried in all Mexicana airline flights (circulation: 150,000 monthly; reader pass-a-long rate of 1 million).

GMCVB’S TOURISM SALES PROMOTES THE DESTINATION AT 10TH LUXURY TRAVEL EXPO IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA DECEMBER 2-4, 2008
GMCVB’s Tourism Sales will exhibit at the 10TH Luxury Travel Expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Luxury Travel Expo is the signature event for suppliers and travel sellers focusing on the high-end affluent travel market, providing a forum for dialogue and education concerning all things luxury. Luxury Travel Expo continues to be the most influential luxury event in North America, instructing agents on how to effectively promote and sell the luxury market. More than 3,000 professional travel agents from across the U.S. and Canada, and more than 600 travel suppliers are expected. Members joining the GMCVB this year are Fisher Island Hotel & Resort, Biltmore Hotel, Hilton Bentley South Beach, The Hotel South Beach, Beacon Hotel, and Hotel Victor.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS HOSTING SELECT EUROPEAN MEDIA FOR ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH
GMCVB Media Relations will be hosting a select group of media to cover Art Basel Miami Beach with travel dates ranging from December 2-8, 2008. The media list was hand picked by the organizers of Art Basel and they represent the most select group of “arts and culture” writers from the most prestigious daily newspapers and lifestyle magazines throughout Europe. Media from the following publications will participate: Le Figaro – France (circulation: 461,050 ), Le Monde – France (circulation: 350,039), NZZ – Switzerland (circulation: 180,000), ABC and its cultural supplemental section El Cultural of ABC (circulation: 359,842), El Pais –Spain (circulation: 597,407), GQ – UK (circulation: 130,008), FirstPost.com – UK, Daily Telegraph-UK (circulation: 843,196), Sunday Times – UK (circulation: 1,234,076), Dazed + Confused – UK (circulation: 93,320), Elle – UK (circulation: 203,471), Basler Zeitung – Switzerland (circulation: 185,409), Sueddeutsche Zeitung – Germany (circulation: 700,450), La Repubblica – Italy (circulation: 597,087) and La Stampa – Italy (circulation: 470,000).

GMCVB’S TOURISM SALES HOSTS MERIT GOLF VACATIONS
GMCVB’S Tourism Sales will promote the destination to Merit Golf Vacations December 5th during an executive golf retreat with executives from WestJet, Deloitte and other top clients of theirs. Merit is the largest privately held specialty travel company in Canada. The clients will meet for dinner at Shula’s Steak House at the Alexander Hotel, which is hosting the group. Canada ranked #1 for overnight international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $747 million.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS ASSISTS ARGENTINE FREELANCER
GMCVB Media Relations staff will be assisting a freelance writer in town December 1-13, 2008 researching the destination for an upcoming book featuring Miami. The non-fiction publication will highlight the city’s last 20 years including its image and influence of Latin America in the city’s culture and business. The book will also take a look at the new Miami and also touch on Miami design, fashion, Art Deco and the infamous 80’s. The book will be released mid 2009 by Editorial Planeta Publishing in several Latin American countries including Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela. The freelancer contributes to such publications as Rolling Stone, Esquire and Vanity Fair magazines (Latin American versions). Argentina ranked #5 for overnight international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $652 million.

GMCVB’S DIRECTOR OF SALES, EUROPE & ASIA ON THE ROAD WITH VISIT USA ROADSHOW
GMCVB Director of Sales, Europe & Asia will be on the road in the United Kingdom with the Visit USA Association’s annual roadshow, December 2-4, 2008. The venues are London (Chelsea FC), Birmingham and Leeds, England. There are 30 U.S. suppliers and a sell-out for the travel agents attending, 100 at each venue. The agents will have time to meet the suppliers and then be hosted to dinner and a quiz show.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS ASSISTING SKY TG 24 TV ITALY
GMCVB Media Relations staff is assisting a team from SKY TG 24 Italy December 3-5, 2008. SKY TG 24 is the first Italian all-news channel, broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week. SKY TG 24 produces 39 daily news editions to inform and update viewers in real time on Italian and world news and current affairs. There are nine regional SKY TG 24 sites throughout and 101 regional television stations which collaborate with SKY TG 24 to provide local news. In addition, SKY TG 24 also collaborates with News Corporation groups all-news channels, SKY News and Fox News. The crew will be in Miami to cover Art Basel and Miami as a cultural arts destination. Italy ranked #12 for overnight international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $314 million.

GMCVB’S DIRECTOR OF SALES, EUROPE & ASIA CO-HOSTS A CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON FOR TOP UNITED KINGOM TOUR OPERATORS
GMCVB Director of Sales, Europe & Asia will cohost a group of 18 selected United Kingdom tour operators including Virgin Holidays, British Airways Holidays, Funway Holidays, Premier Holidays as well as representatives from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, to lunch at The Dorchester Hotel on December 4th.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS ASSISTED USA TODAY SERIES IN MIAMI NOVEMBER 18-21, 2008
GMCVB Media Relations assisted City Limits, produced by USA TODAY LIVE, the television division of USA TODAY. City Limits airs on the Versus Cable network and is filming in Miami November 18th -21st . USA TODAY promotes the series to its 5 million daily readers throughout the show's broadcast schedule. The second season of the series airs Friday evenings in prime time, with a repeat in West Coast prime, beginning February 2009. Between original airings and repeats, each episode reaches around 1 million viewers. The Miami episode is expected to air in February/March 2009.

GMCVB’S CONVENTION SALES RETURNS FROM SELLING TO NURSING ALLIANCE
The GMCVB Convention Sales team returned with prospective meeting opportunities from the 2008 Nursing Organizations Alliance (NOA). Over 75 Executive Directors, CEOs, Presidents and Association Management Companies representing the top U.S. nursing organizations visited the Greater Miami exhibition at the 2008 Fall Summit. Ten leads are in development from associations such as the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, International Nurses Society on Addictions, National Association of School Nurses, American and the Academy of Ambulatory Care - just to name a few. In addition, our destination is being considered to host a future NOA Summit which would present an opportunity to personally showcase Greater Miami to this influential audience of decision makers.

GMCVB’S MEDIA RELATIONS ASSISTED FREELANCE WRITER ON ASSIGNMENT FOR EXAMINER.COM IN MIAMI NOVEMBER 19-24, 2008
GMCVB Media Relations assisted a freelance writer on assignment for the online version of the San Francisco Examiner, a free commuter newspaper targeting affluent urban readers in the San Francisco Metro area. While in town, the writer will work on at least two stories about unique food and beverage programs at leading Miami hotels and restaurants to be published in late November for the online format (circulation: 752,744 visitors per month), early 2009 for print (circulation: 388,443).

HOTEL INDIGO MIAMI LAKES OPENING SOON
The Hotel Indigo Miami Lakes, scheduled to open on December 18, 2008, is an 86 room smoke-free boutique hotel, the newest brand by InterContinental Hotels Group. The hotel, which is seven miles from Dolphin Stadium, is located on a golf course next to the original Shula’s Steak House. GMCVB Members will have a 15% off special discount available. For reservations please call 1-866-2-INDIGO. Hotel Indigo Miami Lakes is located in Miami Lakes directly off Highway 826 and Miami Lakes Drive (NW 154th Street) and one exit from Interstate I-75. For more information, visit www.HotelIndigo.com.

ATTENTION GMCVB MEMBERS: ADD YOUR ‘SPECIAL OFFERS’ TO THE GMCVB WEB SITE
Do you have a special offer or promotion that you’d like to publicize? Take advantage of the GMCVB’s dynamic, frequently visited web site, www.MiamiandBeaches.com, and publish your offer online for FREE! Special Offer categories include: Accommodations; Arts & Culture; Boating/Watersports; Business Services; Restaurants; Shopping; and Sightseeing & Tours. To add your Special Offer, click here. If you have forgotten your User ID or Password, please call your GMCVB Membership Representative: Debbie Oliver, (305) 539-3077; Lisa Lamy, (305) 539-3082; or Kathy Gimenez, (305) 539-3078.

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA) OFFERS GLOBAL ENTRY PROGRAM FOR FREQUENT TRAVELERS – PROGRAM LETS PRE-SCREENED AIR TRAVELERS SPEED THROUGH CUSTOMS
Miami International Airport (MIA) now offers Global Entry - a new program managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) which allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States. Participants will enter the United States by utilizing automated kiosks located in the Passport Control area. The program targets those who leave the country at least four times per year, mainly airline personnel and business travelers. Those participating in the program benefit from being better equipped to make tight connecting flights. This program is available to U.S. citizens and legal, permanent residents and there is a $100 fee for a five-year registration. For more information, visit www.GlobalEntry.gov.

JOIN GMCVB AT ADVENTURES TRAVEL EXPO IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Attention GMCVB Members: The GMCVB Tourism Sales Team would like to offer you the opportunity to join us at the Adventures Expo in Travel in Washington D.C. February 21 – 22, 2009 in a shared booth. This is the 5th year of the show – which attracts over 12,000 qualified consumers and 500 travel agents each year. Statistics show that 74% of Washington, D.C. consumers found their next vacation at the show and that 56% will book within six months. Member cost is $850.00 (one representative per company). Click here to register.

GMCVB’S TOURISM SALES IS HEADING TO SPAIN – FERIA INTERNACIONAL DE TURISMO (FITUR) JANUARY 28- FEBRUARY 1, 2009
GMCVB Tourism Sales wants you to join us! Interested in the Spanish market? If so, let us know ASAP so that we can count you in as part of the Miami Delegation. FITUR (Feria Internacional de Turismo) is a 5-day trade show (3-days trade/ 2-days consumer) with more than 13,000 exhibiting companies from 170 countries/regions and over 150,000 professionals attending. If you are not familiar with FITUR, please visit their website: www.FITUROnline.com. All levels of the value added chains are present: tour operators, booking engines, destinations, airlines, hotels and car rentals. Please contact us now if you would like to be a part of the Miami delegation at: Larissa@GMCVB.com. Spain ranked #23 for international overnight visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $46 million.

JOIN THE GREATER MIAMI DELEGATION TO WORLD’S LARGEST TOURISM CONVENTION - ITB BERLIN MARCH 11-15, 2009
GMCVB Tourism Sales wants YOU! Are you planning on attending the International Tourism Bourse [ITB] Berlin in March 2009? If so, let us know ASAP so that we can count you in as part of the Miami Delegation. ITB Berlin is the world's leading Travel Trade show with more than 180,000 visitors - among these are 108,000 trade visitors and over 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries. ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism convention, takes place March 11-15, 2009. All levels of the value added chains are present: tour operators, booking engines, destinations, airlines, hotels and car rentals. Hurry and drop us a note if you plan to be part of the Miami delegation at GMarti@GMCVB.com. Germany ranked #3 for international overnight visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2007 and generated an economic impact of $615.4 million.

ATTENTION GMCVB MEMBERS: SHARE A BOOTH AT CLIA’S CRUISE3SIXTY ON APRIL 3-4, 2009
The GMCVB would like to extend to its members and industry partners the opportunity of share booth at this year’s Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) Cruise3Sixty, April 3 - 4, 2009, held at the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. Now in its fifth year, Cruise3Sixty owes its success to the strong partnership between the travel agent community and cruise vacation industry. The show combines the best elements of a travel show with business, educational and professional development and networking. We anticipate 1,200+ travel agents and more than 2,000 delegates (cruise line and travel industry executives) will attend in 2009. Registration fee $785 / brochure distribution $150. Call Alyce McDaniel, GMCVB Director of Sales, at (305) 539-3092 for more details and to obtain a registration form. Space is limited and will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

EXPRESS TRAVEL WINS INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTED BY WORLDCITY BUSINESS MAGAZINE AND THE GREATER MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Congratulations to GMCVB member, Express Travel, which was among the companies chosen by a panel of independent judges as the ‘best of the best’ at the 2008 International Business Leadership Awards organized by WorldCity Business magazine and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Express Travel is a Miami-based full-service travel management company founded in 1989. Express Travel CEO Olga Ramudo is actively involved in the Miami business community, and sits on boards including the Latin Chamber of Commerce (CAMACOL), Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, the Beacon Council, the World Trade Center, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Miami-Dade County Tourism Development Council. Congratulations to the entire Express Travel team – Miami Begins with YOU!