We want to be your partner through it all, which is why attending events like the Destinations Florida Annual Meeting is so imperative to us. In December 2024, Adrianne Glass and Laura English traveled to historic Ybor City to meet with some of Florida's finest. 

This event is unique because it typically focuses on destination leadership and the unique challenges destinations face. First, a big thank you to Suzanne and Robert from Destinations Florida for always organizing such a wonderful event. Thank you to Santiago Corrada and the entire Visit Tampa Bay for hosting us in Ybor City. It was such a fun and unique place to explore. Lastly, thank you to all the sponsors for supporting this wonderful organization. What we do here truly matters to the overall Florida tourism industry. 

Here are some key takeaways that we found particularly pertinent: 

1. Talent Development and Retention: Invest in your people, and they will stay with you. As destination marketers in Florida, we sometimes face challenges beyond just the sunshine. Political climate, literal climate, and other factors can pull us in different directions. However, if you invest in your team and give them the tools to navigate through anything, you'll be able to keep them focused and valuable to your team. 

1. Job Opportunities: It was great to see a presentation from CareerSource showing that hospitality and tourism jobs are not low paying in Florida. In fact, on average, these jobs offer at least a 20% higher salary compared to other industries in any given region. 

1. Community: Although this was not one of the conference topics, it is crucial. This year, Florida was hit by three hurricanes. Populated areas like Tampa Bay and smaller areas like Hernando Beach were all impacted in different ways. However, at the root of it all was the community coming together to help friends, family, and neighbors get back on their feet. 

Destinations may vary in size and budget, from multi-million-dollar operations to those with just a few hundred thousand dollars, but we all face similar issues and challenges. It is refreshing to come together and share our experiences and solutions.