The GMCVB’s Connie Kinnard attended ABFF Honors, the American Black Film Festival's annual awards season gala in March in Beverly Hills. The star-studded event recognizes excellence in the motion picture and television industry and is a precursor to the annual American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach, June 12-16. Pictured with Kinnard are ABFF honoree and Oscar-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright and ABFF founder Jeff Friday.

David Whitaker attends Destinations International CEO Summit in Boston, April 2-4. The annual gathering brings together industry leaders to discuss the issues that shape and affect both the visitor industry and our destination communities. 

There is still time to join a very special list of education supporters and have fun at the same time. Thanks to all of our current donors who have stepped up to commit to continuing the education of deserving students in our Black Hospitality Initiative program. We look forward to seeing them as well as you on the golf course at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa on May 17. You can still purchase a foursome and enjoy spending time among the supporters below:

Presenting Sponsor – Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

Platinum Sponsors – American Airlines, VMLY&R

Silver Sponsor – Loews Miami Beach, Miles Partnership

Bronze Sponsors – Andaz Miami Beach, Beacon Council, Brown & Brown Insurance, Encore Global, Ehtos Event Collective, Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association, Greenberg Traurig, Hyatt Regency Miami, Intercontinental Miami, Joe’s Stone Crab, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Orange Bowl Committee, Nobu Eden Roc, RSM, Sunny Isles Beach Tourism & Marketing Council

Single Players – Integrated Insights, Trump National Doral, Miami

Expo Table and Luncheon Sponsors – Frutero, Hopper, Screaming Color

Lunch reception supporters – Associated Photo & Imaging, Kat Marketing Group, Three Zero Five Transportation

Contributing supporters – Acqualina Resort & Residences, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, API Imaging, Ball & Chain, The Break Room, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, Chaser Water, The Confidante, David Insignia Tennis Academy, The Deck, Island Gardens, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Freehand Miami, Healing Hands, Homewood Suites by Hilton – Airport/Blue Lagoon, Joia Beach Restaurant & Beach Club, Key2Miami, La Tropical Cerveceria, Mr. C. Miami- Coconut grove, OneLimo Alliance, The Palms Hotel & Spa, Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Pinecrest Gardens, Saratoga Spring Water,  Sérêvène Miami Beach, Show Technology Inc., The Standard, TownePlace Suites Miami Airport, Travel Trackers, Zeru Miami.

Click here to sign up today.

Did you know? Every year, 26 million people visit our fabulous destination – and 10.7 million use our website to plan their trip. Check out what our audiences are looking to see and do, where they’re staying and more at MiamiandMiamiBeach.com.

Join the GMCVB for its inaugural Asian-American Community Tour, April 6, as we explore the diversity of Asia without leaving Miami. The guided tour, led by local community leaders from the Miami-Dade County Asian-American Board, showcases many our destination’s cultural gems and celebrates the rich history and contributions of our citizens of Asian heritage.

Visit Florida and the marketing communications team work on a broadcast/promotional opportunity with Univision TV, March 23-24. The network is filming a dedicated two-minute travel segment in Miami focused on increasing awareness and engagement among families, especially millennial mothers, in the lead-up to Mother's Day for Hispanic family travel in Florida. The segment airs on Despierta America in New York City and Los Angeles reaching more than 12 million total viewers.

RacquetX comes to the Miami Beach Convention Center for the first time, March 24- 26, bringing a forecasted $2.5 million economic impact. The racquet sports convention for fans, players and brands engages operators at all levels of the industry, including enthusiasts who can play with the pros on nine on-site indoor courts.

The Miami Bayside Foundation and GMCVB Tourism Business Enhancement program graduate another small business training class, April 4. The 14-session training is geared to small and mom-and-pop businesses interested in growing their ventures and learning sustainable practices around entrepreneurship.

The communications team joins Visit Florida this week for a media reception and marketplace showcasing Greater Miami and Miami Beach to traditional media and content creators/social media influencers in Mexico City. During one-on-one interviews and media desksiders, the team shines a light on the destination’s pillars – sports, neighborhoods, art, culinary arts and sustainability.

Cruise Planners, the nation's largest travel agency franchise network, holds its annual West Coast Boot Camp, March 22-24 in Las Vegas, with the travel industry sales team meeting with franchise owners and associates to showcase pre- and post-cruise opportunities in Greater Miami and Miami Beach, as well as feature the destination as a stand-alone vacation option.

Debuting as both an exhibitor and sponsor at the Meetings Industry Council (MIC) of Colorado’s 24th Annual Conference & Trade Show, the GMCVB convention sales team heads to Denver, March 26-27. MIC Colorado is the Rocky Mountain region’s largest annual gathering of the meetings and events community, with 1,000 suppliers and planners expected for the one-on-one appointments and trade show.

The travel industry sales team heads west, March 24-27, with GMCVB partners Mondrian South Beach, Hyatt Centric Brickell and Brightline for the Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum. The annual gathering features training opportunities, peer-to-peer workshops, one-on-one advisor/supplier meetings and networking, attracting more than 850 U.S. and Canadian-based travel advisors.

The GMCVB convention sales team joins more than 2,000 event professionals from across the industry at Connect Meetings’ spring installation of its national conference, April 2-4, in Las Vegas. In addition to an interactive trade show, education content and networking, the team’s one-on-one business meetings focus on two specialty markets – corporate and diversity.

Highlighting LEVEL Airlines’ new routes from Barcelona, the marketing communications team hosts a Spanish press group in anticipation of the 2024 summer travel season. Confirmed attendees hail from top tier outlets including Periodico de Catalunya, Tendencias Hoy, 20 Minutos, ELLE + ELLE Gourmet and La Vanguardia.

The marketing communications team traveled to Paris for TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace (IMM). The renowned one-day event celebrated its sixth edition facilitating connections between travel brands, journalists and influencers through prescheduled appointments, sparking numerous projects and feature stories.

Entertainment Travel's key B2B event, Tour Connection LA, returns after a four-year absence, March 22-24. The gathering brings together entertainment’s premier travel advisors, hotels and destinations for meetings, a trade show and networking.

The travel industry sales team heads to New York and Chicago, April 1-5, joining Visit Florida on a sales mission to Greater Miami’s number one and number three domestic inbound markets. The state’s leading DMOs are scheduled to meet with more than 175 travel advisors, as well as join Delta Airlines Vacations top-producing advisor event.

The marketing communications team assists Todd Elliot, owner and editor at Coast to Coast Newspaper, March 25-April 1. The publication’s focus spans across travel, food, lodging, sports, entertainment, health, product reviews and various other topics.

The marketing communications team hosts Marjorie Yue this week, travel writer at key UK national newspaper titles the Daily Express (Circulation: 250,002) and Daily Mirror (Circulation: 382,803), both part of the Reach plc group. Yue is reviewing the destination's hotels for both publications, with subsequent syndication across Reach plc's regional titles. 

The marketing communications team hosts the editor-in-chief of Madame magazine, March 27-31. The pioneering German fashion publication is renowned for its expertise in sustainable luxury and lifestyle.

After completing its “Southeast Swing,” the Peninsula Shows head west, April 1-4, where travel industry sales will be showcasing Greater Miami and Miami Beach at B2B travel trade events for more than 400 Texas-based advisors in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

Marketing communications hosts UK-based Victoria Watts who runs the award-winning travel blog Bridges and Balloons (250,000 page views per month). Watts is in the destination through April 4 working on a family-friendly guide to Greater Miami set for publication May 2024.