Aqua Talks

Anton Fedorov, VP of Business Development at Ampersand, joins Aqua Talks at the Governor’s Conference for a data-forward look at how destinations should be thinking about television advertising. Ampersand — a nearly 40-year-old company owned by Comcast and Charter, known as NCC Media until 2019 — exists to make buying cable inventory simple, representing its owners’ footprint plus dozens of affiliates so agencies and clients can target audiences nationally, regionally, by DMA, or right down to the household. Anton’s core message: the conversation has shifted from markets, networks, and day parts to audience. With clean subscriber data, 95%+ match rates, and roughly 12,000 LiveRamp categories, Ampersand can identify who’s most likely to visit a destination and reach them at home with addressable TV — often letting DMOs spend less and accomplish more by looking beyond their historical drive markets.

The discussion covers why accountability matters so much in tourism (DMO budgets come from local taxes and grants, so attribution and economic impact are essential), how Ampersand hands exposure files to third parties like Arrivalists and Tourism Economics to “not grade its own homework,” and a careful take on AI and data privacy under the Cable Act. Anton closes with a standout case study: during Florida’s early post-COVID reopening, an Arrivalists study found 22% of arrivals in a record ~117–119 million visitor year were initially exposed to an Ampersand ad — his case for TV as the trusted, top-of-funnel platform that other channels can’t replace.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• 00:43 - Welcome Back — Governor's Conference 2026
• 04:24 - The Importance of Data in Tourism and Travel Marketing
• 06:52 - Defining Campaigns and Roles: Agencies, DMOs, and Ampersand
• 10:19 - TV and Streaming: How Technology Is Changing
• 13:59 - Entering the AI Era: Turning Data into Action
• 19:30 - Closing: Contact Info & Final Remarks

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Follow the audience, not the platform. Betting on a single platform means missing more than you reach; the smart move is finding where your audience actually is.
• From markets to households. Ampersand can target nationally, regionally, by DMA, or at the household level with addressable TV — often reaching high-potential visitors outside a DMO’s usual drive markets.
• Data is the engine. Clean subscriber data, 95%+ match rates, and ~12,000 LiveRamp categories let them pinpoint likely visitors and spend less to accomplish more.
• Accountability for tax-funded budgets. Because DMO money comes from taxes and grants, attribution and economic-impact measurement are central — handed to third parties like Arrivalists and Tourism Economics to stay objective.
• Set-top box reach still matters. Even amid streaming’s rise, a huge subscriber footprint consumes video via set-top boxes, and Ampersand inserts across both environments as owners shift to streaming.
• AI with guardrails. Eager to use AI for speed and efficiency, but careful with subscriber data and Cable Act / PII compliance.
• TV’s trust factor. The Visit Florida case study — 22% of arrivals in a record year first exposed to an Ampersand ad — makes his case for TV as the trusted top-of-funnel driver other channels can’t match.

Brianna Green, public relations manager at Visit Florida, joins Aqua Talks live from the Governor’s Conference in West Palm Beach for a sharp, practical conversation about where PR is heading. Her big theme: GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — the new SEO. As travelers increasingly ask ChatGPT and other LLMs where to go, Brianna argues PR pros have to think not just about what a journalist will pick up, but what an LLM will pull in as a trusted source. That’s pushing her team back to PR fundamentals: the inverted pyramid, a blunt who-what-where-when-why in the first paragraph, and scannable formats (bullet points, even a TL;DR) that LLMs can categorize easily. They’re using a GEO monitoring platform to test prompts and see whether visitflorida.com, their social channels, and their press coverage are getting cited — and they’ve even returned to the newswire, betting that consistent mentions across credible outlets signal legitimacy to the models.

From there, Brianna lays out how Visit Florida works as the statewide DMO: earning media through both traditional outlets and content creators (the authentic third-party voice travelers trust), running international programs across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Canada, the UK, and Germany, and taking the cost and lift off smaller DMO partners through missions, receptions, and co-op programs like satellite media tours. She previews Huddle Florida UK, shares why experiencing the state firsthand makes her a better storyteller, and makes the case for the “Find the new in your known” campaign — nudging repeat visitors beyond the beaches and theme parks to Crystal River manatees, the Dry Tortugas, bioluminescent kayaking on the Space Coast, and the springs.

In This Episode:

• 00:45 - Live from the Governor's Conference — West Palm Beach
• 01:23 - GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Rethinking PR for LLMs
• 07:35 - Introducing Visit Florida — Purpose, Role, and Outreach
• 12:21 - Visit Florida’s Importance to Local Destinations
• 17:29 - Discover Florida Beyond the Beaches

Key Takeaways:

• GEO is the new SEO. Generative Engine Optimization means crafting coverage LLMs will pull in as a trusted source — not just what a journalist picks up.
• Back to PR basics. Lead with a blunt who-what-where-when-why and scannable formats (bullets, a TL;DR) that LLMs can categorize.
• Consistency signals authority. Accurate, direct info repeated across many credible outlets (hence a return to the newswire) tells LLMs you’re legit.
• Monitor across teams. A GEO platform lets PR, content, and social test prompts and see whether the website and channels get cited.
• Creators are a PR function. Visit Florida leans on creators as the authentic third-party voice travelers trust.
• Global reach, local agencies. Programs span the US plus Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Canada, the UK, and Germany, with boots on the ground and FAM trips.
• Lifting up smaller DMOs. Missions, receptions, and co-op programs like satellite media tours give partners reach they couldn’t mount alone.
• “Find the new in your known.” The campaign pushes repeat visitors past beaches and parks to Crystal River, the Dry Tortugas, Space Coast kayaking, and the springs.

Aqua Talks returns to Blu Halo for a roundtable (or, as Larry puts it, a “square table”) with managing partner Andy Donato, restaurant relations lead Shannon Ruedt, and PR partner Mary Ellen Collins. The theme: Blu Halo isn’t just a special-occasion spot — with cocktails starting at 11:30, a come-as-you-are no-dress-code vibe, and a location surrounded by offices, hotels, and the airport, it’s built to be an everyday lunch, happy hour, or dinner destination you can visit once or twice a week.

The conversation covers what makes the place distinctive: an all-fresh, no-freezers kitchen (Wagyu even on the kids’ menu), a genuinely substantial “Paw Patio” dog menu where dogs eat free, live music Wednesday through Saturday, and a packed events calendar — monthly Mahjong & Martinis, a private room that seats up to 50, and a steady run of pairing dinners. Andy walks through his passion project, the wine list (old world and new, heavy on France and Italy), and previews upcoming events including a Green Bench beer dinner and an October bourbon dinner featuring Penelope. It’s a warm, community-minded look at a restaurant leaning into being a neighborhood regular spot as it approaches its one-year anniversary.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Chapters:

• 00:44 - Blue Halo: New Participants Join
• 01:30 - Returning to Blue Halo: Dining Philosophy & Offerings
• 07:15 - Events & Community Nights — Pairing Dinners, Mahjong & More
• 09:32 - Wine list, tastings, and pairing events
• 15:25 - Episode Outro — Aqua Talks: Call to Action & Closing

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Not just special occasion. Pricing, menu, and an 11:30 cocktail start are designed for everyday visits — lunch, happy hour, or dinner once or twice a week — not a once-a-year splurge.
• The “Paw Patio” dog menu. Shannon’s idea, born from a “Bark & Brunch” event and tied to a local shelter: dogs eat free, with substantial options (sliced strawberries, hot dog, chicken, scrambled eggs) — a step beyond the usual pup cup.
• All fresh, no freezers. The kitchen literally has no freezers, so everything is fresh — including Wagyu on the kids’ menu (same quality beef the adults get, no frozen patties or chicken).
• Live music four nights a week. Wednesday through Saturday, kept as soft background listening that can turn up later in the night.
• A full events calendar. Monthly Mahjong & Martinis (first Sunday, open play), wine/whiskey/beer pairing dinners coordinated with bar manager Joey, and a private room seating up to 50 (splittable) — now taking holiday reservations.
• Andy’s wine list. A personal passion spanning old world and new, affordable to splurge, with a France- and Italy-heavy old-world selection.
• Pairing dinners with real voices. Andy brings in actual winemakers/winery reps (recently Todd Anderson of Kahn Valley) rather than multi-brand liquor reps; upcoming are a Green Bench (St. Pete) beer dinner and an October Penelope bourbon dinner (wheated, rye, and the new French-oak-finished “Architect”).
• Sunday is chef’s night. Open 4–8 with the Lobster Trap and three rotating chef-only specialty entrées (a pasta, a chicken, and a beef dish).

Aqua Talks stays at Blu Halo for a second helping, trading the dining room for the kitchen with executive chef David Smith — the guy making the magic happen. A Maryland native who came up through Hyatt and Two Roads Hospitality banquet kitchens (grinding from commis to banquet chef, cooking for parties of 50 to 5,000), Dave brings a Mediterranean-leaning, seafood-loving sensibility and a fresh-every-day philosophy to Blu Halo's St. Pete location, where he's been since it opened.

The conversation is a food lover's tour: how rising meat and produce prices push him toward creative, lesser-known cuts (teres major, bistro and hanger steaks); his fresh Florida seafood (black grouper with citrus-peppadew gremolata, pan-seared sea bass with walnut-kalamata tapenade, scallop caprese); crowd-pleasers like the all-Wagyu smashburger that jumped from lunch to dinner; and a few home-cook tips along the way (dry your scallops, and yes to Old Bay on nearly everything). Larry and Dave build a full imaginary meal from cocktail to dessert, landing on the showstopper carrot cake and a Dubai chocolate cake — because, as Dave puts it, the first and last things you get are what you remember about a restaurant.

In This Episode:

• 00:43 - Deep Dive: Marketing for Tourism & Hospitality
• 02:11 - Seafood: Chef Dave's Signature Dishes
• 06:14 - From Hotels to Blue Halo: The Chef’s Journey
• 11:07 - Transition to Lunch: Menu and Crowd
• 13:50 - Entrées — Main Courses & Steak Selections
• 18:21 - Outro: Closing Remarks, Resources & Call to Action

Key Takeaways:

• Rising prices, smarter cuts. With meat and produce costs climbing, Dave leans into creative, lesser-known cuts (teres major, bistro steak, hanger steak) to deliver a "wow" without breaking the bank.
• Fresh, every day. Seafood is called in and processed fresh daily — black grouper with citrus-peppadew gremolata, pan-seared sea bass with toasted-walnut and kalamata tapenade, and a pan-seared scallop caprese finished with Parmigiano Reggiano.
• A Mediterranean backbone. Dave's flavor profiles draw from Italy, Greece, and Turkey — capers, garlic, onion, olive oil — elevating simple ingredients.
• The smashburger nobody can resist. An all-Wagyu, made-to-order smashburger with garlic aioli and house pickles got so popular it moved onto the dinner menu; sided with truffle-Parmesan shoestring fries.
• Signature and staple dishes. The 10-year-strong Blu Halo chop, braised beef tenderloin tips, spinach salad with truffle vinaigrette and Plant City strawberries, bikini prawns, pan-fried burrata ("an adult mozzarella stick"), and a Wagyu pastrami smoked just for them in New York.
• Save room — it's what you remember. A carrot cake big enough for two, hot beignets with bourbon caramel, triple chocolate cake, and a pistachio-filled Dubai chocolate cake.
• Chef's home-cook tips. Dry your scallops before searing, Old Bay on almost everything (just not lobster — keep the butter), and simple wine pairings by dish.
• A deep kitchen résumé. From Hyatt and Two Roads banquet kitchens to time under chef Sam DeMarco and a Maryland pasta concept, Dave brings serious range to Blu Halo.

Aqua Talks heads on-location to Blu Halo, where managing partner Andy Donato walks host Larry Aldrich through the restaurant's second location — nestled between St. Pete and Tampa, right off Ulmerton near the Howard Frankland Bridge. Ten years after the original opened in Tallahassee, this spot just passed its one-year anniversary, and Andy makes the case for a place that lives in the niche between casual and fine dining: an everyday lunch or dinner, a craft-cocktail conversation at the round bar, or a special-occasion celebration with dry-aged steaks and seafood towers.

Andy talks trends (craft cocktails and smoked Old Fashioneds are king, bourbon and whiskey are surging), the food that's winning over guests (a surprise-hit smash burger, the signature bikini shrimp, chicken lollipops, and a four-layer carrot cake big enough for three), and a happy hour built around premium liquor at half price with live music Wednesday through Friday. He also shares the brand's ambitions — growing from two locations to as many as six — and the "cutting edge," always-evolving menu philosophy that keeps regulars coming back to see what's new.

In This Episode:

• 00:43 - Episode Kickoff — Deep Dive into Marketing
• 03:42 - Blue Halo — Background & Growth Plans
• 07:14 - Dinner Experience at Blue Halo
• 11:20 - Happy Hour and Social Scene at The Blue Halo
• 13:27 - Seating and Group Accommodations
• 17:43 - Why Drive to Blue Halo? Ambiance, Service, and an Evolving Menu

Key Takeaways:

• The niche between casual and fine dining. Blu Halo aims to be an everyday lunch/dinner spot, a craft-cocktail bar hangout, and a special-occasion destination all at once — with a menu spanning affordable plates to dry-aged steaks and seafood towers.
• Trends Andy is watching. Craft cocktails (smoked Old Fashioneds are the top seller) and a big rise in bourbon and whiskey; he sees craft beer as past its peak.
• Signature and surprise dishes. The signature bikini shrimp (the dish Andy fought to get on the menu), chicken lollipops the chef Frenches, pan-fried burrata, filet tips — plus a smash burger that got so popular it jumped from lunch to the dinner menu.
• Save room for dessert. A four-layer carrot cake with homemade caramel and Cracker Jacks (big enough to share), blueberry cheesecake, and beignets.
• A generous happy hour. Monday–Friday, premium liquor at half price (not "well drinks"), food specials 4–6, cocktails from 11:30–6, with live music Wed–Fri.
• Built for groups and everyone. A circular bar designed for conversation, captain's tables and private dining for parties, a kids' menu, and even a patio pup menu.
• Location and growth. In the Publix Plaza by Topgolf, near the Raymond James corporate office and a growing city-center of condos and retail — with plans to grow the brand from two locations to four, five, or six.
• An ever-evolving menu. Andy's "cutting edge" philosophy means the menu refreshes with the seasons and trends — dine again in 12–18 months and it'll have changed (like the summer $28 Maine lobster "Lobster Trap" feature).

Returning guest Oliver Kugler of Visit St. Pete Clearwater delivers an energetic rundown of a destination firing on all cylinders. Record bed tax collections are rolling in — January and February 2026 are in the books and March looks like the best ever — powered by short-term rentals and hotels coming back online after the fall 2024 storms (though he notes some south-county properties are still recovering). The event calendar is a headliner: Red Bull Cliff Diving arrives at the St. Pete Pier in June (a 90-foot scaffold over a dredged Vinoy Basin), and The Ocean Race makes St. Pete Clearwater its North American stop in May 2027 — a 12-day international sailing event promising major global exposure.

Oliver also unveils a new brand campaign, "Beach. Culture." — an evolution beyond "Home to America's Best Beaches" that leans into the destination's cultural depth: the Dalí Museum, an incoming 2026 Michelin guide, 600+ murals, food and beverage, music, and pro sports from spring training to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He rounds it out with the community and economic case for tourism (Pinellas County's number-one economic driver, saving the average household roughly $1,730 a year), plus the ease of a car-free visit via the Grouper shuttle, Jolly Trolley, PSTA, and Sun Runner.

In This Episode:

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 01:10 - Exciting Developments at Visit St. Pete Clearwater
• 06:23 - Exploring the Cultural and Culinary Landscape of St. Pete Clearwater
• 12:23 - Exploring Local Events and Attractions
• 17:27 - Exploring the St. Pete Clearwater Area

Key Takeaways:

• Record bed tax, recovery complete. Jan/Feb 2026 set records and March is tracking as the best ever, driven by short-term rentals and hotels returning to inventory after the 2024 storms — though some south-county properties are still healing.
• Marquee events put the area on the international map. Red Bull Cliff Diving at the St. Pete Pier (June 5–6, 90-foot scaffold, Vinoy Basin dredged for safety) and The Ocean Race as the North American stop in May 2027 (12-day international sailing event).
• New campaign: "Beach. Culture." An evolution of "Home to America's Best Beaches" that adds the cultural layer — museums, food and beverage, music, and visual arts — as a reason to visit.
• Culture credentials. The Dalí Museum, a 2026 Michelin guide reveal, 600+ murals across St. Pete and beyond, and BayCare Sound (a top-rated open-air venue).
• New and renovated properties. Postcard Inn reopening as Luce ('80s California chic), plus major renovations at Serrata Beach Resort and TradeWinds on St. Pete Beach.
• Deep sports bench. Spring training (Blue Jays in Dunedin, Phillies in Clearwater), the Rays back at Tropicana Field, LPGA Annika and other championship golf, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies — the region's oldest pro team.
• Tourism as community benefit. Pinellas County's #1 economic driver, credited with the average household saving ~$1,730/year (no state income tax), with big events also serving locals (Clearwater Jazz Holiday, Country Thunder).
• Car-free and easy. Two international airports, the $8 "Grouper" airport-to-beach shuttle, Jolly Trolley, PSTA, and Sun Runner make exploring simple; Hubbard's Marina (Capt. Dylan Hubbard) is a five-time USA Today #1 charter operation.

Returning guest Sean Doherty, executive director of the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau, marks 21 years with the organization and reports the destination has finally turned the corner on recovery from the late-2024 hurricanes. The conversation centers on two timely themes. First, how AI is reshaping DMO web strategy: as AI overviews increasingly answer travelers' questions before they ever click, Sean argues it's more critical than ever that a DMO's site be accurate and fresh so those AI answers pull from — and cite — the destination as the true "voice of authority." His practical shift is from keyword-based SEO to answer engine optimization: adding conversational FAQs to every main page to match how people actually phrase questions.

Second, Sean breaks down a summer strategy tuned to the drive market amid high gas and jet-fuel prices, leaning even closer to home and in-state while not abandoning Allegiant feeder markets or higher-income fly-in visitors. He closes on the destination's culinary storytelling push — a "flavor coast" campaign featuring nine locally owned restaurants with waterfront, catch-what-you-eat, pet-friendly dining and standout stories like Bella Napoli's Italian pizza-contest finish and The Perfect Caper chef who beat Bobby Flay.

In This Episode:

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 02:37 - The Impact of AI on Destination Marketing Organizations
• 09:02 - Shifts in Travel Trends and Marketing Strategies
• 13:14 - Marketing Strategies and Audience Targeting
• 15:48 - Culinary Tourism and Local Flavor
• 20:40 - Culinary Highlights and Future Conversations

Key Takeaways:

• AI is changing DMO web strategy. As AI overviews answer questions directly, accuracy and freshness matter more than ever so AI pulls from and cites the DMO as the voice of authority.
• SEO → AEO. Sean is shifting from keyword optimization to answer engine optimization, adding conversational FAQs to every main page to match how travelers actually ask questions.
• Be the voice of authority. DMOs know more about local dining, lodging, and events than anyone — and unlike partner sites that go stale (some listing attractions that no longer exist), his staff audits the site daily.
• Summer leans into the drive market. With high gas and especially jet-fuel prices, marketing shifts closer to home and in-state (a ~700-mile drive radius), without abandoning Allegiant feeder markets or upper-income fly-in visitors.
• Airport vs. drive is one visitor strategy. It all plays out in marketing spend across Allegiant feeder markets versus drive markets; Punta Gorda Airport and Allegiant are still positioned to grow.
• Culinary storytelling is a growth driver. The "flavor coast" campaign spotlights nine locally owned restaurants — waterfront, pet-friendly, catch-what-you-eat — with pro photo/video telling owner and chef stories (Peace River Seafood, Bella Napoli, Celtic Ray Irish Pub, The Perfect Caper's Bobby Flay win), with more to come.

Recorded live at VETS 26 in New Orleans, this episode features Tiphanie Forst, Founder & CEO of Frigata Health Strategies and a Principal at Deep Water Point. With 24 years across clinical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare IT — the past 20 focused on Military Health System modernization for the DoD and VA — Tiphanie has built a career on growth strategy, business development, and capture, helping drive multi-hundred-million- to multi-billion-dollar wins. At Frigata, she provides business development, sales capture, and proposal support, acting as the connector and "face of the company" for clients who can't be everywhere themselves: linking small and service-disabled-veteran-owned businesses to the government leaders, contracts, and teaming partners they need to win, and helping large primes get strategic by teaming smart rather than muscling in alone (she describes structuring a joint venture that landed a client among six awardees on a DHA contract).

The through-line is connection across worlds that don't obviously overlap — veterans, professional athletes, investors, and health tech. The daughter of a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, Tiphanie is deeply committed to the veteran and military-health space, and she draws a striking parallel between retiring athletes and transitioning veterans: both face a loss of identity and a need for new resources and support, especially around mental health. She's channeling that vision into a new venture, IconIQ, organized around growth, access, innovation, nexus, and a lifestyle/brand "studio" component — fitting for someone who's also a professional artist creating bold acrylic work under TWA – Art by Tiphanie Forst. It's a fast, energetic conversation about relationships as the real currency of federal business development.

In This Episode:

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 03:45 - Connecting Veterans with Business Opportunities
• 07:05 - Connecting Veterans to Opportunities in Business
• 09:49 - Connecting Small Businesses and Veterans in Federal Procurement
• 10:28 - Connecting Athletes and Media Innovation

Key Takeaways:

• Two decades in military health modernization. Tiphanie brings 24 years across clinical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare IT — 20 of them on Military Health System modernization for the DoD and VA — behind multi-hundred-million- to multi-billion-dollar wins.
• Business development and capture, done through relationships. Frigata Health Strategies offers business development, sales capture, and proposal support, with Tiphanie serving as the "face" for clients at conferences and in the community — valuable for firms without in-house BD resources.
• Strategic teaming beats brute force. She structured a joint venture that positioned a lesser-known large business as a prime and landed it among six awardees on a DHA geographic-service-provider contract — sometimes the smart play is teaming with a strategic small business.
• Helping small and SDVOSB firms break in. From SAM registration to GSA schedules to knowing which contracts and people to target, she helps businesses new to federal procurement find direction and get onto winning teams.
• The athlete–veteran parallel. Tiphanie connects professional athletes and transitioning veterans around a shared loss of identity and mental-health challenges — and channels athletes into federal/tech ventures and philanthropic efforts.
• Deep health-IT roots. Her background includes EHR modernization work with firms like Leidos and Cerner (acquired by Oracle), including efforts toward a single longitudinal health record spanning the DHA and VA — "birth to grave."
• A new venture, IconIQ. Her evolving brand organizes her work around growth, access, innovation, nexus, and a lifestyle/brand "studio" — "iconic connections for intelligent outcomes."
• It's all connection. Her recurring theme: missions, investors, athletes, and veterans "all tie together," and relationships are what actually move federal deals forward.

Kylie Diaz, VP of Community Engagement at Visit St. Pete Clearwater, brings a refreshingly mission-driven perspective to this Destination Florida conversation. She oversees the DMO's capital funding program, its chambers, and a partner base of roughly 4,000 — and she makes a compelling case for how tourism quietly powers a community. Pinellas County collects north of $90 million in bed tax annually (paid by visitors, not residents), and Kylie is the person who helps reinvest it: about $26 million last year alone into museums, attractions, sports arenas, and beach parks, plus a $100 million commitment to beach renourishment after the 2024 storms — literally putting sand back on the beaches.

The through-line of the episode is "meaningful travel." Kylie's passion traces back to a formative post-9/11 trip to Malaysia and Borneo, where she witnessed both transformative travel and mass deforestation, and learned how a destination responds in a crisis. That ethos now shapes her work — from a new partnership with Tourism Cares to connect visitors with a destination's people, culture, and environment, to six mission-driven years at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where tourism was "the engine that fueled the conservation work." She closes on the theme she says she'll be telling stories about for the rest of her life: the power of partnerships. It's a warm, values-forward look at hospitality as a genuine career and tourism as a force for community good.

In This Episode:

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 02:43 - Meaningful Travel Efforts at Visit St. Pete Clearwater
• 06:07 - The Impact of Tourism on Conservation
• 11:19 - Exploring Opportunities in Hospitality
• 13:52 - The Power of Partnerships

Key Takeaways:

• Tourism funds the community. Pinellas County's $90M+ annual bed tax — paid by visitors, not residents — gets reinvested into museums, attractions, arenas, and beach parks, with roughly $26M distributed last year through the capital funding program Kylie oversees.
• $100 million for beach renourishment. After the 2024 storms, the destination committed $100M to literally put sand back on its beaches — a striking example of visitor dollars protecting the core asset.
• "Meaningful travel" is the trend she's betting on. Through a partnership with Tourism Cares, Visit St. Pete Clearwater is helping travelers connect more deeply with a destination's people, culture, history, and environment — experiences you take home and remember.
• Mission-driven marketing, learned firsthand. At the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (rescue, rehab, release), Kylie saw tourism as the engine funding conservation — marketing rooted in authenticity and emotional connection, not just visitation.
• A formative crucible: Malaysia and Borneo. A post-9/11 trip filming a travel show taught her transformative travel, environmental stewardship (amid mass deforestation), and crisis response for a destination — lessons that still drive her.
• Hospitality is an underrated career. Kylie and the DMO curated a college course with St. Pete College to show students that hospitality means marketing, film, aquariums, and more — not just front desks and restaurants.
• The common thread: the power of partnerships. Her most creative projects came from matching one partner's need with another's resource — the metric she ultimately measures success by (partner happiness + return visitation).
• The destination is bigger than its headliners. Beyond St. Pete and Clearwater, gems like Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, and Gulfport make Pinellas a place you could explore for weeks.

Sandra Rios, PR and marketing manager for the Naples, Marco Island & Everglades CVB — a.k.a. Florida's Paradise Coast — brings 25 years of hospitality experience (casinos, the Opal Collection, opening the Hard Rock guitar hotel) to a wide-ranging tour of Collier County's three very different personalities. Naples is "unapologetically luxury": quiet wealth, owner-owned boutiques on Fifth Avenue, global cuisine, and a wave of new high-end product like the Four Seasons Naples Beach Club, a JW, the boutique Carnelian, and Florida's first Great Wolf Lodge. Twenty minutes south, Marco Island trades five-star for "beach chic" and laid-back tiki vibes, and Everglades City — population ~350 — is the authentic, stone-crabbing gateway to a UNESCO World Heritage national park.

Sandra also gets into the business side: sports tourism as a major economic driver (the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, FC Naples pro soccer, 64 pickleball courts and the US Open, plus three PGA/LPGA events), the destination's hurricane resilience and the CVB's role housing first responders, and a strategic pivot toward the drive market and domestic travelers amid economic uncertainty — including piggybacking on FIFA crowds in Miami. It's a polished, energetic look at a destination working hard to show it's more diverse than its luxury reputation suggests.

In This Episode:

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 05:50 - Exploring Marco Island and Everglades City
• 11:19 - Resilience in the Face of Hurricanes
• 15:30 - The Rise of Sports Tourism in Naples
• 21:01 - Dog-Friendly Destinations in Florida
• 24:34 - Communicating the Drive: From Naples to Miami

Key Takeaways

• Three destinations, three vibes. Naples (serene, five-star luxury), Marco Island ("beach chic," laid-back, JW Marriott with fire dancers on the beach), and Everglades City (authentic, eco-adventure, stone crab) — all in one CVB, which shapes how they market.
• "Unapologetically luxury" — but not flashy. Naples leans into quiet wealth: owner-owned boutiques and restaurants on Fifth Avenue, nothing cookie-cutter, plus a surge of new hotels (Four Seasons Naples Beach Club, JW, the boutique Carnelian with its private Sterlings club, AC Hotel).
• Family gap, filled. Great Wolf Lodge — the first in Florida — added family-friendly product to a market that skews high-end.
• Gateway to a national treasure. Everglades City is the front door to Everglades National Park, one of only 25 UNESCO World Heritage sites in North America, with 350+ bird species — a huge draw for European birding visitors and the new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center.
• Sports tourism is a major economic engine. The Paradise Coast Sports Complex (now heading into phase three), pro soccer club FC Naples, 64 pickleball courts and the US Open (50 states, 53 countries, 55,000+ attendees), plus three PGA/LPGA tournaments and 90+ golf courses.
• Pivoting to the drive market. Amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, marketing is shifting from summer international travel to domestic and in-state visitors — including targeting FIFA crowds in Miami with "it's an easy hour-and-a-half drive" messaging.
• Closer than it looks. Naples to Miami/Fort Lauderdale is a straight, easy 90-minute shot — a fact most visitors don't realize.
• September "Sizzle" dining supports a cause. During the slowest month, restaurants offer specially priced menus, with proceeds benefiting Blessings in a Backpack, which feeds local kids on weekends — now grown from one week to a full month.
• Pet-friendly angle. Keewaydin Island (boat-access only) is a dog-friendly beach, with a monthly "Bark Ark" boat — a nice hook for the growing pet-travel audience.