Latest news with #DiscoverThePalmBeaches
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida must stop its war on tourism. It could hurt jobs and communities.
The Florida House of Representatives has advanced two bills, HB 1221 and HB 7033, that threaten to dismantle the very foundation of Florida's economic powerhouse: the tourism industry. These bills propose significant changes to the state's highly successful Tourist Development Tax (TDT), redirecting its funds from destination promotion to property tax credits. The result would be a devastating blow to local businesses, jobs and communities that rely on tourism to thrive. Tourism is the lifeblood of Florida's economy. The TDT, paid by visitors and not by Floridians, is reinvested in destination promotion efforts that attract even more visitors. This cycle generates jobs, fuels local businesses and supports critical public services. Eliminating TDT funding for this purpose would severely hinder our ability to compete for visitors, leading to long-term economic pain. Additionally, reallocating these dollars to provide property tax relief to property owners diminishes the importance of tourism marketing and promotion across the state. With millions of residential and commercial properties in Florida, a reduction of property taxes amounts to a negligible benefit for individual property owners. In contrast, every Florida household is currently saved $1,910 in taxes per year since tourism is one of the reasons why the Sunshine State remains state tax-free. Tourism in Florida is powerful. Millions of visitors support the livelihoods of countless people across the state. Visitors generate billions in direct spending and contribute significantly to the local economy. Tourism connects communities and creates places where people want to visit, live, work and invest. Opinion: I'm a Canadian who lives in Florida. Don't let tariffs ruin our relationship. If these changes to TDT become law, Florida will lose not only the revenue generated by tourism but also the jobs, beach renovations and much more funded by it. The long-term economic damage will be felt across the state as the tourism industry, a key pillar of Florida's economy, loses its ability to thrive. This is a statewide issue that's important to every tourism destination in Florida, including Palm Beach County, where more than 9.9 million visitors in 2024 supported the livelihoods of approximately 90,000 people. Milton Segarra is president and CEO of Discover The Palm Beaches. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida tourism is vital to our economy. Don't stifle it | Opinion
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Palm Beach International Boat Show reports record attendance after a big change this year
The Palm Beach International Boat Show expanded by one day this year, and the move seems to have paid off. The five-day turnout for the festival on West Palm Beach's downtown waterfront had record numbers, according to the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, which hosts the event. "We had a record attendance of over 60,000 people with an extra day of the show,' said Alyssa Freeman, the organization's executive director, in a statement. 'In years past, we've averaged just over 55,000 guests." The event, which debuted in 1982, won permission from the city this year to add a fifth day, bringing it in line with boat shows in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It ran from Wednesday, March 19 to Sunday, March 23. This year's show, which was produced by Informa Markets, also set an event record for the most boats, with more than 1,000 on display. Organizers say a successful boat show generates grant money that the organization uses for charitable purposes, and it also provides a substantial economic boost to the area. The week of the festival, hotel occupancy rates in downtown West Palm Beach and near the airport were 95%, 6 percentage points higher than the previous year, according to Discover The Palm Beaches, the county's tourism marketing arm. The Marine Industries Association said it plans to continue with its five-day format next year, with the event running March 25-29, 2026. Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Palm Beach International Boat Show sets an attendance record
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Palm Beach County professionals, business people on the move for the week of March 2
In our weekly list of business people on the move, we highlight Palm Beach County professionals who are making a difference. These are people from across the spectrum of public and private endeavors, those working in charities, court houses, private practices and beyond. They are moving up within their industry, advancing their careers and standing out for their services within our community. Here are this week's professional standouts: Discover The Palm Beaches, the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, recently announced new leadership hires and promotions. Christine DeMichael joins the company as the director of integrated marketing. She will manage all integrated projects and strengthen brand consistency. Erika Constantine has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing. She oversees integrated marketing efforts, marketing technology, social media, public relations/communications, and works on brand campaigns. Gustav Weibull has been promoted to senior vice president of business intelligence, strategy and destination development. In his position, he has developed extensive destination research models. Erick Garnica has been promoted to vice president of global leisure sales. He focuses on driving revenue growth, expanding key international markets, and analyzing sales performance. Robin Prakash has been promoted to vice president of group sales. He focuses on driving sales efforts, providing customer solutions, and exceeding group business metrics for both resorts and destinations. Sergio Piedra has been promoted to senior director of community engagement and advocacy. Piedra advocates for Palm Beach County's tourism industry and DTPB efforts and initiatives to government officials, community leaders, local businesses, and county residents. Yacell Taveras has been promoted to director of human resources. She is responsible for employee engagement, compensation and benefits management, strategic planning, talent acquisition and development, and performance management. Alex O'Brien was recently appointed VP of asset management at Township Capital, the Palm Beach-based innovative real estate firm that bridges the gap between investors and commercial real estate. A Chicago native, O'Brien is a seasoned financial analyst with a proven track record of success in commercial real estate and finance. Jones Foster, a full-service commercial and private client law firm with offices in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, and Jupiter, is pleased to announce that attorneys Genny Bernstein and Alexander L. Brams have been elevated to shareholder. Bernstein focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, wills and trusts, guardianships, special needs trusts, veteran benefits, and long-term care Medicaid. Brams focuses his practice on the areas of probate, trust, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation, as well as commercial litigation throughout Florida's state and federal courts. The Palm Beach County Food Bank has announced the appointment of its new director of development, Linda Roman. Additionally, the organization promoted Andrea Rendon to marketing and communications manager and Yanet Campbell-Saunders as its senior manager of finance and accounting. Roman's responsibilities include donor relations and partnerships with foundations and businesses to advance hunger relief work. Rendon will oversee the food bank's digital and public engagement to educate and inform supporters about taking action to alleviate hunger locally. Campbell-Saunders oversees the accounts receivable and accounts payable teams, manages grant reporting and collaborates with the chief financial officer to prepare fiscal budgets and financial reports. With approximately 173,000 food-insecure residents throughout Palm Beach County, the food bank procures food from grocery stores, farmers, food distributors, wholesalers and other sources and distributes it to over 200 local community partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens and schools. TooJay's, the Florida restaurant known for its delicious and authentic deli-style menu and fresh bakery, has announced the appointment of Joe DiGangi as its new chief executive officer. With more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, DiGangi brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to guide TooJay's into its next chapter of growth and success. DiGangi has held pivotal roles at renowned brands, including Corner Bakery and, most recently, Skillets, a Florida-based breakfast and brunch chain, where he spent the last eight years as president and chief executive officer. Founded in 1981, TooJay's currently serves its New York deli-style menu, including handcrafted sandwiches, made-from-scratch soups and salads, and delectable desserts at 20 restaurants. If you are looking for more insight into the movers and shakers operating in the Palm Beaches, subscribe to our real estate newsletter, The Dirt, keep an eye out for stories and perspective from veteran reporters Kimberly Miller and Alexandra Clough. If you have an announcement for Business People on the Move, please send it to Pbbusiness@ Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@ Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best businesses, professionals, business people in Palm Beach County
