Greater Miami CVB Announces Romance Month Initiative

Greater Miami CVB Announces Romance Month Initiative

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) President and CEO William D. Talbert III, CDME, announced a partnership with The Knot and the destination’s first “Miami Romance Month.” The year-long initiative with The Knot -- the wedding brand -- seeks to celebrate and promote Miami as the ideal destination for destination weddings, commitment ceremonies, wedding shopping trips, bachelor/ette parties and honey/babymoons.

As part of the GMCVB’s evolving portfolio of monthly marketing programs built over the last several years, Miami Romance Month touches all segments of Miami’s bustling travel, hospitality and retail industries, including A-list nightlife and hotels, unbeatable shopping, award-winning restaurants, outdoor adventure, arts & culture -- and, of course, bridal and weddings. The $500,000 year-long initiative with The Knot includes a Miami Romance co-op, national digital advertising program on The Knot network, the launch of a dedicated Miami Weddings microsite on May 10 and the kickoff of Miami Romance Month in June.

The Miami Romance Program kicks off in May with the launch of http://miami.weddings.com on May 10, an editorial-driven site hosted by The Knot where visitors can find an interactive community, shopping resources, and editorial features focused on why “tying the knot” in Miami is ideal. June will be “Miami Romance Month,” as the GMCVB and The Knot embark on a month of special activities celebrating Miami and its wealth of wedding vendors, romantic restaurants and ceremony/reception venues, topping off with a “Marry Me in Miami” contest as the icing on the cake.

The GMCVB website will include a www.MiamiRomanceMonth.com section featuring Miami wedding vendor profiles, articles and special offers; partners will be promoted on GMCVB properties including Facebook, Twitter, blogs and in direct emails. On June 19, the GMCVB will host the Miami Romance & Wedding Showcase at The Westin Colonnade, a consumer event supporting and showcasing the Greater Miami vendor community, and Miami Romance Special Offers Program.

A “Marry Me in Miami” Dream Wedding Contest and Miracle Mile Wedding Challenge will feature five finalist couples who will travel to the destination to compete for a wedding worth nearly $150,000. Starting in May, contestants will be able to enter by logging on to www.MarryMeInMiami.com and clicking for information about the contest.

Five finalist couples will be randomly selected to come to Miami on June 22, 2011, to compete for the grand prize in a “Wedding Day Challenge” obstacle course that will take place on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, a wedding shopper’s paradise. The winner of the Wedding Day Challenge will receive a Miami wedding or commitment ceremony valued at nearly $150,000, which will take place at the luxurious Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The Biltmore offers a variety of extravagant ballrooms -- complete with stunning views from terraces and balconies -- and is a full-service resort with a wealth of unique actives for the wedding party and guests.

As released in March, overnight visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches grew by 5.6 percent to a record-breaking 12.6 million overnight visitors in 2010, fueled by a 6.6 percent increase to a record 6.1 million international visitors and an increase of 4.7 percent to a record 6.5 million domestic visitors.