THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TDC) RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Air and Sea Show's ("Air Show") performance on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The headline act is the US Air Force Thunderbirds. In 2019, the US Navy Blue Angels are expected to return for the first time since 2006.
The Air Show is a free community event hosted during the shoulder season while promoting the destination to both local “staycationers” and out-of-town visitors. In addition to filling the hotels and beach businesses for an extended weekend, the show gives the community a platform to show its support for the uniformed men and women who protect the Nation. The promoter’s goal is to create a family-friendly environment. The show allows local school children to meet and mingle with pilots and performers at the Fort Lauderdale beach.
Bringing the show back to Fort Lauderdale did not come without struggle, including financial setbacks. In 2012, the show was headlined by the US Air Force Thunderbirds, but shortened on Saturday and cancelled on Sunday due to bad weather. In 2013, the US Air Force Thunderbirds were scheduled to return and 2012 ticket holders were given free tickets to make up for the poor weather the previous year. Three weeks before the show, however, the Federal Sequestration went into effect and all military performances were cancelled. Still, the show went on as scheduled with an “All-Star, All Civilian” lineup. In 2014 and 2015, the show was put on hiatus because of other projects in the community, including runway construction at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the A1A reconstruction project caused by Hurricane Sandy.
In 2016, the show came back in force featuring three jet teams and the debut of the F-35 fighter jets. Despite this good news the event struggled because the show site was reconfigured to reduce traffic by moving it north so that the Sunrise Blvd & A1A intersection remained open. Unfortunately, this limited the number of sponsors and, consequently, revenue.
Last year, the Air Show was successful with the appearance of the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds and other top US military performances. Additional site improvements were made to further reduce traffic by moving infrastructure to the beach which allowed A1A to be kept open outside of show hours for the first time in the Air Show's history. These site improvements, however, restricted mobile marketing opportunities, resulting in more than $100,000 of lost revenue.
In 2017, ticket purchasers were generated from 19 different countries and almost every state in the union. The website generated over 300,000 sessions with almost 15,000 visits to our “Where to Stay” page that highlights the hotels in the area. Approximately, 250,000 of these sessions were generated in Broward County where a majority of our patrons come to enjoy the show and our beaches, completely free of cost.
For the 2017 show, city support costs for public safety including Police, Parking, Fire/EMS, Ocean Rescue and Parks and Recreation totaled over $230,000. Of these costs, the City of Fort Lauderdale supported the show with $150,000 covering the costs of Police, Fire/EMS, Ocean Rescue and Clean Up.
The total funding request to Broward County is $150,000. The CVB will provide $75,000 but the Tourist Development Council is requesting the Board of Broward County Commissioners provide another $75,000 to help cover the City of Ft. Lauderdale's support costs and to provide additional marketing for the show. The request is for this funding to come from a portion of the additional TDT funds placed in reserves in the April 10th Public Hearing Item. This funding will help ensure that the Air Show remains in the community and continues to promote this destination for years to come.
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