Letter from Executive Director Tamara Pigott

After serving as the interim director of the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) since mid-December, I am delighted to have been selected as executive director of the organization I have served for the last 10 years, first as Beach & Shoreline Project manager and most recently as deputy director.

Throughout the interview process in which 75 candidates from across the country vied for this position, I stressed several key themes that are important to me as I take the helm of the VCB – strategic partnerships, sustainability, creativity and innovation. You’ve been hearing a lot from our organization in the last year regarding partnerships and the need for teamwork throughout our destination. Working together, we can achieve what we cannot do alone. Competing for traveler’s time is growing increasingly more complex, and making every dollar work like $10 is critical to achieve success in today’s marketplace. That fact makes pooling our resources a must-do.

Teamwork extends into the realm of sustainability as well. This near-and-dear-to-my-heart issue is the one overarching initiative that will preserve the very essence of what brings visitors to our doors year after year. Without the pristine natural beauty of our beach and inland ecosystems, we cannot sustain the economic engine of tourism that fuels our community’s livelihood. Tourism brings $2.9 billion a year to our local economy and is our number one employer, with 43,000 people employed directly in the industry! Balancing that critical business with preserving our environment for future generations is a core part of the VCB’s mission.

Another aspect of our work that contributes to achieving our organizational mission is the creativity and innovation that has always been a hallmark of the VCB. We are an award-winning bureau; the only one in the country to have won three Destiny awards from the U.S. Travel Association’s National Council of Destination Organizations for excellence and creative accomplishments in travel marketing and promotion. Our staff prides itself on thinking out-of-the-box and setting trends in travel marketing, and I will do all that I can to empower them to continue this legacy.

Over the next few months, you will be hearing more from us regarding each of these important cornerstones of the VCB’s work going forward.  In the meantime, I invite you to attend the Celebration of Business & Tourism Awards Luncheon and Trade Show on Thursday, May 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Harborside Event Center in downtown Fort Myers.  The VCB is partnering with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce to present this new event to recognize local individuals and businesses that have positively impacted our community.

For more details, log onto http://www.leevcb.com/content/upcoming-events.  I hope to see you there!   

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