288.1226 Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation; use of property; board of directors; duties; audit.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, the term “corporation” means the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation.
(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation is a direct-support organization of Enterprise Florida, Inc.
(a) The Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation is a corporation not for profit, as defined in s. 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that is incorporated under the provisions of chapter 617 and approved by the Department of State.
(b) The corporation is organized and operated exclusively to request, receive, hold, invest, and administer property and to manage and make expenditures for the operation of the activities, services, functions, and programs of this state which relate to the statewide, national, and international promotion and marketing of tourism.
(c) The corporation is not an agency for the purposes of chapters 120, 216, and 287; ss. 255.21, 255.25, and 255.254, relating to leasing of buildings; ss. 283.33 and 283.35, relating to bids for printing; s. 215.31; and parts I, II, and IV-VIII of chapter 112.
(d) The corporation is subject to the provisions of chapter 119, relating to public meetings, and those provisions of chapter 286 relating to public meetings and records.
(3) USE OF PROPERTY.—Enterprise Florida, Inc.:
(a) Is authorized to permit the use of property and facilities of Enterprise Florida, Inc., by the corporation, subject to the provisions of this section.
(b) Shall prescribe conditions with which the corporation must comply in order to use property and facilities of Enterprise Florida, Inc. Such conditions shall provide for budget and audit review and for oversight by Enterprise Florida, Inc.
(c) May not permit the use of property and facilities of Enterprise Florida, Inc., if the corporation does not provide equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or religion.
(4) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—The board of directors of the corporation shall be composed of 31 tourism-industry-related members, appointed by Enterprise Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the department.
(a) The board shall consist of 16 members, appointed in such a manner as to equitably represent all geographic areas of the state, with no fewer than two members from any of the following regions:
1. Region 1, composed of Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington Counties.
2. Region 2, composed of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union Counties.
3. Region 3, composed of Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, St. Lucie, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia Counties.
4. Region 4, composed of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties.
5. Region 5, composed of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Lee Counties.
6. Region 6, composed of Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties.
(b) The 15 additional tourism-industry-related members shall include 1 representative from the statewide rental car industry; 7 representatives from tourist-related statewide associations, including those that represent hotels, campgrounds, county destination marketing organizations, museums, restaurants, retail, and attractions; 3 representatives from county destination marketing organizations; 1 representative from the cruise industry; 1 representative from an automobile and travel services membership organization that has at least 2.8 million members in Florida; 1 representative from the airline industry; and 1 representative from the space tourism industry, who will each serve for a term of 2 years.
(5) POWERS AND DUTIES.—The corporation, in the performance of its duties:
(a) May make and enter into contracts and assume such other functions as are necessary to carry out the provisions of the 4-year marketing plan required by s. 288.923, and the corporation’s contract with Enterprise Florida, Inc., which are not inconsistent with this or any other provision of law.
(b) May develop a program to provide incentives and to attract and recognize those entities which make significant financial and promotional contributions towards the expanded tourism promotion activities of the corporation.
(c) May establish a cooperative marketing program with other public and private entities which allows the use of the VISIT Florida logo in tourism promotion campaigns which meet the standards of Enterprise Florida, Inc., for which the corporation may charge a reasonable fee.
(d) May sue and be sued and appear and defend in all actions and proceedings in its corporate name to the same extent as a natural person.
(e) May adopt, use, and alter a common corporate seal. However, such seal must always contain the words “corporation not for profit.”
(f) Shall elect or appoint such officers and agents as its affairs shall require and allow them reasonable compensation.
(g) Shall hire and establish salaries and personnel and employee benefit programs for such permanent and temporary employees as are necessary to carry out the provisions of the 4-year marketing plan and the corporation’s contract with Enterprise Florida, Inc., which are not inconsistent with this or any other provision of law.
(h) Shall provide staff support to the Division of Tourism Promotion of Enterprise Florida, Inc. The president and chief executive officer of the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation shall serve without compensation as the director of the division.
(i) May adopt, change, amend, and repeal bylaws, not inconsistent with law or its articles of incorporation, for the administration of the provisions of the 4-year marketing plan and the corporation’s contract with Enterprise Florida, Inc.
(j) May conduct its affairs, carry on its operations, and have offices and exercise the powers granted by this act in any state, territory, district, or possession of the United States or any foreign country. Where feasible, appropriate, and recommended by the 4-year marketing plan developed by the Division of Tourism Promotion of Enterprise Florida, Inc., the corporation may collocate the programs of foreign tourism offices in cooperation with any foreign office operated by any agency of this state.
(k) May appear on its own behalf before boards, commissions, departments, or other agencies of municipal, county, state, or federal government.
(l) May request or accept any grant, payment, or gift, of funds or property made by this state or by the United States or any department or agency thereof or by any individual, firm, corporation, municipality, county, or organization for any or all of the purposes of the 4-year marketing plan and the corporation’s contract with Enterprise Florida, Inc., that are not inconsistent with this or any other provision of law. Such funds shall be deposited in a bank account established by the corporation’s board of directors. The corporation may expend such funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of any such grant, payment, or gift, in the pursuit of its administration or in support of the programs it administers. The corporation shall separately account for the public funds and the private funds deposited into the corporation’s bank account.
(m) Shall establish a plan for participation in the corporation which will provide additional funding for the administration and duties of the corporation.
(n) In the performance of its duties, may undertake, or contract for, marketing projects and advertising research projects.
(o) In addition to any indemnification available under chapter 617, the corporation may indemnify, and purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of, directors, officers, and employees of the corporation against any personal liability or accountability by reason of actions taken while acting within the scope of their authority.
(6) ANNUAL AUDIT.—The corporation shall provide for an annual financial audit in accordance with s. 215.981. The annual audit report shall be submitted to the Auditor General; the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability; Enterprise Florida, Inc.; and the department for review. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability; Enterprise Florida, Inc.; the department; and the Auditor General have the authority to require and receive from the corporation or from its independent auditor any detail or supplemental data relative to the operation of the corporation. The department shall annually certify whether the corporation is operating in a manner and achieving the objectives that are consistent with the policies and goals of Enterprise Florida, Inc., and its long-range marketing plan. The identity of a donor or prospective donor to the corporation who desires to remain anonymous and all information identifying such donor or prospective donor are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Such anonymity shall be maintained in the auditor’s report.
(7) REPORT.—The corporation shall provide a quarterly report to Enterprise Florida, Inc., which shall:
(a) Measure the current vitality of the visitor industry of this state as compared to the vitality of such industry for the year to date and for comparable quarters of past years. Indicators of vitality shall be determined by Enterprise Florida, Inc., and shall include, but not be limited to, estimated visitor count and party size, length of stay, average expenditure per party, and visitor origin and destination.
(b) Provide detailed, unaudited financial statements of sources and uses of public and private funds.
(c) Measure progress towards annual goals and objectives set forth in the 4-year marketing plan.
(d) Review all pertinent research findings.
(e) Provide other measures of accountability as requested by Enterprise Florida, Inc.
(8) PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION.—The identity of any person who responds to a marketing project or advertising research project conducted by the corporation in the performance of its duties on behalf of Enterprise Florida, Inc., or trade secrets as defined by s. 812.081 obtained pursuant to such activities, are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(9) REPEAL.—This section is repealed October 1, 2019, unless reviewed and saved from repeal by the Legislature.
History.—s. 7, ch. 92-299; s. 6, ch. 94-136; s. 877, ch. 95-148; s. 1, ch. 95-369; s. 1, ch. 96-297; s. 53, ch. 96-320; s. 140, ch. 96-406; s. 41, ch. 97-100; s. 18, ch. 99-251; s. 1, ch. 2001-69; s. 91, ch. 2001-266; s. 2, ch. 2004-274; s. 32, ch. 2011-142; s. 32, ch. 2012-5; s. 13, ch. 2014-96.
