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'Defrost Your Swimsuit' Campaign Urges Travelers To Head To Sunny S. Fla.

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4)- Last year they brought the beach to Times Square; this year the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GLFCVB) is kicking off a year-long schedule of marketing initiatives by bringing ice.

The campaign, located in the iconic heart of the city's entertainment district, featured colorful swimsuits frozen from four giant blocks of ice. Given the frigid, turbulent weather in The Big Apple, the "Defrost your Swimsuit" winter marketing campaign is bound to send New Yorkers, who represent Greater Fort Lauderdale's number one source market, scurrying to fly south.

Click For Image Gallery From Times Square

Nicki E. Grossman, GFLCVB president, and her sales team will be joined in New York by hotel representatives for a "Sunnylicious" reception where they will unveil the new "Lauderdale Convention Collection," a partnership of the GFLCVB and six leading, upscale hotels, all within a mile and a half of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center to entice meeting planners with specialized services and offers.

"We love New York and New Yorkers love us," said Grossman. "We just want to give them a little extra nudge in our direction with some "Defrost your Swimsuit" fun, let meeting planners know that we have an exciting new program for them, and make sure everyone is fully aware of all the other promotions that Greater Fort Lauderdale offers throughout the year."

In addition to the four ice blocks with encased swimsuits, the January 25-26 festivities will feature Greater Fort Lauderdale street teams passing out Greater Fort Lauderdale branded ice scrapers and "Defrost your Swimsuit" cards urging consumers to visit www.sunny.org/findyoursunny for the chance to win a free trip for two to Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Those who visit the website can receive $100 off Greater Fort Lauderdale vacations with JetBlue Getaways.

As part of the campaign, a giant Greater Fort Lauderdale beach scene billboard was installed above the Times Square Toys R' US store and the popular and colorful Greater Fort Lauderdale Beachmobile, a beach on wheels, will tour the city's top sites and neighborhoods.

For more information about "Defrost your Swimsuit" visit www.sunny.org.

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