Christian Music and Film Fest Schedule

The Fun Never Sets Christian Music Festival is coming up next weekend featuring artists such as Toby Mac, Third Day, and Petra.  The weekend will be filled with uplifting music, short films and good weather (hopefully).

“We are thrilled to host such talented musicians for a weekend that is inspirational and uplifting,” states Dan Rowe, president and CEO of Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The fall is a wonderful time to visit, and our gorgeous sugar-white sand beaches and emerald green waters perfectly set the stage for three days of praise, worship and reflection.”

Friday, August 26

Petra (5:45 – 6:45 p.m.) The first Christian rock band to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Petra was undoubtedly the world’s most popular band in the contemporary Christian music genre throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Having released more than 20 studio albums, Petra was the first Christian band whose memorabilia was included in the Hard Rock Café restaurant chain. Several other artists have recorded tributes to the band, including country music sensation Tim McGraw.

Matthew West (7:15 – 8:15 p.m.) The Downers Grove, Illinois native is best known for number one hits “More,” “You Are Everything,” and “The Motions.” West, who says he has plumbed the depths of his soul for sweet inspiration, released his latest album, My Own Little World, in 2010. In addition to a successful solo career, the musician has worked as a songwriter for many other well-known artists including Point of Grace, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jo Dee Messina and Rascal Flatts.

Third Day (8:45 – 10:00 p.m.) Berthed amid a storm of personal crises and tragedies of those close to them, Third Day’s steely-eyed eighth album, Wherever You Are, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel album in 2006. The Atlanta-based rockers are on a mission to convey the hope and eternity of Christ through their music, from their encouraging “Rise Up” to the inspirational “Mountain of God.”

Saturday, August 27

Jamie Grace (3:00 – 3:30 p.m.) A hybrid mix of acoustic pop, hip hop, folk, and reggae, the newest addition to the TobyMac-founded label, Gotee Records, recently released a four-song collection titled Hold Me. Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at the age of 11, Grace, now 19, shares her story of resilience and hope through what she calls her “heart songs.”

Peter Furler (4:00 – 5:00 p.m.) Raw talent combined with hard work has produced one of Australia’s biggest exports – not just in Christian music but in every genre. One of the few Aussies who can lay claim to writing, producing and singing more than 25 number one hits including classics “He Reigns,” “Shine,” and “Something Beautiful,” Furler’s performances are notorious for being as diverse as they are divine.

Family Force 5 (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.) Often referred to as a crunk rock band, Family Force 5 mixes a diverse set of music styles including punk, rap, R & B, funk, techno pop and more with positive lyrics. The band released their first full-length album titled Business Up Front/Party in the Back in 2006 and ventured onto the popular Vans Warped Tour the following year. The album, featuring several hit singles such as “Love Addict” and “Earthquake,” was an instant hit in both the Christian and mainstream markets.

Switchfoot (7:00 – 8:15 p.m.) This well-known American rock band hailing from San Diego, California, first gained momentum in the mainstream music market when several of their songs were featured in the 2002 movie A Walk to Remember. The Beautiful Letdown, the band’s album released in 2003, contained their best-known singles, “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move.” With its play on words, Vice Verses, the title of Switchfoot’s newest album, coherently suggests that everything has two sides.

TobyMac (8:45 – 10:00 p.m.) TobyMac ranks among the most successful artists in Christian music history in terms of radio success, sales power and critical acclaim. His fourth studio album,

TONIGHT, was released in 2010 and centered on the belief that we all need God now – this morning, this afternoon, tonight. The songs on the album are typical TobyMac in many ways – an eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs.

Sunday, August 28

On Sunday at 10:00 a.m., Christian rock band DecembeRadio will lead a morning worship service to conclude a weekend of fellowship. Known for such musical hits as “Dangerous” and “Drifter,” DecembeRadio will delight fans with a short concert following the worship service. Tickets are not required for Sunday’s service or concert.

Photo from the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

2nd Annual Women’s Work-Life Symposium

The 2nd Annual Women’s Work-Life Symposium is coming up in September and is being held at the FSU-PC Holley Academic Center.  Last year’s event was an enormous success and a huge buzz generator.  This year’s event is looking to be even better.

About the event

This day-long event will focus on helping women find practical solutions and strategies for creating a work-life balance.  The Symposium will present productive sessions with top-notch, motivating speakers all offering insight, inspiration and innovative ideas.

Attendees will be able to take part in:

  • Keynote sessions
  • Breakout workshops
  • A networking breakfast
  • Buffet lunch
  • Mix & Mingle wine reception following the Symposium

A special Exhibitor Showcase will stay open throughout the day featuring products and services relevant to professional women seeking a healthy work-life balance.  There will also be drawings, giveaways and Symposium Goody Bags.

Date and time

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 from 8 am to 5 pm

Location: FSU-PC Holley Academic Center

Special Presentation by Dr. Tererai Trent

Quoted as being Oprah Winfrey’s “favorite guest of all time,” her captivating presentation is a moving message of empowerment and change.  In it, she will share her experiences of growing up in rural Africa, overcoming humble beginnings to achieve her dreams and give back to others.

In May 2011 Oprah Winfrey stated, “[Tererai Trent] symbolizes everything I believe the Oprah Show stands for… her story encapsulates the essence of every lesson we’ve shared over the past 25 years: hope, your thoughts create your reality, gratitude, it doesn’t matter where you come from.  She proves you can keep reaching for your dreams, that one person can make a difference in the world—and above all, you have the power.”

Ticket information

Tickets are now on sale; Early Bird Registration lasts thru September 9 and tickets are $89 per person.  After September 9 tickets cost $99 per person.

Tax Free Weekend is This Weekend

This is a great weekend to shop for school supplies with the state-mandated tax free weekend.

School related items can be purchased tax free this weekend, August 12 – 14.

Some of the items that are eligible for purchase tax free this weekend include:

  • Clothes
  • Backpacks
  • School supplies
  • Shoes

Single items $75 or more are not eligible for tax free purchase.

A more complete list of items that are eligible for tax free purchase this weekend can be found here.

That’s it!  Get out and shop this weekend!

2011 Visitor Interest in Panama City Beach Grows over 2010

Whatever complexities involved in the comprehensive marketing plan the TDC has in effect, it’s working.

Visitor inquiry, visitation and general interest is up this year over last, and the activity in Panama City Beach reflects it.

Following this article, we’ll discuss the bed tax revenue, and take a good look at the actual numbers behind this year’s growth, but for now, we’re going to take a look at some stats on interest as it related to visitation, inquiries and Likes.

Total Website visitation

The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau made the tough decision a couple short years ago to abandon their previous web host and seek a new one, along with a fresh new look.  They rebuilt the website with the help of Jennifer Barbie Inc, and enacted a whole new marketing plan that was charged with revitalizing PCB’s image. Two years later, traffic to the website has grown tremendously and the area’s branding has burned the image of our sugar white sands and emerald green waters into the minds of millions, literally.

Traffic to the website in 2011

  • July – 184,148 (15% increase)
  • June – 174,726 (22% decrease)
  • May – 142,845 (17% increase)
  • April – 123,976 (26% increase)
  • March – 179,553 (53% increase)

Traffic to the website in 2010

  • July – 159,567
  • June – 225,557 (oil spill spike)
  • May – 122,440
  • April – 98,342
  • March – 117,039
Website visitation top states

July

  1. Florida
  2. Georgia
  3. Alabama
  4. Tennessee
  5. Texas
  6. Kentucky

June

  1. Georgia
  2. Florida
  3. Alabama
  4. Tennessee
  5. Texas
  6. Kentucky

May

  1. Georgia
  2. Florida
  3. Alabama
  4. Tennessee
  5. Texas
  6. Kentucky

April

  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Alabama
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Illinois

March

  1. Florida
  2. Georgia
  3. Alabama
  4. Tennessee
  5. Texas
  6. Illinois
Facebook page keeps growing, and growing, and growing

One of the things that’s been really unique in the Panama City Beach marketing plan has been the growth of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s Facebook Page, VisitPanamaCityBeach.  Every since the beginning, it’s been growing leaps and bounds, like a snowball, and has never ceased.

They have set records, garnered the attention of Facebook corporate and have been an example of what to do in a successful campaign over and over again.  Currently they are at 219,753 Likes.

Here is a breakdown of their growth over the last year. The number shown indicated the total number of Likes at that point in time.

2011

  • July – 218,159 (136% increase)
  • June – 211,355 (157% increase)
  • May – 203,721 (181% increase)
  • April – 195,380 (187% increase)
  • March – 188,066 (202% increase)

2010

  • July – 92,336
  • June – 82,213
  • May – 72,582
  • April – 67,968
  • March – 62,250
Visitors Services Inquiries

Each day, the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau fields inquiries via phone, email, walk-ins, physical letters and faxes.  Inquires consist of info for making vacation plans, information on group travel, general tourist information, etc.

Here is a breakdown of the inquiries over the last 5 months in the top six states. Numbers are approximate based on the report we received.

July

  • Georgia – 800
  • Alabama – 600
  • Tennessee – 550
  • Florida – 450
  • Texas – 425
  • Kentucky – 350

June

  • Georgia – 1300
  • Tennessee – 950
  • Alabama – 750
  • Texas – 650
  • Kentucky – 550
  • Indiana – 425

May

  • Michigan – 3400
  • Illinois – 2500
  • Wisconsin – 1800
  • Indiana – 1700
  • Ohio – 1600
  • Georgia – 1500

April

  • Tennessee – 2900
  • Georgia – 1100
  • Alabama – 700
  • Texas – 600
  • Florida – 600
  • Illinois – 500

March

  • Georgia – 1100
  • Tennessee – 900
  • Alabama – 650
  • Florida – 625
  • Texas – 600
  • Kentucky – 550

 

International Real Estate Summit Coming to Panama City Beach

Organizers Lewis (Bud) and Hope Abbott have been hard at work putting together a large real estate summit in Panama City Beach that will draw attendees from all over the world.

Vision

From the website

“The vision of the “World Summit” is not to recreate your typical atmosphere of the International Real Estate trade shows, but to promote true unity and collaboration in and around the globe to create business.  The message will be clear, that there is a new and better way of doing business on a global scale.  You will be taught international business strategies by industry specialists that are working smarter and are proven leaders in their respected countries around the world.”

Date of the event and schedule

The event is from October 20 – 22, 2011 and will be held at the Boardwalk Beach Resort’s Conference facilities.

Pre-registration is on the afternoon of the 19th with the summit beginning at 9 am the following morning. Sessions will go through 5 pm.

For a full list of the schedule, visit their website.

Speakers

The International Real Estate World Summit is drawing speakers from Germany, Canada, Dubai, England, Asia, and of course, the USA.

Some of the topics that will be presented on are:

  • International Real Estate Trends
  • Mexico, the Growing Retirement Market
  • Immigration-Based Investment
  • How to Breakthrough with the Asia Investors
  • Marketing to Canada

For more information on the summit, visit their website.

 

Thunder Beach Asks TDC for $100k, Walk out with $40k

Amongst other things, this morning’s TDC meeting included some spirited discussion on the viability of a Fall Motorcycle Rally.  The spring rally, according to organizers, gets better every year.  But the growth of the Fall rally has been stunted because of the date of the event.

Last year, Thunder Beach organizers were vying for the Columbus Day weekend to hold their fall event.  This is a weekend, that historically, included family-related events such as the Panama City Beach Seafood Wine and Music Festival.  The TDC did not support the date change, thus it didn’t happen.

This is the argument for Columbus Day Weekend

Here are the dates of the large Fall motorcycle rallys:

Joe Biggs, the Thunder Beach organizer argues that currently, where Thunder Beach falls in the schedule, it heavily competes with other events for vendors.  This is, in my opinion a very valid point as there is a clear gap, that if the Panama City Beach event could be moved back just one week, vendors could travel from Reno, to Las Vegas, to Panama City Beach, to Daytona.  They are coming down here anyway.

Biggs said that if the fall event can’t be moved, it’s still not going away, but if it could be moved to Columbus Day weekend, it could be as big, if not larger, than the spring rally.

The argument against Columbus Day weekend

“Columbus Day weekend has always been that last shot for families to come down to the beach, and we all know that families and bikers don’t mix,” said board member Gary Walsingham.

“We’ve all tried to get families down here in the fall and we’ve never been able to get it to work,” retorted past board chair Marty McDaniel and owner of Oaseas Resorts, “but we have an obligation to grow business in the fall and this is the best way to do it.”

Oaseas Resorts is the onsite property management company for Shores of Panama, a large venue sponsor for Thunder Beach.

Came for $100k, left with $40k

McDaniel made a motion to grant $100k to Thunder Beach to help promote the fall event, an amount never before given to an event as sponsorship dollars.  The motion was seconded by member Ken Nelson, but was voted no by everyone except McDaniel, Patronis, and Nelson.

Board member Andy Phillips followed that failing vote with a motion to grant Thunder Beach $40,000 to be used towards marketing.  This vote went through with all voting in agreement with the exception of Mayor Oberst.

My opinion, take it for what it’s worth

I have had a rocky history with Thunder Beach.  But, I’ve always recognized it for bringing people to our beach and generating tourist dollars during the shoulder season.  I’ve always recognized it as very successful, while still maintaining a constant level of annoyance with the traffic, noise and sometimes rude behavior.

With that said, I think a move to Columbus Day weekend would be great for the event AND the area.  Even with the Panama City Beach Seafood Wine and Music Festival, I still don’t think that weekend has ever been a large draw for out of town visitors.

I could be wrong.  Please prove me wrong if I am as I’m going off of personal experience and not a stack of reports.

But, if we have a chance to elevate this event to bring in more people, which I strongly feel that we do in this case, I say we do it.  Although Biggs has made no comment to this effect, if he was to move the fall event elsewhere, or the whole event elsewhere, businesses would definitely miss Thunder Beach.  Putting ourselves in a situation where we could lose a fantastic event that draws thousands (even if no one can agree to the real number) of out of towners is a mistake.

What are your thoughts?  I know historically, our readers have had a love/hate relationship with Thunder Beach.  What do you think, should it be moved?

Airport Passes 1 Millionth Passenger, Names new Chairman

The old mantra, “If you build it, they will come,” certainly seems true with the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.  Despite opposition, the new location seems to be meeting expectations.  With a new parking facility under construction and monthly passenger traffic up almost three times what is was in the old airport, it’s safe to say the new facility is getting it’s use.

The Airport Authority recently named Andy McKenzie the new chairman of the board, in replacement of Gerry Clemons.  Clemons retired his position due to term limits.

A lifelong resident of Panama City, Mr. McKenzie has been a member of the Airport Authority since 2005. Mr. McKenzie is CEO and founder of McKenzie Insurance Associates, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and previously served as chief investigator for the Bay County Sheriff’s Department.

“I am honored to serve as chairman of the Airport Authority and look forward to continuing the success that the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport has experienced in its first year of operation,” said McKenzie.

One of these successes was the Airport’s milestone of serving one million passengers, which it reached in July.

“Serving one million passengers is a tremendous achievement,” said McKenzie. “I know the Airport’s outstanding leadership and staff will drive this momentum even further as they continue to provide the highest quality service to passengers.”

The Airport Authority also voted John E. Pilcher, III as its vice-chair. Inducted to the Airport Authority in 2010, Mr. Pilcher owns Pilcher Storage and has served on the Panama City Commission.

Powell Adams Walmart is Official

In a meeting this morning with Mel Leonard, the Planning Director for Panama City Beach, it was confirmed that a new Walmart coming is official.  The location will be at the corner of Powell Adams Road and Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road) and the store size will be 156,000 square feet, roughly 70% the size of the existing Panama City Beach Walmart Supercenter.

At this point, the type of store this will be is just speculation.  Although it has been said that this will be a higher-end store that would better compete with Target than the current Super Center.

Recently a new Walmart store was opened on the west end of South Walton County.  I personally suspect the new Panama City Beach store would be similar to this one.

Improvements to Powell Adams Road

In order to get approval for construction of a new place of business this size, an extensive traffic study had to be completed.  As a result of the traffic study, Walmart is required to pay for the infrastructure improvements that are needed in order for this area to handle the increased load that will come.

Improvements include:

  • Powell Adams Road widened to 4 lanes with center turn lane (5 lanes total)
  • Widening to be taken 1700 feet down Powell Adams from PCB Pkwy
  • PCB Pkwy and Powell Adams Road intersection to be signalized
  • Three PCB Pkwy entrance points into plaza
CRA-grade improvements to Powell Adams

The part where Panama City Beach (and us as residents) come out on top is that Walmart has agreed to “over-improve” Powell Adams Road to the same standard as R Jackson Blvd and Churchwell Road.

Improvements  that come with this “over-improvement” include:

  • Sidewalks
  • Curbs
  • Underground utilities (a huge added bonus)
  • Landscaping
  • Street lights

The requirement for construction doesn’t include many of these aesthetic improvements, but the city has agreed to reimburse Walmart up to $790k for adding those improvements in their infrastructure construction.

The CRA would have done this eventually, and will finish off Powell Adams Road on down the road, but for now, we’ll get an upgraded roadway for a fraction of the cost it would normally be.

Development timeline

At this point, a concrete start date on construction has not been set, but officials are optimistic (and on target for) a construction start date of spring of 2012 with a projected open date of spring 2013.

Keep the comments coming, they’re read

Past articles on this subject have resulted in a very lively discussion.  I can assure you that our local officials read PCBDaily and read the comments. Keep ’em coming.

 

Dick’s Last Resort Replaces Guy Harvey’s in Pier Park

There has been quite a bit of commotion at Pier Park this week.  Monday, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill closed down and it was announced that Dick’s Last Resort was coming in this off-season.  Guy Harvey’s has been a tenant almost since the beginning, located at the corner of S Pier Park Drive and Front Beach Road next to Reggae J’s.  Their menu consisted of fresh gulf seafood short of a few select species that Harvey deemed depleted.  The entrance was a gift shop that hosted shirts, art, belts, and many other varieties of schwag.

I’m not even going to get into speculation as to what happened.

Dick’s Last Resort

Dick’s last resort is known for its “outrageous, surly and energetic wait staff and tasty comfort food.”  They have locations in Nashville, Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach, Dallas, Baltimore, San Antonio, San Diego, Chicago, Boston and Vegas.  And looking at that location lineup, that puts Panama City Beach up there with the big dogs.

“At Dick’s Last Resort, we’re known for having a good time, but we’re very selective about where we do business,” said CEO Ted Moats. “Pier Park and Panama City Beach are a natural fit for the fun, energetic atmosphere we offer, and we are very excited to open our doors and meet the local community and visitors.”

“Dick’s Last Resort is a perfect fit for the Panama City Beach market,” said Felicia Cook, Pier Park’s Director of Marketing & Business Development. “With so many of their locations open in top tier tourist destinations, we’re thrilled that they’ve decided to open in Pier Park.”

Dick’s should open sometime this winter.

 

Walmart to Pay for Expanded Powell Adams Road

Although final plans or a formal commitment for a new Walmart has not been made, an agreement between the Panama City Beach CRA and Walmart has been made for them to pay for road improvements.

The Panama City Beach CRA, or Community Redevelopment Area is a mechanism by which our local roads and infrastructure are being improved over time to look better, be more beautiful and to better handle increased load and demand. Past CRA projects include the Churchwell road improvements, R Jackson Blvd improvements and the currently ongoing South Thomas Drive improvements.

The Powell Adams improvements include all the treatments you’d find in a normal CRA project, including underground utilities, sidewalks, street lights and landscaping.  In addition, of course, the road way will be widened to four lanes.  The improvements are projected to be around $2 million.

The CRA had existing plans to treat Powell Adams road, but it was several projects away – the CRA is working it’s way west from it’s current development location.  This agreement with Walmart stipulates that they will pay for the improvements and the CRA will reimburse them at a later date.  By doing the improvements this way, the City is expected to save almost $500k.

There is no expected start date just yet, but you can expect more information on this in the coming weeks from us.

This topic has created a very lively discussion on our other post, how do you feel about this improvement now?