Hot Spot Seeks Girls Gone Mild.

HAVING LONG shaken its reputation as a spring break mecca, the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau will try to lure former revelers and their families with a "Here comes the sun" tour, backed by a $3 million TV, radio, print, outdoor and Web push.

Starting in January, the beach on wheels, handled by M Silver Associates, New York, will bring sand and swimsuits to New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. En route, hoteliers, retailers and entertainers will join the mobile unit, which will be used for remote radio broadcasts.

Ads in each city, via Marc USA, Ft. Lauderdale, will precede the road show and spots (like one that will air on a Times Square big board) will tell boomers that Ft. Lauderdale is not like the rowdy destination of their spring break days.

It was in 1986 when then mayor Bob Cox pronounced that his city was closed to spring breakers. Civic and cultural events followed. But the key was getting hoteliers to upgrade properties. Those passing muster were branded as Superior Small Lodging, earning the opportunity to be marketed by the CVB. In 2003, the SSL program helped bring in 8.4 million visitors who spent $1 billion--much improved from the spring break heyday when the area lured 385,000 youths and $110 million.

"We couldn't allow that market to determine our future," said Nicki Grossman, CWB president.

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By Mike Beirne