Spring Training is in the Air!

When spring is in the air, you know that it is time for Talkin’ Tourism to check out the excitement in the air at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida and broadcasting live from the Mets official radio broadcast booth high above the field is always a thrill.

We are always pleased to have Paul Taglieri, general manager and director of Florida operations for the New York Mets, along with Traer Van Allen, assistant general manager and assistant director of operations, as our special guests.  Paul shared with our listeners all the improvements visitors can expect to enjoy and the huge economic impact spring training has on the Treasure Coast.

Now more than ever, the stadium experience is a true 'family affair'. The Mets organization has renegotiated their lease agreement with St. Lucie County and they are here to stay to 2023!  Based on Paul’s comments, it would appear that spring training and baseball in general is a huge tourism promotion engine for St. Lucie County and the Treasure Coast region.

Traer shared ticket sales this year are running strong and talked about the great passion in the region for this loved U.S.game. Traer gave his forecasts on what game will draw the largest attendance?  If you missed his prediction, you can still hear it by listening to Talkin' Tourism's Spring Training show here.

Although baseball and spring training were the main topics of this week’s show, lots of other local and regional tourism snippets were also discussed, including upcoming events and activities you won't want to miss.

So ladies and gentlemen, grab a hot dog, peanuts, popcorn and your favorite baseball beverage. The team is ready to go, and so will you after listening to last week’s show.  Let’s play ball!

Take Me Out to the Ballpark: New York Mets, Here We Come

Last week, Talkin Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond!) touched on the importance of spring training to the Treasure Coast region with guest Tom Colucci. With the season opener scheduled for the New York Mets this Saturday at Digital Domain Park, Gary and Robin just had to do a show from the stadium. Thanks to the help of Charlotte Lombard, manager of the St. Lucie County Tourism Office, this week’s edition of the show will be broadcast from the Visitor’s Press Box, high above the diamond.

St. Lucie Mets general manager Paul Taglieri will be at the top of the batting order. Paul is in his 13th year as the St. Lucie Mets general manager, having been named Director of Florida Operations for the New York Mets in 2001. Paul spent two seasons as general manager for the Auburn Doubledays of the New York Penn League and three seasons as the assistant general manager of the Sarasota Red Sox of the Florida State League. So what are the responsibilities of a minor league team general manager? What are the prospects for the teams this year? How specifically do the teams, (both the minor and major league teams) help promote tourism on the Treasure Coast and St. Lucie County? With Paul's input, we'll have the answers to those very questions.

Helping us bridge this gap will be our second hitter, Jill Hanson. Jill is a member of the St. Lucie County Tourism Development Council and sales director for the Residence Inn in Port St. Lucie. Despite being a major Red Sox fan, Jill is very involved with the Mets through her hotel property and sponsorships. Is the bed tax revenue that is spent on the stadium a good return on investment for tourism in St. Lucie County? Jill may have the answer.

So listeners, this week it’s Take Me Out To the Ball Game along with lots of other information you need to know about things to do, places to go and how to have fun on the Treasure Coast (and Beyond!).

And if that wasn't enough, a four-pack of tickets to Saturday's season opener will be given away during the show!

Tune in tomorrow (Friday, February 25) at 10:05 a.m. On the Treasure Coast and Grand Bahama, you can tune in on WPSL1590 AM; those outside radio broadcast range, can pickup the show's livestream at http://www.wpsltv.com/.

Tourism impact of Spring Training, Arts and Culture

In the first half of this week’s show, Radio Man (aka Gary Guertin) was outnumbered 4 to 1 as the ArtsFest team and Robin chatted up the now concluded 23rd ArtsFest. From the cadre of volunteers represented by Allison Wigley, the artists represented by this year’s featured artist Meg Winter, Martin County arts community represented by Arts Council of Martin County Nancy Turrell and History Lady, Talkin' Tourism’s co-host (Robin Hicks-Connors) who occupies the arts and culture board position on the Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau, no stone was left unturned! It is clear that visitors that have a passion for arts and culture, and both are an important “segment” of our overall tourism product. Listen in and gain a clearer understanding of the inner workings of this hallmark event and the passion expressed by our outstanding guests.

Soon the tables were turned as former major league professional and local Martin County icon Rusty Meachum and his two sons Reese and Russell joined the show. Back to a 4 to 1, this time with the 'boys' in charge, the discussion centered around the sport of professional baseball and it’s impact on the Florida tourism scene. With teams moving from Florida, once the spring training mecca, our state has lost ground to other sunny and warm locations such as Arizona. So, at the end of the day, who will prevail, the Cactus League of Arizona or the Grapefruit League of Florida? Only time will tell. Each state’s commitment to promoting this sport in their respective locales will tell the tale. While the economic impact figures were not on the front burner, what was on the front burner was Rusty’s obvious passion for the sport and his commitment to assisting youth in our area excel in this American tradition.

If you missed the show, download it HERE. Talkin' Tourism's goal is to help you stay on top of all things tourism along the Treasure Coast and beyond!