Happy August! As we look ahead to fall, I'm excited to celebrate one of my favorite traditions at Visit Sarasota County—recognizing the people who make our tourism community so exceptional.

This November, at our annual Indicators & Insights Summit, we'll present the Haley Hall of Fame Awards, which we proudly renamed three years ago in honor of my predecessor, Virginia Haley. During her 24 years leading Visit Sarasota County, Virginia helped transform our destination while generating tremendous economic impact for Sarasota County and the State of Florida. Her leadership has extended across our state, country, and the globe, serving as Chair of Visit Florida, leading our statewide tourism association, Destinations Florida, and advancing our industry internationally serving as Chair of the Destinations International Accreditation Board.

This summer, Virginia's extraordinary legacy received the recognition it so richly deserves when she was inducted into the Destinations International Hall of Fame. I was honored to attend the annual convention with Shantel Norman and witness this special moment firsthand. It was a proud reminder that the impact of great leadership reaches far beyond the communities we serve.

As we prepare for this year's Haley Hall of Fame Awards, I encourage you to think about someone whose dedication has made a difference in Sarasota County's tourism and hospitality industry. We all know individuals whose passion, leadership, and service deserve to be recognized, and I hope you'll take a moment to nominate them. You'll find nomination information below.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and everything you do to make Sarasota County a world-class destination. If you have questions—or ideas for making this year's awards celebration even more memorable, including if you’d be interested in sponsoring an award—please don't hesitate to reach out to me or anyone on our team.

I look forward to celebrating with you in November!

In service,

Erin Duggan, CDME
President & CEO, Visit Sarasota County

Friendly reminder that your referrals matter! Recommend a local business to our partner program and share this information with partnership@visitsarasota.org, and for every successful referral that completes the onboarding process (including payment), you’ll receive rewards – including a comped partnership after 3 referrals!

We’ve launched an Events webpage where you can RSVP for all our latest happenings—for B2B events, Partner Office Hours, and signature events. We highly recommend bookmarking it, so you always stay in the know.

This year, VSC’s Indicators & Insights Summit will be the definitive event to hear executive-level expertise on the tourism industry on local, national, and global levels. Gather with leaders in the industry to help you plan your business strategies based on real-time trends and economic conditions. We will also honor those who continue to advance tourism and hospitality by announcing the winners of our prestigious Haley Hall of Fame Awards. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now!

Gecko's Hospitality Group Chief Operating Officer Fiona Farrell was named the 2026 Impact in Action Award recipient by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes a Leadership Sarasota alumnus who is making a lasting impact through leadership, service, and community involvement. Congrats, Fiona!

Our President & CEO, Erin Duggan, spoke on a panel for Economic Development Day at Leadership Venice alongside County Commissioner Tom Knight, Venice City Manager James Clinch, and Josh Ewen of the EDC of Sarasota County, moderated by Jennifer Bushinger-Ortiz.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame! VSC’s VP of Marketing & Communications, Kelly Harb, joined the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in hosting Allegiant route planners for a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park. The outing provided a fun, informal setting to strengthen relationships, showcase our regional partnership and keep Sarasota County top of mind as Allegiant considers future air service opportunities.

Our Downtown Visitor Center welcomed partners for an Open House, a helpful push to check two important items off their to-do lists: sharing their feedback in our Annual Partner Survey and approving their 2027 Visitor Guide listing. Routine tasks that racked in rewards! Completed checklists were celebrated with scratch-off prizes, with several partners walking away with totes, tumblers, and the potential be drawn for our $1,800 advertising giveaway.

Three restaurants across Sarasota County earned national acclaim when Michelin Guide came to town, and our team could not wait to deliver their hard-earned recognition hardware. Congratulations to our partners at Lucky 8, Tralia, and Focaccia! Now, why don’t you go celebrate with a visit?

Our Partnership and Sales teams visited one of our longtime partners, The Residences on Siesta Key Beach, part of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, for a site visit along America's #1 beach. Lodging partners, if it's been a while since we've visited, let's change that. Reach out to our Partnership Team at partnership@visitsarasota.org to schedule a site visit.

Our Visitor Services team supported our partner, Downtown Sarasota Alliance’s Back-to-School Drive Campaign at the Downtown Sarasota Visitor Center. The donation box is full and ready to make its way into the hands of eager students! We’re proud to lend a helping hand to our partners and support initiatives that make a positive impact in our community.

The first half of FY2026 has been one of the strongest starts in Visit Sarasota County Sports' history. Through the first two quarters (October 2025-March 2026), the sports team hosted 59 sporting events that welcomed more than 209,000 attendees, generated 44,000+ Sarasota County room nights, and produced an estimated $97.1 million in economic impact, including more than $58.8 million in direct visitor spending. Athletes competed across 13 different sports, ranging from baseball, rowing, dragon boat racing and equestrian to soccer, swimming, BMX racing and gymnastics, showcasing the diversity of Sarasota County's sports tourism portfolio.

The milestone is even more impressive when compared to the previous fiscal year. Through just the first six months of FY2026, sports tourism has already generated nearly as much estimated economic impact as all of FY2025, which concluded with more than $98 million across 104 events. With a strong third quarter now complete and the fiscal year entering its final stretch, Visit Sarasota County anticipates FY2026 will finish with economic impact comparable to pre-pandemic levels. Historically, the third quarter is Sarasota County's busiest sports tourism season, typically featuring more than 30 sporting events, including the destination's flagship event, the USRowing Youth National Championships. The 2026 regatta once again set new participation benchmarks, with post-event reporting expected in the coming months. This continued growth reflects not only the success of our long-standing rights holders and recurring events, but also the collaborative efforts of Visit Sarasota County and Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources to recruit new sporting events that generate meaningful economic impact for our community.

While August is a lighter month on the countywide sports calendar, Fox Lea Farm continues to welcome equestrian competition throughout the summer. The venue will host its monthly USHJA Outreach Show on August 15-16, followed by the Fall Dressage Concours I & II on August 29-30, continuing its year-round schedule of equestrian events that attract riders and spectators from across the region.

Looking ahead, excitement continues to build for a busy fall season. Construction at 17th Street Regional Park continues to make steady progress, with all eight youth softball fields now featuring completed infields and fresh sod, work advancing on the multipurpose fields, and park amenities such as sidewalks, batting cages, bullpens and restroom buildings taking shape each week. The park remains on pace to open by the end of 2026 and is expected to become one of the premier sports facilities in the region, further expanding Sarasota County's ability to host high-level tournaments and sporting events.

That momentum will culminate this fall as Sarasota County prepares to host the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Cup on October 31-November 1, the first of a two-year hosting agreement with SRQBMX and USA BMX. The event will welcome elite riders representing more than 25 countries as they compete in the final rounds of the World Cup season, bringing world-class competition, international exposure and thousands of visitors to the destination. As preparations continue behind the scenes, the event represents another major milestone in Sarasota County's growing reputation as a premier destination for national and international sporting events.

Upcoming Event: Leveraging DMOs – Building Regional Resilience Through Partnership

Calling all Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management teams! Join HSMAI Florida Gulf Coast for an insightful panel discussion featuring top executives from our region’s official Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs). Discover how strategic partnerships, data, and regional collaboration can drive tourism and boost your business strategy.

Date: Tuesday, August 12 | 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Location: Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay (2900 Bayport Dr, Tampa, FL)

Who Should Attend: Sales, Marketing & Revenue Management Leaders

Spaces are limited—reserve your spot today!

What makes your business unique?
We are a polished casual independent restaurant, deeply local in our sourcing, commitment to community and in our business partnerships. Lefty's is locally owned and operated and one of four siblings in the Watershed Hospitality Concepts family of restaurants.

What would visitors find interesting/intriguing about your business?
Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar offers the revival of coastal seafood in a rustic, comfortable atmosphere. Our made-to-order fare & innovative cocktails will chart your course to sharing a good meal with friends & family. The Watershed Hospitality Concepts family of restaurants is proud to partner with local Blumenberry Farms for seasonal organic produce & herbs. Our guests can ask their friendly server what’s fresh from the farm during the growing season. Lefty’s is a business partner with the Oyster Boys
Conservation, which recycles the shells from the oysters you enjoy with us to create Vertical Oyster Gardens in support of their mission to improve water quality and restore critical habitats in Florida.

Do you offer specials and/or any special events?

We proudly participated in Savor Sarasota and we offer early and late Happy Hours, Buck-A-Shuck, Chef's Special Menu and a menu which flexes with the seasonal fresh fare from the field and the sea.

How long have you been in operation?
We just celebrated our two-year anniversary and we are honored to say that, in that short time, we have been recognized for the inaugural Haley Award for "Business Excellence" and for several "Best Of Local" awards, including "Best New Restaurant", "Best Local Oysters", and "Best Local Ceviche."

What are you currently working on/developing that you want to share and/or partner with other local businesses on?
We have several dedicated business partnerships in place already, including with the Florida Dept. of Agriculture's Fresh From Florida program, the Booker High School 'Tornado Kitchen' culinary lab and Sarasota High School's AgriBusiness Class at The Farm at Sarasota County Schools. A new partnership with the Florida Aquaculture Shellfish Association will enjoy a debut with a party in November featuring an oyster & wine tasting with an educational component with Florida Shellfish and Oyster Farmers.

If you could describe what you do in one sentence, what would it be?
We Serve Hospitality; Lefty's offers our guests an invitation to experience the watershed moments when hospitality gives its all and the gems of the sea live up to their reputation.

What do you value most about your VSC partnership?
As decades-long partners with VSC, and as a business representative company of the over 1Million Hospitality workers in the great State of Florida, we embrace our responsibility to represent our industry, State and community with integrity and a welcoming smile. Our efforts to ensure the hospitality industry has a voice in workforce, legislative, economic, and regional resiliency discussions have been fruitful, in no small part because of the strong team partnership with VSC. We are committed to continue to strengthen those connections. And as always, we celebrate the opportunities to partner with VSC to create uplifting experiences and the timeless ritual of sharing a meal and a toast.

Interacted with 2,338 visitors and residents at the Visitors Centers.

Mailed and distributed 349 Visitor Guides and mailed 37 Relocation Packets.

Created 728 info bags for various groups.