Fort Myers Beach committee finalizes marketing, sponsors and catering for Cruisers Appreciation Day

Abigail Eberhardt, the town’s public information officer, presented a marketing plan for the April 12 Cruisers Appreciation Day that includes a press release, 3–4 Constant Contact email blasts to a purchased list of about 300–350 addresses, and social media posts every three days leading up to the event.

"My name is Abigail Eberhardt. I'm the public information officer here at the town," Abigail told the committee, then described the outreach cadence and offered to share the press release and creative materials before they go public. She said Curtis Ludwig’s messaging system will be used to contact mooring-field boaters directly and that a separate RSVP could be requested for that group if needed.

The committee emphasized outreach to both boaters and residents. Curtis Ludwig described a direct-messaging system for mooring-field customers that is more accurate than the older email reports, and Abigail said the public-facing email list will include local ZIP-code recipients. The committee asked Abigail to circulate the press release and any proposed logo or graphics for review before release.

Logistics and funding for the event were discussed at length. Committee members listed in-kind sponsors and donations including Fly Healy, Florida Marine Contractors (Steven Lee), Pink Shell, Island Carts and others; Curtis confirmed a mix of monetary and in-kind contributions and reported current event funds of about $2,077.36 plus new expected sponsor checks.

Sam Lurie moved that the committee accept the catering price increase from $25 to $28 per person (all‑inclusive); the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. "Accept the $28 per person," Sam said when making the motion; the committee voted in favor.

The group agreed to a March 9 planning meeting (1–3 p.m.) and set the next regular meeting for March 23 to review progress. Staff will follow up with nonprofit participants, confirm vendor agreements with the town manager and legal review as needed, and supply the committee with final marketing materials and sponsor logos in advance.

The committee’s immediate next steps are circulating the marketing copy and graphics for approval, confirming vendor contracts through staff, and finalizing volunteer and equipment needs in the March 9 planning session.