Dreaming about a Florida vacation? Look no further because VISIT FLORIDA, the state�s official source for travel planning, is launching the new Florida Experience at the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis August 7-8 to more than 250,000 consumers.

�The Florida Experience allows travelers around the country to experience a bit of Florida in their hometowns,� said Dale Brill, senior vice president of marketing at VISIT FLORIDA. �If you think you�ve already seen Florida, think again � this event showcases the depth and diversity the Sunshine State has to offer.�

The Florida Experience is a visual display of sights, sounds and activities found in Florida. The surrounding interior and exterior walls of the 10,000 square-foot Florida Experience village contain seven themed interactive exhibits designed to let consumers participate in various Florida vacation activities like golfing, windsurfing, kayaking and more. The experiential exhibits offer many Florida delights and include the themes Sunshine Coast, Florida Waterways, Florida Fairways, Florida Speedway, Hotel Showcase, Florida Theatre and several other displays.

�The Florida Experience is the largest mobile destination marketing exhibit in the U.S.,� said Chris Schroeder, president of Destination Experience, the management company for the Florida Experience. �We have been involved in numerous marketing and promotional initiatives for many major destinations.�

The Sunshine Coast area within the Florida Experience includes a white-sand beach. Special events at the beach include sand castle building for children and families. To get a real sense of Florida�s pristine water-related activates, guests can virtually skim across the waters of Florida with the windsurfing simulator. In addition, for the water-loving traveler, visit the Florida Waterways section to kayak in a 30,000 gallon tank while receiving professional instruction from a world-renowned kayak instructor.

Looking to play golf on some of Florida�s top golf courses? Check out the Florida Fairways area and see if your swing is up to par. In the Florida Speedway section, test your NASCAR knowledge and compete in a �real-life� pit crew challenge for a chance to win Florida trips and gifts.

The sights and sounds of Florida come alive in the Florida Theatre. Visitors are entertained and educated about the many wonderful opportunities awaiting them in Florida through video presentations.

While at the Florida Experience, potential vacationers can plan their next Florida trip. Representatives from Florida attractions and hotels will be at the Florida Hotel Showcase, to share more about the best places to stay and things to do while in Florida. Visitors can even register to win a FREE Florida vacation!

Florida Experience sponsors include: Beacon Hotel, Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Club at Hammock Beach, Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., Florida State Parks: Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, Gateway, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc., The Original Florida, Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Pensacola Convention & Visitor Bureau

Regency Towers, Splash Pools, The Standard, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Summer Bay Resort, Sunstream Hotels & Resorts, and Tween Waters Inn.

The Florida Experience was created by VISIT FLORIDA and Destination Experience. Within the next ten months, it will travel to: Indianapolis for the NASCAR Brickyard 400, Aug. 7-8, 2004; Orlando for the Florida Governor�s Conference on Tourism, Aug. 7-10; Dallas for the Texas State Fair, Oct. 6-17, 2004; and Louisville for the Kentucky Derby Festival, April 23, 2005.

Organizations interested in becoming involved with the Florida Experience should contact Chris Schroeder at (734) 323-5470.

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Editors Note: For more information, images or a map of the specific Florida Experience locations, contact Vanessa Welter or Betsy Couch at (850) 488-5607.

The state�s official source for travel planning, VISIT FLORIDA was created by the Florida Legislature in 1996 as the operating company for the Florida Commission on Tourism, a private/public partnership. VISIT FLORIDA markets Florida tourism worldwide, directing advertising, sales, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs both domestically and internationally. It works with the worlds� major travel writers and broadcasters, and produces print and broadcast promotions to consumers and travel influencers. VISIT FLORIDA maintains domestic offices in Tallahassee, New York and Chicago and has international offices in Germany, London, Paris, Montreal, Toronto and a dedicated office serving Latin America.

VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,400 tourism industry Partners and four major strategic alliances, with Alamo Rent A Car, American Express Travel Related Services, AirTran Airways, and the Florida Hotel & Motel Association. It also operates the state�s five Official Florida Welcome Centers at I-10 in Pensacola, U.S. 231, I-75, I-95 and the Florida Capitol. According to VISIT FLORIDA preliminary estimates, 2003 was an all-time record year with 74.5 million visitors, maintaining Florida as one of the top travel destinations in the world. Florida tourism generates about a $50 billion economic impact each year. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA visit our media section at www.media.VISITFLORIDA.org. To view the consumer web site, please visit www.FLAUSA.com.

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Media Contact: VISIT FLORIDA The State�s Official Source for Travel Planning Vanessa Welter Director of Global PR (850) 488-5607 ext.337 Vanessa@VISITFLORIDA.org http://media.VISITFLORIDA.org