Anton Fedorov, VP of Business Development at Ampersand, joins Aqua Talks at the Governor’s Conference for a data-forward look at how destinations should be thinking about television advertising. Ampersand — a nearly 40-year-old company owned by Comcast and Charter, known as NCC Media until 2019 — exists to make buying cable inventory simple, representing its owners’ footprint plus dozens of affiliates so agencies and clients can target audiences nationally, regionally, by DMA, or right down to the household. Anton’s core message: the conversation has shifted from markets, networks, and day parts to audience. With clean subscriber data, 95%+ match rates, and roughly 12,000 LiveRamp categories, Ampersand can identify who’s most likely to visit a destination and reach them at home with addressable TV — often letting DMOs spend less and accomplish more by looking beyond their historical drive markets.

The discussion covers why accountability matters so much in tourism (DMO budgets come from local taxes and grants, so attribution and economic impact are essential), how Ampersand hands exposure files to third parties like Arrivalists and Tourism Economics to “not grade its own homework,” and a careful take on AI and data privacy under the Cable Act. Anton closes with a standout case study: during Florida’s early post-COVID reopening, an Arrivalists study found 22% of arrivals in a record ~117–119 million visitor year were initially exposed to an Ampersand ad — his case for TV as the trusted, top-of-funnel platform that other channels can’t replace.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• 00:43 - Welcome Back — Governor's Conference 2026
• 04:24 - The Importance of Data in Tourism and Travel Marketing
• 06:52 - Defining Campaigns and Roles: Agencies, DMOs, and Ampersand
• 10:19 - TV and Streaming: How Technology Is Changing
• 13:59 - Entering the AI Era: Turning Data into Action
• 19:30 - Closing: Contact Info & Final Remarks

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Follow the audience, not the platform. Betting on a single platform means missing more than you reach; the smart move is finding where your audience actually is.
• From markets to households. Ampersand can target nationally, regionally, by DMA, or at the household level with addressable TV — often reaching high-potential visitors outside a DMO’s usual drive markets.
• Data is the engine. Clean subscriber data, 95%+ match rates, and ~12,000 LiveRamp categories let them pinpoint likely visitors and spend less to accomplish more.
• Accountability for tax-funded budgets. Because DMO money comes from taxes and grants, attribution and economic-impact measurement are central — handed to third parties like Arrivalists and Tourism Economics to stay objective.
• Set-top box reach still matters. Even amid streaming’s rise, a huge subscriber footprint consumes video via set-top boxes, and Ampersand inserts across both environments as owners shift to streaming.
• AI with guardrails. Eager to use AI for speed and efficiency, but careful with subscriber data and Cable Act / PII compliance.
• TV’s trust factor. The Visit Florida case study — 22% of arrivals in a record year first exposed to an Ampersand ad — makes his case for TV as the trusted top-of-funnel driver other channels can’t match.

Brianna Green, public relations manager at Visit Florida, joins Aqua Talks live from the Governor’s Conference in West Palm Beach for a sharp, practical conversation about where PR is heading. Her big theme: GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — the new SEO. As travelers increasingly ask ChatGPT and other LLMs where to go, Brianna argues PR pros have to think not just about what a journalist will pick up, but what an LLM will pull in as a trusted source. That’s pushing her team back to PR fundamentals: the inverted pyramid, a blunt who-what-where-when-why in the first paragraph, and scannable formats (bullet points, even a TL;DR) that LLMs can categorize easily. They’re using a GEO monitoring platform to test prompts and see whether visitflorida.com, their social channels, and their press coverage are getting cited — and they’ve even returned to the newswire, betting that consistent mentions across credible outlets signal legitimacy to the models.

From there, Brianna lays out how Visit Florida works as the statewide DMO: earning media through both traditional outlets and content creators (the authentic third-party voice travelers trust), running international programs across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Canada, the UK, and Germany, and taking the cost and lift off smaller DMO partners through missions, receptions, and co-op programs like satellite media tours. She previews Huddle Florida UK, shares why experiencing the state firsthand makes her a better storyteller, and makes the case for the “Find the new in your known” campaign — nudging repeat visitors beyond the beaches and theme parks to Crystal River manatees, the Dry Tortugas, bioluminescent kayaking on the Space Coast, and the springs.

In This Episode:

• 00:45 - Live from the Governor's Conference — West Palm Beach
• 01:23 - GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Rethinking PR for LLMs
• 07:35 - Introducing Visit Florida — Purpose, Role, and Outreach
• 12:21 - Visit Florida’s Importance to Local Destinations
• 17:29 - Discover Florida Beyond the Beaches

Key Takeaways:

• GEO is the new SEO. Generative Engine Optimization means crafting coverage LLMs will pull in as a trusted source — not just what a journalist picks up.
• Back to PR basics. Lead with a blunt who-what-where-when-why and scannable formats (bullets, a TL;DR) that LLMs can categorize.
• Consistency signals authority. Accurate, direct info repeated across many credible outlets (hence a return to the newswire) tells LLMs you’re legit.
• Monitor across teams. A GEO platform lets PR, content, and social test prompts and see whether the website and channels get cited.
• Creators are a PR function. Visit Florida leans on creators as the authentic third-party voice travelers trust.
• Global reach, local agencies. Programs span the US plus Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Canada, the UK, and Germany, with boots on the ground and FAM trips.
• Lifting up smaller DMOs. Missions, receptions, and co-op programs like satellite media tours give partners reach they couldn’t mount alone.
• “Find the new in your known.” The campaign pushes repeat visitors past beaches and parks to Crystal River, the Dry Tortugas, Space Coast kayaking, and the springs.

Aqua Talks returns to Blu Halo for a roundtable (or, as Larry puts it, a “square table”) with managing partner Andy Donato, restaurant relations lead Shannon Ruedt, and PR partner Mary Ellen Collins. The theme: Blu Halo isn’t just a special-occasion spot — with cocktails starting at 11:30, a come-as-you-are no-dress-code vibe, and a location surrounded by offices, hotels, and the airport, it’s built to be an everyday lunch, happy hour, or dinner destination you can visit once or twice a week.

The conversation covers what makes the place distinctive: an all-fresh, no-freezers kitchen (Wagyu even on the kids’ menu), a genuinely substantial “Paw Patio” dog menu where dogs eat free, live music Wednesday through Saturday, and a packed events calendar — monthly Mahjong & Martinis, a private room that seats up to 50, and a steady run of pairing dinners. Andy walks through his passion project, the wine list (old world and new, heavy on France and Italy), and previews upcoming events including a Green Bench beer dinner and an October bourbon dinner featuring Penelope. It’s a warm, community-minded look at a restaurant leaning into being a neighborhood regular spot as it approaches its one-year anniversary.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Chapters:

• 00:44 - Blue Halo: New Participants Join
• 01:30 - Returning to Blue Halo: Dining Philosophy & Offerings
• 07:15 - Events & Community Nights — Pairing Dinners, Mahjong & More
• 09:32 - Wine list, tastings, and pairing events
• 15:25 - Episode Outro — Aqua Talks: Call to Action & Closing

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Not just special occasion. Pricing, menu, and an 11:30 cocktail start are designed for everyday visits — lunch, happy hour, or dinner once or twice a week — not a once-a-year splurge.
• The “Paw Patio” dog menu. Shannon’s idea, born from a “Bark & Brunch” event and tied to a local shelter: dogs eat free, with substantial options (sliced strawberries, hot dog, chicken, scrambled eggs) — a step beyond the usual pup cup.
• All fresh, no freezers. The kitchen literally has no freezers, so everything is fresh — including Wagyu on the kids’ menu (same quality beef the adults get, no frozen patties or chicken).
• Live music four nights a week. Wednesday through Saturday, kept as soft background listening that can turn up later in the night.
• A full events calendar. Monthly Mahjong & Martinis (first Sunday, open play), wine/whiskey/beer pairing dinners coordinated with bar manager Joey, and a private room seating up to 50 (splittable) — now taking holiday reservations.
• Andy’s wine list. A personal passion spanning old world and new, affordable to splurge, with a France- and Italy-heavy old-world selection.
• Pairing dinners with real voices. Andy brings in actual winemakers/winery reps (recently Todd Anderson of Kahn Valley) rather than multi-brand liquor reps; upcoming are a Green Bench (St. Pete) beer dinner and an October Penelope bourbon dinner (wheated, rye, and the new French-oak-finished “Architect”).
• Sunday is chef’s night. Open 4–8 with the Lobster Trap and three rotating chef-only specialty entrées (a pasta, a chicken, and a beef dish).