Experience Kissimmee Zips Into Chicago with Great Results

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More than 4,200 people came out to Millennium Park to experience some high-speed, high-flying fun from Kissimmee.

Tweetable: @Kissimmee made a particularly brisk and bold statement in the Windy City recently by dropping a zipline in @Millennium_Park #EscapeCold

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (February 24, 2016) -- Experience Kissimmee made a particularly brisk and bold statement in the Windy City recently by dropping a line-a zipline, that is-from the sunshine state.

A 200-foot zipline erected in Millennium Park was one way the destination marketing organization chose to remind Chicagoans that Kissimmee is an ideal destination to escape the cold and enjoy heartwarming experiences!  The effort, strategically planned for the long Valentine's and President's Day weekend (Feb. 13-15), was part of Experience Kissimmee's "Escape the Cold. Warm Your Heart." winter campaign.

With more than 26 non-stop daily flights from Chicago to the Orlando International Airport, Kissimmee is a favorite destination for residents of the Midwest to escape the bitter cold.

"This is the first time the city of Chicago has partnered with a Destination Marketing Organization to bring an event of this magnitude to Millennium Park, and we blew it out of the park," stated Experience Kissimmee President & CEO DT Minich. 

Working in concert with Chicago-based marketing company FCBX and zipline supplier Vertical Reality out of Miami, the promotion attracted more than 1,400 zipliners...on the coldest weekend of the year to date.

Lines formed well ahead of the scheduled start of the zipline experience and included an enthusiastic mix of young and old, residents and tourists providing ample evidence of the event's success.   

More than 4,200 attended the promotion which was complemented by a Toasting Tent, where the public had a chance to register to win a Kissimmee vacation and other prizes, enjoy a hot chocolate bar and stock up on Kissimmee branded cold weather gear. There was also a photo opportunity with baby alligators from Gatorland.

Additionally, while the zipline and Toasting Tent were free to the public, Experience Kissimmee encouraged participants to bring a new or gently used coat to the One Warm Coat® Drop Zone. Nearly 1,000 coats were collected, and in turn were distributed to Chicago Public Schools.

Throughout the holiday weekend, Kissimmee was featured on 32 local news broadcasts and mentioned in more than 25 print and online news articles with a total reach of nearly 28 million. To help generate buzz among Kissimmee's one million Facebook fans, an event page was created to promote and build excitement with consumers in market. The event page reached more than 648,000 consumers with 31,000 of them clicking through, resulting in 9,500 consumers engaging with the event.

The success and excitement of the Chicago zipline event paves the way for similar out of market promotions.

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About Experience Kissimmee:

Experience Kissimmee is the tourism authority for Osceola County, minutes from Orlando International Airport. The popular destination known as the Gateway to Fun welcomes more than 7 million visitors overnight from all over the world, offering convenient access to Orlando's theme parks and a host of natural adventures such as airboat rides and zipline safaris. Kissimmee also is the vacation home rental capital of the world, boasting a wide variety of home-away-from-home units among its more than 50,000 total lodging options that also includes luxury resorts, comfortable hotels and more.

About Gatorland:

Gatorland is a 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve, combining "Old Florida" charm with exciting new exhibits and entertainment. The park opened as a roadside attraction in 1949. Today, it provides affordable-priced family fun featuring thousands of alligators, crocodiles, a free flight aviary, breeding marsh with observation tower, petting zoo, nature walk, educational wildlife programs, Gatorland award-winning gift shop, Florida's best train-ride, restaurant, Gator Gully Splash Park and one-of-a-kind shows including the Gator Wrestlin' Show, Gator Jumparoo and the Up-close Encounters Show. And, don't miss the world's largest collection of giant white alligators in the White Gator Swamp and the Screamin' Gator Zip Line featuring over 1,200 feet of high flying thrills, five intense zip lines and a massive 150 ft. suspension bridge.

About FCBX:

FCBX is the top-ranked, award-winning experiential marketing and brand engagement division of FCB. As specialists of behavior-based activations in the digital and physical space, FCBX is headquartered in Chicago and led by Dee Hall, a respected pioneer in experiential marketing and one of Chicago Biz Journal's Women of Influence. FCBX has been creating real connections since 1998 with an array of clients, spanning such varied industries as Telecom, Consumer Packaged Goods, Beverage, Aerospace, Healthcare and more.

About Vertical Reality:

With over 23 years of experience in the Amusement and Entertainment Industry, Vertical Reality has been and always will be the worldwide leading manufacturer and supplier for ZipZone Ziplines, Bungee Trampoline Systems, Automatic Belay Mobile and Stationary Rock Climbing Walls, Mobile and Stationary Spider Mountain and Mobile Ropes Course. 877-632-6444. www.verticalreality.com