THE KEY: AWARENESS

Advertising alum helps keep Florida Keys in tourists’ plans

By Lauren Rich

When a storm threatens the Florida Keys, Andy Newman, ADV 1977, stations himself at Miami’s Hurricane Center. He serves as the liaison between Emergency Management officials and the Monroe County Tourism Development Council (TDC).

“He’s aware [of hurricane threats] sometimes before the council,” TDC Director Harold Wheeler said.

By participating in phone conferences with elected officials, electric and water companies and the sheriff’s department, Newman helps bring visitors back as soon as possible and protect Monroe County residents.

Nearly 25 years ago, Newman joined his father’s public relations firm, Stuart Newman Associates, which specializes in travel and leisure.

“His early interest in servicing this client became a total commitment and easily can be termed his passion,” said Stuart Newman, JM 1946.

The firm, which specializes in communication with print and broadcast media for clients such as Carnival Cruise Lines and the Stockholm Visitor Board, has served the Keys and Key West Lodging Association for a quarter of a century.

In conjunction with the Keys Emergency Management officials, Newman developed a communication system to alert hotels and other tourist establishments to looming inclement weather. It provides storm advisories and evacuation updates.

He also maintains close contact with the media.

“We visit TV stations and weather channels to cement relationships and hope they understand the Keys are different from the rest of Florida,” Newman said. “When you are in the tourism marketing business, one of the things you continually combat is an extremely sensationalistic media.”

The Keys have suffered from a series of inaccurate reports, Newman said. The coverage of Hurricane George in 1998 indicated the Keys’ complete destruction, when only certain areas suffered damage. A similar situation occurred after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Phone lines fell during the storm, obstructing communication between southern Miami and the Keys. An international news service reported that Andrew washed away the Keys, Newman said. It took months to repair the damage caused by the misinformation. “If the tourist development council spends millions to attract people,” Newman said, “[our firm] needs to share the responsibility for the visitors’ safety.”

With the addition of a Web site last year, the Keys Guide informs tourists of possible threats before and during their travels.

“[The system] allows us to work faster and bring tourists back as quickly as possible,” said Irene Toner, the Keys’ Emergency Management director.

Newman spent the past year as chair of Florida’s public relations committee attempting to expand the system into the rest of the state. He also leads workshops and conferences with hotels and county government officials and attends an annual meeting with Emergency Management officials every June to prepare for the hurricane season.

Newman’s two sons are continuing the Gator legacy. Alan Newman is a political science senior and Michael Newman will join the Gator Nation in July. Newman’s wife, Maria Newman, ADV 1976, is a middle school teacher in southern Miami-Dade County.