Chris Cate: Welcome to the Fluent In Floridian podcast featuring the Sunshine State’s brightest leaders talking about the issues most important to the people of Florida and its millions of weekly visitors. In this episode created by SalterMitchell PR, our executive producer Heidi Otway, the President of SalterMitchell PR, talks to Florida Sports Foundation President, Angela Suggs, and you can hear it all right now.

Heidi Otway: Angela Suggs is a Florida A&M University graduate, who now oversees the Florida Sports Foundation, the nonprofit agency helping to support the state’s $57 billion dollar sports economy. Before leading the Foundation as President and CEO, Angela worked for the Miami Dolphins, and previously held positions overseeing FAMU’s Athletics Programs, during which time the Rattlers fill their trophy case with conference championships. Now, she’s bringing the same winning mentality to all of Florida’s sports teams. Angela, thank you so much for joining us on the Fluent in Floridian podcast.

Angela Suggs: I’m happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me.

Heidi Otway: Yeah, we go way back. I hate to date us, but I think we go back almost 30 years where we both met at Florida A&M University as athletes, you a swimmer, me on the softball team.

Angela Suggs: Yes. You probably more than I, but I did spend some time in the pool.

Heidi Otway: Yeah. Yeah. So you were involved in sports then, and the majority of your career has been revolving around professional and collegiate sports. Tell us how you got started in your career.

Angela Suggs: Sure. Well, at Florida A&M, my major was Business Economics. I actually started out as an Agribusiness Major. I had a really great time at Florida A&M. Met a lot of people, and spent a little bit more time perhaps than I had planned, or that my parents had planned, and at some point, it was, “Lets take a look at these courses that we’ve been successful in, and see where we want to move to graduation.” With that, Business Economics was right there in the middle. Agribusiness was a growing field when I came out of high school in 1987, and we looked at it, but as all students do, you learn a little bit more about yourself in college, and Business Econ was a good thing for me, and so I initially started out in the hospitality industry with the Marriott Corporation in sales, and meetings management. With the Business Econ piece, and pulling that together, I always liked to know why people bought what they bought, and I still like it.

I really am moved by the meaning of a purchase, and how that activity shows itself. That’s really what I really enjoyed about working with people that wanted to bring in reunion groups or other groups that were coming in. Starting out here in Tallahassee, which then moved me to South Florida, so that’s how I ended up in south Florida, and went there with, again, the Marriott Corporation. Spent some time in Plantation there at the Courtyard behind the Broward Mall, so familiar with, so that was a fun time. I had the opportunity to meet some people, and go down, and become a part of the Club Seat and Suites Team, luxury seating team with Pro Player Stadium, which was Joe Robbie.

Heidi Otway: I will always call it Joe Robbie Stadium. I’m from Miami. It will always be Joe Robbie.

Angela Suggs: Yes. So started out as a part of that team with Club Level Sales with Lynn Abramson, who is now Saltzman, is still one of my favorites in the industry, and just in general as a woman in sports. She’s now in Kentucky, but she was VP of Sales and Marketing, and gave me a chance. First she said, “Oh you’re overqualified.” I’m like, what does that mean, but she gave me a chance, and we had the opportunity to grow together introducing our fans, and our Club Seat and Suite holders into baseball, as well, because when they initially signed on, the Marlins were not there, and as they were renewing 10 years later, we now have a package deal, where we are football, and baseball, and so that was an interesting time.

Heidi Otway: Okay. So that would be the Dolphins and the Marlins.

Angela Suggs: And the Marlins. Absolutely.

Heidi Otway: Okay.

Angela Suggs: And then working with an organization that headed up by someone who also owns a third team, which is the Florida Panthers, which at the time…

Heidi Otway: Oh yeah, the hockey team.

Angela Suggs: Mr. Huizenga was the owner of all three teams. It was a lot like college sports because we didn’t have a true offseason. At some point, the NFL is going at the same time as major league baseball, and then you go directly into hockey season, and then it’s time for baseball to gear back up, and we start all over again, and add in a few concerts with that, and it’s just a lot of fun all year long. In my transition into college sports some years later, it wasn’t as hard as people would think, and as some have asked me, “Was it difficult going from professional sports to college sports?” And it wasn’t because we were all year long, with some successes in there. Was fortunate enough to see a World Series. Was fortunate enough to see a Stanley Cup while being with the organization, and so with that, winning is always fun.

Heidi Otway: I know you have some great stories between you, and Wayne Huizenga that you probably can’t tell me at this point.

Angela Suggs: Well, I was support staff, and so much of what we did was just help Mr. Huizenga, and the others in that transition, but also then into some very successful years. Absolutely.

Heidi Otway: Yeah. He was a game changer for the State of Florida for sure.

Angela Suggs: Absolutely.

Heidi Otway: For sure. So, you worked in the sports industry, which we all know is very male-dominated, what sort of challenges did you face along the way in your career to where you are now?

Angela Suggs: I always dream about being tall like you. If I were tall, I’d tell you. I tell people all the time, I’m 5’5″, if I was 5’10” or 5’11”, I’d be hell. But at any rate, with that, I think that often times as women that we think a lot about being a woman in a male-dominated field, and what I try to bring to that situation professionally is making sure that I know what I’m talking about, and that I get to the point that I am always solution focused, and results oriented. That transcends any gender. Are there some challenges because there is a tradition or there are some obstacles that my colleagues may have to overcome in terms of what they’re looking for particularly because I don’t come in the door with titles, and that kind of thing, and so many times when I’m with my male colleagues, and I’m okay with it. I like having them around actually.

When I bring male team members with me, there’s some assumption that I am there as the assistant or something else. Eventually they understand who then would sign the agreement or who is actually going to be on the panel or who actually is there for the speaking engagement. I laugh at it because it’s not their fault. It takes years, and years, and years, decades even, centuries that tradition has been established so to speak and so we are new. We’re new at the table, and new in the seat, and with that we’ll give them time. Not a lot of time, but we definitely know that results, and being solutions, and having some wins definitely helps the position. I want people to see me as someone that is bringing the desire to lead, and the ability to lead more so than I want them to see that I’m a woman that’s leading.

Heidi Otway: Right. Right. Well, you certainly are breaking down barriers, and offline I always tell you, I think you’re one of the most powerful women in Florida sporting industry, and I appreciate what you’ve accomplished. I’m sure we have some women who will be listening to this, and you’re going to be inspiring them to go after their dreams for a career in the sporting industry.

Angela Suggs: Absolutely, and we want them to do that. We want them to do that, and so on the personal side of things, I also understand that someone may be watching, some little girl, my daughter’s watching, and what is it that I can share that inspires her, inspires her friends, perhaps even inspires their mothers, their aunts, their grandmothers, or whomever else it is, and then as we look at their dads and their uncles, and others as they then inspire their daughters, their goddaughters, their nieces. How then is it that we can show that it’s possible, but it’s also hard work, and that we shouldn’t come into it without being able to do what’s required to push the opportunities forward, and to reach back, also understanding that in this seat it’s my responsibility to also see from a different lens the opportunities that we can afford to other women, and to try and be that example for them, but also giving them opportunities, as well. Not just because they’re women, and even if they’re not ready, helping them to get ready, if not for an opportunity with me then an opportunity with some other organization, but whatever it is that I can give to that, I own the responsibility of doing that.

Heidi Otway: That’s so wonderful to hear. So the Florida Sports Foundation I’ve gotten to learn, plays a very significant role in Florida’s growing, and influential, and widely recognized sporting industry. Tell us a little bit about the role of the foundation in the state when it comes to economics, and a driver for our community and tourism.

Angela Suggs: And so, the Sports Foundation, we’ve been around now for almost 28 years, and with that we were started to really bring together the promotion of fitness, living well from an active perspective, but then also participation in sports at all ages, and so recreational, leisure, amateur, as well as opportunities through professional sports. As we look at it, people have often heard, if you’ve been in Florida for quite some time, and you are fluent in Floridian for a long time then you remember the Governor’s Council on Fitness.

Heidi Otway: Right. I remember them.

Angela Suggs: And you remember the different things that would come down from the President’s Council on Fitness. In addition to what we do in working with 31 sports commissions in bringing in events from everything from youth sporting tournaments, supporting what AAU is doing in terms of people coming to Florida through sports in what we call a recession-resistant environment that is youth sports, and I’ll come back to that in a moment. But with that, the foundation works again with these 31 sports commissions that are amazing. They have been around for quite some time, many of them. When we first started, there were 11, and now there are 31. And so, 28 years later we now have two times more than what we initially started with, and with that they are the boots on the ground.

They are the face. They know their communities. They know what facilities they have. They know what hotels they have. They know how they can best manage and support these events so that we don’t just get them one time, but that we get them again, and again, and again. These are more so the youth sporting events. We also work with NCAA. We’re just coming off of the Women’s Final Four, which I think couldn’t have gotten more exciting. We know that Florida had a lot to do with the excitement. The energy here breeds excitement, and so who else to host the excitement of Friday night, and then Sunday night’s championship game, but Florida. We’re gearing up for Miami to host the College Football Championship, and so we also work with the NCAA.

Then, of course, we have our professional sports where these same sports commissions, and other industry partners, they go out, and they compete with other states to bring what the world loves to see in terms of Super Bowls and All-Star Games, and Pro Bowls, and World Cup even. Special Olympics has even chosen Florida, Orlando to be specific to host their Championship Games coming in the next few years, and so with that we want every major sporting event in the world to come to Florida that we can host, and host well. We have some challenges being the most beautiful state in the country, which means that one of them, we’ll just share, would be the Olympics, and so with that, though, whatever it is that we can do to support the Olympics being here in the United States.

Heidi Otway: – that in Florida.

Angela Suggs: Right. There are Olympic Trials that we would go after. They are practice opportunities for teams that are coming into the country to acclimate themselves, to the United States that we would then serve as a support beacon, if you will, for those games. And so with that, the Sports Foundation’s role is from a support standpoint. We also produce amateur sporting participation opportunities through our Sunshine State Games, as well as a Florida Senior Games presented by Humana, and with that we have thousands of athletes, both residents and visitors that come, and participate in an Olympic style format of games, and this year makes 40 years that we’ve been presenting the Sunshine State Games, which is for youth all the way up through seniors, and we are the state the holds the longest consistent, and consecutive hosting of games, and we’re excited about that. Then our Florida Senior Games, which has been hosted in Pinellas County for the past three years. We are now moving that to Broward County as we gear up to host the National Senior Games here in a couple of years, as well. And so again, we support these partners, but we also then produce opportunities for Floridians to be the most fit residents of any state, and for our visitors to have participation opportunities when they come to the state, as well.

Heidi Otway: Wow! I thought I knew a lot about the Sports Foundation, but I know a lot more now. So tell me about the economics of this.

Angela Suggs: Sure.

Heidi Otway: I mean, what are the numbers?

Angela Suggs: And so according to our 2017 Study across all platforms of sports, again the amateur, the professional, leisure, the recreational sports, is we include what we look at from an NCAA standpoint with all of the Division I, II, III NAIA and Junior Colleges that sponsor sports teams here in this state, as well as our recreation opportunities that exist. When we look at our equine industry, and look at all the equestrian festivals and tournaments that are hosted throughout our state. We look at fishing and boating tournaments, and so, when you group all of that together with our youth sports, and again the professional events that we’ve discussed, it’s a 57.4 billion dollar economic impact to the state. That includes the travel into the state. That includes retail activity. That includes lodging, activity that comes from that, and other fees that are associated, and merchandise that would otherwise that follows them outside of the state when they then reach back, and purchase online, in addition to what they’ve purchased here in this state. When you bring all of that together, it definitely shows itself as a benefit, and a value to the state.

We are the sports development arm for Enterprise Florida, which of course, is the commerce arm for the state, and with that people are like, “Well how does that go. We see the tourism side, but where does the development side.” Well there are jobs. Each of these 11 professional sports franchises that call Florida home, we are honored that they choose Florida, along with NASCAR, along with other sport industry organizations that are here. They are producing job opportunities both on a full-time, and Executive, Senior Executive C Suite, all the way down to part-time opportunities, and even volunteer opportunities to keep our senior active, and others that just want to give back. And so, from that impact when companies choose where they’re going to relocate, when executives choose to accept a position in Florida, it’s important. What is my family going to do? My kid plays baseball or softball or football or tennis or golf, and so how is that my family is going to succeed while I’m succeeding at work. What will they be doing? You know, what opportunities are there from my partner or my spouse? What is it that they will be able to participate in, and that’s a part of the quality of life that we offer in terms of being from a promotions standpoint in showing Florida as the best place to live and play.

Heidi Otway: Yeah. Wow! Sports is certainly a universal activity. Walking is exercise. Walking is a form of athletics. You know what I mean? So the fact that you do everything from the little ones all the way to the seniors, professional, amateur, collegiate. I’m hoping that our listeners recognize the value that sports brings to our state and the role that you play. So, not only do you help with the collegiate, the amateur, the seniors, the professional, but I don’t think people recognize the sports tags that we have here in Florida. We buy tags for the teams that we love, whether it’s professional or collegiate or non-profits like the Olympics, and such, you all have a role in that, so lets talk about the tags, and what that means to Florida.

Angela Suggs: Sure. And so I’ll start with the college tags, as the colleges actually decide how they will use their funds, and they manage those collegiate plates. So those are fundraising opportunities, while also showcasing their love for the teams. Our role in that is simply that if there is a championship that’s going to be in the State of Florida or that could be in the State of Florida for NCAA, we’re hoping that when they win that championships that there’s that excitement that that could then motivate those tags, but primarily we covered 12 plates. With that, we have all of our NFL teams, our major league baseball teams, our NBA teams, the USTA tennis teams, our National Basketball Association, and also you mentioned the Olympic tag. We have that one, and then the NASCAR plate. We work with the charitable arms of each of these organizations while providing youth programming opportunities through sports, as well as that’s where the support that we’re giving to these Super Bowls.

That’s where the support that we’re giving to the Babe Ruth World Championship, and to the World Rowing Championship or to hosting a statewide championship for soccer that we just held a couple of weeks ago along with Visit Tallahassee out at Apalachee Regional Park here in Tallahassee, but also looking at many other opportunities that exist. That’s where our funding, a large part of our funding comes from, and so you’re not only supporting your team, but you’re also, a charitable effort. If you want to write off the twenty five dollars that you’re spending for most of the plates, you can, because it’s actually going towards not for profit efforts and activities for these different teams, as well as what we’re doing throughout the state.

Heidi Otway: Now is that a grant… So do you all use the funds for grantmaking, as well?

Angela Suggs: We do. And so, the Foundation supports a grant program that our local sports commissions once they are successful in attaining the rights to host these events, then they apply to us for additional support to then provide an expanded experience that we want everyone to have that is of excellence, and that will make them want to come back, and they use those dollars to help to host those events.

Heidi Otway: Good. So lets talk about your vision for the Florida Sports Foundation, and your goals. Where do you see sports going in Florida? I can only see it going up.

Angela Suggs: Absolutely. And we see that happening right now with the, again, the hosting of the World Rowing Championships there in Sarasota where 17 countries were here, represented in a sport that unless you’re in that sport, you don’t think about it, but to have the world to see Florida. As we well know, not many other industries can provide four hours of focused entertainment on television that goes around the world, and even more hours than that in golfs or more hours than that in other tournaments that people watch for days. When we look at Honda Classic, when we look at the Player’s Tournament, when we look at the Arnold Palmer Classic there in Orlando, people are watching this for days, for hours.

Heidi Otway: And they’re seeing Florida.

Angela Suggs: And they’re seeing Florida. With that, the value, when we go back to talking about value, the value that that presents is invaluable. You really couldn’t pay for it all. When you have exciting games like what you saw on Sunday night that people may not have ever thought about, the Amalie Arena, and the success that the Tampa Bay Lightning have had, but for the fact that they were watching their favorite team play on Sunday night, and so when they come that now one, ten, fifteen, twenty people may now visit the Amalie Arena, and a Tampa Bay Lightning game because we had this opportunity through a different sport. And so, where I see the Foundation going is that we provide more opportunities that we have more people participating both on an amateur side, and up through as much success as they can have. And so, as we produce and promote these opportunities, we want more people to know what they can do. We want more people to actually get up and do it. We want families that are participating together in sporting events.

We want people to actually go, and include sports as a part of their entertainment platform. You’ll see from college up to professional sports that it truly is now more than just what’s happening on the field or on the court. It’s really an entertainment opportunity for everyone. You can become a sports fan at a sporting event just because you came there for something else, be it that you enjoy the Club Level or you enjoy sitting out on the terrace or you enjoy sitting up on the hill in the outfield because your friends went. How is it that we can continue to grow the quality of life value platform for the State of Florida through sports, and for us we want more people to know more things that they can do, and we want them to actually do it. We want to be a part of that.

Heidi Otway: Yeah. So, Angela, so we’re seeing teams being more like community partners in investing their own money to enhance their communities, improvements to stadiums, improvements to tracks. I mean, more open space for people to play parks, and things like that, so do you see more of that in Florida, and the impact on that?

Angela Suggs: Well, in what we’re seeing with that, because there are two sides to that, what we promote are the opportunities from the investments from the owners. There are several owners who have committed to their communities, not just with what they’re putting into the buildings, but also what they are putting into the community. In Tampa, the Glazer Family, and what they’re doing with the Children’s Art Museum, and what Mr. Vinik is pouring into that community, and that’s just one community that we’re talking about. And so, as we go through, and we talk about, most recently what Mr. Ross has done there in the community of Miami Gardens, and what the mayor has done there, also a FAMU grad. We know the Rattlers do great things.

Heidi Otway: Yes we do.

Angela Suggs: And so with that, the fact that that is the next host city of Super Bowl, and what the mayor of the City of Miami is also, and Miami-Dade County is also pouring in, what the host committee has poured into that. Rodney Barreto, no one does it better in terms of what happens in that city for they will be the city that has hosted more Super Bowls than any other city after we host this Super Bowl in 2020, Super Bowl LIV in 2020.

Heidi Otway: I did not know that.

Angela Suggs: And followed up by Rob Higgins, and the success that he has had there in that Tampa Bay area. Of course, what is happening there in Jacksonville, and what that commitment has been from the Kahn Family, and where we’re going there. Orlando, and what the Magic Organization has done, and the Heat Organization. Again, we mentioned the Panthers can’t go, the Rays. Again, the Lightning, and the Miami Marlins, and the excitement that has come from Mr. Jeeter coming in, and all of that. It’s not just what’s happening for the professional sporting event. It’s what they’re giving and producing in these communities. There is a Top Golf in Miami Gardens. There is now a Starbucks there. There is now all of this stuff that is happening.

Heidi Otway: I grew up there. That’s my old neighborhood. Every time I go back, it looks completely different-

Angela Suggs: Absolutely.

Heidi Otway: -every time I go back.

Angela Suggs: And of course, as mentioned, and I’m sure we’ll talk about later, in what we’re doing with soccer, and with Orlando City Soccer, and how they could turn Orlando purple, and what has happened.

Heidi Otway: And so what is the future of soccer in Florida. I mean, I think it’s the next big, big, big, big thing.

Angela Suggs: It’s big already.

Heidi Otway: As we’re international. I mean, Florida is the melting pot for countries, and so I could just imagine that it’s going to be really huge.

Angela Suggs: That’s right. And so with what Mr. Beckham has done in terms of bringing the inner Miami team to Miami, that’s just adding to the excitement of sports that’s there in that south Florida area. With what, again, Orlando City Soccer has created with also Orlando Pride, and so with Orlando Pride, and the numbers that are showing themselves, we were just there for the US versus Ecuador friendly match, and we had over 18,000 people that attended a friendly match. We are definitely pursuing the opportunity of Orlando and Miami being host city candidates for World Cup and working with what the teams there on the ground are doing to make that happen. That’s what we do. That’s what the Florida Sports Foundation is, and I couldn’t think of a better place to be right now than Florida. I work with an amazing group of people on our Sports Foundation team, as well. Without them, we couldn’t do anything that we do. They are committed, and they understand that sports is every day of the week, and so what we work to produce often happens on Saturdays and Sundays. And so, we don’t put in all of the hard work, and then you’re not there for when it actually takes place, and so with that the future is bright. Soccer is electric. It truly is, but all of these events are.

Heidi Otway: Yeah, NASCAR.

Angela Suggs: NASCAR’s electric. I was in Ocala a couple of weeks ago, and toured some of the current horse parks, and facilities that are there. They have this amazing facility, The World Equestrian Center, that’s coming on board there. It is a site to see. They’re looking at early spring or the beginning parts of 2020, and when it opens it’s going to be something that you’ve never seen before.

Heidi Otway: That’s exciting.

Angela Suggs: And so what’s happening there in Ocala, what’s always happened in Bradenton, Wellington, down in Palm Beach County, as it relates to these families choosing to come to Florida, and these tournament directors choosing Florida as home where people spend weeks here. Their children are going to school on property at these events. It’s something that we want to make a part of what makes Florida the place that you choose to live and play. And so with that, that’s where the future is. Again, pickleball is hot.

Heidi Otway: Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.

Angela Suggs: Disc golf is hot. Ultimate, also known as Frisbee, which is trademarked is hot. So, we use other ultimate devices, as well. All of it is sharing bands, baton twirling, you name it. We just want people to be active. For our seniors, we host a dominoes tournament. Last year we hosted it.

Heidi Otway: Exercising the minds.

Angela Suggs: That’s right. Well, and getting them up out of the house is activity.

Heidi Otway: Yes.

Angela Suggs: And so when you become 85 years old, activity may take on a different meaning.

Heidi Otway: Sure.

Angela Suggs: But we have people that are participating in Senior Games that are deadlifting, men and women.

Heidi Otway: Really.

Angela Suggs: Weights that we don’t at our age. It’s very motivating. We have a 70 plus age bracket for three-on-three basketball in our Senior Games. Track and field where they’re still throwing the javelin, and they’re still remaining active, and I’m on the heels of being eligible for Senior Games, and so Senior Games starts at 50, but it goes all the way up. It’s truly something that we want to look at as promoting life-long opportunities to be active here in the State of Florida, and we are truly grateful that every governor that we have had in our 28 years of existence has found value in having a focus that shows itself as Florida being a state that’s leading the initiatives to make sure that Floridians are able to remain active, and that shows itself with Governor DeSantis, as well, again, baseball player, we just hosted our first Governor’s Baseball Dinner with him as the host.

Heidi Otway: Nice.

Angela Suggs: He grew up playing baseball here in the parks in Florida, and went on to become captain at Yale, and to have him to come back, and to spearhead this Governor’s Baseball Dinner was truly exciting.

Heidi Otway: That sounds great.

Angela Suggs: And so with that, we look forward to continuing these opportunities with Governor DeSantis, and the first lady, as we continue to provide these opportunities.

Heidi Otway: Well it sounds like you have one of the most fascinating positions in Florida. I’m a huge sports fan from NASCAR to basketball to softball to swimming. I’m a competitive person so I love sports, so I love your competitive drive on behalf of our state. I could spend another 30 minutes asking you questions about Florida sports industry, but unfortunately, we have to wrap up, but we always like to close our show by asking our guest just a couple of questions just to learn a little bit more about you, and the first question is, who is a Florida leader that you admire? It could be someone from Florida’s history or someone who is still active in their work.

Angela Suggs: Sure. So this will be very weird, and because I bleed orange and green, no one can take my Rattler card.

Heidi Otway: Right. Right.

Angela Suggs: But probably from a historical perspective as I sit here, and answer questions about being female, doing things that haven’t been done before, I’d have to say Mary McLeod Bethune.

Heidi Otway: Okay.

Angela Suggs: And so there you are, Wildcats that are listening, and Rattlers that are like, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Heidi Otway: They’re groaning right now.

Angela Suggs: But I was recently in D.C., and got a chance to go the Smithsonian African-American History Museum, and there’s an entire room dedicated to Mary McLeod Bethune, entire room. And with that, when you look at the impact that she had, she just wanted kids to know how to read. She just wanted children of color to be educated. That’s all she wanted.

Heidi Otway: Right.

Angela Suggs: And just that sincerity, and that drive, and that work ethic, that comes from that in reading about it, learning about it, the patterning, my efforts behind it, a mom who worked at FAMU, but was in sports, and what drives me was her ability to show me work ethic, not just for a check, but for the community as well.

Heidi Otway: For a purpose.

Angela Suggs: For a purpose.

Heidi Otway: What is something in Florida that deserves more attention?

Angela Suggs: The value in recreational and leisure sports, and what that brings to the decision that people make about where they’re going to live. Even Floridians in terms of where they’re going to move, is there a park nearby? What is it that we can do just from a wellness perspective individually, and collectively, and how that plays a part. What people don’t know about that, is that the opportunities are already there. The tens of thousands of miles of fishable waters that we have. The golf courses that we have, and that actually throwing a disc by a well known manufacturer is also a way for you to stay active. Just taking a walk. Visit Florida tagged a phrase called, “Bleisure,” and that when people are coming for business, that there is a leisure component that can come from that, be it that your family accompany, you and the kids are in the hotel pool or that you are on a beach. If you’re at one of those good conferences or if you are in downtown, and now wherein people are making downtown districts walkable.

Heidi Otway: They are.

Angela Suggs: And so that’s where we come in.

Heidi Otway: Yeah.

Angela Suggs: That we promote those opportunities, and that even in your professional life that you can walk to lunch and that there is value in that.

Heidi Otway: Sure. That’s good. Now you’re from Tallahassee.

Angela Suggs: I am.

Heidi Otway: Born and raised, right?

Angela Suggs: Yes.

Heidi Otway: So, having been in Florida your whole life, what’s your favorite location to visit?

Angela Suggs: I love them all. I’m for sports tourism. Out of all 67 counties, every last one of them. Yes.

Heidi Otway: Okay.

Angela Suggs: It depends on what I want to do at any given time.

Heidi Otway: Sure.
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Angela Suggs: Love the beaches on both sides, wherein Florida’s really the only state that gives you the Gulf and the Atlantic.

Heidi Otway: That’s right.

Angela Suggs: I love lakes as much as I love oceans. I love downtown Tallahassee, as much as I love downtown Ft. Lauderdale or downtown Miami, Tampa, Orlando or Jacksonville.

Heidi Otway: Right.
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Angela Suggs: I love downtown St. Pete, Clearwater. I love all of that, but I love going to Quincy in Havana.

Heidi Otway: Yeah. And now, this is a trick question, and you may not answer it, I don’t know, but the last question is what’s your favorite sports team? You don’t have to answer that. You don’t have to answer that one.

Angela Suggs: I love them all. I love them all, and we definitely have a great opportunity. No other state has the offerings that we have in how diverse they are in the offerings of what we provide. I’ll leave it there. I’ll leave that there.

Heidi Otway: Yeah. Yeah. You get a pass on that one. You get a pass on that one. Well, Angela, thank you so much for being a guest on our show. I hope everyone leaves wanting to go for a walk or go buy a ticket to a sporting event or to go check out an event that they may have not even known was happening in their backyard because it certainly helps the economy and our community, and for that person themselves. Thank you so much for being a guest today.

Angela Suggs: Thank you for having me to talk about the opportunities to play in Florida. Hopefully, I passed the test, and I’m pretty fluent in Floridian.

Heidi Otway: Yes you are. You are. Thank you.

Angela Suggs: Thank you.

Chris Cate: Thanks for listening to the Fluent in Floridian podcast. This show is executive produced by April Salter, with additional support provided by Heidi Otway, and the team at SalterMitchell PR. If you need help in telling your Florida story, SalterMitchell PR has you covered by offering issues management, crisis communications, social media, advocacy, and media relations assistance. You can learn more about SalterMitchell PR at SalterMitchellPR.com. You can also learn more about the Fluent in Floridian podcast, and listen to every episode of the show at FluentinFloridian.com or by searching for the show using your favorite podcast app. Have a great day.