Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing (PCTSM) has successfully recruited the Florida Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) State Convention to Polk County in 2016. The convention will be held at Lakeland’s Hilton Garden Inn from June 1 – 5, 2016.
PCTSM, the Lakeland Chamber’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Polk County’s Veteran Services hosted a reception for the Florida MOPH executive board during MOPH’s quarterly Department Executive Committee meeting in March. The military organization was so pleased with that reception, the professional customer service and the central location of Lakeland, that they asked PCTSM marketing staff to attend their 2015 State Convention, where PCTSM staff put their recruiting and presentation skills to work. Following PCTSM’s presentation, the MOPH Board overwhelmingly recommended Lakeland as the site for their 2016 State Convention. PCTSM partnered with Polk County Veteran Services, the Lakeland Chamber’s CVB and the MOPH Lakeland Chapter 535 in recruiting the event.
MOPH has more than 2,700 members in the state of Florida. The Purple Heart Medal is awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces who suffered wounds in combat, and traces its beginnings back to George Washington and the American Revolution.
For more information about the 2016 convention, or meeting and event planning assistance in Central Florida’s Polk County, contact Carol DeHaven at 863-551-4750 or carol@visitcentralflorida.org.
