Q&A with Destination Florida

A Q&A with Pamela Childs, Creative Director of Destination Florida.

Quick Facts:

Magazine: DESTINATION FLORIDA

Creative Director: Pamela Childs

Editor: Karen Davis

Art Director: Marsha Michaels

Published Since: 2016

Circulation: 285,000 annually

Target Audience: Florida Visitors

Frequency: Quarterly

Website: DestinationFlorida.com

Q&A

What do you want readers to take away from your magazine?

That it’s a fun, engaging, informative guide to Florida’s many attractions, shops,
restaurants, and happenings.

What is your vision for the magazine over the next five years?
To continue expanding our brand throughout Florida and to further monetize our
website.

What was one of the best articles you published in the past year?

The short article, “Hello Gorgeous,” which appeared in the 2021 winter issue of our Florida Keys edition. I like this particular article because it uses humor to introduce visitors to a small shop in Islamorada and draws them into the story.

What was your best cover of past year and why?

“Drag Rooster.”  We were privileged to feature the incredible work of Jeff MacNelly on our Florida Keys 2020 summer cover. With three Pulitzer Prizes to his credit, the late MacNelly is arguably the world’s greatest editorial cartoonist and the most critically acclaimed of the 20th Century. One of Key West’s most famous snow birds, MacNelly’s political cartoons were frequently reprinted in Newsweek and the Sunday New York Times and also syndicated in thousands of newspapers around the world. We obtained the image from Key West’s highly acclaimed Gallery On Greene, which represents MacNelly’s work. The whimsical cover was unlike any other magazine cover out there and garnered rave reviews from our readers.

 What challenges is COVID-19 presenting to your business?

 Because the majority of DESTINATION FLORIDA magazines are placed directly into hotel rooms, we needed to find a way to make lodging properties feel comfortable carrying our publication after COVID-19 unexpectedly exploded. Our solution was to place each magazine into a sealed poly bag that housekeeping staff could easily sanitize, which would ensure hotel guests that that they were receiving a “fresh” copy.

Why did you decide to join the Florida Magazine Association?

Because we want to connect with other local publishers.