Get paid to play in Orlando in “67 Days of Smiles” promotion

Inspired, no doubt, by the Australian promo where one lucky soul is paid to spend a year living on an island paradise and using social media to tell the world about his experience, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau has come up with a very similar idea. One lucky couple will be paid to enjoy 67 days of fun and excitment exploring everything the Orlando area has to offer.

The Orlando CVB says the selected pair will do everything from roller coaster riding to hang gliding, swimming with dolphins, golfing, shopping, gator wrestling, museum exploring, theatre-going and more.

As the winning pair, you’ll be expected to report on your experiences using cell phones, a digital video camera and still camera supplied to you and share your 67 Days of Smiles with the world through social media tools like blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

The “67 Days of Smiles” will begin this year in late August and end in early November. Both people in the pair must be over 21 and pairs can be any combination of friends, family, or co-workers. All pairs are required to complete a personal profile; submit 500 words in English regarding why their smiles should be chosen; and upload a 60 second or less video in English of both applicants along with photos of both applicants at VisitOrlando.com/67DaysofSmiles by June 30, 2009.

The full press release is below the cut:

First Ever Search for “The World’s Greatest Smiles” Launched by Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Lucky Pair to Experience All of Orlando’s More Than 100 Spectacular Attractions

One of the world’s premier tourism destinations has decided to test the axiom, “smile and the whole world smiles with you.” The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Orlando CVB) has launched the first worldwide search for an adventurous pair with great smiles.

Their assignment — to experience every attraction in Orlando over the course of 67 consecutive days, the amount of time determined it would take to do the more than 100 attractions offered in the renowned land of theme parks and alligators, and share their daily adventures with a global audience via social media outlets and media interviews. The Orlando CVB has created the project in conjunction with its new global marketing campaign, “Orlando Makes Me Smile.”

“There are clearly a lot of frowns throughout the world because of the economic downturn,” said Danielle Courtenay, Orlando CVB Chief Marketing Officer. “We want an engaging pair of people who you can’t help but smile along with as you follow their Orlando tale of some of the best vacation experiences in the world. You don’t have to have a perfect smile to apply – just a ‘smiling’ personality and outlook on life.”

“We have also decided to search for a pair because a big part of what makes you smile in Orlando is sharing the experience and creating memories with someone special,” Courtenay explained.

The pair will live in a two-bedroom condo in Downtown Orlando, compliments of the Orlando Downtown Development Board (DDB) and Historic Creations Design Development, design/developer of Star Tower Condominium. For their 67 day assignment, they will also be given cell phones, digital video and still cameras, a Dollar Rent A Car and $25,000 U.S. to cover living expenses back home. The attraction experiences will include everything from rollercoaster riding to hang gliding, swimming with dolphins, spa-ing, golfing, gator wrestling, museum exploring, theatre-going, dining and more.

The “67 Days of Smiles” will begin this year in late August and end in early November. Potential candidates will be notified in July and the final selected pair will be notified in late July. Both people in the pair must be over 21 and pairs can be any combination of friends, family, or co-workers. All pairs are required to complete a personal profile; submit 500 words in English regarding why their smiles should be chosen; and upload a 60 second or less video in English of both applicants along with photos of both applicants at VisitOrlando.com/67DaysofSmiles by June 30, 2009.

For more information and to apply, go to VisitOrlando.com/67DaysofSmiles. For real time updates follow Orlando on Twitter at Twitter.com/VisitOrlando or become a fan of 67 Days of Smiles on Facebook.