February 5, 2010

Dear Friends:

Super Bowl Sunday is a significant day for football fans across the country. With Super Bowl XLIV approaching, I started to think about the various ways the Department of Business and Professional Regulation supports such a huge event.

As young football players contemplate joining the professional leagues, many work with athlete agents during the scouting and recruiting process. Anyone who directly or indirectly recruits or solicits a student athlete for any type of financial gain or to enter into a contract must have a license. The regulation of athlete agents is distinct from many other professions that we regulate, in that athlete agents have no professional board and the department is responsible for oversight over the licensees.

Leading up to and during Super Bowl festivities, fans from near and far stay in Florida's hotels and dine out at restaurants—both businesses that are licensed and regulated by the department. The department also supports Florida's alcoholic-beverage-licensed establishments. The quality of the department's service to our customers, Florida's businesses, directly impacts the safety of Florida's residents and visitors.

On game day, our Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco patrols tailgating parties to prevent underage drinking. This year is the second year that the department has partnered for Tailgaters Urging Responsibility and Fun, or TURF. TURF was launched by the Charmer Sunbelt Group, and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason is this year's official spokesperson. Partners include Brown-Forman and CBS Radio. This initiative aims to positively impact the game environment for everyone with tips for a successful celebration, responsible alcohol consumption reminders and actionable steps each and every fan can take to ensure that the game, and the tradition of tailgating, is preserved.

Have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl weekend.

Sincerely,

Charlie Liem
Interim Secretary

Department of Business and
Professional Regulation
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Customer Contact Center:
850.487.1395
www.MyFloridaLicense.com