INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TRADE FAMS, TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS
Visit California China Advisory Board FAM
In partnership with Visit California, L.A. Tourism hosted 10 executive-level travel professionals for a China Advisory Board meeting to discuss best practices. An educational tour of Los Angeles followed the meeting, which highlighted L.A.’s top attractions including Beverly Hills, California Science Center and Hollywood & Highland. The group also experienced a Dodgers game before returning back to Shanghai.
Price Travel - Volaris Airlines FAM
In partnership with Volaris Airlines, L.A. Tourism hosted a familiarization tour May 11-15, 2015 for PriceTravel.com, one of Latin America’s largest online travel agencies. Through their four websites in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and the U.S., Price Travel serves more than 60 million prospective travelers at 160 points of sales. The group consisted of 10 top-selling agents and one product manager. The educational itinerary showcased L.A.’s diverse products including accommodations at Hotel Angeleno, a Segway tour with A Day in LA Tours, dinner at Rusty’s Surf Ranch and a visit to The Original Farmer’s Market, among others.
Visit California Sales & Media Days in Toronto, Canada
L.A. Tourism attended Visit California’s first combined Canada Sales & Media Days May 4-6, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. The travel trade track featured a B2B event to engage with product and marketing managers from the greater Toronto area while L.A. Tourism Public Relations team participated in the event’s media track and connected with top tier media and influencers. A combined VIP reception was attended by 90 guests including tour operators and media. L.A. Tourism conducted a training seminar at TravelBrands call center May 6 on L.A.’s new hotel developments and LAX’s modernization program.
Arabia Travel Market
Representatives from L.A. Tourism’s Europe/Middle East regional office and Los Angeles office attended Arabia Travel Market (ATM), the largest travel trade exhibitor showcase in the Middle East, in Dubai May 4-7, 2015. L.A. Tourism exhibited within Brand USA’s section and shared a booth with partner Universal Studios Hollywood. Meetings with visiting travel trade, several airlines and travel buyers from the Middle East region were conducted over the four-day period. L.A. Tourism also teamed up with San Francisco Travel and Visit California to host a reception for travel trade and media attendees. ATM recorded more than 26,000 influential attendees with more than 2,800 exhibiting organizations representing 86 countries.
L.A. Tourism also exhibited at Dnata Workshop, held in Dubai after ATM. Dnata, the largest travel company in the Middle East, invited more than 400 of their key agents and operators to attend.
L.A. Tourism – Japan
Masa Andachi, L.A. Tourism's Japan representative, participated in an U.S. educational seminar for teachers and travel agents on May 20 in Kobe, Japan. Masa presented information about the various educational tours available in Los Angeles. 
Brand USA’s Japan office organized a U.S. seminar and workshop in Osaka on May 22. L.A. Tourism representative Masa Andachi presented information on new developments in Los Angeles to approximately 60 travel agents. 
Kansai International Airport (KIX) organized a travel fair at the airport, at which L.A. Tourism attended. The L.A. booth was set up near Japan Airlines to help co-promote the airline’s new KIX to LAX flight.
L.A. Tourism - China
The 2015 China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition was held at Guilin International Conference and Exhibition Center May 29-31, 2015 and was attended by representatives from L.A. Tourism’s China office. The CAEXPO is a platform for regional tourism and aims at promoting tourism exchanges and cooperation among China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. More than 300 professional overseas buyers from Europe, America, Asia, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other regions attended the expo.
In partnership with China Eastern Airlines, L.A. Tourism’s China office and LAWA organized a pre-launch event for new service from Nanjing at Jinling Hotel on May 18. This flight will mark the first non-stop service between LAX and a secondary city in China. More than 150 guests attended the event including representatives from local travel trade and media, Nanjing Airport, Jiangsu Provincial Government as well as representatives from U.S. partners including Brand USA, Visit California and Universal Studios Hollywood. Details of the new service were unveiled by China Eastern Airlines representatives. L.A. Tourism’s China Regional Director Kate Chang spoke to welcome the new service and presented L.A. Tourism’s strategies for the Chinese market. Representative Austin Yin also presented new L.A. developments as well as updates on LAX’s modernization program.
In partnership with Brand USA, L.A. Tourism’s Shanghai representatives attended World Travel Fair, an annual consumer marketing event with a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors in China's most dynamic markets May 7-10, 2015. The four-day event welcomed more than 700 exhibitors from 55 countries, 12,000 trade visitors and 43,000 consumers. L.A. Tourism representatives met with several tourism practitioners, media and consumers. Information about Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX and L.A.'s tourism developments were presented during the meetings.
Travel Weekly China named L.A. Tourism the “Best Destination for Brand Marketing of the Year” at the 2015 China Travel & Meetings Industry Awards on May 6 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Shanghai. This award comes on the heels of L.A. Tourism’s China Regional Director Kate Chang being recognized with the “Award of Merit” by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) at the annual summit.
Angela Li, L.A. Tourism's Beijing representative, attended a roadshow in Qingdao on May 19 for Bedsonline, a B2B hotel booking company with more than 50,000 hotels across 147 countries, which was attended by more than 50 travel agents. Angela presented updates on LAX, L.A. Tourism’s member hotels and L.A.’s new products to trade partners. Bedsonline sells 14 million room nights a year.
Li also attended a Brand USA product training for Chinese tour operators Caissa and Daxinhua May 21-22, 2015. Representatives from MICE, sales and operations attended each of the trainings. Angela presented updates on LAX, L.A. Tourism’s member hotels and L.A.’s new products to the trade partners.
A press conference in Chengdu announcing the launch of a new route from Chengdu to Nanjing to LAX via China Eastern Airlines took place May 15. L.A. Tourism participated in the event that was attended by more than 70 representatives from Chengu media and top travel agencies. The service will launch June 30, 2015 with three flights per week.
SALES
Association of Legal Administrators – Los Angeles 2016
L.A. Tourism attended the Association of Legal Administrators’ (ALA) annual convention in Nashville, TN May 17-20, 2015 to pre-promote and raise awareness for next year’s annual convention in Los Angeles. Next year’s event will be the first time ALA is meeting in Los Angeles. The group will bring more than 5,600 room nights to the city.
ad:tech - Los Angeles 2016
The longest annual marketing and media event in the industry, ad:tech will relocate from San Francisco to Los Angeles May 11-12, 2016 for the first time. As the fastest growing technology startup region in the nation, L.A. is home to some of the biggest rising stars in the industry. The two-day event will feature industry-leading keynote speakers, an expo floor showcasing the latest technology solution providers and a conference agenda led by world-renowned marketers from top brands and agencies. L.A. Tourism attended ad:tech 2015 to pre-promote next year’s conference. This year, more than 7,000 attendees attended ad:tech over two days in San Francisco.
IMEX Frankfurt
For the second consecutive year, L.A. Tourism participated in IMEX Frankfurt with an exhibition at Brand USA’s pavilion May 19-21. A show dedicated to the international MICE sector, more than 4,000 meeting professionals and 3,000 exhibitors from 150 countries attended IMEX Frankfurt across three days. Nearly 62,000 appointments were held between buyers and exhibitors with around 50% of those having requests for proposals (RFP’s) attached to them. Over the three days, L.A. Tourism representatives Mary Spellerberg, Bryan Churchill and Lisa Stewart conducted more than 60 meetings with MICE agents and professionals from all over the world.
COMMUNICATIONS
L.A. Tourism partnered with Virgin Atlantic on a media fam to Los Angeles to showcase the airline's new clubhouse at LAX as well as the destination. The group consisted of 10 UK media outlets including The Independent, Harrods Magazine, Business Traveller and Design Week, among others. They experienced a variety of educational activities to fill the short two day trip, showcasing the diversity of Los Angeles.
In partnership with Visit California, L.A. Tourism hosted six Japanese media on a "three generations" themed trip. The itinerary showcased unique L.A. activities families can enjoy together, including California Science Center, Starline bus tour, Universal Studios Hollywood, lunch at The Original Farmers Market, and shopping at Citadel Outlets and The Grove. Outlets included Crea Web, Latte, Trippiece, Retrip and Elephant TV.
L.A. Tourism’s PR and digital teams joined forces to support Dancing Man’s visit to Los Angeles. In March, Sean O'Brien from the UK made international headlines when he was cyberbullied after an image of him dancing went viral. A group of women from L.A. decided to throw "Dancing Man" Sean a party in Los Angeles. L.A. Tourism entered the conversation and offered to cover his travel, accommodations and arrange a few special surprises including tickets to a Dodgers game where Dancing Man threw out the first pitch and a visit to a nightclub with DJ headliner Moby. For a video recap, click here.