INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TRADE FAMS, TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS
BRAZIL AGENT TRAINING. JULY
In July, LATCB’s in-market rep, Imaginadora conducted several Los Angeles product training sessions and events for major Brazilian tour operators including MMT Gapnet, CVC and Nascimento Tourismo. A total of 145 tour operator staff completed the Los Angeles destination training in the month of July. Brazil is currently one of the destination’s fastest growing visitor markets and, Los Angeles looks forward to welcoming more Brazilian visitors as tour operator partners add more L.A. product to their online and print brochures.
BRAZIL’S RCA TURISMO TRADESHOW. SAO PAULO, JULY 29-30
LATCB exhibited at the RCA Turismo tradeshow in Sao Paulo, Brazil July 29-30 with the Universal Sheraton and the Hotel Erwin. This educational seminar was co-hosted with Visit CA and was attended by approximately 300 agents. LATCB partnered with American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Sheraton Universal and Hotel Erwin to give-away two Los Angeles 4-night trip packages to drive more awareness and traffic to the booth.
RECEPTIVE OPERATOR EVENT AT DODGERS ALL ACCESS. LOS ANGELES, JULY 28
LATCB hosted six top local Japanese receptive operators at the popular Dodger All Access event on July 28 for a behind-the-scenes experience of Dodger Stadium where they took batting practice in the batting cages, pitched in the bullpen, toured the locker room and Press Box, and dined on the infield while getting the insider perspective of the game of baseball from Dodger management and current players. Participants were from Elephant Tours, J-PAC Travel Services, Kintetsu International, TTA Inc., Meitestu International and Lassen Tour and Travel. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan and the Dodgers are definitely a fan favorite.
FUKUOKA EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR. TOKYO, AUGUST 5
LATCB participated in this seminar for 30 school teachers and 10 travel agents in Fukuoka on Kyushu Island to promote student youth travel to L.A. School excursion trips are a highlight of Japanese school life, and, in particular, high schools are going overseas for this school excursion trip including the U.S. Mainland. L.A.’s diverse museum offerings were highlighted including the California Science Center, the Japanese American National Museum, the Getty, the Huntington Library and Gardens and the Norton Simon Museum, among others.
JAPAN JTB FAM. LOS ANGELES, AUGUST 26
In late August, LATCB hosted 12 sales agents from various JTB offices in Japan for a destination overview FAM. FAM participants spent their time learning about the different regions of Los Angeles with stops in Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, the Westside, Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Universal Studios. LATCB hosted a welcome dinner at Takami Sushi and Robata Restaurant.
STUDENT YOUTH & TRAVEL ASSOCIATION (SYTA). TORONTO, AUGUST 24-26.
LATCB attended this year’s Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) show in Toronto, capitalizing on the momentum built last year as the show’s host city. With over 900 delegates and nearly 600 companies comprised of buyers and sellers, this segment continues to show its relevance and value within the meetings and group travel industry. In addition, the show’s format allowed for several exceptional networking opportunities to further share “what’s new” within Los Angeles and highlight hotel and member partners.
CANADA TRAVEL TRADE MISSION. TORONTO AND MONTREAL, AUGUST 27 - 29
LATCB attended a Canada sales mission organized by Fire Starter Brands to promote Los Angeles to the Canadian market. The Sales Mission consisted of office visits to 16 tour operators in Toronto and Montreal region. The event offered a valuable opportunity for LATCB to promote the destination in a series of one-on-one appointments and a unique opportunity to connect with 25 contacts that are actively influencing travel decisions for hundreds of thousands of passengers annually.
SALES
ASAE. NASHVILLE, AUGUST 9 - 13
LATCB attended the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)’s Annual Meeting in Nashville, August 9-13 attended by nearly 6,000 industry professionals, 63% of whom are buyers and 83% are decision makers. In fact, this year’s show had the highest Association Executive attendance since 2007. The 4-day event consisted of a Tradeshow with member partners (The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles The JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Paramount Pictures, AEG/L.A. LIVE and the Omni Hotel Los Angeles), educational sessions, and LATCB sponsored events for 20 citywide and self-contained customers. The event also gave everyone an opportunity to see Downtown Nashville’s new facilities and area hotels up close, as they are gaining momentum as a convention destination.
EMMY EXPERIENCE 2014
Los Angeles Tourism and local industry partners hosted 20 meeting professionals from all over the world for the annual EMMY Experience 2014. Guests were comprised of 14 self-contained and 6 citywide customers who spent the 3 days prior to the 66th Primetime EMMY Awards discovering Los Angeles. The citywide group represents 93,640 total potential room nights. The self-contained clients boasted representatives from Bishop McCann, AICPA, NAFTZ, Corporate Innovations and The Meetings Network among other corporate clients. The customer familiarization experience included various hotel partners such as the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza, JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Hotel Palomar, Los Angeles – Westwood, W Hollywood, SLS Hotel, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Montage Beverly Hills, Luxe City Center Hotel. Guests were able to experience attractions unique to the destination such as Universal Studios Hollywood, Lexus Grand Tasting at LA Center Studios (Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival), The GRAMMY Museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Getty Center, The Conga Room, Hollywood Bowl, Warner Bros. Studios VIP Tour, a Red Carpet Sneak Peek at the 66th Primetime EMMY Awards, a preview of the post EMMY Governors Ball and a preview of the menu created presented by Patina Catering awash with vibrant hues inspired by the “Kaleidoscope of Color” theme for the Creative Arts Ball and Emmy Awards Governors Ball at Nick & Stef’s Restaurant. The combined familiarization events were once in a lifetime experiences that are sure to be memorable for the clients and certainly showcased the destination to its fullest.
MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES: LOS ANGELES EXHIBITING OPPORTUITIES (FUTURE)
With Los Angeles having a presence at a plethora of tradeshows, members have the exclusive opportunity to join LATCB as an exhibitor partner within the Los Angeles booth. If you are interested in one of the following events, please contact Mikela Redd at mredd@latourism.org for more information and pricing:
- AMEX Inter[action] All Employee Meeting & Supplier Showcase: October 23-26, 2014, Atlanta, GA
- Cal SAE Seasonal Spectacular 2014: December 4, 2014, Sacramento, CA
- International Association of Exhibitions and Events - IAEE Expo! Expo!: December 9-12, 2014, Los Angeles, CA
- Association Forum of Chicagoland Holiday Showcase: December 16, 2014, Chicago, IL
POST SPECIAL OFFERS ON DISCOVERLOSANGELES.COM
There couldn’t be a better time for LATCB members to post special offers on our website. LATCB is experiencing tremendous growth on our website, discoverlosangeles.com, and research studies indicate travelers base much of their decision making on best deals and discounts available. If you are interested in posting a special offer, you can do so by accessing the Member Extranet via the re-launched Portal. Click on the tab “web” and then “coupons” to enter special offer information.
Special offers can be posted specific to Travel Trade Professionals, Meetings & Conventions, and Consumers. Please note that offers geared toward Travel Trade Professionals and Meetings & Conventions should have at least a 12-month cycle as they will be made available to tour operators, citywide and convention groups arriving to Los Angeles up to one year out.
HOST CITY OPPORTUNITY
Los Angeles is proud to have been selected as the host city for International Association of Exhibitions and Events - IAEE Expo! Expo! 2014 taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, December 9-12, 2014. “Go and Be” amongst professionals in the exhibitions and events industry to immerse yourself in the latest trends, ideas and network to take your career to the next level. IAEE leaders and volunteers have been working all year to ensure cutting-edge programming and fresh networking experiences – all designed to benefit show organizers, executives, show directors, managers and staff who work in exhibit sales, event marketing and show operations. Expo! Expo! is the only event where the organizers from association, corporate, public and independent exhibitions and events are, and where they come to learn. All IAEE members and industry professionals are welcome to attend. Please visit http://www.myexpoexpo.com/ExpoExpo2014/public/enter.aspx to register.
As the host city, Los Angeles has been working closely with show management to execute a successful event and showcase Los Angeles as the premiere city for group meetings, exhibitions and convention events. We invite you to be a part of this event as a volunteer or sponsor. For volunteer opportunities register here. If you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity please contact Yas Moaven at ymoaven@latourism.org.
COMMUNICATIONS
VISIT CALIFORNIA AUSTRLIA MEDIA MISSION. SYDNEY, AUG. 24-28
LATCB participated in the Visit California Australia Media Mission, Aug. 24-28, visiting with nearly 80 top media in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. In addition, LATCB conducted its own media appointments with top consumer media in Sydney including meeting with TV show producers and editors at Vogue, InStyle, Marie Claire, and GOURMET Traveller, to name a few, along with several freelance writers.