 February 2005
» The Bureau Announces 2005 Board of Directors» Sales Update » Marketing Update » Bureau's first consumer e-newsletter receives 30% read rate among subscribers » Just Out - The New San Diego North 2005 Travel Planning and Conference Guide » Industry News & Member Spotlight » Welcome Aboard! » Put the San Diego North CVB to work for you » Stories from the Watercooler » Fast Facts » Knowledge is Power - Educational Sales Seminar » Job Opportunity Announcement » San Diego North CVB Welcomes New Office Manager » Bureau Contacts The Bureau Announces 2005 Board of Directors Recently, members approved the slate of nominees for the Bureau's Board of Directors for 2005. The board members, listed below, are responsible for governing the San Diego North CVB. Tim Fennell, chief executive officer of the Del Mar Fairgrounds, continues as chairman of the board. Tim has been at the Fairgrounds since 1993. Continuing officers include Bob Rauch, general manager/partner of Homewood Suites San Diego/Del Mar, as vice chairman; Bob Peckenpaugh, resort manager, Rancho Bernardo Inn as vice chairman; Bob McClure, director of the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, as treasurer; James Farley, attorney-at-law, as secretary; and Bob Moore, general manager, Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach, member-at-large. San Diego North CVB 2005 Officers: Tim Fennell, Del Mar Fairgrounds, chairman of the board Bob Rauch, Homewood Suites San Diego/Del Mar, vice chairman Bob Peckenpaugh, Rancho Bernardo Inn, vice chairman Bob McClure, San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, treasurer James Farley, attorney-at-law, secretary Bob Moore, Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach, member-at-large San Diego North CVB 2005 Board of Directors: Chris Aldieri, Hyatt Regency La Jolla Paul Corsinita, San Diego Marriott La Jolla John Daley, 101 CafÈ, Oceanside Patrick Duffy, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Julian Duval, Quail Botanical Gardens, Encinitas Marty Goldman, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc Juanita Hayes, San Marcos Chamber of Commerce Nigella Hillgarth, Birch Aquarium at Scripps John Jakobsen, LEGOLAND California Kevin Leap, San Diego Magazine Lynn Lee, PRA Destination Management Lucie Manley, San Diego Marriott Del Mar Laura McDonald, San Diego Gas & Electric Company Shaun Robinson, Doubletree Hotel Del Mar Nance Trevithick, Four Seasons Resort Aviara Paul Van Elderen, Hanson Realty, A Corky McMillin Co. Carl Winston, San Diego State University Ex Officios Rick Mansur, Rancho Bernardo Inn Jack Jacobs, Radisson Suite Hotel RB « back to top Sales Update Sales Report : December 2004 - January 2005
San Diego North CVB Sales Team hosts 2005 Winter Educational (FAM) Tour  Seven meeting planners from around the country attended the San Diego North CVB 2005 Winter Educational Tour in early February. The four-day tour, which began on February 3, has generated two leads and was a great opportunity to showcase a few of San Diego North's luxurious resorts and renowned attractions, including
San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, Orfila Winery, and A 1 Biplane Adventures. For more information on how to participate in future tours, please contact the sales department at sales@sandiegonorth.com.MPI-PEC Conference & Expo brings nearly 80 to San Diego North CVB booth The San Diego North CVB met with close to 80 meeting planners at the MPI-PEC Conference & Expo held in town at the San Diego Convention Center on January 23-26, 2005. The Bureau's director of sales, Stephanie Colby-Aburto and national sales manager, Sindy Radcliff attended the show along with co-op partners from Morgan Run Resort, Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad, Del Mar Fairgrounds, and Pala Mesa Resort. San Diego North CVB promotes the region at several Travel Industry Events 
Over 200 agents from Northern California, Utah, and Nevada collected information about the San Diego North region at the California Southern Automobile Association (CSAA) Travel Conference in Anaheim, which took place in December 2004. Chrissy Wean, travel industry sales manager for the San Diego North CVB, along with co-op partners from San Diego Zoo/WAP and LEGOLAND were on-hand at the exhibit booth to promote the area to the conference attendees.In January, Ms. Wean attended the America West/Star Telegram Trade Show in Dallas, which attracted over 4,000 consumers. While in Dallas, she teamed with the San Diego CVB and LEGOLAND on sales calls, promoting the San Diego region to local AAA offices.  The Los Angeles Times Travel Trade Show held in Long Beach drew 900 travel agents and 13,000 consumers to the January event. Joining the San Diego North CVB were co-op partners from the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad, Inns of America, Warner Springs Ranch and Pala Mesa Resort.In December, Ms. Wean also presented the San Diego North region to over 30 reservation agents at Travelworm.com/JetawayToday.com in Las Vegas, NV. «back to top Marketing Update Bureau's first consumer e-newsletter receives 30% read rate among subscribers The San Diego North CVB marketing team launched its first subscriber-based consumer e-newsletter in January. The Getaway Highlights e-newsletter is distributed strictly to opt-in subscribers on a quarterly basis and is an exciting springboard to the e-marketing efforts being put in place by the Bureau. "This is a great marketing tool which not only reinforces the San Diego North brand, but also helps to build upon the relationship we've established with our web users," says Barbara Bovee, director of marketing and operations for the San Diego North CVB. Getaway Highlights features updates on area events, the latest specials for accommodations and attraction tickets, as well as links to the San Diego North website and booking engine. The Winter 2005 issue, distributed in January, boasted a 30% read rate among over one thousand subscribers. To view a copy of the issue, click here. Just Out - The New San Diego North 2005 Travel Planning and Conference Guide The Bureau has recently received the new 2005 travel planning guides. Barbara Bovee, director of marketing and operations, said, "The travel planner is the Bureau's primary marketing tool. It is essential that we produce a top quality piece that offers comprehensive visitor information." The Bureau published over 40,000 visitor guides to be distributed in 2005. According to the Bureau's most recent inquiry conversion survey, the guide influenced over 74% of the people to come to San Diego North and 85% of those who visited brought the visitors guide with them. The guide is mailed to meeting planners, travel planners, travel agents and leisure inquiries. The guide is also included in the Bureau's press kits and is used by Bureau staff members when referring members. «back to top Industry News & Member Spotlight INDUSTRY NEWS Kudos to local resorts who received top honors in Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure! The Conde Nast Traveler 2005 Gold List: The World's Best Places to Stay - featured four San Diego North resorts in their January 2005 issue, including: Four Seasons Resort Aviara Rancho Valencia Resort Lodge at Torrey Pines - new to the list this year La Valencia The CNT Gold List is based on data collected from the annual Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Survey; to qualify for inclusion in these rankings, a property had to receive a required minimum number of responses. The Travel & Leisure 500 - featured three San Diego North resorts in their January 2005 issue, including: Rancho Valencia Resort Four Seasons Resort Aviara La Valencia Hotel Using reader evaluations collected in Travel & Leisure's most recent World's Best Awards survey, they identified the 500 highest-rated properties -- those that have a demonstrated track record of excellence. Then they called upon T&L insiders around the globe to find out exactly what it is that makes each one special. MEMBER SPOTLIGHT LEGOLAND California hosted Academy Award Winner, Michael Douglas and his son, Dylan (four)  and some family friends this past winter season. Dylan enjoyed his first rollercoaster ride on Coastersaurus. Mom, Catherine Zeta Jones, missed out on the fun since she was shooting the final scenes of "Zorro II" in Mexico.
Congratulations to the 2004 San Diego County Fair as it dominated the International Association of Fairs and Expositions at a ceremony recently held in Las Vegas, winning eight out of 14 nominations. Additionally, they swept the Western Fairs Association (WFA) awards recently held in Reno, receiving a total of 45 awards, the most of any fair in the Western United States and Canada. The City of Vista Parks and Community Services Department was recently selected as a 2004 California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) Award of Excellence winner in the category of Recreation/Community Services - Neighborhood/Community Life for "Vista in Bloom". "Vista in Bloom" is a city-wide utility box beautification project, and a collaborative effort between local artists, utility companies, and the City of Vista Public Arts Commission. Local artists spent the month of July 2004 designing and painting the utility boxes, which can be viewed online at www.ci.vista.ca.us. The Wave Waterpark was recently recognized by the World Waterpark Association for outstanding achievement in marketing efforts for its 2004 Season. The Wave received "Wave Review Awards" for "Best In-Park Promotion" and "Best Poster". Additionally, at the World Waterpark Association Trade Show and Conference in October, the Wave was voted as the winner of "Best TV Commercial" for its attendance category. The California Center for the Arts, Escondido announced that is has received a series of grants totaling $19,000 from The Citigroup Foundation to expand its student performance series. The student performance series is the only series of presentations in the region by nationally recognized artists performing work designed especially for K - 12 grade students. It currently serves 27 local elementary, middle and high schools. The school performance series provides many of these students with their only opportunity to experience a live performance, visit a museum and enhance their lives through the arts. Congratulations to Marine Room executive chef Bernard Guillas who has been named 2004 Chef of the Year by Chef Magazine! Chefs from across the country were nominated by their peers based on the chef's work that distinguishes them in the advancement of the culinary arts, beverage and food service community. «back to top Welcome Aboard! We are proud to announce the following organization which has recently joined as a new member of the San Diego North CVB: Ranch & Coast Magazine P.O. Box 676130 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 760-942-2330 / Fax: 760-635-8595 www.ranchandcoast.com Ranch and Coast Magazine is a local luxury lifestyle publication reaching the most affluent residents in San Diego County, including Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, Del Mar and Carmel Valley. «back to top Put the San Diego North CVB to work for you Privileges such as advertising co-ops, trade show co-ops, the direct mail program and PR opportunities are key benefits to you as a member of the Bureau. Click here to review and take advantage of opportunities offered by the Bureau for long-term planning of your marketing needs. It's never too early! For more information, please contact Stacy Kadrich, marketing coordinator at skadrich@sandiegonorth.com. Free Promotion Opportunities - Special Deals Page With over 126,000 unique users visiting www.sandiegonorth.com annually, the Special Deals page of the San Diego North CVB Web site is an ideal vehicle for you to move excess inventory, announce last-minute deals or promote other special offers. Our Special Deals page is available at no extra charge to you as a member. To post your specials, please contact Stacy Kadrich, marketing coordinator at skadrich@sandiegonorth.com. Trade Show Exposure and Co-op Opportunities The San Diego North CVB sales team will participate in 20 trade shows during the 2004-2005 fiscal year. Listed below is a partial schedule of shows with co-op opportunities available to San Diego North CVB partners. Discounts are offered with participation in six or more shows. To participate or for more information, please contact Stephanie Colby-Aburto at (760) 603-1690, or by email at sales@sandiegonorth.com. 2005 Shows March 3 - Destination Showcase in Washington, D.C. April 6 & 7 - Affordable Meeting Mid-America in Chicago, IL Click here for full listing of co-op trade show opportunities «back to top Stories from the Watercooler Highway 101 Association/NCTD Provide Great Opportunity for Area Merchants The Hwy 101 Association and North County Transit District have partnered together to promote business on the Historic Hwy 101. The program is free and is designed to increase customer traffic to Highway 101 merchants while increasing ridership on the BREEZE route 101, which travels from Oceanside to UTC. Participating merchants agree to offer a special promotion or discount in exchange for free exposure in all marketing efforts, including the goNCTD.com website, drivethe101.com website, full listing in press releases issued to the Coast News, San Diego Union Tribune and North County Times, along with listings in brochures, bus placards, and flyers. Click here for more information on how to become involved. Call for Nominations - Presentation of 26th Annual Gold Key Awards The 26th Annual Gold Key Awards presentation offers the opportunity to honor those who have made significant contributions to the betterment of the hospitality industry during the past year. The event, co-sponsored by the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2005, at The Town & Country Resort. As is customary, awards will be presented in eight categories and the nomination period covers 2004. Nominations must be submitted by Tuesday, March 1, 2005. All employees in the hospitality industry in the county are eligible for nomination. If you wish to submit an application via email, you may submit an online application to info@sdhma.com. For more information and a copy of the application, click here. «back to top Fast Facts Optimism embraces the travel industry as 2005 arrives According to TIA's Annual Travel Forecast, overall traveler spending by domestic and international visitors in the U.S. anticipated an increase of 6.9 percent by 2004's year end to nearly $593 billion, up from $555 billion in 2003. An additional 5.3 percent increase in 2005 will bring expenditures to $624 billion. Domestic business travel will see its first increases since prior to September 11, 2001. U.S. residents are estimated to have taken almost 144 million business trips by the finish of 2004, an increase of 4 percent over 2003. In 2005, business travel is estimated to increase by 3.6 percent to nearly 149 million trips. The improvement in business travel will also stimulate demand in hotel rooms, with Smith Travel Research anticipating a 4 percent gain in room demand at the end of 2004. Leisure travel has experienced slow but steady growth over the years. TIA forecasts a 2.9 percent increase in leisure travel volume by the end of 2004, up from a 1.9 percent increase in 2003. In 2005, another 2 percent increase is projected. «back to top Knowledge is Power - Educational Sales Seminar Sales Seminar - Presented by San Diego ConVis and Master Connection Associates A series of cost-effective seminars for the hospitality industry in sales development and sales leadership is scheduled to run throughout 2005. Cindy Novotny from Master Connections Associates will be the ConVis Sales Trainer for the series. Attendees will learn practical sales tools, new sales techniques, efficient sales methods and improved sales skills. Download information and registration forms by clicking here. «back to top Job Opportunity Announcement A Group Sales Manager position is available within the Pala Mesa Resort, nestled in Fallbrook, California. Applicant must have at least 3-5 years group sales experience in an upscale hotel/resort environment in the Southern California group market, ideally with an emphasis on Orange County and/or Los Angeles. Excellent communication and sales leadership skills. Word, Excel, Delphi proficiency. If you are qualified and interested in an outstanding career opportunity, please submit your resume to PALA MESA RESORT, 2001 Old Highway 395, Fallbrook, CA 92028; or fax:760.723.9042 or hr@palamesa.com. You can also apply online at www.palamesa.com or call their job hotline: 760-731-6816. Please indicate salary requirements for resume consideration. «back to top San Diego North CVB Welcomes New Office Manager  Debbie Mirageas recently joined the San Diego North Convention and Visitors Bureau as the Office Manager. Debbie brings to our team, more than 15 years of management experience from her 20 years with FedEx. Debbie is excited about this new opportunity and is looking forward to joining the outstanding team at San Diego North CVB. «back to top Bureau Contacts Cami Mattson, president and CEO Barbara Bovee, director of marketing and operations Stephanie Colby-Aburto, director of sales Debbie Mirageas, office manager «back to top If you feel you've received this message in error, or if you no longer wish to receive news and special offers please Click Here to be removed from this list. |