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SCTB is Thankful for You
As an organization, SCTB is thankful to represent such a diverse group of partners in the tourism and hospitality business.
We are constantly amazed at the hidden gems we still come across on a weekly basis. What else are we thankful
for:
“I’m thankful for the beauty that surrounds us everyday.” -
Mark Crabb
“I’m thankful for our new offices and an approved 2010
budget and marketing plan that will challenge our organization to grow and achieve new goals for Sonoma Country in 2010 and
beyond.” – Ken Fischang
“I am thankful that I get to represent such a wonderful
place for a living and that I am able to visit a few times a year!” - Jamie Graham
“I could spend every weekend for the rest of my life
exploring Sonoma County and always find a new discovery. I am also thankful for the fantastic weather we have year-round.”
– Keri Hanson
“I have a beautiful commute through Sonoma Valley. Then I
come to work and talk to journalists, or write press releases and blog posts about Sonoma County. I can toast each day with
a different Sonoma County wine. Life is good.” – Tina Luster
“I'm thankful to live in a county so abundant in riches;
from our warm people to our artisan products, from our root stock to our towering, majestic redwoods. Sonoma Wine Country
is a feast for all the senses!” – Robin McKee-Cant
“I'm thankful that, of all the beautiful places in the
world, I live in one of them. It's made special by our abundant agriculture, preserved open spaces, the ocean and rolling
hills, the redwoods and the rivers. And, most importantly, by the people dedicated to keeping this a beautiful place to
live. I love to travel, but if I never leave again, at least I'm in one of the vacation wonderlands of the world.” – Beth
Snow
“I’m thankful for my staff: Keri Hanson, Beth Snow, Tina
Luster, Jeff Herdell and Justin Hayashi. On a daily basis, they make my work life so much easier. And they are a fun group to be around” – Tim
Zahner
Deadlines and Opportunities
Spa Magazine Seeks Spa
Packages by Nov. 30
Spa Magazine (103,507 circulation), an outlet geared toward
individuals looking for the beauty, renewal and relaxation of a spa resort vacation, is seeking spa deals to possibly be
included in the March/April 2010 issue.
Priority will be given to any spa packages with a
detox/cleansing theme. Information needed includes: property/spa; contact info; package name; what’s included; cost and
available dates.
Please send info on any spa packages and/or deals that will
be valid from late March 2010, to Tina Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com, by 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 30. This is a tight
deadline and no late submissions will be accepted.
Final Call: Donations
Needed for Holiday Scholarship Auction
San Francisco Bay Area’s PR Roundtable is seeking donations
for its annual scholarship silent auction. The organization awards scholarships to full- and part-time university students
studying public relations. The Public Relations and Marketing team are members of the organization.
In the past, partners have donated certificates for dinners for two, bottles of wine, maybe even for a night’s stay in
Sonoma County. For more information about the auction, please e-mail Tina Luster at
tluster@sonomacounty.com.
SCTB Deadlines: Events,
Dec. 3; What’s New, Dec. 14
If you have any events that are happening between Jan. 1
and March 31, 2010, please submit them by 5 p.m. Dec. 3. Visit www.sonomacounty.com/ncal/ to
submit your events. Your event will be posted online and possibly used in the printed version of the calendar of
events.
Also, SCTB is looking for what’s new with you. Please
submit your what’s new item to www.sonomacounty.com/partners/whats-new, by 5 p.m. Dec. 14. Your submissions will be
used in SCTB’s quarterly press release covering January through March 2010.
Reserve AAA Magazine VIA
Discover Spring Ad by Dec. 8
AAA’s VIA is offering a cooperative advertising opportunity
for SCTB partners in its Discover Spring insert (March/April issue). Space reservation deadline is Dec. 8, while copy and
photo deadline is Dec. 15.
The cost is only $2.92 to reach 1,000 AAA homes. The rate
is $1,460 net per co-op partner (with six partners on page). Each partner signs an insertion order and will be billed in
March. Readership of VIA exceeds 1 million. Inserts are placed in 500,000 copies of VIA and mailed to affluent AAA homes in
the Bay Area and Sacramento, SCTB’s two main markets.
VIA designs the ads. Each co-op partner e-mails a
four-color high-resolution photo, website address, phone number and 50 words of copy to lindawebbervia@aol.com by Dec. 15.
The ads will be e-mailed to each partner for final approval. VIA helps track your ad! SCTB will be listed on the reader
service page and will forward all leads to co-op partners. Each co-op partner will be listed on the VIA website,
viamagazine.com/info.
Call Linda Webber to secure your co-op position: office,
(707) 254-8448; cell phone (707) 486-7028; or e-mail Lindawebbervia@aol.com.
Travel Editor Needs Select
Escapes by Dec. 9
A former Conde Nast editor and freelance travel writer has
launched a monthly online travel magazine, www.FarewellTravels.com, using video, animation, photography and text to
showcase select escapes. She’s looking for travel news for the discriminating traveler, families with older (tweens and
teens) children, couples seeking romantic and adventure getaways, and individuals seeking worthwhile travel
experiences.
Please e-mail your information to be included to Tina
Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com, by noon Dec. 9.
CTTC State Travel Releases
Deadline Dec. 11
California Travel and Tourism Commission is looking for
submissions for upcoming press releases: California Dining, California Learning Vacations, and Something's brewin' in
California - Microbrewery tours. If you would like to submit to any of these, please contact Tina Luster,
tluster@sonomacounty.com, by 5 p.m. Dec. 11.
Media Opportunity: Campus
Circle Journalist – Deadline Dec. 11
A journalist with Campus Circle, (www.campuscircle.com,
cirulation 90,000 in the greater Los Angeles area) will be visiting Sonoma County Jan. 1-3. If anyone is interested in
hosting her for accommodations, a meal or an attraction, please contact Tina Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com, by Dec.
11.
LA Wine Fest Accepting
Wineries – Early Registration Ends Dec. 15
Sonoma County wineries looking to be showcased in the LA
area can still register to be an exhibitor at the LA Wine Fest, taking place in June. Early bird registration is through
Dec. 15. Download a registration application at www.lawinefest.com/exhibitors.html.
Chefs Needed for Inside
Sonoma
Inside-sonoma.com has gotten a facelift of sorts. As part
of our latest refresh, we've added a "cook" category, inside-sonoma.com/cook, that features professional chefs who
have restaurants, a catering business or are instructors. We are also sending out a recipe each month in our consumer
e-newsletter that goes out to more than 20,000 people.
What we need from you: your bio, information about your restaurant, and one of your recipes that you think epitomizes your
food philosophy. Also, please include a specific Sonoma County wine recommendation, for example a 2006 Matanzas Creek
Merlot. A photo of either you or your dish is optional. Please send your information to Beth Snow, bsnow@sonomacounty.com.
Sonoma Website Seeks Deals
ASAP
Sonoma on the Cheap (sonomaonthecheap.com) will be
featuring holiday events that are either free or cheap. Ideally, the admission should be $10 or less or have a substantial
discount for early registration or a deal for locals. Hotels are invited to submit specials that are at least 20 percent
off. Contact Lisa Mann directly, Lisa_mann@comcast.net.
Media Lead Catchers Needed
Who at your organization is the contact for media leads?
While leads with long lead times appear in our Tourism Update, sometimes we get requests from media that is due before the
next Update. If you are a public relations professional for several properties, please list all the properties you are the
media contact for. Please send the media contact information to Tina Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com.
California Tourism Forecast
According to research funded by the California Travel and
Tourism Commission, the travel forecast calls for a 4 percent decline in visitor volume and an 8 percent decline in visitor
spending in 2009. Overnight trips (-6.5 percent) are more affected than day trips (-0.2 percent), and trips by air (-5.8
percent) are more affected than trips by auto (-3.8 percent).
This matches the state’s and SCTB’s ongoing research that
showed people are cutting back on travel. Also, trips are shorter and fewer expenditures among the travel that remains.
This has guided our marketing efforts to focus on the “staycation” markets of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
Read more about this and other research topics: The Outlook for California Travel & Tourism [pdf]
California Lodging Report
California occupancy measured 62.6 percent in September,
down 4.1 percent from last year. Year-to-date occupancy was down 10.7 percent. In September, room rates averaged $108.56,
off 12.5 percent from August 2008. Year-to-date, room rates are 11.4 percent lower than 2008. Early October data suggests
similar rate declines than in September, but considerably smaller declines in occupancy – largely due to comparisons to a
poor period in 2008. http://tourism.visitcalifornia.com/Research_200909.pdf.
U.S. Travel Association’s
Research Aids NY Times Story
The unstable economic environment has united the travel
industry in such a way to quiet political attacks on meetings, events and incentives and generated newfound support for the
value of travel.
In fact, this week the New York Times ran an article (www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/) on the value of meetings and events, citing U.S. Travel Association’s recent Oxford Economics study on
business travel's return on investment to the bottom line. The article highlights several companies who are enjoying
increased prosperity as a result of their decision to make travel a key strategic priority.
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