APRIL 2009
Welcome to TourISm Tucson (pronounced "Tourism Is Tucson"), your monthly e-newsletter from the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau (MTCVB). We invite you to use this medium to stay informed of news and other information that will help ensure your success as a partner of Tucson's tourism community.
ShowUp.com: Showcasing Metro Tucson's Arts & Cultural Assets
The MTCVB and the Tucson Pima Arts Council (TPAC) have collaborated on a website that provides a one-stop online directory of arts and cultural offerings in Tucson and Southern Arizona. The website, ShowUp.com, will be launched at a press conference at the Tucson Museum of Art, April 20 at 2 p.m. The MTCVB is financially supporting the website's creation and launch, and working in cooperation with TPAC and Alliance for Audience, which together will manage the site content.
"ShowUp.com will be an excellent resource for visitors and locals alike who will find, in one place, the dynamic elements of art, culture, and attractions in Tucson and Southern Arizona," said Rick Vaughan, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing.
The Tucson and Southern Arizona edition of ShowUp.com will offer a comprehensive calendar and ticket service for theater, music, dance, visual art, festivals and cultural attractions throughout the region. People will be able to buy tickets, send an item to someone else, and post an event review at the website. Event organizers are encouraged to submit information about their events by sending a detailed e-mail to events@showup.com. For more information, call TPAC at 624-0595.
USE IT!
Send Us Hotel Summer Surprise Packages
Partners in the Hotels, Resorts, Spas, Ranches, and B&Bs category are invited to create summer specials and send us the information by April 30. The specials will be featured in our 2009 Tucson Will Surprise You campaign, which will promote our destination in vital drive markets across Arizona between May 20 and September 7. Each property should identify its special as a "Summer Surprise Package" and include a special rate and added value items, such as "room rate plus free breakfast." Be creative and consider including specials for children, families, and couples. Request an information form by e-mailing Hope Patterson at hpatterson@visitTucson.org.
Sharpen Your Sales Survival Skills
You probably know that cold calls are dead. Nobody wastes time placing calls to prospects they know nothing about. There are better ways to handle hospitality sales. Learn the latest at "I Hate Cold Calls! Strategies for Selling in a Down Economy" at Lodge on the Desert, April 28. This seminar is geared to general managers who oversee the sales effort, directors of sales who want to take their sales process to the next level, and sales managers who want to more effectively target and penetrate their territories. Presenter Carol Verret has years of experience in hospitality sales, both at major hotel properties and in the classroom; she is the author of The Hotel Sales and Revenue Management Book 2.0. This full-day seminar costs $99 for MTCVB partners. For more details or to RSVP, click here.
Make Your Business 'Tourism Ready'
Summer is the perfect time to provide your staff with additional training and resources to keep your business "tourism ready." Why not enroll in one of the following Tourism Ambassadors Program classes? May 21 at Tucson Association of Realtors, Tucson Blvd. office, 12:30-5 p.m. (RSVP by April 30). June 10 at Hyatt Place Tucson Airport, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (RSVP by May 20). July 13 at Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites, 12:30-5 p.m. (RSVP by June 22). To register, go to www.CTAnetwork.com. The $25 per person application fee is non-transferable and non-refundable.
Embrace Tourism and Win Prizes
Our Embrace Tourism and Win campaign has been presented to more than 1,500 individuals since it began in January. As a result, we have received from local attendees more than 20 meeting leads that we are qualifying. The Friends of Pima County Library, Southern Arizona Concierge Network, Sunrise Rotary, Tucson Black Chamber of Commerce, and Tucson Originals are a few examples of local groups that have hosted our presentation. Embrace Tourism and Win is an incentive program that rewards Tucsonans for providing personal contacts that could lead to meeting and convention bookings here. If you are affiliated with a business or social group and want to learn more about the campaign, contact Judy Wood, Partner Sales & Hospitality Manager, at 770-2148 or jwood@visitTucson.org.
Promote Your Deals to Penny-pinchers
Talk of belt tightening and lean budgets should not impede one's ability to have a great Tucson experience. Frugal visitors can find fun and educational activities in metropolitan Tucson that don't break the bank. A new website, TucsonOntheCheap.com, lists freebies, deals, and discounts available at area attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants, and more. Share your company or organization's free and reduced-price offers by sending an e-mail to mailto:atlistme@tucsononthecheap.com.
List Your Hotel Renovations News
The New Hotels and Renovations page in the Media section at www.visitTucson.org is a resource for travel writers seeking news about Tucson area hotel and resort properties. MTCVB partners (in the category of Hotels, Resorts, Spas, Ranches and B&Bs) are encouraged to submit news about their hotel renovations to Kimberly Schmitz, Public Relations Director, at 770-2143 or via email at kschmitz@visitTucson.org.
WORK IT!
First Tuesday: 'Sa wa rows' and Friends
Tuesday, April 7 from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room), featuring presentation by Bob Newtson, Friends of Saguaro National Park. Sponsored by Southern Arizona Roadrunners. To RSVP, click here.
Meet & See: Theatre Night at Arizona Theatre Company
Thursday, April 9 beginning with reception from 5-7 p.m. at Temple Gallery, followed by performance of Beethoven, As I Knew Him from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Temple of Music and Art. Meet your tourism colleagues for a private reception before the show in the Temple of Music and Art Gallery (home of Etherton Gallery). Featuring prize drawings, catered hors d'oeuvres by Todd's American Food--Arizona Style, and drinks at the cash bar. For details or to RSVP, click here.
Educational Seminar: I Hate Cold Calls: Strategies for Selling in a Down Economy
Tuesday, April 28 at 8 a.m. (registration) and 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (seminar) with a $8 quick lunch option (noon-12:45 p.m.) at Lodge on the Desert. For details, or to RSVP, click here.
First Tuesday: Downtown Tucson Partnership
Tuesday, May 5 from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room). Speaker Glenn Lyons, Downtown Tucson Partnership, provides update on downtown projects. Sponsored by Maynard's Market & Kitchen. For details, or to RSVP, click here.
MTCVB Partner Orientation & Refresher Meeting
Wednesday, May 13 from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. (8:15 a.m. check in) at MTCVB Administrative Office. New partners and established partners are invited to learn specific tips and ideas for making the most of your partnership with the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (MTCVB). Free. To RSVP, click here.
First Tuesday Luncheon: Update on El Tour de Tucson
Tuesday, June 6 from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room). Featuring a discussion of El Tour's positive impact on Tucson and the results of a new study illustrating how cycling and Tucson are a perfect match. Speaker: Richard DeBernardis, President and founder of Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc., El Tour's parent company. Sponsored by The DesertLeaf. To RSVP, click here.
Annual Partner Gathering at Lodge on the Desert
Wednesday, June 17 from 5-7 p.m. at the newly remodeled and expanded Lodge on the Desert. Featuring entertainment by the Charles King Guitar Trio and house specialty appetizers. Click here for more information.
KNOW IT!
New i-Brochure Offers Virtual Greens Tour
Discover the world-famous courses and events that make Tucson one of America's favorite golf destinations. Peruse our new Tucson Golf I-brochure, available on the Golf page at www.visitTucson.org, for a virtual tour of our city's stunning desert greens. Share the free experience with friends by e-mailing or printing the i-brochure.
Tucson Golf Events Page Open to Partners
Golf partners are reminded that our Tucson Golf Events page at visitTucson.org accepts information about public events taking place at partner golf clubs and courses. Send an e-mail with details about the golf event--including title, date, time, location, beneficiary, website, and contact information--to Erin Lair, Webmaster, at elair@visitTucson.org.
ADOT I-10 Traffic Alert
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) posts news about the Prince Road to 29th Street I-10 widening project in Tucson at the project website. For the latest news, click here or call the I-10 project hotline at 327-6444.
MTCVB Visitor Inquiries /February 2009
Information requests: 12,632
Walk-in visitors: 7,589
Website unique visitors: 316,577
Year to Date / July 2008-February 2009
Information requests: 84,879
Walk-in visitors: 30,539
Website unique visitors: 1,950,329
LINKS TO MTCVB RESOURCES
Follow the links below for information from a variety of MTCVB resources:
New Partners / Partner Anniversaries
Tucson On Us, Master Account Credit Offer
Embrace Tourism and Win Campaign
Tucson Ambassadors Program
Tucson Golf i-Brochure
