February 2009 Partner e-Newsletter

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. 

Behind the Scenes at Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase    
The Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase brings 50,000 visitors and $100 million to our city over two weeks every year. Yet, this major event is an ongoing project for MTCVB staff. Here's an overview of MTCVB-provided services:

Serving as the City of Tucson's liaison to gem-show owners and promoters, our Convention Services team supports promotion of all shows. Efforts include overseeing the Downtown Welcome Program, website listings for all shows, and technical assistance and collaboration with ParkWise on the GemRide free shuttle and related printed materials. This team also communicates regularly with show owners and promoters, collects information on available accommodations just prior to and during the showcase, and coordinates information tables at Tucson International Airport and at key public shows. The team recently expanded the Frequently Asked Questions section on the showcase web page.  

Backing up Convention Services are the Public Relations, Marketing, and Visitor Information departments and the Webmaster. Public Relations works to increase publicity by developing and pitching feature stories to journalists. The PR department also responds to media inquiries for current information on the showcase, and maintains the event on MTCVB calendars. The Marketing department designs and produces collateral material for the showcase, including signage, banners, maps, and the GemRide guide. The Webmaster develops and maintains the TGMFS website pages at visitTucson.org, while Visitor Information responds to showcase-related phone, website, and walk-in inquiries from visitors. For all there is to know about Tucson's gem shows, go to www.visittucson.org/gemshow or click here.

WORK IT!   
Tucson Ambassadors Program 
Share your Tucson knowledge with visitors as a Certified Tourism Ambassador. Information is provided on the MTCVB Tucson Ambassadors Program web page. To view the February-June 2009 class schedule and register for the next open class, visit the CTANetwork website, www.CTANetwork.com. 

'Meet & See' at Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum 
Thursday, Feb. 5, from 5-7 p.m., at Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum. Meet at the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum and see its collection of more than 150 historical horse-drawn vehicles. Enjoy  Western-style appetizers catered by BBQ specialists Port-A-Pit Catering, prize drawings, and a roping demo by a Tucson Rodeo Queen. For details, or to RSVP, click here.

Latino Music & Arts at ¡Fiesta! Festival
February and March. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra in partnership with the MTCVB Vamos a Tucson program, the Mexican Consulate, and various Tucson Hispanic organizations celebrate Latino music and arts with the four-program ¡Fiesta! Festival that includes Latin Flavor with The Romeros on March 5, 6, 8 at Tucson Music Hall. A gala reception honoring the world-famous The Romeros Guitar Quartet will follow the March 6 concert. For more information, call American Family Insurance (520-300-5368) or visit www.TucsonSymphony.org.

Partner Orientation & Refresher
Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. at MTCVB Administrative Offices, La Placita Village, 100 S. Church Ave. (corner of Broadway & Church Ave.) Free overview of MTCVB programs and opportunities geared to MTCVB partners, both new and established. For more information, click here.

Casino Night in Sonora, Mexico
Saturday, Feb. 28 is the registration deadline for Casino Night in Hermosillo and Breakfast in San Carlos, presented by the MTCVB Vamos a Tucson program, March 20-21. The event includes a trade show at which partners showcase travel information to Tucson visitors from Mexico and a gala fundraiser that benefits Sonoran charities. For details, contact Martha Tadlock, Mexico Projects Manager, at 520-770-2171. 

First Tuesday: Tucson's World-Class Performing Arts Scene 
Tuesday, March 3 from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room) featuring presentation by Jessica Andrews, Arizona Theatre Company, and Susan Franano, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, on Tucson's performing arts offerings and opportunities. Sponsored by Sweet P's Skin Care. Click here to RSVP. 

Educational Seminar: Sports Marketing Meets Your Business 
Thursday, March 26 from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (8 a.m. registration/continental breakfast) at Holiday Inn & Suites Tucson Airport North. Tucson's reputation as a host location for amateur sports events is growing! As an MTCVB partner business you have priority access to this lucrative market. Follow MTCVB's Director of Sports Marketing Vince Trinidad through a five-step process to ensure that your business is 'sports ready.' To RSVP, click here.

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. 

First Tuesday: Downtown Tucson Partnership 
Tuesday, May 5 from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room). Speaker Glenn Lyons, Downtown Tucson Partnership, provides update on downtown projects. To RSVP, click here.

KNOW IT!  
Gem Show Guide at VisitTucson.org
Are you ready to answer questions about Tucson's world-famous Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase (TGMFS)? It runs Jan. 31 - Feb. 15. Everything else you need to know can be found on the MTCVB website. Besides contact information and show descriptions, you'll find the new video, I-10 construction updates, and GemRide shuttle schedules. When someone asks for gem show details, reference the TGMFS page under Events at www.visittucson.org/gemshow.

Rodeo Tickets Available Online 
Celebrate Tucson's Old West heritage. Dress the part in a cowboy hat and boots and volunteer at the 2009 La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (or Tucson Rodeo), at Tucson Rodeo Grounds, February 21-March 1. For information on volunteering, call 520-294-8896. Take the family to the 84th annual Tucson Rodeo Parade, Thursday, Feb. 26. Tickets for both the rodeo and parade, including VIP box seats through the Vaquero Club, can be ordered online or by phone. Call 520-741-2233 or visit www.TucsonRodeo.com.  

Match Play Golf at the New Ritz-Carlton
Be among the first to see the new Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana during the highly anticipated Accenture Match Play Championship, February 23 - March 1. Stake out your spot and watch the world's top 64 golfers compete for an $8 million purse. Weekday tickets start at $45 per day. Daily and weekly tickets are available for purchase online or via phone. Call 866-942-2672 or 520-571-0400, or visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com.

Rockies and D'backs Ready to Play
Enjoy a Major League Baseball game for a fraction of what a regular season ticket costs. Cactus League Spring Training in Tucson returns February 25-April 2, with most games starting at 1 p.m. The Colorado Rockies warm up at Hi Corbett Field, in midtown at the northeast corner of Reid Park; tickets range from $4 to $17. The Arizona Diamondbacks play ball at Tucson Electric Park, south of downtown, near Interstate 10; tickets run between $5 and $25. Schedules and other information for both teams are on the MTCVB website under Events and at both Rockies and Diamondbacks websites.

'Lightbulb' Dazzles Film Festival
A movie shot entirely in Tucson has been chosen as the closing night film at the prestigious Santa Barbara International Film Festival, February 1. The movie, Lightbulb, is a rags-to-riches story that filmed here for two months, under the original title Snappers, with assistance from the Tucson Film Office. To see the movie's trailer, click here. For additional screening information, watch the Tucson Film Office website, www.filmTucson.com/buzz.

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 520-327-6444.

USE IT!     
Embrace Tucson Like a Visitor  
Embrace Tucson. Get out and hike a nature trail.  Enjoy a live performance. Kick back at a resort, hotel, guest ranch, or bed and breakfast. Book a ladies' spa day. Play golf with the guys. Take your kids to a museum. Dine out with your parents. Shop a local gallery. See for yourself why Tucson is an exciting travel destination. Record your adventures by sending friends and family a free e-postcard available on the MTCVB website or posting on the MTCVB visitor photo gallery photos of your fun times. To learn more about how you and your guests can embrace Tucson, click here. 

Send us Your Hotel Updates
The MTCVB website's New Hotels and Renovations page (located under Research and Facts in the Media section) has news about improvements and expansions at partner hotels. We rely on our partners to help keep this page current with the latest information about hotels, resorts, spas, ranches, and bed and breakfasts. Please send facts about renovations and construction via email to Deborah Melcher, Public Relations Writer, at 770-2164 or dmelcher@visitTucson.org.

Share Green Tucson News
Our Green Tucson page (located at www.visittucson.org/visitor/green) highlights MTCVB partners providing environmentally conscious travel options. All partners displayed have submitted an online survey. If your company has introduced or expanded green options and you want Tucson visitors to know about it, submit the form located at www.visittucson.org/surveys/green and we'll add your information to the page ASAP. If you have any questions, please e-mail Jessica Schlievert, Public Relations Manager, at jschlievert@visitTucson.org.

Assist Airport Passengers 
Tucson Ambassadors are needed to greet passengers at Tucson International Airport (TIA), especially during Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase, Jan. 31 - Feb. 15 and Tucson Rodeo, Feb. 21 - March 1. Volunteers are needed 6-8 a.m., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and 5 p.m. and beyond. Duties include assisting passengers and those waiting for passengers in the pre-security area.  Assistance is needed with pointing out the flight tracker and closed circuit TV screen at the Welcome Lounges and checkpoint lines. To volunteer, contact Dee Brunner at 520-573-4838 or dbrunner@tucsonairport.org. 

Share Valentine's Day Specials
The Arizona Office of Tourism is promoting Arizona's passionate side now through February 28. You're invited to post tourism-related "romantic" specials, discounts, and packages that are valid during this time at the Travel Deals section of www.azot.gov. When adding your travel deal, be sure to select the special promotion "Love is in the Arizona Air."  For more information, contact Marjorie Magnusson at 602-364-3695 or via e-mail at mmagnusson@azot.gov.

Use MTCVB Community Events Calendar
The MTCVB Community Events calendar is a free, online resource lists Tucson and Southern Arizona events that are open to the public and of interest to visitors. To post an event, go to the Community Events landing page and click on the new "Add Your Event" link. Follow the steps to create an account through TucsonStyle.com. An e-mail notice will be sent when the account is approved. Next, complete the online form for each event submitted. 

Promote Your Events on AOT Calendar, Too
The Arizona Office of Tourism is requesting 2009 event information to be considered for the Calendar of Events posted on ArizonaGuide.com. These items encourage tourists to experience special occasions held throughout Arizona. If you have questions or would like an event submission form, contact Marjorie Magnusson at mmagnusson@azot.gov or 602-364-3695.  

Get Your Spring/Summer Destination Guide
The 2009 Tucson Official Destination Guide Spring/Summer issue, produced by the MTCVB and Madden Media, will be available later this month. The feature story is about the Reid Park Zoo's Conservation Learning Center. Partners are mailed a free copy and may request additional copies for customers. To schedule a pick up time, contact Amanda Flores, Office Coordinator, at 770-2123 or aflores@visitTucson.org. For delivery service, contact Presidio Distribution at 296-8024. 

MTCVB Visitor Inquiries / December 2008
Information requests: 8,307
Walk-in visitors: 3,269
Website unique visitors: 223,359
Year to Date / July-December 2008
Information requests: 52,367
Walk-in visitors: 17,196
Website unique visitors:  1,313,943

LINKS TO MTCVB RESOURCES
Follow the links below for information from a variety of MTCVB resources: 
New Partners / Partner Anniversaries
Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo Parade Museum
Major League Baseball Spring Training