February 6, 2025
IN THIS ISSUE…
- 2025 New York Media Mission Provides Elevated Exposure for Santa Cruz County in the Largest Media Market in the U.S.
- Santa Cruz County to be Represented in Copenhagen at Club California Event
- Update or Create Your Free Business Listing
2025 New York Media Mission Provides Elevated Exposure for Santa Cruz County in the Largest Media Market in the U.S.
Visit California’s annual New York Media Mission, attended by delegates from across the state was held January 21 – 23. Visit Santa Cruz County’s Director of Communications Christina Glynn along with public relations representatives from 38 other destinations from throughout the state participated in the 2025 event, which included International Media Marketplace (IMM), and additional programming presented by Visit California.
With Visit California being a sponsor of IMM, destinations statewide received elevated exposure at this event. Pairing journalists with public relations representatives in one-on-one appointments, statewide delegates were gathered in a branded California Pavilion area and were prioritized within the first round of matching in the appointment algorithm. This series of 24 pre-scheduled 15-minute appointments provided valuable one-on-one time with editors, freelancers and staff writers in the largest media market in North America. In total, IMM featured over 500 vetted and qualified consumer, lifestyle and travel media representatives throughout the day. Public relations representatives from destinations cross the U.S. and abroad were also in attendance.
Partnering with Visit California-sponsored media events provides VSCC with a cost-effective way to stretch its public relations budget to reach major metropolitan-area consumer, lifestyle, and travel media outlets. Increasing visitor awareness of Santa Cruz County through media exposure results in increased revenues to the county in the long run.
Santa Cruz County to be Represented in Copenhagen at Club California Event
In April, Director of Travel Trade and Sales Flavia Oliveira and Director of Communications Christina Glynn are headed to Denmark to join other California delegates at an event hosted by the state’s Nordic office for the benefit of destination education.
Club California, worldwide receptions are designed to inform and educate tour operators and media from Visit California’s targeted international markets about destinations within the state that are welcoming foreign visitors. Since the pandemic, Visit Santa Cruz County has reactivated its marketing and promotional efforts abroad, expanding the previous reach of the UK, Germany and Canada based on new routes into San Jose Mineta International Airport and research released by the state which shows the viability of emerging international markets.
Flavia and Christina will be showcasing a presentation in person following Visit California’s Pan-Euro Trade and Media Mission in Germany, France and the UK in late March and early April. This Club California Nordic event will target the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, utilizing Visit California’s in-market resources to reach travel trade and media outlets.
As with previous Club California events, the objective will be to educate agents and media on the depth and diversity of the state, and leverage excitement around a common theme, Visit California’s Ultimate Playground campaign.
Previous Club California events in which VSCC participated remotely include Australia, India, South Korea and Japan.
Update or Create Your Free Business Listing
One of the benefits VSCC extends to local businesses is the opportunity to be featured on santacruz.org, which hosts 1 million visitors a year and is a key component of VSCC’s marketing and promotional programs. These complimentary listings feature a 300-word description and can include up to six images. Hours of operation, information, phone number, URL, and other information are all included in the listing. Santa Cruz County area businesses have complete control over the information featured in their listing.
Using the VSCC Extranet Portal, updates and revisions can be made at any time. For the purposes of SEO, it is recommended that business descriptions contain 300 words to maximize their online presence during internet searches so visitors can more easily find them on the web.
If you have not already done so, VSCC encourages business owners to log into the VSCC Extranet Portal and review your listing information. An email address and password are required; a new password can be created to gain access to listing information.
Even if you have already logged in and updated your information, we encourage you to revisit your listing a few times a year as information changes or photography is updated. As a reminder, VSCC uses this information to provide business owners with industry updates and to promote your organization on santacruz.org.
Should you have any questions, please email VSCC and we can assist you!
Partner Kudos!
Annieglass was awarded Best Tabletop Design Manufacturer at the 35th Arts Awards in Dallas. Way to go Ann Morhauser and team Annieglass! Congratulations to Councilmember Joe Clarke, who was recently appointed Mayor of the City of Capitola.
Impact of Canadian Tariffs on Travel
The U.S. Travel Association issued a press release this week stating that tariffs on Canada could impact inbound visitation and the U.S. travel industry, noting that Canada is the top source of international visitors, with 20.4 million visits last year. As an example, a 10 percent reduction in Canadian travel to the U.S. is projected to result in 2 million fewer visits and $2.1 billion in lost spending, affecting states such as Florida, California, Nevada, New York and Texas. Canada is one of Santa Cruz County’s largest international market for visitation.
Cheers to That!
Bargetto Winery, Nicholson Vineyards, Storrs Winery & Vineyards, Rexford Winery, Soquel Vineyards, Integrity Wines, El Vaquero and Wargin all double gold medals and/or gold medals in the recent San Francisco Wine Chronicle Wine Competition. The panel of 100 professional judges representing various North American wine regions, sampled more than 5,500 wines from more than 950 wineries and were impressed by the region’s local Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Rosé, Red Blends, and Zinfandel. See all the results here!
Hospitality Trends Webinar
On Thursday, February 13th from 11:30AM – 12:30PM, the California Hotel & Lodging Association will host a webinar for members addressing key trends impacting the hospitality landscape and strategies for staying ahead in an ever-changing environment. Register here!
Did you know?
Wharf workers and business owners who lost substantial income during the closure earlier this month are receiving help through the Community Foundation’s Santa Cruz County Disaster Fund. This fund is dedicated to supporting residents impacted by extreme weather events in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley. All fund donations will be disbursed to local nonprofits as grants from the foundation to ensure they are given to those most affected.