LATCB AT WORK - MARCH 2014

NTA/UMA TRAVEL EXCHANGE 2014 IN LOS ANGELES

LATCB was proud to welcome Travel Exchange 2014 to the Los Angeles Convention Center, Feb. 16-20. The conference is produced by the National Travel Association (NTA) and the United Motorcoach Assocation (UMA) and is a citywide convention combining NTA’s Annual Convention and UMA Motorcoach EXPO – creating a unique travel industry event with 3,500 American and Canadian travel buyers and sellers on the same floor. Hosting this large tradeshow provided an opportunity to showcase L.A.’s unique attractions and LATCB members and partners to the travel trade. LATCB hosted extended sightseeing tours for the delegates to L.A. member attractions. LATCB had 45 confirmed appointments as well as networking opportunities throughout the four-day conference. 

VISIT USA WORKSHOPS FRANCE

In February, LATCB’s European Office took part in three Visit USA Workshops held in France. The workshops were held together with 30 USA exhibitors and airlines in Paris, Strasbourg and Marseille, bringing together more than 400 French travel agents. LATCB gave product presentations and updated the French agents on all the attractions and activities that L.A. has to offer, highlighting LATCB members and partners.

LATCB’S International Team partnered with Universal Studios Hollywood to exhibit at the Sydney & Auckland Flight Centre Travel Expos in February. The Fight Centre Travel Expos are the largest consumer travel expos in the region attracting over 60,000 Australian and New Zealand consumers planning their next vacation and taking advantage of special expo airfare specials from multiple airline carriers. 

LATCB’s International Team partnered with Air France and Thomas Cook to host a group of 15 travel trade professionals from Germany, Feb. 17-22. The group experienced hotels, restaurants, attractions, shopping centers, a guided bus tour, a trolley bus tour and a casino in Commerce, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Redondo Beach, and Downtown.

LATCB’s International Team exhibited at AIME as part of the BRAND USA delegation. AIME is the largest MICE trade show in Oceania attracting over 5,000 MICE buyers from Australia, New Zealand, China and Southeast Asia and provides LATCB with some of the best direct contact to grow international convention sales from Australia and New Zealand. Buyers were excited to hear about the completion of the new TBIT at LAX as well as LATCB’s MICE services and learning how to create red carpet moments in L.A. for their clients.

The LATCB International Team hosted a group of Japanese MICE managers from Japan’s Nippon Travel Agency (NTA) on Feb. 20 with stops in Hollywood and Downtown L.A., including a site inspection at STAPLES Center.

LATCB participated in GMITE Meets: Los Angeles Feb. 19-21 at the Terranea Resort. The event unites West Coast meeting, event and incentive travel planners with global suppliers along the California coast.  After the meeting, LATCB hosted a small group of select MICE clients for an L.A. site inspection, including visits to LATCB member hotels and event venues to show what L.A. has to offer as a unique destination for group meetings and events. 

The LATCB International Team partnered with Universal Studios Hollywood to participate in the annual Travel Agent Sales mission in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, Australia. The mission brings together more than 1,500 travel agents and has a scheduled business-to-business meeting program with leading product buyers from the leisure travel industry all eager to learn about new and updated product offerings from Los Angeles. Capitalizing on L.A.’s Awards Season, LATCB’s Australia office rolled out the red carpet, put up a velvet rope and donned a tuxedo for the events to showcase L.A.’s Endless Entertainment!

LAWA FAM, Los Angeles FEB. 17-20

The LATCB PR Team hosted a FAM with five journalists from major international travel trade publications in partnership with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), Feb. 17-20. The publications included Wing Aviation (Japan – circulation 57,109), Airliner World, (U.K. – circulation 34,044); Panrotas (Brazil – circulation 28,000); Turistampa (Mexico – bi-weekly circulation 20,000); and ETB News (New Zealand / Australia – circulation 75,000). The group experienced L.A.’s dining, culture and shopping, and toured hotels and the new Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).