LATCB AT WORK - DECEMBER 2013

From Nov. 1-30, the LATCB International Team hosted FAM (familiarization) trips to allow travel trade professionals to experience LA’s attractions and our members and partners in person, with groups from China (two FAMS, one with 11 and one with 19 guests), Mexico (14), Germany (100), the U.K., (10), and Australia (60).

The LATCB International Team partnered with American Airlines to host a FAM trip to Los Angeles for 11 Chinese tour operators and two Chinese journalists, Nov. 1-5. The goal was to promote AAs' new direct air service between Shanghai and LAX, and offer an opportunity for the agents and media to experience LA’s new products, venues, services and attractions first hand. All the delegates were overwhelmed with the hospitality extended by LATCB’s members and partners, and were very impressed by LA’s wide range of attractions.

Aeromexico and American Express-Sevilla Sol teamed up with LATCB for a FAM trip to Los Angeles, Nov. 8-10 for 12 leading travel entrepreneurs from Guadalajara, Mexico to increase their product knowledge of Los Angeles and their awareness of what Los Angeles has to offer visitors. The FAM offered a valuable opportunity to highlight Aeromexico’s new non-stop flights from Guadalajara to LAX, and American Express-Sevilla Sol’s services, and showcase some of LA’s leading hotels, venues, restaurants and attractions in several neighborhoods. The groups toured several restaurants and venues at L.A. LIVE in Downtown, a member hotel in Pasadena, and restaurants, venues and attractions in Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley and Beverly Hills, and a major outlet shopping center in Ontario (Neighboring Regions).

LATCB’s International Team participated in Meiers Weltreisen’s annual "Go West Seminar," this year in San Francisco. Pre-tours of California were conducted before the seminar for the 100 participating travel agents from Germany and Austria with the highest volume of sales for Meiers USA product and especially California. In partnership with United Airlines and Visit CA,  the groups were split into five tours. Los Angeles had the unique opportunity to host four of the five groups (80 participating agents) during their four-day, pre-tour visit of California.

For more information, click here.
http://asiamission2013.visitcalifornia.com/

The LATCB International Team joined the Visit California Sales Mission in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan and Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 10-15. We were among 20 organizations from California participating in the mission. The Asia Mission is a series of seminars and workshops, organized by Visit California, to give California partners the maximum opportunity to interact with tour operator decision makers, destination marketing managers and influential trade and consumer media in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea. 

The Tokyo media event offered LATCB a valuable opportunity to showcase Los Angeles and our members and partners, and give the most updated information on LA to about 50 Japanese media attending.

In Osaka, the mission hosted a lunch, seminar and workshop with 60 travel trade professionals and journalists, where our team presented on TBIT, arts and culture, new hotels, public transit expansions, and the LATCB Japanese website. At the media event in Seoul, LATCB’s International Team met with 32 Korean travel journalists to promote the destination and our members and partners. The VIP reception in Seoul with 60 business leaders featured the popular Korean film celebrity B.H. Lee, who is the first Korean to leave his hand print on the sidewalk in front of the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.

The Travel Mart took place on Nov. 15 in Seoul, where LATCB distributed meeting and travel professional guide materials heavily showcasing our members and partners and the destination to attending tour operators.

Immediately following IMEX America in Oct. 2013, LATCB partnered with Allied PRA and Intercontinental Century City to host nine MICE buyers from Australia to showcase the destination and our members. Guests spent three days experiencing special event venues, attractions and hotels in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Malibu and Downtown LA. Los Angeles has already developed RFPs from the post-FAM event. The FAM guests’ visit to the “Friends” set, part of Warner Bros. Studio Tour, was featured in Karry On, an Australian Travel Industry online publication. To see the article, click here. http://karryon.com.au/mice-group-explore-la/ 

The LATCB Communications Team hosted FAM trips from Nov. 1 - Nov. 30, from Australia (1), South Korea (1) and Japan (1) to showcase the destination and our members and partners for destination pieces.