March 2018 News & Notes
‘Everyone is Welcome’ Extension: LA <3
L.A. Tourism launched its extension of its ‘Everyone is Welcome’ initiative, 'LA <3,' which will be the global theme for the destination throughout 2018. A :30 film featuring the city’s diverse faces and places, both of which make Los Angeles a special place to visit, launched online via digital platforms like Hulu, Youtube and Glassview; new :10 videos of various locales on both Facebook and Instagram; as well as display and banner ads throughout a variety of travel, lifestyle and cultural sites in the U.S., Mexico City and China.
Domestically, the campaign is live in NYC, Chicago, DC, Boston, Baltimore & California (SF, Sacramento, San Diego & Fresno). New Yorkers will find high impact boards near Times Square, Penn Station and at the Port Authority. Over 2,000 static and digital posters will be placed throughout the subway and will feature an “L.A. ♥” extension, which welcomes visitors to experience the love that L.A.’s faces and places have to offer.
L.A. Tourism captured content at nearly 50 locations around Los Angeles, with more than 100 talent - both actors and real Angelenos - who represent L.A.'s wide spectrum of millennial travelers.
Nocando's Hip Hop Guide to L.A #WestCoastWednesday
As part of the 'LA <3' campaign, L.A. Tourism has curated 'Nocando's Hip Hop Guide to L.A #WestCoastWednesday' with a new video guide posted every Wednesday.
Known as Nocando in the Los Angeles rap scene, James McCall has been enlisted to be a guide to Hip Hop in L.A. Renowned as a legendary battle rapper who grew up in South L.A. (on Slauson and Western), Nocando experiences hip hop culture in a very intimate and real way, whether it’s organizing indie rap nights at a club or ghost writing songs for the award-winning TV series, Empire. There are many facets to Hip Hop culture, but Nocando gives visitors and Los Angeles locals alike a quick overview of what not to miss in the destination.
A new episode will launch every Wednesday thru April 25 as follows:
February 28: (Launch) Teaser
March 7: Kaos Network
March 14: Fairfax
March 21: Amoeba
March 28: Slauson
April 4: Petersen Auto Museum
April 11: Locol
April 18: Delicious Pizza
April 25: Beat Junkies DJ Academy
INDUSTRY NEWS & NOTES
Transient occupancy tax collections for the City’s General Fund totaled $20 million during January 2018, bringing the Fiscal Year total to $171.4 million. This total is $6.3 million above the adopted budget (3.8% increase), and $19.1 million higher than the same time last year (a 12.6% increase).
The Los Angeles Convention Center recently completed its new 9,500 square-foot rooftop garden, featuring various citrus trees, herbs, vegetables and seasonal flowers. Levy Restaurants, LACC’s in-house caterer, will use the produce harvested from the garden to create recipes showcasing locally-sourced food while highlighting the sustainability and innovation of the Convention Center.
Mayor Eric Garcetti and Metro officially broke ground on a 2.6-mile subway extension to expand the Purple Line from Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City, which will ease congestion and improve access to the Westside from Downtown Los Angeles. Scheduled for completion in 2025, Section 2 of the Metro Purple Line Extension Project is part of a larger three-phase, 8.9-mile, seven-station construction project that will extend the Purple Line from the current terminus at Wilshire/Western to the Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center just west of the 405 Freeway. Section 1 of the Purple Line Extension Project, between Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega, is now 30 percent complete and scheduled to open in 2023. The third and final section of the project from Century City to the VA Medical Center is planned to break ground by spring 2019 and open in 2026.
Los Angeles International Airport reported passenger traffic increased 3.8% in January to nearly 6.7 million passengers.
