MONTHLY MEASURE
Click here for the latest Monthly Measure, an executive summary of the recent performance activity from the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. Detailed information includes several local and national industry barometers.


MAIN PLAZA OPENING APRIL 13

On Sunday, April 13, Main Plaza will once again become a gathering place in the heart of the city. Established in 1731 as the Villa de San Fernando by Spanish settlers of the Canary Islands, Main Plaza has undergone a major renovation to become a new modern-day hub with Wi-Fi service, food kiosks, lush green landscaping and five interactive foundations.
The opening day activities begin at San Fernando Cathedral with a 5:00 p.m. Mariachi Mass. At 6:15 p.m. Tejana legend Rita Vidaurri "La Calandria" and accordion queen Eva Ybarra with Azul kick off the festivities on the new Main Plaza grounds. At 6:30 p.m. Henry Brun & the Latin Playerz take the stage followed by the San Antonio Symphony which will play for the lighting of the fountains at 8:30 p.m. Musical entertainment and festivities will continue until 10:00 p.m.

Opening day festivities are free and open to the public. For more information including a complete schedule of events visit www.sanantonio.gov/mainplaza.

CITY'S OFFICIAL FIESTA MEDAL IS "DEEP. IN THE HEART."

For Fiesta® 2008, the City of San Antonio invites you to wear your pride over your heart The Official City of San Antonio Fiesta® 2008 Medal affirms that San Antonio is deep in our hearts, taking the shape of the city's brand identity launched by the Convention & Visitors Bureau in February.
Symbolic of the city's heart, the "corazón red" color evokes the manner in which San Antonians celebrate and live - con corazón. The quatrefoil-shaped logo has roots in the city's Spanish Colonial history and is prevalent in San Antonio's many layers of civic and commercial architecture since the Mission era. The Official City of San Antonio Fiesta® 2008 Medal and its ode - San Antonio. Deep. In the Heart. - reflects Fiesta® San Antonio's celebration of the city's rich and diverse history and culture. Indeed, inspired by the city's brand, the medal echoes the four pillars of the San Antonio experience:
*People who embody the power and spirit of the city,
*Pride that is deeply rooted in history,
*Promise of adventure, of knowledge, of welcome, of intrigue, of reward,
*And Passion for San Antonio and its art, culture, sports, and entertainment.

The limited edition official City medal is available for $7.00 at the Fiesta® Store at 2611 Broadway and the City's Visitor Information Center at 317 Alamo Plaza.

FINAL FOUR WEEKEND

From a thrilling overtime victory for the Kansas Jayhawks to sunny skies over a four day weekend and droves of fans enjoying downtown- San Antonio could not have asked for a better outcome to the third NCAA Men's Final Four in a decade! While official numbers have not been released yet, the estimated economic impact from Final Four is $80 million. Sold out games didn't keep fans from enjoying the NCAA's interactive fan zone which drew more than 63,000 visitors. Another big hit was the free street party known as the Big Dance attracted 167,000 people over the weekend. Whether another Men's NCAA Final Four will come to San Antonio again will be determined later this year. The city is planning to submit a bid for men's or women's finals from 2012 - 2016. San Antonio has already been chosen to host the women's NCAA basketball championship in 2010.

LUMINARIA ILLUMINATES SA ART

The inaugural "Luminaria Arts Night" was met with such success that planners are already looking ahead to next year! Thousands filled downtown last month, primarily along Houston Street and Alamo Plaza to take in the lights, sounds, and movement of our artistic heritage. Artists, musicians, and dancers engaged crowds with their works and performances until midnight when the free event capped off with fireworks. The brainchild of Mayor Hardberger, Luminaria was inspired by world class art celebrations including Nuit Blanche in Paris and Noche Blanca in Madrid.

CENTRO INFO

Downtown San Antonio is host to two of the top tourist attractions in the state of Texas. Each year 26 million visitors come to our city and as visitation increases so does the demand for public restrooms serving visitors and citizens in the downtown area. The City has officially opened the doors to the Centro Info Center which is located under the northeast ramp of the Riverbend Parking Garage at 412 E. Commerce near the corner of Presa Street. The 2,100 square-foot Centro Info Center houses ADA compliant men’s and women’s restroom facilities and one family restroom for public use. Centro Info will be open seven days a week all year long. In addition to the public restroom facilities, staff from Centro San Antonio Ambassador Amigos will provide general information services Sunday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the Convention & Visitor's Bureau will provide visitor information services seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Janitorial and security services will be provided by the City in order to maintain a safe and clean environment for the public.

SAN ANTONIO & BEYOND PASS

The San Antonio Area Tourism Council and the San Antonio Convention & Visitors (CVB) Bureau unveiled Texas' first ever, seven-day prepaid pass program for locals and visitors. This new prepaid pass is called San Antonio & Beyond: A Prepaid Pass to Attractions and Museums.

This pre-paid pass will allow visitors and locals to enjoy attractions and museums for one price, rather than paying multiple times at various attractions. The pre-paid pass is available for $19 - $89 depending on the program package.

After purchase, the pass is activated the first time you use it. It is valid for seven (7) consecutive days from time of activation and you can visit as many attractions as you like, but are limited to one visit per attraction, per pass. Children's passes are available for kids three to 11 years old.

Super San Antonio Pass:
Adult $89 (May through August)
Child $59 (May through August)
Adult $69 (September through April)
Child $39 (September through April)
Attractions include: Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, Texas Ranger Museum, Guinness World Records Museum, IMAX at Rivercenter, Ultimate Mirror Maze, Natural Bridge Caverns, Ripley's Haunted Adventure, Tomb Rider 3D, San Antonio Children's Museum, San Antonio Museum of Art, Splashtown (seasonal), Witte Museum, The Alamo, Edward Steves Homestead Museum, and Alamo Trolley Tours.

San Antonio & Beyond Museum Pass:
Adult $29
Child $19
Attractions include: San Antonio Children's Museum, Buckhorn Saloon & Museum,
Texas Ranger Museum, Edward Steves Homestead Museum, The Alamo, San Antonio Museum of Art, Witte Museum

San Antonio & Beyond Downtown Pass:
Adult $69
Child $39
Attractions include: Alamo Trolley Tours, Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, Guinness World Records Museum, IMAX at Rivercenter, San Antonio Museum of Art, Ripley's Haunted Adventure, Tomb Rider 3D, San Antonio Children's Museum, Texas Ranger Museum, The Alamo, Ultimate Mirror Maze

San Antonio & Beyond passes can be purchased online at www.sanantoniotourism.com. For more information on all that San Antonio has to offer, go to visitsanantonio.com or call 800-ALAMO-07.

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INTERNATIONAL STARS FOR CINEFESTIVAL

Film San Antonio/San Antonio Film Commission proudly present the CineFestival Centerpiece film Propiedad Ajena on Saturday, April 12 at the Guadalupe Theatre. The film, which was shot in San Antonio during the summer of 2006, is a riveting tale of history, Texas Independence and family secrets. Stars Plutarco Haza and Ludwika Paleta (pictured left), both respected telenovela and film actors in Latin America, along with Director Luis Velez, will be at CineFestival for the film's San Antonio premiere.

The film festival originated in 1978 as the Chicano Film Festival and it is the nation's longest running Latino film festival. This year's festival theme is "Digital Revolutionaries: Celebrating 30 Years of Chicano Film and Video." The four-day extravaganza from April 10 - 13 includes workshops, student showcases, senior screenings, demonstrations and several family films. Two red carpet gala celebrations will enable the public to meet and mingle with stars and directors throughout the festival. Tickets to screenings are $8 general and $6 for students, seniors and GCAC members. A four-day festival pass, which includes entry to all the films and the gala celebrations, is available for $40 general and $30 for students, seniors and GCAC members. CineFestival is also offering a special "Five Tickets for $25" pack for families, friends and film buffs. For tickets, festival passes and other information, please call the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center at 210-271-3151 or visit the festival website at www.cinefestivalsa.org.

Click here for a complete list of events from the SACVB website.

Have an event to submit to the CVB web calendar? Click here for the submission form.

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WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO

San Antonio has the distinguished honor of being selected as one of the locations that will be visited by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Muslim community, as part of his Golden Jubilee visit to the U.S. The religious gathering (Darbar) will be attended by members of the Ismaili community from April 11 - 13 and is not open to the public.

Other groups in town for the month of April include:

AEGON USA (130)
Alamo Community College District (90)
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (7000)
American Picture Framing Academy (15)
American Society for Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology (225)
American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (300)
American Towman Expositions (2000)
Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (2000)
Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (500)
Association of Professors of Human & Medical Genetics (70)
Association of US Postal Lessors (350)
Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises (75)
Automatic Fire Alarm Association (100)
Bellissimo Foods (200)
Commonwealth Commission (70)
Conference of Diocesan Executives (76)
Conference for Food Protection (360)
Emerson Electric Company (200)
Genesys Telecomm Labs (1500)
Haberfeld Associates (450)
International Association for Orthodontics (300)
International Society for Measurement & Control (110)
Laborie Medical Technologies Corporation (20)
Lumbermens Association of Texas (950)
McLane Company (2000)
NORA: An Association of Responsible Recyclers (160)
National Association of Basketball Coaches (6000)
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities (80)
National Association For Purchasing Card Professionals (1600)
National Center for Evaluation of Residency Programs (100)
National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four (40,000)
National Conference of Bankruptcy Clerks (20)
National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judiciary (80)
National Head Start Association (75)
Nebraska Telecommunications Association (50)
Nokia Corporation (100)
PNC Financial Services Group (28)
PLANCO, LLC (32)
Presbyterian Church (USA) (500)
Questionmark (200)
San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (220)
Structural Board Association (125)
TCASE & Texas School Administrators Legal Digest (1000)
Texas Bankers Association (50)
Texas Community Education Association (98)
Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education Inc (30)
Texas Department of State Health Services (100)
Texas Gas Association (100)
Texas Regional Infrastructure Security Conf (180)
Texas Schools Risk Managers Association (225)
US Department of the Army (200)
US Department of the Interior (30)
Whitney National Bank (100)

Click here for a complete schedule of meetings from the SACVB website.

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PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING

The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is proud to announce that the 2008 Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler (BFTS) will tour to San Antonio, Texas on May 17. The top 45 bull riders in the world will face off against the rankest bucking bulls on the planet when the Alamodome hosts the PBR San Antonio Invitational. The event will take place Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

The San Antonio Invitational guarantees cutting edge excitement and all the adrenaline charged action typical of a BFTS event - pyrotechnics, fire-breathing bulls, rock & roll music, and two-hours of edge of your seat excitement.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, the Alamodome Box Office, or by phone at 886-448-7849. For additional information on the Professional Bull Riders, Inc., please go to www.pbrnow.com or call 719-471-3008.

THOUSANDS RACE 4 THE CURE

Another successful Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Alamodome! 28,438 (including more than 1,400 survivors) people turned out for the race on March 29th. So far, more than $1 million was raised to fund important breast cancer services in our community. Entry fees and donations are still being totaled. Visit www.sakomen.com to find out how you can get involved and help make a difference!

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW CMP'S!

The CVB family proudly congratulates seven staff members who have recently earned the Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) designation.

Kevin Burton, CMP; Alamodome
Catherine Herrberg, CMP; San Antonio Convention Facilities
Patricia Muzquiz-Cantor, CMP; City of San Antonio Convention, Sports, Entertainment
Navella Pedraza, CMP; San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau
Vanessa Richey, CMP; San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau
John Anthony Sanchez, CMP; San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau
John Vlieger, CMP; San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau

Approximately 70 other professionals in San Antonio also received the CMP designation. Through their hard work and professionalism, they have each demonstrated their commitment and dedication to the meetings industry. With their new accreditation, they help enhance San Antonio as a destination for future meetings.

CVB FAMILY GROWS

National Sales Manager Summer Davey will be back to work mid-May after spending time at home with her new baby Kaelyn Allene Davey. Baby Kaelyn was born in Alexandria, Virginia on February 9 at 4:24 p.m. weighing 7 lbs and 7 oz's and measuring 19 inches! Congratulations to Summer and her growing family!

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MEDIA VISITS TO S.A.

A flurry of media visits for San Antonio this spring- with almost 30 print and electronic media conducting editorial research in the city. The Communications Division of the SACVB worked with:

Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. The Food Network star and her crew were here shooting all over the city; the San Antonio segment will showcase a variety of culinary offerings across the city.

Eight French travel journalists toured San Antonio - gathering story and photo ideas. The group, from the State of Texas Economic Development & Tourism, all represented major French publications including the equivalent of TV Guide with a circulation of 1.6 million. They also stopped by the Alamo for a tour (pictured left).

A Taiwanese television crew shot in San Antonio for a national popular travel program of family-friendly destinations - this was coordinated with the Houston CVB and Continental Airlines.

The golf writer for Canada's Globe and Mail played various courses in our city - resulting article featured golf in San Antonio in Austin in this major Canadian daily with a circulation of 330,000.

WABC Radio's Travel Show host Eric Hastings captured interviews and San Antonio's ambient atmosphere for his travel talk radio show targeting not only a NYC-based audience but also syndicated to 38 states across the nation and Canada.

Other media visiting included Clean Eating Magazine (Canada), Austin Family magazine, American Dental Association magazine (in preparation and support of their convention) and the Flint (MI) Journal.

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VISITSANANTONIO.COM TOPS SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS

Visitsanantonio.com, the SACVB website, is looking good in Google and Yahoo search engine rankings for major topics San Antonio, San Antonio Travel, San Antonio Conventions. Rankings are #1 for all on Google and #1, #2, and #1, respectively, on Yahoo. In an effort to increase hits to our website, San Antonio is highlighted on a list of websites with hyperlinks including Midwest Living, Golf for Women, Southern Living, and DreamScapes to name a few.

CATCH THE S.A.V.E

The partner-sponsored San Antonio Vacation Experience Program (S.A.V.E.) has launched for 2008! New brochures are available and are being distributed with Travel & Leisure Guides as fulfillment for information requests from the website, 800 number, and publication Business Reply Cards; through all Texas Travel Information Centers, and in hotels and businesses in targeted Texas cities as well as Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The brochure was also mailed to 160,000 individuals on our S.A.V.E. opt-in list.
E-mail messages went out to the CVB’s opt-in lists (287,000) to promote visits to San Antonio and the S.A.V.E. program. Also, an 8-page “Spring into San Antonio” insert appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Dallas Morning News, Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Waco, and Corpus Christi Caller, with follow up e-mail messages to over 300,000 subscribers of the Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and Oklahoma City papers.

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GUADALAJARA MEDIA LUNCHEON

The San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted a media luncheon in Guadalajara Mexico in March. Our objective was to promote spring and summer travel to San Antonio. While shopping remains a core market segment and one that continues to grow with new retail options developing in San Antonio, we also continue to promote San Antonio as a vacation destination with a great variety of activities including golf, theme parks/attractions, regional excursions to the hill country wineries and arts. All the major daily newspapers attended the luncheon as well as radio and television. In addition to the media, Mexicana Airlines, AeroMexico and some of the new low cost carriers also attended the luncheon. During this trip Frances Schultschik (pictured above & center) did an hour long radio show dedicated to travel.

"THE DELICIOUS SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO"

This was the headline of recent coverage in one of Latin America's premiere cuisine publications elgourmet (pictured right). The CVB invited the editor to participate in last year's New World Wine and Food Festival resulting in a 7 page spread that included local and hill country dining.

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ITB 2008: WHERE GLOBAL BUSINESS HAPPENS

According to Messe Berlin, ITB 2008 (The World's Leading Travel Trade Show) attracted a record number of exhibitors than ever before with 11, 147 companies from 186 countries presenting their latest products and services. Over 110, 332 travel trade visitors registered between March 5 - 7, with 67,569 consumers . In cooperation with the State of Texas and other Texas cities, SACVB Tourism (represented by Dorah Putney) had 27 scheduled appointments with travel trade and media, resulting in 33 trade leads and 25 media leads. The Texas booth also hosted a luncheon with 52 travel trade and media contacts. The next ITB Berlin will take place March 11 – 15, 2009.

FUNJET VACATIONS SUPPLIER SHOWCASE & TRAVEL AGENT EVENT

The Tourism Division participated with Funjet Vacations Supplier Showcase and Travel Agent Event in Dallas and Houston on March 17th and 18th. Preliminary numbers show that over 273 travel agents attended the supplier showcases. Funjet Vacations is The Mark Travel Corporation's flagship brand, established in 1974, specializes in personalized, flexible, independent vacations for individuals and groups.

Next Supplier Showcase and Travel Agent Events

March 24 - 29 - Oklahoma City
August 25 - 27 - Minneapolis, St Louis and Chicago

If you would like more information on this promotion, please contact Carla Norwood at 210-207-6865.

APRIL'S AGENDA
Coming up in April, the Tourism Division will meet with Texas travel counselors at TTIA in Beaumont (April 23 - 24), Japanese Tour Operators at the Active America trade show in Detroit (April 17 - 19), and with international meeting & incentive expo at IMEX in Germany (April 22 - 24).

COMING SOON
Mark your calendars: CVB Tourism is planning a presentation on May 15th on how to work with International Tour Operators and Receptives. More info to come!

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MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE KUDOS

MovieMaker Magazine, the nation's leading magazine on the art and business of making movies, recognized the state of Texas for offering unique financial benefits for shooting in-state. Texas currently offers tax exemptions for items rented or purchases for a film and tax refunds for extended stays in hotels and off-road fuel. A newly introduced discount called the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program offers grants equal to five percent of spending that is done in the state, with an additional 1.25 percent for films utilizing underused areas of the state. MovieMaker also recognized the San Antonio Film Forum for "education local moviemakers, while strengthening the city's film community."

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SAT GAINS "FIRST LANDING STATUS"

Officials with the San Antonio Department of Aviation are thrilled to announce that San Antonio International Airport (SAT) will be permanently designated as an "Airport of First Landing." Sometimes referred to as "Landing Rights" status, the designation means that private aircraft flying from foreign countries will be able to fly directly into San Antonio without having to clear US Customs at other airports. Congressman Lamar Smith, who has worked tirelessly to bring this designation to San Antonio, announced today that the measure has been signed by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and is now on its way to being permanently entered into the Federal Register. "This designation will significantly enhance business, commerce and trade relationships throughout Mexico," said Congressman Smith. "The City of San Antonio will benefit from this greatly."
Under temporary designations in the past, San Antonio International Airport has seen as much as a 300% increase in the number of general aviation aircraft.


MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America has named Susie Womack, Director of Golf at Hill Country Golf Club, as it’s “Merchandiser of the Year” for the resort category of the Southern Texas Section.

The PGA of America established the PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award in 1978 to recognize PGA professionals who have excelled as merchandisers. Individuals honored with this award demonstrate skill in planning and promoting of sales by presenting products to the market on a timely basis and through the use of specialized merchandising techniques such as displaying and advertising.

The PGA of America honors individuals based on three categories:
private, public and resort facilities, with candidates nominated by their respective PGA section offices. Award consideration is based on being a PGA member in good standing, overall credit rating and credit rating within the industry and community involvement.

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Newsletter Information
From The Heart is a collaborative effort of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Convention, Sports and Entertainment Facilities.

Our Mission is "To promote and market San Antonio as a premier visitor and convention/meeting destination for the purpose of positively affecting the city economy."

For more information, or to be removed from this newsletter list, email us at CommunityRelations@VisitSanAntonio.com, or call Marketing & Communications division at (210) 207-6737.