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.

SACVB HEADS OFF NATIONAL SUMMER SLOWDOWNS WITH STRONG PROMOTIONS

The Tourism division in collaboration with Marketing, launched the first ever Online Travel Agency Summer Promotion on July 2nd with Expedia and Hotels.com. On August 4th, the promotion reached 10.3 million impressions, which includes impressions from the Expedia and Hotels.com e-mail blast. Based on data presented by Expedia and Hotels.com, the average click through rate was .28, which is 50% higher than the average click through rate for Expedia. Year over year for the time frame through July 31st, bookings on Expedia.com and Hotels.com were up 22%, which translates to an estimated 10,000 room nights.

The $160,000 campaign featured 30 area hotels, and was focused on drive markets which included Houston, Dallas, Austin, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. San Antonio was featured as the core offer in the Hotel and Vacation search pages. Hotel offers were based on length of stay (stay 3 nights get 30% off, stay 2 nights get 20%) and ran in conjunction with Expedia's National $50 gas card promotion, which allowed visitors to take advantage of both offers. The booking window for the offer is July 2nd - August 31 for travel from July 2nd through September 30th.

With national travel trends slowing, the CVB launched a "Staycation" initiative in July with the objective of keeping travel money here in San Antonio. You can see this effort on the back cover San Antonio Express-News Weekender and Guide to San Antonio, on mysanantonio.com, Yahoo! and on the screens of AMC Huebner Oaks. Plus, you can hear on-air promotions and sweepstakes with Cox Radio family (99.5 KISS, MAGIC 105.3 and Y100 FM). The campaign will provide about 4.7 million impressions to complement the ongoing national efforts.

AWARD-WINNING TRADITION!

The San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) continues its award-winning tradition with two top honors this year: the Gold Service Award and the Pinnacle Award. This year marks the 24th consecutive Gold Service Award given to the CVB by Meetings and Conventions readers and meeting planners. Selections are based on staff professionalism, hotel and site inspections, ground transportation planning, guidance on local attractions and liaison with local venders and services. Successful Meetings magazine readers also selected the CVB as a Pinnacle Award winner this year for going above and beyond to impress meeting, convention and incentive planners with an unwavering commitment to hospitality. Pinnacle Award winners are noted for delivering an unparallel level of service and high quality facilities. This year is the 18th time the CVB has received the honor. Receiving both awards is a testament to the CVBs consistency in providing an exceptional convention experience. The CVB strives to promote San Antonio as a destination in order to continue strengthening our economy. The visitor and hospitality industry is among the largest locally with an estimated $10.5 billion economic impact annually. Learn more about the CVB check out www.visitsanantonio.com.

S.A. NAMED FINALIST FOR NCAA FINAL FOUR® 2012-16

The NCAA® announced that San Antonio is one of eight finalist cities in the bid to host the Women’s Final Four® in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016. This comes as welcome news to the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee, which hosted the 2008 NCAA Men’s Final Four in the Alamodome last April. SALOC is already slated to host the 2010 Women’s Final Four.

Other finalists include Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Nashville, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. Site visits to each city will be conducted in September and October, 2008. Following the site visits to each prospective city, the finalists will participate in a presentation session with the committee in mid-November. The 2012-16 Women’s Final Four sites will be announced in mid-November.

SALOC also submitted a bid to host the Men’s Final Four during 2012-16. The NCAA expects to make an announcement about the finalists for the men’s championships later this month.

The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee is a partnership between the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Sports Foundation, and UTSA.

ROCK 'N' ROLL MARATHON

This year's inaugural San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half Marathon is shaping up to be a success! So far some 15,000 runners have signed up and organizers expect the number to reach 20-25,000! Current registration prices are $75 for the 1/2 marathon and $95 for the full marathon, but prices will go up August 31st! The race is a Boston qualifier and will draw elite runners from across the nation.

Health & Fitness Expo
Location: Alamodome
November 14 & 15, 2008

Pre-Race Pasta Party
Location: Sunset Station
November 15, 2008

Headliner Concert
Location: Alamodome
Sunday, November 16, 2008

From Salsa to Reggae to Rock 'n' Roll: Bands Needed for Marathon
The Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is seeking local and regional bands of every genre to entertain and encourage runners and walkers along the 13.1 and 26.2-mile race courses on Sunday, November 16, 2008. “Upbeat, high-energy music is what we are looking for,” said Lucy Diaz, Elite Racing’s event manager of the San Antonio race. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon provides a unique opportunity for local and regional bands to play to an enthusiastic audience of over 20,000 in a positive, healthy and upbeat environment. Bands chosen will perform live on one of 26 entertainment stages with complete sound systems positioned along each mile of the marathon route and at the finish line. Space is limited and bands interested in rockin’ along the course are encouraged to apply now. Please send a press kit including CD, photo and bio information by August 31st to Jenny Carnes, c/o San Antonio Sports Foundation, PO Box 830386, San Antonio, TX 78283

Join the Fun Without the Run
What do the US Army, San Antonio Express News, Valero, Oak Hills Church, Fetzer Companies, Rackspace, Alamo Heights High School and Zeta Chi Fraternity have in common? Their employees are coming together and staffing a water station at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and ½ Marathon, a critical volunteer post. There are several water stations along the course and each needs 100 people. Team up with your co-workers and friends and make it an experience you won’t forget.

We also have a need to fill afternoon shifts for the San Antonio Health & Fitness Expo Nov. 14 -15. At the expo, over 100 exhibitors will offer free samples, showcase the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health & nutritional information and much more. Additionally all racers must attend to pick up their race packet.

It’s easy to sign up. Click here, or contact Michelle Rodriguez at mrodriguez@sanantoniosports.org or (210) 820-2191.

Register for the race and learn more about the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon at www.rnrsa.com.

URBAN RENAISSANCE LUNCHEON.

The quarterly Urban Renaissance 2008 Luncheon Series presented by the Downtown Alliance continues with a presentation that focuses on the mission and work of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). CNU is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl. Founded in 1993 by a concerned group of architects, planners and sympathetic politicians who believed that most current development trends were unsustainable and an unfortunate departure from traditional pre World War II neighborhood development, CNU has attracted many members who are changing planning ideals and zoning patterns around the world. CNU advocates the restructuring of public policy and development practices to support the restoration of existing urban centers and towns within coherent metropolitan regions. The planners for the River North planning area just north of San Antonio’s downtown core include several of the founders of the CNU, and their new urbanist planning expertise is evidenced in the master plan that has been drafted to date. Many property owners, potential residents and businesses would like to see the type of development that could take place in River North mirror what has happened in other progressive city centers around the country.

John Norquist, President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism, is the scheduled presenter for the luncheon on Friday, September 19, 2008. Mr. Norquist will discuss his history and mission of the CNU and will provide some interesting insight as to why the tenets of the CNU would provide an appropriate blueprint for how San Antonio should grow both in and outside of the city center. Make your reservations today for this informative presentation and discussion by calling (210) 225-3862. Attendance at the luncheon is eligible AIA & APA Continuing Education credit.

Friday, September 19, 2008
Pearl Stable at the Pearl Brewery
11:30 a.m. – Registration & Seating
Noon – 1:30 p.m. – Luncheon & Presentation

Individual ticket
DTA or Business Coalition member - $45
Future member - $55

Table of Eight
DTA or Business Coalition member - $350
Future member - $425

RSVP deadline is Monday, September 15, 2008.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR DOWNTOWN?

The downtown Public Improvement District (PID) has been providing downtown services since 2000. In a PID, property owners voluntarily elect additional taxation to fund public improvements aimed at revitalizing the area. The Downtown Alliance (DTA) is the non-profit organization that manages the PID known as Centro San Antonio. Centro San Antonio provides services for downtown with Amigos who keep streets clean, distribute information to visitors and beautify downtown with their landscaping and maintenance efforts.

Every year, Centro San Antonio presents the proposed budget for the PID to City Council for consideration and approval. Downtown Operations partners with the non-profit organization to ensure funds are distributed according to the approved plan. You are invited to attend this year's public presentation of the Centro San Antonio plan to Council on September 4. Come and find out what improvements are in the works! To find out more about Centro San Antonio visit www.centrosanantonio.org.

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SAN ANTONIO ZOO - PHASE II

Ever heard of an okapi, hyrax or pygmy falcon? These are some of the new stars in the San Antonio Zoo's expansion of its Africa Live! exhibit. Phase I opened earlier this year with an underwater exhibit of hippos and crocodiles. The story of Africa continues with Phase II which offers a glimpse of the flora and fauna of the African plain. Scheduled to open in late 2009, Phase II will include an okapi herd, African hunting dogs, colobus monkeys, a termite exhibit, a new cafe and amphitheatre. Planning and design for Phase III will begin just before the completion of phase two.

www.sazoo-aq.org

1st ANNUAL LATINO MUSIC FESTIVAL

Main Plaza Conservancy is proud to announce the 1st Annual Latino Music Festival on September 12 & 13, 2008. Over 75 musicians, dancers, and artists have signed up to participate during the 2-day event. Friday's line-up centers around roots/fusion music with Strunz & Farah, Sisters Morales, Las Tesoros de San Antonio, and accordion player Eva Ybarra (pictured right). Saturday's artists exemplify San Antonio sound with special guests Flaco Jimenez & Augie Meyers, The Tex-Mex experience, Sexto Sol, Westside Horns, and The Krayolas. The festival is free and open to the public. Lawn chairs are encouraged however outside coolers and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. Food and drinks can be purchased at Main Plaza.

For weekly music programming such as Blue Mondays, High Noon and Raza en la Plaza visit www.mainplaza.org.

HEMISFAIR PARK - MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT

HemisFair Park is hosting "Movies by Moonlight" every Thursday evening during the month of September. Bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on and enjoy a free movie under the summer sky.

September 4th -Grease
September 11th - Titanic
September 18th - Sixteen Candles
September 25th - Casablanca

Feature Time and Schedule
7:30 p.m. Pre-Show
8:00-8:10 p.m. Intermission
8:10-10:15 p.m. Feature Film
* Feature time and schedule may vary due to length of movie

The pre-show will consist of short films and cartoons. Concessions will be available. For more information contact (210) 207-7258

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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CHURCH OF GOD 72nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

With some 15,000 attendees, the Church of God brought the largest group to San Antonio this month for its 72nd General Assembly. From August 4-9, the International General Assembly, the highest governing body of the Church of God, met at the Alamodome.. For over a century, Church of God members and ministers have gathered to search the Scriptures for answers to contemporary questions and to advance the Church's mission of reaching the harvest. The assembly meets biennially for worship, fellowship, and business to designate the teachings, government, principles, and practices of the movement.

San Antonio has become a favorite destination of convention-goers from around the globe and its festive atmosphere and accommodating facilities have made it a favorite of delegates to the Church of God General Assembly. This was the fifth time since 1990 San Antonio will be the location of the General Assembly.

Other groups also meeting in San Antonio during August include:

Air Force Sergeants Association (1200)
Avnet Partner Solutions (800)
D.A.R.E. America (852)
EW Scripps Trust (15)
Handy Hardware Wholesale Inc (1500)
Henry M. Jackson Foundation (1200)
In Real Life Events (65)
Independent Payroll Providers Association (200)
KPMG LLP (350)
Living Proof Live (10,000)
National Institute for Safety Research (300)
Small Business Administration (455)
State Bar of Texas (1700)
Texas Bankers Association (113)
Texas Department of Aging & Disability Service (50)
Texas Department of Transportation (260)
Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force (300)
Texas Municipal Police Association (55)
Texas Recreational Vehicle Association (200)
Trinity Christian Worship (100)
US Army Corps of Engineers (100)
US Army Medical Command, Japan Association (50)
US Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association (150)
United Gamefowl Breeders Association (150)

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

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AMERICA: ONE NIGHT ONLY

For one night only, America will bring you "Here & Now", live in concert at the Lila Cockrell Theatre, Saturday, August 23 at 8:00 p.m. America is an English-American folk rock band, originally composed of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members barely past their teenage years when they became an overnight musical sensation in 1972. Among the band's best-known songs are "A Horse with No Name", "Sister Golden Hair" (both of which reached Number 1), "Ventura Highway", and "Tin Man".

After the band survived the loss of one of its original members Beckley and Bunnell returned the act to the top of charts as a duo with "You Can Do Magic" in 1982. Consistently touring for well over three decades, America still maintains a strong following and performs over 100 shows per year. On August 23 vocalists/guitarists Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley will perform in San Antonio at "Big Night Out 3" presented by KONO 101.1.

Ticket prices range from $35 to $75 and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information about "Big Night Out 3" go to www.kono1011.com.

RUDY'S BAR-B-Q PIGSKIN PREVIEW

"The Original" Rudy's Bar-B-Q Pigskin Preview is the official start of the college football season in San Antonio. A crowd of over 800 football fans will come to the Alamodome, Wednesday, August 27 at 11:45 p.m., for this luncheon on the football field to get a preview of the 2008 Big Ten and Big 12 conference football seasons, eat a great meal from Rudy's Bar-B-Q and hear a keynote speech from an ESPN college football analyst Bob Davie. Please visit www.alamobowl.com for more information.

ALAMODOME HOSTS 2008 TEXAS FOOTBALL CLASSIC

Ten Texas high schools with strong football traditions will compete in the 2008 Texas Football Classic (TFC) at the Alamodome Thursday, August 28 through Saturday, August 30.

Among the teams chosen to compete at this years Texas Football Classic is San Antonio Southwest, a team that went unbeaten in the 2007 regular season along with Lake Travis, the Class 4A Division II defending state champions. More TFC 2008 highlights include the first-ever Texas Football Classic match-up between Class 3A teams and half of the chosen teams enter the 2008 season ranked in preseason Top 25 polls.

The three-day match-up includes:
Thursday, August 28, 7:30 p.m. - San Antonio Southwest vs. Georgetown
Friday, August 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lake Travis vs. Round Rock
Saturday, August 30, Noon - San Antonio Reagan vs. Katy Cinco Ranch
Saturday, August 30, 3:45 p.m. - Burnett vs. Brownwood
Saturday, August 30, 7:30 p.m. - Mercedes vs. Calhoun

Ticket prices for the tenth-annual classic are $12. Each ticket is good for all three days and all games. For more information on the 2008 TFC go to texasfootball.com.

TONY BENNETT: Live in Concert

Tony Bennett will mark his 81st year with a return to San Antonio, Friday, September 5, 2008 at the Municipal Auditorium. Amidst the tributes, honors and accolades, the world's most down-to-earth living legend is celebrating this milestone the same way he essentially lives his life: enjoying each moment to the fullest, weathering the storms with good cheer and optimism, and connecting to people everywhere through the magic of his music and the power of his art.

Tony Bennett will serenade San Antonio with a set list of songs lovingly selected from the innumerable high points of Tony's six decades as a recording legend, his critically acclaimed CD, Duets - An American Classic is fitting crescendo to a career that only grows stronger with time.

To purchase tickets for $101, $76, and/or $51 please call 210-226-2891. For more information visit www.ArtsSanAntonio.com.

COMING SOON

The Builders Showcase Expo returns to the Alamodome September 26-28, 2008.
Friday, September 26, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.;
Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.;
Sunday, September 28, 11a.m.- 6 p.m..
Admission is $5 for adults. Children 11 and under are free.
For more information visit www.sabuildersexpo.com.

Carlos Mencia performs a one-of-a-kind comedy show at the Municipal Auditorium Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the Alamodome Box Office, at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (210) 224-9600, or on the web at www.ticketmaster.com.

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2008 CMP CONCLAVE

San Antonio was well represented at the Convention Industry Council's 2008 CMP Conclave in Vancouver from July 27 - 29. San Antonio will be the proud host of this prestigious conference June 7 - 9, 2009. Certified Meeting Professionals from around the world will convene here to develop questions, validate testing options and network.

The pictures below were taken at the opening reception sponsored by Tourism Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre which will host media for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

CMPs pictured from left to right: Al Lomas, Sunset Station; Tracy Ligarde, Westin Riverwalk; Mindy Miller, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa; Member of Canadian Royal UnMounted Police (RUMP); Kari Eustace, SACVB Director of Services; Heidi Lee, Westin Riverwalk; and Amy Sanchez, Independent Planner.

Pictured from left to right: Queen Elizabeth impersonator; Amy Sanchez, CMP; Al Lomas, CMP, CMM, CEM, DFE.
 

PASSKEY® RATES

The SACVB recently completed successful negotiations with Passkey® for rates from 2008 - 2010. Passkey's system simplifies the group reservation process allowing planners, attendees, and hotels to make, monitor and manage hotel reservations online. Rates for 2008-2010, hotels will pay $8 per reservation transferred. The rate for 2011 - 2012 will be $9 per reservation transferred. Groups using three or more hotels and at least 800 rooms/peak can utilize Passkey® for their housing bureau. Real-time reports are available 24/7 to meeting planners and hotel reservation departments.

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BRINGING THE SPIRIT AND FLAVORS OF S.A. TO THE WINDY CITY

San Antonio shined in Chicago on July 21-22, as special media and consumer events, along with broadcast interviews, promoted San Antonio travel to this key market. SACVB Communication team members were joined by Chef Michael Flores (pictured below) who conducted his famous "Learn on Board" cooking class with Chicago travel writers while cruising the Chicago River on the Star of Chicago; Blanca Aldaco, chef and owner of Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine, treated consumers and media to her margarita perfecting techniques; and Monique Alvarado y su Mariachi America (students at Southwest High School) serenaded and wowed Chicago audiences with their musical talents, showcasing mariachi magic.

More than 80 Chicagoans attended the two San Antonio-sponsored river cruises: the first of which, resulted from a well-received consumer promotion with the Chicago Tribune's Red Eye publication, and the second targeted key travel media. The San Antonio ensemble of Chef Michael Flores, Blanca Aldaco and Monique Alvarado y su Mariachi America also appeared on NBC’s Chicago morning show, and taped a second segment at three locations for NBC Chicago's popular “24/7” show, which will air on Saturday, September 6, to an audience of 1.5 million Chicago-area viewers.

The mission was a huge success! Many thanks to all our partners who participated and provided prize packages and San Antonio themed-amenities. To see NBC’s Chicago morning show featuring San Antonio - please visit our San Antonio in the News section online.

Pictured above, far right: SACVB Communications Manager, Tonya Hope, entertains Chicago media.

FOOD WRITER GETS A TASTE OF S.A.

A New York-based food writer and critic visited San Antonio in late July for authentic Tex-Mex cuisine. And he found it—a lot of it! On assignment for Western Living Magazine, this first time visitor gushed over the people, places and pride of San Antonio. He was amazed at the friendliness of our city, from the car rental agent and hotel staff to people on the street and in the various restaurants he visited. Vowing to return (alas so much food, so little time) he left with fond memories and many notes. Many thanks to all of our hospitality partners who make everyone's stay in San Antonio a memorable one.

SAN ANTONIO SUMMER BLITZ A SUCCESS

The SACVB Communications Team spent the summer months promoting travel to beautiful San Antonio! Drive-market public relations included television, print and radio interviews across Texas. More than 20 interviews and promotions rounded out the campaign, with more than $100,000 in media promotions generated to drive summer tourism. A May media blitz to Oklahoma City and Denver targeted these regional markets for the city as well.

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TRAVEL & LEISURE GUIDE

The new new Travel & Leisure Guide was published in July. Over 200,000 Travel & Leisure Guides have been distributed since October in response to requests from advertising or the website. In addition, through July there have been over 34,000 unique visits to the e-version.

ADVERTISING

July ads appeared in these consumer magazines: Bridal Guide, Conde Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Go Magazine (AirTrans In-flight) and Travel & Leisure Golf. Also check out our online presence on www.spiritmag.com, bridalguide.com, gourmetscoop.com, gourmetgateways.com, www.beyondad.com and www.linksmagazine.com.

For the conventions and meetings market, July ads appeared in Meetings & Conventions, Successful Meetings and Texas Meetings and Events.


S.A.V.E.

In addition to newspaper inserts reaching over 2 million households in Dallas, Houston, Forth Worth, Waco, Oklahoma City, and Corpus, several online programs are currently underway driving traffic to the S.A.V.E. web site. A Yahoo ad campaign is expected to generate over 7.2 million impressions. A Google key word campaign is well under way and captured 5.1 million impressions in the first of five flights. The program tested about 3,000 keywords and found that SAVE branding and attraction keywords have the most efficacy for the program. Direct mail is another strategy to create demand: a 4-page promotional piece was mailed to over 650,000 households in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston in June. A second direct mail was dropped in Houston and Dallas on 7/8 reaching almost 680,000 households.

SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS

Search Engines Rankings for www.visitsanantonio.com have shown consistent month-to-month improvements since the launch in February and significant increases over last year's numbers. The average visitor spent 6 minutes and 42 seconds in the month of June, up 22 seconds from May. Last year, visitors spent only 4 minutes and 16 seconds on the CVB website. The bounce rate, or the time spent on a page, has gone down 32% which means visitors are finding more relevant content on our webpages. The bounce rate for July 08 is 25% compared to 36% in July 07.

The numbers below indicate June 2008 rankings for the market's top two search engines and their market share percentage. Source: Experian Research

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SAN ANTONIO & "TODOS A BORDO"

From July 31 - August 5, 2008, the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted Todos A Bordo a television show in Mexico to promote San Antonio as a summer destination. The SACVB first made contact with the television show in June at the HEB Plaza Real Gonzalito in Monterrey.

Todos a Bordo is a tourism show which highlights one destination per show. The program is based out of Monterrey and aired national on Sundays. Their target markets are the middle / upper middle class and business travelers. The age range of their consumers is 19-45. Todos a Bordo also has a radio show on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays that reaches markets in the valley region of Texas and Monterrey (Génesis), Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas - all of which are important drive markets in Northern Mexico. Their coverage of San Antonio will continue to raise San Antonio's profile in this important market with it's coverage of San Antonio's diverse destination appeal.

The site visit is helping San Antonio reach the desired market in Mexico to continue to position San Antonio as a fantastic shopping destination, but to also inform the consumer of the alternative attractions and activities that San Antonio has to offer. This will encourage return visits and extended stay trips. The media was thrilled to visit some of San Antonio's great destinations as well as the Hill Country and wineries in Fredericksburg. We like to thank the Hotel Contessa for hosting Todos A Bordo, and thank the Fredericksburg CVB, the Boerne CVB, and the Gruene CVB for partnering with the SACVB to sell the regional destination.

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VIA PASSES AT VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER

The San Antonio Visitor Information Center now sells VIA one-day passes! Since June, the V.I.C. has offered these $3.75 passes that allow visitors unlimited daily access to downtown streetcars, as well as public and express buses in an effort to make it easier (and cost-effective) for them to get around and enjoy San Antonio. So far, over 1,500 passes have been sold. "This is just another convenience we are delighted to offer visitors as we broaden our position as a full-service Visitor Center" said Katrina Entzminger, Visitor Services Manager.

NAJ SUMMIT EAST

CVB Tourism Sales were first time attendees at the 3rd Annual North American Journeys - Summit East June 16-17, in New York City. The conference was divided into two components; educational seminars, with presenters from several large Receptive Operators and a one-on-one Operator appointment component. The appointment base was centered on European and Latin American operators who have offices in NYC. This year NAJ increased tour operators from Japanese and Asian companies. San Antonio was successful in attaining a full schedule with the majority of attending operators.

MONTERREY MISSION

Tourism Sales organized two sales events and sales calls for the June 2008 Monterrey consumer promotion and public relations event June 26-27, 2008. The sales component was divided into two sections:
-A breakfast presentation for 40 top producing travel agencies to showcase the latest offerings the trade can sell.
-A luncheon presentation for six of Monterrey's largest companies with an estimated reach of well over 80,000 associates.
Both San Antonio presentations showcased the latest city developments, hotel offerings, attractions, shopping opportunities and Hill Country excursions. Further work is being developed to produce customized San Antonio travel offerings for the corporate entities. Additional corporate sales calls were conducted to offer similar opportunities presented in the luncheon.

HOSTING CANADIAN DELEGATES

Tourism staff hosted a Canadian Tourism FAM Jun 26 -28 in which Air Canada partnered with Texas Tourism Canada to fly trade delegates to Texas to showcase their new Austin route on the state-of-the-art CRJ aircraft. The CVBs in both
San Antonio and Austin with their respective local hotel partners showcased their cities. A private reception on a river cruiser and dinner at Boudro's was one of the highlights for the group.

Pictured left to right:
Georgia Kourakis, Merit Group; Ginette Ford, Ultimate/Adventure Travel Group; Cindy Scala, Canada Automobile Association; Carla Norwood, CVB; Nancy Abbott, Texas Tourism Canada; and Lidia Markser ALIO.

MICE GERMAN FAM

A MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention Exhibition) Familiarization Tour of German clients was hosted by Tourism Department staff during the dates of June 28 -30.
This tour was a result of the IMEX Conference which Dorah Putney, Dir of Tourism, attended in Frankfurt, Germany in March. The Texas cities visited were San Antonio
and Houston. Chuck and Sharon Knibbe hosted the group for dinner at their ranch in Spring Branch one evening. This historic ranch is 150 years old and is rich in
German heritage and was the ideal location for the event.

Pictured left to right first row: Carla Norwood, Tourism Sales Manager, CVB; Michael Schaefer, Project Manager, BCD Travel Germany; Sharon Knibbe; Julian Luther,
Texas Tourism Representative, Germany; Karin Wolniczak, Director, Nice Communication Agency; Peter Borstel, Journalist, Trade Fairs International;
2nd row: Stefanie Boehnke, Director Client Service/Member of Management; Michael Vagedes, GmbH; Christine Schmidt, Project Manager, Stagg and Friends; and Chuck Knibbe.

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If you're downtown on Thursday, August 28 - beware of the zombies! They're taking part in the Horrific Film Fest kick-off Zombie Walk starting at 6:00 p.m. in front of the Instituto Cultural de Mexico (600 Hemisfair Plaza). Horror film fans are invited to put on their best living dead costume and join the walk over to Azucar for the Horrific Trailer Party, a movie trailer competition with dancing, costumes and prizes. Films will be screened Friday - Sunday at the Instituto's Auditorium. This year's honoree is San Antonio Native Donnie Dunagan who portrayed the son of Frankenstein in the horror film. The dedication ceremony is scheduled for Friday, August 29 at 5:00 p.m. Another fest highlight is a seminar on acting, producing and directing led by horror film actor Bill Johnson on Saturday. Film prizes for Best Feature, Best Short, Best SFS, Best Actor and Best Actress will be awarded Sunday afternoon. Details for the festival and more information on the Horrific Zombie Walk and Horrific Trailer Party can be found at www.horrificfilmfest.com.

SAN ANTONIO FILM FORUM

The San Antonio Film Commission would like to invite you to the San Antonio Film Forum, a series of educational and informational forums that will be held monthly thru November at the downtown Central Library located at 600 Soledad Street. The next film forum is scheduled for Tuesday, August 26th with networking from 6-7 p.m. and the program starting at 7 p.m.

To listen to past forums visit the film section of our website.

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RK GROUP NEW CHEF

The RK Group welcomes Chef Craig Bianco to their talented culinary team. As Corporate Executive Chef, Bianco is charged with using his creativity and experience to stay on the cutting edge of the culinary scene. He will work closely with Executive VP, Convention Center Operations Jeffrey Magatagan to create new gala-style and seasonal menus, new plate presentation styles and hors d' oeuvres presentations. Before joining the RK Group, Chef Bianco served as Executive Chef/Executive Sous Chef at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco where he worked with Celebrity Chef Michael Mina. Chef Bianco attended the Culinary Institute of America and has also worked in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The RK Group is a full-service catering and events company based in San Antonio with locations in Austin and Arizona. To learn more visit www.therkgroup.com.

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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.