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.

ANNUAL UPDATE MEETING

Learn what the SACVB is planning for 2009 at our Annual Update Meeting on Wednesday, December 10, 2008. All partners are invited to attend this free meeting at The Depot in the Historic Sunset Station from 4 - 6 p.m. CVB Executive Director Scott White will present performance for 2008 and highlights from the 2008-2009 Business Development Plan, which is now available only online. The CVB Travel Calendar, Co-Op & Partner Opportunities, and each divisions missions and goals can be viewed online. We hope you can join us for the presentation and reception (following immediately after the presentation). Please email us your RSVP to communityrelations@visitsanantonio.com.

SAN ANTONIO ROCKS!
With some 24,800 runners crossing the finish line, the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon is one for the record books!

The San Antonio Sports Foundation will release economic impact numbers in the coming weeks. Projections range from $20 million to $40 million based on similar sized Rock 'n' Roll marathons in San Diego and Arizona.

Next year's race is Sunday, November 15, 2009. You can already register online at www.rnrsa.com.

Enjoy the photos below:

Runners at the start line.

Run your heart out!

Singer high-fives marathoner along Mission Road.

San Antonio Marathoner & Olympian Liza Hunter-Galvan with Mayor Phil Hardberger and Governor Rick Perry.

Return to top

2008 VALERO ALAMO BOWL

Excitement is building in San Antonio as we get closer to naming the participating teams for the 2008 Valero Alamo Bowl. Fans of teams in the Valero Alamo Bowl mix can start making plans for a fun-filled stay in the Alamo City with a week of events planned to showcase the pageantry of college football and the style of San Antonio.

"The Original" Rudy's Bar-B-Q Pep Rally is one of the most exciting events of the bowl week. The pep rally is on Saturday, December 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Arneson River Theatre on the River Walk.

The head coaches, football players, pep bands and cheerleaders of the two universities show their colors as they face off in a spirited pep rally. Seating is very limited at this first come, first served general admission event. If the theatre is full, grab a spot along the River Walk and cheer for the teams and bands as they float past you.

The fun will continue on the day of the game with the AT&T Fan Zone. This area will be the official gathering place before the 2008 Valero Alamo Bowl. Over 25,000 fans, alumni groups and university bands will join to celebrate before the big game.

Located one block north of the Alamodome at Sunset Station, this fun, exciting event opens three hours prior to kickoff and is free to the public. Games at the Fan Zone will encourage each fan's participation and challenge their football skills. This is a free event.

Fans can also choose to spend pre-game at a VIP tailgate party from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. This will be the party of the year as 1,500 guests join the Valero Alamo Bowl Board of Directors in celebration of this year's game.

Located in the Sunset Station Pavilion, you will enjoy unlimited food and drinks at this private event located in the heart of the game's pregame activities starting three hours before kickoff. Tickets to the pregame party are $60. For more information on Valero Alamo Bowl festivities, visit www.alamobowl.com.

MARIACHI MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza--Texas' largest and longest running mariachi event is preparing for its 2008 concert at the Municipal Auditorium, Saturday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. The 14th Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza is a 7-day mariachi music festival with a Christmas-themed Mariachi Serenade on the River Walk and an opening mariachi mass at the historical San Jose Mission. The largest and most competitive mariachi group and vocal competitions are held during the festival at the Municipal Auditorium as well as a mariachi-themed art exhibit at the Centro Cultural Aztlan. Highlighting the event is a concert featuring the 111-year old, world renowned and Mexico City based Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan is a 12-piece group made up of the most talented voices and musicians in all of Latin America. The group mesmerizes audiences throughout the world with their unique arrangements of traditional mariachi music. More than 15,000 people will participate in the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza events November 30 through December 6. A complete schedule of events is posted on www.mariachimusic.com Mariachi Vargas tickets are available through ticketmaster.com.

THE NUTCRACKER

Experience the magic of the holidays with Arts San Antonio's presentation of The Nutcracker performed by Ballet San Antonio to music by the San Antonio Symphony, December 5-7 and December 12-14 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. This year's production will feature more than 80 local children joining the professional dancers of Ballet San Antonio, with orchestral music by the San Antonio Symphony. Join the Nutcracker Prince as he whisks Clara through the ethereal Land of the Snow to the magical Kingdom of the Sweets, where they will tell their tale to the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Don't miss this charming holiday classic - a treasure for the whole family. Tickets are available by calling Arts San Antonio at 210226-2891 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Return to top

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, 2009

In anticipation of hosting duties next year, representatives from the CVB, Convention Center and the City of San Antonio attended the National League of Cities Convention in Orlando to observe logistics for the November 10-14, 2009 Congress of Cities and Expositions at the Convention Center. Some 5,000 attendees are expected for the NLC's annual convention which offers a broad range of learning opportunities combined with conducting organizational business. This conference is unique in that it partners with the hosting city to develop educational programs, allowing the city to display its accomplishments. Through Mobile Workshops (off property educational sessions), Spouse/Guest Tours (opportunities to visit showcase venues), and a variety of other resources, delegates are offered the chance to explore the city for its educational value. This is the only NLC conference with an exposition. The Exposition is one of the largest exhibits for companies serving municipal needs to come face-to-face with buyers looking for products and services to assist with the changing demands to improve their municipalities.

The Congressional City Conference is NLC's annual legislative conference designed to inform local officials about federal priorities affecting cities and towns and initiate NLC's grassroots advocacy work with the current Congress and administration.

NLC also offers a variety of focused seminars and conferences throughout the year to help local officials examine emerging issues, develop new skills, and connect with other local officials from across the country. All conference and seminars are offered on a fee basis and require separate registration forms that must be completed before the event. Special reduced registration fees are offered to city officials from NLC member cities.

Pictured above from left to right at this year's NLC's convention in Orlando, FL are: Maria Arredondo, CSM, SACVB; Catherine Herrberg, CMP, Event Coordinator, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (overlooking Maria); Susan Rocha, with Denton, Navarro, Rocha & Bernal, P.C; Mary Alice Cisneros, City Council District 1; Edward Benavides, Executive Asst. to the City Manager.

Also attending NLC's final reception hosted by Universal Studios in Orlando are, from left to right, Pat Hart, The RK Group; Kari Cloudt, CMP, SACVB; Tamar Henderson, CMP, the RK Group.

SITE VISIT FOR 2010 MEETING

The Property Loss Research Bureau/Annual Claims Conference & Insurance Services Expo is a definite for San Antonio from March 21, 24, 2010. CVB Services Manager Maria Arrendondo, CSM, hosted meeting planners for a site visit on November 19. The Property Loss Research Bureau was in San Antonio for their meeting in 2005 and they expect to bring in some 2,000 attendees in 2010.

Pictured from left to right at the Convention Center: Maria Arredondo, CSM, SACVB; Andy Kelly, Expo Mgr with PLRB; Barry David, Event Coordinator at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center; Mandy Geistweidt, Freeman San Antonio; Dan Traver Freeman Representative from Chicago.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH


The National Council of Teachers of English held their annual national convention in San Antonio from November 20-25 with some 6,000 educators. Besides enjoying the culinary delights, exciting attractions, and the River Walk, some of the meeting organizers attended a Spurs game against the Utah Jazz game on November 21.

Return to top

COMMUNICATIONS KICKS OF FY2009 WITH A BANG!

In the first two months of FY2009, the Communications Division hosted 76 members of the media to conduct editorial research on San Antonio. This is over half the amount hosted for all of FY2008 which was the Communications Division’s best year on record with $9.8 million in media value. Enjoy the following media highlights.

PRIMER IMPACTO EN SAN ANTONIO

Univision personality Tony Dandrade stopped by San Antonio on his latest back-packing segment called, Mochila con Tony en Tejas. Despite a very tight schedule, Dandrade was persuaded to stop by additional venues to cover even more of San Antonio. Primer Impacto has over over 4 million viewers and is featured on Univision throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Many thanks to all partners who came together to give Primer Impacto the authentic San Antonio experience of a city with great heart, great passion and great people!

Tony Dandrades (center) of Primer Impacto poses for a picture at the Alamo.

To see a clip of the segment, click on:

http://www.univision.com/content/videoplayer.jhtml?cid=1735978

GOLF MEDIA TAKE THEIR SHOT AT S.A.

To promote San Antonio as a top golf destination, the Communications Division hosted a November golf familiarization tour (fam). A prestigious group of 17 media from various golf publications played at local courses to take in a lay of the land. Courses included the Hyatt Hill Country Resort and Spa and the Westin La Cantera's Resort and Palmer courses. Media even received a sneak preview of Brackenridge Golf Course and were joined by course architects, John Colligian and Trey Kemp. Representatives from the San Antonio golf community also spent time educating media guests about the San Antonio golf scene. Other highlights included a tour of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa’s upcoming TPC courses set to open in 2010. Publications represented include: 20/20 Golf TV, Canada's Globe and Mail, Fairways + Greens, Fairway Living, Golf Collectors Society Bulletin, Golf Digest, Golfin' Around Inc., Golf Today, Inside Golf TV, KTRK-TV, Links, Texas Golfer, Travel + Leisure Golf, Where to Play Golf Radio Show, worldgolf.com and Views. A big thanks to Westin La Cantera Resort for hosting the group.

AMERICA'S TOP TRAVEL JOURNALISTS

Almost 40 members of the Society of American Travel Writers, including celebrated travel writers and photographers, made their way to San Antonio for three separate and distinct familiarization tours (fams) hosted by the Communications Division. Travel writers were offered their choice of two fams: one focused on San Antonio’s traditional sights and authentic culture, and another focused on local favorites, highlighting life in San Antonio as a true San Antonian. Photographers were offered a specialized photography fam to help them capture a diverse and eclectic array of San Antonio images. Individual guides were offered to maximize coverage of the city. Publications represented during these fams include AAA Living, American Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, Frommer's Budget Travel, Girlfriend Getaways, National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian and many more. A big thanks to all of our local partners who contributed their time and resources to making these fams a great success including host hotels: Hotel Contessa, Hotel Valencia and the Westin Riverwalk!

Travel journalists capture San Antonio’s natural beauty.

SATW members peruse cultural finds at Market Square above.

NEW WORLD WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL

Salud! Fourteen journalists were hosted for a press tour during the New World Wine and Food Festival. The group took in the vast culinary scene of San Antonio, from a Vitner Cruise on the river and elegant Winemakers' Dinners to a colorful fall winery lunch at Becker Vineyards. The talent of local chefs and winemakers from near and far was savored by all. Some publications represented were Modern Luxury Publications, National Culinary Review, Elite Wine, Food & Travel (Canada), D Magazine, Desert Living, Relish, Wine Enthusiast, Cooking Light, Better Home & Gardens, Sante, EatingWell, Wall Street Journal, Vancouver Sun and AAA Home & Away Oklahoma. Thanks to the Emily Morgan Hotel and Grand Hyatt for hosting!

Food and wine media received a taste of regional fare at Becker Vineyards.

Return to top

HOLIDAY MARKETING PUSH

The San Antonio CVB is promoting holiday visitation across diverse channels. Holiday-themed email messages were distributed to over 300,000 people on October 23 and November 21. The website features a new special section about San Antonio holiday festivities. The section links from the Home Page under The Spotlight. This online site makes it easy for visitors to find comprehensive information about lighting festivities, River Walk traditions, holiday shopping, favorite holiday performances, off-beat fun and New Year's Eve celebrations.

The Tourism and Marketing divisions collaboratively launched a promotion on Expedia and Hotels.com running from November 14, 2008 to January 31, 2009. The first portion of this effort is holiday-themed and is geo-targeted to drive markets which included Houston, Dallas, Austin, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. Additionally, San Antonio is being featured on the Hoteles.com home page to promote holiday travel from Mexico.

S.A.V.E.

A four-page holiday themed direct mail piece was dropped in Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston on November 4, reaching over 800,000 households. A holiday themed newspaper insert also dropped on November 9 in Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Oklahoma City and Waco. A Google key word campaign captured 17.1 million impressions through October 3 with a 35 % click thru rate (over 60,000 clicks) and over 17,00 conversions (registrations and coupon downloads).

BRANDING TOOLKIT

The CVB has rolled out a toolkit filled with digital promotion resources. Please feel free to use any of the digital resources to promote the city alongside your hotel or attraction. Resources include banner ads in various sizes, the San Antonio logo, the new destination video, destination images and a flyer.



ADVERTISING

November ads appeared in these consumer magazines: AARP, Architectural Digest, Bridal Guide, Budget Travel, Travel & Leisure Golf and Southern Living's Best Of Issue. You can see some of our online promotions at: www.bridgalguide.com, www.gourmettraveltalk.com, www.gourmetscoop.com, www.beyondad.com, www.spiritmag.com and www.midwestlivingtravel.com.

For the conventions and meetings market, November ads ran in Meeting Professional International, Meeting News, Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings.

Return to top

2009 CINEFESTIVAL: CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, one of the nation’s premier Latino arts institutions, presents the 31st Annual CineFestival en San Antonio – the oldest running international film festival in North America.

The theme for this year's festival, which will take place from February 5-8, 2009, is "New World Onda: Building a Dynamic Media Society."

CineFestival is seeking the best Latino features, shorts, documentaries, animation, experimental films and youth works. The call for entries deadline is Monday, December 8, 2008. For information on how to submit a film or to download the Call for Entries, visit the CineFestival Web site at cinefestivalsa.org. For more information, contact Sandra Pena Sarmiento at sandrap@guadalupeculturalarts.org.

The four-day event, which kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, will feature screenings, workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities, gala celebrations and musical performances. Sunday will be a seniors and family-friendly film day. Innovative uses of new technology will also be highlighted through competitions, demonstrations of new cameras and software, and the involvement of youth filmmakers from video programs throughout San Antonio.

CineFestival will also feature the prestigious Premio Mesquite audience award and juried awards for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Experimental Film, Best South Texas First Film, and Best San Antonio Young Filmmaker.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1980 to preserve, promote and develop the arts and culture of the Chicano/Latino/Native American peoples for all ages and backgrounds through public and educational programming in six disciplines: dance, literature, media arts, theater arts, visual arts and music. For more information, visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org or call (210) 271-3151.

RED CARPET PREMIERE

Eagle Eye Productions is proud to announce the premiere of Secuestrada, a film recently shot in San Antonio. Mexican acting legends Eric Del Castillo and Irma Dorantes star in this film, along with Danny De La Paz and Tatiana Smithhart. The event is scheduled for Friday, December 5th at 6:00 p.m. at the Santikos Palladium Theater at the Rim. For more information, visit www.eagleiproductions.com.

Return to top

BREAST CANCER SYMPOSIUM


With a projected attendance of 9,000, December's biggest meeting is the annual 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from Thursday, December 11 - Sunday, December 14. This year's meeting will be the first Symposium presented by the CTRC, AACR, and the Baylor College of Medicine who all share the same mission: to advance progress against breast cancer. Learn more about their collaborative efforts at www.sabcs.org. Currently SABCS is scheduled in San Antonio through 2015.

Please welcome the following groups to San Antonio in the month of December:

ALI-ABA (80)
AMEDD (40)
Air Force Center for Engineering & the Environment (320)
American Cheer Power (800)
Athletic Business Publications, Inc. (3600)
National Education Association (50)
Primerica Financial Services (800)
Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (4000)
Texas Workforce Commission (1800)
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (30)

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

Return to top

Shop for handmade gifts, go sledding at Schlitterbahn, enjoy the spectacular lights along the River Walk, watch the Moscow Ballet perform the Nutcracker or bring your pooch to the Blessing of the Animals! These are just a few of the events for the Holiday Season 2008. Below are a few examples of the events taking place along the River Walk. Visit our website for a complete list of holiday events.

FORD Fiesta de las Luminarias
12/5 - 12/21, dusk
More than 6,000 luminarias, warmly glowing candles in sand filled bags, line the walkways along the River Walk to symbolically mark the "lighting of the way" for the Holy Family. This centuries old tradition begins at dusk Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.

Holiday Arts & Crafts Show:
12/12 - 12/14, 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Shop along the banks of the San Antonio River near the River Walk Extension at the Chamber of Commerce. Local and regional artists, craftsmen, and jewelers sell their handmade merchandise throughout the weekend.

For more information about holiday events on the River Walk, visit the Paseo del Rio Association website or contact the Events Director (210) 227-4262 x 104.

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.

Return to top

GRAND HYATT'S GRAND HOLIDAY

On November 20th the Grand Hyatt Hotel invited the general public to come and see the unveiling of a 24-foot by 20-foot holiday window featuring dozens of holiday-themed books dangling against a backdrop of an LED light curtain. The Grand Hyatt also unveiled a 30 pound chocolate sculpture(pictured right) which was an amazing masterpiece from recognized Pastry Chef Daniel Keadle. The Grand Hyatt intends to promote reading during the holidays with family and loved ones with story time:

December 2: 10 and 11 a.m.
December 9: 10 and 11 a.m.
December 16: 10 and 11 a.m.

OMNI'S GINGERBREAD ALAMO

For the second year in a row, the OMNI San Antonio at The Colonnade is displaying a Gingerbread Alamo made by the staff. The kitchen and engineering team spent a week building this edible edifice which will be on display thru January 9, 2009. The hotel is also offering a sweet deal with it's "Holiday Sugar & Spice" weekend package thru January 4, 2009. Guests can book the package at the OMNI San Antonio and receive 25 percent off the leisure rate with a minimum two-night stay or a $25 suite upgrade based on availability at time of booking.

HOTEL VALENCIA'S RISING STAR

Congratulations to Sarah Linley, Conference Service Manager at the Hotel Valencia, for receiving the NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) Rising Star Award for the Alamo Chapter. Sarah was honored at the gala on November 11 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse. The professionalism and dedication she's shown over the past three years with Hotel Valencia are not only conveyed to both her internal and external guest everyday, but is also recognized by her counterparts in the industry. Once again, congratulations Sarah and to the team at Hotel Valencia!

Return to top

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.