Bay Area Regional DMOs Kick Off New Destination Mixer Program in Sacramento

DMOs representing Bay Area destinations joined Visit California staff at the Sutter Club in Sacramento for the premiere Destination Mixer event.

Each Destination Mixer event features DMOs from a single California region with the aim of helping Visit California effectively support local tourism. The new format replaces the longstanding Destination Third Thursday program, which featured programs by single DMOs. The regional representation immerses staff in local tourism to help them appreciate the differences and commonalities throughout California’s regional destinations. 

Associate VP of Global Brand Advertising Erika DiProfio snaps a selfie with staff.

Five Bay Area DMOs participated in the premiere event: Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District, San Francisco Travel Association, Sonoma County Tourism, Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, The San Francisco Peninsula and Visit Oakland. Each shared insights about the newest tourism experiences, regional strengths and challenges, and created a sensory connection to their destinations with local cuisine and creative sensory experiences.

Visit Oakland shared two innovative tourist trails in the city, the cannabis and vegan trails. Oakland is one of a handful of pioneering California cities helping visitors understand the historical and cultural roots of cannabis by guiding them to sites like America’s first cannabis college, Oaksterdam University, and Harborside dispensary, which conducted the first legal recreational cannabis sale in the state. To give staff a taste of Visit Oakland’s vegan trail — which ranks near the top of their content — they shared Alfajores dulce de leche cookies from Wooden Table paired with iced coffee from local favorite Blue Bottle Coffee.

Across the Bay, San Francisco Travel highlighted the explosion of open recreation spaces in the city, from the multi-use Presidio Tunnel Tops, which links Chrissy Field and the Presidio, to the rapid expansion of parklets, which has greatly expanded seating at many of the city’s most popular restaurants. An olfactory scents of the city tour brought to life the new park with the smell fresh eucalyptus, celebrated the city’s culinary scene with eucalyptus, lemongrass, and the rare chance to see many of Diego Rivera’s greatest murals and paintings at SFMOMA with Jose Cuervo Reserva Anejo.  

San Francisco Travel staff share the scents of the city.

The San Francisco Peninsula challenged staff to trivia questions that revealed surprising facts and hidden gems up and down the Bay. A seasonal highlight was the autumnal Half Moon Bay Arts & Pumpkin Festival, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and the world-famous Mavericks Surf Contest, which typically runs between late Autumn and early winter. Staff also touched on numerous other cultural and scenic destinations (Lighthouses? Check!) for the perfect fall selfie.

New and veteran Visit California staff collaborate on SF Peninsula trivia.

Two Sonoma DMOs – Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and Sonoma County Tourism – celebrated the region as one of the world’s ideal climates for tourism and agriculture. Sonoma County Tourism shared bread from Goguette Bread  paired with olive oil from Gold Ridge Organic Farms  and tastes of Russian River Brewing’s Pliny the Elder, perennially recognized as on of the best beers in the country. They also showed off their mobile app, which is helping tourists plan itineraries and identify sustainable businesses.

Sonoma Vintner Kayla Berthoud quizzes staff on alternative liquors produced with wine grapes.

In addition to providing a deep dive into Sonoma tourism, Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau brought local vintner Kayla Berthoud, who runs Berthoud Winery with her father. She shared her expertise and tastes of Sonoma wines, including a Berthoud Chasselas, a grape uncommonly found outside of Switzerland. Sonoma also discussed opportunities to participate in the wine harvest. 

Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District positioned the rural city as an accessible and trendsetting alternative to wine country. For down-home flavor, visitors can attend the weekly Tuesdays in the Plaza music series, where longtime locals share wine and charcuterie with neighbors and guests alike. In the blocks around the city’s historic plaza are numerous Michelin-recognized restaurants, including the three-star SingleThread. Just north of Napa and Sonoma, Healdsburg makes an unforgettable addition to any wine country visit.

Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District hands out sampler boxes of local favorites to Visit California staff.

Visit California staff thank these Bay Area destinations for generously sharing their time and local delicacies with staff and look forward to meeting with representatives from another California region for next quarter’s Destination Mixer.