California connects with Canadian and Pacific Northwest media and planners

Visit California brought two distinct California delegations to Seattle and Vancouver Nov. 4-5 for events connecting destinations with journalists, influencers and meeting planners.

The two-city visit gave partners time to share destination news and build relationships that support travel to California. Professional Meetings and Events (PME) roadshow events took place each afternoon, followed by evening receptions for media. Hosting the programs at the same venues allowed Visit California to reach both media and group business audiences, making a big splash in each market while maximizing budget and branding opportunities.

A well-rounded PR delegation included 15 destination representatives from 11 of California’s 12 tourism regions. The media events welcomed 19 journalists and influencers to 1 Hotel Seattle and another 18 to the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver. Media attendees included representatives from outlets such as The Seattle Times, Seattle magazine, Travel + Leisure, Postmedia, Canadian Travel Press, Explore magazine and Vancouverscape.

Both evenings included open networking and dedicated one-on-one meetings. Media connected directly with destination representatives to hear story ideas and discuss potential California coverage.

California’s outdoor experiences, wellness offerings, craft beer and local food scenes provided connections to audiences in both markets. The Vancouver event marked the first time Visit California has brought a PR delegation to Western Canada since the pandemic. Meeting in person gave partners an opportunity to maintain relationships with media in this key international market for California and share reasons for travelers to return.

The PME delegation included 24 California destinations, with more than 30 customers attending each event. Part of Visit California’s PME roadshow program, these events connected California partners with meeting planners to showcase California’s unique blend of lifestyle, hospitality and meeting-ready destinations.

Seattle is a key corporate and third-party market for California, and the event provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships. Vancouver hosted the first international PME roadshow event, providing a platform to strengthen cross-border partnerships and showing promise for a rebound in corporate group business from Canada.

Across both cities and delegations, the events gave California partners time for conversations that can be difficult to arrange individually. Partners left with media and planner contacts to follow up with on story ideas and potential meetings business.