Showcasing California’s best at IMM USA 2025 & NYC Media Mission

Visit California continued its successful partnership with TravMedia in 2025, once again hosting the California Pavilion at the International Media Marketplace (IMM) USA. A delegation of 52 destination and tourism business partners traveled to New York to participate in the event on Jan. 23, securing over 1,000 appointments with top travel and lifestyle media and influencers.

Prior to IMM, at the TravMedia Summit, Visit California shared updates on the state’s recovery efforts following the Los Angeles wildfires and provided a sneak peek at its upcoming road trips TV spot launching this spring.

Visit California hosted the official welcome reception for IMM. The event, attended by approximately 500 media and destination representatives, showcased California’s vibrant food and beverage scene. Attendees enjoyed wine provided by Visit the Santa Ynez Valley and craft beer from across the state, offering a true taste of the Golden State. 

To maximize partners’ time on the East Coast, Visit California hosted an additional day of programming as part of the NYC Media Mission. Nearly 40 California partners participated in the event, beginning with a networking breakfast at Dotdash Meredith, where attendees enjoyed sparkling wine donated by Visit Lodi. Destination representatives engaged in small-group discussions with editors from seven publications, exchanging insights on brand priorities and the latest developments in California tourism.

In the afternoon, partners transferred to Kimpton Eventi for a “Tools of Today’s Journalists” session. The panel featured freelance writers Victoria Walker, Brandon Schultz and Sucheta Rawal, and was moderated by Joni Sweet. The panel shared insights on leveraging new digital tools to craft compelling stories, develop pitches and adapt to the evolving media landscape. Topics included the role of Substack, LinkedIn, generative AI and other platforms in content creation and media outreach, offering valuable takeaways for both journalists and PR professionals.

The next California media event will take place in Atlanta on March 20, followed by the Denver Media Dinner in May. Registration for Atlanta is closed, but registration for Denver is open for 72 hours beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11. To stay in the loop about future events, visit the Events Overview and be sure to sign up for the public relations newsletter.