Board Report

President's Summary

December 2024

As we approach the new year, we are excited to continue our collaboration to define our shared priorities and goals for the next two years. Thank you for your active participation during the November meeting—it was invaluable to this process. Stay tuned for a follow-up in January, as we are making some adjustments to the process for finalizing the plan to ensure it aligns with our collective vision.

Supporting the workforce in Greater Palm Springs remains a top priority for our organization, and I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of our Champions of Hospitality Awards Gala, including our generous sponsors. This year’s event was record-breaking, with over 250 nominations, more than 800 attendees, and an incredible $117,000 raised for scholarships. We were proud to award $35,000 in hospitality scholarships to local students, helping to nurture the next generation of industry leaders.

A special highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Spirit of Tourism Award to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. This award recognized the organization’s outstanding embodiment of the spirit of tourism in the valley and their diligent efforts to advance the industry in both actions and spirit.

The night was also an opportunity to honor the memory of our dear friend and colleague Tony Bruggemans, who we lost earlier this year. Tony, a long-time board member of Visit Greater Palm Springs and a revered hospitality professional, dedicated six decades of his career to the industry across five continents, including managing the historic Le Vallauris Restaurant in Palm Springs. Tony’s passion for hospitality was matched only by his love for his family, and he is deeply missed by all who knew him. To honor Tony’s legacy, we are proud to announce the establishment of the Tony Bruggemans Scholarship through the Tourism Foundation. This scholarship celebrates Tony’s lifelong commitment to hospitality and his dedication to empowering future leaders in the industry.

Tony’s daughter Lauren Bruggemans, who is part of our VGPS team, helped present this year’s inaugural scholarship recipient to student Diego Rendon, a resident of Desert Hot Springs and first-generation college student studying business and hospitality who truly embodies the values and aspirations that this scholarship represents.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our host, JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, and their exceptional hospitality team for making the evening truly special. For those who couldn’t join us, here’s a glimpse of this year’s sponsors, winners, and videos from the evening.

The Visit Greater Palm Springs convention sales team has continued to exceed performance goals in booked room nights and lead production. As November concluded, the sales team is at 101% of the year-to-date goal with 191,857 booked room nights and are on track to meet and exceed annual room night booking goals for 2024. Wrapping up the year, the team will host a 12-client FAM from December 19-22, spotlighting the inaugural United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. And they’ll kick off 2025 in style with the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival FAM. These efforts reflect the team’s dedication to driving growth and showcasing the destination’s unparalleled offerings.

The LIVE with Kelly & Mark show brought incredible excitement to Greater Palm Springs, drawing over 8,000 audience members for the four unforgettable episodes—the first time this beloved morning program has filmed in our iconic destination! Hosted at the stunning Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa, the production captured the essence of our oasis with breathtaking backdrops, vibrant energy, and local charm. Early results of the coverage have exceeded expectations, with millions of impressions across national TV, digital platforms, and social media, shining a spotlight on Greater Palm Springs as a must-visit destination. This incredible exposure showcases the unmatched beauty and unique experiences of our region, creating a lasting impression on viewers across the country featured on a national stage. Special thanks to The Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa and the City of Rancho Mirage for their incredible partnership in hosting this landmark production.

The launch of Visit Greater Palm Springs’ brand campaign “Escape Your Ordinary” at the end of September has shown preliminary positive results including increased click-through rates, engagements, and video completion rates. This destination campaign included a full refresh of all creative assets across television, digital, print, out-of-home, and social media targeting our drive markets and seasonal fly markets as well as our Canadian markets.

For the months of September and October, our leisure advertising campaigns overall resulted in 26.7M digital impressions, 4.3B television impressions and 369K spots, and 137M out-of-home impressions. Our meetings/groups campaign, "The Oasis is Real," generated 5M impressions.

Our international campaign promoting Greater Palm Springs in the UK and Ireland for the months of September and October generated 6.7M impressions and 1,609 conversions. Looking ahead to 2025, we plan to continue our dedicated international advertising efforts with Finn Partners, including additional efforts targeting the German market.

We are proud to share that Visit Greater Palm Springs has been recognized in the prestigious Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition for the second year in a row. This annual program highlights inspiring good practice stories from destinations worldwide, showcasing innovative solutions to sustainable tourism challenges. The 2024 edition features stories from 32 countries, with only five selected from the United States. Representing California, Visit Greater Palm Springs was honored for “The Power of Inclusion: Amplifying Authentic Experiences and Local Voices.” This recognition underscores our ongoing commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, demonstrating the impact of destination management organizations in creating meaningful change for tourism professionals and travelers alike.

The Greater Palm Springs economic development branding with the North Star Place Branding & Marketing agency completed its initial phase of data collection, with brand creative, messaging, and a logo now underway guided by a Creative Committee of stakeholders and VGPS staff. Concurrently, work is underway on the creation of a dedicated website and marketing and media plan. All components are anticipated to be complete and launched during the first quarter of 2025.

VGPS continues to pursue the development of an indoor amateur sports facility in Greater Palm Springs. While attending the annual Cal Travel Summit in September, staff attended an educational session on sports tourism presented by the President & CEO of Sports ETA, John David. Data shared spoke to the growing strength of the industry as a driver for both tourism and economic development. Here are a few key takeaways:

The market value of facilities is projected to grow more than 72% over the next decade
The number of sports travelers increased 15% from 2019 to 2023
In 2023, destinations with facilities showed an average of 69 events with an average of 2,950 attendees
Wellness focused activities is a growing addition to the sports tourism market
Sports facilities can be important factors in business attraction as they are seen as attractive amenities to prospective residents

Wishing everyone a joyful and wonderful holiday season! Thank you for your ongoing support and continued collaboration. Here’s to an exciting year ahead, filled with great achievements as we work together to reach our 2025 goals! Cheers!

Sincerely,

Signature