January–February 2026
During the January through February reporting period, the Communications team built strong early-year momentum, elevating Greater Palm Springs’ visibility across national and international markets through strategic media hosting, high-profile event alignment, and continued development of long-lead editorial pipelines. Efforts during this period reinforced the destination’s recognition in culture, culinary, wellness, meetings, film, and economic development while positioning Greater Palm Springs for sustained earned media impact in 2026.
Working alongside Visit Greater Palm Springs’ domestic and international PR agencies, the team:
- Secured 119 media touchpoints
- Delivered 52 custom pitches
- Hosted 29 media and content creator visits
- Published 152 articles
Media placement during this period included:
- Food & Wine - How the Date Shake Became Palm Springs’ Signature Drink
- San Diego Magazine - A New Creative Energy is Reshaping Downtown Indio
- AFAR - These Expert-Found Activities Will Show You the Kitschy, Authentic Side of Palm Springs
- Attitude - Jake Graf takes a trip to Palm Springs - Attitude
- Travel + Leisure - I’ve Lived in California for 50 Years—and This Is Its Best Desert City With 350 Days Of Sunshine and Old Hollywood Charm
- Vogue - The Best Restaurants in Palm Springs, According to Locals
- Los Angeles Times - 10 terrific things to do with kids around Palm Springs
- Body + Soul - The wellness lover's guide to Greater Palm Springs
- Le Télégramme - Southern California: An Art of Living
- Bold Outline - Iconic Stays: Evoking Mid-century Modernism in Greater Palm Springs
- Fine Dining Lovers - When Tennis Comes to the Table at Indian Wells
- Rock N Roll Bride - Hidden gems of Palm Springs
Click on an image below to view larger:
January–February Media Hosting
Media engagement during January and February was active and aligned with key destination events and media opportunities.
The Communications team supported media hosting tied to the Palm Springs International Film Festival, welcoming domestic and international journalists to experience Greater Palm Springs through film and culture. Additional hosting aligned with The American Express Golf Tournament leveraged a globally recognized event to support golf and lifestyle coverage. Modernism Week continued to drive architecture and design-focused media interest, with visiting media incorporating midcentury design, architecture tours, and cultural experiences into broader destination coverage.
Culinary storytelling included filming of the Vice Munchies Guide to Greater Palm Springs, hosted by Chef Susan Feniger, with production taking place across multiple locations throughout the destination—from a working date farm to chef-driven kitchens, local hot spots, and hot springs experiences. The episode is targeted to launch in alignment with Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week.
ABOVE: A behind-the-scenes look at Chef Susan Feniger and owner of La Quinta's Chula Artisan Eatery Katherine Gonzalez on production for the Vice Munchies Guide to Greater Palm Springs series.
Media visits during this period included Nova 100 Radio Show (Australia), Visit California Global Influencer Advisory Board (International), MSN.com, Eating Well, CTV Canada, and ROAM (Australia).
ABOVE: Attendees of the Visit California Global Influencer Advisory Board FAM made visits to The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens and Superbloom.
These visits reflect a mix of domestic and international media, supporting coverage across travel, lifestyle, and broadcast platforms while building long-lead story development.
Strategic Initiatives & Market Engagement
Visit Greater Palm Springs supported visibility across key domestic and international markets through targeted media engagement and industry activations.
Efforts included participation in a New York City media blitz in partnership with Visit California, with editorial meetings, TravMedia Summit, and IMM NYC supporting media engagement and long-lead story development.
Separately, Greater Palm Springs was showcased at a James Beard Foundation Dinner at Platform by JBF in New York City, developed in partnership with Palm Desert Food & Wine. The dinner highlighted the destination’s culinary talent and agricultural influence. Participating chefs included Juan Morales (Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage), Andrew Cooper (La Quinta Resort & Club), Pedro Baroso (Parker Palm Springs), and Jose Lopez (Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa).
ABOVE: Participating chefs of this year's James Beard Foundation Dinner included Jose Lopez (Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa), Pedro Baroso (Parker Palm Springs), Juan Morales (Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage), Andrew Cooper (La Quinta Resort & Club), and Sergio Gazca, Executive Sous Chef (La Quinta Resort & Club).
The team also participated in Visit California’s Mexico Media Mission, supporting engagement in a key international market.
Industry engagement included attendance at the Destinations International Marketing & Communications Summit.
ABOVE: VGPS Director of Communications Joyce Kiehl on a panel discussion at the Destinations International Marketing & Communications Summit.
Additional efforts included international activations in Australia through Travel EX campaigns and Travel Associates engagement, along with in-market content production supporting Restaurant Week and ongoing culinary storytelling.
Looking Ahead
Planning continues for a strong Q2, with a focus on high-impact media engagement, international market visibility, and strategic alignment across destination priorities including leisure, meetings, economic development, workforce, and sustainability.
Upcoming priorities include:
- Meet the Mentors program, continuing to support emerging voices and inclusive storytelling.
- Visit California Washington, DC Media Dinner and Los Angeles Media Reception, strengthening relationships in key domestic markets.
- Restaurant Week Media FAM, driving culinary storytelling and seasonal visitation.
- French and UK Media FAMs, supporting international editorial development and long-lead coverage.
- Meetings-focused media engagement and thought leadership, aligned with sales priorities and group business development.
- Integration of economic development messaging, highlighting Greater Palm Springs as a place to live, work, and invest.
- Continued emphasis on workforce and community storytelling, including partner collaboration and industry visibility.
- Ongoing sustainability and accessibility positioning, reinforcing Greater Palm Springs as a Certified Autism Destination and responsible travel leader.
- Ongoing media hosting and editorial development tied to spring, summer, and shoulder-season travel.
