June–August 2026
During the June through August reporting period, the Communications team advanced Visit Greater Palm Springs' national and international visibility while completing a significant agency transition, welcoming FINN Partners as the destination's new domestic public relations agency of record.
Alongside continued media hosting, signature wellness programming, and international market engagement, the team hosted or welcomed 34 media and content creators, represented Greater Palm Springs at industry events across North America and abroad, supported the close of Restaurant Week and Splash House, and helped drive a wave of earned media coverage tied to Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday — including a feature in The New York Times and national morning-show coverage in Australia.
Working alongside Visit Greater Palm Springs' domestic and international PR agencies, the VGPS Comms-PR team:
- Completed the transition to FINN Partners as domestic public relations agency of record, which will also support Economic Development with PR communications
- Supported the close of Restaurant Week and Splash House, two of the destination's signature summer events
- Represented Greater Palm Springs internationally as an official sponsor of the 1000 Miglia in Italy, meeting with event leadership to explore a future sanctioned event in the destination
- Hosted media dinners in Toronto and Vancouver to strengthen relationships with Canadian travel media
- Produced the Spa Month Media FAM and Spa Month Kick-Off event, positioning Greater Palm Springs for August's wellness season
- Hosted 15 media and content creators from Japan, Australia, Denmark, and the U.S. through individual visits and FAMs, and welcomed 19 additional local and regional media at the Spa Month Kick-Off media reception
- Participated in the PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference, the Destinations International Annual Convention, and the Visit California Communications Committee Meeting
- Helped drive the Marilyn Monroe 100th birthday media wave, including national coverage in The New York Times and Australian broadcast media
June–August Media Hosting
June opened with the close of Restaurant Week (running through June 7) and continued support for Splash House, two of the destination's signature summer events. The month also brought a wave of national and international coverage tied to Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday, including a New York Times feature pitched by outgoing agency MMGY and national morning-show coverage on Australia's Channel Nine and Channel Seven, coordinated with Australia PR partner Gate7.
ABOVE: Restaurant Week on Eye in the Desert with Chef Katherine Gonzales of Chula Eatery.
ABOVE: UK Media FAM participating in Marilyn's 100th.
Beyond that coverage, June activity centered on international sport tourism and industry engagement. The team hosted broadcast and print media from Japan through Visit California's Japan Sport FAM, welcomed content creator Chelsie Hill and family, and supported coverage with Danish outlet Jyllands-Posten. Mid-month, the team participated in the PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference in Albuquerque and represented Greater Palm Springs at the 1000 Miglia in Italy as an official sponsor, engaging Italian business, travel, and lifestyle media and discussing a future sanctioned 1000 Miglia event in the destination. The month closed with media dinners in Toronto and Vancouver to reconnect with Canadian travel media, and a UK media event in London supported by the destination's international representation.
ABOVE: Japanese media playing tennis at Indian Wells Tennis Garden as part of a sports-focused FAM.
ABOVE: Media dinner in Toronto.
In July, the team hosted additional media, including Slate Magazine and LA Blade/Windy City Times, and represented Greater Palm Springs at the Destinations International Annual Convention in Portland.
ABOVE: Windy City Times coverage of LGBTQ+ travel in Greater Palm Springs.
August centered on wellness positioning ahead of the destination's Spa Month. The team produced the Spa Month Media FAM (August 4–6), a curated "Desert Reset" experience showcasing the region's wellness offerings to five visiting media and content creators, followed by the Spa Month Kick-Off event on August 25 at The Spa at Séc-he, which drew 19 additional local and regional media and content creators. The team also represented Greater Palm Springs at the Visit California Communications Committee Meeting in San Francisco (August 17–18) and began preparations for the California Travel Summit in Napa. Coverage secured during the month included an MSN.com feature via 2 Dads With Baggage and NBC Los Angeles' Spa Month feature, alongside strong local media coverage of Spa Month across Coachella Valley outlets.
ABOVE: GPS Spa Month kickoff at The Spa at Séc-he.
Agency Transition
A significant focus this period was completing the transition to FINN Partners as Visit Greater Palm Springs' new domestic public relations agency of record, following Board approval earlier this year. The team completed agency onboarding and began regular coordination calls to align on strategy and reporting. FINN will also support Economic Development with PR communications going forward.
Media Placement Highlights
Media coverage during the reporting period included the following, secured directly by the in-house team and in partnership with the destination's domestic and international PR agencies:
- The New York Times – Happy 100th Birthday, Marilyn Monroe (pitched by outgoing agency MMGY)
- Vanity Fair Italy – Mille Miglia dreams of Palm Springs' California
- Travel And Tour World – Palm Springs USA Solo Women Travel Surge Transforms Desert Wellness Tourism and Boutique Hotel Experience
- OK! Magazine – Inside the celebs' favourite airport in the world with palm trees and limo pick-ups
- Escape – See how celebs live on this extraordinary architecture tour of Palm Springs
- Men's Health – The Meathead's Guide to Palm Springs, California
- The New Zealand Herald – California with kids: Can you make it the ultimate family road trip?
- The Irish Sun – I helped set record in special tribute to Hollywood legend on trip to US hidden gem with 1880s-themed town & iconic park
- GEO Magazine (France) – Secret California: The Good Life Away from the Crowds
- NBC Los Angeles – September serene: Celebrate Greater Palm Springs Spa Month with relaxing deals
- Trends Travel China – broadcast video feature (formerly Nat Geo China)
- Otona Muse – video feature featuring Japanese singer Takanori Iwata (YouTube)
Looking Ahead
Planning continues for a strong fall season, with a focus on international market engagement, signature media preview events, and continued domestic and international media hosting, including:
- Game On: Greater Palm Springs, a proposed media preview event showcasing the destination's year-round sports calendar (pending final approvals, targeted for October)
- Visit California's Australia Media Mission to Sydney and Melbourne
- IMM Lux and IMEX America, both in Las Vegas, and the SATW Convention in Haywood County, North Carolina
- Visit California's Japan & South Korea Media Mission to Tokyo and Seoul
- The IGLTA Convention in Seville, Spain, and a France media event in Paris
- Content creator and media FAMs with France, Germany, the UK, and India
- Location scouting FAMs in the East and West Valley, in partnership with Location Managers Guild International, supporting Film Oasis initiatives
- A domestic agency immersion FAM with FINN Partners
- Visit California's Seattle and Vancouver market engagement
- Visit California Rural Region Committee Meeting in Sacramento (November), focused on the Tourism Marketing Grant
- Continued economic development, accessibility, and sustainability communications
Together, these efforts will continue to support media engagement, strengthen editorial relationships, and expand awareness of Greater Palm Springs across key domestic and international markets.
