Communications & Film

2022 Overview
In 2022 we experienced the solid return of travel media interest both in the US and Canada. The PR/Communications team worked with media to draw attention to VGPS partner sustainability and accessibility efforts and bring attention to indigenous culture and diversity. With international travel open and our agencies back on board, we hosted media from the UK, Australia, Germany, France, and Japan. In total, 121 media were hosted in 2022. The PR/Communications team surpassed its media goals for the year, achieving a PR quality score of more than 6,600 with 1067 pieces of earned media content. For film, we leveraged "Don’t Worry Darling," with events in both London and Sydney.

November / December 2022
In November and December, the PR/Communications team logged 132 media touchpoints, initiated 29 targeted pitches, and supported 28 media in the market. Story support for the reporting period was provided to outlets including Smart Meetings, Modern Luxury Palm Springs, National Geographic Traveller, Meetings Today, Sun Herald, Matador Network, New York Times, Los Angeles Times,  The Times (UK), Sunset, Love Exploring, The Australian, and Luxury Travel.

In-person and virtual meetings resulted in key coverage, including placement in the New York Times with an article titled “52 Places to Visit in 2023.”

Despite dealing with rainy weather, the team hosted a well-received annual photography FAM in November. Six photojournalists joined from across the US. The team hosted media for the relaunch of the LAX American Airlines flight from Sydney and the United Airlines flight from Melbourne. We also teamed with Flair Airlines to host influencer group Golf & Tacos to promote flights to PSP from Canada. 

The team also ventured out of market to attend the Visit California Pacific Northwest Media Mission held in Seattle. This 24-hour immersion/bootcamp event allowed one-on-one meetings with 20 media. Also, in November the team attended the Visit California UK Media Mission, meeting with media in a retreat setting in Windsor and media gatherings in London. 

The team attended the Michelin Guide California 2022 Revelation Event in Los Angeles, where Greater Palm Springs was announced as the latest addition to the California Michelin Guide.

Other projects for the PR/Communications team included participation in the Society of American Travel Writers’ DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion) Committee, Visit California PR Committee, Visit California Rural Region Committee, Destinations International Communications Taskforce and US Travel Association Communications Committee.

January 2023 & Looking Ahead
In January, Todd Burke joined the team as Vice President of Communications, bringing his expertise to help support public relations and communications efforts. He will also lead communications for the organization’s corporate initiatives, which include workforce development, education, sustainability, and DEI.

Moving forward, the PR/Communications team will be leveraging upcoming signature events and collaborations to garner destination media coverage, such as partnering with Desert X to host media in market for the biennial’s preview day. Focusing on Canada, the team will host key outlets including Globe & Mail and attend the Visit California Canada Mission in Toronto. End of February, the team will host a German media FAM in partnership with Visit San Diego. Additionally, our Globe-Trotter brand collaboration will officially be unveiled in February at an in-market media event. Subsequent activations are being planned in London, Tokyo, and West Hollywood storefronts. The spring will bring a UK/Ireland media FAM into the destination. In addition, our Health and Wellness and Arts & Culture pillars will be a focus for the first part of the year, and the team is planning media events in key drive and fly markets.

Below are dashboards showing our year-to-date total PR Quality Score and article stats. The PR Quality Score measures content coverage on a point system based on story type, media tier, visuals, and coverage placement. Scores for earned media range from a low of 2 points to a high of 10 points

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