INDUSTRY INSIDER

June 2018

Partner Events
News
Partner Opportunities
Promote & Share
Partner Kudos
Featured Partners
Resources

Hello, Visit Albuquerque Partners

It’s June, and the summer heat is officially here! Along with the sunshine has come a multitude of exciting news and events for our vibrant city.

We are thrilled to report that Albuquerque was recently named 3^rd Best Small City on the list of America’s 50 best small cities s by Resonance Consultancy, a British Columbia-based tourism and economic development consultant. Not surprisingly, our best score on the scale was in our strong cultural assets, which we know sets us apart from other cities around the nation. This is a list we were previously noted in the Honorable Mention category just a few years ago so it is awesome to see the city’s progress gaining attention.

I encourage you to get out and be a visitor in your own city this summer. There is so much to see and do – and lots of brand new experiences this year. Civic Plaza is alive with culture, food, fun and entertainment this summer. From the splash park to the playground, to exciting weekly and daily events like Shakespeare on the Plaza and the esteemed Prado on the Plaza exhibit, you’re sure to find plenty of summer entertainment downtown.

Beyond Civic Plaza, this summer’s events calendar showcases Albuquerque’s lively diversity more than ever before. Be sure to take advantage of all the entertainment including live outdoor music, Isotopes Baseball, cultural performances like Flamenco Tablao and Native American dances at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and world-renowned museum exhibits including Da Vinci, The Genius and the interactive exhibit XYZT: Abstract Landscapes at Artechouse.

Even with all the summer fun surrounding us, it’s been another successful and busy month at Visit Albuquerque. Our team participated in IPW 2018 in Denver, participated in Year-out celebration of the National Senior Games coming to Albuquerque in 2019, attended the Public Relations Society of America’s annual Travel and Tourism Conference, and met and mingled with our partners at the Summer Fun on the Patio event.

As always, we look forward to seeing and working with you, our partners, in the coming weeks and months with the shared mission of driving increased visitation to Albuquerque.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

Tania Armenta
President & CEO

Partner Events

ACE

New to Albuquerque or the hospitality industry? Maybe you are simply looking to enhance your customer service. If so, join our ACE class! ACE is a three-hour course that explores things to do and see in the Albuquerque area as well as do's and don'ts of customer service. Cost is $25 per student. Contact 505-222-4338 or email PartnerEvents@VisitABQ.org to register. The next ACE opportunity is:

Monday, July 16, 2018
Excel Staffing Companies
2100 Osuna Rd N.E. Suite 100
Registration Begins: 11:45 am/Class Begins: 12:00 pm
Note: Lunch is not provided

PARTNER ORIENTATION

Whether you are new to Visit Albuquerque or a long-time partner, we encourage you to take advantage of this FREE Orientation. You will meet the staff of the Development Department who will review your partner benefits and provide you with valuable information on how we can work together to promote your business or organization to the leisure traveler, convention attendees and local ABQ residents. You must register in advance as space is limited. Please call 505-222-4307 or email PartnerEvents@VisitABQ.org.

Thursday, July 19, 2018
Visit Albuquerque Offices
20 First Plaza Galeria, N.W.
Ste. 601
9:30 - 11:00 am

Visit Albuquerque Annual Luncheon

Save the date for this year's Annual Luncheon! Come celebrate the industry's progress and hear from key leaders about future developments. Watch the mail for more information coming soon. We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, August 28th
11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Location TBD

News

Visit Albuquerque at IPW 2018

Visit Albuquerque, along with the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, attended U.S. Travel Association’s IPW trade show from May 21-23, in Denver. IPW is a national showcase of America, where U.S. travel exhibitors connect with travel buyers and media from more than 70 countries to promote their product, negotiate future business and build relationships. Visit Albuquerque and the Hispano Chamber of Commerce booked more than 70 appointments, and the Visit ABQ PR Team met with more than 20 domestic and international members of the media. We are looking forward to welcoming these visitors in the months to come!

NSG Year Out Celebration recap

Hundreds gathered at Civic Plaza on June 13 to take part in the Year Out Celebration of the 2019 National Senior Games, where more than 10,000 senior athletes—along with their families and friends—will visit Albuquerque from June 14-25, 2019. Attendees listened to remarks from Mayor Tim Keller and Marc T. Riker, Chief Executive Officer of the National Senior Games Association, as well as officials from the City of Albuquerque, NSGA and the New Mexico Senior Olympics. The celebration included a variety of events, from playing pickleball with the Mayor to an intergenerational walk, and served to engage citizens across the state to be part of the Games, where everyone can be involved as an athlete, volunteer, or spectator.

PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference Recap

Visit Albuquerque’s Public Relations team headed to New Orleans earlier this month to attend the 2018 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Travel & Tourism Conference. As the only event designed by travel communicators for travel communicators, this conference covers a wide array of useful topics that serve to benefit Visit Albuquerque and our partners. Highlights of the conference included a Luncheon Keynote delivered by Dan Harris, ABC News anchor and No.1 New York Times best-selling author, and the first-ever Family Feud-inspired “Travel Trends Showdown.” We look forward to putting all of our learnings into action!

Visit Albuquerque’s Summer Fun on the Patio Recap

Thanks to our partners that joined us for our Summer Fun on the Patio event held at Sandia Resort & Casino last week! The event focused on celebrating the upcoming New Mexico Senior Olympics Summer Games taking place in Albuquerque July 18-22 (which is a qualifying event for the 2019 National Senior Games also being held in Albuquerque). In the spirit of these two events, the event featured Olympic-style games, as well as yummy food and drink provided by Sandia Golf Club and door prizes generously provided by our partners. We hope to see you at the next event!

Refreshed VisitABQ.org Website Performance

Visit Albuquerque is pleased to share some improvements to website performance following the launch of the new website in December 2017. After launch and the initial site indexing period, Visit Albuquerque has seen consistent monthly year-over-year increases to organic traffic. Bounce rate since launch has improved and average time on page as increased as well, suggesting improved visitor experience and engagement. Goal completions measured in Google Analytics have also increased since site launch. This includes increases to eNewsletter sign-ups, partner referrals, events calendar searches, and Trip Builder interactions.

Civic Plaza’s Prado on the Plaza Exhibit

Date: June 1 - Aug. 31, 2018
Location: Civic Plaza
Cost: Free

"Prado on the Plaza brings Prado to the people," said Mayor Tim Keller. "This outdoor exhibition will give visitors the chance to see fine art in a casual setting with Albuquerque's cityscape as a backdrop.”

Albuquerque is this exhibit's second stop in the United States. The Prado in Santa Fe drew more than 150,000 visitors and was listed as one of “The best museum exhibits in the U.S. this spring” in 2017 by USA Today.

The Prado Museum opened in 1819 and is Spain's main national art museum. It is widely considered to have one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century.

Civic Plaza Updates

If you haven’t been to Civic Plaza in a while, now is the time to visit! The Plaza has undergone an extensive redesign, unveiling a new, interactive water fountain with LED lighting, new playground and inviting leisure spaces, as well as amphitheater-style seating, large projection screen and an improved sound system. The Plaza has become a popular gathering spot for locals and visitors thanks to the variety of events they have going on throughout the summer, including a new Wednesday Lunch Market, ABQ Food Fridays, Movies on the Plaza, Shakespeare on the Plaza, and Summer of Soccer events. Choose the events that appeal to you, or experience them all!

Partner Opportunities

Send Us Your Balloon Fiesta Packages & Deals

Packages and deals created around an event or a season are a great way to encourage visitors to your business, and we are currently looking for Balloon Fiesta/Fall packages and deals to include in our upcoming promotional efforts.

Submit a package or a coupon to have your offer promoted on our webpage, which is highly ranked on search engines and receives an average of 140,000 unique visitors per month.

New Mexico Senior Olympics Needs Your Help!

New Mexico Senior Olympics (NMSO) features over 107 events in 28 different sports promoting physical fitness for adults 50+ statewide: provide year-round opportunities and motivation to participate in local, state and national games. NMSO will bring more than 1,200 adults to various venues throughout Albuquerque from July 18-22. If you are interested in participating or want to qualify for the 2019 National Senior Games visit http://nmseniorolympics.org/news/2018-state-summer-games/. NMSO is also seeking volunteers to help make the state games a success! No experience is needed. Shifts are available for the morning, afternoon and for the full day. Visit https://18nmstatesummergamesvols.my-trs.com to sign up today!

Stock Up on Official Albuquerque Visitors Guides in Time for Summer Travelers!

Here they come! The peak visitor season is upon us. Are you ready for them? Check your Visitors Guide inventory and let us know if you would like to pick up a fresh supply. We just ask that you call ahead. Contact Novella at 222-4307 or partnerservices@visitabq.org.

Get Involved in SOMOS ABQ 2018

Applications are currently being accepted for artists, vendors, volunteers (and so much more) for SOMOS ABQ 2018. Visit the SOMOS ABQ website to apply; applications are due TODAY. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this year's community celebration!

SEND ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING “TALK-WORTHY"

As we at Visit Albuquerque approach the close of our fiscal year, we are busy developing our marketing plans for the next. And we need your assistance. Please don’t assume we already know about your upcoming new developments, celebrations or milestones.

We love talking about you! Give us something to talk about!

Do you have an upcoming anniversary? Did you just remodel? New name? New tour? New feature? New concept? New specialty dish? Have you moved, or about to? Grand opening? Send anything and everything to media@visitabq.org.

Promote & Share

ABQ in the News

» Forbes: Ricardo Caté Offers Political Cartoons Without Reservations At The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

» Red Tricycle: 11 Reasons a Family Vacation Can Change Your Child’s Life

» 10Best: 10 must-see stops on the Turquoise Trail

» USA Today: A doughnut shop in each state

» Reader’s Digest: 22 Mini Family Vacations That Won’t Break the Bank

Kudos

ARTECHOUSE Opens in Sawmill District

New Visit Albuquerque partner ARTECHOUSE is making waves in the Sawmill District for its new XYZT: Abstract Landscapes exhibit. This traveling exhibit will be here through Oct. 21 and serves part of ARTECHOUSE’s goal to demonstrate the unique relationship between art and technology. Be sure to go check out the exhibit for yourself and keep ARTECHOUSE on your radar for new and upcoming exhibits in the future which will be sure to inspire, educate and empower the creation of new art through exploratory art forms.

Rio Bravo Brewery Exports to Mexico

Congratulations to Rio Bravo Brewery for taking their beer to the next level—Exporting to Mexico!

Randy and Denise Baker, owners of Albuquerque-based Rio Bravo Brewing Co., are working to export their local beer to Mexico, a project underway for nearly a year and a half. "Typically, trends that happen in the U.S. usually happen in Mexico about five to eight years after they hit here," said Randy Trask, president of the New Mexico Trade Alliance. "For the first time, Mexico is really interested in craft beer." Primary markets for the exported beer are Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico.

"This June, we're hoping to finalize our first order and make the first export," Denise Baker told Business First.

Treasure House Books & Gifts Named Best in the World

Join us in congratulating partner, Treasure House Books & Gifts on being touted as one of the best independent bookstores in the world and one of only 62 bookstores to receive this honor from voters with Atlas Obscura. Read the full article here.

Featured Partners

Groundstone ABQ

Groundstone ABQ
5001 San Mateo Blvd. N.E.
http://groundstoneabq.com/

Enjoy mouthwatering artisanal burgers, delicious hand tossed pizzas, exquisite gourmet salads, and local microbrews on tap. Groundstone features 100% grass-fed beef and Akaushi beef, both known for their tenderness and extraordinary health benefits. Groundstone is also proud to use locally sourced products, including New Mexico Chile and Fano artisanal breads.

Jemez Hot Springs

040 Abousleman Loop
www.JemezHotSprings.com

While the Santa Fe National Forest is closed due to a lack of rain, Jemez Hot Springs OPEN and is the perfect alternative for the public needing to get their Nature Fix! Half and All Day Passes are ON SALE during the forest closure. Offering Picnic Lunches on weekends!

Elaine’s

3503 Central Ave. N.E
www.elainesnobhill.com

July dinner will feature a 4-course meal paired to perfection with light, crisp, Austrian wines. Excellent for Summer.

We invite you to join us for a fun evening and an extraordinary meal, in good company!

Mark your Calendars:
Thursday, July 19th, 6:30 PM
$70/Person
Reservations (505) 433-4782 or opentable.com/Elaines

GAIA's membership drive

The Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers Association (GAIA) is an organization that advocates for and provides education to the local lodging community and its related businesses. There are monthly meetings with networking and educational programs for members. The organization sponsors several community events to foster the spirit of community and to raise funds for higher education scholarships for NM students seeking a career in the hospitality industry.

Please visit www.abqinnkeepers.com for more information. If you are interested in meeting members of GAIA on July 19 there will be a reception and membership program. Please contact Rebecca Plutino @ 505-217-1607 or gm@riograndeinn.com to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, and for an invitation to this special event.

Resources

President’s Report

May Assisted & Generated Bookings

June Leisure eNewsletter