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HELLO, VISIT ALBUQUERQUE PARTNERS,

As the last leaves change color along the bosque, it is time to look forward to the holidays. For me, one of the highlights of the season is getting together with our Partners at the annual Visit Albuquerque Holiday Party. This year’s event is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Embassy Suites by Hilton. There is a link below to RSVP. We’re looking forward to seeing you all there to celebrate the holidays, the new year ahead and each other!

We are eager to start 2023 strong, and remind and invite all of you, our Partners, to get involved and take advantage of all that we have to offer. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or needs. 

In this edition of Industry Insider, you’ll find the latest trade shows Visit Albuquerque has attended and the latest on Visit Albuquerque’s new marketing efforts made possible by the incremental funding from the Albuquerque Tourism Marketing District.

Thank you for being a Visit Albuquerque Partner.

Tania Armenta 
President & CEO
Visit Albuquerque
 

News

Register Today for the Visit Albuquerque Holiday Party

Visit Albuquerque’s Holiday Party is a little earlier than usual this year. We’ll be kicking off the holiday season on Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton. There will be hors d’oeuvres, drinks and lots of fun as we celebrate the end of the year and the strong work of 2022 with all of our Partners. There is no charge to attend the party, but we will be collecting donations at the door to assist members of our community who are in need. Please bring nonperishable food items to donate to Roadrunner Food Bank or items of children’s clothing to donate to Cuidando Los Niños. Reserve your spot now!

Visit Albuquerque 2022 Holiday Party

New Visit Albuquerque Ads Debut at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

If you are traveling through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport over the next nine months, be sure to look for Visit Albuquerque’s advertisements throughout Terminal 4, which is where the gates for Southwest Airlines and American Airlines are located. Our ads are displayed on monitors in the baggage claim area with the message “Bags may look alike. Vacations shouldn’t.”

Phoenix Sky Harbor Baggage Claim Ad

In addition, four window wraps that promote travel to Albuquerque are located along the moving walkways in the Terminal 4 concourses. The window wraps feature oversized photos that showcase some of the outdoor recreation opportunities, cultural experiences and unique attractions that can only be found in Albuquerque. One of the photos, a stunning panoramic image of hot air balloons floating over the Rio Grande, was taken by Allen Morrison, owner of Land of Enchantment Photography Art Gallery in Old Town, a Partner of Visit Albuquerque. See all the designs here.

Phoenix Sky Harbor is one of the Top 10 busiest airports in the country, and our ads there will deliver an estimated 117 million impressions. The ads, which were made possible with additional marketing funds generated by overnight stays at lodging properties in the Albuquerque Tourism Marketing District, will be on display through July 2023. Among the travelers seeing the ads will be fans flying to Phoenix for the 2023 Super Bowl, which will take place in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, 2023, and is expected to draw a crowd of more than 70,000.

Visit Albuquerque Sports Commission Attends TEAMS Conference & Expo

Vice President of Sales, Services and Sports Scott Craighead, Director of Sports Development Angie Jepsen and Sports Development Manager Angela Gandy attended the TEAMS Conference & Expo in Oklahoma City Oct. 24-27. They conducted 33 one-on-one appointments with sports events rights holders that could potentially bring sporting events to Albuquerque. 

Additionally, they participated in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic SportsLink. The USOPC SportsLink is an opportunity for the National Governing Bodies that make up the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements to conduct education sessions, share best practices and network with destinations and venues that want to host sport-related events. SportsLink also provides Olympic athletes the opportunity to share their stories and the impact that sports travel has had on their careers.

Teams 2022

Upcoming Meetings and Sports Events

In January 2023, more than 2,700 people will participate in meetings and sports events booked by Visit Albuquerque. These events will generate an estimated $1.15 million in direct spend and include:

Dates

Group Name

Est. Attendance

Meeting Location

Est. Direct Spending

Jan. 6-9

Phi Alpha Theta

Annual Meeting

90

The Clyde Hotel

$89,265

Jan. 21

UNM Track & Field

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Indoor Track Invitational

960

Albuquerque Convention Center

$210,602

Jan. 24-27

CREW Network

Winter Leadership Summit

325

The Clyde Hotel

$308,537

Jan. 25-27

National Tooling & Machining Association

Chapter Leadership Meeting

57

Hotel Andaluz

$53,779

Jan. 27-28

Federal Aviation Administration

Refresher Course

150

Sheraton Uptown Albuquerque

$118,284

Jan. 27-28

UNM Track & Field

Team Open

1,120

Albuquerque Convention Center

$372,696

Additionally, the New Mexico Bowl will be taking place Dec. 17 at University Stadium. The two participating teams will be announced in early December.

Please help welcome these visitors and groups to Albuquerque!

New Mexico Tourism Bounces Back to Record Growth in 2021

New Mexico tourism came surging back in 2021. According to the New Mexico Tourism Department’s annual economic impact study, the state welcomed a record 39 million visitors in 2021, who generated an estimated $7.2 billion in direct spending. Of that total, visitors to the state spent $2.3 billion on lodging, $1.7 billion on food and beverages, and $1.3 billion on retail. The report shows a near complete recovery for all major subsectors.

Walking around Downtown Albuquerque

MARKETING TIPS AND TRICKS

 
Use Your Social SEO to Get Seen on Social Media

If you're hoping for new potential customers to discover your business on social media, it’s time to make sure your social SEO is helping your posts be seen! Read up on how to maximize your social SEO and learn what it means to help grow your business accounts.

Market Your Business Effectively This Winter

Winter is fast approaching, and it’s time to change up your marketing strategy to best target customers during the cold months. Capitalize on winter travel plans and bring in new patrons, all by sprucing up your marketing.

Partner Opportunities

 
Submit Your Current Coupons 

Coupons can be a great way to drive traffic to your business. If you have a current coupon or special running, please submit it to us so we can list it on our highly visited and shared Specials & Coupons page. We also promote these specials and coupons during special events, meetings and conventions being hosted in Albuquerque.

Click here to submit your current coupons and specials. 

Submit Your Events to the ABQ365 Events Calendar 

Visit Albuquerque’s ABQ365 Events Calendar offers a great opportunity to promote your events! The one-stop, all-ABQ encompassing calendar features primarily arts, entertainment and culture-focused events, appealing to both locals and visitors. 

Event listings offer a great opportunity for additional exposure and promotion, and can help keep your business top-of-mind – for free! 

Click here to get started.

Tell Us What’s New

We want to help you share your new initiatives. If you are offering a new type of service or concept, a new product, or have anything else exciting or new going on, we want to hear about it! Send anything and everything to Media@VisitABQ.org

Promote & Share 

 

Partner Kudos

 
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Named One of Top Train Rides for Fall Foliage

Travel + Leisure recognized the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad as one of the top 12 train rides to view fall foliage in the country. Congratulations!

Vote for the River of Lights for the Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights

Vote for the River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. In the running for best botanical garden holiday lights, you can vote once a day until Dec. 5.

Visit Albuquerque Partners Are Recognized at TopHAT Awards

Congratulations to the Visit Albuquerque Partners who won TopHAT Awards from the New Mexico Hospitality Association. Winners include:

Additionally, Visit Albuquerque won Outstanding Event with the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for the 2022 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships and Most Innovative Campaign with TOURISM Santa Fe for the Albuquerque & Santa Fe: Two One-of-a-Kind Destinations campaign.

Long-Time Downtown Business Owner To Retire

Roy Sumner Johnson, owner of Sumner & Dene Gallery, is set to retire at the end of this year. He has been in the art business for 43 years, and has been a key collaborator and leader in the Downtown business community. Roy served on the Visit Albuquerque Board of Directors and served as the founding executive director of ¡Magnifico! Albuquerque Festival of the Arts. During his tenure with the Albuquerque Art Business Association, he founded the Local Treasures program to honor artists in the city and spearheaded the Albuquerque Art Showcase. We appreciate all he has done for Visit Albuquerque and the community. Congratulations on retirement!

Featured Partners

Winston Foto

Winston Foto is a full-service, mobile photography studio serving Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We provide a range of photography services including portraits, events, pet photography, product images, real estate, fashion, environmental, commercial, and copy art. Consider us for your next project!

Winston Foto Logo

Unbelievable Pass

Calling local breweries, entertainment and restaurant businesses to participate in a digital passport program developed to help local businesses with no cost to participate. The Unbelievable Pass will be the premier deals pass for Albuquerque and the perfect cure for cabin fever.

Email support@unbelievablepass.com for more information.

Unbelievable Pass Logo

New & Renewing Partners 

 
Thanks To Our New And Renewing Partners  

Visit Albuquerque’s Partners help support our mission to market the city as a top-choice destination for leisure travel, meetings and sporting events. Our thanks to the following Partners that recently joined or renewed their partnership with Visit Albuquerque. We appreciate your commitment to making Albuquerque a great place to live and to visit!

New Partners

Renewing Partners