Industry Insider

October 2020

News
Partner Opportunities
Promote & Share
Partner Kudos
Featured Partners
Resources

HELLO VISIT ALBUQUERQUE PARTNERS,

While there’s nothing that can replace the feeling of being on the ground at Balloon Fiesta Park and experiencing the wonder of hundreds of hot air balloons taking flight, we appreciated the creative ways the local ballooning community, event organizers and the City worked earlier this month to ensure we had a small taste of what this iconic week brings to our Albuquerque sky.

If you joined us for our Annual Meeting last month, we hope you enjoyed the program and found your time well spent. We are excited to welcome our new Board members to the Visit Albuquerque team, and continue to look for new and innovative ways to move forward during these challenging times.

As you’ll read in this issue of Industry Insider, we have successfully relaunched some of our out-of-state promotions, hosted a Virtual Fall Media Mission, and are continuously working to keep Albuquerque top of mind.

Thank you for being a Visit Albuquerque Partner.

Tania Armenta
President & CEO
Visit Albuquerque

News

Visit Albuquerque Hosts Annual Meeting

On Sept. 29, more than 175 guests tuned in for Visit Albuquerque’s Virtual Annual Meeting. During the meeting, the Visit Albuquerque team reviewed the impact COVID-19 has had on leisure travel, conventions, meetings and sporting events. They also discussed the organization’s strategies to position the city for recovery and presented forecasts for the recovery timeline.

In his remarks to the audience, Mayor Tim Keller discussed how the city can leverage its standing as one of the healthiest and most resilient U.S. cities to attract visitors and people who are interested in relocating. He cited the metro area’s abundant open space, access to outdoor recreation, healthy air quality and low susceptibility to natural disasters as marketing advantages as the destination competes for future conventions, group meetings and leisure travel.

Visit Albuquerque’s Board Chair Cainan Harris noted that there will be a wave of pent-up demand for travel in the future, and that competition to attract travelers will be strong among destinations nationwide. However, he expressed optimism that Albuquerque’s unique combination of arts, culture, history, events and outdoor recreation will make our city stand out from the crowd. Cainan Harris was re-elected as Visit Albuquerque’s Board Chair during the Sept. 30 Board Meeting.

Watch the Annual Meeting recording here.

Meet the New Members of Visit Albuquerque’s Board of Directors

During the Annual Meeting, Visit Albuquerque’s Partners elected a slate of nominees to fill five open positions on the Board of Directors. They are:

For the two Board positions in the Hospitality/Non-Accommodations category

William R. Stafford, co-owner of Sadie’s of New Mexico
Michael Canfield, President and CEO of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and Indian Pueblos Marketing (elected to a second term)

For one Board position in the Hospitality/Accommodations category

Deepesh Kholwadwala, President and CEO of Sun Capital Hotels

For two Board positions in the General Business category

Tom Garrity, President of the Garrity Group Public Relations
Christine Pauley, Director of Meetings and Conferences for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists

Learn more about our incoming Board members here.

Board officers for the coming year will be Cainan Harris, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, as chair; Heather Arnold, co-owner of Routes Bicycle Tours & Rentals, as chair-elect; and Adrian Montoya, general manager of Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, as secretary-treasurer.

Out-Of-State Promotions Relaunched

Visit Albuquerque recently relaunched out-of-state promotions in selected markets. These marketing efforts will emphasize ways the local hospitality industry is following safety protocols in their operations, and include highly targeted digital advertising, high-impact print advertising, enticing social media content, strong media and public relations and targeted monthly email messages. As public health orders and regulations are changing quickly, Visit Albuquerque’s marketing team is closely monitoring these advertising efforts and will make adjustments as needed.

Partner Media Opportunities

In an effort to provide opportunities for support during these trying times, the Visit Albuquerque media relations team is continuously working to proactively pitch our Partners for inclusion in national media coverage. The media team is currently seeing an uptick in media interest regarding the following topics:

Hotels offering remote work and school packages – Offering rooms as day-use offices with access to resort amenities such as pools
Private accommodations – Accommodations that go beyond a private room, such as a suite with access to a private hot tub or access to a casita
Access to rural activities
Elevated in-room dining experiences – New creative or over-the-top offerings developed in response to the pandemic
Holiday deals - Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Small Business Saturday

If you have a service or offering that may be a fit for one of the above media opportunities, please email Media@VisitABQ.org.

Visit Albuquerque Sales and Sports Teams Work to Bring Future Meetings and Events to the City

Oct. 19 through 22, the Albuquerque Sports Commission team virtually attended the TEAMS Conference and Expo, as well as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic SportsLink. These important sports industry events afforded the team the opportunity to meet face-to-face with nearly 50 sport event organizers and U.S. Olympic Committee organizations in a branded virtual booth. Event rights holders focused on how host cities can partner with their organizations to ensure successful bids.

Oct. 19 through 21, Visit Albuquerque attended Connect Marketplace in Orlando, Fla. The appointment-based industry conference brought together over 1,000 meeting planners and hospitality suppliers in one of the first large-scale events industry tradeshows to take place since March. The Marketplace highlighted the Safe & Clean Connect program that will serve as a model for other event organizers to meet safely and responsibly and to help kickstart the economy through the live events industry.

Visit Albuquerque Hosts Virtual Fall Media Mission

On Oct. 6 and 7, Visit Albuquerque hosted a Virtual Fall Media Mission that included one-on-one appointments with eight national travel writers. The goal of the mission was to further drive coverage in key markets while also keeping Albuquerque top of mind as drive-market travel resumes. Writers in attendance also received a gift package that included local items and goodies to create an authentic and interactive #TrueABQ experience.

City Announces Small Business Economic Relief Grant Program

The City of Albuquerque Economic Development Department recently announced new economic relief to local small businesses and locally owned franchisees through a $10 million Small Business Economic Relief Grant Program. In this next round of support from the City to businesses impacted by the current public health emergency, one-time grants up to $10,000 will be available to small businesses and locally owned franchisees within city limits. Learn more here.

Partner Opportunities

Advertise in the Official Albuquerque Visitors Guide

The Official Albuquerque Visitors Guide is designed to inspire people who are planning to visit our beautiful city as well as those who have already made the trip and are looking for ideas about where to eat, shop and spend their time while they are here. The new edition of the guide, which will be distributed in March 2021, will focus on what travelers desire now: outdoor recreation, a city-wide commitment to welcoming guests safely and responsibly, and the opportunity to visit an exciting destination that offers distinctive art, culture, cuisine and history.

The guides are distributed through mail to those who request a copy, as well as at local businesses and Visitor Information Centers. An interactive digital version of the guide also is posted on the Visit Albuquerque website.

Being included in the Visitors Guide increases your exposure to the millions of visitors who travel to Albuquerque annually! If you are interested in advertising in this publication, contact Mary Brown, 505-222-4310 or brown@visitabq.org.

A recent survey conducted by Destination Analysts confirmed that:

Almost 89% of potential visitors who received an Official Albuquerque Visitors Guide said it helped them make the decision to travel to Albuquerque!
Nearly 67% said that they increased their stay 1.3 days after receiving the Visitors Guide!

Return Your Visitors Guide Listing Update Forms

Partners in most business categories receive a free listing in the Visitors Guide as a benefit of partnership. Listing update forms for the Visitors Guide were recently mailed to partners that qualify. Be sure to follow the instructions and return your form with any updates by the Nov. 9 deadline! Please contact Janice Pomeroy at pomeroy@visitabq.org if you have any questions or need another copy of your form.

Update Your Business Listing with Reopening Information

One of your key benefits as a Partner of Visit Albuquerque is your business listing on our website. Travelers and residents alike count on our website for information about where to eat, shop, play and stay in Albuquerque.

As businesses begin to reopen, many of you are making changes to your business hours, operations, products, services and amenities. Make sure your customers, clients and guests know about these changes by updating your business listing on VisitABQ.org. It only takes three easy steps!

Use the link below to submit your updates.

You'll receive a verification email with a link to complete the form.
Complete the relevant fields to reflect your current business operations.
By providing this information, you’ll help ensure that your business shows up in search results when people are looking for specific types of amenities. You can continue to use this same form to provide updates as your business operations change over time.

If you have any questions, please contact us at listings@visitabq.org.

Complete the Form Now

Attention Hotels: Update Your Property’s TripAdvisor Listing with your Current Opening Information

A new filter allows Tripadvisor users to sort lodging properties in order to view only those that are taking additional safety precautions related to COVID-19. This means it is important for your property to update its Tripadvisor listing as soon as possible. Access the safety checklist in your Tripadvisor Management Center and select which safety measures you have in place, such as mandatory face masks, additional sanitation procedures and social distancing policies. You also can submit a text description of the steps you are taking to protect customers.

www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/w6853

Send Us Your COVID-Safe Images

We’re looking for images of COVID-safe practices in Albuquerque. Help us promote your business and Albuquerque in this new era by uploading your images of employees and customers wearing masks, socially distancing and participating in other COVID-safe practices. We might use your photo on social media, on our website or in other marketing materials to promote our city and our Partners. It’s easy to share your image; just click this link and drag and drop your images in our public uploader.

Click here to upload your image(s) now.

Submit Your Virtual and COVID-Safe Events to the ABQ365 Events Calendar

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

Virtual 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, and be sure to select the virtual events tag on the submission form.

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 Specials & Coupons page.

Click here to submit your current coupons and specials.

Tell Us What’s New

We know things are different right now. 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

ABQ in the News

Local

Visit Albuquerque Looks to the Future - Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico Counties to Get Rural Economy Boost, Albuquerque Applies for $25M Grant - Albuquerque Business First

ABQ Museum, Visitors Center Reopen - KOAT

National

The Best Family Vacation Spots in the U.S. - Condé Nast Traveler

Get a Room: Re-Imagined Motor Lodges That Partner Well With U.S. Road Trips - Austin360

The Best of New Mexico - Fodor's Travel

The 11 Best Bike Paths to Explore U.S. Cities - Travel & Leisure

Top 20 Hotels in the Southwest and West - Condé Nast Traveler's Readers’ Choice Awards 2020

Get a Room: Re-Imagined Motor Lodges That Partner Well With U.S. Road Trips - Austin360

Partner Kudos

Two Visit Albuquerque Partners Chosen As Diverse Business Leadership Honorees

Congratulations to Theresa Carson, president and CEO of the African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and Rodney Prunty, president and CEO of United Way of Central New Mexico, for being chosen as Diverse Business Leadership Honorees by Albuquerque Business First. The award shines a spotlight on leading organizations and executives who strive to bolster equality across all areas of diversity, including age, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, race and religion. Read the article here.

Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm Named a Top 20 Hotel in the Southwest and West

Congratulations to Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm for being named one of the Top 20 Hotels in The Southwest and West as part of Condé Nast Traveler's Readers’ Choice Awards 2020. Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm ranked #13 and received a score of 97.25.

Congratulations to Partners Who Have Completed the NM Safe Certified Program

More than 100 Visit Albuquerque Partners have earned certification through the NM Safe Certified program, which verifies that their management team has been trained in COVID-Safe Practices. Check out all the businesses statewide that have earned the certification so far at nmsafecertified.org, and click here to start earning your certification today.

Featured Partners

New Mexico Magazine Special Subscription Rate

Bask in DIY ristra-making, recipes from local chefs, and a deep-dive into White Sands. We’ve been celebrating New Mexico since 1923 and haven’t stopped yet! Each month, our award-winning writers and photographers share the heartbeat of New Mexico, inspiring readers to taste, explore, and delight in the Land of Enchantment.

We’re offering Visit Albuquerque members a special rate to our one-year subscription. Use promo code IGAJ15 (that’s an “I” as in “incredible”) for a $15 deal, 70% off the cover price.

And, if you’re looking for a holiday gift, our 2021 calendars will charm artists and photography lovers alike. Supplies are limited, buy yours today!

Discovery Map of Albuquerque

MAKE SURE YOU’RE READY FOR THE 2021 BOUNCE-BACK TOURIST SEASON

Put your business on the Discovery Map of Albuquerque and bring visitors to your door.

Visit Albuquerque Partners get a 10% discount!
An additional 10% Early Bird discount is available, which means Partners can get 20% off!
Monthly payment option also available.
300,000 printed maps distributed at over 350 locations year-round, including Visit Albuquerque offices, welcome centers, Albuquerque Airport, car rental offices, hotels, motels and RV parks.
25,000+ digital viewers driving traffic to your website!
Full-color ad design free of charge!

Reserve your space NOW! Call 505-750-0076 or email jeffstevens@discoverymap.com

DOABQ

Calling local brewery, 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@doabq.com for more information.

Resources

September President’s Report

September Pace Report

September ABQ365 eNewsletter