Trade and Media Events

Trade Shows, Sales and Media Missions, FAM Tours and Press Trips, Co-operative Marketing Projects

* Continual updates to the Calendar will occur as FY12 plans are confirmed. AOT reserves the right to cancel or change dates, details and participation cost of trade shows, sales missions; media missions FAM tours, press trips and co-operative projects as needed. 



JULY

Visit USA Media Marketplace - UK
Date: July 6, 2011
Location: London, United Kingdom
Participants:  N/A
Cost: N/A
Audience: British travel writers with an avid interest in the U.S.
Program Summary: This is the largest VUSA media event of the year with over 60 key travel writers in attendance. The event provides the opportunity to share the latest news and developments from Arizona and discuss a combination of both individual media trips and the planned group schedule for the next fiscal year. Key national travel editors, freelance press, broadcast press and travel trade press will all be in attendance - it is important Arizona has a presence at this event in order to take advantage of any upcoming media opportunities.
AOT Contact: Mary Rittmann at mrittmann@azot.gov or 602-364-3730


AUGUST

Vancouver Media Marketplace
Date: August 16, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs, hotels and suppliers and is limited to seven partners. Participants will be determined by a lottery system, if necessary.
Cost: $600 pus travel expenses and shipping
Audience: Vancouver and regional travel, trade, lifestyle and culinary media – print, broadcast and online.
Program Summary: AOT in conjunction with Connect Worldwide will host an inaugural Media Marketplace event in Vancouver, British Colombia. AOT is expecting seven representatives from Arizona to participate as partners and approximately 20 targeted media to attend the event. The event will consist of a combination reception and marketplace exhibits. All partners will receive a full media contact list at the conclusion of the event.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715


SEPTEMBER

France Media Mission
Date: September 12 – 16, 2011
Location: Paris, France
Participants: N/A
Cost: N/A
Audience: French media representatives
Program Summary: AOT and their PR representatives in France, Express Conseil will conduct a mini-mission to promote Arizona to key journalists, freelancers and editors.  The week-long mission will consist of desk-side appointments with key media in an effort to maintain a strong presence and increase Arizona awareness in this very important and competitive market.
AOT Contact: Mary Rittmann at mrittmann@azot.gov or 602-364-3730

Montreal Media Mission
Date: September 27– 28, 2011
Location: Montreal, QB
Participants: N/A
Cost: N/A
Audience: Montreal and regional travel, trade, lifestyle and culinary media – print, broadcast and online.
Program Summary: AOT’s media representative in Canada, Connect Worldwide and Kara Woroniec will promote Arizona to key media representatives in the Montreal market. The mission will consist of desk-side appointments with key journalists in an effort to maintain a strong presence and increase Arizona awareness in this very important and competitive market.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715

OCTOBER

Discover America Day - Canada
Date:  October 3, 2011
Location:  Toronto, ON
Participants:  Participation is open to US-based tourism suppliers.  Please contact ATM Shows for more information; Malcolm MacKillop 604-699-9990 x 330 malcolmm@atmshows.com
Cost:  $599 for DAC members, $699 for non-members
Audience:  Canada-based travel media
Program Summary: Discover America Day - Canada is the only marketplace held in Canada that focuses solely on inbound tourism to the USA.   It features guaranteed face-to-face time with top Canadian journalists at a media marketplace.  D.A.D. is organized by Discover America - Canada. 
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715

Arizona Showcase
Date: October 6, 2011
Location: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs, hotels and suppliers.
Cost: The cost to participate varies from $900-$2,500 depending on the type of supplier and level of participation, plus travel expenses and shipping. 
Audience: Sonoran consumers, travel agents and media
Program Summary: This annual event promotes fall and holiday shopping, attractions and accommodations throughout Arizona to both residents and travel agents of Hermosillo and the surrounding communities. The event consists of a tradeshow with supplier exhibits, a fashion show highlighting important society members as the models and dinner.  In addition to the 800+ consumers in attendance, thirty travel agents will be invited to attend as our VIP guests.  Proceeds benefit a local charity which also attracts media interest.
AOT Contact: Mary Rittmann at mrittmann@azot.gov or 602-364-3730

Canada Trade Mission - East
Date: October 11 -14, 2011
Location: Montreal, QB and Winnipeg, MB
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs and suppliers.
Cost: $500 per city plus travel and shipping expenses
Audience:  Primarily Canadian travel agents and tour operators
Program Summary:  The purpose of the mission is to target travel trade representatives in key Canadian cities to promote travel to the state.  The mission will consist of destination workshops and meetings with product managers, sales and reservations staff as well as an evening presentation event for the travel trade. 
AOT Contact:  Jennifer Sutcliffe at jsutcliffe@azot.gov or 602-364-3693

Celebrate the Centennial: Capital Arizona Press Trip
Date: October 24 – 29, 2011
Location: Prescott, Tucson and Phoenix
Audience: Domestic and international travel writers
Program Summary: In celebration of Arizona’s 100th anniversary we will explore the past and present day capital cities of the Grand Canyon State. Experience the evolution of the state as we look back in time and ahead to the future. Discover the rich and dynamic history of Prescott and Tucson, our previous territorial capitals, as well as the fabulous offerings of our present day capital city, Phoenix. 
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715


NOVEMBER

Celebrate Arizona 100 Years AAA/CAA FAM Tour
Date: November 9-13, 2011
Location: Greater Phoenix Area, Prescott, Tucson
Audience: AAA/CAA travel agents
Program Summary: Travel agents will be traveling to Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson to learn about the history of Arizona and to celebrate the upcoming Arizona Centennial.
AOT Contact: Kristin Swanson at kswanson@azot.gov or 602-364-3696

New York Media Marketplace
Date: November 15, 2011
Location: New York City, NY
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs, hotels and suppliers and is limited to 25 partners. Preference will be given to CVBs, Chambers and DMOs with remaining spaces filled by a lottery system, if necessary.
Cost: $900 plus travel expenses and shipping
Audience: New York and national travel, trade, lifestyle and culinary media – print, broadcast and online.
Program Summary: AOT organizes a media marketplace event on an annual basis.  This previously rotated between Los Angeles and New York each year.  However, it will now be held each year in New York as it was agreed that the New York event was more productive.  AOT is expecting about 25 representatives from Arizona to participate and approximately 75 targeted media to attend the event, which will be a combination marketplace exhibit and reception.  All partners will receive a full media contact list at the conclusion of the event.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715

Toronto Media Marketplace
Date: November 16, 2011
Location: Toronto, ON
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs, hotels and suppliers and is limited to 15 partners. Preference will be given to CVBs, Chambers and DMOs with remaining spaces filled by a lottery system, if necessary.
Cost: $900 plus travel expenses and shipping
Audience: Canadian and national travel, trade, lifestyle and culinary media – print, broadcast and online.
Program Summary: AOT will organize a media marketplace event in the Greater Toronto area as this is the primary market for the Canadian media.  It is anticipated that approximately 50 targeted media will attend the event, which will be a combination marketplace exhibit and reception.  All partners will receive a full media contact list at the conclusion of the event.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715

Mexico Mission
Date:  November 28 – December 2, 2011
Location: Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs, hotels and suppliers.
Cost:  $900 per delegate plus travel expenses and shipping
Audience: Travel trade professionals and media representatives in Mexico City and Guadalajara
Program Summary: Scaled down from past events, AOT will host trade and media luncheons in both Mexico City and Guadalajara.  Additionally, one day of sales calls and destination seminars will be scheduled in each city.
AOT Contact: Mary Rittmann at mrittmann@azot.gov or 602-364-3730


DECEMBER

National Tour Association Marketplace
Date:  December 5 – 10, 2011
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Participants: Participation is limited to NTA members.  Visit www.ntaonline.com for additional information and to register.
Cost: $1,200
Audience: North American tour operators
Program Summary: This annual conference is one of the largest North American tour operator shows in the U.S.  The event provides buyers and sellers with the opportunity to meet one-on-one during pre-scheduled appointments.  Also featured are educational seminars and networking functions.  In FY12 AOT will coordinate advertising for the Arizona tab page in the NTA Profile Form Notebook that is distributed to all tour operators attending the Convention.  This is an opportunity for NTA members only to advertise cooperatively on this page at a cost as little as $400 for a ¼ page ad.
AOT Contact: Jennifer Sutcliffe at jsutcliffe@azot.gov, or 602-364-3693

Golf Shootout Press Trip
Date: December 5 – 9, 2011
Location: Tucson and Southern Arizona
Audience:  Domestic and international golf writers and representatives of golf publications
Program Summary: This annual press trip will feature the gorgeous golf courses of Tucson and the beauty of the surrounding area. 
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715


JANUARY

Canada Trade Mission - West
Date:  Fall 2011 or Winter 2012 (TBD)
Location: Edmonton, Alberta and Regina & Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers, DMOs and suppliers.
Cost:  $500 per city per delegate plus travel and shipping expenses
Audience:  Primarily Canadian travel agents and tour operators
Program Summary:  The purpose of the mission is to target travel trade representatives in key Canadian cities to promote travel to the state.  The mission will consist of destination workshops and meetings with product managers, sales and reservation staff.  Evening VIP events and/or presentations are occasionally planned as additional outreach and appreciation. 
AOT Contact:  Jennifer Sutcliffe at jsutcliffe@azot.gov or 602-364-3693

UK Media Mission
Dates: January 30 – February 3, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Participants: N/A
Cost: N/A
Audience: UK media representatives
Program Summary: AOT’s media representative in the UK, Hills Balfour Synergy and Mary Rittmann will conduct a media mission to promote Arizona to key media representatives.  The week-long mission will consist of desk-side appointments with key journalists in an effort to maintain a strong presence and increase Arizona awareness in this very important and competitive market.
AOT Contact: Mary Rittmann at mrittmann@azot.gov or 602-364-3730

FEBRUARY

Go West Summit
Date: February 6 – 9, 2012
Location:  Las Vegas, NV
Participants: Participation is open to anyone in the tourism industry, primarily suppliers and destinations located in the western states.  Visit www.gowestsummit.com for more information and to register.
Cost: $1,545
Audience: International tour operators and wholesalers, and U.S.-based receptive operators
Program Summary: Attended by European, Latin-American, and Asian operators as well as U.S. receptive operators, this show offers a marketplace with pre-scheduled, 12-minute appointments.  Seminars and networking events are also featured.  Go West Summit is sponsored by most Western states and the venues rotate annually between them. 
AOT Contact: Jennifer Sutcliffe at jsutcliffe@azot.gov or 602-364-3693

Authentic Arizona Southwest: Real Deal Ranches and the Rest Press Trip
Date: February 27 – March 3, 2012
Location: Tubac, Sonoita, Elgin, Patagonia, Nogales and Sasabe 
Audience: Domestic and international travel writers
Program Summary: This press trip will highlight Santa Cruz County of southeastern Arizona, primarily focusing on ranching and the way it has shaped the state through the ages. Exploring authentic ranches, the culture surrounding them and the natural geography of the region will expose this exciting facet of Wild West history.
Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715


APRIL

AZAP FAM Tour
Date: April 10-15, 2012
Location: TBA
Audience: Arizona Specialists, travel agents who have completed the AriZona Accreditation Program (AZAP)
Program Summary: This FAM is part of AZAP and will be used as an incentive to encourage travel agents to become Arizona Specialists.  
AOT Contact: Kristin Swanson at kswanson@azot.gov or 602-364-3696.

New York Media Mission
Date: April 16 – 20, 2012
Location: New York City, NY
Participants: N/A
Cost: N/A
Audience: New York area based media and freelancers
Program Summary: New York City, home of many national magazines, newspapers and networks, has long been considered the headquarters of the media industry in the U.S. With so many national and international publications having offices in NYC, numerous free lance journalists also reside in and around the New York metropolitan area. For these reasons, AOT will conduct a week-long mission to New York with scheduled desk side appointments.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715

US Travel Association’s International Pow Wow
Date: April 21 – 25, 2012
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Participants: Participation is open to anyone in the tourism industry.  Visit www.ustravel.org for more information and to register.
Cost: Varies by exhibit size
Audience: International tourism buyers and media
Program Summary: Pow Wow, organized by the US Travel Association, is the premier international trade show in the US attracting nearly 1,500 international tour operators and 250 travel journalists from more than 40 countries each year.  AOT attends with staff and international representatives conducting 20-minute, pre-scheduled appointments over the course of three days.  In addition to meeting with media at the Arizona booth, AOT also has the opportunity to meet with journalists at the Media Marketplace, which is typically held on the first day of the show. 
AOT Contact: Jennifer Sutcliffe at jsutcliffe@azot.gov or 602-364-3693.

Canyons, Canyons, Canyons Press Trip
Date: April 30 – May 5, 2012
Location: Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Page and Sedona
Audience: Domestic and international travel writers
Program Summary: Named the Grand Canyon State, Arizona is known as home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In addition, our state has wonderful lesser known canyons that are also quite grand. Visit the one and only Grand Canyon, as well as the beautiful Walnut Canyon of Flagstaff, the striking sandstone Antelope Canyon in Page, the ravishing red rock Boynton and Oak Creek Canyons of Sedona, and the inspiring landscapes along the way.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec at kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715


MAY

Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC)
Date:  May 2 – 5, 2012
Location:  Fredericton, New Brunswick
Participants: TMAC members
Cost:  $375 for first time members or $850 for conference participation with appointments
Audience:  Canada based travel media
Program Summary: AOT will be represented by Canadian media relations, Connect Worldwide, at this conference.
AOT Contact: Kara Woroniec kworoniec@azot.gov or 602-364-3715

Germany Media Mission
Date: May 7 – 11, 2012
Location: Munich, Cologne and Hamburg, Germany
Participants: Participation is open to Arizona CVBs, Chambers and DMOs
Cost: $1,200 plus travel expenses and shipping
Audience: German media representatives
Program Summary: AOT’s media representative in Germany, Kaus Media Services will coordinate a weeklong, delegation-led mission to promote Arizona to key media representatives in Germany. The mission will consist of desk-side appointments with key journalists and small hosted meal functions in an effort to maintain a strong presence and increase Arizona awareness in this very important and competitive market. Delegation led missions will alternate each year, with AOT coordinating Germany in FY12 and the UK in FY13.
AOT Contact: Mary Rittmann at mrittmann@azot.gov or 602-364-3730