NEWS, SPORTS, COMMENTARY, POLITICS for Gloucester City and the Surrounding Areas of South Jersey and Philadelphia
If life was fair, Elvis [Elvis Presley] would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead. `~Johnny Carson
By Angela Val ● Aug 21, 2024
Smart Brevity® count: 3.5 mins...891 words
Welcome to the August edition of our newsletter, coming as we start to think about wrapping up the summer travel season.
PHILADELPHIA, PA --In fact, please join us in congratulating our friends in Bucks County, which Travel + Leisure just featured as the No. 1 fall foliage destination in the country for 2024.
But before we completely bid adieu to sun-soaked days filled with wooder ice and trips down the shore, we’re spotlighting a few of Visit Philadelphia’s major summer projects that have been in full gear. All of these exemplify our commitment to promoting Philadelphia as a welcoming and vibrant destination for all — this summer and beyond.
Read on for all the details.
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 The Media Dinner Circuit: Building Relationships with Reporters Nationwide
Visit Philadelphia president and CEO Angela Val speaks at a media dinner in Atlanta.
As part of our continuous quest to weave the story of Greater Philadelphia into the national dialogue, Visit Philadelphia has been on the move, hosting a series of intimate media dinners in some of our key markets across the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin.
Why it matters: These gatherings help us forge relationships with high-profile influencers and national reporters, setting the stage for future storytelling that highlights the unique allure of our city. At each one, we’re able to share more about Philadelphia’s offerings in the areas of food, arts and culture, history, wellness and beyond in order to encourage visitation.
So far, we’ve made it to:
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Atlanta, where we hosted a 25-person dinner at Knife — a Mediterranean restaurant in the city’s trendy Buckhead neighborhood — as part of our recent marketing debut in this fly-market destination. Reporters who attended represented outlets including Lonely Planet, Condé Nast Traveler, USA Today, Travel Noire, Travel + Leisure and many more.
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Chicago, where Visit Philadelphia took to Kindling — a live fire show kitchen concept inside the Willis Tower from James Beard Award-winning Chef Jonathon Sawyer — to connect with nearly a dozen journalists from outlets including The New York Times, HuffPost, CBS and The Wall Street Journal.
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Los Angeles, where 17 reporters from ESPN, CNN, ABC, NBC and beyond came to connect with our team over Mexican food at Ka’teen and hear more about everything Philadelphia has to offer.
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Austin, where Visit Philadelphia caught up with 16 reporters from outlets like The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, CBS and ESPN at Aba, a popular Mediterranean restaurant.
Next up: Visit Philadelphia will revisit Los Angeles in September for a second media dinner.
The big picture: As we continue to host these dinners, we are encouraged by the enthusiastic responses and the ever-growing interest in our city’s narrative. These interactions are invaluable, enhancing our media relations and ultimately helping position Philadelphia as a top-tier destination in the minds of travelers across the nation.
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Reflecting Diversity in Travel: Updates to Our Photo Library
Some of the new additions to Visit Philadelphia's photo library. / Photos: D. Knoll for Visit Philadelphia
Visit Philadelphia’s visual team has been hard at work updating our photo library, which offers photo and video assets for editorial use upon request.
The big picture: These latest additions depict diverse travelers of all ages and backgrounds, people with disabilities, folks with various family dynamics, and beyond, taken to ensure that travelers from all walks of life can see themselves reflected in the imagery of our city.
The images illustrate the spectrum of how we’re living and traveling today, down to whether we’re on the go with pets and service animals, what we’re wearing, who we’re exploring with, and more. They highlight the city’s renowned landmarks and hidden gems, while also emphasizing Philadelphia's open arms to diversity, whether that looks like a leisurely day out with a service dog, a family exploring the historical sites, or young adults enjoying our dynamic arts scene.
Why it matters: By updating our library with images that promote inclusivity, we aim to inspire and attract a broad array of travelers, making sure that every potential visitor feels welcomed and represented here.
This effort complements Visit Philadelphia’s In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union series, which looks to establish Philadelphia as the premier welcoming, inclusive and respectful destination for U.S. travel. It also folds into our focus of being a visual resource for travel across the board.
Go deeper: These new visuals are not just pictures, but invitations to explore and enjoy Philadelphia — a city truly meant for everyone.
Check out more of the new photos here.
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You Heard It Here First…
Visit Philadelphia previously hosted dinners at the Platform by the James Beard Foundation. / Photo: Kate Morrison
We’re thrilled to share with you, dear colleagues, a little sneak peek at an exciting activation Visit Philadelphia is bringing to New York City next month.
For one night only, in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, Visit Philadelphia will take over the James Beard House with an exclusive media dinner.
The dining experience will be designed to tell the story of South Philadelphia and the evolution of the historic South 9th Street Italian Market, spotlighting our city’s diverse, immigrant-driven culinary community.
Attendees will enjoy a four-course meal prepared by Philadelphia chefs representing the Italian, Mexican, Cambodian and Vietnamese communities who live and own restaurants in this neighborhood.
In Greater Detail: We’ll also have Philadelphia artist Michelle Ortiz on deck to share more about the community-centered “Our Market” project, which was developed to support the vendors, business owners and neighbors who make up the 9th Street Market area.
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Thank you for reading. We’ll be back in your inbox soon with another Dear Colleague update.
Sincerely,
Angela Val President and CEO Visit Philadelphia
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