NEWPORT BEACH & COMPANY UNVEILS YEAR-END RECORD-BREAKING RESULTS IN GROUP SALES AND LEISURE MARKETING

Global Marketing Agency for the City of Newport Beach Shares Monumental Fiscal Year Recap
at the Annual Marketing Outlook Dinner; Results Sold a Quarter of the City’s Hotel Room Inventory

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Oct. 21, 2019) – Newport Beach & Company, the city’s global marketing agency, announced that its group and leisure marketing campaigns in the last fiscal year generated 201,305 room nights, totaling $68.1 million in economic impact, the largest ever for the organization. The group sales division, which attracts meetings and conferences to the city, generated a record 111,305 room nights, which has grown 800% over the last decade. Leisure visitor marketing campaigns resulted in 90,000 incremental room nights for the city with an economic impact of $34 million.

“I am proud that we have exceeded our goals which has created a significant economic benefit for business throughout the City of Newport Beach as well as the city itself,” said Gary Sherwin, president & CEO, Newport Beach & Company. “As stewards of the economic health of the city by way of tourism, we are thrilled that our sales and marketing efforts sold a quarter of the city’s total. hotel inventory on an annualized basis.”

The group made its announcement at its Annual Marketing Outlook Dinner at the Balboa Bay Resort with more than 250 community leaders in attendance. A sold out event, the theme of the evening was “Raise the Board,” which was a nod to the group sales team’s new brand campaign and the organization’s monumental achievements. The company emphasized five hallmarks of their success: record-breaking results, collaborative community partnerships, leading-edge innovation, expanded international sales and marketing and amplified destination storytelling at the event.

Transient occupancy hotel taxes generated from visitors is the city’s third-largest source of revenue and helps pay city bills and fund key city services such as police enforcement, fire departments and public enhancements. The tourism industry also supports 16,000 local jobs and generates $43 million in taxes paid by visitors. If the local tourism industry was eliminated, each Newport Beach household would have to pay more than $1,100 each year in additional taxes to keep the general city fund at current levels. Even more, Newport Beach is home to world-class shopping, over 450 restaurants, diverse recreational offerings and a multitude of small businesses. If local tourism were to diminish, individual households would need to spend $44,000 per year at all of those establishments to keep those businesses open.

One of the main highpoints of the evening was a panel discussing issues shaping the tourism industry. Panelists included an esteemed roster of local thought-leaders: Scott Hermes, president, resort properties at the Irvine Company, Kate Wheeler, president & CEO of Crystal Cove Conservancy, Hugo Martin, travel industry staff writer at the Los Angeles Times and Butch Knerr, president, retail properties at the Irvine Company.

Newport Beach & Company also recognized three outstanding community members for their service and commitment to the tourism industry and the city of Newport Beach:

• Rosalind Williams Service of Excellence Award: Staci Beech, server at A Restaurant, was nominated by managing partner of A Restaurant, Jordan Otterbein, for her continued selflessness, enthusiasm and acts of service.
• Dennis O’Neil Partner in Progress Award: Joe Stapleton, president of Spinnaker Investment Group and chairman of the Newport Beach Foundation, earned the prestigious Partner in Progress Award for spearheading the foundation’s mission to foster young community leaders.
• Local Tourism Hero Award: Dr. Carla Barnett of Newport Eye Physicians received the organization’s newest award, the Local Tourism Hero Award, which shines a light on a local for making a remarkable difference during a visitor’s vacation.

For more information about Newport Beach & Company’s year in review, please click here.

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About Newport Beach & Company
Founded in January 2013, Newport Beach & Company is a non-profit organization established to serve as the official marketing agency for the city of Newport Beach. The agency brings together all of the marketing entities connected to the Newport Beach brand, and is designed to oversee separate business units that include Visit Newport Beach, Dine Newport Beach, Celebrate Newport Beach, Enterprise Newport Beach and Newport Beach TV. For more information, please go to VisitNewportBeach.com.

About Visit Newport Beach, Inc.
Visit Newport Beach Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)6 marketing organizations under contract with the City to position Newport Beach as a visitor and conference destination. Visit Newport Beach Inc. sells the destination through direct sales efforts such as database marketing, lead generation, trade show participation, and familiarization tours for potential clients. In addition to these direct sales efforts, VNB promotes Newport Beach through advertising, international, collateral, online public relations and efforts. Visit Newport Beach Inc. is funded primarily by the city through Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), as well as through a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) and private-sector membership dues from the hospitality industry or other related businesses.

Media Contacts:
Erin Rose
Senior Director of Communications
erose@newportbeachandco.com
O: (949) 467-2758

Grace Hong
Communications Manager
grace@newportbeachandco.com
O: (949) 706-5309