NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (JULY 25, 2019) – Visit Newport Beach, Inc., the destination management organization for the city of Newport Beach, is debuting its electric boat trade show booth experience for the first time to the meetings industry at the 2019 IMEX America show. A physical reproduction of an electric boat, which is an iconic Newport Beach experience, will be “docked” in the Visit Newport Beach booth (#B1029) for planners to come aboard and meet with the destination’s sales team and hotel partners. In true Newport Beach style, a boat christening ceremony complete with a meeting-centric name debut, will take place on Sept. 10 at 5:00 p.m. to toast the boat’s maiden voyage at IMEX.
“With planners seeking authentic and localized experiences to integrate into their programs, Newport Beach’s distinct nautical lifestyle provides ample inspiration for activations and activities during their meeting,” says Michelle Donahue, senior vice president of sales. “Electric boating was invented in Newport Beach and is an attendee-favorite and local pastime. There is no better way to bring our culture to life to potential customers than to ferry one of our destination’s signature activities to the trade show floor to experience first-hand.”
The tradeshow electric boat, often referred to as a Duffy, provides built-in seating and a table top surface for planners to meet with Visit Newport Beach destination experts. The additional canvas rooftop completes the experience of the real-life electric boats docked in Newport Harbor. The boat is surrounded by wall-to-wall LED screens with virtual reality and drone videography as well as an ocean audio soundtrack designed to instantly transport passengers by all senses to scenic Newport Beach.
Electric boating offers a wide-variety of memorable team-building opportunities for attendees including the following:
- Dock & Dine Progressive Dining Tours: A dozen Newport Beach waterfront restaurants have public docks for guests to Dock & Dine. Planners have the opportunity to create a memorable culinary experience by progressively Docking & Dining at the world-class restaurants throughout Newport Harbor.
- Newport Harbor Scavenger Hunt: Attendees are divided up into teams and can cruise Newport Harbor while identifying a variety of attractions, landmarks, sea life and more on their scavenger list. California planners have long seen the benefits of incorporating this activity into their programs, in fact it was named the best team-building activity by California Meetings + Events.
- Floating Think Tank: Whether planners are selecting a location for an out-of-the-box brainstorming session or executive leadership breakout, take the team off land and let the fresh sea air and beautiful surroundings spark inspiration for the company’s next big idea.
Newport Harbor is the heart of the city; bowled between Balboa Peninsula and mainland, it’s comprised of seven islands and is touted as the West Coast’s largest recreational harbor. The unmatched scenery gives participants stunning views of bungalows and estates, yachts and boats and a variety of attractions including entertainment, shopping and restaurants. The mix of charm and luxury in Newport Beach offers experiences unlike any other in the Western U.S.
The electric boat tradeshow booth experience is the first activation in a planned roll-out of a new strategic campaign that reinforces Newport Beach’s position as the premier destination for the small meetings market.
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About Newport Beach, California
Nestled among golden stretches of pristine Pacific coastline between Los Angeles and San Diego, Newport Beach is the ultimate expression of the Southern California coastal lifestyle. This idyllic seaside destination is widely celebrated for its natural beauty and vibrant yachting community alongside stylish accommodations, eclectic coastal cuisine and upscale shopping. Four nearby airports, including John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) which is minutes away, offers airlift for all corners of the country. Newport Beach is consistently ranked as a top resort destination and Visit Newport Beach, Inc. is the proud recipient of the nationally-recognized 2019 Smart Stars “Top CVB/DMO in the West” award.” For more information on Newport Beach, please visit MeetingsNB.com