BizTucson Special Report Tourism 2012

Summer 2012 > > > BizTucson 67www.BizTucson.com

SPECIAL REPORT 2012 THE REGION’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE

SportingNew Strategies

Tucson’s Tourism Bureau

68 BizTucson < < < Summer 2012 www.BizTucson.com


This is an exciting time for tourism as travelers are enticed here by The Real Southwest – a marketing campaign launched by the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. This is also the start of a new era – under the leadership of Brent DeRaad, the bureau’s new president and CEO. DeRaad completed his successful tenure at the Scottsdale CVB to join the Tucson bureau this spring. His passion for our region is al-ready evident. He has great plans for this destination. To address the economic adversity of the past few years, the MTCVB developed new strategies to diversify their economic development “toolkit,” including innovative collaborations. We’re a college sports town – so the MTCVB became a cor-porate partner of Arizona Athletics to help draw sports tour-ists. Enter visionary Athletic Director Greg Byrne and think Hi Corbett Field – where baseball is back – and so are the fans. Tucson’s also a film town. The first studios date to 1914.With the lossof film incentives, localpromoters shifted theirfocus andnowwe’re getting independent films, like “Goats”with David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga, plus lucrative TV commercials and reality shows. This special report focuses on tourism, an economic driver that has a $2 billion impact on the region, or $2.5 billion for all of Southern Arizona. A Pima County audit showed that every tourismdollarinvestedin2009hada30-to-1return. That’s why it is so important to invest in tourism marketing. Remember thatColorado cut tourism expenditures in 2003,thinking that visitors would continue to come. Tourism plum-meted and the state has yet to fully recover. Last year we reported the MTCVB’s focus on seven key economic drivers of Tucson tourism – spas & resorts, outdoor adventure & eco-tourism, golf, arts & attractions, history & cul-

ture, cuisine, sporting & cultural events. These remain the focus of the game plan. This year’s update also includes news of geotourism, the Mexico market, the region’s resorts, spas and other gems. After reading this report, I think you’ll agree that this is a “wow” destination – and a very real economic jewel for this region. This summer I urge you to “play tourist” at our resorts, at-tractions, airport, restaurants and arts events. They deserve our support. And think Tucson whenever you have the chance to book a conference, family reunion or client outing.

Steven E. RosenbergPublisher & OwnerBizTucson

SPECIAL REPORT

Sporting New Strategies

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BizTucson is published quarterly by Rosenberg Media, LLC. © 2012 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is pro-hibited.Opinionsexpressedincolumnsorarticlesdonotnecessarilyreflectthe views of the publisher.

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Special Report cover photo by Jamie Williams, That Girl Productions


Likethefirstgreenbudsof mesquitetreesinthespring,thereare signs that Tucson’s economy is rebounding. That includes tourism, which generates an economic impact of more than $2 billion in this region. For thefirst time since theeconomy tanked in2008, localhotel and convention bookings and rates are trending steadily up, as are other indicators that travelers are on the move again. This local re-awakening hasn’t been easy. These glimmers of success come in part from ongoing aggressive marketing and a highly targeted new branding campaign launched by the Met-ropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2011. Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath said the MTCVB has been Tucson’s saving grace during a very difficult time.“They’re saving us in a time when the economy is in turmoil. When jurisdictionsare trying tofind sourcesof revenue, theMTCVB is indispensable.” As examples, Hiremath cites the 2012 Duathlon National Championship and the Iron Kids – two athletic events the MTCVB was instrumental in bringing to Oro Valley. Earlier this year, theMTCVB also helped bring a six-day scientificconference to Oro Valley. “That’s450scientists,”Hiremathsaid.“Itwasaneconomicimpact of $600,000 for Oro Valley.” People oftentimes don’t know or understand what the MTCVBdoes,he said.“A lotfliesunder theradar–but it’stime people make a big deal about it.” MTCVB Generated $170 Million in 2009 A performance audit of the MTCVB conducted by Pima County in 2011 reported that the bureau was responsible for generating$170million in2009–a30-to-1 returnoneverydollar invested. Over the past several years, well-targeted marketing by the bureau is making an impact – including group sales, sports,

Mexicoandfilm.AllisonCooper,directorof marketing,sharedthese statistics:

• Last year, travel byMTCVB clients for conventions,meetings and group tours accounted for more than387,750 occupied hotel and resort rooms in the great-er Tucson area. That translates to an estimated overall economicimpactofnearly$157million.(Grouptravelrepresentsabout30percentofhotelbookings,withthebalancefromleisuretravelers.)• Since2005,thebureau’sTucsonSportsdivisionhasgenerated 231,000 room nights for an estimated im-pactof$147million.• TheonlybureauinArizonawithtwoofficesinMexi-co,theMTCVBsawa24percentincreaseinthenumberofhotelroomnightstheybookedlastyearfromMexicovisitors–animpactofnearly$553,000inrevenueformidtown and downtown hotels. • Thebureau’sfilmofficegeneratedanestimatedeco-nomicimpactof$6millionlastfiscalyear.RecruitingasinglecommercialtofilmhereinSouthernArizonacangenerate$500,000ormoreforthelocaleconomy–inless than two days.

Ongoing aggressive marketing and a highly targeted brand-ing campaign – The Real Southwest – are paying off, Cooper said.

Why Tourism Matters All told, in 2010 the tourism industry in Tucson and Pima Countygenerated21,520 jobs,$124million indirect tax re-ceipts and an overall economic impact of more than $2 bil-lion,according to theArizonaOfficeof Tourism.The studyby Dean Runyan Associates also showed that of Southern Ari-zona attractions, Saguaro National Park had the most visitors

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Local Tourism$2 Billion Economic Impact

By Romi Carrell Wittman

Tourism by the numbers21,520tourism-relatedjobs$124.1millionindirecttaxreceiptsinTucsonandPimaCounty$2.02billiontotalimpacttotheregion,$2.5billionforallofSouthernArizonaSource:ArizonaOfficeofTourism

BizFACTSWinter2012cold-weathertransitmarketinginDenver

Photo:CourtesyMTCVB

Summer 2012 > > > BizTucson 75

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–664,000.SecondwasReidParkZoowith536,000. Lynn Ericksen, chairman of the MTCVB Board of Direc-tors and GM of the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador, said that money spent to promote Tucson and tourism shouldn’t be thought of as an expense – but rather an investment. “Sometimesyouget30timeswhatyouputintoit,”Ericksensaid. This year the MTCVB set out to sustain the momentum despiteabudgetcutof 30percent–fromnearly$10millionin 2008 down to its current $6.2 million. The bureau’s efforts revolve around a new branding cam-paign designed to sell this region as The Real Southwest. “Tucson has world-class attributes and is truly unique among travel destinations. We have so many things you just can’t get anywhere else,” Cooper said. “The message is one that resonates with travelers on an emotional and personal level. Travelers seek a memorable experience.Theyfindithere–andtheycomeback. “Our mission is to drive economic impact through tour-ism,” Cooper said. “We’re creating awareness and driving people to the website.” Since launching The Real South-westcampaignlastyear,she’sseena287percentincreaseincampaign-specificpageviews. MTCVB works with the world’s largest custom market research company TNS (formerly Taylor Nelson Sofres) to evaluate consumers’ website usage. TNS research shows that nearly 80 percent of all visits to the visitTucson.org website are new visitors – an indicator that new awareness for Tucson is being created, Cooper said. TNS reported that for every $1 invested in the website, the return in direct travel spending was$4,542. The MTCVB is primarily funded by a bed tax levied on overnight hotel stays by the City of Tucson and Pima Coun-ty. The MTCVB saw its portion of this tax slashed when the economysoured.Cutstotaledroughly$4million.

New Leadership: Brent DeRaad RestoringtheMTCVB’sbudgetisoneof thefirstordersof business for Brent DeRaad, the new president and CEO of the MTCVB. DeRaad came to the MTCVB from the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, replacing Jona-than Walker, who retired after 18 years with the bureau. DeRaad was selected after an intense six-month nation-wide executive search led by the MTCVB board. “Brent just came out of the pack in an absolutely compelling way,” said board chair Ericksen. “He came to the interviews with a full understanding of tourism in Arizona and what it takes the sell the region. He came to us with a background that’s heavy with everything we needed. We really think that Brent is the right guy at the right time.” “It’s a time of change,” Ericksen said. “But we have a very engaged board of directors that has stepped up in a stellar way. I think our CEO has an enormous opportunity to take advantage of the momentum already in place.” DeRaad, who started his new job in April, has hit the ground running. His number one priority is to restore the MTCVB’s budget so that it can compete head-to-head with other markets. “Tucson and Scottsdale were both $10 million organiza-tionsin2007”hesaid.WhiletheMTCVB’sbudgetwascut,Scottsdale’s budget now exceeds $11 million. This disparity affects how and where the MTCVB can

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MTCVB FundingFY2011-12$6.2million85percentoftheMTCVBbudgetcomesfrombedtaxon16,000+roomsinmetroTucsonandPimaCountySource:MetropolitanTucsonConvention&VistorsBureau

BizFACTS

MissionSanXavierdelBac

PHOTO:RANDYPRENTICE

www.BizTucson.com

market – and puts Tucson at a distinct disadvantage to cities with larger marketing and advertising budgets. To put it into greater perspective, the city of Las Vegas has a larger tourism budget than the entire state of Arizona.

Funded by Bed Tax To get the MTCVB budget back where it needs to be, De-Raad hopes to increase the portion of the bed tax that the MTCVB receives. “If we’re able to get all of the entities that we work with to invest 50 percent of the bed tax, that will get ustoan$8to$9millionbudget,”hesaid.DeRaadhopestheother 50 percent of the bed tax would be devoted to tourism-related improvements and special events. It’s important to remember that the bed-tax is not paid by residents – just travelers, Ericksen said. “Weunderstand it’sbeenhardonourelectedofficialsandthat budget cutbacks were happening in virtually every area. But as the economy recovers, we want to be sure we’re out there competing as we need to.” In addition to restoring the budget, DeRaad also wants to address key issues like air service in and out of Tucson. “There havetobemorenonstopflights,moreflightstotheEastCoastandnonstopflightsintoMexico,”DeRaadsaid.“Wehavetomake it easy for people to get here.” The beleaguered Tucson Convention Center is also a prior-ity. It’s a facility that can accommodate large groups – but with no major hotels nearby within walking distance, it’s underuti-lized.

Advantage: Mexico Tucson has some significant advantages, among them itsrelationship with and proximity to Mexico. The MTCVB is amongthefirstconventionandvisitorsbureausinthenationtoopenvisitorcentersinMexico.ThefirstwasinHermosillo.The second opened earlier this year in Ciudad Obregón. “Thanks to the visitor centers and our online reservation sys-tem,Tucsonhasbookedmorethan33,000roomnightssince2006,generatingover$2.7millionindirectrevenueprimarilyfor midtown and downtown hotels. Last year alone, we booked 7,000roomnights,”DeRaadsaid.“Wehaveauniquenicheand will continue to market aggressively to Mexico visitors.” TheMTCVBisalsothefirstbureauinArizonawithaweb-site dedicated to travelers from Mexico – vamosaTucson.com – principally travelers who spend nearly $1 billion a year here on principally shopping and restaurants.

Advantage: Youth and Amateur Sports Another competitive advantage is youth and amateur sports. “Losing spring training was a blow,” DeRaad conceded.

“But we have great facilities in place. And we are attracting a lot of amateur athletics as well as youth soccer, baseball and club teams. These are recession-resistant types of industries,” he said. Vince Trinidad, Director of Tucson Sports, is determined to bring more youth and collegiate sports to Tucson. He’s al-ready succeeded teaming up with local sport organizers to mar-ket and attract more than 100 collegiate softball and baseball spring training teams here, not to mention BMX racing and volleyball. “When these sports come here, each player usually brings two or three people with them,” he said, which translates into more room nights, more meals, more attraction tickets sold. “There is huge growth potential in these areas.” The MTCVB also established a unique partnership with University of Arizona athletics to attract more sports travelers. (SeePartneringtoGrowTourismonp.84.)

Advantage: Film OncethefilmcapitalforWesternmoviesandtelevisionse-ries,Tucsonlostsomeof itslusterasafilmlocationinrecentyears, in part because it does not offer tax incentives as do sev-eral other competing states, including New Mexico. Arizona once had an incentive program. Since it expired the legislature has not passed any of the new versions presented. As a result, theMTCVBFilmOffice shifted itsmarketingefforts to projects that are not incentive-driven – such as big TVcommercials,realityTV,smaller-budgetfilmsandproduc-tionsthatsimplycannotfindwhatTucsonhasanywhereelse.AccordingtoShelliHall,directorof theTucsonFilmOffice,manyup-and-comingfilmmakerswithlowbudgetslikethead-vantagesof beingthebiggerfishinasmallerpond.(SeeLights,Camera,Actiononp.90.) Films include “Goats,” scheduled for release in August. Commercials include one for Skechers that aired during Super Bowl 2012, plus several car ads. The reality show “The Great Escape”filmedhereinMayandseveralepisodesof theFoodNetwork’s “Chopped” are airing in June. Reinstatingastatefilmtaxincentivewouldmakeabigdiffer-ence by attracting big-budget productions. “That would really openthedoorstobringmorefilm-relatedbusinesstoTucson,”DeRaad said. “It would make us more competitive with New Mexico and other neighboring states.” The bureau also collaborates with the University of Arizona Hanson Film Institute on a variety of projects to showcase local filmtalent,includingfacultywhoworkintheindustry,tocon-nect with alumni working in the industry and to hire students forlocalfilming. Tried and True To attract and book group meetings and con-ventions, the bureau uses two award-winning strate-gies that have proved so ef-fective they’ve been copied by other CVBs. The bureau initiated the “You Fly, We Buy” pro-gram, bringing meeting planners to Tucson for the real experience. Eight out of 10 planners who avail



“They’re saving us in a time when the economy is in

turmoil. When jurisdictions aretryingtofindsourcesof revenue, the MTCVB

is indispensable.”– Satish Hiremath, Mayor, Oro Valley

GraemeHughesMTCVB’sDirectorofConventionSales

www.BizTucson.com

themselves of the program subsequently book meetings here, according to Graeme Hughes, director of convention sales. The sales team also offers an incentive program to qualifying meetings and events that provides a credit for food, beverage andotherexpendituresatthehotelorresort.Since2009,thisprogramhas booked over 153,000 roomnights.Hughes esti-matestheeconomicimpacttobeover$49million. The bureau’s tourism department markets to leisure travelers, working with tour operators, travel agents, group tour compa-nies and airlines both here and abroad. The partnership development program works closely with the local hospitality industry to expand connections and maximize their tourism opportunities. This includes cooperative advertis-ingtoreachqualifiedconsumers. The bureau also has a long-established public relations pro-gram that works with domestic and international travel writers toshowcasetheregion.Infiscal2010-11, thepublicitygener-atedwasvaluedat$4.5million.

The Road Ahead Despite many challenges, Tucson’s tourism future remains bright. Ericksen said Tucson just needs to make sure that it’s

at the table when the economy does rebound to pre-recession levels. “Our industry is producing in excess of $2 billion a year,” Ericksen said. “But it can grow. I believe we are positioned in a unique way to do just that.” Ericksen added a caveat: “We need to restore our historic funding to the MTCVB. “We just have to remember that tourism promotion produces far more in revenue, taxes and jobs than the money we invest to fund the organization that markets the region.” DeRaad and Ericksen agreed that, to get there, Tucson can’t fragment into pieces or small special interest groups. “We can’t go to war with one another,” Ericksen said. “We need to be greater than the sum of our parts. We need to befiercelycompetitivewithSanDiego,withSaltLakeCity,withAlbuquerque.” These are, after all, the cities that want Tucson’s tourism dollars, jobs and taxes. Ericksensummeditup:“We’vebeenthroughadifficulttime.But I see the MTCVB – its staff and its board – rejuvenated. I personally have never been more excited about the opportunity to sell and market this region.”

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Hotel OccupancyOccupancyPercentage2011–60.9percent2010–59.1percent

AverageDailyRate2011–$96.192010–$96.75

Revenue per available room2011–$58.542010–$57.16Source:MTCVB

BizFACTS


Biosphere2

ThemoreyoufundCVBs,themorerevenueacheived.Credit:SmithTravelResearch

Photo:CourtesyMTCVB


Biosphere2


Leading a New Era


BizTOURISM

BrentDeRaadPresident&CEOMetropolitanTucsonConvention&VisitorsBureauPhotographedatSabinoCanyon

BrentDeRaadPresident&CEOMetropolitanTucsonConvention&VisitorsBureauPhotographedatSabinoCanyon

Photo:BalfourWalker.com



By the end of his interview with Biz-Tucson, Brent DeRaad sounded a little raspy. “I’m losing my voice,” he said. “Too many meetings,” he added with a laugh. Despite having been in meetings non-stop from 7:30 in the morninguntil this 5 o’clock interview, DeRaad was upbeat and excited to talk about his plans as the new president & CEO of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. DeRaad had been on the job just six days when we spoke. Yet, in that incred-ibly short amount of time, he’d already metwithelectedofficialsaswellascom-munity leaders at all levels – no small feat in a town that historically has not been known for collaboration. DeRaad replaces long-time MTCVB President Jonathan Walker, who re-tired after 18 years at the helm of the bureau. DeRaad, who was selected after a nationwide executive search, is responsible for the overall operation of the MTCVB, its $6.2 million budget and various departments – including marketing and advertising, convention sales, tourism, partnership and visitor services, public relations, sports, Mexi-coandfilm. Lynn Ericksen, MTCVB board chair, said of DeRaad: “He is the right guy, in this economic climate, to continue the momentum and maximize the power of the MTCVB.” DeRaad comes to Tucson from just up the road – Scottsdale to be exact. DeRaad’s ties to the Valley of Sun run deep. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations plus a master’s degree in mass communication from Arizona State University. After graduating, he went to work in public relations for the Fiesta Bowl and later the City of Scottsdale as media re-lations manager. During his tenure, he playedaninstrumentalroleinthe1996Super Bowl, which was held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. “They loaned me to the Super Bowl host committee. I got to work with the NFLandthe3,000mediathatcametotown,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.” After several years at the City of Scott-sdale, he made the jump to the tourism industry, taking a job at the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In all, he has more than 20 years’ experience in management, marketing, community affairs and public relations – 14 of those in the tourism industry.He was most recently the executive VP of the Scottsdale Convention & Visi-tors Bureau. His previous roles there included VP of marketing and VP of corporate communications. DeRaad also led the 2010 campaign for Proposition 200, in which Scottsdale voters approved a two percent increase in the local bed tax. Half of Scottsdale’s bed tax is allocated to the Scottsdale CVB. DeRaad hopes to have a similar im-pact in Tucson. He intends to use his high-octane energy and laser-sharp fo-

cus to shape the MTCVB’s future. It’s a challenge he said he’s looking forward to. “We’re selling the Real Southwest,” he said. “We have spectacular attrac-tions here. We have world-class resorts, spas, golf and dining. That’s what at-tracted me to Tucson.” In the short term, DeRaad hopes to increase the MTCVB’s investment in advertising, sales and marketing. In the longer term, his goal is to make the MTCVB a viable part of the economic development landscape of Southern Arizona. To that end, he hopes to pin-point the areas that can be improved upon and made better. “What is it that we can help build – orbringin–thatwouldbenefittourism

and would also be good for Tucson?” he asked. “If something is good for tour-ism, it’s most likely good for the com-munity, too. It adds value.” DeRaadfacessomeprettysignificantchallenges. One is addressing Tuc-son’s inability to host large convention groups. Another, more immediate con-cern is increasing MTCVB’s budget, which DeRaad hopes to do through a reallocation of Tucson bed tax, levied on all hotel rooms in the city. DeRaad believes that informing peo-ple about Tucson and Pima County, just letting them know how great it is here, is critical. Tucson – and the entire state of Arizona – has suffered from bad public-ity, with everything from the passage of thecontroversialSB1070totheeventsof Jan. 8 affecting people’s perceptions of the area. DeRaad doesn’t see this as the real problem, however. “Tucson doesn’t have an image prob-lem so much as it has a funding prob-lem,” DeRaad explained. “We have to reach out to potential visitors to show them what they can experience in Tuc-son. We have to continuously improve. And those things take money.” DeRaad sees collaboration as critical to both the MTCVB’s and the entire region’s long-term success. “I see the MTCVB serving a role in overall eco-nomic development. It’s not just about tourism. Regional partnerships are cru-cial.” DeRaad intends to strengthen the MTCVB’s ties with Tucson Metro Chamber. He also wants to work even closer with neighboring communities like Oro Valley plus organizations like the Tucson Airport Authority. “We’re stronger as a region if we work together,” he said. DeRaad also hopes to build on the MTCVB’s key strengths – Mexico, am-ateurandyouthsportsandfilmtourism– areas that continue to grow even in this tough economy. DeRaad knows the MTCVB has its share of challenges, yet he is optimis-tic about the future because he believes Tucson is truly unique, a gem of the Old West. He said he’s glad he made the decision to come to Tucson. “Tucson has so much to offer. It has such tremendous attributes,” he said.

“He is theright guy, in

this economicclimate, to

continue the momentum and

maximize the power of the MTCVB.”– Lynn Ericksen

Board Chair, MTCVB

Biz

Leading a New Era



In August, Allison Cooper will cel-ebrate her second anniversary as Direc-tor of Marketing at the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. Given the tremendous success of The Real Southwest marketing campaign that Cooper’s been spearheading, those two years seem to have gone by in per-petual motion. She’s animated as she speaks about the campaign, and it’s obvious that she loves what she does for a living. “Tucson has so much to offer. Our mission is to make sure people know about it.” And that’s where The Real South-west comes into play. “We’re creating a brand for the region,” she explained. “And the concept of ‘real’ is what reso-nates with people. Real is emphasized throughout our seven destination driv-ers – the most unique attributes that attract travelers to choose Tucson and Southern Arizona over competing des-tinations.” The idea behind Real Southwest is that Tucson delivers authentic and memorable travel experiences. Ac-cording to a 2010 marketing survey

by PGAV Destinations, destinations considered to be authentic tend to en-joy better brand perception and higher satisfaction among travelers. In fact, some 80 percent of those surveyed re-ported they like to visit places that offer a “real” experience. “Some of the best examples we have in selling ‘real’ are in our natural attrac-tions, such as Saguaro National Park,” Cooper said. She points to other natural wonders like Kartchner Caverns, iconic attractions like Mission San Xavier del Bac and locales known in history, like John Dillinger and the Hotel Congress or the O.K. Corral in Tombstone. “People want to experience things you can’t do anywhere else,” Cooper said. That includes events like the gem show and international mariachi con-ference. The successful implementation of The Real Southwest brand – and get-ting people to Tucson -- has a huge economic impact on the region. “Our mission is to drive economic impact through tourism,” she said. “When we invest in marketing the region, our lo-

cal economies see a30-to-1 returnoninvestment.” Cooper’s dynamism and forward-focus come from years spent working in the intense Washington, D.C. politi-cal arena. For 10 years, she developed marketing and outreach campaigns for United States senators – Pennsylvania’s John Heinz and Maine’s Bill Cohen. She later served as deputy director of the Joint Economic Committee of Con-gress under Connie Mack of Florida. Cooper relocated to Oro Valley in 1997 to be near family. Once here,she began her career in tourism mar-keting at Madden Media. Eventually she moved to the MTCVB, where she heads up the in-house ad agency and oversees all marketing efforts. With the arrival of Brent DeRaad, the bureau’s president and CEO, Coo-per sees the future as a new opportunity to generate even greater demand for Tucson. “Tourism’s nearly $2.6 billion impact ishuge,”shesaid.“ItbenefitsallSouth-ern Arizona.”

BizTOURISM

AllisonCooperDirectorofMarketingMetropolitanTucsonConvention&VisitorsBureauPhotographedatCatalinaStateParkinOroValley

Getting ‘Real’By Romi Carrell Wittman


Biz


BizTOURISM

James Francis attended the University of Arizona on a foot-ball scholarship in theearly1990s.Now,20years later,he’sone of the higher ups in Arizona Athletics, a senior associate athletic director. Tucson and the UA grew on him. He started a family and later his mom and dad moved here. Not that “play and stay” has become a catch phrase, but it isn’t uncommon to see many student-athletes – or students for that matter – come to UA and stay in Tucson. The athletes are just more visible because of the sports that brought them here. From Ricky Hunley to Terry Francona to Matt Muehle-bach to Joseph Blair to Amanda Beard, there are more sports alums than you can count who have lived, or are currently living and succeeding, in the Old Pueblo. Ambassadors all, for UA and the city, wherever they go. This community connects with Arizona athletes and coach-es, which is one of several factors that led tourism and sports promoters to realize they have a good thing right in their back yard – the university – and to make more of it. That’s why Arizona Athletics and the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitor’s Bureau formed a corporate partner-ship, now in its second year, to promote sports and tourism.

Tucson Is a Sports Town “We’re excited to be working with the bureau. Any entity that helps in bringing people into our community is a plus,” said Greg Byrne, Arizona’s athletic director who is entering his third year on the job. “They’re getting people to come to this city and university – and hopefully get exposed to a great experience.” That’s the idea. More visitors could mean more events and more money to the community. And as the always-thinking-ahead Byrne sees it, many could possibly become season ticket holders, donors and supporters of the program. Besides, where else to showcase events but, well, the UA? All involved said this is a “great partnership” and “fabu-lous” – so much so, it’s a wonder why it hadn’t been done a long time ago. Still, it’s better late than never as the MTCVB and UA start their second year of the marriage, where both benefit. “Tucson is always asking itself – what kind of town are we?” said Vince Trinidad, director of Tucson Sports, a division of the MTCVB. “In my opinion, Tucson’s always been a college town and a college sports town. Various pro teams have come and gone (over the years) but Arizona Athletics has endured.” That’s why this partnership makes such good sense, he said.

UA Facilities Are Key “What the UA is doing with the athletic program, including allowing access to their facilities, helps us bring athletes and their families to the area and show them exactly what it’s like to play in a great facility,” said Trinidad. Tucson Sports’ mission is to enhance, develop and secure major events for Tucson, especially lucrative amateur sports. Arizona Athletics and facilities are key to attracting them. “It reinforces our image as a college town and highlights the im-pact that Arizona Athletics has on the region,” he said. “We’re inspired by ‘Arizona is Wildcat Country,’ ” said Allison Cooper, marketing director of the MTCVB, referring to Byrne’s always-there PR slogan. Inspiration is needed, given the current economic climate, but Cooper thinks there’s a silver lining. “Consumers are reaping the most happiness from their shrinking dollar by spending money for an experience – such as traveling to a unique location like Tucson or purchasing tickets to cheer their favorite sports team to victory. This is more satisfying than buying more stuff. She said research pub-lished in the New York Times showed that “spending for vaca-tions, entertainment and sports create lifetime memories and bring people the greatest level of happiness.” Cooper is taking that to the bank. “We really want to help take that message beyond just the borders of Tucson,” said Cooper. “We have an opportunity to drive more visitation and create additional business demand for our hotels, restaurants and downtown. Results have been promising in year one with increasedinterestandwebsitetraffic.” Red and blue may not combine to make green in the color scheme – but it does produce green dollars for the city and the many businesses that the MTCVB promotes. Remember that in Byrne’s mind every inch of planet earth has the potential to be Wildcat country. And who’s to argue with graduates and potential students (even the non-student

Partnering to Grow TourismArizona Athletics & MTCVB

By Steve Rivera

“Every sporting event offers us a chance to promote the destination

while infusing the community withnew revenue.”– Vince Trinidad

Director of Tucson Sports, a division of the MTCVB

HarveyMasonFormerUABasketballStar&GrammyAward-winningSongwriter and Producer PhotographedatLoewsVentanaCanyon


athletes) coming from anywhere and/or everywhere? This is the man that has more than 10,000 Twitter followers and UA alums from all over the world who send him photos.

Capitalizing on PAC-12 With the Pac-12 in its infancy – it justfinisheditsfirstyearof competition– Cooper & Co. also see markets like Utah as huge draws to Tucson. Utah could fall in somewhere behind the top five markets – Phoenix, Los Angeles,Chicago, Denver and Seattle. “We’re going to see extended reach through this partnership,” Cooper said. Arizona and the MTVCB will stretch that reach as far as it can. Of course, everyone would like to see the econom-ic benefit of more visitors to Tucsonand UA – especially the impact of Ari-zona Athletics – because the numbers are downright staggering. Within the last two years, UA alum Kevin Whittier conducted a study with UA football as his guide. In one of the Wildcats’ biggest home games of the 2010 season – a night game vs. Iowa in September – he concluded $8.2 million was spent in “direct visitor spending.” Not factored in – partly because it’s difficulttomeasure–isthenationalvis-ibility of the game, broadcast on ESPN, and how it impacts undergraduate ap-plications, increased merchandise sales and exposure, Whittier said. Not to mention ongoing national exposure to potential travelers. Bryne uses this study as an illustration of the impact UA sporting events can have on our economy. He likes what he sees because the future will have many similar games like it. With Oklahoma State on the schedule this year – and the Cowboys are known for having a good traveling fan base – there will be many games like Iowa when it comes to generating big dollars. And, oh yes, vic-tories also help. That September night against the Hawkeyes, UA defeated the ninth-rankedteam,37-34.

Providing “Fantastic” Experiences “It’s our mission to impact our econ-omy through tourism in every positive way,” said Cooper. “One way is through sports marketing. We want to give fans of visiting teams an experience that is fantastic and memorable – showing them a wonderful time in our destina-tion.” She wants them to have a win-

James FrancisSeniorAssociateAthleticDirectorUniversityofArizonaPhotographed at WestinLaPaloma

Greg ByrneAthleticDirectorUniversityofArizona

PHOTO:CHRISMOONEY

PHOTO:CHRISMOONEY



BizTOURISM


ning travel experience, of course, though she wouldn’t mind if our team won. Victory might be tough to come by as the likes of Ohio State and Nebraska visit – maybe, possibly? – in the next de-cade. But their fan bases do travel well, so more money would be coming into the community and UA. It all means more eyes – and wallets – in town and on the UA campus. Tucson Sports’ Trinidad pointed out that McKale Center, Arizona Stadium, Hillenbrand Aquatic Center and LaNelle Robson Tennis Center have been hosts to a number of events – such as the 2005 American Youth Football & Cheer Nation-al Championships and the 2010 FINA Junior World Diving Championships. The 2008 and 2011 USA Volleyball Camp and High Performance Championships, held at the Tucson Convention Center, brought more than 3,000 athletes andspectators. Tucson Sports either enhances, develops or bids on any-where from30to35eventsayear tocometoTucson.TheMTCVB estimates that since the inception of Tucson Sports morethan231,000roomnightshavebeenbooked,creatinganestimatedeconomicimpactof morethan$147million. Jane McCollum, general manager of the Marshall Foun-dation, just off UA campus, said her organization feels the impact of such events immediately. “Events like USA Diving and USA Volleyball are gener-ally held in the summer when Tucson is less busy,” McCol-lum said. “We benefit from an influx of young people andtheirfamilieswhofindtheMainGateSquaretobeafamilyfriendly location suitable for young people, but with stores and restaurants adults enjoy. “Whenever we bring groups of potential college attendees, there is indirect recruiting going on and the university can sell itself once they step foot on campus,” McCollum said. “Our communitybenefits fromwell-runeventsthataresupportedby the MTCVB’s marketing and branding of Tucson.”

Hi Corbett Field a Surprising Hit Arizona’s move from Frank Sancet Stadium to venerable Hi Corbett Field – newly improved and refurbished – was a surprise move and considered a risk by UA and Byrne in the fall – yet one that has been met with overwhelming success because of good baseball, and to be honest, the sale of beer. In making the move, Byrne said he felt there was a “natural affinity”withthecommunityandHiCorbett,longtimespringtraining home of the Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies andthehometownTucsonToros.Fromthefirstgame,whichdrewnearly4,000fans(morethandoubleUA’saveragefromlast season) to the end of the season it’s been a hit. Byrne said exposure of the program and the move has “doubled, maybe tripled” over the last nine months. ArizonaleadsthePac-12inattendance,withjustover2,461fanspergame,whichalsorankstheminthetop30amongallDivision I programs. Over Memorial Day weekend, UA saw back-to-back crowdsof 5,000,thehighestsince1980.Thethree-dayserieswithASUdrew14,055.LastseasonUAhad$69,000intotalticketrevenue.Itwas$98,000thisweekendaloneforthethreegames against ASU, according to Byrne. “It shows what kind of passion our fans have for our ath-letes and our athletic department,” Byrne said. “We thought with the history of Hi Corbett our community would come out and support it. And they have. This is exactly what we had hoped for. You analyze the situation and make the best decision you can. We feel very pleased with how things have turned out and want it to go long term.” Then the big surprise. UA was picked to host a NCAA re-gional starting June 1. UA last hosted a baseball regional in 1992.Itlastbidonhostingaregionalin2008. Regional tournaments are broadcast on ESPN, meaning more national exposure for the Wildcats, and the Tucson brand. Baseball has been very, very good to Arizona. “Moving toHiCorbett givesUA the flexibility of takinga facility with a rich history that has hosted high-level events and matching it up with an incredible sports program,” Trini-dad said. “Overall, it allows Arizona Athletics to expand their


Hi Corbett Field 2010 FINA World Diving Championships

UA vs ASU


baseball program potential. And it allows us as a city to say “we’re still a great baseball destination. We know people want to go to Hi Corbett.” What’s occurring is Tucson is being exposed as the “hid-den gem” that it is. That’s what the relationship between the MTVCB and the UA is all about – exposing UA sports and great facilities that are available.

Real Impact on Visitors MTVCB wants to highlight all that’s great about this destination – as does Byrne, who emphasizes that UA gets exposed through millions of television sets and several hun-dred thousand radios with each football and men’s basketball game. Such exposure brings close scrutiny. “What we need to do is make sure we are putting our best foot forward,” Byrne said. “In doing that, it will help ensure our ability to grow, create jobs and have great interest from people.” Of course, winning helps. “The better our teams do on thecourts,onthefieldsandinthepool,thebettertimeslotswe’re going to have with our new Pac-12 television network,” Byrne said. According to Trinidad, “every sporting event offers us a chance to promote the destination while infusing the com-munity with new revenue. That’s one of the reasons why this is such a natural partnership. The MTCVB and Arizona Athletics are teaming up for maximum impact.” Thus bringing more visitors to Tucson, putting more fans in the stands and attracting more ambassadors down the road to call Tucson home. A passion for sports brought Harvey Mason to Tucson in 1986toplayfouryearsof UAbasketballforLuteOlson.To-day the Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer lives in Los Angeles – but keeps a second home in Tucson. “There’s so much about Tucson I miss,” Mason said, “The people, the athletics, the climate, the scenery, the food and the lifestyle.” That’s real experience.

The Tucson Sports division of the MTCVB was established in 2005 under the direction of Vince Trinidad. Here are highlights of the department from a recent conversation with him:

➢ “TucsonSportsmainlyfocusesonfourteamsports–baseball,softball, soccerand tennis.They tend tobringmoreout-of-townvisitors.We’ve found that sports are recession resistant.Whilecompaniesduringtheeconomicdownturnfocusedoncuttingex-penses, amateur athletics continued – because sporting organiza-tions still need to crown their annual champions. For this very reason, Tucson Sportswas able tomake slight increaseswhentraditionalmarketshadsharpdeclines.”

➢ “OverMartin Luther Kingweekend there’s a convergence ofsportseventsthatfillhotelroomsandhaveanestimatedeconomicimpactof$4.3million.Thatweekendisfilledwithsoccerteamsfrom theFort LowellSoccerClub’sShootoutSoccer tournament,volleyballteamsfromClubCactusVolleyball’sCactusClassicin-vitational and high-school-age baseball fromanother showcaseevent.ThisisashiningexampleofwhatcanbedonewhenyoupairupaTucsonsignatureeventliketheShootoutwithtwoothersignificantsportingevents tocreateasuper-sportsweekend. It’sourgoaltocreatethesamemagicthroughouttheyear.”

➢ “Weworkveryhardtocreatelastingpartnershipswithnotonlythe national sports organizations, but with local groups as well. Forexample,wefilledtheTCCarenawith3,500cubicyardsofdirtfora1,000-riderBMXevent–becauseoneofourlocalsportgroups came to us with an innovative event concept. This event bringsnotonlyprominenceofBMXridingtoTucson–butitdeliv-ers2000out-of-townvisitorstousinAugust.ThiseventisrareintheBMXworldbecauseit’soneofonlyahandfulofBMXnationaleventsheldindoors.Wealsocreatedakid-friendlyfunzonefortheriderstorecreatewhiletheyarewaitingfortheirevents.”

➢ “TheseeventsreturntoTucsonbecausewemakesuretheirex-periencehereissogreat,thankstooursportsservicesteam.Wecan’tcontrolhowtheymightcompetewhenwebringaneventtotown – but we can do everything within our resources to ensure theyhaveawonderfultimewhileinourtown.Ournationalsportpartnersconstantlytellusthatwemaketheireventsfeelwelcome–andtheirathletestellthemthatintheirreviews.”

➢ “Tucsondoesanincrediblejobhostingsportingeventswiththesporting facilitieswecurrentlyhave inourarea.With theyear-over-year success of the amateur sports market, there’s now aneedtoaddresssportingvenuestocarryusintothefuture.Thosesport venues need to be designed to host competition and not be recreational in nature. They also need to either complement thesportswehostwell,orexpandoursporthostingability.Anyendeavorneedstotakeintoconsiderationourlocalsportorganiz-ers,needstoexpandtheircurrentcapabilitiesandaimtomakethisregionapremiersportingdestination.It’simperativethatthesediscussionstakeplacenowsothatwecanhaveneworimprovedsportingvenuesinthenexttwotothreeyears.”

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2008 USA Volleyball Camp

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Photos:CourtesyArizonaAthletics


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The term geotourism was created by National Geographic to describe a branch of tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a destination. Tucson’s geotourism leaders define it as a sense of place –emphasizing what makes this region so distinctive. Two primary initiators of the local geotourism effort are Joaquin Ruiz, University of Arizona College of Sci-ence dean, and Rick Neter, director of special projects and marketing for the college. “I asked Joaquin what is most unique about our area and he said we have more plant and animal species than anywhere in the U.S. except for an eco-system in Florida. Other markets have sun and golf courses – but we have bio-diversity in the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert,” Neter said. They wanted to start developing eco-tourism in Southern Arizona, Neter said. “So we set off on the process. Joa-quin is the leader and visionary. I’m the implementer,” said Neter, who is also thedirectorof businessandfinanceatBiosphere 2. Ruiz and Neter took their visions to Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau early on. “They were in the middle of The Real Southwest branding campaign. They felt geotour-ismfitwiththat.” “Sense of place is at the center of Real Southwest,” said Allison Cooper,

director of marketing at the MTCVB. “The campaign emphasizes our re-gion’s rich cultural heritage and plays off our spectacular climate and im-mense natural assets.” The bureau and the UA found they were on the same page. Neter empha-sized that pushing the geotourism angle is an important element in the goal of

advancing our city’s financial health.“What we’re doing is not just tourism based, it’s more about economic devel-opment,” he said. MTCVB and Neter agree that Phoe-nix is a key market. The bureau is using the Real Southwest campaign to draw travelers south this summer. “Forty per-cent of Biosphere’s visitors come from the Phoenix area, but they don’t stay over,” Neter said. “We need to start tell-

ing them to go to Kartchner Caverns, stay overnight. We need to start by en-ticing them.” Cooper said, “Our summer cam-paign positions Tucson as a natural playground and elevates the cooler aspects of our destination that Phoe-nix lacks.” To Cooper “cool” are our world-renowned attractions like Mt. Lemmon, Kartchner Caverns State Park, Kitt Peak, Arizona-Sonora Des-ert Museum, Biosphere 2 and Pima Air and Space Museum. “We’re fortunate to have so many distinct and world-renowned attributes, because as a destination, we can pro-vide the most discriminate traveler an authentic and memorable experience. The Real Southwest is resonating in international markets like Canada, the UK, and Germany, Cooper said. In addition to collaborating with the MTCVB, Ruiz and Neter met up with the Tucson Advertising Federation and were awarded a media campaign to help get the geotourism word out here at home. “We get media placement and media partners here. It’s a three-year commitment for a small investment on our part.” The campaign began last July and has received several creative awards, in-cluding Gold ADDYs in the categories of 30-secondTVspot,TVcinematog-raphy, print and full campaign. The en-tries, all created by Godat Design, are now competing at the American Adver-

Tucson’s a Naturalfor Geotourism

By Christy Krueger

“Sense of place isat the center of

The Real Southwest. The campaign emphasizes our region’s rich cultural

heritage and plays offour spectacular climate

and immense natural assets.”– Allison Cooper

Director of Marketing, MTCVB


Mt.LemmonSkyCenter

Arizona-SonoraDesertMuseum

Photo:CourtesyMTCVB

PHOTO:HOWARDPALEY

PHOTO:JERRYROSEN

BizTOURISM

www.BizTucson.com

When it comes to Hollywood screen tests, Tucson is a natural. “Our proximity to Los Angeles, along with our great weath-erandgreat scenery,makeusachoice location for thefilmindustry,”saidShelliHall,directorof theTucsonFilmOffice,a division of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. That’sbeentruesincelongbefore1939,whenaWesterntown set built by Columbia Pictures for the movie “Arizona” led to the creation of Old Tucson Studios, where hundreds of classicfilmswereshot.(See“AlmostHollywood”p.88.) AccordingtoHall,amajorityof thestate’sfilmshavebeenshot in Tucson and Southern Arizona ever since then -- per-haps 65 percent as a conservative estimate. In recent years, however, the city hasn’t lived up to its celeb-rity potential.

“Arizonawasinthetopfiveof locationsinthenationandthe industry brought in an average of $100 million dollars a yearwhenIstartedworkingatthefilmofficein1999,”Hallsaid.“Nowthestatedoesn’tevenrankintheTop40.” Many factors led to this decline, including the fall from grace of theHollywoodWesternandthe1995fireatOldTucsonStudios that destroyed its sound stage along with many of its structures. Arizona’s key challenge, however, was one faced by theentireU.S.filmindustry.Inthelate1980s,whentheU.S.dollarwas strong,Canada enhanced its financial attractive-ness tofilmmakerswithavarietyof tax incentivesdesignedto further lower shooting costs. According to a 1999 studycommissioned by the Director’s Guild of America, the feature filmsand,especially,made-for-televisionmoviesandminise-riesthatmigratednorthinthe1990scosttheU.S.economyasmuch as $10 billion a year.

Lights, Camera, Actionin Tucson

By Edie Jarolim

“Goats” on location MTCVB Ad in Sundance Film Festival Program

“Goats” Tucson Premiere

PHOTO:GREGORYPETERS




PHOTO:GREGORYPETERS

SeveralU.S.states, includingNewMexico,begantofightback in the 2000s by creating Canadian-style incentive pro-grams. Their success was aided by the growing strength of the Canadiandollarandtheincreasedcostof gettingfilmcrewstoCanada.Arizonahadanincentiveprogramforfiveyears,but it wasn’t renewed – and the state legislature has not passed new, improved versions that have been presented since. The result? Bottom-line-focused filmmakers have fled tosurrounding states. That tends to be projects with budgets of $250,000 and up.

Success with Indies, TV, Commercials That’snottosuggestthere’sbeennofilmactioninSouth-ernArizona.TheTucsonFilmOfficemakesiteasyforpro-ductions that are not dependent on incentives to filmhere.IndependentfilmmakersstillrelishfilminghereandTVnet-works with reality programming – like MTV, Discovery and theFoodChannel–filmheremultipletimesayear,Hallsaid. TNT’sfirstrealitycompetition,“TheGreatEscape,”cre-atedbytheproducersof thepopular“AmazingRace,”filmedtwo episodes here in May – one at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the other at the Titan Missile Museum. Watch for severalepisodesof theFoodNetwork’s“Chopped,”filmedatOld Tucson Studios, to air in June. TheFilmOfficealsoupped itsmarketing to the lucrativecommercial advertising market. A single commercial can eas-ilycost$500,000andmoreforfilmingonlocationinlessthantwo days. Car commercials especially love Southern Arizona terrain – Jeep, Cadillac Escalade, BMW and more recently,

Chevrolethaveallfilmedcommercialshere. Other high-end commercials include one for Sketchers fea-turing Mark Cuban at the Greyhound Race Track that aired during Super Bowl 2012, as did the recent Chevy Sonic com-mercial. Print shoots include prestigious catalogs for Urban Outfitters,J.Crew,Sundance,RoamansandChico’s. The Sonoran hot dog segment on the Travel Channel’s “Food Wars” points to another reason that many shows come toTucsontofilm–theysimplycannotfindwhatthecityoffersany place else. “A lot of Discovery Channel shows are based here because of what’s going on in the sciences in Southern Arizona,” Hall said. And there’s also the region’s unique weather. “A Japa-nese film crew comes every summer to film themonsoon.”OprahfilmedseveralgirlfriendgetawaysegmentsatMiraval,aworld-classdestinationspawithabackdropyouwon’tfindelsewhere. While the city’s role as a location for big-budget projects has dwindled,itsimportanceasaplacetoshowcasefilmsandtonurture indigenous industry talent has grown.

Independent Films Debut Here Victoria Westover, Director of the Jack and Vivian Hanson Arizona Film Institute (Hanson Film Institute) at the Univer-sity of Arizona, which has a mandate to work with the com-munity, said, “There is an amazing amount of film-relatedactivity in Tucson for a city of its size. People in Tucson don’t realize or appreciate how much is going on.”

Christopher NeilDirector of “Goats”

MTCVB Ad in Sundance Film Festival Program


That’s especially true when it comes toindependentfilms The Loft Cinema, for example, was one of only 17 movie theaters in thenation invited to participate in the Sun-dance Institute’s Art House Project, an organization of independent theaters. According to Peggy Johnson, executive director of the foundation that owns andoperatesthenonprofittheater,thecriteria for being chosen were “excel-lence of programming and involve-ment with the community.” And in January 2012, Tucson was selected to be one of nine Sundance USA par-ticipants,hostingafilmandfilmmakerduring the Sundance Festival. Johnson said, “The Loft did really well. We were the first theater to sell out. The com-munitylovesindependentfilms.”Aptlyenough, the film showcased was oneshot locally. (See “Love Letter to Tuc-son”p.90.) Besides The Loft, most Tucsonans know the Screening Room and Fox Theater as other venues for indepen-dentfilms.FewerareawarethatGrandCinemas Crossroads, a locally owned discount theater, and Century 20 El Con, a popular commercial movie house, each dedicate one of their screenstofirst-runartfilms. Also little known is the key role the UAplaysinbringingfilmsandfilmtal-ent to town.

Home to Mexican Film Fest Tucson CineMexico, the only filmfestival in the nation devoted exclusive-lytoMexicanfilms,isaco-presentationof the UA’s Hanson Film Institute and the Mexican Consulate. Westover explained, “Every year we bring up major producers and directors from Mexico. They’re very impressed by the quality of the presentations and the vibrant dialogue with the audi-ences.” Westover added that the festival “hasdefinitelyputTucsononthemapin Mexico as a place to bring major films.”It’salsoputtingTucsononthemap as the place in the U.S. to see the bestinfirst-runMexicanfilms. Then there’s Inside Track, a series of panel discussions by entertainment industry professionals, from actors and agents to producers and directors.

Tucson has sometimes been called “Hollywood in theDesert” –but therewas a time when Los Angeles mighthavebecome“TucsonontheSea.” Historian Paul J. Lawton, who hasworkedforthelast14yearsatOldTuc-sonStudios,explained thatmanyfilm-makersheadedwest in theearly20thcenturytoescapelawsuitsbyNewJer-sey-basedThomasEdison,whoownedthe patents for most of America’s mo-tionpicturecameras.Lawtonestimatedthat the first filmswere shot in Tucsonasearlyas1909.HenotedthattheLu-binCompanyandtheEclairCompanyboth built studios in downtown Tucson in1914. “It’sdifficulttoknowhowmanyfilmsthese companies shot here – maybe 50 or60,”Lawtonsaid.Itwasthoughtthatnoneoftheseone-reelsilentmoviessur-vived–yetanarchiveofoldAmericanfilmswasdiscovered inNewZealandin 2009, and at least three of themwerefilmed inTucson,oneatMissionSanXavierdelBac. “Tucson was very close to becoming Hollywood,”Lawtonsaid.Avarietyofcircumstances -- not to mention the sum-merweather--sentfilmmakersontoLosAngelesbuttheyoftenreturnedtoTuc-son. That return to Tucson became espe-ciallynotableafter1960,whenRobertShelton leased a movie set originally built for the1939film“Arizona”fromPimaCountyandturneditintoOldTuc-son Studios. Shelton, who sold the at-tractionin1985,estimatedthatatleast300filmsweremadeunderhiswatch--andunderthewatchofmanyvisitors. “OneoftheconditionsIhadwiththe

filmcompanies thatworked therewasthat they had to allow me to have the frontgateopenedfortourists.Iagreedto keep those tourists a safe distanceaway from the production so theywouldn’t interferewith it inanyway,”Shelton said. It usually worked smoothly. “Wegrew to be the second largest tourist at-traction in Arizona behind theGrandCanyon,”Sheltonsaid,adding,“Theyhad a better production manager than wedid.” Occasionally there was a glitch,however.WhenAndyWarholcametoshoot his Western parody “LonesomeCowboys”in1968,Sheltonarrivedonthesetearlyonemorningtofindtheac-torspracticinghorsebackriding--starknaked. “In an hour or so we were goingto open the front gate for the tour-ists to come in,” Shelton recalled. “Iwasafraidif theysawall thesenakedcowboys, Pima County would breakour lease.”LuckilyWarhol --wholaterclaimedhewas “runout of Tucson” --was agreeable to moving all the nude scenestoRanchoLindaVistainOracle. Mostof thefilmsshotatOldTucsonwere more mainstream. Lawton, whofound a cache of negatives, slides,proofsheetsandpublicitystillsoncebe-lieved to have been destroyed in the stu-dio’s1995firesaid,“It’shardtonameanA-list star from the 1940s, 1950s,1960sand1970swhodidn’tdosome-thingatOldTucson.” Apremierselectionofthesestarsandtheir films are highlighted in Lawton’sbeautifully illustrated Old Tucson Stu-dios(ArcadiaPublishing,2008).

Almost HollywoodByEdieJarolim

Robert SheltonFounderOldTucsonStudios

Biz




BizTOURISM


Started in 2010 by the Hanson Film Institute in collaboration with the TucsonFilmOffice,thiseventisdesignedtohelpstudentsintheatre,filmandtelevisionattheUAandlocalfilmmakingtalentwithprofes-sional development. It’s also open to the public. Westover said, “I don’t think there’s any place in the United States thathasafilminstitutethatrunsconcurrentlywithaformaluniversityprogram–andIdon’tthinkthere’sanyotherfilmschoolthathasasmany programs for the community.”

UA Film Pros, Alumni Open Doors ProfessorswithinthefilmandtelevisionprogramattheUAareallactively working in the industry. They include Larry Estes, one of the producers-in-residence, whose long list of credits includes “One False Move.”AndWestover,whoteachesfilmprogramming,recentlypro-duced“Apache8,”adocumentaryaboutanall-women’sfirefightingcrew that has been broadcast nationally more than 1,000 times. Thestudentsareclearlybenefitingfromtheprogram.Whendirec-tor Sam Mendes, who won an Academy Award for “American Beau-ty,” came to town a few years ago to shoot part of “Away We Go,” the UA provided students to work as production assistants. Mendes’ pro-duction manager was very impressed. “The crew didn’t realize they werestudents,theyweresogood.Theythoughtthey’dbeenflowninfrom L.A.,” Westover recalled. AccordingtoWestover,manyhigh-poweredpeople inthefilmin-dustry live in the Tucson area under the radar. Diana Ossana, who co-wrote the screenplay for “Brokeback Mountain” with Larry McMurty, is just one example. Westover said, “They’re already established so theydon’tneedtoliveinL.A.tofindwork,andit’saneasycommutewhen they’re called.” ShelliHallconfirmsthattheHollywoodbondisstrongandcontin-ues to be strengthened. “We cultivated entertainment-industry alumni relationships in Los Angeles by having receptions there, with the UA. We regularly meet with industry professionals and pitch Tucson as a location to the studios and other production entities. We worked close-ly with Disney to help craft the 2012 incentive bill,” she said. “The hope,” Hall added, “is that when the incentive landscape changes, we’ll still have all those relationships to build on.”

A Love Letter to TucsonByEdieJarolim

“Goats”isaquirky,movingfilmaboutaboywhoisraisedbyasinglemother (playedbyactressVeraFarmiga)andmentoredbyagoatherd(DavidDucho-vny)beforeheadingEasttocollege. ThefilmwasbasedonabookbyMarkPoirier,wholived inTucson fromages10 to18–“my formativeyears,” Poirier said. Director Christopher Neil, whooptionedPoirier’sbooknearlyadecadeago,said,“Itwas very clear that Tucson and the surrounding area werethecoreofthestory.‘Goats’wasalovelettertothatpartofthecountryandIreallywantedtohonorthatinmakingthemovie.” Itwasn’teasytogetthefilmmadeinArizona.NewMexicohadamuchbetterincentiveprogram,andthefinancierswantedtoshootthere.But,Poiriersaid,“It’simpossibletofakeTucson.NewMexicodoesn’thavethesamecacti,thesamemountains,thesamevibe.” Thefilmmakersfinally took thenowcustomaryap-proach, shootingpartof themovie inNewMexico,partinArizona. “Wewereveryluckytohaveahugeamountofsup-port from the Tucson FilmOffice,”Neil said. “Shelli[Hall] and Peter [Catalanotte] were instrumental infindingwaystohelpussavemoney.” They shot at several locations, including Sabino Canyon and the TucsonMountains, but the primarylocation was a Joesler home in the Foothills owned by real estate agent Heidi Baldwin. AccordingtoNeil,thecastlovedTucson,especiallyFarmiga.Atthefilm’spremiereatthe2012SundanceFilmFestival,Neilsaid,“Farmigawaswearingthetur-quoisejewelrysheboughtinTucsonandkeptsayingthatshe’dfalleninlovewiththedesert.Shewantstocomebackforafamilyvacation.” Neilcouldn’thavehadabetterexperienceinTuc-son, either,ashe realizedwhenhe returned for theshowingof“Goats”atTheLoftduring theSundanceFilmFestival.“WhenIsteppedofftheplane,itfeltlikecominghome,”hesaid.“Goats”isopeninginTucsonandothercitiesaroundthecountryonAugust10.

“It’s impossibleto fake Tucson.New Mexicodoesn’t have

the same cacti, the same mountains,

the same vibe.”– Mark Poirier, Author of “Goats”

BizBiz

BizTOURISM


“Our proximity to Los Angeles, along with our great weather and great scenery, make us achoicelocationforthefilmindustry.”– ShelliHall,Directorof theTucsonFilmOffice

a division of MTCVB

(LtoR)VickyWestoverofHansonFilmInstitutewith Producer Scott Stuber and Shelli Hall


Is your business Mexico ready? Mexican nationals spend $1 billion in Pima County every year – and the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to help you grow your sales to visitors from the south. “When people think about how to be ready for Mexican customers, the first thing that comes to mind is thelanguage,” said J. Felipe Garcia, VP of strategic partnerships and Mexico mar-keting at MTCVB. “But even more important than be-ing bilingual is being bicultural,” Gar-cia said. “Many people think that if they put that Se Habla Español sign in the window, they are covered. But it’s not about being Mexico friendly. It’s about being Mexico ready.” MTCVB offers free Mexico Ready workshops for business partners. “You are selling all the same things – the same shirts, the same meals, the same eyeglasses,” he said. “It isn’t what you sell – it’s how you sell it,” Garcia said. He gave the example of a restaurant at lunchtime. “We in Tucson are looking to get in and out,” Garcia said. “We love short lunch menus. We want the server to come with the water ready and the menus and to take our order immedi-ately. We want our food quickly with

maybe one refill of iced tea and thecheck. We think that is really good ser-vice.” For Mexican guests, that is the worst possible service, Garcia said. With lunch as the large meal of the day, most Mexican diners are looking

to relax, and spend a couple of hours enjoying a leisurely meal. “Offer them a beer, and don’t be in a rush,” Garcia advised. “Bring a dessert menu, and never bring the check un-til they ask for it. And guess what? The check will be larger.” If you bring the check before they are ready, Mexican diners feel pushed out, Garcia said, and are not likely to return any time soon. For physicians, Garcia recommends getting to know patients. Ask about where they are from and their families. Mexican patients want to know that you care about them. In the retail arena, Mexican shop-pers are often looking for an entire outfitorwardrobe,notjustoneitem.If you sell them a shirt but don’t offer to show them slacks, you are missing out. After you have made the sale, put the change in the customer’s hand, not on the counter, and walk around the coun-ter to hand them the bags. “These are very simple things that make a big difference,” Garcia said. “Being Mexico ready builds your sales.” In addition to Mexico Ready work-shops, the MTCVB offers trade and fashion shows in Mexico to reach new customers and routinely brings motor coachesfilledwithshopperstoTucson.

Mexico Ready WorkshopsBy Gabrielle Fimbres

BizTOURISM

MTCVB Adds Ciudad Obregón OfficeBy Gabrielle Fimbres

VamosaTucson! Let’s go to Tucson – that is the mes-sage spreading throughout Sonora and Sinaloa,fueledbytheMetropolitanTuc-sonConvention&VisitorsBureau. ThebureaubuiltitsfirstVamosaTuc-sonofficeinMexicoin2006,withalo-cationinHermosillo,217milessouthofTucson. InMarch, a secondofficewasaddedinCiudadObregón,340milestoour south. “Thenumbersarelookinggood,”saidJ.FelipeGarcia,VPofstrategicpartner-

shipsandMexicomarketingatMTCVB. TheofficesprovideinformationonTuc-son businesses as well as coupons and specialeventsforSonoranresidents.The10 employees in the two offices bookTucsonhotelroomsandsellticketstoTuc-son concerts, shows and other events. Last year, the Hermosillo office sawa24percentincreaseinthenumberofroomnightsbooked,and2012islook-ingpositive,Garciasaid.InApril2012,948 roomnightswerebooked throughthetwooffices.

“We are really excited about the in-creases we are seeing,” Garcia said.“We are looking for a double-digit in-creasein2012.” The Ciudad Obregón office “hashelpedusreachanewmarket,”Garciasaid. “It’simportantforustobepartofthecommunity–andpeopleinObregónareso proud that Tucson is paying attention tothem,”hesaid.

Biz

Biz

“Even more important than being bilingual is being bicultural.”– J. Felipe Garcia

VP of Strategic Partnerships & Mexico Marketing, MTCVB


Each February, Tucson becomes the destination for some 55,000 of the world’s most impassioned sell-ers and buyers of rocks of all shapes and sizes who venture to the South-west for serious gem shopping. Nobody argues that the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase is the largest gem extravaganza in

the world. But Jane Roxbury argues that Tucson is a vibrant gem tourism destination even after the hotels clear out and the huge tents come down. Just this spring, she launched a page on the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau website dedicated to year-round gem tourism: www.visittucson.org/realgems. “It was easy for me to repackage the resources we have for fans of gems, minerals and fossils,” said Roxbury, MTCVB’s director of convention services. “This is an opportunity for us to promote those venues that are already here.” Roxbury discovered that nearly 40 percent of the wintergem shows are locally owned and operated. Some shows even provide long-term storage in their warehouses as value-added for vendors. So far, Roxbury has recruited two warehouses, fiveminetours,sixmuseums,fourstudios/shopsandonebeadshop for the website, with several additional rock and gem shops recently added. The gem tourism promotion is perfect timing for A Bead Carnival,whichchangeditsnamefromABCDirectin2009,and converted from wholesale to year-round retail in 2010. “People like the fact they can come to our store any month of the year and it feels like a mini-gem show for them,” said Susan Smith, who owns A Bead Carnival with her husband, Tomas. “We feel the potential for a year-round gem show has already begun. It’s because Tucson has gained the reputation of being the heart of the gem and mineral world.” The Arizona Geological Survey produces a geotourism bro-churethatisatreasuremaptosome20destinationswithin30miles of Tucson. Geotourism is primed to grow substantially with the MTCVB internet promotion. “I would imagine it would balloon very quickly,” said Mike Conway, chief of the survey’s geologic extension service. Thegemshowcaseitself in1994expandedbeyondFebru-ary with a fall gem show in September. By the time Roxbury beganonlinepromotionsof FallGemShowsin2007,ahalf dozen or so shows clustered around the Holiday Inn on Palo VerdeRoad.Thefallgemshowattractsabout4,000attendeeswith the next show set for Sept. 6-12. Roxbury has also brought a dealer or two to set up gem “trunk shows” at about a half dozen conventions. The growth potential for tables at conventions is nearly endless, with the bureauitself bookingsome400conventionsandconferenceseach year.

Tucson Jewelfor Gems

Year RoundBy Teya Vitu

The Gem Showmobile app has

generated nearly 85,000

page views


Roxbury’s gem trail has already brought new visi-tors to the University of Arizona Mineral Museum, which gets about 45,000visitors a year to its collec-tionof 40,000itemscurat-ed over a 125-year period.

“People say ‘I didn’t know this place existed. I didn’t know it was here,’” said

Mark Candee, assistant curator and collections manager. Candee believes the potential for a year-round gem destina-tion is astronomical, much as even the true value of the two-week gem showcase is not appreciated. “The value to Tucson is way underestimated,” Candee said. “Themoneythatflowsthroughhereisphenomenal.Afriendpointed out to me seven billionaires within an hour.”

BizTOURISM

Biz

tising Federation national level. Tucson residents are a vital component in attracting new visitors and businesses to Southern Arizona, Neter explained. “First and foremost, the thrust of the effort is to educate locals who can educate those from outside the community. We want the residents to understand more about the Tucson area. We need Tucsonans to be ambassadors.” Tumamoc Hill is an example of a resource that Neter feels should be more widely promoted, as it was instrumental in attracting early settlers to Tucson. The Sky Island Sense of Place Tour is a little-known educational program that teaches about the various life zones encountered on the way up to Mt. Lemmon. “On the top is UA SkyCenter, now a public view-ing place similar to Kitt Peak,” Neter said. “We have unique wonders nobody else has.” Another element of this movement involves the College of Science forming partnerships in the community. “Joaquin wants to help Tucson move forward and to bring UA’s experi-ence and assets to help showcase Tucson to the outside world. He wants businesses to know that UA is here to help. It’s a resource and needs to be thought of that way.” Neter would like to push Tucson’s Old Pueblo nickname into the closet and update the city’s image by referring to it as Science City. “We have aerospace, biosciences, solar. UA helped the PhoenixMarsMission.We have theNo. 3 andNo.6biotechfirmsintheworldatInnovationPark.It’saboutlooking at the city in a new way. TREO (Tucson Regional Eco-nomic Opportunities) needs this science push.” When companies consider relocating, one of their top re-quirements is to be near a major research university, according to Neter. Why not emphasize that? “We need to be more vocal about it and highlight the good things that we don’t always pay attention to.” “SouthernArizona’sgeotourismandscienceassetsfitrightinto our Real Southwest branding and support our seven des-tination drivers – those unique attributes that draw travelers here for extraordinary experiences that other destinations can-not offer,” said Brent DeRaad, MTCVB’s new president and CEO. Biz

continued from page 89 Tucson’s a Natural for Geotourism

JaneRoxbury MTCVB’sDirectorofConventionServices


Miraval Arizona

Hilton El Conquistador


Upgrades & Renovations Miraval Arizona resort and spa just completed a nine-month, $5 million renovation, opening its Life in Balance Spa May 1. “The new spa is in the footprint of the old,” noted Carol Stratford, Miraval’s director of marketing. “We’ve part-nered with Clarins skin care line to develop a new spa menu.” Founded 60 years ago in Paris, Clarins is the No. 1 Euro-pean skincare company. Its collaboration with Miraval allows the spa to offer customized skin care regimes, professional-grade products and spa treatments backed by cutting-edge botanical science, she said. “We’ve added private spa suites within the spa, and the women’s locker room is now an indoor/outdoor area. It’s all designed to bring the outside in,” Stratford said. The same team that designed The Villas at Miraval – Mithun Architects and Clodaugh Design – created the reborn spa facility. Miraval also launched its first cookbook called “MindfulEating” with 200 recipes compiled by the resort’s culinary, beverage and nutritional teams. Each dish invites guests to incorporate Miraval’s healthy cuisine into their everyday lives. Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa made headlines ear-lier this year when it was purchased by Southwest Value Part-ners, a group led by former Tucsonan Robert Sarver. As the property enters into a renewed 20-year agreement with Wes-tin, physical changes are underway. Renovations will be done in phases. “The complete reno-vationwillbe$30million.It’sthelargestrenovationeverun-dertaken since we opened and it covers practically all areas of the resort,” said Richard Brooks, director of marketing. Updates will begin this summer to meeting spaces and guest

rooms, and the HVAC equipment will be replaced with a new type of system. “Instead of re-circulating air, we’re drawing air from outside to enhance the fresh smell,” which should also be better for indoor allergy sufferers, he said. Repairsweredone this spring to the 177-footwaterslide.“This summer we’ll have live music at the pool on weekends and dive-in movies,” Brooks said. Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum representatives will pro-vide activities with a family theme. After the summer swim-ming season is over, remaining pool renovations will be per-formed, including new decking, cabanas and landscaping. Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort is in the midst of a $6 million resort remodel. The biggest project is the conference center, according to General Manager Lynn Ericksen. Theexisting7,000squarefeetof meetingspacewillsoonbecome an 11,000-square-foot executive conference center. It was designed to comply with the standards of the Interna-tional Association of Conference Centers. If it receives the IACC designation, as Ericksen anticipates, it will be one of 300intheworld. Sundance Restaurant also is being remodeled, and the res-taurant formerly known as Dos Locos is undergoing a trans-formation to Southwestern fare, Ericksen said. All 16 onsite tennis courts were replaced with an improved surface, and the tennis clubhouse was updated. “We have several USTA-sanctioned events, both youth and adult tour-naments. Members and the public are happy with the new courts,” Ericksen said. El Conquistador formed partnerships with the Desert Mu-

As the recession slowly slips behind us, Tucson area resorts are experiencing a sense of rejuvenation and optimism about what liesahead.Somearefinishingprojectsthathadbeenputonhold,othersaregettingafreshstartundernewownershipandmostarerollingoutnewprojectsandprogramsforguests.FollowalongtheTucsonresorttrailandfindoutwhat’snewin2012.

Business is Looking Up for Region’s Resorts

By Christy Krueger


BizTOURISM

Westin La PalomaMiraval Arizona

Casino Del Sol Resort HotelWestward Look Wyndham Grand


seum and Tohono Chul Park for sum-mer educational programs. The Acacia pool is now age-restricted (16 and old-er), with a more peaceful atmosphere, cabanas, quiet spa music and healthy spa food. This proved to be a very popular move, he said. The main pool remains family friendly. Westward Look Resort became a Wyndham affiliate on Feb. 1 andis now known as Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa. David Yamada was hired as the new general manager, coming to Tucson from the Wyndham Kingston Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. This is Wyndham’s only Grand Col-lection property in Arizona. “Wynd-ham was interested (in Westward Look) for a while. Over time, it became right for it to happen,” Yamada said. Remodeling will continue in the re-sort’s public areas. “With our new own-ership plan, we’ll have upgrades in the next year to the Gold Room and Look-out Bar & Grille and a little in the lobby area,” Yamada noted. Throughout 2012, Westward Look is celebrating a big birthday – 100 years – with a Call for Treasures contest and the publishing of a book called “His-tory of Westward Look: 100 Years in the Making.” Memorabilia collected during the contest will be displayed in the hotel lobby. Some items are featured in the book. To encourage the public to help cel-ebrate, Westward Look is offering guest rooms for $100 per night through the summer.

The Lodge at Ventana Canyon also recently completed upgrades, including improvements to the lobby areas, both golf courses and the stadium tennis court, according to Janet Hare, director of sales and marketing. New carpet in the meeting spaces is planned. Summer brings activities such as golf and tennis camps and the popular Flip & Float, the resort’s version of poolside movies. Summer golf memberships are available. The property’s received high rat-ings from travel publications, including Condé Naste Traveler, Golf Digest and Travel & Leisure. “For 15 years running we’ve received the AAA Four-Diamond Award,” Hare said. Tennisresortsonline.com recognized The Lodge at Ventana Canyon as a Top 50 Tennis Resorts in the World for four years in a row, and both the Moun-tain Course and Canyon Course were recently included in Golfweek’s 100 Best Resort Courses list.

Going Solar White Stallion Ranch is one of Southern Arizona’s few remaining dude ranches. Co-owner Russell True haslivedontheranchsincehewasfiveyears old and he’s active today in its op-eration and management. Last year True contracted with Solar Path to install a system that he claims is the largest private solar installation in the state and the largest of any dude ranch in the United States. The ranch now depends on solar power for much of its electrical needs. For the third consecutive year, White Stallion will be open all summer, break-ing its earlier trend of closing during the warmer months. This is to accommo-

date international guests and to attract corporate business to the 3,000-acreproperty that offers meeting rooms, pri-vate dining and plenty of activities for everyone. After working up an appetite, guests can chow down in the recently restored main dining room that’s been returned toitsoriginalearly1900sdesign. New ranch offerings this year include Beer and Cheetos Rides and Wine and Cheese Rides, both available by horse-back or hayride.

Newest Resorts Casino del Sol Resort, Spaand Conference Center opened last November, likely Tucson’s largest ho-tel construction project completed in 2011. “In addition to the 215-room ho-tel tower, which includes a full-service spa and a great steakhouse, we opened conference space, where concerts are held, too,” said Steve Neely, chief mar-ketingofficerandassistantGM. The conference center got off to a strong start this spring with well-at-tended events including Body and Sol Old Pueblo Women’s Expo and Tucson International Mariachi Conference, which helped boost hotel occupancy. Casino updates include a new 200-seat, multiple-cooking-station buffet, a newly opened high-limit room and a remodeled poker room. The largest project to get under way this year is the 18-hole, par-72 cham-pionship golf course, expected to open byspring2013.“NotahBegaydesignedit and we’ll have a Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy,” Neely reported. Begay is the only full-blooded Native American on the PGA Tour. Summer activities include AVA Am-

The Lodge at Ventana Canyon White Stallion Ranch

BizTOURISMcontinued from page 101


JW Marriott Starr Pass


phitheater’s lineup of musical acts and the recently launched adults-only swim party on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. at the resort’s new pool. The public is welcome to join these weekly parties for a $10 fee, which includes two drinks. Hotel guests are admitted free. The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Moun-tain, which opened in 2010, made the 2012 Condé Naste Traveler Gold List andwasvotedtheNo.3resortinAri-zona last fall in the magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards. The resort received one of the highest scores in the nation on both lists for activities, said Bonnie Crail, director of public relations. This spring the resort launched the Dove Mountain Rangers, a program for children ages five to 12,which in-cludes its own ranger station and a des-ert tortoise habitat. “There are cultural days for kids with teachings on how to do things related to Native Americans, cowboys and miners. Pins are given to kids for completing certain activities,” Crail said. Also new is the Sunday Market Brunch at CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar.A42-treecitrusgrovewasplantedfor guests’ picking pleasure. Returning from last summer is Splash Dining – where guests enjoy a super cool outdoor dining experience no matter the tem-perature – with tables and chairs placed in the pool. New on staff are Executive Chef David Serus, from the Ritz Carlton in Washington D.C., and Spa Manager, Marysell Diaz-Garcia, from Ritz-Carl-ton properties in Coconut Grove and Sarasota, both in Florida. Guests who take advantage of the Summer Returns program receive a $50-per-night credit at the spa or else-

where on the property when booking accommodations and breakfast for two atthepriceof $199pernight. JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa incorporates the natural des-ert as its landscape design theme, draw-ing on the beauty of its mountainous location Opened in 2005, the resort includes 575 spacious guestrooms, 88,000square feet of meeting space, five res-taurants, a 20,000-square-foot spa, four separate pools and a Lazy River. The resort’s Arnold Palmer Signature golf facilityconsistsof 27holesandpracticefacilities. This is Southern Arizona’s larg-est resort and the only true eco-resort in Tucson, said Matt Brody, director of sales & marketing. The Hashani Spa incorporates natural desert plant oils in treatments and offers direct ac-cess to Tucson Mountain Park hiking and mountain biking trails. In April it was voted among the nation’s top 100 mainland spas by Condé Nast Traveler readers. The resort’s eco theme extends to the award-wining Primo restaurant with celebrity chef Melissa Kelly fea-turingorganicfoodsandfreshfish. Guests enjoy extensive water fea-tures, including the Starr Canyon Lazy Riverexperience–a123-foot-longslidethat links to the Lazy River. The slide stands25 feet tall,offering360-degreeviews of Tucson Mountain Park and the cityscape of Tucson. A new exclusive island patio was con-structed right in the middle of the Lazy River. “Access is via a custom bridge,” Brody said, “for group customers only.” Framed by flowing waters and state-of-the-art lighting, this area is in high demand. “It is truly spectacular,” he

said, “and complements the resort’s wide variety of outdoor venues and restaurants.”

New Activities & Programs Canyon Ranch launched new pro-grams in the past year, some with prov-en worldwide appeal and others that are unique. “We added a high ropes course and rock wall,” said Sheryl Press, public re-lations director. “We’ve initiated new classes like outdoor boot camp and outdooradventureactivitiessuchasfiremaking and arrowhead making.” Also new this year is Exercise & Moti-vation, which addresses the psychologi-cal and physiological aspects of exer-cise. “It’s for people who have trouble exercising–andtofigureoutwhyyoudon’t like it,” Press said. Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Sea ex-panded its cruise line presence this year. In May it stepped aboard Oceania Cruises’ brand new luxury ocean liner Riviera. Recent accolades for the Tucson lo-cation include SpaFinder’s Readers’ Choice Awards in the categories of Best for Cooking Classes, Best Cuisine, Best Medical Spa Program and Best for Men. Loews Ventana Canyon is gearing up for summer with a new emphasis on family activities. For the Wild Side of Summer pro-gram, the resort is teaming up with rep-resentatives from the Desert Museum, on weekends for animal and geology demonstrations, and “anything they do as an educational program at the mu-seum,” said Jennifer Duffy, the resort’s director of public relations. “We like to say we’re a mini Desert Museum East,”


Casino Del Sol Resort Hotel Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

BizTOURISM

Canyon Ranch Loews Ventana Canyon


she added. Tucson Botanical Gardens also will be part of the summer fun with its wicked plants exhibit. And each holi-day weekend, the resort will have a so-lar telescope available. Stargazing and dive-in movies will continue throughout the warmer months. While Loews is targeting families more than in recent years, it continues to attract couples with its summer holi-day jazz weekends with top internation-al smooth jazz musicians, plus special room/ticket packages, Duffy said. Also fitting for adult tastes is thetransformation of The Flying V’s north patio into a comfortable outdoor lounge withfirepits.“Wecreateda lovelysit-ting area, surrounded by vegetation,” Duffy said. Condé Naste Traveler picked Loews Ventana Canyon as one of the Top 10 Arizona Golf Resorts this year. U.S. News & World Report included the re-sort on its Best Hotels in the USA list. Tubac Golf Resort & Spa added a fun new element to Dos Silos Restau-rant with once-a-month Summer Par-ties held through August. In addition, Stables Ranch Grille continues its tradi-tion of live entertainment every Friday and Saturday, said Patti Todd, market-ing director. New executives include Jill Winberg, spa director, and Stefan Rockel, food and beverage director. Golfers can look forward to the re-sort’s upcoming golf school October 28-31. “It includes three nights stay,three days of excellent instruction with swing analysis and a CD to take home, tournament and prizes, plus breakfast,

lunch and two dinners,” Todd said. Rates are based on single or double oc-cupancy. A commuter rate is available for those driving down each day from Tucson. The course lays claim to an April vis-it by Dave Pelz. “He’s the short-game guru who works with Phil Mickelson,” Todd noted. Randy Blunt, who plays in the Autism Charity Golf Classic every year at Tubac, won a national contest presented by Golf Magazine. Part of his prize package was a lesson from Pelz at Tubac Golf Resort. Perhaps the biggest news for the re-sort is a noticeable uptick in business. “We have more weddings than we’ve ever had. This is turning into a popu-lar place to have weddings,” Todd said. “And we have more charity golf tourna-ments.” Desert Diamond Casino & Hotel management believes that client feedback is important when determin-ing the direction to take with its prop-erties. The Sahuarita location, now 12 years old, received minor updates, including a new video wall in the sports bar, a VIP room and new AC slot machines, thefirstof akindinArizona,saidTree-na Parvello, director of marketing and public relations. The Tucson property recently had some redesigning done to parts of the floors. “In response to guest feedback,we added new TVs to the hotel rooms and we improved the lighting in the casino, especially around the water fea-tures,” Parvello said. Both casinos also have new executive chefs – Pascual Rodriguez in Sahuarita and Michael Bujold in Tucson.

Summer is when most of the plan-ning and evaluation occurs, Parvello said. “We understand we need to make changes to keep up with market needs. There has to be evolution.” Desert Diamond Casino & Hotel has earned the AAA Three-Star hotel rating. Metromix lists the Tucson loca-tion’s steakhouse as Best Steakhouse in Tucson.

Celebrations Omni Tucson National Resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary with two-night-stay room packages that in-clude a $50 resort credit. This can be used at all outlets – spa, golf and res-taurants, said Dan Dickhart, director of sales and marketing. Bob’s Steak & Chop House is run-ning a summer three-course prix fixemenu for $39.99 Tuesday throughSaturday. Golf specials are also avail-able, such as unlimited golf packages all summer, and junior golf clinics are scheduled to keep the kids busy when school is out. Monthly specials are of-fered in the13,000-square-foot,MobilFour-Star spa. The resort recently won Best Golf Course and Best Bar and Grill locally, and Bob’s Steak & Chop House was included in the Talk of the Town list, an online customer satisfaction rating service. Dickhart noted a handful of new and recently promoted employees at the re-sort.TomNelsonisdirectorof financ-ing, Corie Campbell is spa director and Audra Barrios is catering sales manager. Promotions include Charliene Horne to food and beverage outlet manager and Andrea Bravo to Bob’s Steak & Chop House manager.

Tubac Golf Resort



Omni Tucson National

Biz

Focus on Food Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort is concentrating on its culinary amenities this summer as it continues to win awards from restaurant and wine reviewers. “The biggest project is the Terraza Patio Kitchen,” said Tom Firth, man-aging partner and general manager. “We’re making the outdoor exhibition cooking station bigger and better and

expanding the menu. It’ll be during June. The patio will still be open in the evenings and we’ll still have live music on weekends.” In May The Grill began offering a special fixed price three-course menuthat will continue all summer, and monthly wine dinners are being held through October. Firth said specials and music are promoted through its website under Hacienda Happenings.

For the 15th year in a row, the resort received a Best of Award of Excel-lence from Wine Spectator, Firth said. “And we were voted a Top 5 Restaurant again” in a local reader’s poll. Like most resorts, Hacienda del Sol is running special summer room rates while also performing customary up-keep. “We use the lower occupancy months for maintenance and upgrades to the guest rooms,” Firth said.

Desert Diamond Casino Hotel Hacienda del Sol

Tubac Golf Resort

106 BizTucson < < < Summer 2012 www.BizTucson.com106 BizTucson < < < Summer 2012 www.BizTucson.com

TomPhilabaum,GlassArtist&Founder,PhilabaumGlass

Glass ActBy Sarah Burton

PHOTO:STEVENMECKLER

Summer 2012 > > > BizTucson 107www.BizTucson.com Summer 2012 > > > BizTucson 107www.BizTucson.com

You may think you already know Tom Philabaum, Tucson’s master of glass. A longtime resident creative, he’s widely respected in the local arts com-munity and his gallery and studio are a must-see stop for art-loving tourists. You may know about the carefully crafted glass art that made him (and keeps him) successful, but not so much about how he created his business the hard way, his view on role of art in our region’s tourism and changes in the downtown landscape. Read on.

Getting There After receiving a bachelor of arts in arts education from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in stu-dio art in Wisconsin, Philabaum head-edtoArizonain1973tovisithiscousin,escape Chicago for a while and take a break from his teaching job. “I never felt I belonged in Chicago,” he recalled. “I lived all over the state but didn’t feel comfortable.” Just one look at the dramatic stretch of Texas Can-yon driving on his way to town was all it took. “I distinctly remember coming through the canyon there on I-10 and reallyflippingoutoverthesaguarosandboulders.” Two years later he quit his job in Chi-cago and officiallymade the SonoranDesert his home, putting together his first studio next to the Tuller Trophybuilding on Sixth Avenue. Nights and weekends were dedicated to studio time, but he didn’t quit his day jobs quite yet. He did a bit of everything – from driv-ing a truck, laying bricks and carpentry to teaching high school and even a stint as a roofer. “We used to carry over our rent payment to our landlord, having scraped together our pennies, dimes and quarters and just barely making it,” he said.

’80s Art Boom Thestartof the1980skickedoff anenormous swell in the public’s interest in and desire to buy and collect arts and crafts, Philabaum said, though not in the Old Pueblo quite yet. Around

1982 local artists began marketingtheir wares by attending American Craft Council shows where they were overwhelmed with orders from galler-ies and museums all over the country. The Craft Council, made up mostly of young artists without any background and art school graduates like himself, filledanincreasingneedfromthepub-lic for arts in mediums like clay, metal, wood,glassandfiberglass. “It was an exciting time,” Philabaum said.“Creativitywasflyingandwewereactually making money with our craft.” After founding the Glass Arts Society in1983,PhilabaumoverhauledanoldTastee Freeze and in 1985moved hisstudio to that space where it remains today.

Local Arts Blossom Bytheearly1990sTucson’sgrowingartscenewasfinallygeneratingexcite-ment and the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau began to market the Old Pueblo as an arts hub. “The MTCVB played an enormous role in creating this new model of Tuc-son as a cultural destination – bringing people here not just for a fat farm, to see a rodeo, or because of the military,” Philabaum said. In fact, he points out the little known fact that Tucson is con-sistently ranked in the Top 25 Art Des-tinations in American Style magazine. “WhenIfirstmovedhere,theTucsonMuseum of Art was in a small house on Franklin Street. Quite different from the museum that stands today.” By 2002, interest in Philabaum’s work was so high – from locals and tourists alike – that he opened a second gallery at St. Philip’s Plaza for the next fiveyears.Tourismhasalwaysplayedarole in this struggling, then successful business model. With the recent instal-lation of glass magic carpets suspended overhead at the Tucson International Airport, he’s even had people get in their rental car there and drive straight to his gallery on Sixth Avenue to see more.

He’s seen many changes since mov-ingdowntowninthemid’70s.“Down-town is changing in a great way. I’m all for new business and it’s really chang-ing for the better,” he said. “Sure, we all miss the original Café Poca Cosa and the Santa Rita Ballroom, but the brand new Tucson Electric Power building now on that lot is great for all surround-ing businesses.”

Passing the Torch – Literally As studio visitors attest, the obser-vation window is where the action is. Watching artists working with molten glass is magical. “We’ve always had an open studio. Education has always been a big part of making art for me,” Philabaum said. “We closed the studio to the public for a short time, but quickly realized it was crazy not to let people in. After teaching workshops for 25 years, I have a respon-sibility to pass on what I’ve learned.” That’s why he co-founded the So-noran Glass Art Academy in 2000, a nonprofit organization dedicated toeducating and using glass as a medium. The academy offers classes for anyone interested – from glass blowing and casting to stained glass and mosaics. In an effort to further push the glass arts culture here, Philabaum and other local visual arts heavyweights banded together to create Tucson’s first glassfestival, aptly named Viva Vidrio – long live the glass. “We were really just trying to make lemonade out of lemons,” he said. “Be-cause of the tourism backlash due to the controversial SB1070, Tucson lostthe annual Glass Arts Society confer-ence. We wanted to draw people back here.” And draw it did. In April of last year 1,200 people attended the three-day festival with demonstrations and exhibi-tions at 12 participating galleries across town. Anyway you cut it, after more than 30 years, Philabaum remains a glassact.

Glass ActBy Sarah Burton

BizART

Biz

PhilabaumartincludesglassmagiccarpetssuspendedoverheadattheTucsonInternationalAirport(center).PhotoscourtesyPhilabaumGlass


Michael LuriaExecutive DirectorChildren’s Museum Tucson

Luria, who formerly ran Terra Cotta in the foothills, now leads his staff in providing fun, play-based interactive and hands-on learning experiences for children of the com-munity and their families. He’s taken themuseumthroughsignificanttransformations with the addition of major new exhibits made possible by community partners. This month the baton will be passed to him as the new MTCVB board chairman. Additional community involvement includes co-chairing the Tourism Advisory Committee for the Arizona Officeof Tourism.HealsowritestheMeals & Entertainment column for Inside Tucson Business.

520-792-9985www.childrensmuseumtucson.org

Lynn EricksenGeneral ManagerHilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort

Ericksen is known in the lodging industry for his commitment to growing tourism and working with other destinations to enhance the visitor experience. He’s upgraded Hilton El Conquistador with major renovations, encouraged a green culture among staff and visitors and increased exposure of the resort through numerous awards. In 2011, Arizona Hotel and Lodging Associa-tion named Ericksen Hotelier of the Year. The resort became part of that organization’sCertifiedGreenLodg-ing program. Ericksen was treasurer for Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce and is the outgoing chairman of MTCVB.

520-544-5000www.hiltonelconquistador.com

Richard BrattShareholder/COO, TaxBeachFleischman

Bratt’s responsibilities with BeachFleischman are in the tax division of the practice. He serves as the treasurer for MTCVB and is a member of its Executive Committee. Other organizations Bratt has served include Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, Caballeros del Sol, Executive Association of Tucson, Financial Executives &Affiliates,ArizonaBusinessLeadership and Rotary Club of Tucson.

520-321-4600www.beachfleischman.com

Alex AhluwaliaGeneral Manager, JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa

Since2007,Ahluwaliahasgrown the resort’s market share and led it to receive accolades from travel media, event planners and guests. Named Marriott International’s GM of the Year for North American Lodging Operations in 2008, he came to Tucson from the JW Marriott Fiji Resort & Spa. He serves on the MTCVB Marketing Committee and is a board member of Southern Arizona Lodging and Resort Association.

520-792-3500www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com

IncomingChairman of the Board2012-2013

Chairman of the Board2011-2012

M T C V B B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S


PHOTO:KRISHANNING


Sharon BronsonVice Chair, Pima County Board of SupervisorsPima County Government

Asanelectedofficialrepresent-ingDistrict3,Bronsonservesconstituentsina7,400-square-mile area covering all of western Pima County. She’s on the MTCVB Finance Commit-tee and is a TREO Chairman’s Circle Member. Bronson also serves on the board of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona and is a member of the Marana Health Center Advisory Board.

520-740-8051www.pima.gov

Mike FederVP & General Manager Tucson Padres

In his role directing the busi-ness end of the Tucson Padres, Feder is responsible for market-ing, accounting, sales, public relations, ticket sales, merchan-dise and concessions. He serves on MTCVB’s Marketing and Nominating Committees as well as numerous other com-munity boards including Fa-ther’s Day Council and Tucson Police Foundation. Feder is a Davis-Monthan AFB honor-ary commander and executive director of Caballeros del Sol.

520-954-8803www.tucsonpadres.com

Wes ClarkSales DirectorArizona Riverpark Inn &President Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance

Although Clark oversees all sales and marketing efforts for the hotel, he places a particular emphasis on downtown and Tucson Convention Center events, international visitors and sports and group book-ings. As president of Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance, he serves as its representa-tive on the MTCVB board of directors.

520-239-2300www.theriverparkinn.com

Tom FirthManaging PartnerHacienda del Sol Guest Ranch

Firth is GM/managing partner of Zona78restaurants,aswell as the managing part-ner with Hacienda del Sol, He’s currently serving on the MTCVB Partner Development and By-Laws Committees. Other community involve-ment includes Casas Adobes Rotary Club, where he’s been amembersince1989andisapast president. He’s also past assistant governor for Rotary District 5500.

520-299-1501www.haciendadelsol.com

John CousinsGeneral ManagerBest Western Plus InnSuites Tucson Foothills Hotel & Suites

Cousins oversees the opera-tions of the recently renamed property on North Oracle that markets to vacationers, business travelers and extended-stay guests who are looking for comfortable accommodations in the foothills. To keep up with today’s technology-oriented traveler, Cousins supplements his sales efforts with an empha-sis on social media.

520-297-8111www.innsuites.com/tucson_foothills

Fred GouldMarketing DirectorArizona Shuttle

Gould coordinates all market-ing functions for Arizona Shut-tle, which operates throughout the state. He is currently on the MTCVB Marketing Commit-tee and recently served on the By-Laws Committee. In addi-tion to his work with MTCVB, Gould is an active member of the Southern Arizona Lodging and Resort Association, the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association and the Southern Arizona Concierge Network.

520-795-6771www.arizonashuttle.com

Jim Di GiacomoExecutive DirectorGreen Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center

Di Giacomo’s chamber responsibilitiesincludefinancialoperations, board administra-tion and public relations. In addition to being a member of the MTCVB Marketingand Community Relations Committees, he serves numer-ous organizations. Among them are Southern Arizona Tour-ism Council and Governor’s Arizona Mexico Commission. In 2006 he received the Elks’ Citizen of the Year Award.

520-625-7575www.greenvalleysahuarita.com

Richard J. GruentzelVP Administration & Finance/CFOTucson Airport Authority

Gruentzel runs the business op-erations for Tucson Internation-alAirportandRyanAirfield.Responsibilities include business and air service development, property leasing and manage-ment, terminal concessions and ground transportation. He’s on the MTCVB Finance and By-Laws Committees and is also a congregation council member and treasurer of Abounding Grace Church.

520-573-8100www.flytucsonairport.com


110 BizTucson < < < Summer 2012 www.BizTucson.com110 BizTucson < < < Summer 2012

Tom MoultonDirector of EconomicDevelopment and TourismPima County

Moulton serves as the county’s government liaison with Tuc-son’s economic development agencies, and he works with the MTCVB Marketing Com-mittee representing the area’s attractions. He has numerous communityaffiliations,amongthem founder and director of Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance and board member of Southern Arizona Lodging and Resort Alliance.

520-243-7355www.tucsonattractions.com

Helinda LizarragaGeneral ManagerDoubleTree by Hilton Tucson at Reid Park

Lizarraga oversees and man-ages all operations of the hotel, including budgets, forecasts and developing team members. She is very active with MTCVB, serving on the Community Relations, Finance, Nominating and CEO/President Executive Search Committees. Lizar-raga is Second Vice Chair of Southern Arizona Lodging and Resort Association and was named Representative of the Year,2009-2010,byExecutiveWomen’s International.

520-323-5211www.dtreidpark.com

Barbara PeckOwner Barbara Peck Public Relations

Strategic public relations/crisis communications consulting and CEO coaching in community relations are among the services Peck provides to businesses and nonprofitorganizations.Sheserves on the MTCVB Com-munity Relations Committee and as chair and secretary of the MTCVB Executive Com-mittee. Peck has been honored as Tucson Metro Chamber Woman of the Year and serves on the board of directors for University of Arizona Health Network and Salpointe Catho-lic High School.

520-360-5120

Heather D. LukachDirector, Visitor CenterUniversity of Arizona

While overseeing daily operations of the UA Visitor Center, Lukach promotes it as a resource for campus and South-ern Arizona. This is achieved through tours, UA publications and participating in university-community partnerships and special projects. Lukach is currentlyservingherfirstyearon the MTCVB board and chairs its Partner Development Committee.

520-621-5130www.arizona.edu/parents-visitors

Andrew D. SchorrPartner Lewis and Roca

As a partner in Lewis and Roca’s Business Transactions Practice Group, Schorr handles thefirm’scommercialreales-tate dealings. He’s chair of the MTCVB By-Laws Committee, a member of Arizona’s Public Media Community Advisory Board and past board member of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. Schorr was includedinthe2003-2012editions of The Best Lawyers in America in real estate law.

520-629-4414www.LrLaw.com

Pete MangelsdorfCEO & General ManagerOld Tucson Company

Mangelsdorf provides over-all leadership and day-to-day management of Old Tucson. He’s a member of the MTCVB Nominating Committee, CEO/President Executive Search Com-mittee and serves on the Govern-ment Relations Committee. He’s also the State Film Commissioner, serves on the 88 Crime board of directors and is a past board member of Friends of Saguaro National Park.

520-883-0100www.oldtucson.com

Shirley ScottCouncil MemberCity of Tucson

Scott was elected to the City Councilin1995.She’samem-ber of the Board of Directors of Pima Council on Aging, Pima Prevention Partnership and Advisory Committee for Tucson Clean and Beautiful. She’s served on the Budget Advisory Committee and as Chairperson of the National League of Cities Committee on Community and Economic Development. She serves on the MTCVB Government Relations and CEO/President Search Committees.

520-791-3199www.tucsonaz.gov

Bill HolmesChief OperationsOfficerTucson Metro Chamber

Holmes is responsible for all issues related to the chamber’s finances,operationsandhumanresources. He serves as chair of MTCVB’s Government Relations Committee, Chicanos Por La Causa and Interfaith Community Services Advisory Board. Holmes is also a mem-ber of SKAL and he’s on the board of trustees for Commu-nity Foundation for Southern Arizona.

520-792-2250www.tucsonchamber.org



Chris SmithOwnerTucson & Scottsdale Golf Vacations/Mountain Vista Real Estate

As owner of these vacation business endeavors, Smith is continually seeking out and evaluating unique marketing opportunities and new avenues for additional growth. He is a member of the MTCVB board of directors’ Marketing Com-mittee. Smith is proud to be a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a Persian Gulf War veteran.

520-877-7924www.tucsongolf.comwww.weknowtucson.com

Mark Van BurenGeneral ManagerTucson Marriott University Park

Van Buren is responsible for the overall operation of the hotel. He is also co-chairman of Southern Arizona Lodging and Resort Association and serves as its representative on the MTCVB board of directors.

520-792-4100www.marriott.com/tusup

Mary SniderCouncil MemberTown of Oro Valley

Together with fellow council members, Snider provides policy direction to the town by adopting rules, regulations and procedures to meet com-munity needs. She’s a member of the MTCVB Government Relations Committee, VP of Amphitheater Public Schools Foundation and board member of Oro Valley Community Foundation.In2007Sniderwas the inaugural recipient of the Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce Legacy Award.

520-229-4997www.orovalleyaz.gov

Howard W. VolinPresident & CEOGraphic Impact

Founded23yearsagoinTucsonby Volin, Graphic Impact fab-ricates signs, banners, printed material, awards, plaques and printed apparel, producing all product lines in-house. He is currently chair of the MTCVB Marketing Committee and is a member of the MTCVB Com-munity Relations Committee.

520-795-7446www.graphic-impact.com

David WelshExecutive VPTucson Regional Economic Opportunities

Welsh is responsible for managing a wide range of economic devel-opment programs and projects while also working with stake-holders and regional economic development partners. He’s new to MTCVB, but elsewhere in the community he’s involved with Habitat for Humanity, Arizona Town Hall and Business Develop-ment Finance Corporation.

520-243-1900www.treoaz.org

James TrudeauGeneral ManagerUnited Airlines, Tucson

Trudeau is responsible for all business activities and operations of United Airlines in Tucson. His current role with the MTCVB board of directors is to work with the Partner Development Com-mittee.

520-573-8259www.united.com

Russell True Co-ownerWhite Stallion Ranch

As with all small businesses, True said, he does whatever it takes to successfully run his ranch – from cooking to wrangling. He serves on the Marketing Commit-tee of MTCVB, is president of the board of trustees for Green Fields Country Day School and a former president of the National Dude Ranchers Association and the Arizona Dude Ranch Associa-tion.

520-297-0252www.whitestallion.com

Paul ZucarelliPresidentCBIZBenefitsInsurance Services

Zucarelli functions as president of CBIZ Arizona practice foremployeebenefitsandretirement plans. He’s on the MTCVB Executive Commit-tee, as well as the Marketing and Government Relations Committees. Other current community activities include member of Tucson Conquis-tadores and board member of Dependable Health and Heatlh Plan Alliance.

520-321-7520www.cbiz.com


BizTucson Special Report Tourism 2012

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