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Thank You!

What a summer – great concerts, festivals, outdoor dining and, yes, conventions! But it’s not over yet as we are about to welcome back our largest annual convention client, doTERRA, Sept. 9-13, when 32,000 wellness advocates and customers will again fill the Salt Palace to capacity during its Global Convention. As you may know, sustainability is at the forefront of doTERRA’s annual convention with creative systems initiated to reuse, recycle and repurpose materials. In addition, doTERRA is acquiring renewable energy credits from the SPCC to make its 2019 Global Convention energy neutral.

Shortly after doTERRA’s annual convention, a number of VSL staff will head to Logan Sept. 17-19 for the annual Utah Tourism Conference, something I encourage you and your staff to consider. The conference combines dynamic and relevant workshops, inspiring speakers and numerous networking opportunities. To register for this year’s conference, go here.

I also encourage you to attend our 3rd Quarter Marketing Outlook Forum, where we’ll unveil VSL’s 2020 Budget and Marketing Plan and hear from Ian Jefferies, among others.

Finally, I must again applaud you, our incredible membership as well as our community as a whole, for the incredible welcome given the attendees of the recent United Nations Civil Society Conference. As you recall, this was the first time this event was held in the U.S. outside of New York City, and we heard over and over again just how wonderful our community and its people were. We also learned it was the largest UN Civil Society Conference ever held, a feather in Salt Lake’s cap, I’d say.

For all you do, thank you!

Scott Beck
President/CEO

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Visit Salt Lake has developed occupancy forecasting models by using STR Analytics daily hotel data. STR Analytics produces a ‘Daily Trend Report’ (DTR). The DTR is a report of hotels’ daily percentage occupancy, average daily rate, and resulting RevPAR. Visit Salt Lake has purchased a subscription to DTR for Salt Lake in two sets. One for total Salt Lake County (approx. 19,700 rooms), and the other for the Salt Lake County Convention District (“SLCD,” approx. 6,400 rooms). By simple interpolation, we derive the data set for Salt Lake hotels that are located outside the SLCD (approx. 13,300 rooms).

VSL has DTR information from January 1, 2012, to the present. Hotels in the SLCD are located in the downtown area, and 98% of their hotel reservation systems are directly linked to STR Analytics. This enables STR to produce its DTR with a high degree of accuracy and provides reliable insight into the effects of events in Salt Lake. Approximately 80% of the hotels inside Salt Lake County but outside of the SLCD link their reservation systems to STR Analytics. The other hotels participate in surveys conducted by STR.

The graph above shows hotel occupancy forecasts for November 2019. Occupancy forecasts are estimated by the number of convention attendees, day-of-week, seasonality, and location.

There are two graphs for each forecasted month:

• Hotel occupancy inside the SLCD
• Hotel occupancy outside the SLCD

The graphs also show historic year-over-year occupancy rates, convention dates, and claimed convention attendance.

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Top 7 Things to Do in Downtown Salt Lake

To say Salt Lake has changed in the past five years is an understatement. Side streets once filled with shuttered windows are now bursting with diverse shops run by local foodies, athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs who embody the pioneer spirit of making something special from scratch. Whether you need to stretch your legs, want a burst of energy, or are looking for something to take home, we’ve got you covered with our top picks for “doing” in downtown.

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Salt Lake’s 10 Best Public Parks

From incredible mountain-backdrop views to summer-friendly options for the kids, Salt Lake has some incredible parks. Equal parts urban and mountain-set, our range of public parks has something for everyone. Pack a picnic and some sunscreen, and get planning your next weekend afternoon park adventure because we’re giving you the goods on Salt Lake’s top 10 public parks.

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Salt Lake's
Best Fall Colors

Besides football games and that crisp mountain air, the changing of the leaves is a phenomenon everyone enjoys­. And don’t try to deny it, you enjoy it. We know you do. So after you bring out that fuzzy cardigan and sip on some warm apple cider­, rake your leaves into a neat pile and immediately destroy that pile with a graceful dive into said pile, we have one other thing for you to add to your bucket list this fall–visit the best kept secret and not so secret fall foliage spots in Salt Lake. From day hikes to drivable city scenes, we’ll make your wildest dreams of burnt oranges and whistling yellow aspen leaves come true.

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Advertising Deadline for Visitors Guide Extended

We have extended the Visitors Guide Fall/Winter edition advertising deadline, and have full and half-page spots, as well as discounted packages that combine the Visitors Guide with an Expo or Convention Center duratrans ad.

Contact Elizabeth Brown at
801-534-4981 or ebrown@visitsaltlake.com
for details.

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Tip of the Month: WE NEED YOU

Our website, Visit Salt Lake, is THE ultimate source to promote our destination, but it must be current and extensive to entice even the most critical of travelers. To do this, WE NEED YOU, our members, to regularly and diligently check your web listing and make updates through the Member Portal. The more detailed information on your web listing means greater search results and that is something we track for you. Remember, you are always able to review how many views, click-thrus, and mobile views in your Account Recap – Benefits Summary under the Reports tab within the Member Portal.

And don’t forget to include your story. We all know “content is king,” so write about your feats and notable happenings here. The Partner Development department always reviews your information as it comes in, so if it is intriguing we may select your business for a blog, newsletter or other special feature on our website for additional exposure. It all starts with logging into your Member Portal.

If you ever have questions regarding how to review your listing, make edits and updates, check your web stats, or even ideas on creating stimulating content feel free to reach out to our Partner Development Team.

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Featured Member: Wiseguys Live Comedy

While the 19th anniversary of Wiseguys Comedy isn’t until February, we at Visit Salt Lake believe that it’s never too early to celebrate one of our members.

For those who haven’t visited the downtown Gateway location recently to hear some of the nation’s top comedians, Wiseguys now has a lounge where guests can enjoy a full bar and food from their extensive menu of American cuisine, including a variety of appetizers, burgers and salads. And while Wiseguys is known for the big-name national talent that is attracted to the club, they also are proud to promote new local comics. Wednesdays feature Open Mic Night, where you can find a mixture of amateur comedians, professionals honing their material and brave participants who just want to have their moment on stage. Full room rentals are available for parties, and guests can even arrange for their own private show – talk about a fun office party.

This is truly a local business, owned and operated by the Stubbs family, aided by a fantastic staff. With additional locations in Historic Ogden and Jordan Landing, there’s no lack of original, unique comedy in the Salt Lake Valley.

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Meet Our New Members!

• Golden Axe Throwing
• Clarks

Upcoming Member Events:

• Visit Salt Lake Member Training
• 3rd Quarter Member Update & 2020 Marketing Outlook Forum
• Visit Salt Lake Family Night at Discovery Gateway

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Upcoming Events

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