Program Summary Brad Calkins

Posted by Rich Randolph

on Feb 16, 2015

What is the Golden Gate Bridge address???

What has more letters than alphabet soup? DMO, CVB, TOT, VSR, TBID are a few of the acronyms clarified by Brad Calkins, aka Mr. Santa Rosa as he was introduced by Sunrise Rotarian (SRSR) Max Childs.

Brad is Executive Director of Santa Rosa’s Visitor and Convention Bureau, a position he has happily held since 2011.

Brad kept both our attention and interaction complete with nifty prizes for correct answers to his pop quizzes.

Historically, and nationally, the value of tourism and hospitality has never been questioned. In 1896, Detroit Michigan created the nation’s first DMO, or Destination Management Organization in order to promote Detroit as a travel destination. Governments and business collaborated to attract visitors for business and well as vacation stays. 1972 brought the TOT, or Transient Occupancy Tax to Santa Rosa, with 100% of the revenue directed to increasing tourism. Since then, all the generated tax goes into the City’s General Fund.

The private venture, VSR or Visit Santa Rosa operates with a $300K annual budget, primarily aimed at attracting athletic sports enthusiasts and Silicon Valley residents and firms to Sonoma County. About 43,000 people visit Santa Rosa as Destination travel. Sonoma County is one of the Official Sponsors of the 2016 Super Bowl 50 to be played in freshly minted 49’rs Levi Stadium in Santa Clara. That event will exclusively feature Sonoma County wines.

Economically for our region 17,700 jobs or 1 in 10 are Hospitality generated. The City receives just over $4 million in sales taxes and the state $63 million.

Where is our competition? Monterey County! Current marketing campaigns are focusing on populations out of our immediate area, obviously, in order to attract visitors here rather than Monterey, or elsewhere.

What are some of the more humorous anecdotes asked at the California Welcome Center here in town?

What is the address of the Golden Gate Bridge? I need to put it into my GPS.

Is it the same ocean in Bodega Bay as in Eureka?

What time, precisely, will it rain?

We want to have “the wine experience”, but don’t drink wine. Any wineries around that don’t serve wine?

Sonoma County has something for everyone, even the Emerald Cup. From spectacular scenery to indoor hockey; world-class fine food and wines; music and gaming, museums for young and old. Enjoy and promote your local jewels.