A group of Australian event planners and buyers are now the envy of absolutely everyone after Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LATCB) hosted them on a once-in-a-lifetime famil to the Grammy Awards.
In an effort to showcase Los Angeles as a premier meetings and incentive destination, LATCB treated the group to a tailored itinerary of LA experiences, including a private suite at the 62nd Grammy Awards, the music industry’s night of nights.
Here’s everything that went down:
The group arrived in style and comfort on board Air New Zealand’s Premium Economy service, before the jam-packed itinerary kicked off.
DMC Insider Experience curated the itinerary, giving the group opportunities to meet with top LA partners, discover unique venues and explore the diverse array of meetings product throughout the city.
Among the experiences was a custom-designed walking tour of the Sunset Strip with LA Stories, lunch at the iconic Grand Central Market, rooftop cocktails at the new West Hollywood Edition Hotel and a Champagne toast during sunset on the helipad at Loews Hollywood Hotel.
The event buyers also took part in a walking tour of Downtown LA’s Arts District, which features transformed warehouses, galleries, breweries for events, as well as a day at the beach with Avital Food Tours through Venice, which included a sunset stop at the rooftop of Santa Monica Proper Hotel.
The trip culminated at the Staples Centre where the group watched the Grammy Awards from a private suite.
“We know that it is important to develop priceless experiences for meetings programming and this fam experience showed that LA can truly deliver,” said Sue Boyle, market manager for Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.
“In addition to a private suite at the Grammys, the group of Aussie buyers enjoyed a dinner by Michelin two-star chef Josiah Citrin at Openaire, hiked to the Hollywood Sign, experienced authentic LA neighbourhoods and received VIP treatment from some of LA’s newest luxury hotels.”
Despite the glitz and glam, Melissa Casey, who attended the famil and is state manager at Directions Conference & Incentive Management, said she was blown away by the options LA has for different price points.
“Hollywood is perfect for Australian groups of around 40 pax who enjoy a drink and nighttime activities,” she said.
“Downtown caters for the bigger conferences and conventions but still has its own unique personality, and Santa Monica to Venice is great if your group has a few extra days up their sleeve.
“What I really liked was that so many of the program activities are customisable so they can be adapted for the specifics of your group.”
The famil also showcased Downtown LA as a large conference destination, with site tours of Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A. LIVE entertainment district, JW Marriott L.A. LIVE, Westin Bonaventure Hotel and InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
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