Tourism Industry News & Resources | | This partner communication exists to provide updates on Sonoma County Tourism’s programs and offerings, along with additional news and resources to support Sonoma County’s tourism and hospitality industry. | | |
Each and every day, the Sonoma County Tourism team shows up. The team brings passion, talent, destination knowledge and an enormous commitment to creating the most compelling and competitive destination possible. In the next several newsletters, I will introduce you to the departments at SCT and some of the ways you can be incredibly proud of these people and their work on behalf of you, our partners and the overall tourism industry. I’m going to start with the often-unsung heroes on our small, but mighty PR team.
The team is comprised of Biggi Vaughan, Director of Public Relations and Chris Vomvolakis, Senior Manager of Consumer Public Relations. This team works tirelessly to engage local, regional, national and international media to pitch intriguing stories about what makes this place such an incredible choice for travelers. And they’ve been enormously successful!
During the first half of 2026, Sonoma County was featured in the following selected outlets:
Alaska Airlines recently brought its Influencer Ambassadors to the destination, and so did Southwest Airlines. They reported having an amazing visit!
From July – December 2026, 27 in-market media visits are scheduled (more will surely come as the year progresses). These journalists will see first-hand why Sonoma County is worth an article or two.
Biggi is a great brand ambassador both at home and abroad. In the next couple of months, she will represent Sonoma County at the upcoming International Media Marketplace LUX conference and at the Brand USA Travel Week.
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Why is this important? SCT has a PR-driven marketing campaign. What does this mean? It means that the storytelling done through the articles written and conveyed by critical third-party journalists, whether in traditional or social media, lays the foundation for our brand. Paid advertising can support, but the core of the brand storytelling sits squarely with the PR team. They, along with our agency of record at FINN Partners, take this responsibility very seriously.
For more information, please sign up to receive our PR Coverage Report, which offers a curated overview of recent Sonoma County media coverage our team secured through pitching and relationships, including national outlets and international publications. Sent every two months, it highlights how the destination is being portrayed and where your stories appear. It’s a useful way to stay informed, identify trends, and understand the collective impact of our combined efforts.
And, if you have any news you’d like us to share, SCT publishes a “What’s New” quarterly release. Send your information to publicrelations@sonomacounty.com to be shared with the hundreds of media on that distribution list!
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In This Issue:
- Rapid Connections Networking Event - September 3
- Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality - September 9
- Hospitality Industry Mixer - September 10
- Update Your Evacuation Zone
- Special Offers Opportunity For Our Partners
- SCT's Annual Meeting - Save the Date October 1
- Ugliest Dog Contest Wows on the National Stage
- From Our Partners
| | Rapid Connections | Thursday, September 3 | | |
Some of the best ideas don’t start with a pitch. They start with the right conversation.
Rapid Connections brings together visitor-facing businesses for short, structured, intentionally paired conversations that lead to real collaborations, from co-branded experiences and seasonal packages to referrals and long-term partnerships that drive visitation and increase length of stay.
This is networking with purpose, designed for business owners and decision-makers ready to build what’s next.
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Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026
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Time: 9:30-11:30am (doors open at 9:00am)
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Location: Sonoma County Tourism,
3558 Round Barn Blvd., Suite 112, Santa Rosa
Coffee, light bites, and meaningful conversation with fellow partners will be part of the morning.
Space is limited by design to ensure meaningful connections, and interest is consistently high. RSVP early to secure your seat.
Questions about the session? Contact us by email.
| | Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality - Next Session September 9 | | |
Sonoma County Tourism invites you to register for the next sessions of Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality: a new complimentary training now available to Sonoma County partners and a key next step in our Wine Country for All of Us initiative. Whether you are a winery, lodging property, attraction, visitor center or any business, this is a unique and guaranteed opportunity to learn things you may not be thinking of in your guest service experience.
Discover how you can learn how to truly meet each visitor where they are.
Karin Demarest, Principal of Demarest Strategy Group, will present the secrets based on research across 17 traveler identities, offering practical tools and perspectives to help your team.
Look for upcoming sessions in October, January, March and May here.
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Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
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Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
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Location: Sonoma County Tourism,
3558 Round Barn Blvd. Suite 112, Santa Rosa
| | Hospitality Industry Mixer - September 10 | | |
Time to close out summer and toast the harvest season!
Make new connections as our hosts, Trione Vineyards & Winery, welcome us to explore their amazing property and fantastic wines. Enjoy local bites and great conversation with other hospitality and tourism partners from across the county.
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Date: Thursday, September 10, 2026
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Time: 5:00-7:00pm
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Location: Trione Vineyards & Winery
19550 Geyserville Avenue, Geyserville, CA
RSVP TODAY! This event fills quickly. Questions? Contact tkoch@sonomacounty.com.
| | Update Your Evacuation Zone | | |
With the recent Jenner fires and fire season underway, we want to ensure we have the most accurate emergency information available for visitors.
Please take a few moments to log in to your Hospitality Hub account and verify that your property's evacuation zone information is up to date.
Accurate evacuation zone details help us communicate effectively during emergency situations and support visitor safety.
How to update your evacuation zone:
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Log into the Hospitality Hub
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From the left-hand dashboard, select Profile
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Click Business Accounts
- Select your account
- If you manage multiple accounts, please update each one
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Under Account, click Edit
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Select the General tab
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Scroll to the Evacuation Zone section and choose your zone from the dropdown
- Instructions are also included at the top of this section
How to find your evacuation zone:
Visit: https://socoemergency.org/get-ready/evacuation-map/
Search for your address, then select the corresponding zone in the Hospitality Hub.
If you’re unable to locate your evacuation zone, please reach out to hospitalityhub@sonomacounty.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to review and update your information as needed.
| | ASTA Travel Advisor Special Offers – Opportunity for Sonoma County Partners | | |
This November 12 and 13, Sonoma County will welcome approximately 100 travel advisors from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) for their Bay Area Chapter annual event at the Flamingo Resort & Spa.
We are inviting our hotel, resort, winery, restaurant, attractions and excursion partners to submit a special offer or travel industry rate exclusively for ASTA attendees. This could include:
- Special hotel or resort rates
- Complimentary or discounted tastings
- Dining offers
- Reduced or complimentary admission
- Special pricing on tours, excursions or experiences
- Other travel advisor perks or incentives
Because this is ASTA’s Bay Area Chapter, you may also want to consider an evergreen offer that extends beyond the November event. Many of these advisors are close enough to return to Sonoma County another time, giving them another opportunity to experience your property or product firsthand. The better they know Sonoma County, the better equipped they are to recommend and sell it to their clients.
Offers are due September 25, 2026. Please send us the details of your offer, including any restrictions, blackout dates, booking instructions, and expiration date.
Interested in meeting the advisors in person?
Sonoma County partners interested in participating in the trade show are also welcome to attend. Please reach out to Kathy Santos at kathy@kgset.com for additional details.
Submit here: American Society of Travel Advisors Industry Offers – Fill out form
Thank you for helping us showcase the breadth of experiences Sonoma County has to offer. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to welcoming ASTA to Sonoma County.
| | Save the Date: SCT's Annual Meeting - October 1 | |
Join us for Sonoma County Tourism's Annual Meeting. Looking at the year in review but highlighting upcoming program and opportunities you won't want to miss.
A day full of opportunities to connect with SCT and other industry partners, attend the general meeting with key topic presenters, and several breakout sessions with take aways and implementation for your business.
Ticket sales will open soon.
Any questions or interested in sponsoring? CommunityEngagement@sonomacounty.com
| | Ugliest Dog Contest Wows on the National Stage | |
The New York Times featured the 50th anniversary of the Ugliest Dog Contest, conducted in concert with the Sonoma County Fair, in its daily enewsletter (more than 17 million subscribers): Meet Jinny Lu, the World’s Ugliest Dog of 2026 - The New York Times. Not only that, it was the most clicked on article for that day!
Of course there are no ugly dogs, just ones with a bit more character than others, but Jinny Lu took the crown this year.
Congratulations to all!
| | Cheers to 40 years of Marimar Estate! | |
Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery is celebrating 40 years since proprietor Marimar Torres planted the first Chardonnay vines at Don Miguel Vineyard,
named in honor of her father.
Over the past four decades, Marimar Estate has grown from a single Chardonnay vineyard into a celebrated producer of estate-grown wines. As Marimar Estate marks this milestone anniversary, it celebrates four decades of winemaking, sustainable farming, and family stewardship in Sonoma County, while looking ahead to the next generation under the leadership of General Manager Cristina Torres.
Congratulations!
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The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber is thrilled to announce the launch of the Work Life Initiative Program and Awards - a new opportunity to recognize Sonoma County employers that are creating workplaces where employees can thrive both professionally and personally.
The Chamber is asking employers of all sizes to complete a workplace assessment survey focused on practices such as flexibility, family leave, child care support, employee wellness, and workplace culture. If someone else in your organization is more familiar with these areas, we’d appreciate you passing this along to your HR leader or another appropriate member of your leadership team.
Learn more and take the assessment here: https://www.santarosametrochamber.com/programs/workplace-workforce-innovation/work-life-initiative-awards/ (Currently in English and Spanish.)
This initiative is part of the Chamber’s broader Workplace & Workforce Innovation work and is made possible with funding from First 5 Sonoma County and Measure I.
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