Friday, June 24, 2011

LDPR’s Meredith Phares recently returned from Villa del Palmar Cancun...














































I’m just back from sunny Mexico, where we hosted a group of travel writers at Villa del Palmar Cancun, a new luxury resort on serene Playa Mujeres. Throughout our four days, we enjoyed the resort’s pristine beach and pools, swam with whale sharks, toured future additions to the resort and, of course, enjoyed fresh guacamole and margaritas. Swimming with the whale sharks was an incredible experience. They’re actually neither whales nor sharks, but the biggest fish in the sea and only eat plankton – who knew? We wrapped up our visit to Villa del Palmar Cancun in a most magical way – dining on gourmet cuisine at sunset on the balcony of the penthouse suite. Hasta la próxima vez, Cancun!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

How Social Media Is Changing Paid, Earned & Owned Media


"Earned Media" is where PR thrives! Check out this great article on Mashable.com that takes a closer look at social media in the marketing mix...

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Curtain Bluff Resort Offers Free Weddings this July!


Curtain Bluff Resort in Antigua has just announced a deal that will make couples really want to say “I Do!” this summer. For the month of July, the resort is offering FREE WEDDINGS (featured on Brides.com!) Couples getting married at Curtain Bluff have their choice of venues at the resort including the beach, garden gazebo, and the deck of The Bluff House, with sweeping, panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea and the setting sun. The wedding includes the marriage license fees, wedding officer’s fees, a cocktail reception following the ceremony and the wedding cake.

Curtain Bluff is a fully-inclusive resort that specializes in offering personalized, memorable experiences – the property features 72 rooms (all of which have a view of the Caribbean Sea) and a breathtaking waterfront spa. Weddings ceremonies can take place Monday – Saturday at Curtain Bluff. To book a wedding, contact Wendy Eardly or call 1-888-289-9898.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Just Back From...PRSA in San Antonio!


LDPR's Lorianne Lacey shares her experience while attending the PRSA Conference in San Antonio, Texas on behalf of the agency.

I recently had the privilege of traveling to San Antonio to attend the PRSA Travel and Tourism Conference on behalf of LDPR. After having made many an airline connection at various Texas airports (DFW, IAH, HOU) this was my first time actually stepping out into the state. San Antonio is a beautiful city rich in a culture influenced by Spanish missions. Its River Walk (created for when the city hosted The World’s Fair) is fun to stroll as you pass by the numerous restaurants and shops. It’s not surprising to hear serenades from several Mariachi bands over the course of a walk.

One of the key takeaways I learned was how important it is that the travel industry is “going mobile” (a pretty natural fit when you think about it!). More consumers are looking to their apps and mobile devices when booking travel stays. The majority of the business booked on these devices is for same-day stays, so it is very important that hotels and destinations have a presence in this space.

I also attended several panel discussions led by media experts to glean the latest industry trends. For spa travel, consumers are looking for more sustainable, local ingredients. The romance travel panel discussed the trend of “Encore Weddings” - big ceremonies, usually incorporating children, for second marriages.

It was a great opportunity to attend this conference and stay on top of current travel industry trends while meeting some interesting new colleagues ranging from one-person firms to large CVBs. Looking forward to starting the summer off with these new perspectives!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

LDPR Recognizes Dana Curatolo - Rising PR Star!


At LDPR we are thrilled to recognize one of our super star employees Dana Curatolo, who was recently promoted to an Assistant Account Executive. Dana joined LDPR as an intern in 2008, and so impressed us with her can-do attitude and budding PR skills that we hired her full time in November of 2009. Dana hit the ground running, coming up with creative media pitches and ideas for her clients. She also has a true knack for social media – you may see her tweeting about LDPR’s clients and other interesting travel-related news. When asked what she liked best about working at LDPR, Dana responded, “You know you love what you’re doing when it really doesn’t feel like work.”

Please join us in congratulating Dana (@dlcuratolo)!

Just Back From...TBEX in Vancouver!



LDPR's Kelly Brewer shares her experience while attending TBEX 2011 on behalf of the agency.

Despite a crushing loss by the Vancouver Canucks in game 7 of the Stanley Cup, I’m still remembering the city fondly. I was in Vancouver to attend TBEX 2011. This was my first time attending the conference and I was looking forward to finally meeting some of the bloggers that LDPR has been working with for awhile. And of course it was great to see familiar faces, including both current and former clients! I think we can officially say that social media continues to be a key aspect of our industry so I enjoyed hearing panels on how best to work with bloggers while speaking candidly on measurement and ROI. As fellow publicists discussed how they determined success in social media, I think we all appreciated hearing directly from the bloggers as well. We had a preview on a new database launching in the fall called TBEX Connect, which should better help us qualify the bloggers we work with. Watch this space for more on that! Jennifer Miner from The Vacation Gals (@JenniferMiner) also conducted a panel on SEO and I came away with better insight on this topic to share with our clients.

I was excited to see Vancouver for the first time so I made sure to explore the city. A walk along the sea wall not far from the Convention Center was absolutely beautiful. Yet despite my newfound love of the Pacific Northwest, I can’t help but get excited for TBEX 2012 at LDPR’s client Keystone, Colorado! I’m sure the Vail Resorts team won’t disappoint and TBEX extraordinaire Kim Mance (@KimMance) will arrange another fantastic conference. See you there!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Just Back From...Montana!


What a group! LDPR's Carla Tracy (center) with journalists from (left to right) Meetings Focus, Smart Meetings, Successful Meetings and Prevue Magazine.


LDPR's Carla Tracy just returned from The Resort at Paws Up in Montana.

Meet you in Montana! I'm just back from The Resort at Paws Up – a luxury ranch resort in Greenough, Montana, and the KING of all “glamping” (glamorous camping) resorts – where we hosted top meetings media for the grand opening of Pinnacle Camp and a preview of the new group facility, The Bull Barn. To be the first to stay at Pinnacle Camp, The Resort at Paws Up’s most luxurious tented accommodation to date, was quite a thrill — it’s mind blowing: a master bath with heated slate floors and full jetted tub in a TENT? Yes, please. This is our kind of camping. Between the Big Sky setting along the Blackfoot River, the incredible adventures (Cattle Drive, Blackfoot River Float, ATV’ing and a trip to Spa Town being the favorites amongst our group), our Camping Butlers helping us perfect our s’more making skills (one named Morgan who is nicknamed S’Morgan really says it all), and the variety of unique group spaces and special dining options, this was a FAM trip that made an indelible impression on how terrific Paws Up is for groups and special events. And great memories with new friends!

Here's a video to experience your own bit of Paws Up glamping!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island is a "Teenage Dream" this Summer


The Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island just announced what has got to be the ultimate teenage girl’s summer getaway. The luxury resort is teaming up with Seventeen Magazine to put on a 5-day Fantasy Camp designed to not only indulge every girly girl’s beauty/fashion dreams, but to boost confidence and self-esteem. The 5-day camp (July 25-28) will be hosted by Seventeen writers and best-selling author, activist, and Seventeen contributor Katherine Schwarzenegger -- celebrated for her inspiring book Rock What You Got, helping teens develop a positive sense of self.

In addition to exploring Atlantis — Aquaventure waterpark, swimming with dolphins, enormous open-air marine life habitats — campers get to treat themselves to a spa party, magazine “cover shoot” with a Seventeen photographer, fitness classes, confidence-boosting sessions, fashion trend chats, entrée to CRUSH (the premiere teen dance/gaming venue), and much more.

Seventeen Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket said, “As the iconic teen brand, we’re thrilled to be able to talk to girls in a brand new way – and at such a fun location!”

If you know a teenage girl whose parents are cool enough to send her on this trip – forward this along! And where do we sign up our teenage-selves?!

http://www.atlantis.com/camps/fantasycamps/seventeenfantasycamp.aspx

LDPR

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For over 20 years LDPR has guided some of the world’s most prestigious travel brands through an evolving media landscape with creativity, professionalism and enthusiasm. We are a highly driven and innovative travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City with a global roster of clients from destinations and tour companies to exclusive private islands, hotels and resorts. Our unique culture is defined by our collaborative and strategic approach to working with clients, media and our staff, leading to a strong partnership with measurable results.