The air is cool, fog rolls in, and the leaves begin dressing in fantastic colors. It's that time of year again when we slow down and wander in search of warm places to settle into. Travel Salem wants to help you up your coziness quotient this time of year, so here's a few ideas to help you do just that.

During the first four months of fiscal year 2011-12 Travel Salem’s PR efforts have secured $1.2 million in earned media coverage (a.k.a. media leverage), already exceeding the earned media secured over FY 2010-11. In FY 2010-11 Travel Salem’s earned media was up 63 percent over FY 2009-10. Some of the successful media pitches that Travel Salem secured included

Program designed to:

• Serve as a catalyst and showcase for revitalization and redevelopment
• Increase retail vitality and density
• Attract new and/or existing businesses to the downtown core

Open House to learn more about the program:

Local businesses are experiencing the benefits of the results-oriented marketing opportunities that Travel Salem offers its partners. Check out our newest

Featuring

The State of the Industry

Future Industry Trends Revealed

Keynote Speaker: Kevin Wright, Director of Consumer Marketing for Travel Oregon

November 17, 2011
11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Salem Conference Center
200 Commercial St. SE, Salem

Sponsored by:

Bookmark Bed & Breakfast

Don’t miss all the ways you can plug in. Save the following dates on your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out!

• November 17, 2011 - Marketing Exchange Luncheon - 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. - Salem Conference Center
• December 7, 2011 - First Wednesday - 5-8 p.m. - Travel Salem's Travel Cafe Visitors Center

Travel Salem has been ranked tenth on Oregon Business magazine’s “100 Best Nonprofit to Work For in Oregon” list. The ranking is determined by employee questionnaires and an independent assessment. Travel Salem was one of only nine Salem businesses recognized and the organization aggressively climbed the rankings from 24th last year to 10th  this year.

Nearly 5,500 employees from 170 nonprofits and not-for-profits statewide participated in this year’s survey developed by

PLACE:          Travel Salem’s Travel Café, 181 High St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
DAY:              Thursday, October 27, 2011
TIME:             3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Attendee testimonial: “The support they (Travel Salem) have for businesses is fantastic…For the membership fee this is a great way to spend your money and advertising dollars." -JoAnne Beilke, representing Adelman Peony Gardens and Keizer Heritage Foundation & Museum

Travel Salem’s members and interested community businesses are invited to join Travel Salem staff for a free session developed to help tourism professionals, visitor-related organizations, and other industry members wanting a better understanding of Travel Salem’s mission, how to get involved in its many opportunities and the potential benefits to your organization or business by partnering with your local destination marketing organization.

The Travel Salem 101 will include:

Local businesses are experiencing the benefits of the results-oriented marketing opportunities that Travel Salem offers its partners. Check out our newest

Don’t miss all the ways you can plug in. Save the following dates on your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out!

• October 27, 2011 - Travel Salem 101 - 3:30-5 p.m. - Travel Cafe (RSVPs required, tpreston@TravelSalem.com)
• November 17, 2011 - Marketing Exchange Luncheon - 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. - Salem Conference Center

Oregon Days of Culture
October 1 -8, 2011

In 2010, 65 Oregon cities and towns hosted 599 Days of Culture events: film screenings, live performances, tours, exhibits, readings, lectures, dinners, community gatherings, volunteer activities, and family events. From October 1st to 8th, Oregon communities converged across the state, from Ashland to Portland to Pendleton, from Eugene to Bend to Burns.

When we remember those who gave their lives in the aftermath of the September 11th Attacks, our hearts go out to people in public service industries who “show-up” everyday and work to make our community better: law enforcement, firefighters, nurses, school teachers and everyone who devotes their life to serving others. Salem wants to pay tribute to some of these people in our region who champion extraordinary causes.

Meet local hero

Annually Travel Salem distributes the Visitors Guide to 800 locations throughout Oregon, Washington, California and British Columbia. The Visitor Guide is also online at TravelSalem.com, available at the Travel Café (181 High St. NE) or you can order copies by contacting Barb Cowan, Travel Salem's guest services & volunteer coordinator at bcowan@TravelSalem.com or 503-581-4325, ext. 21.

Don’t miss all the ways you can plug in. Save the following dates on your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out!

• September 29, 2011 - Oregon's Wine Country License Plate Celebration - Willamette Valley Vineyards
  

Travel Salem recently launched a new Interactive Online Map, a media-rich tool on the TravelSalem.com website dedicated to promoting our beautiful region as a visitor destination. The Interactive Online Map (IOM) helps visitors plan their mid-Willamette Valley experience. Currently the map visually represents

Event has been canceled.

Travel Salem Marketing Exchange Luncheon

Featuring

Salem Regional Tourism Summit 

September 22, 2011
11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Willamette Heritage Center at The Mill
1313 Mill St. SE, Salem

Sponsored by: AMTRAK

If you haven’t already met Travel Salem’s Golden Pioneer, we’d like to introduce you to our pal Sal, everybody’s favorite guy because he is part of Travel Salem’s Golden Pioneer Giveaway, where visitors and folks in the community can win freebies if they log onto Travel Salem’s Facebook page. People have to “guess where the Golden Pioneer is,” in a kind of Where’s Waldo fashion or participate in other Travel Salem contests which change monthly.

Borrow Sal for the Day!

As members, you have the opportunity

Don’t miss all the ways you can plug in. Save the following dates on your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out!

• September 6, 2011 - First Wednesday - Travel Salem's Travel Cafe
• September 29, 2011 - Oregon's Wine Country License Plate Celebration - Willamette Valley Vineyards
  

Summer has arrived! The season of fun! It’s a great time to plan “staycations” close to home with family and friends: barefoot backyard BBQ’s, trolling on Detroit lake, live music at Salem’s Riverfront Park or days spent wine tasting through our region’s vineyards. I’d love to suggest a wonderful itinerary for those seeking adventure close to home. Don’t underestimate how

WHAT: SB 442 was recently signed into law by Governor John Kitzhaber establishing the Wine Country specialty license plate, the first initiative of its kind in the nation.

Plates will be available for

Don’t miss all the ways you can plug in. Save the following dates on your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out!

• September 7 - First Wednesday, Travel Cafe, 5-8 p.m.
• September 8-11 - Patriot Day Memorial "Field of Flags", Salem’s Riverfront Park
• September 22, 2011 - TOURISM SUMMIT - MC by Angie Morris, President & CEO, Travel Salem - Willamette Heritage Center at The Mill
  

Local businesses are experiencing the benefits of the results-oriented marketing opportunities that Travel Salem offers its partners. Check out our newest

This edition sponsored by:

TravelSalem.com has been redesigned! The new and improved website allows visitors to access our highest traffic pages resulting in longer visits! Rotating images on the home page captivate and encourage traveling to the Salem region.

Take a look at the new website, engage with us and, as always, send us your feedback. Please direct questions or comments to Kathie Reeves, marketing manager at 503-581-4325 ext. 24 or kreeves@TravelSalem.com.

By staying connected with Travel Salem, you will be one of the first to see our new Interactive Online Map that will launch in August! Travel Salem is always enhancing the visitors experience through innovative strategies in which you can engage.

On July 8th and 9th, Travel Salem hosted a handful of travel and food writers on a Familiarization (FAM) Tour through the Salem region. The hospitality and generosity of local businesses and organizations made the FAM tour a huge success.

We’d like to thank these businesses for contributing products for the writers welcome baskets: Willamette Valley Fruit Company, Smokin’ Mike’s Seafood Delights, The Arbor, Grand Vines, Cherry Country Orchard and Chocolate Factory, S.L.A.B Soap and Fresh to You Produce & Garden Center.

Travel Salem would like thank the participating businesses for their partnership and share the following details of the FAM tour to enlighten others about the richness of

Travel Salem
181 High St. NE
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

This is an “Everything but the kitchen sink!” type of First Wednesday at Travel Salem’s Travel Café. Visitors will find sauces, art, coffee, apparel, computers, sausage and wine. Stop by Travel Salem to enjoy these diverse offerings.