Board of Supervisors Unanimous: Lodging Association to Build on Campaign Success

Mendocino County, CA – (May 18, 2007) – The Mendocino County Lodging Association (MCLA) will continue its already successful marketing, advertising and public relations campaign into 2008—all to drive more visitors to the County, and enjoy the bounty of diverse activities, lodging, dining, wine and more. In a unanimous May 15 vote, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors approved the “BID” or business improvement district campaign for the MCLA. Just nine months old, the MCLA campaign continues to drive requests and bookings from visitors nationwide.

“We wanted to show the rest of the world what locals have always known – that Mendocino is one of the most breathtaking undiscovered vacation destinations in the world,” said Jeff Stanford, a member of the Mendocino Lodging Association (MCLA) and proprietor of the Stanford Inn by the Sea, “This MCLA BID was a County first and it took some time and coordination among members, but we know that this is in everyone’s best interest to continue this campaign.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the exposure we have gotten to date,” added Scott Schneider, Executive Director of the MCLA, and the person entrusted with administering the advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns underwritten by the BID. “We have had everyone from daily newspapers to venerable high-end travel books to hip, cutting-edge websites come to the County and overwhelmingly, the coverage has raved about how friendly, accessible, beautiful, and hospitable we are as a travel destination.”

In 2006, a volunteer committee of business owners from the MCLA envisioned a new business improvement district to raise funds to promote the county. After an exhaustive process, they selected Ozone Advertising and HypeHouse Public Relations, two San Francisco firms renowned for their innovative ideas and boundless energy, to carry out the campaign.

“As a volunteer board, we have been pleased with the support we have gotten from the community at large,” Schneider continued, “In fact; we recently announced a formal alliance with the newly formed Mendocino Wine and Winegrape and Wine Commission, the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance and the Arts Council of Mendocino County. All of these great minds working together can’t help but propel us forward into an even more exciting year of successful events and positive attention.”

*A Business Improvement District (BID) is a type of special assessment district where an industry chooses to assess itself to provide funds to address a common need — in this case, the promotion of tourism in Mendocino County.

Mendocino County has an abundance of lodging options to suit the tastes of all visitors, from bed & breakfasts and romantic inns to resort accommodations and vacation rentals. Additional information is available at www.gomendo.com or by calling 866-STAY-MENDO. The purpose of the Mendocino County Lodging Association (MCLA) is to provide a forum to define and promote the general interests of its members and the Lodging industry in Mendocino County. To learn more, visit www.mcla.info.