JANUARY 18, 2022

A dynamic new leader is bringing fresh energy and vision to the Inland Empire’s travel industry. Freddy Bi took the helm of Discover Inland Empire as President and CEO in January 2021, and in less than a year’s time, has already made a big mark and completely reinvented the organization. He hired a diverse leadership team, built a talented sales and marketing force, secured new funding sources, and launched strategic international partnerships—among other accomplishments. And he’s just getting started.

JUNE 21, 2021

Since March 2017, Doane Liu has led the charge to further enhance and increase Los Angeles’ prominence and appeal as a world-class destination in his role of Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Tourism Department. One of his first orders of business was to create the city’s first-ever Tourism Master Plan, which was released in April 2020 after years of extensive research and development. The impressive, forward-thinking set of recommendations which was devised to help the City of Los Angeles optimize its potential as a global destination for the benefit of its 3.9 million residents may have been overshadowed by the pandemic, but now it’s serving as part of the city’s comeback solution.

MARCH 30, 2021

The California tourism family welcomed Jay Burress into our fold back in 2013, when he stepped into the role of President & CEO of Visit Anaheim. Between his five-year tenure leading Experience Arlington and 20 years working in Sales & Marketing for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, Burress has significant (Texas-sized!) experience with large-scale, high-profile events. Think World Series, World Cups, and Super Bowls…including the Super Bowl of the U.S. travel industry, IPW. So, it’s quite fitting and fortunate for California that Burress is deeply involved in shaping Anaheim and Orange County’s visitor industry and product development, including the noteworthy, multi-million-dollar expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center.

JANUARY 14, 2021

The latest subject of our Member Spotlight is Brittany DiBlasi, a rising star in California’s travel industry who consistently goes above-and-beyond the call of duty. Between her current role of Sales Manager at aRes Travel Inc and her volunteer work for CalTravel, Brittany’s determination, effervescent energy, and work ethic always shine through. A few years ago, Brittany took the reins of the CalTravel’s social media committee. Even while juggling the endlessly stressful demands of her day job during the tumultuous early months of the pandemic’s tidal wave of cancellations, she remained dedicated to helping CalTravel connect with its members and industry community virtually.

DECEMBER 10, 2020

No doubt, the pandemic has had—and continues to have—a devastating effect on our industry, the economy, and the health and welfare of so many. Yet, it’s the abundance of creative pivots and heartwarming demonstrations of human kindness and generosity that have made getting through this challenging time more bearable and even enriching. The subject of our latest Member Spotlight, Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, President & CEO of San Diego Convention Center, can attest to this. The many ways he and his team have pitched in to support their community in a critical time of need demonstrate that the power of travel has not been diminished.

OCTOBER 29, 2020

When we sat down to discuss the ideal candidate to feature in the first edition of CalTravel’s Member Spotlight series reboot, it was unanimous that we wanted Jean Paul (JP) Zapata. If you tuned into our DEI webinar in September, you heard from JP, who offered valuable insights as a passionate advocate for advancing DEI in the travel industry. With over 12 years of experience in English and Spanish-speaking roles across travel, politics, and fashion, today he specializes in media relations, crisis communications, and social media strategy.