Monday, July 26, 2010

The OC Forever Summer Sweepstakes!

The Orange County Tourism Council is offering some unbelievable vacation packages to the ultimate giveaway getaway, Orange County, Southern California.

Enter now for a chance to win one of 8 totally original vacations — each customized with unique experiences, packed with sea, sun, style and fun for all, from the area’s hottest spots. From breathtaking oceanfront dining to world-famous theme parks — you’ll discover that the sun-soaked experiences are endless in The OC!


The ultimate giveaway getaway for Costa Mesa, CA includes TWO nights stay on a Friday and Saturday at our very own, Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel  PLUS two tickets to the Orange County Performing Arts Center , the Ultimate Shopping Experience at South Coast Plaza, including a $1,000 Gift Certificate, and lunch at award winning Charlie Palmer Restaurant, complimentary valet parking, access to the VIP suite amenities, a dedicated concierge, and a personal shopping to guide you to your choice of over 250 boutiques and stores.  

Be sure to enter daily for more chances to win. And don’t forget to send the link to your friends & family — because if they win you could be sitting next to them en route to The OC! http://sn.im/ocsweeps

Content ends August 31, 2010. 

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Social Media Day in the OC!

Yesterday, I attended Mashable.com Social Media Day representing @HiltonCostaMesa at the Orange County Register (@ocreggie) office located in Santa Ana, CA.  Santa Ana's (Orange County) meetup was ranked 4th largest in the world and 2nd largest in the US, behind NYC, based on attendance.  The ranking did not surprise me as I have previously attended many local tweetups and larger Social Media events within the past year which only seem to grow larger and more frequent.   The hotel also hosted a Social Media event partnered with "ConnectOC" back in February which drew in nearly 400 social media folks in the building.

According to Mashable.com, Social Media Day is defined as "A day that honors the technological and societal advancements that have allowed us to have a dialogue, to connect and to engage not only the creators of media, but perhaps more importantly, one another." This was a truly unique event clearly fueled by social media that included various food trucks (@longboards, @calbibbq, @tropshaveice, @piaggioonwheels, @Ohforsweetssake, @TheTacoDawg, @BrcelonaOntheGo), speakers, a press room tour, and connecting with other professionals IRL (in real life).

I showed up a bit late and missed the first few speakers, but eventually met up with my hospitality friends in social media @TravelCostaMesa (Costa Mesa CVB), @HiltonAnaheim and @Anaheim_OC (Anaheim/OC CVB).  Each speaker had a 10 minute run with a different topic or theme.  I sat in the overflow room just in time to hear @rochelleveturis speak on the topic of "Putting a personal touch behind your social media efforts".  One of her messages: "A personal brand isn't a logo. Every piece of content is a clue (in building your brand)". Robert Watson @TopBrokerOC, on "Executing a social media business plan" said "People buy people before they buy products".  Robert being in the real estate industry, knows there is nothing more important than referrals and stresses the importance of using Linkedin.  Bryan Elliott @BryanElliott, founder of LinkedOC spoke on "Building passionate social communities" and Ted Nguyen, the Communications Manager of Orange County Transportation Authority spoke on how to "Utilize social media for issues/crisis management". 

Some very powerful messages were made from some pretty influential social media folks.  Like Bryan Elliott said "Join groups that are relevant to you. Surround yourself with people way smarter than you".  If you are new to Social Media, the message is clear: don't be afraid.  Everyone using social media is here to support each other.  Follow the hashtag #SMDayOC for more information. 

Be sure to follow us on twitter @HiltonCostaMesa