New Ventura County Lodging Association Launches Marketing Campaign

VENTURA, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 30, 2012) - Fifty-eight hotels, motels, inns and RV campsites in Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura have formed the Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA) to attract overnight leisure and business visitors to the area. VCLA's marketing campaign, "VenturaCountyWest, Inspiring Choices," highlights the area's miles of beaches, waterfronts, historic downtowns, shopping, wineries, variety of accommodations and award-winning restaurants. The campaign, which is being created by theAgency, a full-service advertising firm in Camarillo, officially kicks off April 1 with print, broadcast, social and online media outreach.

"Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura are all about an hour's drive north from Los Angeles so they make easy, quick getaways for tourists, and convenient meeting places for businesses," says Victor Dollar, general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort and chair of the Ventura County Lodging Association. "One of our goals is to reach out to meeting planners to let them know we have more than 200,000 square feet of conference and meeting rooms available and more than 4,000 guest rooms -- from beachfront locations to facilities featuring breathtaking mountain views."

Although VCLA is made up of lodging providers, members of the organization know that attractions, both natural and man-made, are a big reason visitors come to the area. VenturaCountyWest features the ocean on one side and the Topatopa Mountains on the other. Whale watching, sports fishing, kayaking, surfing, excursions to Channel Islands National Park, hiking and biking are available for outdoor types. Wine tasting, extraordinary golfing, antiquing, outlet shopping and a vibrant nightlife bring others to the area. VenturaCountyWest also features such noted museums as the Commemorative Air Force Museum (Camarillo), Mullin Automotive Museum (Oxnard) and the Ventura County Maritime Museum (Oxnard).

"Accessibility, affordability and quality of location and facilities are what's important to tourists and meeting planners," says David Dreher, general manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott at River Ridge Golf Club. "The three cities in our VenturaCountyWest campaign have always had these qualities plus a year-round perfect climate. It's time we got the word out."

Meeting rooms can accommodate groups from 10 to 1,000 guests and come in a variety of venues -- beachfront, historic, full-service hotel conference centers and parks. Marriott Courtyard in Camarillo, for example, provides an intimate environment for small groups and weddings. Mandalay Beach Embassy Suites offers a resort atmosphere right on the beach in Oxnard with 16,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Ventura Beach Marriott is within walking distance to the city's historic pier. Midweek rates are designed to attract business travelers.

"VenturaCountyWest is made up of three distinctly different cities, all offering their own unique and inspiring opportunities for fun, leisure and adventure," says Mitchell Crespi, general manager of the Courtyard Marriott in Camarillo. "The area is still one of the best kept secret spots in California."

For more information, go to www.VenturaCountyWest.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VenturaCountyWest.

Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA)
The Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA) is comprised of lodging facilities and destination marketing organizations in the California cities of Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura. VCLA represents 61 members including hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, RV Resorts, resort rentals, the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, Oxnard Convention & Visitors Bureau and Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau. Its marketing campaign, "VenturaCountyWest, Inspiring Choices," is designed to attract overnight leisure and business visitors to the region. www.venturacountywest.com www.facebook.com/venturacountywest