Wednesday March 24th…

“Targeting the Affluent One-by-One… All 71 Million of Them”

Join us as we probe the perfect marriage of data, marketing savvy and accessible user-friendly technology to individually target America’s affluent consumers.

For event details click here
To RSVP here

Wednesday March 31st…

“Taste the Fine Wines of Sonoma County…And We’re Picking up the Tab”

Featuring more than 25 wines from Sonoma County’s finest wineries and estates including:

• Chateau Felice
• DeLoach Vineyards
• Emeritus Vineyards
• Forth Vineyards
• Medlock-Ames
• Hanna Winery & Vineyards
• Inman Family Wines
• Montemaggiore
• Mueller Winery
• Ravenswood
• Seghesio Family Winery
• Simi

For event details click here
To RSVP click here

Programs are presented without charge to members and invited guests of The Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco

Attendance is by invitation only and is subject to a confirmed reservation

Dress code is business or business casual

For an analysis of which social media tools are your best bet, CMO.com turned to 97th Floor, an SEO and social media firm. (Full disclosure: CMO.com is a 97th Floor client.) Here’s 97th Floor’s take on 10 social network choices.

For a downloadable PDF version of the chart, click here

Professionalism is paramount at Vanguard Properties and we base our culture on an unwavering belief that we can make a difference in your real estate buying or selling experience.

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution.  As your Vanguard representative, we will commit ourselves to understanding your individual needs and we will promise to provide you with the kind of quality service that will exceed your expectations. Visit www.vanguardsf.com to learn more.

• In September 2008 Booz & Company conducted a survey to understand how consumers were adapting their spending in the face of greater economic uncertainty
• A year later we refreshed our findings to better understand how the worst recession since World War II is affecting consumers’ attitudes and buying behaviors …
• …as well as how more structural, longer-term forces (e.g., media fragmentation, heightened retail format competition, growth in online research and e-commerce) are shaping consumer behavior
• To meet these objectives, we conducted an online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers in October 2009, with a sample representative across demographics, geographies, product categories, and retail formats
• We integrated the survey results with other insights from our extensive client work across the marketing and media ecosystem for a broad set of consumer spending categories
• This report includes our summary findings and perspective on implications for consumer marketers and retailers

This report is only available to members of The Luxury Marketing Council

LuxeSF: Let’s start off with a background on Stephen Suzman and the company.

Suzman: I was born in South Africa and educated at the University of Witwatersrand. After living in France and Italy for several months I went on to Oxford where I read modern languages – French and Italian.  I returned to South Africa, worked in family businesses- and anti-apartheid politics. I decided to pursue a business degree in the U.S. at Stanford from 1972-74. After graduation, I worked for a bank and as a head hunter in the finance and accounting industry for about 8 years.

I have always been passionate about gardens and had spent a lot of my time when I was in Europe visiting houses and gardens. one day in 1982, Randy Hester, who was then about to become the Chairman of the Department of Landscape Architecture at UC Berkeley visited me and said  “What a lovely garden.  Why don’t you do this for a living?” So off I went to study at the Inchbald School of Design in the UK and following that, came back to the Bay Area and started working for a landscape architect Steven Marcus. My very first design was for a fragrant garden at Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma run by Rosarian Ray Reddell. Shortly after this garden was installed, I met Paul Wiseman a celebrated interior designer who recognized my talents long before I did and he began to promote me heavily. So that is how I got started.

LuxeSF: And the firm is how big today?

Suzman: It’s now about 21 people, down from over 35 during the dotcom boom. Todd Cole and I joined forces after the dotcom bust. Our combined talents dovetailed neatly and created considerable design synergy.  Todd, who hails from upstate New York, was trained in North Carolina and Philadelphia and had produced a significant body of very beautiful gardens and estates. Before founding his own firm, he worked for several prestigious firms on Long Island, in Philadelphia, Denver and Santa Barbara. Currently, SCDA is in the process of creating a number of synergistic alliances with other landscape design firms in order to increase both our range of design style, such as Japanese, and market sector penetration.

LuxeSF: To the extent that you’re allowed to talk about them, what are two or three major assignments that you’ve undertaken during your career?

Suzman: The first really big job that I got was working for Jeanne and Sandy Robertson on Francisco Street, in partnership with architect Sandy Walker and Paul Wiseman. It was the oldest house in San Francisco. The house underwent a major remodel without sacrificing its character. It is built on a double lot – rather a large site for San Francisco with quite a lot of hardscape challenges, and my aim was to ensure that it looked as if the landscape had always been there. We removed a number of overgrown trees, and used all of the bricks on the paths to extend existing retaining walls. We had to go to the East Coast to find old looking brick to match for the new paving. The clients didn’t want the garden to look too showy at any one time. So, one of the features of the garden was importing huge specimen Rhododendrons mostly provided by Paul Molinari of Enjoy Rhododendrons which bloom sequentially from February through May. The key to their success over 20 years has been extensive soil preparation and excellent follow up maintenance.

Another assignment that I’m very proud of is the Locksley Hall job in Belvedere .I was invited by the architect Sandy Walker and interior designer Suzanne Tucker to enter a competition which our firm won. We re-graded the site to make it look as if there had always been a terraced garden around this Italian-Victorian house.  Part of this  major renovation included underground change rooms, hydraulically-operated bronze gates, a pergola with  monolithic  Chinese sandstone columns with teak  beams and joists, custom  bronze railings ,fountains, pool safety fence and light fixtures.  Many of the custom metal details were derived by landscape architect Jean Schaffeld from a Julia Morgan light fixture and gate that were already on the property .We created major retaining walls veneered with stone salvaged from the facades of houses from villages drowned by the Yangtze Dam. Steps and paving utilized slabs from old granite roads. This project took about five years to design and build.

I’m also very proud of a job I did in Los Altos Hills, Morgan Manor for Kelly and Christina Porter, in conjunction with Richard Beard and Lisa Victor of BAR Architects.  It was an ‘Edwardian Tudor’ mansion built in the 1920’s that never had a proper garden.  It had been used as a girls’ school after the 1929 crash and had asphalt coming right up to the house.  What I did, through judicious re-grading was to create a garden that looked as if it might have been built by the Edwardians in the Tudor style. We developed a gracious entry, a large pool terrace with fountains and axially located great lawn off the main entrance, culminating in a focal point of a grassy, conical Tudor Mound.

LuxeSF: The most expensive job you’ve done?

Suzman: We’ve had several jobs where the landscape budgets have been in excess of $5 million…some were more than $10 million.  Some of the big ticket items include the length and height of retaining walls, the extent of paving (particularly if expensive stone is selected), the number and size of specimen trees and the complexity of any water and fire features. Sculpture can also be expensive.

But on average, most of our jobs cost between $250,000 and a million.  Most of our swimming pool/spas will cost between $80,000 and $200,000. But let me stress that we also do small jobs, where the total installation cost is under $100,000. And we do consultations where clients can get a lot of benefit from a two-hour session.

LuxeSF: The ideal assignment for you is what?

Suzman: The three big jobs that I have outlined earlier were all traditional jobs…Victorian, Italian-Victorian and Tudor-Edwardian.  But we also like to design cutting edge contemporary work, courtyard gardens, tropical gardens and simple, rural gardens. Todd in particular has designed some spectacular contemporary gardens including a private resort in Kona, Hawaii with several custom water and fire features, and a restrained contemporary desert house in Scottsdale, Arizona.

We consider our firm as deliberately non-iconic. We are site-specific, architecture-appropriate and client-directed.  So, an ideal job for us is principally one with interesting clients who are open to suggestion and who have ideas of their own.  Secondly, we like to do jobs of a certain size, because it is much more cost-effective not having to go from job to job.  We like to work in areas and styles we haven’t worked in before.  We would like to be working with clients who have an interest in being somewhat “green”, although that’s not our driving force.

We are promoting a number of water and energy saving devices and lower carbon footprints for the client who wants to go in that direction. Stone, while expensive can be considered as ‘green’ because it generally lasts for thousands of years and once it has been quarried and delivered requires little maintenance. Concrete requires a great deal of energy to produce and has a relatively short life span.

Our geographic reach traditionally has been from Cloverdale to Alamo to Pebble Beach and Carmel.  We have worked in Southern California.  We do a lot of work in Hawaii, and have handled assignments in Montana, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, Delaware, Martha’s Vineyard, Upstate New York, Paris and Dorset, England.  We are currently involved in a large, formal French style garden in Indonesia.

LuxeSF: The motivation for extensive exterior landscaping – is it appreciation of beauty?  Enhancement of lifestyle?  “Look what my money can buy?”

Suzman: Its many different things.  In a city it’s privacy or an extension of the indoor space, especially in mild climates.  In a country property it can be how do I connect the man-made to the natural? How do I connect the indoors with the outdoors?  What are the recreational needs of my family?  Do I want a pool?  Do I want a tennis court?  Do I want a bocce ball court?  Do I have children?  What do they need?  How do I entertain?  Do I want meditation?  Do I want serenity?  Is this a retreat or is it a place where I entertain my business guests?  Do I love flowers and plants?  And some of it is indeed for show.  People have different attitudes toward what they want, and it’s up to us to show them what’s possible.

LuxeSF: Do you think there’s one dominant motivation?

Suzman: Most people want to put too many elements into too small of a space.   It can be very frustrating for many of our clients to have to deal with the huge number of zoning, code and setback restrictions that exist in many of the Bay Area jurisdictions.  People who have bought a five or ten acre lot realize they can’t have all of their dreams fulfilled, so they have to make compromises.  It’s our function to try and include as much of their wish list as we can without breaking the law or making the property look “crowded or shoehorned” That is part of our art.

LuxeSF: What’s hot right now?

Suzman: Anything green… green roof, green walls, trying to save water, underground watering systems for lawns. Right now I’m trying to promote succulents, plants that don’t require too much water.

LuxeSF: When you get a design assignment, what’s the protocol from the time you pick up the phone to the time the job is completed?

Suzman: The potential client calls me.  I listen to what they have to say.  The first step, after I find out their need, is to send them a simple questionnaire.  I want to make them think about what they want. The questionnaire asks them how they use the garden, who will be using it, what their color and style preferences are, and what elements they might wish to include.

LuxeSF: Do you traditionally deal with male or female, or both?

Suzman: It’s both. It used to be the women, but the men are getting more involved. It could be because of the money aspect, because a lot of what we do is hard surface construction and not just the planting of pretty flowers.  A lot of what a landscape designer does is to act as the lynchpin between the architect, the client, the interior designer, the engineer, the jurisdiction that the house is in, the neighbors, and the earth and nature.

LuxeSF: And are you traditionally left alone by the architect?

Suzman: No, we’re not.  Architects often impinge upon our territory because they often like to control all the hardscape.  Sometimes this is completely justified when there is a name brand architect such as a Legorreta. Many architects think they can do grading – some can, many can’t.  Sometimes a civil engineer ends up doing the grading, and they take the line of least resistance.  They grade for function, but not for aesthetics. We prefer to design everything outside the skin of the house, acting as a member of a larger team and let the architects handle the house and anything that’s attached to the house. Collaboration is key here. I like to check my ego at the door when involved in a team meeting. Many of the best results come from team efforts. Some of the best design ideas have come from interior designers who know their clients intimately in a way we often cannot.

But back to the protocol – we send out the questionnaire and upon receipt, we visit the site, come up with some initial thinking and ideas and then sell the client on our services.  In terms of design, we go through many steps.  First, there’s the schematic design phase when we come up with two or three options as to how to divide up the land from a plan point of view, illustrated by images and sketches. We then do design development where we are designing in 3D…what the pool coping looks like… what a gazebo or pergola looks like… what are the materials… what is the plant  palette?  And then we proceed to the construction documents which are detailed drawings showing how it is going to be built, and how it will be bid out.  There is a planting schedule showing each plant… species and size and specifications as to how it should be planted.  Incidentally, we prefer to purchase the plant material ourselves so we have better control over quality. There are soils specifications.  There is the irrigation plan. There is a lighting plan.

We coordinate with architects so that things like air conditioning and generators are properly sited.  We provide construction details, including grading and drainage.  We develop a layout plan so that the contractor knows exactly how to lay out a path, follow paving patterns, etc. We also provide a materials plan. Sometimes our construction sets can comprise 50 + pages of detailed drawings.  How the fountains are constructed, for example.  We also handle detailed custom design of spas, planter boxes, light fixtures, fire elements, gates, etc.
We then put everything out to bid with a landscape or general contractor, and after choosing a bidder we then do what is known as construction observation where we review the construction.

And let’s not forget the permit process.  Sometimes this is done by the architect, sometimes by us, and sometimes by the contractor.  Permitting is often a complicated challenge involving presentations to Design Review Boards.

LuxeSF: Let’s discuss follow-up.  The job is completed, you hand it over the keys to the garden.  To what extent do you stay involved after the job is completed?

Suzman: We very much like to stay involved on a quarterly basis for the first year, and preferably for a long time afterward.  We like to provide a maintenance manual and stay involved in the upkeep.

LuxeSF: When you go back five years later and you see that beautiful garden or that landscape that you were responsible for, what’s the feeling you have?  Where is the satisfaction?

Suzman: Well, it depends on whether or not it’s been well or poorly maintained.

LuxeSF: Assume it’s been well maintained.

Suzman: Then I get enormous satisfaction.  First of all I would see what worked and what didn’t.  Sometimes things don’t.  I expect all of the hard surface elements to work.  Sometimes plants, like individuals, get sick and die, or they’re growing too fast or too slowly.  Conditions change. Trees grow and sunny gardens become shady so the groundcover and perennials have to change.  There is always the question about how densely to plant. Does the client want immediate gratification, in which case the garden will look good immediately but will appear to be crowded and overplanted after a few years, or is the client prepared to wait. There is no right answer. But most times I’m just please at how well things have done, and it’s wonderful to see the same family really enjoying a garden after 25 years.

LuxeSF: Let’s talk about marketing.  How and where do you derive your leads and your customer base?

Suzman: Well, I started by deriving them from personal friends, then from interior designers, from architects and from realtors. And then I started getting them from chance encounters because I’m out and about a lot, at a gallery opening, an opera or symphony performance, a charity benefit or a political event. I get referrals from the strangest places.

LuxeSF: But it’s primarily word-of-mouth and referral?

Suzman: It’s word-of-mouth and referrals, supplemented by direct marketing to architects, interior designers, engineers, contractors, vendors and realtors, as well as advertising, Showcases, the Antiques Dealer’s Show and pro-bono work for Schools and charities.

LuxeSF: Let’s say you decide you’re going to use a particular type of succulent or a particular hard surface, how do you source those materials?  Do you have your own special contacts?

Suzman: We have the best materials library of any landscape designer in the Bay Area because stone, brick, tile and gravel are our stock-in-trade.  We spend a lot of time and money keeping the hardscape library up to date, and deal with many stone vendors all across the country. Similarly, we have a full-time person who sources plant materials, so she can tell me, “Well, you know, we can’t specify “x” this year because the crop has failed” or “This year there is a new bug that’s decimated that plant.” Or “There is a fabulous specimen English Oak at such and such a nursery in Oregon…”

LuxeSF: For somebody reading this who is contemplating a landscaping assignment, what’s the one piece of advice you would give them?

Suzman: I think they should really think about what they want to achieve.  What is the garden’s function?  Do they want to resell the property immediately, to screen an ugly view, to create the illusion of outdoor space outside an important room?  Do they want a play area for their kids? Don’t bite off more than you can chew.  If you haven’t got the means to support a large maintenance service, don’t ask for acres of perennial gardens.  We don’t live in Edwardian times when people could afford half a dozen full-time gardeners.

LuxeSF: When you see a job that becomes difficult, the biggest mistake you see from a client’s perspective is what?

Suzman: Impatience! Wanting a job to be done and installed too quickly. You sacrifice quality and make mistakes.  You also have to follow rules such as grading moratoriums, and you can’t control the permitting process. And start early. Don’t just wake up in spring, which is what so many people do, and think, “Oh! Now is the time to start my pool… and I’d love to have it by the 4th of July.”

LuxeSF: When should they have had that conversation?

Suzman: September or October prior, so all the drawings have been completed in the winter, submitted for approval, and construction commenced as soon as the grading moratorium is over in March.

LuxeSF: What are your ambitions?

Suzman: Some of my personal ambitions would be to do a wonderful, traditional garden on Long Island or in Connecticut or Westchester.  I would love to do a beautiful garden in the south of England or the south of France or in Italy. And both Todd Cole my business partner and I would love to design a really beautiful, large, cutting-edge modern garden somewhere in the Bay Area.  We also like to do roof gardens. I would also like to work with a client who is open to fresh, even quirky and whimsical ideas – open to new ways of thinking about space and design.

Stephen Suzman is an original founder of Suzman & Cole Design Associates, practicing landscape design for over 22 years.

With projects throughout the United States (including Hawaii, the Rocky Mountains and New England), Mr. Suzman’s project experience spans internationally to include Mexico, England, France, South Africa and the Middle East. Previously residing in France, Italy, England and South Africa, Mr. Suzman has developed extensive contacts with the art world and landscape industries. Working with his experienced design team, Mr. Suzman excels in locating and obtaining such specialty items as antique statuary, newly commissioned sculpture, ornamental metalwork, custom tiles and paving, fountains, unique site furnishings, heirloom roses, exotic plant materials and hard-to-find specimen.

Mr. Suzman’s designs have received numerous awards and publications from such prestigious organizations as the American Society of Landscape Architects, Architectural Digest, Sunset Publications, Northern California Home & Design, Elle Décor, Garden Design and Restoration Magazine.

The report, “How the Affluent Luxury Consumer Uses the Internet and Social Media,” reveals that about half of affluent consumers, those with household incomes of $100,000 or more, have used a social media site to connect with a brand, doing such things as viewing new products or commenting on a brand. Yet only one in four have “friended” a luxury brand. In addition, the survey showed that affluents are more likely to use social media to look at brands rather than commit to a relationship with them.

“Affluent consumers have flocked to social media, but they use it as one more tool to gather information to make purchase decisions,” Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, said in a media release. “Smart marketers will tap the interactivity of these sites to reach out to affluent consumers, ask for their input and really listen to what these consumers need in order to decide to make a purchase.” Read the full article in National Jeweler.

Flexjet and Jet Solutions customers flying internationally are guaranteed access across Europe and travel on an as available basis throughout the Middle East and Asia; VistaJet customers receive reciprocal travel benefits from Jet Solutions within the U.S.
Travelers fly on renowned Bombardier aircraft at preferred rates.

Through a new agreement, Flexjet, Jet Solutions and VistaJet, customers now have access to an expanded, streamlined global private aviation service. This new alliance between U.S.-based Jet Solutions, operator of the Flexjet 25* Jet Card Program under FAR Part 135, Flexjet and European-based VistaJet, allows customers easy access to multiple destinations across the globe with the added benefit of preferred rates.

Flexjet fractional owners and Jet Solutions’ Flexjet 25 Jet Card owners flying internationally are guaranteed access across Europe and travel on an as available basis throughout the Middle East and Asia on VistaJet’s wholly-owned fleet of Bombardier aircraft. Similarly, VistaJet customers flying within the United States will also have the opportunity to travel on the Flexjet 25 closed fleet of Bombardier aircraft, operated by Jet Solutions.

“We are committed to continually enhancing our owners’ experience while adding real value for customers,” said Bob Knebel, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Flexjet. “This agreement with VistaJet ensures the delivery of consistent, high-quality travel on legendary Bombardier aircraft at preferred membership rates.”

Flexjet is a division of Bombardier, the world’s largest manufacturer of business aircraft, making it ideal to collaborate with VistaJet, the largest international operator of Bombardier aircraft.

Thomas Flohr, founder and chairman of VistaJet, said: “This move is a logical step for us and is another milestone in the global development and progression of VistaJet. This alliance with Flexjet and Jet Solutions will extend our network into the U.S., offering our customers access to the best private jet service in America.  In return, Flexjet and Jet Solutions customers will have access to one of the largest service areas in the industry and use of the premier provider of luxury air travel outside of the Americas.”

For more information, visit www.VistaJet.com, www.Flexjet.com, www.Flexjet25.com, or www.JetSolutions.com.

About Flexjet
Established in 1995 and based in Richardson, Texas, Flexjet offers a turnkey program allowing individuals or companies to purchase a share in a Bombardier business jet at a fraction of the full ownership cost. Flexjet owners select the aircraft type that best fits their needs, determine the number of hours per year they expect to fly, and purchase shares starting at 1/16th (equal to 50 hours of flying per year). Owners pay predictable monthly management and usage fees, while Flexjet manages the aircraft, flight crews, hangars, fuel and insurance on their behalf. Flexjet fields an exclusive family of Bombardier business jets, including the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 business jets. The Flexjet One program is an aircraft management service providing owners who purchase a whole Bombardier aircraft access to Flexjet’s entire fractional fleet, cost savings and a simple, worry-free solution to aircraft ownership. For more details, visit www.flexjet.com.

About Flexjet 25
First introduced in 2006, the Flexjet 25 Jet Card program, operated by Jet Solutions’ offers travelers an easy way to sample private aviation without assuming ownership of a plane, while providing them with an unbeatable combination of choice, flexibility and benefits amongst jet cards. The Flexjet 25 Jet Card provides travel-by-the-hour ( in increments of 25-, 30- and 35-hours) on a fleet of Bombardier Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60, Challenger 300 and Challenger 604 business aircraft. Jet card owners can choose from different price levels for each aircraft based on a preset number of travel days per year,  ranging from an unrestricted 365-day jet card to a 355-day, 325-day or 275-day jet card. Additional hours are also available for purchase as needed. More information is available at www.flexjet25.com.

About Jet Solutions, LLC
Richardson-based Jet Solutions, established in 1995, is one of the largest FAR Part 135 air carriers, having operated more than 1,000,000 flight hours for customers throughout the world. Jet Solutions is the first air carrier in the world to be recognized as achieving the Air Charter Safety Foundations Industry Audit Standard, and is the exclusive provider of the Flexjet 25 Jet Card program.www.jetsolutions.com.

About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2009, were $19.7 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.

About VistaJet
VistaJet, which is headquartered in Switzerland and has operations centres in Salzburg, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong, has a unique business proposition offering customers a Program solution with guaranteed availability at a fixed hourly rate across the largest service area in the world including Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific as well as on demand charter.

VistaJet customers are able to fly in new Bombardier aircraft, including Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 605, Challenger 850 and Global Express XRS.  The streamlined fleet also offers unique cost benefits which are passed directly to customers who receive superior flight solutions matched to individual flight profiles. For more details, visit www.vistajet.com.

*Flexjet 25 Jet Card program terms and conditions apply.

Bombardier, Flexjet 25, Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605 and Global Express XRS are either registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries or Jet Solutions, LLC.

The worst recession in 60 years left the travel industry particularly weakened in 2009, given that consumers and businesses were intent on saving rather than spending. In 2009, domestic and international travel spending in the US declined a sharp 8%, to $712 billion, according to the US Travel Association (USTA). Even with the 4.7% increase
forecast for 2010, spending still will not have returned to 2008’s level of $772.9 billion. By segment, leisure travel spending is expected to rise nearly 5% in 2010, while business travel spending is forecast to increase 4%, according to the USTA.

To help strengthen overseas-tourist interest in the US, various travel representatives, including the American Hotel and Lodging Association, have been working toward the passage of the Travel Promotion Act. This legislation would establish a non-profit corporation to better communicate US entry policies and promote leisure and business travel to the US.
Economic consulting firm Oxford Economics has estimated that the bill would attract 1.6 million new visitors to the US, create 40,000 jobs, and add billions of dollars in new tourism spending. The Act passed the House and Senate in late 2009 but is pending final approval.

The airline industry in 2010 will continue to face hurdles that could deter some individuals from flying. The government’s discussions in late 2009/early 2010 for tighter security measures for passengers flying to the US have led to increased debate and concerns around security versus privacy. Increased fees from airlines will also add to traveler frustrations and costs.
The United States (US) hotel industry welcomed the dawn of 2010. Performance measures in the first half of 2009 were particularly troublesome for many companies, and only in the closing months of that year were there glimmers of hope that the worst was over. By December 2009, a number of major markets started to experience increases in occupancy and
revenue per available room (revPAR), following what in some cases had been multi-year, record-breaking declines. In particular, steep price discounting appeared to be a less important strategy in filling rooms. As noted in this report, domestic tourism activity was starting to revive for a few select markets, while declines in international travel were
lessening, and business travel remained mostly stagnant.

The slight improvement in travel demand at year-end 2009 led some analysts to revise their forecasts upward. Smith Travel Research (STR) in November reported that it expects US hotel occupancy to experience a slight 0.2% dip in 2010, following a 9% decline in 2009, while revPAR is forecast to fall 3.6% for
the year, after a record-setting 17% drop in 2009. For 2011, STR expects a stronger recovery, with occupancy up 2.4% and revPAR rising 5.5% over 2010.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank Securities are somewhat more optimistic. Their January 2010 report noted they expect hotel occupancy in 2010 to rise 2.1% and revPAR to gain 0.5% over 2009.

Looking ahead, growth in the supply of hotel rooms is expected to ease, which should help improve industry profitability into 2011. The total active hotel development pipeline in December 2009 included 3,829 projects comprising 401,090 rooms, according to the STR/TWR/ Dodge Construction Pipeline Report. This represented a
35% decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared with December 2008.

The remainder of this report discusses recent trends for 14 major hotel markets in the US. The occupancy, average room rate and revPAR figures used are from STR.

This report is only available to members of The Luxury Marketing Council

These events allow attendees to gain exposure to exceptional subject matter where experts share valuable and pertinent information about luxury marketing in today’s turbulent world.

LMC Monterey Peninsula Chapter – March Event

Date: Thursday March 25, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.   6|7 Wine Tasting & Appetizers
7|8 Conference Room for presentation by Richard Baker

Location: Carmel Mission Inn – 3665 Rio Road, Carmel, CA  93923

Speaker: Richard Baker, Founder of Premium Knowledge Group

Topic: “Customer Relationship Management for Luxe….Targeting 71 million
affluent consumers down to the color of their eyes”.

Price: $50.00  (or $175.00) for all 4 scheduled events 3/25, 6/29, 9/29 & 11/11

For reservations or inquires on sponsorships, contact Linda Almini at 831.402.3915 or e-mail lindaalmini@aol.com - checks payable to Luxury Marketing Council mail c/o SFMP Media – 585 Ocean View Blvd. Ste. #3 , Pacific Grove, CA  93950

Sponsors:

(Wine sponsorship still available)

The number 18 is synonymous with prosperity and fortune in the Chinese culture. To welcome the Year of the Tiger, Cathay Pacific is offering 18 cities for travelers to choose from in February’s Deal of the Month. Starting at $819 from San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York’s JFK roundtrip in economy class, this deal seeks to bring a year of good fortune and luck for travelers in 2010.

The cities offered in this month’s deal include: Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Manila, Cebu, Bangkok, Phuket, Kota Kinabalu, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bali, Jakarta, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru (Bangalore). So whether it’s a cultural journey to Beijing, a culinary experience amid bustling Singapore, or an adventurous excursion in Bali, the 18 destinations offer a wide range of sights and attractions that will cater to travelers yearning to explore Asia.

Start your journey in a cabin dedicated to preserving personal space through the use of innovative fixed-shell seating. All passengers can also enjoy personal 9” televisions with an on-demand entertainment system and a fine selection of international cuisine.

To sweeten the celebration, Cathay Pacific is giving away a special Year of the Tiger plush doll to all travelers booking their travel online. Limited supplies are available. For further details, visit www.cathaypacific.com/us.

The Deal of the Month is a limited time offer and available online at www.cathaypacific.com/us. Valid for purchase by Feb. 28 (or until deemed sold out).  Must depart for travel between March 1 and April 30, 2010.  Some cities may not be available from all gateways.  Fare is only eligible for Asia Miles. No minimum stay required although passenger may only stay a maximum of 30 days. Fares are non-reroutable, non-refundable and non-endorsable. Change fees apply. Additional rules and restrictions may apply.

About Cathay Pacific Airways
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways was named “Airline of the Year 2009″ by the Skytrax World Airline Awards. From North America, Cathay Pacific offers daily nonstop service to Hong Kong from LAX, JFK, SFO, Toronto and Vancouver. The airline is a member of the oneworld™ alliance and a partner in Asia Miles, a leading Travel Reward program. For more information, visit: www.cathaypacific.com/us.

Over the course of 2009, Silicon Valley’s sales of the priciest car brands rose, according to R.L. Polk & Co., which analyzes the auto industry. In November, for instance, 15 Lamborghinis, Bentleys and Maseratis were newly registered in the Bay Area, up from four in January 2009, notes Polk.

To read the full Wall Street Journal article, click here

The “aspirational shoppers’’ – middle-class consumers with luxury tastes – have disappeared during the Great Recession. Their new found frugality has contributed to an estimated 16 percent plunge in luxury spending over the past year, according to a report by Bain & Co.

We couldn’t be happier to see the New Year, so we’re celebrating!

Send an email to janevent@peacockhome.com with the subject line “I’m ready” and we’ll send you the thrilling and fabulous details (and don’t worry, we won’t share your information with anybody)

Two-Part Seminar Series Starting February 19th

Join us for this unique and compelling seminar series that demystifies life’s energy sources. Learn practical and proven methods and practices that will help you achieve more consistent success in your personal and professional goals!

Presented by the dynamic, remarkable, and always entertaining Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D. World acclaimed quantum physicist and popularize of the science-spirit connection.

Don’t miss this rare West-Coast public appearance of Dr. Wolf – AKA Dr. Quantum. You saw him in the movies The Secret and What the Bleep, and the PBS TV series Closer to the Truth, now see him live for this very limited two-night lecture series. More about Dr. Wolf.

Also featuring Joey Yap, world recognized expert on Feng Shui, Chinese Astrology, and Metaphysics. Joey is the Founder of the Master Academy of Chinese Metaphysics. More about Joey Yap

Don’t miss this exciting interactive audience question and answer session on March 19th when Joey joins the stage with Dr. Wolf.

PART 1: Friday February 19th: Energy By Design with Dr. Fred Alan Wolf
Renowned quantum physicist and author Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, a.k.a. Dr. Quantum will talk about the quantum physics, metaphysics and spiritual aspects of Energy by Design, and how you can control your own energy and success

PART 2: Friday March 19th: Audience Q&A Session with Dr. Wolf and Joey Yap
A rare 90-minute question and answer audience session with Dr. Wolf and Joey Yap. This is an exceptional opportunity to interact with two of the world’s most knowledgeable experts on the connection between science, metaphysics, energy, and your life!

For additional event and venue information, and to order tickets, click here

Presented by ANNE THULL FINE ART DESIGNS, LLC
www.AnneThullFineArtDesigns.com
2 Henry Adams Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
415-255-6703