Everything you need to know about Santa Monica

Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) has announced the launch of its completely redesigned website – santamonica.com. This is the greatest resource for information on dining, accommodation, shopping, things to do, meetings and convention space and more for the community of Santa Monica and visitors.

The new website, under the direction of SMCVB’s web agency Racbuck Stranger, has an entirely new look and feel, incorporating innovative design and updated content.

Board members and staff at SMCVB each undertook an in-depth competitive review known as Key Site Attribute Analysis, where they were given ten destination or travel related websites to evaluate according to brand presence, ease of use, site content etc. The biggest finding was that captivating photography was the most important feature on the preferred websites. With this knowledge, SMCVB and Rabuck Stranger hired local photographer, Sandra Stocker to spend about three months photographing Santa Monica. The concept of a local’s point-of-view set the tone for the photography and includes local Santa Monicans in front of the city’s best backdrops; the Beach, Edgemar Centre for the Arts, the Bike Path, Main Street…

SMCVB’s new website welcomes everyone from visitors and community members to meeting professionals and media alike to take an interactive approach to everything that the destination has to offer. Visitors can easily research where to stay in Santa Monica by filtering their search with various attributes like ‘hip and trendy’, ‘beachfront’ or ‘budget’. Maps, weather, sample itineraries and other key aspects for the perfect trip are all available on the site. There is also a ‘What to do’ link for travellers to Santa Monica that features shopping, arts & culture, attractions, nightlife and insider tips.

Meeting planners will find all the tools they need for planning the perfect event in Santa Monica from transportation and catering, to sample itineraries. Journalists interested in covering Santa Monica as a featured destination story will find the downloadable press kit and story ideas very useful, as well as the photo library, recent articles on Santa Monica and news releases from SMCVB.

“The new website is a strong reflection of the Santa Monica brand – the innovative culture, the relaxed attitude and the abundance of activities. We hope that everyone who visits the site leaves with a feeling that we live the good life in Santa Monica, and we welcome visitors to do the same”, says Kim Baker, SMCVB Director of Marketing.