Every time a visitor comes to Greater Palm Springs on vacation or business, it’s an opportunity for the destination’s great weather, natural beauty, and world-class culture, attractions, and events to work their magic.
“The better the experience, the more likely those great moments will resonate,” says Jeff Miraglia, vice president of brand development at the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Every visit is an opportunity for us to get people to come back or maybe even settle in one of our nine cities.”
Miraglia, who began developing the Greater Palm Springs “Oasis” branding as a consultant in 2012 and joined the CVB’s executive leadership last summer, says the Greater Palm Springs brand “is all about the emotional connection.”
“Palm Springs has the equity nationally and globally,” he continues, “and that gives us a platform to talk about all of our cities collectively. All of our cities have their own individual identity and offer a distinctive experience. [The CVB’s] job is to unify these experiences in one voice.
“A brand is more than a logo and colors,” he continues. “A brand is what you want people to feel.”
Miraglia has met with more than 70 stakeholders in the region’s hotel, hospitality, and culture sectors, and immersed himself in the marketplace to determine that Greater Palm Springs is no dusty, empty desert, but rather an oasis that’s green, lush, vibrant, and energetic.”
Therein lies opportunity for the destination not only for tourism and conventions, but also for business development.
“Brands need to be a catalyst for economic development,” Miraglia says. “So we consider our business message and our relocation message. A distinctive sense of place — and one’s love for it — promotes better business and a more vibrant destination.
“Greater Palm Springs is a great place to spend quality time, as well as a place to thrive,” he adds. “We’re a culture of incubating ideas — where there’s a new movement of creativity.
“This place has a magnetic pull, and that’s a story and position that is relevant to everyone here.”