Meet Your Favorite Travel and Adventure Experts at the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show

Los Angeles, CA, January 27, 2009 -- Join TV hosts, authors, adventure experts and more than 550 exhibitors at the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show. The show will present speakers and workshops catering to a variety of travel destinations, cultures, activities and budgets, including The Times Travel Editor, top industry insiders and consummate adventurers. All will be on hand to offer insight into having the best travel experience--whether you’re planning a romantic retreat, family vacation or the journey of a lifetime.

“We’ve learned that, even in difficult economic times, Americans view travel as mandatory, not optional,” says Los Angeles Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm. “How do we continue to feed our passion for new places and new experiences? Our experts will talk about strategies for continuing to see the world, no matter your budget.”

Speakers at the February 14th & 15th weekend event include:
• Arthur and Pauline Frommer, renowned father-daughter budget travel experts, on authentic and affordable travel for 2009
• Rick Steves, host of PBS’ Rick Steves’ Europe, on crossing the pond without breaking the bank
• Travel Channel host Samantha Brown on making weekend getaways manageable and memorable
• Catharine Hamm (www.latimes.com/travel) and a variety of travel journalists on industry trends, how to avoid getting scammed, and online deals
• Robert Young Pelton, author of The World’s Most Dangerous Places, on travel during wartime
• Dean Cardinale, avalanche expert and mountaineer, on his trek to the summit of Mt. Everest
• Costas Christ, National Geographic ADVENTURE Global Travel Editor, on green travel
• Peter Potterfield, adventure journalist and photographer, on classic hikes from the Swedish Arctic to the wilds of New Zealand
• Plus destination workshops on vacations with a purpose, getting the most for your dollar, and exotic get-aways to Tahiti, Maui and Australia and more

The Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show is presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California and The Greek National Tourist Office; Samy’s Camera is the Major Sponsor; Louisiana Office of Tourism is the Presenting Sponsor of the Culinary Stage DineLA; National Geographic ADVENTURE Magazine, the Travel Channel, Hoy and KTLA5CW are Media Sponsors. The event is co-produced by Unicomm, LLC and the Los Angeles Times. For more details and a complete schedule, visit www.latimestravelshow.com or call (800) LA TIMES, ext. 7SHOW.

Show Information:

Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show
Adults $10 at the door, $8 online; children 16 and under free when accompanied by an adult
February 14 & 15, 2009, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
(Trade hours 8:00-10:00 a.m., Saturday only)
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa St., West Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90015
1.800.LA.TIMES, ext. 7SHOW (1.800.528.4637, ext. 77469)
www.latimestravelshow.com

About the Los Angeles Times:

The Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of 2.2 million and 3.2 million on Sunday, and a combined print and interactive local weekly audience of 4.9 million. The fast-growing latimes.com draws over 10 million unique visitors monthly. The Los Angeles Times and its media businesses and affiliates – including The Envelope, Metromix, Times Community Newspapers, Hoy, and California Community News – reach approximately 8.1 million or 62% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times, has been covering Southern California for over 127 years and is part of Tribune Company ( NYSE: TRB), one of the country’s leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information is available at latimes.com/mediacenter.

About Unicomm:

Unicomm’s Adventures in Travel Expos are the world’s largest active and adventure travel shows for the trade and consumers. In 2009, ATEs will be presented in five U.S. cities: Chicago, January 10-11; Los Angeles, February 14-15; Washington, DC, February 21-22. New York City, October 10-11; Seattle, December 5-6. ATEs highlight responsible, experiential, active, adventurous, cultural and heritage travel with exhibitors, presentations, hands-on adventure experiences and cultural performances. For more information, visit the Adventures in Travel Expo website at adventureexpo.com.

Contact:
Hillary Manning (213) 237-2664 hillary.manning@latimes.com