Advances in tourism and an overdue acknowledgment

Gary Sherwin, president and CEO of Newport Beach & Co., made a grand entrance into the Island Hotel ballroom in Fashion Island with a drone flying behind him the night of Oct. 21.

On stage were two large video screens showing spectacular aerial views of the city taken by the drone.

The ballroom was decked in white with blue under-lighting shining through the banquet table tops, giving the space an amazing hue.

It was all quite impressive.

That’s just how Sherwin rolls. He once told me: go big or go home.

Sherwin addressed the audience of approximately 250 from the hospitality industry for this gala dinner put on by his organization, the marketing arm of the city.

And the overwhelming message of the night: Newport Beach tourism is booming.

I’ve been to my share of city dinners, and this was by far one of the most precisely executed. The attention to detail was impeccable, and the night ran without a hitch.

Sherwin made a presentation honoring Newport City Manager Dave Kiff with the Frontline Partner in Progress Reward. He also introduced Kiff’s husband, Dr. Tom Lochner, who stood to thunderous applause.

This was the first time at any city event I’ve been to where anyone’s publicly acknowledged Kiff’s husband, who happens to be my family doctor and a great guy.

Kiff’s job sometimes requires weekends and many nights away from his family. Sherwin thanked Lochner for being such a supportive partner.

Lochner told me later he certainly didn’t see that coming.

The next day I visited Sherwin at the Newport Beach & Co. offices. We talked about his decision to acknowledge Lochner, especially after the controversy that erupted after Councilman Scott Peotter sent an email blasting the Supreme Court’s decision supporting gay marriage.

Sherwin called that controversy unfortunate and felt it was time Kiff be recognized for his contributions to the city and the tourism industry and that his husband be acknowledged.

“We wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without him,” Sherwin said of Kiff. “He really gets it.”

He called Kiff a great partner with the local tourism industry, and said the city manager understands effective marketing is a business, not a political endeavor.

“To be successful, you have to be creative in telling an innovative story about your destination, and you have to build and maintain a wonderful place for people to come and spend their money,” Sherwin said.

He said NBTV is an important tool in telling the city’s innovative story. I first talked to Kiff about NBTV in 2010, suggesting the municipal television channel was being underutilized airing only City Council meetings and such.

He wasn’t convinced, but changed his mind that February after seeing the positive results of the city’s NBTV viability survey, which indicated that viewers liked it.

In 2011 I wrote NBTV’s line-up should include shows covering cooking and food, boating and beaches, and local school sports, fashion, interior design, fitness, seniors and charity events. I also urged that it be locally produced.

Then-Mayor Nancy Gardner attempted to make NBTV a priority during her 2012 term. Unfortunately, Gardner’s efforts stalled.

Revitalizing NBTV went nowhere that year.

In 2013 I wondered if NBTV could be brought back to life. Then, at the 2013 mayor’s dinner, Mayor Keith Curry talked about making it a priority again.

But it wasn’t until NBTV fell under the organization of Newport Beach & Co in 2014 that it started getting a makeover. With Tom Johnson as NBTV’s executive producer, the channel is taking shape.

I toured the new in-house production facilities, complete with green screen and editing bays under construction. It’s all part of a new digital marketing strategy to create programming that has a life on television and the web.

Newport Beach & Co has its YouTube Channel, NewportBeachCVB, at youtube.com/user/NewportBeachCVB.

Johnson, a former Daily Pilot publisher and one of my partners on a weekly radio show, told me he’s planning on revisiting a program that would highlight youth sports throughout the community, as well as a Monday morning show, “This Week in Newport Beach,” to update people on what’s happening around town.

“I’d like to produce a weekly, local podcast interviewing people about events in town,” he said.

Older shows like “Active Me,” a show Kelly Lam did last year on living in the active community, “Dine Newport Beach,” a show Carrie Williams did last year highlighting restaurants, and “The Backstory,” a show Sherwin has done highlighting the back stories on Newport Beach that most people don’t know about, are also being re-tooled for consideration this season.

“The Village Green” with Nancy Gardner, an environmental show focusing on Newport Beach related issues, will premiere in November.

Sherwin said the marketing aspects for NBTV are endless.

Finally, someone gets it!

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com. Listen to her weekly radio segment on “Sunday Brunch with Tom and Lynn” from 11 a.m. to noon on KOCI/101.5 FM.