I AM WEST HOLLYWOOD TURNS WEST HOLLYWOOD EMPLOYEES INTO TOURISM AMBASSADORS

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Sep 24, 2014 – In 2013, West Hollywood hosted close to 3 million visitors from around the world. Helping to ensure that every single visitor has a great experience, Visit West Hollywood has launched I Am West Hollywood, an interactive program that encourages and empowers West Hollywood businesses and their employees to become better informed about the city and all it has to offer.

This 2.5 hour program consists of a guided driving tour around West Hollywood's neighborhoods and attractions, followed by a classroom session facilitated by a trained I Am West Hollywood leader. The classroom session covers West Hollywood's brand, local insights, tips on providing excellent guest service, LGBT diversity training, and much more. Participants will discover their role in the tourism industry and why delivering an optimal customer experience is vital to the city's economic success.

“Whether it's a taxi driver, a bellman at a hotel or a restaurant server, guests always ask these front line workers for the inside scoop about the destination,” said Bill Hynes, Executive Vice President of Visit West Hollywood. “The I Am West Hollywood program will provide hospitality staff with the tools to deliver an exceptional experience.”

Trained individuals become “Official West Hollywood Ambassadors” and are armed with a database of facts, figures, and “Did You Know” anecdotes about West Hollywood for use in customer interaction.

During the program's pilot launch, many of Visit West Hollywood's staff and board members went through the training, including Mylena Christina, owner of LIFT West Hollywood, who said: "Getting people engaged with this program is a tremendous way to boost civic pride, build WeHo evangelists and burnish the vibrant WeHo brand. As a long-time local resident and small business owner, I learned a lot of new factoids that made me love our great little city that much more. Even if we've only been incorporated since 1984, our city has a lot of history and continues to evolve into a real world-class destination."

Business owners and managers in West Hollywood and neighboring areas are invited to enroll their employees in the program. Workshops will be offered monthly. Go to www.iamwesthollywood.com for more information and to enroll. Call or email with questions at (310) 289-2525 or iam@visitwesthollywood.com.

ABOUT VISIT WEST HOLLYWOOD

Visit West Hollywood (visitwesthollywood.com) is a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to positioning the City of West Hollywood as the world's most vibrant urban oasis. Visit West Hollywood markets the city as a first-choice visitor destination to business and leisure travelers by promoting an awareness of the city's unique location, image, businesses and industries.

The organization administrates the West Hollywood Design District (westhollywooddesigndistrict.com) and Film West Hollywood program (filmwesthollywood.com) in partnership with the City of West Hollywood.

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Media Contact:
Andy Keown / keown@visitwesthollywood.com
424-204-4418