A little catch-up is in order, after a year’s hiatus from the blog. Returning from the big RTW in April of last year was a tough transition. We found ourselves once again homeless and jobless, but thanks to family (who warmly welcomed us back into their homes) and good friends, we were soon back on track to saving for the next trip. Our travel isn’t always international, and work takes us to some great places here in the US, so we’ve decided the blog is still the right place to share some of those experiences as well. For those who don’t know, our field is called mobile or experiential marketing. “Experiential marketing gives customers an opportunity to engage and interact with brands, products, and services in sensory ways that provide the icing on the cake of providing information. Personal experiences help people connect to a brand and make intelligent and informed purchasing decisions. The term ‘Experiential marketing’ refers to actual customer experiences with the brand/product/service that drive sales and increase brand image and awareness. It’s the difference between telling people about features of a product or service and letting them experience the benefits for themselves. When done right, it’s the most powerful tool out there to win brand loyalty.” (http://www.experientialforum.com/) Since we’ve been back, we’ve helped run an event and photo/autograph ops with former Idols at the American Idol Finale in LA, worked on events promoting different companies at Coachella, guided a team for Warped Tour, and led a tour for soy candles last holiday season.

The new gig is for Coke Zero. It began in February, and will last a total of 42 weeks. The tour is focused on providing people with the opportunity to try Coke Zero, a zero-calorie beverage which is one of Coke’s fastest growing brands. We will be attending major sporting events, festivals, and doing some smaller events on college campuses. Our first stop was a chilly Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Spirits were high as New Orleans locals and visitors continued their celebration of the Saints Superbowl victory with the start of Mardi Gras.  Everyone was in an even more festive mood than usual for Mardi Gras, and the Who Dat? chants were never-ending. It was amazing to be out there every day among the floats and the marching bands as people geared up to catch some beads and toys. We even got to see a friend (Ida) who was in town and involved with one of the Mardi Gras groups, the Muses. Our favorite was the Endymion Parade, which runs on a different route than the uptown parades. This is one of the largest parades, and many people braved the cold and camped out the night before to save a place for friends and family.

Our next stop, Las Vegas, included a great birthday celebration (mine) with the best seats ever for Ka at the MGM following a shabu shabu dinner to Yelp about. Work included three LONG days at the NASCAR race and a couple of events in front of the Coca Cola store on the Las Vegas strip! After a quick detour to Pasadena for a soccer match between the Mexican National team and New Zealand at the Rose Bowl, Phoenix brought warmer weather and a lovely visit to the desert museum between sampling at baseball Spring Training, Suns games and at ASU and Universal Technical Institute.

Then it was off to San Franciso and San Jose. We took some time to hit Chinatown and Japantown, and eat at an old favorite restaurant In Milpitas. San Jose also hosted NCAA basketball games on the road to the Final Four. We followed them to Salt Lake City, where winter took over once again. Several events were in the snow. Being up in the mountains at the ski resorts of Park City and Ogden was actually a treat (once we warmed up inside) and there were some beautiful views.

The real thaw took place back in Phoenix for the NASCAR race there, with temperatures in the 90s all weekend! That visit was short, and we are now back in Cali getting ready for the Long Beach Grand Prix. To be continued…

Photo Links to Bryce Canyon and Los Angeles-

http://picasaweb.google.com/d3loeber/BryceCanyon#

http://picasaweb.google.com/d3loeber/PacificCoastHighwayDrive#