Week of August 10 Welcome Turespaña This month, the MMGY social team secured a two-year contract with Turespaña to handle all U.S.-based social community management for Spain tourism. The scope of work includes content strategy and development, paid social management and activation of influencer programs. This continues a key focus across the team as they expand the social portfolio with international clients – building breakthrough social programming. The Road Trip Radius Is Widening More travelers are willing to travel farther for leisure than they have been willing to in the past. In our latest TIPS study, 38% of those who are likely to travel by car are willing to drive 300 miles or more each way – up from 33% last wave. This aligns with our earlier prediction that as travelers take that first trip, confidence in travel will build and they'll be more likely to travel farther from home as time goes on. agency update If you received something from The Great KC Office Giveaway, feel free to claim your item(s) the next time you are in office; 8/14 will be bulky-item removal day. Also, don't forget to make a small donation to Midwest Innocence Project if you can. As outlined in the KC office move instructions, please make sure all items are packed up and removed by 5 p.m. on 8/14. August Happy ANNIVERSARY! Lisa Graves – 30 years, Alana Patton – 17 years, Megan Roush – 6 years, Whitney Attebury – 9 years, Clayton Reid – 31 years, Kelsey Chabot – 5 years, Kelly Bausch – 22 years, Roya Zaidi – 3 years, Sara Knipp – 6 years   AUGUST birthdays Kaylee Oberzan – 8/3, Frankie Scarafile – 8/3, Laura Swearengin – 8/3, Rachel Stelmach – 8/8, Tristan Crummings – 8/8, Brent Anderson – 8/9, Whitney Attebury – 8/16, Matt Sueper – 8/21, Erin Carlson – 8/21, Noah Klein – 8/28, Christy Vaught – 8/29, Jenn Toro – 8/31, Susan Gerdes – 8/31   Karisma Hotels & Resorts Shoot In early July, Dustin Sharp and Kelsey Chabot traveled to Mexico for a (socially distanced) social media photoshoot with Karisma Hotels & Resorts. Fully equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, they spent four days shooting social-first photos and videos at three different properties in the Riviera Maya. Masks were worn, temperatures were checked, many tacos were had and, ultimately, the client was thrilled with the output. All in all, it was a very successful trip! South Dakota and Wyoming Partnership: Black to Yellow Consumers aren’t seeing city, county or state lines. They want to get out, road trip and explore the great outdoors. We collaberated with WY to pool budgets and shine a light on two neighboring national parks, giving potential travelers one epic road trip. blacktoyellow.com Santa Monica Shines Campaign The "Santa Monica Shines" campaign launched on Monday, August 3, as part of the efforts to rebuild Santa Monica’s tourism economy and with the goal of enticing short-haul visitors to stay overnight. "Santa Monica Shines" is about coming together in a destination bathed in year-round sunshine and good vibes. It's about making sure everyone feels safe visiting with the new local cleaning policies and social distancing measures. santamonica.com/shines/