ON
LOCATION: Northern California
November, 2020
Welcome back to On Location! In this issue of our new blog series, we turn the focus to Northern California, where rolling vineyards, pristine natural landscapes, and iconic cities combine to form a truly one of a kind North American destination.
Dan Houdek and his team at Impact Destinations & Events, our DMC partner in the Bay Area, have been producing highly customized programs in every corner of this region for decades and possess the intimate vendor relationships and destination expertise necessary to handle any group’s goals and needs.
Below are just a few of the destinations to explore in Northern California, as well as, examples of work done within them by our friends at Impact Destinations & Events.
Napa Valley & Sonoma are the preeminent wine destinations, with over 600 wineries located in a 30 mile long and 5 mile wide valley that is perfect for harvesting its legendary Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines (and pretty great to look at too). These delicious beverages are best paired with upscale accommodation’s, gourmet dining options, modern culture and ample outdoor activities and this destination possesses each in abundance.
Dan and his team frequently manage VIP groups in Wine Country and are able to deliver exclusive experiences that others are not, due to his intimate relationships with the agricultural and tourism communities there. For a recent group of VIP’s, they organized a complete Napa Valley experience including dinner under the stars in a winery, hiking and biking through the vineyards, a culinary class lead by the winery chef, a tour of the winery that concluded with a reception in the wine cave and, of course, plenty of wine tasting.
Learn more about these offers through this photo library here.
Wine Country
San Francisco, the city by the bay, is a city where technological modernity, centuries of history and cultural diversity combine to create a travel destination that is a true original. While classic experiences like Fisherman’s wharf, the cable cars, the Mission District, and Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate park are tried and true favorites, this burgeoning city’s travel offers go far beyond that.
The diversity of work Impact Destinations & Events has done in “Golden Gate City” mirrors that of the city it represents. Most recently, one of the most recognizable IT companies in the world contracted the DMC to organize a four day trip for 5,000 of its employees. In addition to a culinary tour of the city that included 3,000 attendees and more than 30 eateries, the major highlight of this program was the final night event, when Impact outfitted the Fort Mason Center to appear like the streets of San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Wine Country and Haight Ashbury and included interactive games and activities, themed entertainment, wine and beer tastings, VIP areas, a hookah lounge and more.
Lean more about this landmark group through a curated image library of the final nights event here.
Learn more about San Francisco and Impact’s work there here.
San Francisco
A perfect blend of coastal luxury, small town charm, and natural wonder, Half Moon Bay is a tranquil beach destination that offers plenty of opportunity for adventure as well. Best known for its towering coastal redwoods, big wave surfers and the grey wales that frequent its waters, there is plenty to marvel at in this destination while popular activities such as kayaking, hiking, biking and surfing allow visitors to get fully immersed.
Recently, Impact rolled out the red carpet for a group of 300 insurance professionals that chose Half Moon Bay for their “Presidents Circle” trip. The group was welcomed with a reception on the hotel lawn overlooking the ocean before enjoying a trip that included boutique shopping, deep sea fishing, wine tasting, hiking and whale watching in addition to a gala and afterparty in which Impact completely transformed the outdoor space and ballroom to meet the clients needs.
Half Moon Bay
Nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the border shared by California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is a breathtaking destination well-known for its snow capped mountain peaks and pristine alpine forest that lead to a deep blue, yet crystal clear freshwater lake. With attractions that include sailing charters , beaches, ski resorts, a litany of nature and watersport activities, and food and beverage options paired with unbeatable views, this destination is an ideal city escape in both the summer and winter.
A recent group of engineering and marketing professionals from Silicon Valley celebrated a successful product launch with a weekend at the lake curated by Impact that featured a variety of activities for attendees to choose. The major highlight of the trip was Saturday, which started with the option of skiing, snowboarding, tubing, or going on a guided snowshoe tour and concluded with a hosted bingo event complete with a DJ, fun prizes, and even BinGo-Go girls to hand out cards.
Learn more about Lake Tahoe and the work our partners do here.
Learn more about the variety of destinations to be enjoyed in Northern California, via our partners at Impact Destinations & Events