Adam Burke’s Post

Who's hungry?! ● 14 Days ● 28 Unique Global Cuisines ● 68 Neighborhoods ● 425 Participating Restaurants It's time to #DineLA! Beginning this Friday July 12th and running through July 26th, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board's signature culinary event returns for its "Sweet Sixteen" - offering locals and visitors alike the opportunity to explore our innovative, diverse culinary offerings with specially prepared menus and values to fit every budget! To see the list of participating eateries, explore Dine LA menus, and to make your restaurant reservations, visit: https://lnkd.in/gRf5idc Commemorating our 16th anniversary, the video below highlights what makes Dine LA such an important program for our community and a favorite of both Angelenos and visitors from around the globe. WARNING - Don't watch if you're hungry!! 😉

#EndHomelessness While - like so many urban destinations across the country - there is still significant work ahead to better meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her team have made major strides over the past year. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) just released the results of the 2024 Homeless "Point-In-Time" Count, which showed a material decline in homelessness for the first time in six years. That includes an unprecedented 10% reduction in street homelessness – the first double-digit decrease in nearly a decade. It's been inspiring to see the level of close collaboration between the city, county, and a host of public and private sector organizations. As a result, we're not only seeing real progress for unhoused Angelenos, but a renewed focus on housing security to ensure that fewer of our friends and neighbors are at risk. Thank you to Mayor Bass, Chief of Housing & Homelessness Lourdes Castro Ramirez, LAHSA CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum, Ph.D., the Los Angeles City Council and County Board of Supervisors, and all those organizations and individuals who are making a real difference in our community! https://lnkd.in/gjVbSWZp

#juneteenth #equityforall #allyship I always feel somewhat conflicted about the notion of "celebrating" Juneteenth. Because for all the hope that this milestone moment represented, we have still fallen well short in delivering against those promises for the Black community. In fact, it's deeply concerning to see ongoing efforts around the world to disenfranchise communities of color - as well as other historically disadvantaged groups - and roll back many of the protections that were put in place to create greater equity and inclusion. This Juneteenth, let us all redouble our efforts to ensure that our work is not performative, but a true lifelong commitment. Particularly in the face of bigotry, racism, and hatred, we must not shrink from the moment but use our collective voices to advocate for a more just society. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, "It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, 'Wait on time'.” That time is now. As one of the world’s most diverse destinations, Black culture and community have grown and flourished here in our City of Angels. At Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, we strive to continually uplift Black voices and support initiatives that promote justice and equality. Because we view diversity, equity, and inclusion as verbs - not nouns - and we recognize that intent must be met with action and impact across every aspect of our organization. This Juneteenth - and year-round - we invite Angelenos and visitors alike to visit and support the hundreds of Black-owned businesses across LA. For more information, visit: https://lnkd.in/gXyHhJb4 https://lnkd.in/gtY6cUd8

The word "icon" is often overused these days, but there are few who have left as indelible a mark on the Los Angeles sports scene and community - and the broader world of professional sports - as Jerry West. Today, we mourn the loss of a true LA icon. One of the best to ever play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) - with his famous silhouette serving as the League's official logo - he had even greater success as a General Manager, ushering in the Los Angeles Lakers thrilling "Showtime" era and building a sports dynasty that included some of the greatest teams in franchise history. As fans pay tribute to his statue in front of Crypto.com Arena, there are too many superlatives to count. An Olympic gold medal, MVP of the NCAA Final Four, 14 NBA All-Star game appearances, MVP status in both the NBA Finals and All-Star Game, numerous Executive of the Year awards, and developing unforgettable Lakers teams that earned six NBA titles. Beyond that, his ceaseless drive for achievement helped established the Lakers as a globally iconic brand. Through my work with Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, I have the privilege of representing our City of Angels in my travels around the world. And no matter where you go - from Shanghai to Sydney, Munich to Mexico City, the UK to the UAE - the Lakers logo is ubiquitous. Thank you "Mr. Clutch” for the enduring legacy you've left on our community and the sporting world. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who grieve your passing. https://lnkd.in/gy2tKMyE

"The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose...and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization." - President John F. Kennedy One of the things I love about our City of Angels is the way its vibrantly innovative and eclectic arts & cultural community is constantly evolving. With more museums and performing arts venues per capita than any other U.S. destination - and the world's most thriving street art scene - it's wonderful to see The Music Center featured in this month's issue of ARRIVED Los Angeles as this iconic institution celebrates its 60th anniversary! Congratulations to The Music Center's President & CEO, Rachel Moore, and her entire team on this richly deserved recognition! You can read ARRIVED's coverage here: https://lnkd.in/gk3vY7V6

A well-known Chinese proverb encourages us to “read 10,000 books and travel 10,000 miles” – reminding us that, as part of a global community, we must open our hearts and minds to foster greater understanding of other cultures and traditions to find common ground. It also captures the importance of travel and tourism as a vital bridge to bring people together through lived experiences. In that spirit, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the United States Department of Commerce convened the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit in historic Xi’an last week to explore how to best accelerate the pace of bilateral tourism recovery through closer cooperation between our nations. The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of Commerce Grant Harris – the senior-most American official to participate in the Tourism Leadership Summit to date – who shared a letter from President Biden underscoring the importance of travel and tourism as one of our nation’s largest service exports. Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin shared a similar message from President Xi Jinping, demonstrating a mutual commitment to leverage the power of tourism and the people to people exchanges our industry enables to fuel renewed growth in travel between the U.S. and China. Co-hosted by Brand USA, this represents a major step forward in restoring inbound travel from China to pre-pandemic levels, which is vital to full recovery of our nation’s tourism sector and broader economy overall. As a member of the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and Vice Chair of the World Tourism Alliance, I was deeply honored to join the U.S. delegation of more than 100 public and private sector leaders for this critically important dialogue. The event culminated with the signing of multiple MOUs between the Chinese and U.S. travel trade to ensure that we build on the foundation of last week’s Summit with meaningful action and collaboration. I'd like to express my profound appreciation to China's Minister of Culture and Tourism SUN Yeli and United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo for their efforts to resume the Tourism Leadership Summit and their advocacy in support of our industry.

Tourism is Indispensable. This week, we’re joining our friends at U.S. Travel Association and colleagues across the industry to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, and the vital contributions that visitors make to communities around the world! In 2023 alone, visitors to our City of Angels: * Supported more than 530,000 jobs across every LA neighborhood * Generated over $40 billion in revenues for over 1,100 local businesses, including hundreds of small and diverse-owned businesses * Contributed over $290 million to the City’s General Fund, providing essential services to all Angelenos * Saved every LA County household an average of $965 on their annual tax bill thanks to the state and local taxes generated by tourism Visit the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board LinkedIn page all week where we’ll share more information about the indispensable role that travel and tourism plays in LA's economy and community. To get you started, we’ve produced a short video highlighting just a few of the local businesses who depend on tourism for their livelihoods. Check it out below! #NTTW24 https://lnkd.in/deqNb_89

And that’s a wrap! Thank you to the 5,700 global travel buyers, trade media, and suppliers who made #IPW2024 the largest to date! Travel and tourism have the power to transcend borders and bring us closer together by exploring different cultures and traditions - something that’s more important now than ever! Our industry plays an indispensable role in communities around the world. Here in our City of Angels, tourism supports over 530,000 careers and - in 2023 - pumped over $40 billion into our local economy and saved every LA County household $965 in annual taxes! We’re grateful to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for welcoming IPW attendees, and for her ongoing support of our travel and tourism community. Thank you to the amazing teams at U.S. Travel Association, Brand USA, and Visit California for all your collaboration and support. We’re also incredibly grateful to our partners at The Getty, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Convention Center, and Universal Studios Hollywood for rolling out the red carpet for IPW attendees! Most of all, thank you to the entire Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board team - especially our IPW co-chairs Kathy Smits and Patti MacJennett - for your tireless efforts to showcase all that LA has to offer! You inspire me every day and I’m privileged to work alongside you! We’re excited to pass the torch to The Windy City - my hometown - and the team at Choose Chicago for #IPW2025. You’re going to crush it!

#MeetingsMatter #GMID2024   Today, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is proud to join our colleagues across the country in celebrating Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID). One of the largest “unseen” drivers of our local economy, professional meetings and conventions represent one of the region’s biggest contributors to employment, local business sales, and tax revenues that provide essential services to all Angelenos.   Put simply, Meetings Mean Business. In our City of Angels, these events generate a remarkable $24 billion in local business sales annually with a workforce and supply chain that reaches into every LA neighborhood, including hundreds of small and diverse-owned businesses who depend on these events for their livelihoods.   From the family-owned catering company in Leimert Park to the florist in Boyle Heights, event planner in Westlake, countless Downtown restaurants, and so much more, hundreds of thousands of Angelenos across the region work in careers that directly support professional meetings.   Professional meetings and events not only build strong relationships and drive local economies, but they also provide significant benefits to our communities. By partnering with planners to incorporate meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives into their event agendas, we can collectively have a lasting, positive impact on communities across the country.   As the world’s entertainment capital, Los Angeles is always “red carpet ready,” allowing event planners to become producers and bring their creative vision to life. Los Angeles Tourism is proud to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day and the positive impacts that professional meetings and events bring to every LA region, neighborhood, and household.   Thank you to our incredible Sales & Services team, LA Tourism’s Members, partners at the City of Los Angeles Tourism Department, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC), our amazing Customer Advisory Board, and – above all – our valued partners, planners, and group customers who trust us to deliver one-of-a-kind experiences that are uniquely LA! For more information about hosting your next event in Los Angeles, visit https://lnkd.in/gnARNASy.   https://lnkd.in/g6_26uN7