Amgen, Cowboy, Loose Goose credited for bringing attention to the area.
The City of Santa Clarita won the prestigious Grand Prize for Best Economic Development Program in the State of California for the second year in a row on May 1. The award is given by the California Association of Local Economic Developers (CALED). CALED is the premier statewide professional economic development organization in California.
This award recognizes outstanding and innovative programs which have made a significant contribution to the field of economic development. Examples from previous award winners include export trade programs, business finance programs, and innovative economic strategies. Last year, the City of Santa Clarita Film program won this award.
“Santa Clarita is a premiere community and we’re proud to receive this recognition of the work we have done to attract visitors to enjoy our City,” commented Mayor Bob Kellar.
Santa Clarita won the award this year for the Tourism program. The Tourism program has seen great successes in positioning Santa Clarita as a ‘lifestyle’ destination to attract regional visitors via event tourism, both through sporting events such as the Amgen Tour of California and the AT&T Champions Classic as well as cultural events such as the Loose Goose Wine Festival and the Cowboy Festival.
Economic impact from these events generates more than $10 million annually to the Santa Clarita community. Visitors to Santa Clarita contribute to increased sales tax and transient occupancy tax generation. Santa Clarita also receives indirect benefits from tourism, including millions of dollars in media exposure nationally and internationally through coverage of events, as well as the positive association that comes from hosting world-class, quality events.
The City of Santa Clarita partners with the Santa Clarita Valley Tourism Bureau, in a public-private partnership to market Santa Clarita as a visitor destination. The Tourism Bureau is a membership-based cooperative marketing organization.
The City has had a number of economic development successes recently. The City of Santa Clarita was named one of the Top Most Business Friendly Cities in Los Angeles County for the second year in a row by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. In addition, Santa Clarita was named Best City for Industrial Development by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
For additional information, please contact the City of Santa Clarita’s Economic Development Office at (661) 255-4347.
