The November discussion at the La Jolla Village Merchants Association (LJVMA) meeting turned to December and how to promote the Village during the year-end holidays.
LJVMA also took action to “adopt” the La Jolla Open Water Swim, a signature La Jolla event revived this year based on a popular past community swim event that had been canceled for a couple of years due to past La Jolla Cove pollution.
LJVMA Executive Director Jodi Rudick noted the group’s next meeting on Dec. 11 will be its annual strategic planning workshop to develop new and improved ideas on how to better promote and market business, while attracting more customers to the downtown Village.
On Nov. 13, Rudick passed out a flyer promoting the La Jolla Village holiday decorating contest and event calendar. All LJVMA merchants have been asked to share their public holiday events, parties, receptions, etc.
Rudick said the holiday decorating contest this year will offer prizes for best overall display, best La Jolla theme and other surprise categories. Decorating contest rules are at www.lajollabythesea.com with event registration at tiny url.com/jolladays2019.
Officially begun with an LJVMA booth at the October La Jolla Art & Wine Festival, Enjoya La Jolla is a promotional card program, partnering with La Jolla High School Foundation, involving a “passport” from participating merchants granting members special offers, discounts and prizes.
Rudick said the initial response to the Enjoya La Jolla discount card has been encouraging.
“Right now, we have 59 merchants on the card,” she said, adding 250 people have thus far purchased it.
LJVMA President Brett Murphy commented on inheriting the La Jolla Open Water Swim, which debuted in September. “It’s a great event and we were approached by La Jolla Parks and Beaches, Inc. because they needed a good partner,” he said. “One goal would be to get people down at the cove back up to eat or whatever [in the Village] once the event is over. Our big goal would be to make it a LJVMA signature event.”’
LJVMA would assist with swim marketing and management, while the event would continue to be produced by the park’s board and race director, Judy Halter. Another partner, La Jolla Kiwanis Club, could be brought on board to do community outreach and fundraising. Proceeds from this year’s first swim are being used as seed money to begin a summer concert series in Scripps Park in 2020.
In other action:
John Unbewust, general manager of Enhance La Jolla, updated the board on the new maintenance assessment district (MAD), which went into effect Oct. 1. He noted the MAD has worked with the city forester to have eucalyptus tree branches hanging over the Athenaeum roof trimmed. “Those are the kinds of things we can make sure happen,” said Unbewust. “We’re developing a relationship will all of the divisions within the city on various aspects of city services, which over time will benefit the Village.”
For more information, visit enhancelajolla.org.
