La Jolla Village Merchants Association’s first Business4Breakfast meeting of 2020, held Feb. 18, featured representatives from La Jolla Kiwanis Club and the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance offering tips on how merchants can market themselves by building on signature community events.
A list of La Jolla’s extensive annual community events compiled by LJVMA was passed out to merchants attending this first of four Business4Breakfast meetings, which seeks to assist businesses in promoting themselves and each other. That extensive event list includes the Concours d’Elegance classic car show in Scripps Park April 17-19, and La Jolla Kiwanis Club’s Half-Marathon race between Del Mar Racetrack and the Cove on April 26.
“About 20% of the events in this town are hosted and produced by one organization that is not for-profit, the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla,” said LJVMA Executive Director Jodi Rudick. She added, “We’re challenging this community of merchants to talk to one another to get businesses to promote each other.”
Bart Calame, of La Jolla Kiwanis, then launched into a presentation detailing the La Jolla chapter of the international organization, discussing how it fosters youth activities and concerns.
“We raise $200,000 to $250,000 a year from our annual half marathon which, for the last 38 years, has raised funding for our 501(c)3 nonprofit that gives everything back into the community for worthy causes, especially those youth-oriented,” Calame said. “Kiwanis owns that race. It’s our own brand.”
Calame noted La Jolla Kiwanis intends to expand not only its signature half-marathon event, but to acquire and build new community events as well.
“We want the [marathon] race to double,” he said, adding Kiwanis is also seeking ways to attract more runners on marathon race day, as well as possibly taking on new vendors and sponsors.
“We’re also looking to pick up other community events to anchor under the Kiwanis umbrella,” Calame said. “We’ve taken over the La Jolla Cove swim that was resurrected this year after not being held for a couple of years.
We are also bringing back the summer Concerts By The Sea series.”
Michael Dorvillier, who spearheads annual promotion of the spring Concours d’Elegance classic car show, noted the weekend event has grown and is now widely acknowledged to be among the top five concours in the world. He spoke of La Jolla’s upcoming 2020 concours.
“This is our 16th year and we’re celebrating this year’s event featuring the Bugatti, arguably the most collectible car in the world,” Dorvillier said. He added efforts have been made during the last few La Jolla classic car events to attract attendees into the Village to shop and dine.
A relatively new event, known as Break in the Village, is being planned again this year by Village merchants to tie-in with, and engage, Concours d’Elegance attendees.
“Local car dealers and merchants are going to have car-oriented displays in front of their stores throughout the Village,” said Dorvillier, noting Concours d’Elegance guests are going to be able to test drive select vehicles for the first time parked out in front of Village businesses.
“One merchant last year passed out Matchbox cars to each guest,” noted Rudick, adding that $1 investment paid off dividends in terms of goodwill and connected businesses and their clients with the special car event.
Morgan Barnes, of Cove House, which hosted the Business4Breakfast event, concluded the meeting by discussing ways that the eatery has partnered with other Village businesses mutually benefiting one another by promoting each other.
