Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast 2011 Attracts Thousands

Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast 2011 Attracts Thousands

Second annual food and wine destination event attracted tourists throughout California and beyond to stay, play, and savor San Luis Obispo County

This year's SAVOR  The Central Coast  attracted thousands of attendees, including scores of out-of-town food and wine lovers.  The four-day destination food and wine event  showcased the beauty and bounty of San Luis Obispo County, included a host of sold-out gala events, cooking demonstrations, celebrity chef appearances, gardening seminars, adventure tours to local outdoor hot spots, farm tours, and wine tasting excursions. Event managers claim the 2011 event an overwhelming success.

“There aren’t enough superlatives to describe this year’s SAVOR,” said Katie Tamony, Editor-In-Chief of Sunset magazine (www.Sunset.com), which organized the event along with the San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau (www.SanLuisObispoCounty.com). “It was a truly magical celebration of all things Central Coast.”

From Thursday to Sunday, San Luis Obispo County welcomed visitors from as far away as Florida  to South Carolina and throughout California to enjoy the region’s authentic, rural lifestyle. Thousands of guests enjoyed the SAVOR experience kicking off at a magical Hearst Castle event to a gala awards celebration at the Pismo Pier honoring Sunset’s Western Wine Award winners to special dinners at the San Luis Obispo Mission and Paso Robles City Park to the Margarita Ranch where guests enjoyed meeting the farmers, winemakers, local chefs and Sunset’s editors.   

“SAVOR is a countywide event giving every community in San Luis Obispo County from Paso Robles to Pismo Beach its moment to shine over the course of the SAVOR weekend,” said Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau, Stacie Jacob. “The collaborative efforts of our tourism partners were evident as the entire county got behind this event. We’ve already seen tremendous marketing exposure and significant tourism dollars as a result. We can’t wait to see the official numbers in the coming weeks.”

Currently a  third-party contractor is evaluating a full recap of attendees, event revenue and economic impact to San Luis Obispo County.

“Most SAVOR happenings were sold-out before the event kicked off. Only in its second year, this is clearly a celebration in demand. The Central Coast should be extremely proud,” added Jacob. “We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all hotel partners who assisted in hosting media and VIP guests and our 2011 sponsors,” said Jacob. 

We look forward to SAVOR The Central Coast 2012 !