When it comes to eat, work and play, L.A. does it right
California couldn’t have delivered better weather for the 6,000 or so international attendees of IPW’s 2024 Conference in Los Angeles. IPW (formerly known as International Pow Wow) is the U.S. Travel Association’s annual conference and expo promoting in-bound travel to the United States.
Los Angeles previewed what visitors can expect in 2028 when it hosts the Summer Olympics for a third time. The newly rennovated downtown calls itself LA Live, but L.A. 2.0 might describe the gleaming towers of hotels, eateries, shopping and nightlife surrounding the double domed Los Angeles Convention Center. Buses come and go for quick transporting visitors and locals alike, while the city’s Metro system has come miles in assisting the movement of people through the city.
When attendees weren’t taking appointments with travel industry leaders and destination marketing organizations, they were lunching with the likes of Ziggy Marley, Dogstar (with Keanu Reeves plonking the bass), and Broadway showstoppers who entertained with much fanfare. Evening events opened with the legendary boss Diana Ross bringing people on their feet while she belted out her hits at the L.A. Coliseum. The Santa Monica Pier showed off its colors and iconic style over two nights of open party. L.A. bid farewell to IPW with a final bow at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Los Angeles Convention center expo floor shimmered with banners from all over the U.S. and its territories. California, Florida, New York and Las Vegas boasted the largest real estate on the floor, while other states and service industries filled in around them. In between appointments with destination representatives, the travel agents and tour operators seeking to learn more about American destinations, flocked to colorful booths offering refreshments, music, even massages.
Outside the convention center the California Plaza, set up exclusively for IPW, drew attendees inside its gates for daily showcases of food, drink and other Golden State products. Wines, brews and spirits were consumed, but the biggest draw of all was the In-N-Out Burger trailer that delivered thousands of cheeseburgers to attendees hungering for a first-time taste of the iconic California brand.
Those arriving in L.A. early had options for tours in and around the City of Angels. The Marina del Rey catamaran cruise filled up fast, while other outings included food tours, hiking to the Hollywood sign, museums, and shopping. Brentwood’s Getty Museum hosted several hundred international media attendees for a brunch in its courtyard and access to its extensive collections.
IPW came and went, elevating Los Angeles in the mind of many first-time visitors, reacquainting itself with those familiar, and endearing itself to those who left it behind.
