When Jay Aldrich came on board last year to head the San Fernando Valley Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, there were high hopes that he would help revolutionize the Valley’s tourism industry. “The vision was to get out there and basically let the world know that the San Fernando Valley was an alternative destination for meetings and tourists,” Aldrich recalled. “We have culture in the Valley, affordable hotels, great restaurants. The Valley was a wonderful destination.” A year later, however, Aldrich’s vision remains largely unfulfilled. Other than changes to the SFCVB’s Web site and Aldrich’s plans to attend the Travel Industry Association’s conference in late May to talk to international delegates about visiting the Valley, not much progress has been made. So, what’s to blame? Money, according to Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley head Bruce Ackerman, Valley Industry & Commerce Association chairman Bob Scott and Aldrich himself. “We brought Jay Aldrich on specifically because the City of Los Angeles called for a full-time position,” said Ackerman, who has been actively involved in giving the CVB a boost. Over a three-year period, $600,000 was expected from the City to reignite the CVB and give Aldrich a fulltime salary. But, because of budget cuts, that funding never came through. “They de-allocated the allocated budget,” Scott said. Explained Aldrich, “Before we knew it, there was a humongous budget crisis, and all of those special allocated funds were frozen, but they were allocated for a period on a trial basis for three years. We’ll try for the ’08-’09 budget for July, but it doesn’t look good. We’re kind of in limbo.” Aldrich, who now finds himself in the role of volunteer director, said that the CVB can’t survive on membership alone. “I can’t work for free, but I’m sort of the volunteer director from home with the e-mails that come into the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau at the Web site,” he said. “I still keep my fingers in it, but I can’t go into the office everyday for no salary, which is unfortunate because we were excited about spearheading all types of programs.” In addition to bringing on Aldrich as director, there was a need for two other employees. “One probably would have been doing sales, such as membership and things like that, and the other one would have been assistant manager and would go to various travel and trade shows and handle the advertising,” Aldrich said. Aldrich, who is a full-time hospitality and tourism professor at California State University, Northridge, said that he is unwilling to simply abandon his vision for the CVB. He’s determined to stick it out for another year on a volunteer basis. “I’ve been involved with the CVB since Day One which was 10, 12 years ago,” he explained. “It’s not something I want to give up easily. I’m such a big believer that the San Fernando Valley needs its own CVB.” He said that his role now will be to continue to brand the Valley as a desirable tourist destination. “We have the new children’s museum, which is going to be opening in Lakeview Terrace, and a brand new huge performing arts structure opening at CSUN, so I see myself as just touting all the aspects the Valley, but on a volunteer basis, not on a paid basis,” he said.
