But I will be relaxing and riding my horses all weekend!  Although with all the snake sightings I may be restricted to short rides… bummer.  But I digress.

Having lived and worked in the Valley for over 12 years, plus a work history here that goes back to the 80s and Mayor Sonny Bono, it is exciting to see the rebirth of the Valley as a destination for all ages and for all lifestyles, for almost every month of the year.  Now more than ever, we seem to be a year-round town.  Sure, season has it’s signature events like the PS International Film Festival, the Humana Challenge, the Arts Festival, BNP Paribas Open and oh, so many more.  But with the summer deals at hotels and restaurants, and more to do, it’s hopping around here all the time.

Right now, there is a part of me that wants to set up my lawn chair on Highway 111 and watch the “parade” of concert goers, both Coachella and Stagecoach!  The cars, the people, the fashions… to good to not enjoy!  Visit a grocery store or Target along the route and you will see the fans buying everything from chips and coolers, to hats, flip flops and tents.  Last year, one of the shops on El Paseo had Paris Hilton and her posse stop in for hip hair braids on their way to the concert.

And that brings me to the topic… are you reaching out to the hundreds of thousands of visitors that are headed this way for the next three weeks??  All Tressed Up ran a campaign on Twitter that caught Ms. Hilton’s eye, and she stopped in.  COOL!  For 21 days, these visitors will need plenty of things to round out their trip.  Not everyone camps out there… they are at hotels with some time on their hands to investigate the area, shop, dine and buy stuff.  Lots of stuff.

How can you reach out?  This target market is ON LINE, in a big way.  Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook… you name it, they are on it.  Use those links, buy some targeted online ad campaigns so when they are searching for stuff, you can help out.  Braids… you bet!  Manicures and pedicures… SURE!  Food, tents, sunscreen, fashions, dining, it’s all in the mix.  And with the ticket prices what they are, most are coming with money to spend, especially if it makes their trip and experience more fun.

Use those tags, hashtags and keywords… start some paid campaigns and massive content generation on your company’s social media.  Reach out and touch this group, you won’t be disappointed.

Then sit back and enjoy the people-watching, whether at the concerts or just around town. It’s just great living in the Coachella Valley.