Local marketing and branding agency Verdin Marketing Ink has been awarded the coveted marketing contract for the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Business Improvement District that covers about 700 hotels, motels and vacation rentals in the county’s unincorporated areas.

VMI is partnering with RIESTER, a national advertising agency with offices in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Salt Lake City, on the first phase of the SLOCTBID marketing efforts, which includes the branding and website development for the TBID.

Carl Ribaudo of Strategic Marketing Group in South Lake Tahoe has been retained to develop the marketing plan.

Food Network chef Tyler Florence will charm his way into the hearts of local foodies this fall as the official celebrity chef for Sunset magazine’s Savor the Central Coast event.

Florence is well-known for his best-selling cookbooks and highly rated Food Network shows “Food 911,” “How to Boil Water,” and “Tyler’s Ultimate.” Sunset’s food and wine extravaganza will span four days from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 throughout San Luis Obispo County.

Insiders say Florence will attend the Sunset Western Wine Awards Gala on Friday evening, provide cooking demonstrations and host book signings both Saturday and Sunday, and attend a winemaker dinner on Saturday night.

The San Luis Obispo Visitors and Conference Bureau is co-presenting the event with Sunset Magazine. Click here for more event information.

Feb. 11, 2010 ---

Rancher/developer Ernie Dalidio has strongly denied any connection to the San Luis Obispo County Farmers' Market Association, which has been at odds with the SLO Downtown Association. Dalidio told the e-Insider he has no connection with the group of any kind, and has not given it "even a penny" for its ad campaign defending the farmers’ interests. Last week, the e-Insider reported on a widely spread rumor that Dalidio had been behind the ads. "Absolutely not true," Dalidio told the e-Insider this week.

Feb. 11, 2010 ---

Obvious pressure from the City Council seems to have had a positive effect on a dispute between the Downtown Association and the San Luis Obispo County Farmers' Market Association. While they haven’t yet kissed and made up, the two associations have agreed to at least try to work out their differences. In a joint news release sent out today, the two groups said they had "agreed to move forward with hammering out the details and developing a formalized annual contract…"

Feb. 11, 2010 ---

The Tourism Business Improvement District for the unincorporated areas of the county (Los Osos, San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, Nipomo, Oceano and Avila) just retained highly regarded advertising executive Cheryl Cuming to be its BID administrator. Cuming is best known locally for her work as vice president of advertising at The Tribune, a post she held for seven years and left last December. This county-unincorporated TBID (not to be confused with the SLO city TBID or the “failed on the launch pad” county-wide TBID) has been collecting funds from about 700 motels, hotels, bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals since June and should have about $1 million to spend each year on promoting the area.

Jan 6, 2010 ---

This year, every city advisory board and commission is looking for applicants for open positions. These groups either recommend policies to the City Council or, in some cases, make policy decisions themselves—decisions that have a direct impact on business and on local quality of life. Usually only a few business people apply, and sometimes the result is a commission or board where not even a single member has business experience. The deadline for applications is January 29. Click here for more info.

Jan. 6, 2010 ---

The Crooked Kilt, an Irish Pub-type bar and restaurant is reportedly very close to a deal on the old location of 1865 restaurant at 1865 Monterey St. The Crooked Kilt is a popular gathering place on the park in Paso Robles known more for its fun atmosphere than its food. This would be their second location.

Jan. 6, 2010 ---

Long time city hall reporter Sally Connell will leave The Tribune late this month to write freelance and fiction. Connell currently covers the City of San Luis Obispo and the San Luis Coastal Unified School District. Trib reporter AnnMarie Cornejo will take over that beat when Connell leaves. Insiders report that another Trib veteran reporter, Cynthia Neff Lambert, who left some years ago, will be moving back to SLO and will be returning as a Trib reporter.  She covered city and county government and education while in her previous position at the Trib.