Visit Tri-Valley (VTV) is the region’s pioneering destination marketing organization for Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and Danville. The organization, which is funded by a hotel tax, has been lauded for its work promoting the region as an appealing destination for visitors. Its many accomplishments include establishing popular wine, beer, and ice cream trails that draw customers to regional establishments. During the pandemic, VTV launched a Tri-Valley To Go promotional campaign to encourage local residents to get take-out orders from restaurants, breweries, and wineries. More recently, VTV created The Vibe, a service that highlights regional events.

A few years ago, VTV officials began developing a long-term Destination Strategic Plan with the help of its board members and many stakeholders. The goal of the plan was to create strategies that “help further develop a vibrant visitor economy while also enhancing the quality of life for residents,” according to officials. The five-year plan, which was released in December 2023, acknowledges the value of tourism to the Tri-Valley economy, and VTV’s commitment to maintaining and growing it as a viable industry for the foreseeable future.

Building on Success

VTV has seen notable success in promoting the Tri-Valley as an ideal location for sports tournaments. In November, for example, Major League Table Tennis held matches at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Todd Dibs, Director of Sports Development, notes that the West Coast Jamboree recently renewed its four-year contract to host the girls basketball tournament in the Tri-Valley. The tournament, which was founded in 2000, is one of the largest high school basketball tournaments in the country. Matches will be held this year on December 27, 28, and 30, bringing visitor dollars to the area during a traditionally slow period. In March 2025, the USA Boys Water Polo Championships will be held in the Tri-Valley.

“We have large and small events alike, from a couple hundred people to two thousand people, from regional to state to national events,” says Dibs. As the Destination Strategic Plan points out, however, “due to the lack of a central sports complex, over 40% of these tournaments and sporting events have been dispersed across multiple locations to accommodate the programming and number of attendees. Consequently, some potential opportunities to host events in the Tri-Valley area have been missed.”

Currently, “we use the schools, we use the colleges, we use the parks and recreation departments, and we use the fairgrounds,” explains Dibs. “But we are hitting the ceiling of what we can do in terms of capacity.” Sports organizers prefer facilities that can host “an entire tournament in one location, with added amenities and services to enhance the experience for athletes and their families,” according to the research done for the Destination Strategic Plan. “For instance, regional and state girls’ volleyball tournaments require a minimum of 18 to 24 courts in one location. Despite the Tri-Valley’s unique offerings, the absence of such a facility has resulted in the area losing out on several sports tournaments over the years.”

As the report notes, “the demand for a new sports complex is clear. Broader sporting trends indicate that volleyball and basketball are among the fastest-growing sports in the United States, confirming the increasing demand for new sports facilities. As the sports tournament industry continues to grow and become incredibly competitive, organizers will seek out facilities that are large enough to host the tournaments at their current size but also enable them to grow and have amenities to support the tournament attendees when they are not playing.”

In September, Visit Tri-Valley announced that it was committed to developing a new multiuse event center in the region with industry and community partners. The event center will feature more than 100,000 square feet of adaptable indoor and outdoor space that will accommodate sports tournaments, corporate events, and entertainment shows such as live music. The facilities will also incorporate eco-friendly practices and sustainable design principles to minimize environmental impact. Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore are being considered as potential sites for the new event center. The actual location is expected to be announced early next year.

“This new multiuse event center will be a driving force for economic growth in the Tri-Valley region,” according to VTV officials. “By attracting year-round events, including major sports tournaments, corporate gatherings, and entertainment shows, the facility will boost local tourism, increase visitor spending, and create new opportunities for local businesses. In turn, this will generate tax dollars that help fund local infrastructure, environmental initiatives, and various programs and services to better the lives of residents. The venue’s development is not just about building a facility; it’s about investing in the long-term prosperity and vibrancy of our community.”

The new facilities, which are expected to be built over the next several years, will do more than attract additional sporting events and conferences to the Tri-Valley, according to Tracy Farhad, Visit Tri-Valley’s President and CEO. The new multiuse event center will also showcase that the Tri-Valley “is at the heart of innovation.”

Tri-Valley Arts and Culture Pass Introduced

While the multiuse events center is an important long-range project, VTV continues to create new initiatives to strengthen the Tri-Valley brand. Last month, the organization introduced the Tri-Valley Arts and Culture Pass, which highlights the region’s offerings of regional culture, arts, and history. “From Danville to Pleasanton to Dublin to Livermore, we have the culture, the history, and the new arts and the old arts combined,” says VTV Vice President of Marketing, Robin Fahr. “We believe this new trail will become as popular with locals as it will be with visitors.”

The Tri-Valley's cultural heritage includes industries and events that are already celebrated such as the wine industry, the annual Livermore rodeo, and the yearly Scottish Highland Gathering and Games. It also includes popular activities, events, and institutions primarily enjoyed by locals, an eclectic mix that ranges from Pleasanton's historic Alviso Adobe to Livermore's tour of 20 murals to pop-up temporary public art exhibits to performances and events at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore and the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton–and far beyond. The new Tri-Valley Arts and Culture Pass rewards those who explore five partner organizations with a branded Tri-Valley Arts and Culture tote bag. To earn the reward, visitors simply download a mobile passport via text or email–no app is needed–and register each visit to a qualified partner.

The Spread Cheer with Beer campaign has returned this holiday season to raise money for the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Foundation. VTV will donate $20 to the foundation for each person who completes 10 check-ins at participating businesses on the Tri-Valley Beer Trail between November 15 and January 5. While supplies last, those who visit 10 businesses using the free Beer Trail mobile passport will also be rewarded with a limited-edition pom-pom beanie.

Another VTV-developed event worth noting is the fifth annual Taste Tri-Valley Restaurant Week. Next year’s celebration will run from February 20 to March 2 and feature a host of culinary events, unique menus, and special discounts highlighting the Tri-Valley’s diverse culinary scene. In addition to two Michelin-designated restaurants in the region, VTV aims to highlight a variety of edible delights.

As well as focusing on the Tri-Valley food scene as a whole, “we want to bring Dublin's ethnic variety of foods to everybody's attention,” notes Fahr. “We like to say, in Dublin check your GPS because you could be in Korea, you could be in China, you could be in Vietnam, or you could be in Myanmar eating Burmese food.”

Tri-Valley tourism benefits the region as a whole. Related activities employ nearly 8,000 residents who pay rent, see doctors, shop for groceries, and contribute to their communities in a variety of ways. That includes paying taxes that support local and state services such as road maintenance, fire and police, and senior centers. Visit Tri-Valley officials intend to follow the recommendations of its Destination Strategic Plan, work to develop the multiuse event center, and continue creating new initiatives with partners to build on its successes and continue giving back to the region now and in the future.

For more information about the Visit Tri-Valley Destination Strategic Plan, please visit www.visittrivalley.com/about-us/destination-strategic-plan.

For more information about Tri-Valley events, please visit www.events.vibetrivalley.com.

For more information about the Tri-Valley Arts and Culture Pass, please visit www.visittrivalley.com/what-to-do/arts-culture.

For more information about Spread Cheer with Beer, please visit www.visittrivalley.com/beer-trail.