Businesses gearing up for Desert Trip
The first weekend of Desert Trip is nearly upon us and people are already in town getting ready. With the concert starting in the early evening, businesses are capitalizing on visitors’ free mornings and afternoons. They are offering up deals to bring diners into their restaurants or steering them toward local activities. This group is a bit more refined than the Coachella crowd, and businesses are taking note.
“We are anticipating a slightly more affluent clientele and a slightly older crowd just based on the acts that are playing, and with the schedule starting later in the afternoon you don’t have the acts like you would see during Coachella weekends,” said Chris George, the director of marketing at The La Quinta Resort and Club.
The resort is planning activities for the afternoon before the concert starts.
“We’re opening Morgan’s in the Desert, our signature restaurant, for lunch. We’re doing some great rock and roll-themed tennis clinics. We have spa treatments and spa specials, but also, understanding people are here for fun, for the concerts, so we have some late-night activities too,” George said.
Even changing its overseeding schedule so guests can play PGA West before heading to the concert. Stores on El Paseo are anticipating an uptick in business both weekends as well.
“We’re definitely hoping for people during the day to come to this beautiful street to shop and have lunch, and again, do some things to enjoy the weather before the concert at night,” said Elyssa Goldberg, who owns BG’s El Paseo.
BG’s El Paseo designed a line of T-shirts for the occasion.
“The line T-shirt line is based on vintage T-shirt fabrics, so we did vintage album covers and some younger pictures which are always a bit more fun and flattering,” Goldberg said.
Some restaurants are hoping to entice customers with deals just for concert goers.
“Anybody that has a wristband from the concert will get 20 percent off at The Slice. It’s a little incentive for us to give back and for us to get people to come in and get to know who we are,” said Jack Srebnik, who owns The Slice Pizzeria.
Everyone we talked with agrees having an event before the season officially begins is great for the valley and even better for business.
Some shops and restaurants are getting the weekend started early, throwing for a kick off event for Desert Trip on El Paseo. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Cambria Gallery. There will be food from Il Corso, a place to get a makeover and lots of other things to get you ready for a weekend of rock ‘n’ roll.
