April 25, 2025 • 30 mins
Rachel Sacco is the President & CEO of Experience Scottsdale. Since 1986, Rachel has been a driving force in Arizona's destination marketing, transforming the Scottsdale tourism landscape. From leading the tourism division at the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce to becoming the first president and CEO of the stand-alone Experience Scottsdale, Rachel's journey is one of dedication and visionary leadership - achieving numerous accolades, inductions into multiple Halls of Fame, and recognition by AZ Business magazine as one of the most 50 influential women in Arizona. In addition to leading Experience Scottsdale, she also contributes her expertise as a board member for the U.S. Travel Association, Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association, Fiesta Bowl, Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, and Scottsdale Charro Foundation.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to CEOs. You should know Phoenix. I'm your host,
Rich Barrow. Our guest today is pretty exciting. This is
Rachel Sacho, President and CEO from Experience Scottsdale, which, by
the way, I must say, is one of my favorite
instagrams to follow, is it? I am a follower. I
(00:20):
have seen all the great Instagrammable sites, all the pictures,
like the newest one is where I think you're saying, like, hey,
springs coming, this was going to look like here soon.
That should be a street cred for you. Since I
actually you probably actually saw that.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I think this is wonderful. Thank you for your following.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, so I mean we're going to talk about Scottsdale.
Of course, in what you do you've been there for
a hot minute, Experienced Scottsdale.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I have been there for thirty nine hot minutes and
I have loved every minute of it.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, what about your job? Experienced Scottsdale doesn't feel like
a job.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Nothing really feels like a job because it's the people.
I love collaborating with the team of people that want
to show up in a place that allows them to
use their skills and to do their best work. And
we have developed a collaborative trust based Hey, go for it.
(01:17):
Let's just be authentic, Let's be passionate, let's have integrity,
and let's make this destination the place that everybody wants
to know and visit around the world.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So what exactly is Experienced Scottsdale.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
We are a five oh one c six not for
profit corporation. So essentially we have a contract with the
City of Scottsdale, also with the town of Paradise Valley,
and what our mission is is to be the marketing
in the sales arm for those two communities to brand
(01:52):
this beautiful destination called the Scottsdale area around the world
for visitors and for groups to hold their meetings here.
And tourism is such an important part of your economic development.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Tell us what we see on a yearly basis from
Scottsdale alone, like the money and the tax revenue and
all that that it brings in.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Scott Stale's not the largest community. I mean you think
about you know, we're two hundred and fifty thousand people
or so, but tourism is a three point five billion
dollar industry just in annually community annually, wow, annually.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
We have a bus because everything's expensive.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
You know what, It's just irresistible. I'd like to say,
there you go, Yeah, you have to, you have to
come and see it.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You do have a little bit of the The people
who have money to spend have made this a destination,
and I'm guessing half of that's got to be from
the Fashion Center. In fact, I heard that that's more
visited than the Grand Canyon. Is that true.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I'm not sure that I can corroborate that.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
You know, one, I'm gonna go ahead and put it out there.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
The Grand Canyon has got a pretty high visitation bar.
But I would say that Fashion Square is definitely one
of the must see places.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
It's definitely trendier well and.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
If you like, if you like a lot of the
things that you have seen around the country, and particularly
the restaurants and the high end fashion, they are bringing
it here the Mace Rich Corporation.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
It's pretty impressive. Like I think that at some point
you decided to get very serious about food in Scottsdale,
like like, hey, listen, we're going to have how many
there's a couple of five stars, I know Monarch right in.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
There are so many restaurants now that are known I
think around the country and beyond. And I remember a
few decades ago actually, when we were looking through the
magazines back then, saying, why is Scottsdale not showing up
in all of these magazines with all the great restaurants
that we have here and the great wine, even the
(03:56):
Arizona wines which are now celebrated. Yeah, and so we
have come, I think a foody destination. That's what our
clients tell us.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Anyway, Yeah, I think so it makes sense. I would
fly here to eat, for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
For sure you would.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I mean, because you've got all these I could go
on and on, and we will here in a few
minutes about the places, because I'm going to ask you for,
you know, a couple of your takes on things, since
you are passionate about Scottsdale. It's not just a job
for you, right, this is I.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Love this destination. I have raised three children in this destination.
I feel that it is one of the greatest places
to live, to work, and to play. And I love
everything about it, the history of it, how artists have
come here.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Because sky looks different at night.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
This sky looks different at night, it looks different during
the day. I mean, we have sun. We have desert,
but we also have marvelous arts and culture and the
creativity the people who have come here, the artists of
Frankloyd writes the Paolo Solari's there's so many of them
that have basically said essentially the same thing. I don't
(05:06):
know what it is, but I feel more creative here,
and that's one of the things that I hear.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Maybe there's a maybe there's a excuse me, there's a
creative vortex.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I think there is, and nice similar to called the desert.
I really do. I think there's something in the air.
Visitors tell me more often than not, something to the
effect of, I don't know what it is about here,
but I feel so much better than when I arrived.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It might be the sun.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think it's the sun. I think it's the fact
that it's easy. It's a it's a little city in
a way that has big city amenities, but really a great, warm,
small town welcoming and that is a great combo.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
You know, not for me, well for me, I will
say this. I like the ocean quite a bit. I
used to live in San Diego, lived right by the beach.
I think for me, I find it even more relaxing
and more inspiring to see the sunset over like some
rolling cactus, or you know, like some city views, like
a good patio, a pig having a nice little beverage
(06:08):
and some appetizers. That to me is the stuff. There
is something about the sunset here and the way in
Scottsdale in particular, you get those rolling hills and you
get that proper view. It's pretty special, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
We always say that, really the desert is our ocean.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, it really is. It's just as calming to me.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And so we are a city in the desert, but
we also are a city that brings the desert into
the city. And I think that it's that aesthetic that
really makes people feel like, oh, this is beautiful, beautiful.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Can you confirm or deny what I feel like? I
know a few fun facts about Scottsdale, and one of
them I just told you that you could not cooperate.
But when we're talking about hiking, isn't it true that
there's like four hundred miles of hiking trails just in Scottsdale.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I don't know that there's four hundred, but I will
tell you that there are so many that I can't
even count them. One of the things that people love
to do when they come here is to get into
the desert. The fact that this community, and it's only
been what twenty five plus years or so, got together
and preserved over well, it's between a quarter and a
(07:17):
third of our entire land masks in Scottsdale to be
forever a preserve is amazing, and visitors contribute to that
as well. So it's not just our residents taxing themselves,
it's our visitors. And so when you think about it,
it's about roughly the size of the city of San
Francisco that we have that is forever a preserve of
(07:39):
the preserve part wow, yeah, So you think about that
and all the hiking that's out there, there's a ton,
there's a ton, and there's a lot of historical importance
out there in terms of you know, artifacts and petroglyphs
and things like that that most people aren't going to
be able to see, but just knowing that it's there
(07:59):
is really special.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Has it snowed in Scottsdale since you've been in charge.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Well, since I've been in charge, I had I usually
try to pray for no rain on you know, the
Phoenix open and things like that. Bart Jackson. But yes,
I have seen some snow dusting up in the mountains
and it's lovely. Doesn't last long but the four seasons.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
But oh yeah, that's right, that's high enough and surely enough.
That's great. Okay, let me let me give you a
couple of quizes. Here we're talking with Rachel Saco and
she is the CEO of Experienced Scottsdale. Okay, so let
me give you just a couple of like scotts Dally
kind of like questions.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Try to just really.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
No, no, no, I really just want to get your
first take on things like like what's your favorite place
to get in espresso? Martini?
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Oh, my goodness, anywhere that is mine. That is exactly
one of our favorites. And I would say almost anywhere.
Give me come to go to eighty eighty eight. That
was Martinez.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
I thought you were to say that, it's possible.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Not to have that. When you say Martini. The next
thing is a Z eighty eight. To some extent, you
have to.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And they're famous. Also their chicken sandwich is really good there.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Their chicken sandwich or their chicken salad thing, you know,
get the buffalo sauce. It's really unique.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Okay, So what is your favorite patio? Give me a
couple of your favorite patios. Afternoon patios.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Oh, I love almost any patio. I love being at
the Sanctuary. I love beautiful four seasons. I love being
even looking out at the golf course, you know, at
the at the Princess for a month, Princess.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Customer service at Princess second to none.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Second to none. They have a great leader and every
single person there is on their game. Another great thing
that was just redone and that is the Hyatt. It's
now a grand Hyat. It's the only one in our
state that got that elevation. And if you haven't been
to their pool area.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Where is that the area?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
It's right off of Double Tree there on Still Road.
It was one of our first resorts, The Hyatt and
the Fairmont, you all came about in the late eighties
about at the same time. And they've just got such
a great refresh. It was the first one that had
that sandy beach pool. Do you remember that where it
(10:20):
was like you could bring your kids there to the
pool and there was sand there as well, and it's
just so lovely and it's in the middle of our destination,
but it feels like it's so far away.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Okay, what about your favorite boutique.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
I love to walk around the Old Town area because
those are boutiques that are non chain, meaning that they
are owned by somebody who has a passion for fashion.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
You're just going to find something you need. You're going to.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Find something that you're not going to find anywhere else.
And if you didn't find something there, you have that
beautiful mall that we talked about, Fashion Square that has
every luxury outlet that you could possibly think of, and
all the restaurants to go with it.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Okay, so best sandwich in Scottsdale, Well.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It depends on what kind of sandwich you really like
to have. I'm trying to you know what, there's some
great barbecue if you go up and down Scottsdale Road
all I mean, there's just for me. I think when
I think of a sandwich, I think of I just
want to have a barbecue.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Like brisket.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Love brisket.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Okay, where would you get a good brisket?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
There are some places I hate to even you know,
single only one out, but you can get brisket and
a lot of places in Scottsdale, and some of them
are way up north and some of them are way
down south as well. So go on go to our website,
Experience Scottsdale dot com and just peruse all the restaurants.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
What about steak well, I mean mean.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Here again, I mean, come on, do you want to
go to Bourbon Steak? Do you want to go to
you know, at the Fairmont. Do you want to just
go to an incredible steak place like you know, gosh,
the City Hall. Their steaks here are just amazing. But
we're also known for so many wonderful things. I mean,
if you want to go to a place that is
(12:16):
plant based and it's been around for a long time
and serves up the most wonderful unusual entrees. F and
B in the Old Town area and they have strictly
an Arizona wine serving menu, and it's just incredible.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
If you're just gonna walk in Scottsdale and you just
want to kind of like maybe a little bit of shops,
maybe a little bit of greenery where you tell people
to kind of like start their path, you.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Might want to go on the waterfront, which is in
Old Town and looks it looks like it's not in
the desert.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
It's true, and yet it's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You can see the mountains and then you can see
all of the restaurants alongside of it. At night. There
are activations there like Canal Convergence, which happens in the
fall and also in the spring, which brings fire into
the canal water, and all sorts of installations that are
(13:16):
light based and you know, interactive and are so fun.
And then you can walk down to the Museum of
the West, the.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Museum museums to get a museum.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
The Museum of the West just hosted Kevin Costner here,
who won the first kind of an Americana Award, if
you will, for West, someone like a Western tribute for
all that he had done to bring the West back
to life. But the Western Museum, it's a Smithsonian affiliate
(13:47):
and it actually got that moniker, I think in its
first or second year. It's just celebrated its tenth year.
But you are able to see not just the West
as we experience here in Scottsdale, in and airs, but
the West how it impacted the culture that everyone across
the whole world thinks about when they think of the West.
(14:09):
You know, and the artists that have used the West
as inspiration and now are a part of people living
all over the planet that think about the West and
understand its history as a great part of Americana. And
it's right here in the Old Town area. It's called
Scottsdal's Museum of the West.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Okay, So I know that you and mister Saco have
been together for a long time.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yes we had.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
But if you were to pick a wedding spot in Scottsdale,
give me your top two choices.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
You are really pressing me, I.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Know, but this is your town.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I will tell you. If you want to do something
that is it's really really different and you want to
be outside, you could actually be on a beautiful Arabian
horse ranch called Los Cedro's. You could be in the
old town area on the Civic Civic Center plaza area. Oh,
that's a cool idea, at the Valley Hoe, which is
(15:05):
an old town and right on their rooftop and celebrate
just like so many of the famous stars came in
the fifties and would do their honeymoon's here.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Don't sleep on the Valley ho that's a cool joint.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
It's really cool, cool and they have a great chef who,
in my opinion, doesn't get nearly as much a claim
as he should. It's so interesting, their food is great,
their ambiance is great, and then you can go to
the Artwalk. The Artwalk just celebrated its fiftieth year. It's
the longest continuously run art walk in the country. And
(15:39):
we have so many art and cultures.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
But the culinary Festival. How many years has that been
going on? You know?
Speaker 2 (15:43):
The culinary Festival. Yeah, I think we are a culinary
festival our entire community because there isn't any type of
cuisine that you don't have here. And one of the
things that people don't realize is that we're one of
the few places that has indigenous cuisine here. When we
go to New York and we try to talk about
(16:04):
things that you can only do in Scottsdale. We were
just at Conde Nast headquarters where they have so many
of their magazine outlets and media, and we hosted a
Oh gosh, a luncheon for them and it was all
about indigenous cuisine. And the writers there that are writing
for the Food magazine said, on this entire island of
(16:25):
Manhattan that has everything, we do not have one indigenous restaurant,
but you have it here, and you have people that
are Indigenous that actually will do an incredible program for you.
And so that's one of the things about scott Stale
is that we are a wonderful blend of a Hispanic,
(16:45):
of Native American, of Anglo, of desert dwellers, of people
that have come here from around the world and just
given it their heart because Scottsdale gives them art.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
It's what's interesting about Scottsdale. I think, too is unique
in that Scottsdale has a very unique, unduplicable vibe. But
I think part of its charm is you can walk
into places that don't feel like you're anywhere in Arizona
at all. Right, one of the places I was thinking
about was in the Royal Palms, where it just doesn't
(17:19):
feel like you're in Scottsdale. It feels like you've walked
into Spain right in the nineteen hundreds. That kind of stuff,
I think is so cool.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I think that history for a young community, I mean,
you look at where our visitors come from around the world.
This is a young community, but its history is really deep,
and the places that do really well here, even if
they are bringing a bit of their culture from Spain
or from Morocco, or from Italy or from wherever, or
(17:49):
even from the ocean ocean side, it blends in well here,
and people here are so welcoming. You can just come
in and people well you. Whether you've got your cowboy
boots and your turquoison or whether you are dressed to
the nines coming here with your you know, your significant other,
(18:09):
or whether you're here with your golf buddies or you're
here with your galfriends at a spa. That's the other thing.
The spa and the wellness scene here is totally exploding,
and it's not just getting a massage in a facial anymore.
People are coming here to really dial through reset to
(18:29):
reset because they feel better, recharge, recharge. But also there's
a whole medicinal medical protocol here that's so interesting, from
Aravadic to you know, the ability to really do things
here that really will reset your life.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I mean, I've seen even on the Instagram, I got
a few ideas because there's a couple of places of
ranges where you can ride horses, yes, that are on
your page, and that's therapeutic too. I mean, that's hard
to be in a bad mood when you've got a
beautiful day and you're on a horse, just kind of
chilling out and moving along the path.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Everyone want to be a cowboy?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Sure, come on, just think of the Instagram pictures.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Yeah, we have something called Cowboy College, and that is
kind of a it's a blend of the ultimate ultimate
luxury if you're staying at the Four Seasons. But then
you can take a day and go out and pretend
that you are, you know, on a cattle you know
range if you will, and it's you, and you learn
the basics of what it's like to deal with horses
(19:28):
and cattle and being out in the desert.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Do you have a favorite spa and spa treatment that
you'd like to share with everybody?
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I had so many favorite spas. But I will tell
you whether you're up at the Boulders and you're getting
like a turquoise, you know, mask on your body, or
whether you're at the Fairmont they have a new spa
element it's called it's from France called Sicily, and it's
very very luxurious. Or you know, then again you can
(19:57):
go to the New High the Grand Higat and they
have something that's completely different. It's kind of like the
time of day. They take that into consideration. The sanctuary
has beautiful that's a paradise valley part of you know,
the neighbor of Scottsdale. There's so many spas here. Monia
is just getting a redone, as is camel Back.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
In Global Ambassador too. Right.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Global Ambassador's next level, Yea is wonderful. There are so
many attributes here that are all different because I think
when I have gone other places, a spa can be
a spa here. I think what they try to do
is take something that is only of Arizona and maybe
only of this desert area and use those ingredients and
(20:42):
make it something that you're not going to get back home.
And I think that's the memory making that we really
excel at here in Scottsdale.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Do you have some hidden gems that you like, Hey,
if you're coming and you're staying, you know you might
as well. You probably wouldn't think about checking this out.
But if you go here, because I know we've talked
about some big things, what about some little hidden gems
that maybe even the people that live in Phoenix could
explore well.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
I think one of the hidden gems is probably one
of our most famous, and that is Talies and West
and Co Santi as well. Taliessen is known probably more
by people who come here as foreign visitors and visitors
throughout the country than maybe some of our locals. It's
right in the backyard here and it is the place
(21:31):
where Frank Lloyd Wright set up his winter studio. But
you can take really interesting tours there that will show
you that Frank Lloyd Wright was not just a famous architect.
He was someone who taught us how to live sustainably
before sustainability was even something that we looked at, aspired to,
(21:52):
or even understood the word. But he also was a
visionary in terms of collaborating with how to live your life,
with bringing art, in bringing the desert in when you
live in the desert.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
In the motion of the structures too. Of the structure,
they always tell a story as you do tell the story.
You know, if you pay attention, there's a it's not
just curved walls, right.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
And they're going to be doing a brand new artist
and residence series that will be starting this coming year.
So it's something that if you're a local even check
it out, because I think it's something that will touch
you in ways that make you really appreciate that we
have this treasure here. It's one of the UNESCO World
(22:33):
Heritage Areas if you will, that we're celebrating. So there
are so many little hidden gems. I would also say,
if you've never been to our preserve, whether you want
to walk half a mile trail like the Jane Row Trail,
or whether you want to walk eight miles and really
take a look at the desert and bloom.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Or to so it's coming up to you.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Oh yeah, it is beautiful. There's nothing like the desert
and bloom or wait and go out when it's sprinkling
rain and smell that smell that you cannot describe. To
the visitors, they're like, what is that smell? The creosot?
Do you know how it just it's like a perfume.
We've actually taken that on the road. And we were
in New York City and in Chicago in the wintertime
(23:17):
January and February. We had what we called kind of
it's like a sun globe is what we called it.
And it was a heating station that boy, people were
frozen in February and they could walk into it and
it was permeated with the smell of the desert, and
we would give them a cup of beautiful tea that
galcil came from the desert, and they would warm up
(23:40):
there and they could hear the sounds of the desert
and people were transported. But also what we noticed is
that people were calming down. Think about Chicago and Manhattan
and how frenetic it is, and especially when you're cold,
and then you walk into this place that makes you
feel relaxed and alive at the same time. And it
(24:04):
was one of the most interesting activations we'd ever done
that allowed people to say, why, maybe you have never
been to Scottsdale, but I can feel that I need
to go there.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
That's pretty impressive, it was. It's pretty powerful. That's not
even a hitting jump at that point. That's that's we
need bottle it up.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Right, Well, let's do bottle it up.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
That's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It should be a perfume called the Desert there.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Really should be really kind of special. Okay, I'm going
to market it for you. I'm going to take that.
What about what has so you've been there for a
long time, what has changed the most over the past
years about your job.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I think our job has become so much more about storytelling.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And which you do quite well by the way, well
you really lay it, you really roll it out there.
It's I can taste the things that you speak of,
including the art. It's pretty good. You're good at this.
You should do this job.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
You and I can partner on some podcasts.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Who knows, let's go.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I think the storytelling is what everybody longs for because
we don't do enough of it. We don't hear enough stories.
We don't tell our children and our family enough stories.
And everyone wants to know the story of who you are,
the story of where you live, the story of how
(25:24):
to live your life better, in the story of no
matter what you have been given or that you have
to deal with, where your story can go. And when
we share our stories, people become our friends. And then
when we have friends that we meet through stories, they
(25:45):
become part of our family. And I think that is
what this destination has done well, is we've authentically told
the stories that matter to us and that matter to
people who want to live their lives in a beautiful way.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
And you've done it on on not a very big
budget with your.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Our budget is one of the smaller budgets. It really is.
So if you looked at a few cities that we
compete with, Orlando as an example, their budget's one hundred
and fourteen million dollars just for that city. San Diego,
where you were coming from, is probably you know, in
the forty plus maybe fifty million. We won't even talk
(26:24):
about Las Vegas, San Antonio, Nashville. They're all maybe three
four times our budget, which our budget right now is
about twenty million dollars. The only competitive city that we
compete against it is smaller than ours, is Tucson. Wow,
but we make.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Every direction is also a very special place.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
We love Tucson, and Tucson is such a great part
of this whole state community. And we collaborate. We collaborate
with Phoenix, with Tucson, with Sedona, with the Grand Canyon,
we collaborate with all of the communities in Arizona. Because
once you're here and Scott still maybe your entry point
when't you get off the plane, whether you're at Scott
(27:04):
Steel Airport on the you know, the flights that are
there private or the JFX that you can take to JSX.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Oh my god, it's the best.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
It is incredible.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I kind of want to tell people about it, but
I don't really want to tell people about it because
I still want to get ontangerious. Oh it changes everything.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Have you taken it?
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Well? Yes? In fact, my wife and I compare the
prices and it's not too different from a major airline
and you're kind of up and you're down and it's
quiet and it's nice.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
How about getting there twenty minutes before you depart.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
And you don't have to go through like crazy security lines.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
You feel like you are totally the jets are.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
There's a hidden gym.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I will tell you the Scottsdale Airport. It's pretty often
is a hidden gym.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Actually, food there's great too.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
The food is incredible there. I know people that go
there for dinner.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
We have, my wife and I have.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Why wouldn't you?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
In fact, I will tell you we got married at
the Royal Palms you did two years ago. Pretty cool joint,
isn't it lovely? It's really feel like you were somewhere else. Yeah,
I will tell you this. It was probably my favorite
night of my whole life. I think about it all
the time, like if I could go back and just
relive a couple of hours. And it's the place. Of course,
(28:13):
the people, you know, all the people that you love
in one place celebrating something awesome. But there's just something
so magical and sweet about that location that you know
it really really in. The staff is great and the
vibe was just in the food. That's the best wedding
food I've ever had. I'm not just saying because it's
my wedding. It's the best wedding food I've like. They
(28:34):
my guess still talk about it. They're still like, what
did you guys do? Where did it come from? Them?
Like it's from their kitchen. It was just that good.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
And doesn't it feel like you're somewhere else?
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I mean totally right there, totally yeah, I really do.
I really do love Scottsdale. It's great. In fact, I
love all of Arizona. It's my favorite of the states. Really,
you know, I want to love California that much. But
I still I am from Missouri, so that's a little different. Well,
I'm from Arkansas. Yeah, we know, we know, that's why
we're here. Yes, that's right. You don't have to you
(29:04):
don't have to shovel the sunshine in Scottsdale. You don't
that's a beautiful thing. Well, our guest has been Rachel Sakau,
the president and CEO of Experienced Scottsdale. Now, if people
want to learn more about the beautiful things, the amenities,
the fun, the food, the art, everything that Scottsdale has
to offer, where should they go? Do you want to
(29:24):
send to a website? Do you want to some to
the instagram? Where best to go?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I think I would go to the website Experience Scottsdale
dot com and you will find so many things like
hiking guides, maps that you can download. You can actually
as a visitor. You're a resident, but you can pretend
you're a visitor, and we can help you define maybe
a one afternoon or one day or when your visitors
(29:49):
come in, what you should do with them to make
them feel really, really super special.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Of all the cities that you mentioned, maybe with the
exception of Las Vegas, when I look at the upcoming
events Scottsdale, they go buy so quick because there's so
many every single weekend. There's so much stuff you can do.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
In a little community like this. We have worldwide events.
I mean, who has the Super Bowl in the final four,
and the WM Phoenix Open and spring training and so
many things that are happening.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
That's all within two months, right there.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
It's all within two months. And then we didn't even
talk about cars and Barrett Jackson.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, beautiful, also awesome. Well, I want to thank you
for being our guest. Rachel Sakau, the president and CEO
of Experience Scottsdale. Again. The website is Experience Scottsdale dot com.
Experience Scottsdale dot com. Thank you so much for being
our guest. A pleasure spending some time with you.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Thank you so much.
Welcome to CEOs. You should know Phoenix. I'm your host,
Rich Barrow. Our guest today is pretty exciting. This is
Rachel Sacho, President and CEO from Experience Scottsdale, which, by
the way, I must say, is one of my favorite
instagrams to follow, is it? I am a follower. I
(00:20):
have seen all the great Instagrammable sites, all the pictures,
like the newest one is where I think you're saying, like, hey,
springs coming, this was going to look like here soon.
That should be a street cred for you. Since I
actually you probably actually saw that.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I think this is wonderful. Thank you for your following.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, so I mean we're going to talk about Scottsdale.
Of course, in what you do you've been there for
a hot minute, Experienced Scottsdale.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I have been there for thirty nine hot minutes and
I have loved every minute of it.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, what about your job? Experienced Scottsdale doesn't feel like
a job.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Nothing really feels like a job because it's the people.
I love collaborating with the team of people that want
to show up in a place that allows them to
use their skills and to do their best work. And
we have developed a collaborative trust based Hey, go for it.
(01:17):
Let's just be authentic, Let's be passionate, let's have integrity,
and let's make this destination the place that everybody wants
to know and visit around the world.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So what exactly is Experienced Scottsdale.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
We are a five oh one c six not for
profit corporation. So essentially we have a contract with the
City of Scottsdale, also with the town of Paradise Valley,
and what our mission is is to be the marketing
in the sales arm for those two communities to brand
(01:52):
this beautiful destination called the Scottsdale area around the world
for visitors and for groups to hold their meetings here.
And tourism is such an important part of your economic development.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Tell us what we see on a yearly basis from
Scottsdale alone, like the money and the tax revenue and
all that that it brings in.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Scott Stale's not the largest community. I mean you think
about you know, we're two hundred and fifty thousand people
or so, but tourism is a three point five billion
dollar industry just in annually community annually, wow, annually.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
We have a bus because everything's expensive.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
You know what, It's just irresistible. I'd like to say,
there you go, Yeah, you have to, you have to
come and see it.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You do have a little bit of the The people
who have money to spend have made this a destination,
and I'm guessing half of that's got to be from
the Fashion Center. In fact, I heard that that's more
visited than the Grand Canyon. Is that true.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I'm not sure that I can corroborate that.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
You know, one, I'm gonna go ahead and put it out there.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
The Grand Canyon has got a pretty high visitation bar.
But I would say that Fashion Square is definitely one
of the must see places.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
It's definitely trendier well and.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
If you like, if you like a lot of the
things that you have seen around the country, and particularly
the restaurants and the high end fashion, they are bringing
it here the Mace Rich Corporation.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
It's pretty impressive. Like I think that at some point
you decided to get very serious about food in Scottsdale,
like like, hey, listen, we're going to have how many
there's a couple of five stars, I know Monarch right in.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
There are so many restaurants now that are known I
think around the country and beyond. And I remember a
few decades ago actually, when we were looking through the
magazines back then, saying, why is Scottsdale not showing up
in all of these magazines with all the great restaurants
that we have here and the great wine, even the
(03:56):
Arizona wines which are now celebrated. Yeah, and so we
have come, I think a foody destination. That's what our
clients tell us.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Anyway, Yeah, I think so it makes sense. I would
fly here to eat, for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
For sure you would.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I mean, because you've got all these I could go
on and on, and we will here in a few
minutes about the places, because I'm going to ask you for,
you know, a couple of your takes on things, since
you are passionate about Scottsdale. It's not just a job
for you, right, this is I.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Love this destination. I have raised three children in this destination.
I feel that it is one of the greatest places
to live, to work, and to play. And I love
everything about it, the history of it, how artists have
come here.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Because sky looks different at night.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
This sky looks different at night, it looks different during
the day. I mean, we have sun. We have desert,
but we also have marvelous arts and culture and the
creativity the people who have come here, the artists of
Frankloyd writes the Paolo Solari's there's so many of them
that have basically said essentially the same thing. I don't
(05:06):
know what it is, but I feel more creative here,
and that's one of the things that I hear.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Maybe there's a maybe there's a excuse me, there's a
creative vortex.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I think there is, and nice similar to called the desert.
I really do. I think there's something in the air.
Visitors tell me more often than not, something to the
effect of, I don't know what it is about here,
but I feel so much better than when I arrived.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It might be the sun.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think it's the sun. I think it's the fact
that it's easy. It's a it's a little city in
a way that has big city amenities, but really a great, warm,
small town welcoming and that is a great combo.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
You know, not for me, well for me, I will
say this. I like the ocean quite a bit. I
used to live in San Diego, lived right by the beach.
I think for me, I find it even more relaxing
and more inspiring to see the sunset over like some
rolling cactus, or you know, like some city views, like
a good patio, a pig having a nice little beverage
(06:08):
and some appetizers. That to me is the stuff. There
is something about the sunset here and the way in
Scottsdale in particular, you get those rolling hills and you
get that proper view. It's pretty special, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
We always say that, really the desert is our ocean.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, it really is. It's just as calming to me.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And so we are a city in the desert, but
we also are a city that brings the desert into
the city. And I think that it's that aesthetic that
really makes people feel like, oh, this is beautiful, beautiful.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Can you confirm or deny what I feel like? I
know a few fun facts about Scottsdale, and one of
them I just told you that you could not cooperate.
But when we're talking about hiking, isn't it true that
there's like four hundred miles of hiking trails just in Scottsdale.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I don't know that there's four hundred, but I will
tell you that there are so many that I can't
even count them. One of the things that people love
to do when they come here is to get into
the desert. The fact that this community, and it's only
been what twenty five plus years or so, got together
and preserved over well, it's between a quarter and a
(07:17):
third of our entire land masks in Scottsdale to be
forever a preserve is amazing, and visitors contribute to that
as well. So it's not just our residents taxing themselves,
it's our visitors. And so when you think about it,
it's about roughly the size of the city of San
Francisco that we have that is forever a preserve of
(07:39):
the preserve part wow, yeah, So you think about that
and all the hiking that's out there, there's a ton,
there's a ton, and there's a lot of historical importance
out there in terms of you know, artifacts and petroglyphs
and things like that that most people aren't going to
be able to see, but just knowing that it's there
(07:59):
is really special.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Has it snowed in Scottsdale since you've been in charge.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Well, since I've been in charge, I had I usually
try to pray for no rain on you know, the
Phoenix open and things like that. Bart Jackson. But yes,
I have seen some snow dusting up in the mountains
and it's lovely. Doesn't last long but the four seasons.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
But oh yeah, that's right, that's high enough and surely enough.
That's great. Okay, let me let me give you a
couple of quizes. Here we're talking with Rachel Saco and
she is the CEO of Experienced Scottsdale. Okay, so let
me give you just a couple of like scotts Dally
kind of like questions.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Try to just really.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
No, no, no, I really just want to get your
first take on things like like what's your favorite place
to get in espresso? Martini?
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Oh, my goodness, anywhere that is mine. That is exactly
one of our favorites. And I would say almost anywhere.
Give me come to go to eighty eighty eight. That
was Martinez.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
I thought you were to say that, it's possible.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Not to have that. When you say Martini. The next
thing is a Z eighty eight. To some extent, you
have to.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And they're famous. Also their chicken sandwich is really good there.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Their chicken sandwich or their chicken salad thing, you know,
get the buffalo sauce. It's really unique.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Okay, So what is your favorite patio? Give me a
couple of your favorite patios. Afternoon patios.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Oh, I love almost any patio. I love being at
the Sanctuary. I love beautiful four seasons. I love being
even looking out at the golf course, you know, at
the at the Princess for a month, Princess.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Customer service at Princess second to none.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Second to none. They have a great leader and every
single person there is on their game. Another great thing
that was just redone and that is the Hyatt. It's
now a grand Hyat. It's the only one in our
state that got that elevation. And if you haven't been
to their pool area.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Where is that the area?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
It's right off of Double Tree there on Still Road.
It was one of our first resorts, The Hyatt and
the Fairmont, you all came about in the late eighties
about at the same time. And they've just got such
a great refresh. It was the first one that had
that sandy beach pool. Do you remember that where it
(10:20):
was like you could bring your kids there to the
pool and there was sand there as well, and it's
just so lovely and it's in the middle of our destination,
but it feels like it's so far away.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Okay, what about your favorite boutique.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
I love to walk around the Old Town area because
those are boutiques that are non chain, meaning that they
are owned by somebody who has a passion for fashion.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
You're just going to find something you need. You're going to.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Find something that you're not going to find anywhere else.
And if you didn't find something there, you have that
beautiful mall that we talked about, Fashion Square that has
every luxury outlet that you could possibly think of, and
all the restaurants to go with it.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Okay, so best sandwich in Scottsdale, Well.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It depends on what kind of sandwich you really like
to have. I'm trying to you know what, there's some
great barbecue if you go up and down Scottsdale Road
all I mean, there's just for me. I think when
I think of a sandwich, I think of I just
want to have a barbecue.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Like brisket.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Love brisket.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Okay, where would you get a good brisket?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
There are some places I hate to even you know,
single only one out, but you can get brisket and
a lot of places in Scottsdale, and some of them
are way up north and some of them are way
down south as well. So go on go to our website,
Experience Scottsdale dot com and just peruse all the restaurants.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
What about steak well, I mean mean.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Here again, I mean, come on, do you want to
go to Bourbon Steak? Do you want to go to
you know, at the Fairmont. Do you want to just
go to an incredible steak place like you know, gosh,
the City Hall. Their steaks here are just amazing. But
we're also known for so many wonderful things. I mean,
if you want to go to a place that is
(12:16):
plant based and it's been around for a long time
and serves up the most wonderful unusual entrees. F and
B in the Old Town area and they have strictly
an Arizona wine serving menu, and it's just incredible.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
If you're just gonna walk in Scottsdale and you just
want to kind of like maybe a little bit of shops,
maybe a little bit of greenery where you tell people
to kind of like start their path, you.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Might want to go on the waterfront, which is in
Old Town and looks it looks like it's not in
the desert.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
It's true, and yet it's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You can see the mountains and then you can see
all of the restaurants alongside of it. At night. There
are activations there like Canal Convergence, which happens in the
fall and also in the spring, which brings fire into
the canal water, and all sorts of installations that are
(13:16):
light based and you know, interactive and are so fun.
And then you can walk down to the Museum of
the West, the.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Museum museums to get a museum.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
The Museum of the West just hosted Kevin Costner here,
who won the first kind of an Americana Award, if
you will, for West, someone like a Western tribute for
all that he had done to bring the West back
to life. But the Western Museum, it's a Smithsonian affiliate
(13:47):
and it actually got that moniker, I think in its
first or second year. It's just celebrated its tenth year.
But you are able to see not just the West
as we experience here in Scottsdale, in and airs, but
the West how it impacted the culture that everyone across
the whole world thinks about when they think of the West.
(14:09):
You know, and the artists that have used the West
as inspiration and now are a part of people living
all over the planet that think about the West and
understand its history as a great part of Americana. And
it's right here in the Old Town area. It's called
Scottsdal's Museum of the West.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Okay, So I know that you and mister Saco have
been together for a long time.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yes we had.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
But if you were to pick a wedding spot in Scottsdale,
give me your top two choices.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
You are really pressing me, I.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Know, but this is your town.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I will tell you. If you want to do something
that is it's really really different and you want to
be outside, you could actually be on a beautiful Arabian
horse ranch called Los Cedro's. You could be in the
old town area on the Civic Civic Center plaza area. Oh,
that's a cool idea, at the Valley Hoe, which is
(15:05):
an old town and right on their rooftop and celebrate
just like so many of the famous stars came in
the fifties and would do their honeymoon's here.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Don't sleep on the Valley ho that's a cool joint.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
It's really cool, cool and they have a great chef who,
in my opinion, doesn't get nearly as much a claim
as he should. It's so interesting, their food is great,
their ambiance is great, and then you can go to
the Artwalk. The Artwalk just celebrated its fiftieth year. It's
the longest continuously run art walk in the country. And
(15:39):
we have so many art and cultures.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
But the culinary Festival. How many years has that been
going on? You know?
Speaker 2 (15:43):
The culinary Festival. Yeah, I think we are a culinary
festival our entire community because there isn't any type of
cuisine that you don't have here. And one of the
things that people don't realize is that we're one of
the few places that has indigenous cuisine here. When we
go to New York and we try to talk about
(16:04):
things that you can only do in Scottsdale. We were
just at Conde Nast headquarters where they have so many
of their magazine outlets and media, and we hosted a
Oh gosh, a luncheon for them and it was all
about indigenous cuisine. And the writers there that are writing
for the Food magazine said, on this entire island of
(16:25):
Manhattan that has everything, we do not have one indigenous restaurant,
but you have it here, and you have people that
are Indigenous that actually will do an incredible program for you.
And so that's one of the things about scott Stale
is that we are a wonderful blend of a Hispanic,
(16:45):
of Native American, of Anglo, of desert dwellers, of people
that have come here from around the world and just
given it their heart because Scottsdale gives them art.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
It's what's interesting about Scottsdale. I think, too is unique
in that Scottsdale has a very unique, unduplicable vibe. But
I think part of its charm is you can walk
into places that don't feel like you're anywhere in Arizona
at all. Right, one of the places I was thinking
about was in the Royal Palms, where it just doesn't
(17:19):
feel like you're in Scottsdale. It feels like you've walked
into Spain right in the nineteen hundreds. That kind of stuff,
I think is so cool.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I think that history for a young community, I mean,
you look at where our visitors come from around the world.
This is a young community, but its history is really deep,
and the places that do really well here, even if
they are bringing a bit of their culture from Spain
or from Morocco, or from Italy or from wherever, or
(17:49):
even from the ocean ocean side, it blends in well here,
and people here are so welcoming. You can just come
in and people well you. Whether you've got your cowboy
boots and your turquoison or whether you are dressed to
the nines coming here with your you know, your significant other,
(18:09):
or whether you're here with your golf buddies or you're
here with your galfriends at a spa. That's the other thing.
The spa and the wellness scene here is totally exploding,
and it's not just getting a massage in a facial anymore.
People are coming here to really dial through reset to
(18:29):
reset because they feel better, recharge, recharge. But also there's
a whole medicinal medical protocol here that's so interesting, from
Aravadic to you know, the ability to really do things
here that really will reset your life.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I mean, I've seen even on the Instagram, I got
a few ideas because there's a couple of places of
ranges where you can ride horses, yes, that are on
your page, and that's therapeutic too. I mean, that's hard
to be in a bad mood when you've got a
beautiful day and you're on a horse, just kind of
chilling out and moving along the path.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Everyone want to be a cowboy?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Sure, come on, just think of the Instagram pictures.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Yeah, we have something called Cowboy College, and that is
kind of a it's a blend of the ultimate ultimate
luxury if you're staying at the Four Seasons. But then
you can take a day and go out and pretend
that you are, you know, on a cattle you know
range if you will, and it's you, and you learn
the basics of what it's like to deal with horses
(19:28):
and cattle and being out in the desert.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Do you have a favorite spa and spa treatment that
you'd like to share with everybody?
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I had so many favorite spas. But I will tell
you whether you're up at the Boulders and you're getting
like a turquoise, you know, mask on your body, or
whether you're at the Fairmont they have a new spa
element it's called it's from France called Sicily, and it's
very very luxurious. Or you know, then again you can
(19:57):
go to the New High the Grand Higat and they
have something that's completely different. It's kind of like the
time of day. They take that into consideration. The sanctuary
has beautiful that's a paradise valley part of you know,
the neighbor of Scottsdale. There's so many spas here. Monia
is just getting a redone, as is camel Back.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
In Global Ambassador too. Right.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Global Ambassador's next level, Yea is wonderful. There are so
many attributes here that are all different because I think
when I have gone other places, a spa can be
a spa here. I think what they try to do
is take something that is only of Arizona and maybe
only of this desert area and use those ingredients and
(20:42):
make it something that you're not going to get back home.
And I think that's the memory making that we really
excel at here in Scottsdale.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Do you have some hidden gems that you like, Hey,
if you're coming and you're staying, you know you might
as well. You probably wouldn't think about checking this out.
But if you go here, because I know we've talked
about some big things, what about some little hidden gems
that maybe even the people that live in Phoenix could
explore well.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
I think one of the hidden gems is probably one
of our most famous, and that is Talies and West
and Co Santi as well. Taliessen is known probably more
by people who come here as foreign visitors and visitors
throughout the country than maybe some of our locals. It's
right in the backyard here and it is the place
(21:31):
where Frank Lloyd Wright set up his winter studio. But
you can take really interesting tours there that will show
you that Frank Lloyd Wright was not just a famous architect.
He was someone who taught us how to live sustainably
before sustainability was even something that we looked at, aspired to,
(21:52):
or even understood the word. But he also was a
visionary in terms of collaborating with how to live your life,
with bringing art, in bringing the desert in when you
live in the desert.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
In the motion of the structures too. Of the structure,
they always tell a story as you do tell the story.
You know, if you pay attention, there's a it's not
just curved walls, right.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
And they're going to be doing a brand new artist
and residence series that will be starting this coming year.
So it's something that if you're a local even check
it out, because I think it's something that will touch
you in ways that make you really appreciate that we
have this treasure here. It's one of the UNESCO World
(22:33):
Heritage Areas if you will, that we're celebrating. So there
are so many little hidden gems. I would also say,
if you've never been to our preserve, whether you want
to walk half a mile trail like the Jane Row Trail,
or whether you want to walk eight miles and really
take a look at the desert and bloom.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Or to so it's coming up to you.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Oh yeah, it is beautiful. There's nothing like the desert
and bloom or wait and go out when it's sprinkling
rain and smell that smell that you cannot describe. To
the visitors, they're like, what is that smell? The creosot?
Do you know how it just it's like a perfume.
We've actually taken that on the road. And we were
in New York City and in Chicago in the wintertime
(23:17):
January and February. We had what we called kind of
it's like a sun globe is what we called it.
And it was a heating station that boy, people were
frozen in February and they could walk into it and
it was permeated with the smell of the desert, and
we would give them a cup of beautiful tea that
galcil came from the desert, and they would warm up
(23:40):
there and they could hear the sounds of the desert
and people were transported. But also what we noticed is
that people were calming down. Think about Chicago and Manhattan
and how frenetic it is, and especially when you're cold,
and then you walk into this place that makes you
feel relaxed and alive at the same time. And it
(24:04):
was one of the most interesting activations we'd ever done
that allowed people to say, why, maybe you have never
been to Scottsdale, but I can feel that I need
to go there.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
That's pretty impressive, it was. It's pretty powerful. That's not
even a hitting jump at that point. That's that's we
need bottle it up.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Right, Well, let's do bottle it up.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
That's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It should be a perfume called the Desert there.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Really should be really kind of special. Okay, I'm going
to market it for you. I'm going to take that.
What about what has so you've been there for a
long time, what has changed the most over the past
years about your job.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I think our job has become so much more about storytelling.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And which you do quite well by the way, well
you really lay it, you really roll it out there.
It's I can taste the things that you speak of,
including the art. It's pretty good. You're good at this.
You should do this job.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
You and I can partner on some podcasts.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Who knows, let's go.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I think the storytelling is what everybody longs for because
we don't do enough of it. We don't hear enough stories.
We don't tell our children and our family enough stories.
And everyone wants to know the story of who you are,
the story of where you live, the story of how
(25:24):
to live your life better, in the story of no
matter what you have been given or that you have
to deal with, where your story can go. And when
we share our stories, people become our friends. And then
when we have friends that we meet through stories, they
(25:45):
become part of our family. And I think that is
what this destination has done well, is we've authentically told
the stories that matter to us and that matter to
people who want to live their lives in a beautiful way.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
And you've done it on on not a very big
budget with your.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Our budget is one of the smaller budgets. It really is.
So if you looked at a few cities that we
compete with, Orlando as an example, their budget's one hundred
and fourteen million dollars just for that city. San Diego,
where you were coming from, is probably you know, in
the forty plus maybe fifty million. We won't even talk
(26:24):
about Las Vegas, San Antonio, Nashville. They're all maybe three
four times our budget, which our budget right now is
about twenty million dollars. The only competitive city that we
compete against it is smaller than ours, is Tucson. Wow,
but we make.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Every direction is also a very special place.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
We love Tucson, and Tucson is such a great part
of this whole state community. And we collaborate. We collaborate
with Phoenix, with Tucson, with Sedona, with the Grand Canyon,
we collaborate with all of the communities in Arizona. Because
once you're here and Scott still maybe your entry point
when't you get off the plane, whether you're at Scott
(27:04):
Steel Airport on the you know, the flights that are
there private or the JFX that you can take to JSX.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Oh my god, it's the best.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
It is incredible.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I kind of want to tell people about it, but
I don't really want to tell people about it because
I still want to get ontangerious. Oh it changes everything.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Have you taken it?
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Well? Yes? In fact, my wife and I compare the
prices and it's not too different from a major airline
and you're kind of up and you're down and it's
quiet and it's nice.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
How about getting there twenty minutes before you depart.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
And you don't have to go through like crazy security lines.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
You feel like you are totally the jets are.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
There's a hidden gym.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I will tell you the Scottsdale Airport. It's pretty often
is a hidden gym.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Actually, food there's great too.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
The food is incredible there. I know people that go
there for dinner.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
We have, my wife and I have.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Why wouldn't you?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
In fact, I will tell you we got married at
the Royal Palms you did two years ago. Pretty cool joint,
isn't it lovely? It's really feel like you were somewhere else. Yeah,
I will tell you this. It was probably my favorite
night of my whole life. I think about it all
the time, like if I could go back and just
relive a couple of hours. And it's the place. Of course,
(28:13):
the people, you know, all the people that you love
in one place celebrating something awesome. But there's just something
so magical and sweet about that location that you know
it really really in. The staff is great and the
vibe was just in the food. That's the best wedding
food I've ever had. I'm not just saying because it's
my wedding. It's the best wedding food I've like. They
(28:34):
my guess still talk about it. They're still like, what
did you guys do? Where did it come from? Them?
Like it's from their kitchen. It was just that good.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
And doesn't it feel like you're somewhere else?
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I mean totally right there, totally yeah, I really do.
I really do love Scottsdale. It's great. In fact, I
love all of Arizona. It's my favorite of the states. Really,
you know, I want to love California that much. But
I still I am from Missouri, so that's a little different. Well,
I'm from Arkansas. Yeah, we know, we know, that's why
we're here. Yes, that's right. You don't have to you
(29:04):
don't have to shovel the sunshine in Scottsdale. You don't
that's a beautiful thing. Well, our guest has been Rachel Sakau,
the president and CEO of Experienced Scottsdale. Now, if people
want to learn more about the beautiful things, the amenities,
the fun, the food, the art, everything that Scottsdale has
to offer, where should they go? Do you want to
(29:24):
send to a website? Do you want to some to
the instagram? Where best to go?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I think I would go to the website Experience Scottsdale
dot com and you will find so many things like
hiking guides, maps that you can download. You can actually
as a visitor. You're a resident, but you can pretend
you're a visitor, and we can help you define maybe
a one afternoon or one day or when your visitors
(29:49):
come in, what you should do with them to make
them feel really, really super special.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Of all the cities that you mentioned, maybe with the
exception of Las Vegas, when I look at the upcoming
events Scottsdale, they go buy so quick because there's so
many every single weekend. There's so much stuff you can do.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
In a little community like this. We have worldwide events.
I mean, who has the Super Bowl in the final four,
and the WM Phoenix Open and spring training and so
many things that are happening.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
That's all within two months, right there.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
It's all within two months. And then we didn't even
talk about cars and Barrett Jackson.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, beautiful, also awesome. Well, I want to thank you
for being our guest. Rachel Sakau, the president and CEO
of Experience Scottsdale. Again. The website is Experience Scottsdale dot com.
Experience Scottsdale dot com. Thank you so much for being
our guest. A pleasure spending some time with you.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Thank you so much.
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